Tugger and Rider Cart Mechanical Loading Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tugger and rider cart systems face challenges in efficiently and ergonomically loading and unloading rider carts onto tugger carts, with hydraulic solutions increasing costs and safety concerns, and manual methods requiring excessive operator effort and difficulty in cart control.
Innovation Solution
The design of a tugger cart with specialized loading wheels and a rider cart featuring wings with curved portions allows for easy alignment and loading onto the tugger cart, with the rider cart's wheels lifting off the ground once positioned, enabling smooth transportation and a locking mechanism for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydraulic lift solution is used to load and unload rider carts, then loading efficiency is improved, but cost increases and safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hydraulic lift system from the tugger cart and replaces it with a simplified mechanical loading mechanism using loading wheels and curved portions. This extraction of the complex hydraulic system eliminates safety issues and cost concerns while maintaining loading efficiency through the alternative mechanical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive mechanical components (loading wheels, curved portions, and basic locking mechanisms) instead of expensive hydraulic systems. These simpler components achieve the same functional goal of loading rider carts without the complexity and safety hazards of hydraulic lifts.
2Device complexity
If manual loading method is used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but operator effort increases and ergonomics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The loading wheels act as an intermediary mechanical advantage device between the operator and the rider cart. These wheels provide a rolling mechanism that reduces friction and required force, making it easier for operators to load and unload rider carts without requiring excessive physical effort or compromising ergonomics.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved portions on the rider cart and corresponding loading wheels utilize circular geometry to enable smooth rolling motion during loading and unloading operations. This curvature reduces resistance and makes the manual handling process more ergonomic by allowing the cart to roll rather than slide or be lifted directly.
3Productivity
If rider cart is pulled out of tugger cart during unloading, then unloading is achieved, but operator strain increases due to difficult motion
Solution Approach 1:
The loading wheels serve as a mechanical intermediary that facilitates the extraction of the rider cart from the tugger cart. By providing a rolling interface, these wheels reduce the force and effort required to pull the rider cart out during unloading, significantly reducing operator strain while maintaining unloading capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static lifting or pulling operation to a dynamic rolling operation. The loading wheels enable the rider cart to roll out of the tugger cart smoothly, converting a high-effort pulling motion into a lower-effort rolling motion that reduces operator strain while achieving the same unloading result.
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, an improved tugger and rider cart assembly system is presented. The system comprising a tugger cart with a central space to receive a rider cart; the tugger cart having both front side and rear side pluralities of transport wheels approximately parallel to, but not touching, ground; a front side and a rear side loading wheel positioned closer to the ground than the transport wheels; a rider cart having a first wing and a second wing, both wings having a curved portion; and wherein the loading wheels and wing curved portions can be operatively connected to allow a user to move the rider cart onto the tugger cart thereby allowing the tugger cart to transport the rider cart.