Foldable Tank With Variable Width For Narrow Roads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water tanks are not adaptable for use on narrow roads, as they do not allow for adjustable width, which can obstruct traffic and pose safety hazards during firefighting operations.
Innovation Solution
A foldable water tank with a 6-sided frame that can be adjusted from a minimum to a maximum width by hingedly connected sides, allowing the tank to be compactly folded for storage and transport, and unfolded to varying widths to accommodate different road spaces, ensuring unobstructed traffic flow and creating safety zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional water tanks are used, then water storage capacity is maintained, but the tank obstructs traffic and creates safety hazards on narrow roads
Solution Approach 1:
The tank employs a collapsible, foldable structure with hinged sides that can dynamically adjust between expanded and collapsed states. This dynamic design allows the tank to adapt its width to fit narrow road spaces when deployed and to be compacted for transport and storage, directly resolving the contradiction between maintaining water storage capacity and adapting to narrow road conditions without obstructing traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank is divided into multiple hinged sections or sides that can independently fold and collapse. This segmentation enables the tank to be broken down into smaller, more manageable units that can navigate narrow roadways and be stored in compact configurations, thereby maintaining adaptability while reducing the harmful effect of traffic obstruction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tank width is fixed, then structural simplicity is maintained, but the tank cannot accommodate varying road widths
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure incorporates hinged connections that allow sides to pivot and adjust angles, transforming a static fixed-width structure into a dynamic adjustable-width structure. This dynamic mechanism enables the tank to accommodate varying road widths while maintaining relatively simple structural elements, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank width parameter can be changed by adjusting the angle of the hinged sides relative to the base. By varying this geometric parameter, the tank achieves adjustable width capability without requiring completely different structural designs, thereby balancing adaptability with structural simplicity.
3Quantity of substance
If the tank is unfolded to maximum width, then water storage capacity is maximized, but the tank cannot be transported or stored efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The tank's collapsible design segments the structure into foldable sections that can be collapsed onto each other, reducing the volume occupied during transport and storage while maintaining full water storage capacity when unfolded. This segmentation allows efficient collapse without compromising the integrity of the water-holding capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
When collapsed, the tank sides fold inward and nest within the overall structure, creating a compact configuration for transport and storage. The nested arrangement maximizes space efficiency while preserving the ability to expand to full water storage capacity when deployed, resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and transport convenience.
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
The adjustable foldable tank enables safe and efficient water storage for firefighting on narrow roads by allowing the tank to be configured to fit within the available road width, maintaining traffic flow and providing defined safety zones for workers, while also being adaptable for other liquid storage applications.
Implementation Method 1
a frame (4) to support the sidewalls in an upright position. The frame has first and second sides (16), third, fourth, fifth and sixth sides (18) hingedly joined end-to-end
Data Source
AI summary
Foldable tank for storing water includes a foldable receptacle having a bottom wall and vertical sidewalls; and a frame to support the sidewalls. The frame has first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth sides hingedly joined end-to-end to form an enclosure in an unfolded position during use, the frame having a folded position wherein the sides are collapsed onto each other. The first and second sides are disposed opposite each other defining a width of the receptacle in the unfolded position. The frame includes a first configuration in the unfolded position wherein the third, fourth, fifth and sixth sides are substantially perpendicular to respective first and second sides; and a second configuration in the unfolded position wherein the third, fourth, fifth and sixth sides include an angle with respective the first and second sides greater than 90°, wherein the width is variable between the first configuration and the second configuration.