Transport Device Segmented Support Pivoting Large Small Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport devices face challenges in efficiently switching between supporting and removing supported portions for large and small transported articles with different lateral widths, leading to increased time and complexity in operations.
Innovation Solution
A transport device with separate pairs of supporting portions for large and small articles, where the supporting portions are pivotable and move between retracted and supporting positions, allowing for efficient support and removal of both article types by optimizing the interval between supporting portions and using a single drive portion for both functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single pair of supporting portions is used to transport both large and small articles, then the device structure is simple, but the time required to switch between support configurations increases due to long movement distances
Solution Approach 1:
The single pair of supporting portions is segmented into two separate pairs: a first pair of supporting portions for large articles and a second pair of supporting portions for small articles. Each pair can be independently positioned, allowing the first pair to be retracted while the second pair moves to the support position, thereby reducing the movement distance and switching time without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the interval between supporting portions is adjusted to accommodate different article widths, then both large and small articles can be transported, but the movement distance increases when switching between large-article and small-article positions
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting portions are segmented into dedicated first and second pairs, each optimized for specific article sizes. The first pair handles large articles with wider intervals, while the second pair handles small articles with narrower intervals. This segmentation allows each pair to be positioned independently, eliminating the need to move the entire support system across the full range of positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The second pair of supporting portions is positioned above the first pair in the vertical dimension. This vertical arrangement allows the second pair to operate in a different spatial plane, reducing the horizontal movement distance required when switching between support configurations for different article sizes.
3Loss of time
If separate pairs of supporting portions are provided for large and small articles, then support switching time is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Both the first and second pairs of supporting portions are integrated into the same moving body and can be collectively moved by the transporting drive portion. This multi-functional design allows the system to handle both large and small articles using a unified transport mechanism, reducing overall system complexity despite having multiple supporting portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The second pair of supporting portions is arranged vertically above the first pair, utilizing the vertical dimension to accommodate multiple supporting pairs within a compact horizontal footprint. This spatial arrangement reduces the complexity of coordinating multiple supporting portions by organizing them in a hierarchical structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A transport device includes a large-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of large-article supporting portions between a large-article supporting position and a large-article retracted position, and a small-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of small-article supporting portions between a small-article supporting position and a small-article retracted position. The small-article retracted position is set at a height at which the pair of small-article supporting portions are located above a supported portion supported by the pair of large-article supporting portions, and the pair of small-article supporting portions are provided between the pair of large-article supporting portions in a lateral width direction.