Container Floor Support Panels for Forklift Load Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The poor quality of wood flooring in shipping containers, exacerbated by the reduced availability of Asian hardwoods, leads to premature failure and increased repair costs, with conventional solutions like replacing with steel being costly and weight-intensive, or moving cross-members not effectively reducing shear stress.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of support panels placed between ledgers attached to support beams in strategic areas of the shipping container floor, which absorb and distribute the force from forklift wheels, reducing stress on the wood flooring and extending the container's operational life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel flooring is used to replace wood flooring, then floor strength is improved, but container weight increases significantly and shipping becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing steel support panels only in high-stress areas where forklift wheels apply load, rather than replacing the entire floor with steel. This localized reinforcement provides necessary strength where needed while maintaining wood flooring in lower-stress areas, thus reducing overall weight compared to full steel flooring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining steel support panels with wood flooring in a hybrid structure. The steel panels provide localized strength reinforcement while the wood flooring maintains its advantages in other areas, creating a composite floor system that optimizes both strength and weight characteristics.
2Strength
If cross-members are moved closer together to reduce shear stress, then floor strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and the solution is not effectively reducing shear stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing steel support panels only in high-stress areas such as near the container entrance where forklift wheels apply load, rather than uniformly reinforcing the entire floor. This targeted approach reduces material usage and manufacturing cost compared to moving all cross-members closer together, while effectively addressing the shear stress problem in critical locations.
3Strength
If Asian hardwood flooring is used to maintain quality, then floor strength is improved, but availability decreases and repair costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using steel support panels only in high-stress areas where Asian hardwood would be most likely to fail, allowing the use of lower-quality or alternative wood species in lower-stress areas. This reduces dependence on scarce Asian hardwood while maintaining overall floor strength and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining steel support panels with wood flooring, reducing the quantity of high-quality wood needed while maintaining or improving floor strength. The steel panels bear the highest loads, allowing more economical wood materials to be used in less critical areas.
4Ease of repair
If support panels are placed in strategic areas to absorb and distribute force, then repair costs are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the floor reinforcement into discrete, modular steel support panels placed at specific locations rather than creating a continuous complex structure. These individual panels can be independently installed, removed, or replaced, simplifying maintenance and repair while effectively distributing loads at critical points.
Solution Approach 2:
The steel support panels act as intermediary elements between the wood flooring and the container's cross-members. They distribute concentrated loads from forklift wheels across multiple cross-members, reducing stress on any single point and preventing floor failure, thereby reducing repair costs without significantly complicating the overall structure.
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
This approach reduces repair costs by up to 50% by targeting high-impact areas and optimizing the use of materials to maintain container functionality with a broken floor, while minimizing weight and manufacturing disruptions.
Implementation Method 1
The support panel may have a length proximate to a distance between the first support beam and the second support beam. In some embodiments, the support panel may absorb an amount of force and distribute the amount of force to the first support beam and to the second support beam.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary approach for protecting floorings in containers may utilize a first ledger attached to an upper portion of a first support beam associated with a foundational base assembly. A portion of the first ledger may protrude outward in a first horizontal direction from the upper portion of the first support beam. A second ledger may be attached to an upper portion of a second support beam next to the first support beam. A portion of the second ledger may protrude outward in a second horizontal direction from the upper portion of the second support beam. The second horizontal direction may face the first horizontal direction. A support panel may be placed on top of the portion of the first ledger and the portion of the second ledger. The support panel may have a length proximate to a distance between the first support beam and the second support beam.