Removable Storage Units for Freight Transport
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The long-distance moving of household goods, such as furniture, faces challenges including damage, loss, theft, and high labor costs due to frequent loading and unloading, as well as inefficiencies in using standard moving containers that are not designed for simultaneous efficient loading and unloading.
Innovation Solution
The use of removable storage units or containers that fit on specially designed frames on trucks or trailers, equipped with RFID and GPS for tracking, and a tandem delivery system with adjustable stinger steer mechanisms, allowing for flexible placement and stacking of containers, reducing labor and minimizing handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If household goods are frequently loaded and unloaded during transit, then goods can be transferred between vehicles and stored at intermediate locations, but labor costs increase significantly and risk of damage, loss or theft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the freight transport function into separate components: containers for goods, frames for support, and vehicles for transport. This segmentation allows containers to be independently loaded once and then transferred between vehicles via the frame system, eliminating repeated manual handling of goods while maintaining flexible transit options.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame acts as an intermediary structure between vehicles and containers. Containers are loaded onto frames at origin, and frames with containers are then transferred between vehicles at intermediate locations. This intermediary system eliminates direct loading/unloading of goods from vehicles, reducing labor and damage risk while enabling flexible intermediate storage.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard moving containers are used, then goods can be transported, but loading and unloading cannot be performed simultaneously and efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure introduces a new dimensional layer between the vehicle and containers. Instead of directly loading containers onto vehicles, the frame provides an intermediate platform that allows containers to be positioned and secured more efficiently. This dimensional change enables simultaneous loading and unloading operations by allowing containers to be accessed from multiple sides and positions.
3Reliability
If goods are off-loaded and stored in separate containers, then goods can be stored at warehouse locations, but significant labor is required for reloading
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the storage container with the transport container into a single integrated unit. The same container that holds goods during transit is the same container stored at warehouse locations on the frame. This eliminates the need to transfer goods between separate storage and transport containers, significantly reducing labor while maintaining reliable storage capability at intermediate locations.
4Quantity of substance
If multiple vehicles are used for different moves, then capacity requirements can be met, but the number of loading and unloading operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame system serves multiple functions: it supports containers during transport, enables efficient transfer between vehicles of different sizes, and provides stable storage at warehouse locations. This multi-functional design allows the same container-frame assembly to be used across different vehicle types and transit scenarios, reducing the need for repeated loading and unloading while maintaining appropriate capacity for each move.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of moving freight which utilizes removable storage units or containers that have the same or similar size and which can be positioned on a specially designed truck frame and/or a trailer frame. The storage units are filled with freight such as household goods, taken to a storage facility or warehouse and stored by removing the entire storage unit from the truck or trailer utilizing, for example, a fork lift. The freight can be reloaded by loading the storage unit onto a truck or a trailer, which then delivers the freight to its final destination where it is removed from the storage unit. Multiple storage units loaded at different locations can be transported by the same truck and trailer from the warehouse to separate final unloading destinations. The truck and trailer are connected by a stinger steer mechanism which adjusts the distance between the truck and trailer providing a more versatile unit.