Energy recovery in stocking vehicles
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChun Cheng Liu, Guancyun Li, Ching-Jung Chang, Yi-Ching Lo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stocking vehicle is provided. The stocking vehicle is configured to perform a stocking operation to transfer a first product unit from a first location to a second location. The stocking vehicle includes a stocking component. The stocking vehicle includes a motor coupled to the stocking component to facilitate performance of the stocking operation by the stocking component. The stocking vehicle includes an energy storage device configured to supply first energy to the motor during a first state of the motor and store second energy of the motor during a second state of the motor.
Claims20
A stocking vehicle configured to perform a stocking operation to transfer a first product unit from a first location to a second location, the stocking vehicle comprising:
- a stocking component;
- a motor coupled to the stocking component to facilitate performance of the stocking operation by the stocking component;
- an energy storage device configured to:
- supply first energy to the motor during a first state of the motor;
- and
- store second energy of the motor during a second state of the motor;
- a switch comprising a first node connected to the energy storage device and a second node connected to the motor;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- control the switch to be in an open state based upon the stocking vehicle being in an idle state;
- and
- control the switch to be in a closed state based upon the stocking vehicle not being in the idle state.
A method of operating a stocking vehicle comprising a stocking component, a motor coupled to the stocking component, and an energy storage device, the method comprising:
- performing a stocking operation to transfer a first product unit using the stocking component, wherein performing the stocking operation comprises:
- determining an urgency score associated with the first product unit;
- and
- setting a speed of the motor based upon the urgency score;
- during a first state of the motor, while performing the stocking operation, supplying first energy to the motor using the energy storage device according to the speed set for the motor;
- and
- during a second state of the motor, while performing the stocking operation, storing second energy of the motor in the energy storage device.
A method of operating a stocking vehicle comprising an arm, a motor coupled to the arm, and an energy storage device, the method comprising:
- supplying first energy to the motor while the motor is in a first state, wherein the motor, in the first state, moves the arm to transfer a first product unit, supported by the arm, from an input port protruding from an outer surface of a wall of a stocking area, through an opening defined in the wall of the stocking area toward an inner surface of the wall and to a location disposed within the stocking area;
- and
- harvesting, using the energy storage device, second energy of the motor while the motor is in a second state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.