US20080056877A1

US20080056877A1 - Article carrying system and method for containing the same

Info

Publication number: US20080056877A1
Application number: US11/746,859
Authority: US
Inventors: Yi-Ping Huang
Original assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute ITRI
Current assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute ITRI
Priority date: 2006-09-06
Filing date: 2007-05-10
Publication date: 2008-03-06
Also published as: TW200812885A; TWI324127B

Abstract

An article carrying device is provided. The device includes a carrier; a plurality of tiers of elevators disposed in the carrier and each of which is movable to a specific height; and an arranging device disposed in the carrier, by which each of a plurality of articles is guided to be arranged on one of tiers of elevators.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an article transporting device and method for containing the same, in particular, to an article carrying device and method for containing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Owning to the prosperous developments of the current aviation industry, the numbers of people selecting the airplane as the transportation increases every year. More and more luggage and parcels are transferred to the destination via the airport or directly transported to the destination, which causes the massive amounts of articles shuttling among the nations. The operations regarding the articles transportation become relatively arduous and the problems with respect to the loss of the articles are thus derivative therefrom. In accordance with the report disclosing the state of the art for the current aviation industry published earlier by the International Aviation Telecommunication Association, it is described that in 2005, about 30 millions deposited luggage on the flights of respective airlines are lost, wherein around 0.2 millions luggage of the preceding lost deposited luggage thoroughly drop the connection with the owner thereof. It is 2.5 billions loss-makings regarding merely the loss of the luggage for all of the airline practitioners over the world, and in fact in 2004 this number is only at the level of 1.6 billions. According to the statistic data provided by the United States Department of Transportation, in 2005 there are 35 millions complaints with respect to the loss, damage of the deposited luggage in the domestic flights, which is almost equivalent to lose or to damage 9700 luggage every day. As to the aspect of the Europe, in a report provided by the Association of European Airlines, it is indicated that in 2005 the annual average of the luggage loss is about 14.1 per 1000 passengers.
The analysis shows that the choking of the airway, the tight schedule of the flight, the frequent transfer and the strict security check cause significant influences for the luggage deposition, but the most important reason affecting the luggage deposition is the consecutively massive increase of the passenger flow. As for such premise, how to fast, precisely, safely and carefully move the luggage has become extraordinarily important.
Therefore, the drawbacks existing in the traditional luggage carrying system are concluded in follows: (1) the labels attached on the luggage are easy to be damaged to fall off from the luggage resulting in lot of smudges over the luggage; (2) manpower used to move the luggage is highly demanded during the luggage dealing process; (3) the luggage gets lost easily since the luggage is unable to be efficiently traced; (4) it is highly possible and easy to place something unknown or illegal into the luggage (for instance, the bumps from the terrorist, drugs, or something alike); and (5) massive pallet trailers is needed for transporting massive luggage.
To overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, a novel device for measuring flow and the method manufacturing the novel device thereof are provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the aforementioned of the present invention, an article carrying device is provided. The device includes a carrier, a plurality of tiers of elevators disposed in the carrier and each of which is movable to a specific height, and an arranging device disposed in the carrier, by which each of a plurality of articles is guided to be arranged on one of the tiers of elevators.
Preferably, each of the at least two electronic circuits includes at least a pair of electrodes mounted at both sides of the channel.
Preferably, the carrier further includes a tracing device, by which each of the articles is traced and is recorded with an information thereof.
Preferably, the tracing device is an RFID system.
Preferably, the carrier is one of an open-type vehicle and a closed-type vehicle.
Preferably, the carrier is one of a power driven vehicle and a non-power driven vehicle.
Preferably, the tiers of elevators are platforms.
Preferably, the arranging device is integrated into the tiers of elevators.
Preferably, the tiers of elevators are stacked with each other.
Preferably, the arranging device comprises one selected from a group consisting of wheels, omni-directional wheels, balls, ball screws, cables, steel ropes, belts, chains and a combination thereof.
Preferably, the tiers of elevators are moved by a lifting system being one selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic lifting system, a chain lifting system, a cable lifting system and a ball screws lifting system.
According to the aforementioned of the present invention, an article carrying method is provided. The method includes steps of disposing tiers of elevators in a carrier, loading each of the tiers of elevators with articles and arranging the articles on each of tiers of elevators, moving each of tiers of elevators to a specific height, and moving the carrier.
Preferably, the method further includes a step of recording an information with respect to each of the articles.
Preferably, the method further includes a step of tracing the articles by the information.
According to the aforementioned of the present invention, an article carrying device is provided The device includes a carrier, tiers of platforms disposed in the carrier, an arranging device disposed in the carrier, by which each of a plurality of articles is guided to be arranged on one of tiers of platforms, and a lifting device movable to a specific height where one of the tiers of platforms is located.
Preferably, the carrier further includes a tracing device, by which each of the articles is traced and is recorded with an information thereof.
Preferably, the arranging device is integrated into the tiers of platforms.
Preferably, the tiers of platforms are stacked with each other.
Preferably, the lifting device is one of a mobile vehicle and a stationary base.
Preferably, the tiers of platforms are moved by a lifting system being one selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic lifting system, a chain lifting system, a cable lifting system and a ball screws lifting system.
According to the aforementioned of the present invention, an article carrying method is provided. The method includes steps disposing tiers of platforms in a carrier and providing a lifting device, moving the lifting device to a specific height where one of the tiers of platforms is located, loading each of tiers of platforms with articles and arranging the articles on the each of tiers of platforms, and moving the carrier.
Preferably, the method further includes a step of recording an information with respect to each of the articles.
Preferably, the method further includes a step of tracing the articles by the information.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following descriptions with reference to the drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic principle of the present disclosed article carrying system;

