Extendable Hood Vehicle Transport Container

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle transport containers are not suitable for air freight due to high weight and limited internal width, leading to potential damage during loading and unloading, and fail to protect vehicles from unauthorized viewing.

Innovation Solution

A cuboid container with an extendable hood and a ramp loading system, allowing vehicles to be driven in without touching the container sides, with complete door opening capability and secure locking, suitable for air, sea, and land transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If standard sea freight containers are used for vehicle transport, then vehicles are protected against damage during transport, but the container weight is too high for air freight and requires unloading at airports

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle protectionVSAvoidcontainer weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The container hood is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be extended during loading to provide vehicle protection, then retracted for air freight compatibility. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing protection during loading and maintaining low weight for air transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The container is divided into a base element and a separate movable hood that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the hood to be extended only when needed for loading protection, rather than maintaining constant extended protection that would increase weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the container has limited internal width to maintain structural integrity, then the container remains stable, but vehicle doors cannot be opened completely and may collide with container walls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer stabilityVSAvoidvehicle door operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hood is designed to extend dynamically during the door-opening process, creating temporary additional space that allows vehicle doors to open completely without colliding with container walls. After loading, the hood retracts to maintain the compact stable structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The hood is extended in advance before the vehicle door needs to be opened, preparing the additional space needed for complete door operation. This preliminary action prevents door collisions while maintaining container stability during transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If the container has fixed volume to simplify structure, then manufacturing is easier, but vehicles with large axial body overhangs cannot be transported

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer manufacturingVSAvoidvehicle size accommodation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The movable hood can be extended beyond the base element length to accommodate vehicles with large axial body overhangs. This dynamic extension capability allows the container to adapt to different vehicle sizes without requiring multiple fixed-volume container designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If the container hood is extended to allow complete vehicle door opening, then vehicle doors can open without collision, but the container volume increases and may not be suitable for air transport

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle door operationVSAvoidcontainer volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hood extends only when needed for door operation during loading, rather than remaining permanently extended. This dynamic behavior provides the necessary volume increase temporarily, then returns to the compact configuration suitable for air transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The hood extension occurs periodically only during the loading process when door opening is needed, rather than being continuously extended. This periodic action provides the necessary volume for door operation while minimizing overall volume increase for transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP2627591B1Container for transporting a vehicle
Publication Date: 2016.03.02 DEUT POST AG
  • EP2627591B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2627591B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2627591B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a container (1) for transporting a vehicle, the container being of substantially cuboid construction with a first (30) and a second (40) end face, two longitudinal sides (50), a bottom (20) and a top (10). The problem addressed by the invention is that of producing a container (1) for transporting vehicles which is suitable for transport by air or sea freight and by land, and which requires a minimized amount of space when transported empty. The vehicle should be protected from the sight of unauthorized persons and not have to be unloaded from the container (1) even when transported in a mixed manner by land, sea and/or air. To that end, according to the invention, a container (1) is proposed, the bottom having a base element (5) opposite which a cowl (80) containing the second end face (40), the two longitudinal sides (50) and the top (10) can be displaced.