Monolithic Plastic Brace for Cargo Pallet Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cargo pallets often shift during transportation in shipping vehicles, leading to potential damage to the cargo.
Innovation Solution
A plastic brace with a monolithic construction, featuring a 90-degree angled design and gussets, is positioned adjacent to the cargo pallet and secured to the floor using fasteners, providing structural support and preventing movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional restraining methods are used, then cargo pallets can be restrained, but the device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The restraining system is segmented into individual brace units, each independently restraining a cargo pallet. Each brace is a self-contained component with integrated fastening features, allowing the system to be divided into modular segments that can be individually installed and removed without affecting other pallets.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential restraining function from complex multi-component systems and implements it through a simplified single-brace structure. By removing unnecessary components and retaining only the critical elements (brace body, positioning features, and fastening mechanism), the solution achieves effective restraint with minimal complexity.
2Strength
If a monolithic plastic brace is used, then manufacturing precision and structural integrity improve, but the weight of the restraining device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brace is constructed from composite plastic materials that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. The monolithic plastic construction integrates multiple structural functions (bracing, fastening, positioning) into a single material component, achieving structural integrity without the weight penalty of assembled metal parts or multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from traditional metal or multi-component assemblies to monolithic plastic, fundamentally altering the weight and strength characteristics. This material parameter change enables the brace to achieve sufficient structural integrity while maintaining low weight for easy installation and removal.
3Reliability
If the brace is designed with multiple features (walls, gussets, reinforcements), then the restraining reliability improves, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple structural features (walls, gussets, reinforcements, and fastening elements) are merged into a single monolithic brace component. By combining these features that would traditionally require separate parts and assembly steps into one integrated plastic component, the invention improves restraining reliability through precise geometric relationships while simplifying manufacturing to a single injection molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic plastic brace is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions simultaneously: providing structural bracing, enabling fastening to the floor, positioning against the pallet, and distributing loads. This multi-functionality is achieved through integrated design features rather than separate components, improving reliability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for restraining a cargo pallet disposed on the floor of a truck or other container comprising positioning adjacent the cargo pallet a plastic brace, engaging the plastic brace and the cargo pallet, and securing the plastic brace to the floor with a fastener. The plastic brace may have a monolithic construction and may be formed by injection molding. The plastic brace may comprise a first wall having a first side for engaging the floor defining a hole, and a second side; a second wall having a first side for engaging the cargo pallet, and a second side, the second wall extending at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the first wall; and a gusset interconnecting the second side of the first wall with the second side of the second wall. The plastic brace may further include a raised reinforcement extending from the second side of the first wall and disposed about the hole. The raised reinforcement may have a truncated conical configuration.