Retreat Mechanism for Warehouse Shield Wall Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated warehouse systems face challenges in deploying a shield wall, such as a fire shutter, due to the presence of obstacles like travel rails, which hinder effective fire prevention.
Innovation Solution
An automated warehouse system with a retreat mechanism that allows a shield wall to be deployed by using a configuration that permits a transportation robot to travel between sections, and upon warning of a disaster, the mechanism transitions to uncouple and receive the shield wall into a gap, enabling it to shield sections from each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a travel rail is installed to enable autonomous transportation robot movement, then transportation functionality is improved, but shield wall deployment becomes difficult due to the rail being an obstacle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the travel rail from the storage rack structure, extracting the obstacle that prevented shield wall deployment. The transportation robot instead travels on the floor surface, eliminating the conflict between rail presence and shield wall installation while maintaining transportation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage rack is divided into multiple storage sections separated by gaps. The retreat mechanism is configured to be withdrawable from these gaps, allowing the shield wall to be deployed in the gap space without interfering with the transportation robot's movement paths on the floor surfaces.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a shield wall is deployed to prevent fire spread, then fire safety is improved, but the transportation robot cannot travel between sections due to the shield wall blocking the path
Solution Approach 1:
The retreat mechanism is designed with dynamic configurability, allowing it to transition between a retracted state (enabling robot mobility) and a deployed state (providing fire protection). The mechanism can be withdrawn from the gap to allow transportation robot passage and advanced into the gap to receive and support the shield wall when fire protection is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The retreat mechanism acts as an intermediary element between the storage sections and the shield wall. It provides a receiving structure that accommodates the shield wall while maintaining separate, accessible paths for the transportation robot on the floor surfaces, thus mediating between fire protection requirements and transportation mobility needs.
3Ease of manufacture
If the retreat mechanism is configured to always block the gap, then shield wall deployment is enabled, but the transportation robot cannot pass through the gap
Solution Approach 1:
The retreat mechanism employs dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to switch between blocking the gap (when shield wall deployment is required) and retracting from the gap (when transportation robot passage is needed). This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by adapting the gap configuration to current operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The retreat mechanism is pre-configured with the capability to withdraw from the gap before shield wall deployment is required, and can advance into the gap in advance to receive the shield wall. This preliminary positioning ensures that both transportation and fire protection functions can be performed without conflict.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively deploys a shield wall to prevent fire spread by uncoupling the transportation path and allowing the shield wall to be received into the gap, ensuring the safety of articles and reducing damage.
Implementation Method 1
a first member located adjacent to the floors in the first section and swingable around a first axis parallel with the surfaces of the floors
Implementation Method 2
a second member supporting the first member on an upper surface of the second member in the first configuration, the second member being located adjacent to the floors in the second section and swingable around a second axis parallel with the surfaces of the floors
Data Source
AI summary
An automated warehouse system with a simple configuration allowing for deployment of a shield wall is provided. The automated warehouse system includes a rack including a plurality of floors each including a plurality of floor panels. The floors permit travel of the transportation robot along surfaces of the floors. The plurality of floors are divided into a first section and a second section spaced with a gap in between. A retreat mechanism establishes a first configuration to be located in the gap to permit the transportation robot to travel between the first section and the second section and a second configuration to retreat from the gap to unclose the gap. When the retreat mechanism establishes the second configuration, a shield wall becomes receivable into the gap, the shield wall shielding the first section and the second section from each other.