Oblique Support Bows for Tarp Cover Stress Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tarp cover systems stress tarp material along distinct lines due to pinching between support bows and the roll tube, leading to material weakening and reduced lifespan, especially where support bows are unevenly oriented.
Innovation Solution
The tarp cover system incorporates obliquely oriented support bows, positioned at an angle relative to the container's side walls, to distribute pinching forces evenly, ensuring each point on the tarp is pinched only once during a coil/uncoil cycle, reducing repeated compressions and stress concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support bows are positioned perpendicular to container side walls, then the cover tarp can be effectively supported and positioned, but the tarp material experiences concentrated pinching stress along distinct lines, leading to material weakening and reduced lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The support bows are oriented at oblique angles (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the container side walls rather than perpendicular to them. This asymmetric orientation ensures that the pinching forces from the roll tube are distributed across different areas of the tarp material during each coil/uncoil cycle, preventing concentrated stress along distinct lines and thereby extending tarp lifespan
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different orientations to different support bows across the container width. Each support bow is positioned at a specific oblique angle tailored to its location, optimizing the distribution of pinching forces locally across the tarp material surface, which prevents stress concentration at any single point
2Reliability
If support bows are unevenly oriented, then the tarp can be supported across the container, but repeated pinching forces concentrate on the same tarp areas during coil/uncoil cycles, causing material wear
Solution Approach 1:
Support bows are deliberately oriented at oblique angles rather than uniformly perpendicular to the side walls. This asymmetric configuration ensures that during the cyclic coil/uncoil operation, the contact points between tarp and support bows shift across different areas of the material, preventing repeated pinching forces from concentrating on the same tarp regions and thereby improving material durability
3Ease of operation
If support bows are positioned parallel to container side walls, then the tarp can be easily deployed, but the pinching forces are not distributed evenly, creating stress concentrations near the roll tube attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The support bows are oriented at oblique angles (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the container side walls rather than parallel to them. This asymmetric orientation optimizes the distribution of pinching forces from the roll tube across the tarp material, preventing stress concentrations near the roll tube attachment while maintaining ease of tarp deployment through the oblique configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A system may include a container and a cover apparatus for selectively covering a top opening of the container. The cover apparatus may include a roll tube movably mounted on the container and extending between the container ends and parallel to the container sides, a cover tarp having at least a portion rolled about the roll tube, and at least one bow member configured to support the cover tarp over the top opening in a closed condition of the cover assembly. The bow member may be elongated and extend from one said side of the container to the other said side of the container across the top opening of the container. The bow members may be positioned in a substantially vertically-oriented bow plane, and the bow plane may be oriented at an oblique angle to a sidewall plane of the container.