Detachable Fuel Unit Support Frame With Retractable Ground Legs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile lift tables face challenges in accommodating fuel units of varying sizes and weights, and there is a need for easy removal, access, and re-engagement of these units without the assistance of the lift table.
Innovation Solution
A detachable support structure with an adjustable engagement frame and retractable leg assembly that selectively couples with a lift table, allowing for easy unloading and re-engagement of fuel units, providing access, and supporting them independently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mobile lift table is used to support and transport fuel units, then the fuel units can be easily moved and positioned, but the lift table cannot be easily removed or repositioned without assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into a lift table portion and a separate ground support portion. The ground support portion can be detached from the lift table and independently support the fuel unit on the ground, enabling easy removal and repositioning of the lift table without requiring assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground support portion is extracted as a separate detachable component from the lift table. This extracted portion can be removed from the lift table and independently deployed to support the fuel unit on the ground, providing flexibility in removal and repositioning operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lift table is designed to accommodate fuel units of varying sizes and weights, then versatility is improved, but the structural complexity and adjustment mechanisms increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates adjustable features including an adjustable engagement frame with movable sides and adjustable leg assemblies that can be extended or retracted. These dynamic adjustments allow the structure to adapt to fuel units of varying sizes and weights while maintaining a relatively simple overall design through straightforward mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is designed with universal adaptability to handle different fuel unit configurations. The adjustable engagement frame and ground support portion can be configured to accommodate various sizes and weights, making the same basic structure versatile for multiple fuel unit types without requiring complex specialized mechanisms for each variant.
3Ease of operation
If the support structure provides independent ground support capability, then mobility and access are improved, but the structural design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into a lift table portion and a separate ground support portion with leg assemblies. The ground support portion can be detached and independently deployed to provide stable support on the ground, enabling mobility and access while maintaining relatively simple structural design through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground support portion acts as an intermediary between the lift table and the ground. It can be detached from the lift table and independently support the fuel unit on the ground, providing the necessary ground contact and stability while keeping the lift table design relatively simple and easy to reposition.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method of use for supporting a fuel unit, the apparatus including: a frame including an attachment portion and a coupling portion, the attachment portion being configured to engage the fuel unit to thereby prevent lateral movement of the fuel unit relative to the frame, the coupling portion being configured to engage a lift table to thereby prevent lateral movement of the frame relative to the lift table; and a plurality of legs rotatably secured to the frame, each leg of the plurality of legs being configured to transition between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, wherein the extended configuration is configured to allow a foot of a respective leg to contact a floor, wherein the retracted configuration is configured to prevent the foot of the respective leg from contacting the floor.