Adjustable Hitch Work Basket for Highway Panel Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work baskets mounted on highway trucks for deploying and retrieving traffic cones lack the ability to be adjusted to various heights based on road conditions and are often unstable, making them cumbersome and difficult to use.
Innovation Solution
A work basket with an adjustable hitch mount and stabilization mechanism that includes outrigger arms with adjustable foot members to secure the basket to the vehicle, allowing for vertical positioning and lateral stability, enabling secure deployment and retrieval of traffic cones at different heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If work baskets are mounted on substantial frame members of the highway truck to provide stability, then stability is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is divided into separate components: a hitch receiver mounted to the truck frame, an adjustable hitch member with multiple positioning holes, and support brackets. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies installation and adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The hitch member is designed to be adjustable in position relative to the support brackets, allowing the work basket to be mounted at various heights. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to adapt to different road conditions and truck configurations while maintaining stability.
2Strength
If work baskets are mounted on substantial frame members to carry workers, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but the weight of the moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load-bearing function is distributed across multiple components: the truck's existing frame, the hitch receiver, the support brackets, and the hitch member. This segmentation allows the use of smaller, lighter individual components while maintaining overall structural strength through the collective load path.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the truck's existing frame structure to provide the primary load-bearing capacity, rather than requiring the work basket mounting structure to carry the entire load independently. This self-service approach leverages the truck's inherent strength to reduce the weight of the added equipment.
3Ease of manufacture
If work baskets are fixed at a single mounting height, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different road conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch member incorporates multiple positioning holes at different heights, enabling adjustment of the work basket mounting position. This simple dynamic feature allows adaptation to various road conditions and truck configurations without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changes in the mounting height parameter by selecting different positioning holes on the hitch member. This simple parameter adjustment mechanism provides versatility for different operating conditions while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of standard drilling and assembly processes.
4Adaptability or versatility
If directional signs are hauled behind separate highway trucks, then directional sign transport capability is improved, but the device complexity and number of vehicles required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The work basket mounting system on the highway truck is designed to universally accommodate multiple functions: carrying workers for traffic device deployment, transporting directional signs, and potentially other equipment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate vehicles for different tasks, simplifying the overall system configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A work basket includes a frame having a work platform mounted thereon to permit people to move about the work basket to position supplies on a highway surface from the vehicle on which the work basket is mounted. The work basket has an adjustable hitch mechanism to permit vertical positioning of the hitch for engagement with the hitch receiver on the support vehicle. A pair of outrigger arms mounted on the frame of the work basket on opposing sides of the hitch member is horizontally and vertically adjustable to position a foot member on the distal end of the outrigger arm into engagement with flat surfaces on opposing sides of the support vehicle to stabilize the work basket. Vertical adjustment of the outrigger arm is accomplished by manipulation of an adjustment screw positioned at the support bracket and by the vertical positioning of the outrigger within the frame member.