Modular Cart With Adaptable Interface Plate For Sensitive Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable carts for transporting highly sensitive equipment like femtosecond lasers are not adaptable to various shapes and sizes, leading to the need for frequent replacements as technology evolves, and they often suffer from weight imbalance and power failure issues during transport.
Innovation Solution
A modular cart design featuring an adaptable interface plate that can secure multiple types of equipment, a manual release mechanism for power failures, and a stabilizer bar to balance uneven loads, ensuring secure and stable transport of sensitive equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the cart uses fixed frames and components designed for specific equipment, then the equipment can be securely transported, but the cart cannot adapt to different shapes and sizes of new equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The cart employs universal mounting plates with standardized aperture patterns that can accommodate various equipment sizes and configurations. The interface plates serve multiple functions: securing equipment, providing mounting points for different configurations, and enabling quick interchange of equipment types without requiring custom cart designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart structure is divided into modular components including removable mounting plates, interchangeable interface plates, and separable frame sections. This segmentation allows the mounting system to be reconfigured for different equipment types while keeping the main cart structure intact, reducing overall complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the cart uses power-activated locking mechanism, then the cart can be easily secured in truck cab, but the cart cannot be unloaded in case of power failure
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism incorporates a manual release feature that has been pre-configured to disengage the locking arms from the truck cab floor supports. This preliminary mechanical arrangement ensures that even without power, the operator can quickly and safely unload the cart by manually actuating the release lever, preventing equipment damage.
Solution Approach 2:
A manual release lever serves as an intermediary mechanism between the power-activated locking system and the physical act of unloading. This intermediary component provides a backup method that bridges the gap between automated operation and manual intervention, ensuring reliability during power failures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cart components are designed for specific equipment types, then the equipment can be properly secured, but replacing the entire cart becomes necessary when new equipment is developed
Solution Approach 1:
The interface plates are designed with universal aperture patterns and mounting configurations that can accommodate multiple equipment types and sizes. This universality allows the same cart platform to be used with current and future equipment developments, eliminating the need for expensive cart replacements while maintaining proper security and mounting capabilities.
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
Enables the transport of multiple types of highly sensitive equipment without the need for frequent cart replacements, maintains equipment stability during transit, and allows safe unloading even in power failures, reducing the risk of damage.
Implementation Method 1
Air cushions contained in a mobile cart act as shock absorbers for when the cart and its highly sensitive equipment are in transit.
Implementation Method 2
the mechanism is driven by a power activated retractable arm or pin that engages a floor support of the truck
Data Source
AI summary
A modular cart for transporting and securing femtosecond lasers and other highly sensitive equipment to medical facilities by truck transit and within medical facilities by rolling the modular cart is disclosed. The modular cart includes a cart base member with rollers, a sub plate attached to the top portion of the cart base member, a control box attached to a top end portion of the cart base member, and an adaptable interface plate attached thereto the top portion of the sub plate for selectively receiving and securing highly sensitive equipment. The adaptable interface plate may be modified by size, shape, and receiving means in order to receive and secure various specific types of highly sensitive equipment. Different adaptable interface plates may be used for receiving and securing different highly sensitive equipment.