Crane Bumper Containment Sleeve Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Overhead and bridge cranes often experience bumper collisions, leading to damage and potential foreign object debris when bumper parts detach and fall, posing safety risks and maintenance challenges.

Innovation Solution

A flexible sleeve containing the crane bumper, with sealed ends and a mesh wall, is coupled to the crane via fasteners to prevent bumper parts from falling and provide a visual indication of damage, using materials like polyphenylene sulfide for durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If bumpers are used to absorb collision energy, then damage from collisions is reduced, but detached bumper parts can fall and create foreign object debris

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision damage reductionVSAvoidforeign object debris

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The bumper is nested within the sleeve, which acts as a containment structure. When the bumper detaches or breaks during collision, the sleeve prevents the detached parts from falling externally, thus eliminating the foreign object debris hazard while maintaining the bumper's collision absorption function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The sleeve serves as an intermediary containment structure between the bumper and the external environment. It allows the bumper to perform its collision absorption function while preventing detached bumper parts from becoming hazardous debris, effectively mediating between the bumper's functional requirement and the safety requirement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the sleeve is made of flexible material, then it can contain the bumper and prevent debris, but it must withstand repeated collisions without deteriorating

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris preventionVSAvoidservice life under collision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sleeve is constructed from high-density polyethylene or polyphenylene sulfide, which are composite polymer materials combining flexibility for deformation during collision with high durability and resistance to deterioration. These materials enable the sleeve to repeatedly withstand impact forces while maintaining its containment function throughout the service life

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS10071886B2Crane bumper containment sleeves

Publication Date: 2018.09.11 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

An example apparatus includes a flexible sleeve to contain a bumper of a crane. The flexible sleeve includes a first end to be closed adjacent the bumper to contain the bumper in a cavity defined by the flexible sleeve. The first end of the flexible sleeve and the bumper are to couple to a first position of the crane via a fastener. The flexible sleeve includes a second end opposite the first end. The second end is to couple to a second position of the crane to prevent the bumper contained in the cavity from falling from the crane if the first end of the flexible sleeve decouples from the first position of the crane.