Removable-Header Shipping Container for Bulky Wood Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard shipping containers are limited in their ability to transport bulky items or cargo with dimensions exceeding structurally defined dimensions, hindering the efficient transport of fabricated rectangular wooden modules used in construction.
Innovation Solution
A modified shipping container with a removable header and cover system, allowing for front and top loading/unloading, and flexible polymeric material cover to accommodate and protect rectangular wooden modules, enabling vertical stacking and parallel orientation for efficient transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard shipping containers are used, then transport infrastructure compatibility is maintained, but cargo dimension flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is segmented into modular components: removable header, removable cover, and main container body. This segmentation allows the container to be reconfigured for different cargo dimensions while maintaining standard external dimensions for infrastructure compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The container transitions from a static fixed-structure design to a dynamic reconfigurable system where the header and cover can be removed or adjusted. This enables the container to adapt its internal volume and access points based on cargo requirements.
2Ease of operation
If fixed header and cover are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but loading accessibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The header and cover are separated from the main container body as removable components. This allows easy removal for loading operations while the remaining container structure maintains its structural integrity for transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The header and cover are removed before loading operations to provide unobstructed access to the container interior. After loading, they are reattached to restore structural integrity and environmental protection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If top loading is enabled, then loading flexibility is improved, but cover security becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed as a separate removable component that can be independently secured. This allows the container to accept top loading while the cover security can be independently addressed through appropriate fastening mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Fastening mechanisms or securing systems act as intermediaries between the removable cover and the container body, providing reliable connection during transport while allowing easy removal when loading/unloading is required.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for shipping of fabricated rectangular wooden modules used for construction of a wood frame structure and for shipping of other bulky items are described. In particular, the disclosure features a modified shipping container for shipping the fabricated rectangular wooden modules and methods of loading, transporting, and unloading the fabricated rectangular wooden modules. The modified shipping container features a removable header system and a removable cover. The fabricated rectangular wooden modules include a module length axis, a module width axis, a bounded wood perimeter, and joists or rafters oriented perpendicularly to the module length axis, and are stacked as cargo in the interior of the container such that joists or rafters of the fabricated rectangular wooden modules are substantially vertical and the length axes of the modules are substantially parallel to a length axis of the container.