FIG. 1( a) is the first schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the present disclosed article carrying system;

FIG. 1( b) is the second schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the present disclosed article carrying system;

FIG. 1( c) is the third schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the present disclosed article carrying system;

FIG. 2 is the first schematic diagram illustrating the arranging device of the present disclosed article carrying system;

FIG. 2( a) is the aerial diagram illustrating the details for the arranging device of the present invention;

FIG. 2( b) is the lateral diagram illustrating the details for the arranging device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is the schematic diagram illustrating the loading procedure for the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for the aspect of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic principle of the present disclosed article carrying system. An article carrying system 10 disclosed in FIG. 1 includes a mobile carrier 11, a plurality of articles 12 and a plurality of tiers of elevators 13, a control cabin 14 and a connector (hook) 15, wherein the plurality of articles 12 are goods, miscellaneous and other parcels needed to be transported. In accordance with the level height, the plurality of tiers of elevators 13 is correspondingly divided into three basic elements: a first elevator 13 a usually resided in the bottom part, a second elevator 13 b usually resided in the middle part, and a third elevator 13 c usually resided in the top part of the mobile carrier 11. While the mobile carrier 11 is the power driven vehicle (the gasoline engine or the electric motor being the power source disposed on the vehicle), the control cabin 14 is supposed to be disposed in order to control the power source. On the other hand, while the mobile carrier 11 is the non-power driven vehicle (no power machine but only palette or cabin disposed on the vehicle), the control cabin 14 is not disposed but connected with other power driven vehicle via the connector 15 or connected with a plurality of other mobile carriers 11 being non-power vehicle to form a train consisting of the mobile carriers 11. This train is further connected with the power driven vehicle so that the mobile carrier 11 is driven. It is noted that, though three tiers of elevators 13 a, 13 b and 13 c are implemented in this preferred embodiment the numbers of tiers of elevators 13 shall be adjustable and not thus be limited. The actual numbers of tiers of elevators 13 is depended upon the practical condition and demanding. A user can arbitrarily increase and reduce the members of tiers of elevators 13.
Please refer to FIG. 1( a), which is the first schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the present disclosed article carrying system. At the initial stage, the first elevator 13 a, the second elevator 13 b and the third elevator 13 c are stacked with each other and all of the elevators 13 are resided at the bottom level of the mobile carrier 11. An arranging device (the implementation thereof will be disclosed in coming paragraph) is disposed beneath the plurality of tiers of elevators 13 so that a plurality of articles 12 are guided to be well arranged on the third tier of elevator 13 c regularly thereby. The arranging device is controlled manually by a user or works automatically. When the third tier of elevator 13 c is full of the plurality of articles 12, the third tier of elevator 13 c is moved to a specific height manually or automatically. Then the room under the third tier of elevator 13 c and above the second tier of elevator 13 b becomes large enough to contain further articles. Please refer to FIG. 1( b), which is the second schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the present disclosed article carrying system. Then the arranging device keeps operated so that the plurality of articles 12 keeps conducted to be well arranged on the second tier of elevator 13 b regularly thereby. The arranging device is controlled manually by a user or works automatically. When the second tier of elevator 13 b is fill of the plurality of articles 12, the second tier of elevator 13 b is moved to a specific height manually or automatically. Then the room under the second tier of elevator 13 b and above the first tier of elevator 13 a becomes large enough to contain further articles. Based upon the preceding mentioned principle, the work of the first tier of elevator 13 a is derivable accordingly. Please refer to FIG. 1( c), which is the third schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the present disclosed article carrying system. Typically a hydraulic lifting system, a chain lifting system, a cable lifting system or a ball screws lifting system are employed to lift the plurality of tiers of elevators 13. It is noted that systems lifting the plurality of tiers of elevators 13 are selected in accordance with the practical condition and demanding. In fact, a user can also arbitrarily select a lifting system suitable to lift the plurality of tiers of elevators 13. In this respect, the lifting systems adoptable in the present invention would not thus be limited.
One of the innovations of the present invention is summarized as follows. In the beginning, the plurality of tiers of elevators 13 are disposed in the mobile carrier 11. When one of the plurality of tiers of elevators 13 is full of the plurality of articles 12 (goods, miscellaneous and other parcels needed to be transported), the elevator is moved to a specific height so as to empty the extra room for other elevators, so that a user can keep filling the other elevators with further articles. Thus the entire space of the mobile carrier 11 is efficiently manipulated. In this preferred embodiment, the mobile carrier 11 is a closed-type vehicle, such as a van and a cabin truck, or an open-type vehicle, such as a palette truck and a pallet trailer. For the sake of safety consideration, the closed-type vehicle would be preferable to prevent the placing of the illegal articles (such as bumps or drugs).
