Container Floor Support Panels for Forklift Load Protection
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, and 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 cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies steel support panels only in high-stress areas where forklift wheels contact the floor, rather than replacing the entire floor with steel. This localized reinforcement provides necessary strength where needed while maintaining wood flooring in low-stress areas, thus reducing overall weight compared to full steel flooring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite flooring system combining steel support panels with wood flooring. The steel panels are attached to the container base and provide structural reinforcement, while the wood flooring is laid over them to provide a suitable surface for cargo. This composite structure achieves the strength of steel with the weight benefits of wood.
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 cost-effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the reinforcement function into separate modular steel support panels that can be independently manufactured and installed. Rather than requiring a complete redesign of the cross-member structure, these panels are attached to existing cross-members at specific high-stress locations, providing reinforcement without requiring closer spacing of all cross-members throughout the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The steel support panels are pre-installed on the container base before the wood flooring is laid. This preliminary reinforcement ensures that high-stress areas are strengthened before cargo operations begin, preventing floor failure without requiring subsequent structural modifications or closer cross-member spacing.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If Asian hardwood flooring is used to maintain quality, then flooring durability is improved, but material availability decreases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses steel support panels specifically in the high-stress areas where forklift wheels contact the floor, which are the locations most susceptible to damage and failure. This localized steel reinforcement protects the wood flooring in these critical areas, allowing the use of wood flooring in less critical areas where availability and cost are concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The steel support panels are installed beforehand to provide protective reinforcement in high-stress areas before the wood flooring is laid and before cargo operations begin. This preliminary protection prevents excessive stress from being transmitted to the wood flooring, thereby extending its service life and reducing the need for high-quality hardwood throughout the entire floor.
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 solution reduces repair costs by up to 50% by targeting high-payback areas with optimized reinforcing materials, minimizing weight, and maintaining container functionality with a 'broken' floor, while being cost-effective and compatible with existing manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
The support panel may absorb an amount of force and distribute the amount of force to a first support beam and to a 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.