Automated Warehouse Vertical Rail Height Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional automated warehouses face challenges during transportation due to height restrictions, requiring division into upper and lower portions, which complicates assembly and disassembly and often results in misalignment of the transfer device, necessitating on-site re-teaching of the transfer position.

Innovation Solution

The automated warehouse design features a vertical rail with its upper end positioned not higher than the supporting surface of the top placement portion, allowing the height to be lowered during transportation, and includes removable components like covers and wheels to further reduce height, minimizing disassembly and reassembly efforts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the automated warehouse is divided into upper and lower portions for transportation, then the height restriction during air transportation is satisfied, but the assembly and disassembly effort increases and transfer position alignment becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheight of automated warehouseVSAvoidassembly and disassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vertical rail is designed to be movable relative to the top placement portion, allowing its position to be adjusted during assembly. This dynamic configuration enables the rail to be positioned at different heights, facilitating easier transportation while maintaining proper alignment after assembly without requiring complex disassembly and reassembly procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The automated warehouse is divided into separable components including the vertical rail, top placement portion, and hand member. This segmentation allows the components to be transported separately or in different configurations, reducing the overall height during transportation while enabling straightforward reassembly at the destination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the vertical rail upper end is positioned higher than the supporting surface of the top placement portion, then the transfer device can access all placement portions, but the automated warehouse height increases and becomes difficult to transport

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer device accessibilityVSAvoidheight of automated warehouse
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The vertical rail is designed with adjustable positioning, allowing it to be moved to different heights relative to the top placement portion. This dynamic adjustment enables the rail to extend sufficiently for the hand member to access all placement portions during operation, while allowing the overall structure to be compacted to a lower height during transportation by repositioning the rail

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2554495B1Automated warehouse
Publication Date: 2020.08.05 MURATA MASCH LTD
  • EP2554495B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2554495B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2554495B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An automated warehouse 10 includes an apparatus main body 10a and a transfer device 26. The apparatus main body 10a is provided with a plurality of stationary shelves 24 arranged horizontally and vertically, and having upper surfaces on which cassettes C can be placed. The transfer device 26 transfers the cassette C by holding a flange C1 of the cassette C. The transfer device 26 includes a vertical rail 34 and a transfer head 36. The vertical rail 34 includes an upper end 34a adjacent to a supporting surface 24a of a top stationary shelf 24. The transfer head 36 is a member vertically movable along the vertical rail 34. The transfer head 36 includes a vertical arm 36a having a length such that the vertical arm 36a can hold the flange C1 of the cassette C placed on the top stationary shelf 24.