Please keep referring to FIG. 2, which is the first schematic diagram illustrating the arranging device of the present disclosed article carrying system. An arranging device 20 disclosed in FIG. 2 includes a first set of leading rollers 21 and a second set of leading rollers 22. Further, it is disclosed in FIG. 2 that a set of tracing system including a RFID reader 23 and a plurality of RFID chips 24, and an entrance 25 implemented in the mobile carrier 11. The RFID reader 23 is implemented around the entrance 25 and the plurality of RFID chips 24 are attached to the articles 12 beforehand. At using phase, the plurality of articles 12 is conducted into one of the plurality of tiers of elevators 13 via the entrance 25. When the articles 12 is passed through the entrance 25, the information with respect to each of the plurality of articles 12 stored in respective plurality of RFID chips 24 is read by the RFID reader 23, so that a user can trace the plurality of articles 12. The plurality of articles 12 are conducted by the first set of leading rollers 21 and a second set of leading rollers 22 disclosed in the FIG. 2 and then well arranged on the plurality of tiers of elevators 13. It is noted that the feasible pattern of the arranging device 20 is not only limited to the first set of leading rollers 21, a second set of leading rollers 22 and a combination thereof, but wheels, omni-directional wheels, balls, ball screws, cables, steel ropes, belts, chains and combination thereof would be also feasible. Furthermore, the arranging device is not only limited to be implemented under the tiers of elevators 13, but is also to be integrated into the tiers of elevators 13. A user can select any one of the feasible patterns of the arranging device 20 in accordance with the practical condition and demanding and dispose the selected arranging device 20 at a suitable portion of the mobile carrier 11.
Please keep referring to FIG. 2( a), which is aerial diagram illustrating the details for the arranging device of the present invention. A plurality of openings 26 is included in FIG. 2( a), which is disposed on the tiers of elevators 13. The first set of leading rollers 21 and the second set of leading rollers 22 directly touch the plurality of articles 12 via the plurality of openings 26 and apply a due drag force to the plurality of articles 12 so as to move the plurality of articles 12, whereby the articles 12 is guided to be well arranged on the tiers of elevators 13 complying a certain defaulted regulation (introduced later).
Please keep referring to FIG. 2( b), which is the lateral diagram illustrating the details for the arranging device of the present invention. Based on FIG. 2( b), it is definitely understood that the first set of leading rollers 21 and the second set of leading rollers 22 directly touch the articles via the plurality of openings 26, whereby the articles 12 is guided to be well arranged on the tiers of elevators 13 complying a certain defaulted regulation. The defaulted regulation is in dependence on the pattern of the first set of leading rollers 21 and the second set of leading rollers 22. Basically, the leading rollers disclosed in the present invention is able to be substituted with other sorts of the elements such as wheels, omni-directional wheels, balls, ball screws, cables, steel ropes, belts, chains and combination thereof.
Please refer to FIG. 3, which is the schematic diagram illustrating the loading procedure for the present invention. What are included in FIG. 3 are the articles carrying belts 31 and the present article carrying system 32, wherein the plurality of articles 12 is transported to the present article carrying system 32 via the articles carrying belt 31 and is guided to be arranged on one of the tiers of elevators 13 via the entrance 25.
To sum up, for the present invention, the complete article loading procedure is described as follows. Each of the articles attached with RFID chip is transported to the present article carrying system via the articles carrying belt and is guided to be arranged on one of the tiers of elevators. When each of the articles is passed through the entrance, each of the articles is recorded with an information by the RFID reader. After the one of the tiers of elevators is full of the articles, other tiers of elevators under the one of the tiers of elevators keep loading the articles. This loading cycle is repeated till the internal space in the mobile carrier is full. Then the carrier is moved to a destination such as an article cabin or an article entrance of an airplane etc. It is noted that the preceding loading procedure is able to be reversed, that is, the articles are unloaded from the airplane to the articles carrying belts 31. This reversed cycle is repeated till the internal space in the mobile carrier is emptied.
The present invention is able to be implemented in other alternative case. The difference between the preceding disclosure and the alternative case resides in the substitution of the movable elevators with immovable elevators. That is equivalent to form a fixed platform with multiple tiers for containing the articles inside the mobile carrier, and the lifting device (which is equivalent to the elevators being height variable in the preceding disclosure) is further disposed on a base separated from the mobile carrier, wherein the base is one of a mobile vehicle and a stationary base (which might be the warehouse or the platform of a warehouse). Since the height of the lifting device is adjustable, when the height of the lifting device is equal to the one of the tiers of elevators fixed in the mobile carrier, the articles are guided to be arranged on the elevator via the lifting device and the arranging device respectively (this alternative case is not shown with Figure). The identical effect equivalent to the preceding disclosure is achieved by this alternative case.
Based upon the aforementioned, it is able to summarize that the present article carrying system bears the following advantages: (1) since only one person is needed to operate the present article carrying device so as to move the massive articles, the labor demanding and the capital are thus reduced; (2) the preparation period will thus be shortened before the airplane takes off; (3) the numbers of the article carriers will thus be reduced; (4) the information system is involved in order to precisely manage the weights of the articles, the flight, the information of a passenger etc.; (5) the RFID chip is recyclable and thus the resources consuming is reduced; (6) if the RFID detectors are implemented in certain necessary area in the airport, the articles can be prevented from being stolen; (7) the unnecessary damage of the articles will be reduced; (8) the probability of the missing of the articles will be reduced; and (9) if a closed-type vehicle is adopted, it might be able to reduce the probability that articles is placed with unknown illegal properties.
While the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims that are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation, so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures. According, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by reference to the following claims.

