Guiding Rail Polymer Insert for Dunnage Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transport systems with guiding rails and flexible dunnage face challenges in easy manipulation due to high friction, requiring two-handed operation and often resulting in blockages, especially when dunnage is self-supportive or lacks solid supports.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of guiding rails with a recess partially or completely covered with an intermediate material, such as a polymer insert or a friction-reducing coating, allows for easy one-handed manipulation of dunnage by reducing kinetic friction and preventing gliding element removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If aluminum guiding rails are used, then weight is reduced and tensile strength is increased, but kinetic friction increases making dunnage manipulation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate material (polymer insert or coating) between the aluminum guiding rail and the gliding element. This intermediary layer reduces kinetic friction while allowing the aluminum rail to maintain its weight and strength advantages. The intermediate material acts as a mediator that decouples the conflicting properties of the aluminum-rail-gliding-element interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding rail system becomes a composite structure combining aluminum (for structural properties) with polymer intermediate material (for friction reduction). This composite approach allows each material to contribute its advantageous properties: aluminum provides low weight and high tensile strength, while the polymer provides low kinetic friction for easy dunnage manipulation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If solid dunnage supports are used, then dunnage stability is improved, but device complexity increases and collapsibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the stabilizing function from solid dunnage supports and transfers it to the friction-reduced guiding rail system itself. By reducing friction at the rail-gliding element interface, the system provides sufficient stability for dunnage manipulation without requiring additional solid support structures, thereby simplifying the overall device.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding rail system with intermediate material provides self-stabilizing properties during dunnage manipulation. The reduced friction allows the dunnage to be easily controlled and positioned by operators without requiring external solid supports, making the system self-sufficient for stable operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If flexible dunnage without solid supports is used, then device collapsibility is improved, but friction increases causing dunnage blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate material serves as a mediator between the flexible dunnage and the aluminum rail, enabling easy manipulation of collapsible flexible dunnage without requiring solid support structures. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the dunnage to remain flexible and collapsible while the intermediate material prevents friction-induced blockage.
4Reliability
If high friction interface is used, then gliding element positioning is secure, but dunnage manipulation requires two hands and is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the friction parameter at the rail-gliding element interface by introducing intermediate material with optimized friction characteristics. This allows the system to maintain sufficient positioning security while dramatically reducing the force required for manipulation, enabling one-handed operation and increasing operator productivity.
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
Enables effortless and efficient movement of dunnage along guiding rails with or without dunnage supports, enhancing operator efficiency and reducing the need for frequent replacement of gliding elements, while minimizing friction-related blockages.
Implementation Method 1
aluminum has a high coefficient of kinetic friction... The intermediate material allows easy one-handed manipulation of the flexible dunnage along the guiding rails
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a guiding rail which can be used in storing and transporting devices provided with dunnage, which can be moved along the guiding rails. In a first aspect, the present invention discloses guiding rails (1) with a recess which is at least partially provided with an intermediate material. Said intermediate material can be in the form of a polymer insert (2) or in the form of a coating added during a painting and/or anodization process. The intermediate material allows to easily manipulate the flexible dunnage (9) along the guiding rails by pulling or pushing the dunnage, even when the force is applied centrally on the dunnage. Said insert can be divided in several components along a transversal line (8), allowing easy installation. In a second aspect, the present invention presents a device for storing and transporting goods, provided with guiding rails (1) with an intermediate material as described above.