Cargo Deck Braces for Tensile Force Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Certain types of cargo cannot be efficiently stacked in shipping vehicles due to their nature or configuration, posing risks of damage when stacked, such as valuables, glassware, plants, and food items.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for creating a cargo deck using braces and elongated supports that secure to the vehicle's walls and floor, allowing for tensile force distribution and resilient properties, enabling secure and damage-preventive cargo arrangement without the need for tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cargo is stacked in shipping vehicles, then space utilization and efficiency are improved, but certain types of cargo (valuables, glassware, plants, food items) are at risk of damage due to their non-stackable nature
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo space is segmented into two distinct levels: the lower level for conventional stackable cargo and the upper cargo deck for non-stackable cargo. This segmentation allows each type of cargo to be positioned in the most appropriate location, maximizing space utilization while protecting vulnerable items from damage by preventing them from being stacked.
2Ease of operation
If traditional stacking methods are used for all cargo, then simplicity and ease of operation are maintained, but non-stackable cargo cannot be securely arranged
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo deck system serves multiple functions: it provides a stacking surface for non-stackable cargo, creates a protective barrier between upper and lower cargo, utilizes vertical wall space for additional storage, and enables tensile force distribution for securement. This multi-functional design maintains operational simplicity while significantly improving adaptability to handle diverse cargo types.
3Reliability
If braces and elongated supports are used to create a cargo deck, then tensile force distribution and structural stability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brace acts as an intermediary element that connects the horizontal first elongated support to the vertical second elongated support and the vehicle wall. This intermediary structure enables effective tensile force distribution from the cargo deck load to the vehicle walls, enhancing structural stability while maintaining a relatively simple overall design through the use of basic geometric shapes and straightforward connections.
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 solution allows for efficient and cost-effective stacking of non-stackable cargo by distributing tensile force across the vehicle's walls, preventing damage and providing tamper-evident benefits, while being easy to construct and inexpensive to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
When the first elongated support is positioned in place between the two braces, the first elongated support is in compression and thus exerts a tensile or axial force on the braces and the walls
Implementation Method 2
causing the walls to exhibit resilient properties
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a deck for storing cargo in a shipping vehicle comprising: securing two pairs of braces to opposed surfaces associated with the shipping vehicle by engaging opposed ends of first elongated supports with the pair of braces such that each first elongated support interconnects one of the pairs of braces and extends substantially parallel to a base associated with the shipping vehicle; engaging second elongated supports with each of the braces, each second elongated support interconnecting a respective brace and the base; and positioning a decking on the first elongated supports for supporting the cargo. A brace for making the cargo deck engageable with a horizontally-extending support and a vertically-extending support.