Trailer for modular home delivery and assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current modular housing manufacturers face challenges in transporting modular homes to their final destination due to the need for separate trailers and cranes, which are costly and labor-intensive, and often violate local traffic laws with oversized modules.
Innovation Solution
A system that divides modular homes into unique portions, allowing them to be transported on a single trailer bed, where robotic crawlers and a hinge mechanism enable assembly and placement without cranes, adhering to traffic regulations and reducing manual labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If modular homes are transported as complete oversized modules, then assembly time is reduced, but transportation cost increases and traffic laws are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The modular home is divided into multiple smaller modules that can be transported separately on standard-sized trailers. These segmented modules are then assembled at the destination using robotic crawlers and hinge mechanisms, resolving the contradiction by allowing smaller transport units while maintaining efficient assembly through automated connection processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate trailers and cranes are used for each module, then transportation flexibility is improved, but labor cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple modules are combined into a single integrated transport unit that can be moved by one trailer. The robotic crawlers and hinge mechanisms are integrated into the trailer system, allowing multiple modules to be transported and assembled as a unified system rather than requiring separate trailers and cranes for each module.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic crawlers and hinge mechanisms enable the modules to assemble themselves at the destination without requiring external cranes or manual labor. The system performs its own assembly function, reducing the need for additional heavy equipment and simplifying the overall transportation and assembly process.
3Manufacturing precision
If cranes are used for module placement, then assembly precision is improved, but cost and manual labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional crane-based mechanical lifting system is replaced with robotic crawlers that use hinge mechanisms to fold and connect modules. This substitution maintains assembly precision through controlled robotic movement while eliminating the need for expensive crane operations and reducing manual labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism allows modules to dynamically fold and connect during the assembly process. Rather than requiring precise static positioning by cranes, the dynamic folding action of the hinges enables modules to come together and lock into place automatically, maintaining precision while reducing the need for heavy lifting equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer configured to transport a load includes a bed including an upper surface configured to support the load, a slot positioned in the bed and extending from a front portion of the bed to a rear portion of the bed, and a first rotation pin configured to translate within the slot and extending from within the slot to above the upper surface of the bed.