Detachable Fuel Unit Support Structure for Lift Table Maintenance Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile lift tables face challenges in efficiently supporting and transporting fuel units of varying sizes and weights, and providing easy access to vehicle components, especially when removing or installing fuel units in electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A detachable support structure with an adjustable engagement frame and retractable leg assembly that can couple and decouple with a lift table, allowing for customizable support, easy unloading and re-engagement of fuel units, and providing access to the unit for maintenance.
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 unit can be easily moved and positioned, but the lift table cannot provide easy access to vehicle components for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into two independent components: the mobile lift table for transporting the fuel unit, and the detachable support structure for providing access during maintenance. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without the complexity of integrating both functions into a single system.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable support structure is extracted as a separate element that can be attached to the lift table only when maintenance access is needed. This extraction allows the lift table to remain simple for transportation while providing access capability when required.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lift table is designed to accommodate various fuel unit sizes, then versatility is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable support structure is designed with universal features that allow it to accommodate different fuel unit sizes. The support structure can be configured in multiple positions and orientations, providing multi-functionality without requiring the entire lift table system to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure incorporates movable and adjustable components that can be dynamically reconfigured to suit different fuel unit dimensions. This dynamic adaptability allows a single structure to serve multiple purposes without permanent modifications to the base lift table.
3Ease of repair
If the support structure is permanently attached to the lift table, then stability is improved, but ease of repair and maintenance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed as a detachable, modular component that can be easily separated from the lift table for maintenance or repair. This segmentation enables independent servicing of each component without affecting the other, improving ease of repair while maintaining stability during use through proper attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable design allows the support structure to be easily removed (discarded from the system temporarily) for maintenance and then reattached (recovered). This approach facilitates regular maintenance and repair operations without permanent attachment, balancing stability during operation with ease of maintenance.
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.