Telescopic Conveyor and Railing for Freight Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for loading and unloading freight are labor-intensive, costly, and prone to misalignment, leading to inefficiencies and potential injuries, especially when handling large volumes of unit loads in logistics and warehouse operations.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a mobile base platform with Omni drive wheels, a telescopic railing, and a telescopic conveyor, coupled with a robotic arm and mechanical connector, which enables precise alignment and movement of unit loads within a carrying body, minimizing human intervention and misalignment during loading and unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual labor is used to load and unload unit loads, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor costs increase and safety risks arise
Solution Approach 1:
The automated loading system is divided into independent functional modules: a robotic arm for picking and placing unit loads, a telescopic conveyor for transporting loads, and a mobile base platform for positioning. Each module operates independently but coordinates through a control system, allowing the system to achieve automation while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
2Extent of automation
If a robotic arm is used to handle cargo items, then labor costs are reduced, but the weight capacity of the robot is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines a robotic arm with a telescopic conveyor system to handle heavier unit loads. The robotic arm picks up unit loads from the conveyor and places them in the carrying body, while the telescopic conveyor provides additional mechanical advantage and structural support for handling weights that would exceed the robotic arm's capacity alone.
3Strength
If conveyor equipment is supported by the floor of the semitrailer, then structural support is provided, but the floor structure must be strengthened
Solution Approach 1:
A mobile base platform with telescopic railing acts as an intermediary structure between the conveyor system and the semitrailer floor. The telescopic railing provides a lightweight, adjustable support framework that distributes the conveyor's weight and the unit loads' weight without requiring permanent reinforcement of the semitrailer floor, thus reducing the overall structural weight while maintaining adequate support.
4Manufacturing precision
If telescopic conveyor and telescopic railing are used, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic conveyor and telescopic railing are designed with nested structures where sections are housed within other sections. This nesting arrangement allows the system to achieve precise alignment and extended reach while maintaining a compact form when retracted. The nested design reduces the overall complexity by integrating multiple functions into a single compact mechanism rather than requiring separate components.
Data Source
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Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to an apparatus for loading and unloading of unit loads in freight. A mobile base platform of the apparatus includes a telescopic railing and a telescopic conveyor, wherein the telescopic conveyor is mounted on top of the telescopic railing and the tail end of the telescopic railing is mounted on the front end of mobile base platform. A mechanical connector is adapted to connect the front end of a telescopic conveyor with the front end of the telescopic railing, wherein the mechanical connector enables the telescopic robotic mounting plate coupled to the telescopic railing to move in relation to the telescopic conveyor. The telescopic conveyor and the telescopic railing is moved towards the forward position inside the carrying body, where the forward position movement is enabled by the mechanical link to unload freight.