Height-Adjustable Shock Pallet with Pneumatic Air Bags
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Solution Overview
Problem
The unloading of rack-mounted information handling systems (IHSs) is hazardous and logistically challenging due to their weight and size, requiring multiple people to maneuver and a large ramp, and conventional shock pallets degrade quickly, necessitating frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable shock pallet with an upper deck and lower deck separated by inflatable air bags, controlled by an electrically actuated pneumatic system, allowing the upper deck to be raised or lowered to reduce the ramp length and mitigate tilting during transport, and featuring a tilt sensor and controller to adjust pressure for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shock pallets use resilient or compressible materials (wood and foam blocks) to provide damping, then vibration absorption is achieved, but the pallet degrades with use and must be replaced frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the damping material from solid (wood and foam blocks) to gas (air in inflatable bags). This parameter change allows the damping element to be replenished (by inflating) rather than consumed (like compressible materials that degrade), thereby extending service life and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the damping element (air bags) replaceable and refillable. Instead of replacing the entire pallet structure when damping materials degrade, only the air bags need to be deflated, removed, and re-inflated, significantly reducing maintenance effort and cost
2Ease of operation
If a 14 foot ramp is used to unload rack-mounted IHSs from the shock pallet, then heavy racks can be maneuvered down, but the ramp is heavy (250 lbs), requires storage or transport, and takes two to three people to carry and maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ramp function from a separate, heavy external structure and integrates it as a lightweight, collapsible component attached to the shock pallet itself. The ramp can be stored on the pallet when not in use, eliminating the need for separate ramp storage and transport
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the ramp with the shock pallet structure, combining two previously separate elements (pallet and ramp) into a single integrated system. This reduces the total quantity of equipment needed and simplifies logistics
3Reliability
If the shock pallet maintains a height of 7 or 8 inches to provide sufficient resilient material thickness for vibration absorption, then shock protection is adequate, but the upper deck cannot be lowered close to the lower deck for loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the pallet height dynamic rather than static. The air bags can be inflated to provide 7-8 inches of damping for shock protection, then deflated to lower the upper deck close to the lower deck for easy loading and unloading. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between protection height and operational accessibility
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 solution simplifies and expedites the shipping and unloading of IHSs by reducing the ramp length from 14 feet to 1 foot, eliminating the need for additional ramps and reducing the number of people required for handling, while extending the service life of the pallet by using durable materials and replaceable air bags.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of air bags attached between the lower and upper decks. The air bags are selectively inflatable to protect the rack-mounted IHS during transport and deflatable to position the upper deck between the raised position and the lowered position
Implementation Method 2
The IHS includes a device interface in communication with an electrically actuated source of compressed gas. The electrically actuated source is used to selectively pressurize a first pneumatic interconnect to a first subset of air bags and a second pneumatic interconnect to a second subset of air bags
Implementation Method 3
The IHS includes a tilt sensor attached to an upper deck of the shock pallet
Implementation Method 4
The controller: (i) simultaneously pressurizes a first pneumatic interconnect to a first subset of air bags and a second pneumatic interconnect to a second subset of the plurality of air bags to raise the upper deck of a shock pallet that has received a rack-mounted IHS away from the lower deck; (ii) detects a tilt of the upper deck; and (iii) differentially adjusts pressure between the first and second subsets of the plurality of air bags to mitigate the tilt of the upper deck
Data Source
AI summary
A height-adjustable shock pallet includes a lower deck and an upper deck. A central portion of the upper deck is sized to receive a rack-mounted information handling system (IHS) for shipping. Air bags attached between the lower and upper decks are selectively inflatable to protect the rack-mounted IHS during transport and deflatable to position the upper deck proximate to the lower deck for unloading. A controller can detect a tilt of the upper deck and differentially inflate or deflate respective subsets of the air bags to rebalance the upper deck. The controller maintains the rack-mounted IHS horizontal to prevent tipping during transport. Integral or attachable caster wheels can enable repositioning of the height-adjustable shock pallet with the air bags deflated.