Tiltable Platform Adapts to Warehouse Beam Sag

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Solution Overview

Problem

Warehouses with steel skeleton structures experience deformations due to dead weight and additional load-bearing structures, leading to unsafe storage and retrieval of goods as the supporting structure deviates from its vertical orientation, causing horizontal or oblique beams to sag.

Innovation Solution

A transport unit with a tiltable platform and a tilting mechanism that adapts to the curvature of deformed carriers, using adjustable actuators to align the platform with the carrier's deflection, ensuring safe and even transfer of goods between storage aisles and the transport unit, preventing tilting or bumping of the carriage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a steel skeleton structure is used to support the warehouse, then the structural strength is improved, but the supporting structure deforms due to dead weight and additional loads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidsupporting structure deformation
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The platform is designed to be tiltable relative to the transport unit, allowing it to dynamically adapt to the curvature of deformed carriers. The tilting mechanism enables the platform to change its angle to match the actual position of the carrier, compensating for structural deformations while maintaining stable goods transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If horizontal or oblique beams are arranged between supports, then the storage capacity is improved, but the beams sag due to dead weight and additional loads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidbeam sagging
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The tilting platform dynamically adapts to the sagging beams by changing its inclination angle. The platform tilts to match the actual curvature of the carrier structure, allowing goods to be transferred smoothly despite the sagging beams, thus maintaining storage capacity while compensating for shape deformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the platform is kept horizontal, then the操作简单性 is improved, but the transfer of goods becomes unsafe due to carrier deformation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplatform operation simplicityVSAvoidgoods transfer safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The platform transitions from a fixed horizontal position to a dynamically tiltable configuration. The tilting mechanism automatically adjusts the platform angle to match the carrier's curvature, ensuring safe and reliable goods transfer while maintaining operational simplicity through automated adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The platform's inclination angle is changed dynamically to match the carrier's curvature. By adjusting this geometric parameter, the system adapts to different carrier deformation states, ensuring safe goods transfer without requiring complex operational procedures from the user.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If the platform is tilted to match carrier curvature, then the goods transfer safety is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegoods transfer safetyVSAvoidtilting mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the inclination angle parameter of the platform to match carrier curvature. This single parameter adjustment, achieved through the tilting mechanism, enables safe goods transfer while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through straightforward angular adjustment rather than complex multi-degree-of-freedom systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3680196B1Warehouse for the individual placement of goods
Publication Date: 2023.03.15 NEDCON
  • EP3680196B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3680196B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3680196B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A warehouse for storing general cargo (L) is proposed, comprising a main aisle (1) and storage aisles (2.1 - 2.4) arranged transversely to the main aisle (1), each aisle containing multiple storage locations for a specific type of general cargo (L). Beams (14) are arranged parallel to the main aisle (1) and support at least a portion of the weight forces acting in the storage aisles (2.1 - 2.4). These beams are attached to supports (11) and extend between these supports. A transport unit (20) is also provided in the main aisle (1) for transporting the general cargo (L). The transport unit (20) has a first transport mechanism for movement along the main aisle (1) and a second transport mechanism for transferring a unit load (L) from the transport unit (20) into one of the storage aisles (2.1 - 2.4) and for receiving a unit load (L) from one of the storage aisles (2.1 - 2.4) onto the transport unit (20).The second transport mechanism comprises a carriage (27) movable transversely to the main aisle (1), which is part of the second transport mechanism and forms a support for the unit load (L) during its transfer and acceptance. The carriage (27) is supported in the transport unit (20) on a tiltable platform (21) with a tilting mechanism (33). The tilting mechanism (33) is designed to tilt the platform (21) relative to the transport unit (20).