Collapsible Storage Bin with Telescoping Frame and Flexible Envelope
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional grain silos and storage bins are large and rigid, making them difficult to transport and assemble at different locations, and existing portable solutions are either small in size or complex and time-consuming to set up.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible storage bin with a rigid frame structure supporting a flexible storage envelope, featuring a base frame, a bin support frame that can be easily converted between working and transport positions, and a central support post with telescoping sections to reduce height, allowing for efficient deployment and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If a rigid cylindrical side wall of large diameter is used to create a storage bin, then the storage capacity and structural strength are improved, but the difficulty of transport between different locations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the dynamics principle by making the support frame adjustable between extended and retracted positions. The support frame can be extended to provide full storage capacity at the storage location and retracted to reduce overall height for transport, allowing the same structure to dynamically adapt to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies parameter changes by modifying the height parameter of the support frame. The frame height can be changed from a maximum extended position during storage operations to a minimum retracted position during transport, effectively changing the physical dimensions to resolve the contradiction between storage capacity and transportability.
2Volume of stationary object
If a rigid cylindrical side wall of large diameter is used to create a storage bin, then the storage capacity is improved, but the complexity of assembly at the storage location increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies segmentation by dividing the support frame into multiple telescoping sections that can be independently assembled and then nested within each other. This modular approach simplifies transport and assembly while maintaining the ability to achieve full storage capacity when the sections are extended to their full length.
3Ease of operation
If a portable storage bin is designed to be easily transportable, then the transportability is improved, but the size and storage capacity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves this contradiction by making the support frame dynamic and adjustable. During transport, the frame is retracted to minimize size and maximize transportability. During storage operations, the frame is extended to provide full storage capacity. The same structure serves both purposes through its ability to change configuration.
4Productivity
If a rigid hopper bottom or bin sweep is used for discharging material, then the unloading efficiency is improved, but the portability is reduced due to large rigid floor requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies flexible shells by using a flexible floor member instead of a rigid hopper bottom or bin sweep. This flexible floor can be configured to provide effective material discharge while being thin and adaptable enough to work within the constraints of the portable, collapsible frame structure, thus maintaining portability while achieving adequate unloading efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable storage bin includes a base frame on the ground and a bin support frame operable relative to the base frame between a working position and a transport position which is reduced in height relative to the working position, and a storage envelope supported on the bin support frame to define a storage chamber for storing particulate material therein in the working position of the bin support frame in which the storage envelope is collapsible with the bin support frame from the working position to the transport position. The bin support frame has an upper frame portion from which the storage envelope is suspended in the working position and a central support post which is extendable in height between the upper frame portion and the base frame for raising the envelope from the transport position to the working position.