Height-Adjustable Trailer Suspension for Loading and Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trailers and trucks incur significant costs and inefficiencies in material handling processes due to limitations in height adjustment, affecting safety, speed, and efficiency during loading, unloading, and transport.
Innovation Solution
Implementing height adjustable trailers and trucks with mechanisms comprising drive wheels, drive motors, suspension linkages, and sensors that allow for adjustable heights and angles, enabling autonomous operation to optimize cargo box positioning for various operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional trailers and trucks with fixed height are used, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the safety, speed, and efficiency of material handling operations deteriorate due to inability to optimize cargo box positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo box is made dynamically adjustable in height through a mechanism involving drive wheels, drive motors, and suspension linkages. The cargo box can be raised to a first height for loading/unloading operations and lowered to a second height for transport, allowing the system to adapt to different operational requirements and improve material handling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The height adjustment mechanism serves multiple functions: it enables the cargo box to be positioned at different heights for loading and unloading operations, improves aerodynamics during transport by lowering the cargo box, and allows navigation through height restrictions. This multi-functional mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing versatility without excessive complexity.
2Reliability
If height adjustable mechanisms are added to trailers and trucks, then safety and efficiency improve through optimized cargo box positioning, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The height adjustment mechanism is designed to be self-contained with drive motors integrated into the wheel assembly, eliminating the need for external hydraulic systems or complex mechanical linkages. The system can autonomously adjust the cargo box height using the drive wheels and suspension linkages, improving reliability while controlling complexity.
3Productivity
If cargo box height is adjusted for optimal loading operations, then loading speed and efficiency improve, but transport aerodynamics and fuel efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo box height is dynamically adjusted based on operational phase: raised to a first height during loading and unloading operations to improve accessibility and speed, then lowered to a second height during transport to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel efficiency. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between loading speed and transport efficiency.
4Ease of operation
If cargo box is raised for loading operations, then accessibility and loading efficiency improve, but ability to navigate height restrictions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo box height is made dynamically adjustable, allowing it to be raised to a first height for improved accessibility during loading operations, then lowered to a second height for navigating height restrictions during transport. This dynamic height adjustment enables the system to adapt to different operational requirements and environmental constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
Height adjustable trailers and trucks may include height adjustment mechanisms having drive wheels, drive motors, power supplies, and suspension linkages. For example, the suspension linkages may be moved between various positions to adjust the height of a chassis or cargo box of a trailer or truck. In addition, lock mechanisms associated with the suspension linkages may hold various positions and associated heights of the chassis or cargo box. Further, the various heights of the chassis or cargo box may also be associated with different wheelbases of the trailer or truck. The height adjustable trailers or trucks may improve safety, ergonomics, speed, and efficiency of various operations, including transport, loading, unloading, sortation, storage, or others. Moreover, some operations may be (semi-)autonomously performed by trailers having associated control systems, such as various movement, loading, unloading, staging, or other operations within yards of facilities.