Fuel Cell Shipping Container With Cushioning and Suspension Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for transporting and storing fuel cells and other large, fragile items often fail to provide adequate protection against damage and degradation during shipment, inspection, and storage due to insufficient cushioning and support mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A reusable container designed with a hyperrectangle shape, featuring removable walls and a top panel secured by quick-release fasteners, incorporating cushioning foam inserts and internal support straps to cradle and suspend the fuel cell, ensuring protection and ease of inspection and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing containers are used for transporting fuel cells, then basic containment is provided, but adequate protection against damage and degradation is not achieved due to insufficient cushioning and support mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating custom-molded foam inserts that are pre-positioned within the container to cradle the fuel cell. These foam inserts are designed to match the specific geometry of the fuel cell, providing proactive protection against shocks and vibrations during transport before damage can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into segmented components including removable walls, a detachable top panel, and separate foam inserts. This segmentation allows for easy assembly, disassembly, and customization of the cushioning system to match different fuel cell configurations while maintaining adequate protection.
2Reliability
If fuel cells require special handling to avoid damage or degradation, then protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complex handling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs dynamic features including removable walls and a detachable top panel that can be quickly assembled and disassembled. This dynamic design allows the container to transition between a protected closed state during transport and an accessible open state for inspection and loading, reducing handling complexity while maintaining protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam inserts and support structures are pre-positioned within the container before the fuel cell is loaded. This preliminary action ensures that when the fuel cell is inserted, it is immediately cradled and protected, eliminating the need for complex manual positioning or additional protective measures during handling.
3Reliability
If containers are designed for specific fuel cell sizes and shapes, then protection and support are improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The foam inserts are custom-molded to provide local quality cushioning that matches the specific contact points and geometry of the fuel cell. This localized customization provides optimal protection for critical areas while the overall container structure remains standardized and adaptable to different fuel cell types through modular insert designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed with universal features including removable walls and standardized fastening mechanisms that allow it to accommodate various fuel cell sizes and shapes. The modular foam inserts can be configured or replaced to match different fuel cell geometries, making the same container structure adaptable to multiple applications.
4Ease of operation
If quick-release fasteners are used for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional fastening mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The quick-release fasteners are extracted as separate, modular components rather than being integrated into the main container structure. This allows for easy attachment and detachment of the top panel and walls using simple fastening mechanisms, providing quick access without requiring complex integrated locking systems throughout the entire container.
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 container effectively protects fuel cells from damage and degradation by providing customized support and easy access for inspection and installation, while being stackable and adaptable for various sizes and shapes of items.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient cushioning insert nested within the interior space
Data Source
AI summary
A reusable container for transporting, inspecting, and/or storing a fuel cell or other item may include a crate or box lined with plurality of cushioning inserts to protect a fuel cell placed within the container, and a plurality of straps that extend inwardly from walls of the container and couplable to the fuel cell. The straps are tensionable to suspend at least a portion of the weight of the fuel cell from the walls of the container while a portion of the fuel cell may rest on top of cushioning inserts at the floor of the container.