Claims

1. An article carrying device, comprising:

a carrier;

a plurality of tiers of elevators disposed in the carrier and each of which is movable to a specific height; and

an arranging device disposed in the carrier, by which each of a plurality of articles is guided to be arranged on one of the tiers of elevators.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier further comprises a tracing device, by which each of the articles is traced and is recorded with an information thereof.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the tracing device is an RFID system.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is one of an open-type vehicle and a closed-type vehicle.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is one of a power driven vehicle and a non-power driven vehicle.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tiers of elevators are platforms.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the arranging device is integrated into the tiers of elevators.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tiers of elevators are stacked with each other.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the arranging device comprises one selected from a group consisting of wheels, omni-directional wheels, balls, ball screws, cables, steel ropes, belts, chains and a combination thereof.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tiers of elevators are moved by a lifting system being one selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic lifting system, a chain lifting system, a cable lifting system and a ball screws lifting system.

11. An article carrying method, comprising steps of:

disposing tiers of elevators in a carrier;

loading each of the tiers of elevators with articles and arranging the articles on each of tiers of elevators;

moving each of tiers of elevators to a specific height; and

moving the carrier.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of:

recording an information with respect to each of the articles.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising a step of:

tracing the articles by the information.

14. An article carrying device, comprising:

a carrier;

tiers of platforms disposed in the carrier;

an arranging device disposed in the carrier, by which each of a plurality of articles is guided to be arranged on one of tiers of platforms; and

a lifting device movable to a specific height where one of the tiers of platforms is located.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the carrier further comprises a tracing device, by which each of the articles is traced and is recorded with an information thereof.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the arranging device is integrated into the tiers of platforms.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the tiers of platforms are stacked with each other.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein the lifting device is one of a mobile vehicle and a stationary base.

19. The device according to claim 14, wherein the tiers of platforms are moved by a lifting system being one selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic lifting system, a chain lifting system, a cable lifting system and a ball screws lifting system.

20. An article carrying method, comprising steps:

disposing tiers of platforms in a carrier and providing a lifting device;

moving the lifting device to a specific height where one of the tiers of platforms is located,

loading each of tiers of platforms with articles and arranging the articles on the each of tiers of platforms; and

moving the carrier.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of:

recording an information with respect to each of the articles.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of:

tracing the articles by the information.