Composite Monocoque Delivery Vehicle for Lightweight Refrigerated Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems and methods for manufacturing utility and delivery vehicles face limitations, including inefficiencies in structural construction and insulation, which affect weight, storage capacity, and refrigeration performance.
Innovation Solution
A land vehicle with a monocoque structure made from composite materials, such as balsa wood and fiberglass resin, forming a single-piece, monolithic structure without an internal chassis, and a modular system for forming the monocoque using mold units to create a composite structure that supports a plurality of wheels for movement, with a stowage compartment and refrigeration unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional manufacturing systems and methods are used for utility and delivery vehicles, then structural construction and insulation can be achieved, but weight reduction and storage capacity optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into a monocoque structure with integrated insulation layers and storage compartments built directly into the mold cavity. This segmentation allows simultaneous formation of structural and insulating components in a single manufacturing process, reducing overall vehicle weight while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials combining structural components with insulation materials during monocoque formation. This composite approach creates a lightweight structure with integrated thermal insulation, achieving weight reduction without compromising ease of manufacture
2Adaptability or versatility
If composite materials are used for monocoque construction, then weight is reduced and insulation is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular mold system is designed with universal components that can be configured to create different storage compartment arrangements within the monocoque. The same basic mold units can produce various storage capacities and configurations, enhancing adaptability without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Storage compartments and insulation layers are nested within the monocoque structure during a single forming process. The modular mold system allows nested components to be created simultaneously, maximizing storage capacity while managing manufacturing complexity through integrated tooling
3Volume of stationary object
If a single-piece monolithic structure is used without internal chassis, then weight is reduced and storage capacity is increased, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic monocoque structure incorporates composite materials with high strength-to-weight ratios. By integrating multiple materials with different properties during the forming process, the structure achieves both the required structural strength and maximized internal storage volume without traditional chassis
Solution Approach 2:
The monocoque structure employs local quality variations through the modular mold system, creating strategically reinforced areas where structural strength is critical while maintaining lighter construction in non-critical areas. This allows optimization of both strength and storage volume within the single-piece structure
4Reliability
If refrigeration unit is integrated into the vehicle structure, then refrigeration performance is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration unit is merged with the monocoque structure through the modular mold system, integrating the cooling mechanism directly into the vehicle body. This integration eliminates separate mounting structures and reduces overall weight while maintaining reliable refrigeration performance through optimized thermal coupling
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 provides improved manufacturability, reduced weight, increased storage capacity, enhanced insulation, and efficient refrigeration performance, addressing the limitations of existing vehicle manufacturing methods.
Implementation Method 1
The monocoque may include a core and a shell that at least partially surrounds the core, the core may be formed from one or more lightweight, low-density materials, and the shell may be formed from resin and fiberglass
Data Source
AI summary
Land vehicles, modular systems for forming monocoques of land vehicles, and methods of forming monocoques of land vehicles using modular systems are envisioned. In certain embodiments, the land vehicles are provided as delivery vehicles and/or utility vehicles. A land vehicle includes a monocoque supporting a plurality of wheels to permit movement of the vehicle relative to an underlying surface in use of the land vehicle.