Retractable-Wheel Flight Vehicle Carrier for Fast Ground Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies require a conveying apparatus like a crane to place a flight vehicle on a cart, making it difficult to perform the operation quickly.

Innovation Solution

A flight vehicle carrier with a base and legs that include a leg main body, wheels, and a mover structure allowing the legs to transition between stored and deployed states, enabling compact storage and smooth movement over varying terrain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the carrier uses fixed legs with wheels extended downward, then it can move smoothly on the ground surface, but it cannot be compactly stored on a floor surface higher than the ground surface

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesmooth movement on groundVSAvoidvertical dimension of carrier

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The leg main body is designed to be movable between deployed and stored states through a mover structure. When deployed, the wheel contacts the ground for smooth movement. When stored, the leg retracts upward to reduce vertical dimension for compact storage on elevated floors, resolving the contradiction between movement capability and storage compactness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mover structure allows the leg main body to nest within or attach to the base when in the stored state, enabling the carrier to achieve a compact vertical profile for storage on floor surfaces while maintaining the capability to extend downward for ground contact when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Volume of moving object

If the carrier is designed for compact storage on elevated floors, then it saves space, but it cannot handle level differences between floor and ground surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevertical dimension of carrierVSAvoidability to handle level differences

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The movable leg structure with mover mechanism enables the carrier to dynamically adjust its configuration. For compact storage, legs retract upward. For handling level differences, legs deploy downward so the wheel can contact the ground surface, allowing the carrier to bridge the gap between elevated floors and ground level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If a conveying apparatus like a crane is used to place the flight vehicle on the cart, then the operation can be performed, but it requires significant time and is difficult to complete quickly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to place flight vehicleVSAvoidtime for conveyance operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier's base is designed to be directly placeable on the flight vehicle without requiring external conveying apparatus. The movable legs with wheels provide self-contained mobility, allowing the carrier to be positioned and deployed quickly without cranes or other time-consuming equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4671088A1Flight vehicle transport cart, flight vehicle transport system, container, and flight vehicle transport method

Publication Date: 2025.12.31 KAWASAKI MOTORS LTD

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AI summary

A flight vehicle carrier is a carrier that carries a flight vehicle. The flight vehicle carrier includes: a base supporting the flight vehicle; and at least one leg located at the base. The leg includes: a leg main body coupled to the base; a wheel attached to the leg main body; and a mover structure that makes the leg main body move between a stored state and a deployed state, the stored state being a state where the wheel is located closest to the base in an upper-lower direction of the carrier, the deployed state being a state where the wheel is separated downward from the base as compared to the stored state.