Foldable Cart for Extracting Heavy Electronic Modules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Large, bulky, or heavy modules in electrical enclosures are difficult to manually insert and remove for servicing or replacement due to their size and weight, with existing methods lacking practical solutions for controlled handling.
Innovation Solution
A cart with a framework, wheeled base, and a movable carriage assembly that can be raised and extended to support and secure modular components, allowing for easy insertion and removal by rolling movement, and is designed to be foldable for portability and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If modules are made larger and more complex to meet electrical system requirements, then functional capability is improved, but manual handling and positioning become difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
A cart assembly serves as an intermediary device between the operator and the heavy electrical module. The cart includes a base assembly with wheels for mobility, an upstanding assembly with a carriage that can be raised and lowered, and a bridge span that extends to support the module. This intermediary system enables controlled positioning and handling of modules that are too heavy and bulky for direct manual manipulation.
2Manufacturing precision
If positioning equipment is used during original manufacture, then assembly precision is improved, but field servicing and module extraction become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cart assembly is designed with dynamic, adjustable components rather than fixed rigid structures. The carriage can be raised and lowered along the upstanding assembly, the bridge span can be extended and retracted, and the entire cart can be moved on its wheeled base. This dynamic design allows the same device to achieve precise positioning during assembly while also enabling easy module extraction and repositioning during field servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart is divided into separate functional assemblies: a base assembly with wheels for mobility, an upstanding assembly with a movable carriage, and a bridge span for module support. This segmentation allows each component to be independently adjusted and positioned, providing both the precision needed for initial assembly and the flexibility required for field servicing and module extraction.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed heavy-duty cart is designed to handle large modules, then handling capability is improved, but portability and storage become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The cart incorporates dynamic elements including wheels on the base assembly for mobility, a carriage that can move vertically along the upstanding assembly, and a bridge span that can extend and retract. These dynamic features allow the cart to be compact during storage and easily deployed when needed, maintaining handling capability while improving portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart design allows components to be nested or collapsed into each other when not in use. The bridge span can be retracted into the carriage assembly, and the carriage can be lowered into the base assembly, creating a compact configuration for storage and transport while maintaining full functionality when deployed.
Data Source
AI summary
A cart is provided four extracting modular components from enclosures, and for inserting such components into enclosures. The cart may be specifically adapted for components of certain sizes and configurations. It may be used, for example, for extracting power electronic modular components from an electrical enclosure. The cart includes a support structure and an upright structure on which a carriage is movable. The carriage has elements that can extend below the modular component, to secure to the modular component, and to raise the modular component for extraction. Some or all of the interconnected elements of the cart may be foldable and collapsible for ease of storage and transport.