Dynamic Height Adjustment for Storage Gripping on Uneven Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
In flat storage facilities, the horizontal accuracy of the floor surface is often not sufficient, leading to increased costs for construction and maintenance to ensure safe and reliable storage and retrieval operations, as the storage item placement plane must be perfectly horizontal for the storage/retrieval device to function correctly.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing the storage item placement plane into unit sections, measuring and recording the height differences relative to a reference plane, and adjusting the lowering distance of the storage item gripping means accordingly to accommodate uneven surfaces, ensuring safe and reliable gripping and lifting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the storage item placement plane is made perfectly horizontal through repair work, then the safety and reliability of storage/retrieval operations is improved, but the construction and maintenance costs are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of lowering distance dynamically based on the actual height of the storage item placement plane. By measuring the distance from the carriage to the placement plane and adjusting the lowering distance accordingly, the system accommodates uneven surfaces without requiring expensive construction repairs, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by measuring the actual distance to the storage item placement plane and using this information to adjust the lowering distance of the storage item gripping means. This closed-loop control ensures safe and reliable operations on uneven surfaces while avoiding the need for costly construction interventions
2Reliability
If the storage item placement plane is made perfectly horizontal, then the gripping and lifting operations are performed safely, but extensive surface adjustment work is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the lowering distance parameter based on measured height variations of the placement plane. This allows safe gripping and lifting operations to proceed without time-consuming surface adjustment work, as the system adapts to the actual surface conditions in real-time
3Ease of operation
If a fixed lowering distance is used for the storage item gripping means, then the device operation is simplified, but displacement or damage may occur on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static fixed lowering distance to a dynamic adjustable lowering distance that adapts to the actual height of the storage item placement plane. This dynamic adjustment ensures reliable gripping operations without increasing operational complexity, as the adjustment is automatically controlled based on measured surface height
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from distance measurements to automatically adjust the lowering distance, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring safe and reliable gripping operations. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction between operational simplicity and reliability on uneven surfaces
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
This control method is equipped with a stock mounting plane 1 and a loading/unloading device 2. The loading/unloading device 2 is equipped with: a Y-direction transverse body 3 which is provided so as to move horizontally and transversely in the Y direction at a constant height above the stock mounting plane 1; a dolly 5 which is provided so as to move horizontally in the X direction on the Y-direction transverse body 3; and a stock gripping means 6 which is provided to the dolly 5 so as to vertically move. In a plane storage facility where the loading/unloading device 2 performs the loading and unloading of stock C into and out of each stock mounting point set on the stock mounting plane 1, the stock mounting plane 1 is divided into a plurality of unit sections, and the difference in height between each unit section and the reference plane of the stock mounting plane 1 is measured and recorded, and, upon the loading/unloading operation of the loading/unloading device 2, the amount of descent of the stock gripping means 6 with respect to the dolly 5 is adjusted by the difference in height of the unit section containing the stock mounting point to be subjected to loading and unloading.