Deflective Cargo Liner Design for Forklift Impact Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional scuff liners in cargo carrying vehicles face design challenges in providing protection while maintaining maximum interior width, as thicker sections for impact resistance reduce available width and are prone to damage from fork truck tines and pallets, affecting weight and cost efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A protective liner with a deflective portion featuring a beveled and convex design that deflects fork truck wheels away from the cargo carrier wall, incorporating a reinforcement portion to minimize damage and maintain space, made from materials like aluminum extrusion, plastic, or composite materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If thicker sections of scuff liner are used to provide sacrificial material for impact resistance, then protection capability is improved, but available width between interior walls is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpact resistanceVSAvoidavailable width

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The scuff liner is divided into multiple thickness zones: a first thickness at the front edge for initial impact absorption, and a second greater thickness at the rear portion for enhanced protection. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall width efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the scuff liner are assigned different thicknesses based on their specific functional requirements. The front edge has reduced thickness to preserve width, while the rear portion has increased thickness for sacrificial protection against repeated impacts from forklift tines and pallets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If thicker sections of scuff liner are used to provide sacrificial material, then durability is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidscuff liner weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The scuff liner employs variable thickness segmentation where only the rear portion requires greater material mass for durability, while the front and side portions use minimal thickness. This reduces overall weight while maintaining durability where it is most needed against repetitive impacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Material density and thickness are optimized locally: the rear portion has greater thickness for durability against forklift impacts, while other areas use minimal material. This local quality approach ensures durability is provided only where functionally necessary, minimizing unnecessary weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If thicker sections of scuff liner are used to provide sacrificial material, then protection capability is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The scuff liner is manufactured with segmented thickness zones rather than uniform thickness. This allows material to be concentrated only where protection is needed (rear portion), reducing overall material consumption and manufacturing cost while maintaining protection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The design applies local quality by providing enhanced thickness and material properties only in the rear portion where sacrificial protection is required, while using minimal material in other areas. This optimizes protection capability relative to manufacturing cost by avoiding unnecessary material usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Ease of manufacture

If uniform thickness is used throughout the scuff liner, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but width efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidavailable width

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The scuff liner is designed with segmented thickness zones (first thickness at front, second greater thickness at rear) that can be manufactured through specialized forming processes. While slightly more complex than uniform thickness, this segmentation maximizes available width while providing necessary protection, representing an optimal balance between manufacturing complexity and spatial efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10744959B2Protective liner

Publication Date: 2020.08.18 RIDGE CORP

AI summary

A protective device for a cargo carrier is provided that includes a deflective portion disposed proximate to an intersection between a top surface of a cargo deck and an interior surface of a wall of a cargo carrying vehicle. The deflective portion includes a beveled part and a convex part connected to the beveled part that deflects objects from an interior surface of the wall of the cargo carrier.