Temperature-controlled receiving tunnel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Stores face challenges in accepting temperature-sensitive deliveries outside their open hours due to the need for refrigeration, limiting delivery schedules and causing inefficiencies and inconvenience for delivery drivers.

Innovation Solution

A temperature-controlled receiving tunnel with adjustable cooling devices, bulkheads, and a control system that analyzes dynamic delivery data and ambient temperatures to create temperature-controlled zones, allowing for autonomous pallet loading and flexible delivery scheduling, enabling after-hours delivery acceptance without personnel intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the store accepts deliveries only during open hours with personnel available, then temperature-sensitive items can be properly refrigerated and stored, but delivery schedules are limited and drivers experience inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature control reliabilityVSAvoiddelivery schedule flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving tunnel is equipped with autonomous cooling devices and sensors that automatically monitor and regulate temperature without human intervention. The system self-manages temperature control, allowing deliveries to be accepted at any time while maintaining proper refrigeration conditions for temperature-sensitive items.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling devices are activated in advance before deliveries arrive, and the system prepares the receiving tunnel with appropriate temperature zones beforehand. This preliminary cooling action ensures that temperature-sensitive items can be immediately refrigerated upon arrival, regardless of delivery timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If the store extends delivery acceptance to after-hours, then delivery schedule flexibility improves and driver convenience increases, but temperature control reliability deteriorates without personnel intervention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery schedule flexibilityVSAvoidtemperature control reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving tunnel operates autonomously during after-hours deliveries, with cooling devices and sensors automatically maintaining temperature control without store personnel. The system independently monitors temperature zones and adjusts cooling as needed, enabling reliable after-hours delivery acceptance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The receiving tunnel acts as an intermediary between delivery trucks and the main storage facility. It provides a buffer zone with autonomous temperature control that bridges the gap between delivery arrival and final storage, ensuring temperature maintenance throughout the transfer process even when no personnel are present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If manual pallet loading is required during after-hours deliveries, then temperature control can be monitored, but resource utilization becomes inefficient and personnel costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature monitoring reliabilityVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving tunnel autonomously manages temperature monitoring and control without requiring manual intervention. Sensors continuously track temperature in different zones, and cooling devices automatically adjust to maintain proper conditions, eliminating the need for personnel during after-hours operations while preserving temperature reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual temperature monitoring and adjustment by personnel is replaced with an automated electronic system comprising sensors, controllers, and cooling devices. This substitution maintains temperature control reliability while significantly improving resource utilization efficiency by eliminating the need for human labor during automated operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system ensures timely and efficient refrigeration of temperature-sensitive items, expands delivery window options, and enhances security and resource utilization by allowing flexible and secure after-hours delivery operations.

Implementation Method 1

A set of cooling devices associated with the top member configured to adjust an internal temperature of an interior compartment within a main body of the receiving tunnel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefrigeration: Cooling

Data Source

PatentUS12043160B2Temperature-controlled receiving tunnel

Publication Date: 2024.07.23 WALMART APOLLO LLC

AI summary

Examples provide a system for a temperature-controlled receiving tunnel. A main body includes an interior compartment and a set of adjustable bulkheads configured to create a set of temperature-controlled zones within the interior compartment. A set of cooling devices are configured to adjust an internal temperature of the set of temperature-controlled zones within the interior compartment. A control device analyzes dynamic truck delivery data and ambient temperature data to generate a predicted cooling time and a cooling initiation time. The predicted cooling time comprises an estimated quantity of time after the cooling initiation time to reach a target temperature within a selected zone in the set of temperature-controlled zones.