Loading Tray Movable Floor Blade Flange Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing moving floor loading platform devices face challenges with complex and costly designs, particularly in maintaining sealing and flatness, which are exacerbated by ventilation requirements, leading to potential unbalance and tipping during tilting operations and increased wear over time.
Innovation Solution
A simplified design featuring blades with laterally extending flanges and reduced height differences between adjacent edges, allowing direct contact and improved sliding, along with folded sheet construction for precision and rigidity, and integrated ventilation through strategically placed openings and orifices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a perforated cover plate is attached and fixed to a lower spar by screwing or welding, then ventilation can be achieved, but local deformations occur that alter the flatness of the plate, compromising the sealing between blades
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate is segmented into a first portion and a second portion, with the first portion being offset relative to the lower spar. This segmentation allows the plate to be positioned such that it covers the gap between adjacent blades while maintaining flatness, as the offset portion does not interfere with the sealing surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the potential deformation issue to a different spatial dimension by offsetting the cover plate in the longitudinal direction. The flatness-critical area (where it contacts the adjacent blade) is separated from the fixation area (where screws or welds would cause deformation), allowing both ventilation and sealing to coexist.
2Reliability
If each section is slidably mounted on guide rails to ensure sealing, then sealing between blades is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rails and complex mounting structures are completely removed from the design. Instead, the cover plate itself is designed with an offset configuration that inherently provides both sealing and sliding functionality, eliminating the need for separate guiding and sealing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset cover plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides sealing by covering the gap between adjacent blades, enables sliding movement through its offset configuration, and maintains structural integrity. This multi-functional design replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate components.
3Ease of manufacture
If the width of the cover plate is shortened and the spar edge is widened to form a rim for sealing, then manufacturing is simplified, but the flatness required for sealing must be maintained despite fixation deformations
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate is divided into functional zones: an offset first portion that handles sealing and sliding, and a second portion that can accommodate fixation without affecting flatness. This segmentation allows simple manufacturing while maintaining precision where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is moved to a different spatial location via the offset configuration. The rim structure provides sealing at one location while the fixation points are positioned elsewhere, so deformations from fixing do not propagate to the sealing surface.
4Manufacturing precision
If blades are constructed by folding sheets only, then precision and linearity of edges are improved for better sealing, but the structural rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The blade combines folded sheet metal components with additional structural elements (such as the offset cover plate and underlying spar structure) to create a composite construction. This provides both the precision edges needed for sealing and the structural rigidity required for load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding process creates precise curved edges and surfaces that maintain linearity and sealing capability. The folded geometry inherently provides both precision and structural strength, as the folded sections act as reinforced edges.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a loading tray device (1) having a movable floor comprising a frame that receives a juxtaposition of at least one first (2) blade and one second (3) blade that are mounted so as to be movable in longitudinal translation, each blade (2, 3) consisting of a lower beam (4) and a covering plate (7) attached to the upper edges (8, 9) of side walls (5, 6), said first (5) and second (6) walls respectively comprising a first (10) flange and a second (11) flange that extend laterally to and outside of said beam (4), said second wall (6) of each blade (2, 3) having a height that is less than that of said first wall (5) by the thickness of the first flange (10), such that said first flange (10) of said second blade (3) abuts said second flange (11) of said first blade (2).