Curtain Vehicle Rail with Overlapping Rollers for TIR Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing curtain suspension systems for curtain-sided vehicles are not compliant with T.I.R. Convention regulations, as they allow for easy tampering and require a large number of tensioning strap runners, increasing costs and height, and suffer from excessive lateral forces on rollers when the curtain is tensioned vertically.
Innovation Solution
A rail system with a longitudinal chamber for both track and auxiliary rollers, where the rollers overlap in the same chamber, allowing lateral forces to counteract the moment of force from the curtain, minimizing roller wear and reducing the rail's height by using a single auxiliary roller at the top and track rollers at the bottom, with a design that prevents contact between rollers and the rail, thus reducing friction and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a larger number of tensioning strap runners are used to ensure sufficient overlap between the curtain and the rail, then the compliance with T.I.R. Convention regulations is improved, but the cost and the height of the rail system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the auxiliary roller in a different spatial arrangement within the longitudinal chamber, allowing it to engage the second track at an optimized location that reduces the required rail height while maintaining regulatory compliance through sufficient curtain overlap
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the rail system, specifically the distance between the first track and the second track, and the position of the auxiliary roller, to achieve optimal performance with reduced height while still meeting the overlap requirements of T.I.R. Convention
2Force
If the auxiliary roller is positioned further from the track rollers, then the lateral force on the track rollers is reduced, but the height of the rail increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the distance parameter between the auxiliary roller and the track rollers, finding the optimal value that balances the reduction of lateral forces on track rollers with the constraint of minimizing rail height
3Ease of manufacture
If the rail height is reduced to lower costs, then the manufacturing cost is decreased, but the number of tensioning strap runners required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the geometric parameters of the longitudinal chamber and the positioning of rollers to achieve a compact design that reduces rail height and manufacturing cost while maintaining the functional requirements that would otherwise necessitate additional runners
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 system effectively counteracts the moment of force exerted by the curtain, reduces roller wear, and minimizes the rail's height while maintaining compliance with T.I.R. Convention regulations, allowing for easy opening and closing of the curtain with a minimal number of rollers.
Implementation Method 1
at least two track rollers which usually have a plastic tyre, which are rotatably mounted on said frame and which are arranged to roll in said gutter-shaped first track
Implementation Method 2
The auxiliary roller engages more particularly the second track to counteract said moment of force when the curtain is tensioned vertically
Implementation Method 3
the lateral force is exerted by the plastic tyres of the track rollers onto the gutter-shaped track to counteract the moment of force
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~10
Figure 11~12
AI summary
The system comprises a rail (3) and a multiplicity of tensioning strap runners (6). The rail has a gutter-shaped first track (24) and second and third tracks (25, 26) which are arranged above said first track and which are facing one another. Each of the runners (6) comprises a frame (7); at least two track rollers (15) which are arranged to roll in said gutter-shaped first track (24); and at least one auxiliary roller (11) which is arranged to co-operate with said second (25) and said third track (26) to keep the track rollers (15) in an upright position. The track rollers (15) and the auxiliary rollers (11) are all received in one single longitudinal chamber (18) of the rail (3), the walls of which provide the different tracks for these rollers. Due to this compact arrangement, the height of the rail can be reduced whilst still allowing to attach the tensioning straps (2) above the chamber (30) for the upright runners to the tensioning strap runners (6). A sufficiently large distance can thus still be maintained between the top of the frame (7) of the tensioning strap runners (6) and the lower edge of the rail (3) which is for example required by the present T.I.R. convention.