Storage Opening With Moving Transfer for Unmanned Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic warehouse systems do not directly transfer articles between unmanned conveyance vehicles and storage, and reel component inventory management systems lack specific aspects during warehousing and delivery.

Innovation Solution

A storage system with an opening portion, housing section, and moving portion that allows direct transfer between unmanned conveyance vehicles and storage, including a holding portion for accommodating articles, enabling efficient loading and unloading of articles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If articles are transferred via a warehousing work station between unmanned conveyance vehicle and storage, then the transfer process is standardized, but the work efficiency of article loading and unloading is reduced due to indirect transfer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestandardized transfer processVSAvoidwork efficiency of article loading and unloading
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the transfer function from the intermediate warehousing work station and implements it directly at the opening portion of the storage. The moving portion is positioned to enable direct article transfer between the unmanned conveyance vehicle and storage, eliminating the intermediate transfer step and improving工作效率 while maintaining standardized operations through controlled movement mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If the unmanned conveyance vehicle is directly connected to the storage for article transfer, then the work efficiency of loading and unloading is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional connection and separation mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiency of article loading and unloadingVSAvoidconnection and separation mechanisms
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the connection and separation functions into the opening portion structure. The opening portion serves as both the access point for the unmanned conveyance vehicle and the mechanism for article transfer. The moving portion integrates both the article movement function and the connection/separation control, reducing overall system complexity while enabling direct transfer for improved productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Speed

If the moving portion moves articles directly between unmanned conveyance vehicle and storage, then the transfer speed is improved, but the holding portion must maintain firm grip on accommodation case during separation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearticle transfer speedVSAvoidholding force on accommodation case
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic control of the holding portion's gripping force. The holding portion adjusts its grip strength on the accommodation case based on the operational phase: maintaining firm grip during high-speed article transfer, and controlling the release sequence during separation to ensure safe disconnection. This dynamic adjustment enables both high transfer speed and reliable holding force management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3892570B1Storage and storage apparatus provided with same
Publication Date: 2025.09.17 FUJI CORP
  • EP3892570B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3892570B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP3892570B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5A

AI summary

A storage includes an opening portion, a housing section, and a moving portion. The opening portion can be connected to an unmanned conveyance vehicle that conveys an article to a board work machine that performs a predetermined board working on the board. The housing section houses the article conveyed by the unmanned conveyance vehicle. The moving portion moves the article to the predetermined housing section when the unmanned conveyance vehicle is connected to the opening portion and the article is warehoused, and moves the article housed in the housing section to the unmanned conveyance vehicle connected to the opening portion when the article is delivered.