Portable Protective Enclosure for Outdoor Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective enclosures for outdoor equipment are not portable, cannot be easily installed over existing equipment, and do not adequately protect equipment from cold weather.
Innovation Solution
A portable protective enclosure with skids for towing, a building structure without a floor, and insulated and heatable components to protect equipment from cold weather, featuring swing doors and access panels for easy access and configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protective enclosure is designed to be portable and movable, then ease of transportation is improved, but protection from cold weather deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective enclosure is divided into a building structure supported on skids, allowing the structure to be segmented into movable components that can be transported separately while maintaining protective function when assembled
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure parameters are changed by making the building structure insulated and heatable, transforming it from a simple shelter to a thermally controlled environment that protects equipment from cold weather while remaining portable
2Adaptability or versatility
If a protective enclosure is designed to be installed over existing equipment, then adaptability is improved, but structural complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure employs swing doors that can open and close dynamically, allowing flexible installation over existing equipment without requiring complex fixed door mechanisms, thereby maintaining adaptability while controlling structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The building structure is designed with universal characteristics that allow it to be installed over various types of existing equipment, achieving adaptability through a standardized design that doesn't require complex customizations for different equipment configurations
3Ease of operation
If swing doors with access panels are added to the enclosure, then ease of access is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The doors are segmented into swing doors with integrated access panels, allowing the door structure to be divided into functional sections that provide ease of access while maintaining a relatively simple overall door design rather than requiring complex multi-component door assemblies
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The enclosure effectively protects outdoor equipment from cold weather by providing an insulated and heatable space that can be easily transported and installed over existing equipment, ensuring the equipment remains operational in harsh winter conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The forward access panel is insulated panel or is a strip of flexible rubber material; the rearward access panels are insulated panels or a strip of flexible rubber material
Data Source
AI summary
A portable protective enclosure for equipment located outside, such as, for example pumps, it preassembled and towable to an in-service position for enclosing the equipment and protecting it from cold weather environments. The enclosure has first and second skids being arranged parallel and spaced to one another defining a space therebetween, the first and second skids having a first end and an opposite second end. The enclosure may further have a building supported on the skids for movement therewith, the building comprising first and second end walls each extending across the skids, first and second side walls one each extending along a length of a respective skid, and a roof spanning the first and second end walls and the first and second side walls, the building being free of a floor.