Integral Cargo Ring Design for Vehicle Lashing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cargo rings are bulky and material-intensive due to welding requirements, which compromises their strength and ease of use, especially when securing heavy or bulky loads.
Innovation Solution
A cargo ring design featuring a retainer member integrally formed with a fastener member, including a locking element and reinforcing lip, allowing for secure mounting without pre-welding, and a modular assembly option for easy replacement and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welding joints are used to connect retainer member and fastener member, then strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer member and fastener member are integrally formed as a single piece, eliminating the need for separate welding operations. This merging of components maintains structural strength while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and the number of assembly steps required.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process is extracted and removed from the manufacturing sequence. Instead of requiring pre-welding steps, the integral design allows the components to be formed as one piece, eliminating the harmful welding step entirely while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength.
2Strength
If larger welding surfaces are used to improve weld joint strength, then strength is improved, but the retainer member and fastener member must be increased in size leading to bulky design
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the retainer member and fastener member into a single integral component, the design eliminates the need for large welding surfaces. The unified structure achieves necessary strength through its monolithic construction rather than through extensive joint surfaces, resulting in a more compact overall design.
3Strength
If more material is used to create larger welding surfaces, then strength is improved, but material usage increases leading to excess material consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The integral formation of the retainer member and fastener member eliminates the need for additional material required for welding surfaces and weld joints. The single-piece construction uses material only where structurally necessary, significantly reducing overall material consumption while maintaining equivalent or superior strength.
4Ease of manufacture
If retainer member dimensions are constrained due to significant proportion devoted to welding joints, then manufacturing is simplified, but the retainer member becomes difficult for users to fasten lashing to
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the welding joints from the design, the retainer member is no longer constrained by the space required for weld surfaces. This extraction of the welding requirement allows for larger, more user-friendly dimensions that facilitate easier lashing operations while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the integral design.
5Device complexity
If integral formation is used to eliminate welding, then device complexity is reduced, but robustness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The integral formation merges the retainer member and fastener member into a single monolithic structure, eliminating weak points associated with welding joints. This unified construction actually enhances robustness by removing potential failure points while simultaneously reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting and eliminating the welding process entirely, the design removes the creation of weak points that welding joints inherently create. The integral design achieves greater robustness through its seamless construction while reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cargo ring, of the type used for lashing objects in a luggage or loading space of a vehicle is provided. The cargo ring includes a retainer member, extending within a first plane, and having at least one aperture configured to receive lashing for securing the object. The cargo ring further includes a fastener member, extending from the retainer member within a second plane oriented so as to intersect with the first plane, operably mountable to a surface of the vehicle. The retainer member is integrally formed with the fastener member.