Dunnage Bag Hanger With Resilient Coupler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing cargo in transit face challenges such as load shifting due to uneven container spaces, difficulty in handling and placing dunnage bags, and safety concerns for workers, particularly in tall containers where OSHA requirements are violated, leading to potential injuries and legal issues.
Innovation Solution
A dunnage bag and load strap hanger system with a support substrate, adhesive coatings, and a resilient coupler, combined with an application block that allows for ground-level attachment and inflation of dunnage bags without ladders, providing a safe, efficient, and adaptable solution for securing cargo in various container sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If workers manually place and inflate dunnage bags in tall containers, then cargo securing function is achieved, but worker safety is compromised and OSHA requirements are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dunnage bag placement system that acts as an intermediary device, allowing workers to deploy dunnage bags from ground level using a mechanical placement mechanism. This eliminates the need for workers to climb ladders into tall containers, thereby maintaining cargo securing functionality while removing the safety hazard of working at heights
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the manual mechanical system of climbing and hand-placing dunnage bags with an automated or semi-automated mechanical placement system. The system uses mechanical means to deliver and position dunnage bags inside containers without requiring worker presence at elevation, thus substituting a dangerous manual operation with a safer mechanical process
2Reliability
If traditional manual methods are used to attach dunnage bags and load straps, then cargo can be secured, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates pre-attached components where load straps are pre-attached to the dunnage bag before deployment. This preliminary action eliminates the need for separate attachment operations inside the container, allowing workers to complete the entire securing process from ground level and significantly reducing the time and labor required for cargo securing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the dunnage bag placement and load strap attachment operations into a single integrated process. By combining these functions into one unified system that deploys both components simultaneously from ground level, the patent eliminates multiple separate manual operations, thereby improving productivity while maintaining effective cargo securing
3Stability of the object's composition
If dunnage bags are used to fill empty spaces and prevent load shifting, then cargo stability is improved, but handling and placement difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mechanical placement system as an intermediary that handles the difficult task of positioning dunnage bags in hard-to-reach areas of tall containers. This system delivers pre-folded dunnage bags to the correct locations and allows them to be inflated in situ, thereby maintaining cargo stability benefits while eliminating the operational difficulty of manual placement at heights
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the flexible nature of dunnage bags by deploying them in a compact, folded state through the placement system, then inflating them at the destination. This approach allows the flexible bag structure to be easily transported and positioned, then expanded to fill empty spaces and stabilize cargo, thereby maintaining ease of operation while achieving cargo stability
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
Enables quick, safe, and efficient attachment of dunnage bags and load straps at ground level, reducing the risk of load shifting and worker injuries, while being cost-effective, disposable, and suitable for diverse climates and surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
an affixing surface affixed to the dunnage bag
Implementation Method 2
at least two contact members within the generally planar support substrate sheet are flexibly coupled together through a resilient coupler
Implementation Method 3
an applicator pad defining at least one surface of the application block body and adapted to operatively engage with and resiliently apply pressure to the at least one dunnage bag and load strap hanger contact member
Data Source
AI summary
A dunnage bag and load strap hanger apparatus includes a dunnage bag and load strap hanger and a handle mounted applicator block operative to support and affix the dunnage bag and load strap hanger. The dunnage bag and load strap hanger is fabricated from three distinct and separate parts: a generally planar support substrate and two release papers covering adhesive patches or regions on the support substrate. The support substrate in one embodiment is a sheet that is further divided into two contact members separated by a resilient coupler. Each contact member preferably has a contact body, a hanging loop distal to the resilient coupler, and in alternative embodiments an adhesive coating or other fasteners and affixers. In one alternative embodiment there is one affixing surface, and a fastener to couple two contact members together to support a load strap.