Plastic I-Profile Crossbeam for Refrigerated Vehicle Floor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerated vehicles face challenges in achieving lightweight construction while maintaining sufficient stability and thermal insulation due to the use of heavy materials and the need for minimum thickness of wood crossbeams, which reduces the amount of heat-insulating foam that can be used.
Innovation Solution
The use of I-profile crossbeams made of plastic material with a tensioning element connected to the chassis, allowing for increased foam insulation and improved stability without the need for penetrating screws, which distributes tension pressure effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If wooden crossbeams are used in the vehicle floor, then sufficient stability is achieved, but the overall weight of the vehicle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from wood to plastic for the crossbeams, which fundamentally alters the weight-to-strength ratio. Plastic materials provide sufficient structural stability while being significantly lighter than wood, directly resolving the contradiction between stability and weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle floor employs a composite structure combining plastic crossbeams with foam insulation material. This composite approach allows the plastic beams to provide structural stability while the foam reduces overall density and weight, achieving both stability and weight reduction simultaneously.
2Strength
If minimum thickness of crossbeams is used to ensure stability, then structural strength is maintained, but the amount of heat-insulating foam that can be placed between crossbeams is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from wood to plastic, which has a superior strength-to-thickness ratio. This allows the use of thinner crossbeams that still maintain sufficient structural strength, thereby increasing the available space for heat-insulating foam without compromising structural integrity.
3Reliability
If bolts are used to connect crossbeams to the chassis, then secure connection is achieved, but the crossbeams are weakened by penetrating connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the penetrating bolts from the connection system and replaces them with a non-penetrating clamping element. This clamping element applies force to the outer surface of the crossbeam without penetrating through it, thereby maintaining connection security while preserving the full structural strength of the crossbeam.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping element acts as an intermediary between the chassis and the crossbeam. It provides the necessary connection force through surface contact rather than penetration, mediating the load transfer while avoiding direct penetration into the crossbeam structure and thus preventing strength reduction.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a refrigerated vehicle, with a chassis (30) and a vehicle body, which has a floor (10) with at least one cross member (13) arranged between a lower surface layer (11) and an upper surface layer, wherein the cross member (13) is formed by an I-profile made of a plastic material, comprising a lower chord (13a), an upper chord (13b) and a web (13c) connecting the lower chord (13a) and the upper chord (13b), wherein the cross member (13) is connected to the chassis (30) by means of a tensioning element (20) resting on a top surface of the lower chord (13a).