Modular Wheel Stop with Replaceable Plaques
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wheel stops are prone to wear and tear, leading to cracking, breaking, or marred surfaces, which results in costly replacements and environmental waste, as they often rely on weight and fixed materials that do not accommodate wear or changes in signage or parking space designations.
Innovation Solution
A modular wheel stop design featuring a base with removably attached plaques made of recycled materials, allowing for easy replacement of worn or damaged plaques without replacing the entire wheel stop, thereby extending service life and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional fixed material wheel stops are used, then initial strength and durability are achieved, but service life is limited due to wear and tear causing cracking and breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel stop is divided into a base and multiple replaceable plaques. The base provides structural support while the plaques can be individually replaced when worn or damaged, extending the overall service life without replacing the entire wheel stop assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Worn or damaged plaques are discarded and replaced with new ones, while the base is retained and reused. This selective replacement strategy recovers the durable base component and eliminates the need to discard the entire wheel stop when only the plaque surface wears.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heavy fixed materials are used for wheel stops, then stability and weight-based restriction are achieved, but adaptability to wear or design changes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel stop is segmented into a permanent base and replaceable plaques, allowing the plaque portion to be adapted or replaced for wear accommodation or design changes without affecting the base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel stop transitions from a static fixed-material design to a dynamic modular design where plaques can be removed and replaced, enabling adaptation to wear, damage, or changing parking space designations while maintaining the stable base.
3Reliability
If entire wheel stops are replaced due to wear, then reliability is restored, but waste and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Only the worn plaque portion is discarded while the base is recovered and reused. This prevents the waste associated with discarding entire wheel stops when only the surface plaque requires replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel stop system changes from a monolithic replacement model to a selective component replacement model, where only the plaque parameter (surface layer) is changed rather than the entire assembly, reducing material waste.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a base having a length in a first direction, a height in a second direction different from the first direction, and a depth in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction. The base includes at least one sidewall having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an edge defining an open end of a cavity within the base. The base also includes a plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the at least one sidewall toward the open end of the cavity. The ribs of the plurality of ribs are separated from one another along the first direction. The base further includes at least one tube extending from the inner surface of the at least one sidewall toward the open end of the cavity. The apparatus also includes at least one plaque removably attached to the outer surface of base.