ULD Baggage Loading via Pre-Assembled Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for loading Unit Load Devices (ULDs) with baggage or cargo are inefficient, costly, and prone to injuries, failing to optimize the stacking process for varying item sizes and shapes, leading to high costs per handled item and increased ergonomic risks in airport baggage handling.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a collection and insertion member to collect and load baggage or cargo items outside the container, where items are pre-aligned and oriented based on size, space, and destination, using a blocking member to ensure dense and efficient packing, allowing for fast and precise loading of multiple layers into ULD containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If robot solutions are used for baggage handling and loading into ULD containers, then loading speed and efficiency are improved, but system complexity and implementation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the loading process into two distinct phases: accumulation phase where baggage is collected on the collection member outside the container, and insertion phase where the pre-assembled group is inserted into the container as a unit. This segmentation allows simple mechanical operations to replace complex robot solutions while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Baggage items are pre-assembled into groups on the collection member before insertion into the container. This preliminary arrangement of multiple items outside the container enables faster loading operations without requiring complex in-container manipulation mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual stacking and layering is performed to form volume units for ULD loading, then implementation cost is reduced, but loading speed and efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The collection member continuously accumulates baggage items from the conveyor belt without interruption, maintaining a steady flow of loading operations. This continuous accumulation process eliminates the stop-and-go nature of manual stacking while keeping the system mechanically simple and cost-effective.
3Device complexity
If baggage items are loaded individually into ULD containers, then system complexity is minimized, but loading time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual baggage items are merged into a single assembled group on the collection member before insertion into the container. This combining of multiple items into one operational unit reduces the total number of insertion operations required, significantly decreasing loading time while maintaining relatively simple system mechanics.
Data Source
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AI summary
It may be seen as an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for loading a Unit Load Device (ULD) container with aircraft baggage or similar cargo. There is among others disclosed a method and system for collecting a plurality of baggage or similar cargo items on a collection and insertion member (802, 1112, 1114, 1116, 1118, 1202, 1602) positioned outside the container, inserting the collection and insertion member with the plurality of baggage or similar cargo items (506, 1002, 1006, 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1504, 1610) into the container in an insertion direction (1210), and removing the plurality of baggage or similar cargo items from the collection and insertion member (802, 1112, 1114, 1116, 1118, 1202, 1602) by retracting the collection and insertion member with said plurality of baggage or similar cargo items (506, 1002, 1006, 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1504, 1610) in a retraction direction out of the container, while blocking said plurality of baggage or similar cargo items from being retracted along with the collection and insertion member by a blocking member (1204).