Chassis-Mounted Lifting Structure for Aircraft-Slung Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing vehicles under aircraft using lifting equipment cause mechanical stress at chassis-body interfaces and require additional components that increase vehicle weight and width, posing risks to roadworthiness and complicating loading processes.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle is equipped with lifting devices connected directly to the chassis frame, allowing lifting slings to pass through load-bearing structures to the roof, reducing mechanical stress at chassis-body interfaces and eliminating the need for lateral guides, thereby saving weight and reducing vehicle width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lifting equipment is attached to the roof or components near the roof, then the vehicle can be secured under an aircraft, but the chassis-body interfaces are subjected to very high mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediate attachment points on the chassis frame itself, rather than attaching lifting equipment directly to the roof or body. This intermediary approach allows the lifting force to be applied at the chassis level, distributing the stress away from the chassis-body interfaces and preventing excessive mechanical stress at these critical connections.
2Stress or pressure
If lifting slings are attached directly to the chassis, then mechanical stress at chassis-body interfaces is reduced, but additional guides are required that increase vehicle weight and width
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the guiding function from separate lateral guide components and integrates it into the chassis frame structure itself. The chassis frame serves dual purposes: as the structural support and as the guide for the lifting slings. This eliminates the need for additional guide components, reducing vehicle weight while maintaining the stress-reduction benefit of direct chassis attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis frame is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, guides the lifting slings laterally, and serves as the attachment point for lifting equipment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate guide components, reducing overall vehicle weight and complexity.
3Reliability
If lateral guides are added to guide lifting slings along the vehicle body, then chafing is prevented, but vehicle width increases posing risks to roadworthiness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guiding function with the existing chassis frame structure. The chassis frame serves as both the structural support and the lateral guide for the lifting slings. This integration eliminates the need for separate guide components that would increase vehicle width, while still providing adequate protection against chafing through the frame's structural geometry.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Vehicle (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) with a chassis frame (26), a vehicle body (2) which the chassis frame (26) supports, and several lifting devices (41, 42, 43, 44) which are connected to the chassis frame (26), wherein the vehicle body (2) has supporting structures (16, 17, 18) and a roof (8), and wherein the lifting devices (41, 42, 43, 44) are guided through the supporting structures (16, 17, 18) from the chassis frame (26) to the roof (8).