Freight Tramway Suspended Car with Removable Roof for Oversized Containers

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing freight tram solutions are inadequate for transporting containers or elements of large dimensions and height without rolling elements, as they lack the necessary structural modifications to accommodate such loads efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A freight tram design featuring at least two carrying cars with bogies and a suspended car without a bogie, where the suspended car has a structural body with a floor, front, and rear walls but no roof, allowing for increased height capacity, and includes movable side and upper coverings for flexible loading and unloading of oversized containers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a conventional suspended car with a roof is used, then the structural integrity and protection of cargo are improved, but the height capacity for transporting containers is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidheight capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The suspended car employs a dynamic structure where the roof can be selectively removed or opened. The car body includes a removable roof section that allows transformation from a closed protective structure to an open high-capacity structure, enabling accommodation of tall containers while maintaining structural integrity when the roof is in place

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the structural parameter of the suspended car by providing a roofless configuration option. The car body is designed with reinforced side walls and a floor structure that can standalone without a roof, fundamentally altering the height parameter from limited to unlimited (constrained only by bridge clearance) while adjusting protective parameters through alternative means

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the suspended car has a complete enclosed structure with roof and side walls, then cargo protection is improved, but loading and unloading access is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecargo protectionVSAvoidloading and unloading access
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The suspended car structure is segmented into removable and fixed components. The roof and side walls can be selectively removed or opened independently, allowing the structure to transition between protected enclosed mode and open access mode for loading/unloading operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The car employs dynamic opening mechanisms where side walls and roof sections can be moved or removed during loading/unloading operations, providing flexible access while maintaining protection when closed. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between protection and accessibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Stability of the object's composition

If a freight tram with bogied cars is used, then structural stability and load bearing capacity are improved, but the ability to accommodate oversized containers without rolling elements is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidcontainer size accommodation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The suspended car serves multiple functions: it can transport standard containers, oversized containers without rolling elements, and various types of cargo requiring different structural configurations. The universal design with removable roof and side walls allows adaptation to diverse cargo types while the bogie-supported carrier cars provide consistent structural stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes key structural parameters of the suspended car (removing roof and side walls) to accommodate oversized containers that cannot fit in conventional enclosed cars, while the carrier cars with bogies maintain the necessary structural stability and load-bearing capacity for safe transportation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3309038B1A freight tramway, particularly for transporting containers
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 ALSTOM TRANSPORT TECH SAS
  • EP3309038B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The freight tram (10) comprises at least two carrier cars (12, 14), each including at least one bogie (13, 15), and at least one suspended car (16) without a bogie, arranged between two of the carrier cars (12, 14). The suspended car (16) comprises a structural body (38) including a floor (40), a front wall (42) and a rear wall (44), the structural body (38) being without a roof so that the front (42) and rear (44) walls define an upper opening (46).