Impact Vehicle Restraint Structured Impact Zone ICC Bar Damage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional impact vehicle restraints face issues with ICC bars having sharp rearward facing edges damaging the ramp and accommodating trailers with ICC bars at varying heights, leading to obstruction of hook deployment and potential damage to the restraint.
Innovation Solution
The impact vehicle restraint features a structured ramp impact zone with a central impact plate or dual side impact strips made of hardened weldable metal, allowing unobstructed rotation and deployment of the hook and ramp extension leg, accommodating a wide range of ICC bar heights and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the ramp is made between the spaced shear plates to protect against ICC bar damage, then the ICC bar is protected from damaging the ramp, but the hook deployment is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure is segmented into two separate components: a fixed ramp formed by the shear plates and a movable impact plate that travels with the hook. This segmentation allows the fixed ramp to provide protection while the movable impact plate clears the hook deployment path, resolving the contradiction between protection and operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The impact plate serves as an intermediary element between the ICC bar and the hook mechanism. It provides the protective interface with the ICC bar while being positioned to clear the hook's rotation path, mediating between the protective function and the deployment function without obstruction.
2Strength
If the shear plates are made thicker to prevent damage, then the structural strength is improved, but the weight increases reducing spring effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The solution uses composite construction with hardened metal strips welded to the shear plates. This provides enhanced protective strength at the impact interface without requiring the entire shear plate to be thick, thereby maintaining carriage weight within acceptable limits for spring effectiveness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the ramp extension leg is made to accommodate lower ICC bars, then the adaptability to different trailer heights is improved, but the hook rotation may be obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The impact plate is designed to be movable, traveling with the hook during deployment. This dynamic positioning allows the ramp extension leg to extend downward to accommodate lower ICC bars while the impact plate clears the hook's rotation path, maintaining both adaptability and operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is an impact vehicle restraint with spaced shear plates that hold a rotating hook and rotating ramp extension leg. The forward ends of the shear plates support an impact zone structure that forms a ramp plane that accommodates a wide variety of trailer ICC bars. The impact zone structure takes the form of a single central impact plate or dual side impact strips. The central impact plate travels with the hook and spans and rests on the shear plates when the hook is retracted. The dual side impact strips are made of weldable metal with a yield strength of at least 100,000 psi and a Brinell Hardness of at least 300. The central impact plate and hardened strips allow unobstructed rotation of the hook and ramp extension leg. The hook is free to pass through a ramp plane in both embodiments.