Vertical Bin Stacking for High Sorting Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
In materials handling facilities, existing systems face challenges in efficiently sorting and storing items of varying sizes and dimensions, leading to inefficiencies in fulfilling customer orders and optimizing storage space.
Innovation Solution
A bin system with vertically aligned bins of varying sizes, supported by bracket arms and a shuttle system, uses sensors and a processor to identify and allocate items based on their dimensions, ensuring accurate sorting and storage by calculating the stacking height and reserving appropriate bins, thereby enhancing sorting density and storage efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If items are sorted using traditional horizontal bin arrangements, then sorting functionality is provided, but sorting density and storage capacity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal bin arrangement to vertical bin stacking, utilizing the vertical dimension to increase sorting density. Multiple bins are stacked vertically on rack structures, allowing significantly more bins to be accommodated in the same floor space, thereby resolving the contradiction between increasing quantity of sorted items and reducing occupied area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested arrangements where bins are stacked within vertical rack structures, similar to nested dolls. This nesting approach allows bins to be placed within the vertical space of the facility rather than occupying horizontal floor space, increasing sorting capacity without proportionally increasing footprint area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bins are designed to accommodate various item sizes, then versatility is improved, but bin design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sorting system into standardized bin modules that can be independently configured. Each bin is a discrete unit with standardized dimensions and interfaces, allowing versatile accommodation of different item sizes through combinatorial arrangements of identical modules rather than designing complex custom bins for each item type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies bin parameters such as height, width, and depth to create different bin sizes while maintaining standardized interfaces and structures. This allows the system to accommodate various item dimensions by selecting appropriate bin size parameters without fundamentally changing the bin design architecture, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving versatility.
3Quantity of substance
If vertical bin stacking is implemented, then sorting density increases, but structural support requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates structural support elements and reinforcement features into the rack design from the outset, before bins are loaded and weight is applied. This preliminary structuring ensures the rack can bear the intended load without requiring reinforcement later, allowing high bin density while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric rack structures with varying support densities at different locations. Heavier load areas have enhanced support structures while lighter areas use simpler configurations, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio and allowing maximum bin capacity without uniformly over-engineering the entire structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A bin for a sorting rack includes induction and outlet endwalls each elongated along a lateral direction and opposite each other along a perpendicular longitudinal direction. A pair of opposed sidewalls extends from the induction to the outlet endwall. Each sidewall defines a top edge. A pair of opposed mounting flanges extends outwardly from respective external surfaces of the sidewalls. Each mounting flange defines a longitudinal flange axis oriented along the longitudinal direction. A floor extends from the induction to the outlet endwall with respect to the longitudinal direction and between the sidewalls with respect to the lateral direction. The floor and top edges of the sidewalls are each declined toward the outlet endwall at an angle in a range of about 6 and 14 degrees with respect to the longitudinal flange axis. A height of the induction endwall is no more than 70% of each sidewall height.