Warehouse Load Conveyor Vertical Detection Drive

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Solution Overview

Problem

The permissible load of storage and retrieval devices is limited, leading to potential overloads during conveying movements that can endanger people and material, and existing solutions often require significant oversizing of the lifting drive to ensure safety.

Innovation Solution

The method involves transferring stored goods with a horizontal movement onto a load conveyor, followed by a vertical load detection movement using the lifting drive, which records the load and compares it to a limit; if the load exceeds the permissible limit, the conveying movement is stopped, and the goods are returned to their original storage location, eliminating the need for significant oversizing of the lifting drive.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the lifting drive is significantly oversized to ensure safety against overloads, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety against overloadsVSAvoidlifting drive capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs a load detection movement before the actual conveying movement to determine the load in advance. The lifting drive executes a preliminary vertical movement (load detection movement) to measure the load, and only if the load is within permissible limits does it proceed with the intended conveying movement. This eliminates the need for significant oversizing of the lifting drive while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the load detected during the load detection movement is fed back to the control unit. The control unit compares the detected load with permissible load limits and decides whether to permit or prevent the conveying movement. This feedback loop ensures reliability without requiring excessive lifting drive capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If load detection is performed during horizontal transfer movement, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to additional forces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload checking speedVSAvoidload measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs load detection during a vertical load detection movement rather than during horizontal transfer. This preliminary vertical movement isolates the load measurement from the complex forces present during horizontal conveying, ensuring measurement precision. Only after successful load detection does the system proceed with the horizontal conveying movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the lifting drive is sized exactly for maximum permissible load, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of overload during acceleration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelifting drive dimensioningVSAvoidsafety reserve
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for safety reserves through preliminary load detection. By measuring the actual load before conveying and comparing it with permissible limits, the system ensures that the lifting drive is never overloaded, even during acceleration. This allows the lifting drive to be sized exactly for the maximum permissible load without requiring additional safety margins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2383208B1Method and assembly for unloading storage goods from a storage location of a warehouse
Publication Date: 2012.12.26 TRUMPF SACHSEN GMBH
  • EP2383208B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2383208B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2383208B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The method involves moving storage goods (5) together with a load conveyer (7) using a load sensing drive with vertical load sensing movement. Burden of the load sensing drive occurring due to the vertical load sensing movement is detected. Conveying movement of the storage goods and the load conveyer is executed when the burden of the load sensing drive does not exceed a maximum load limit. Load sensing movement of a stroke drive (8) i.e. load detection drive, of the load conveyer is executed. The storage goods are transferred by a transfer device (24). An independent claim is also included for an arrangement for unloading storage goods from a storage location of a warehouse.