Road Sweeper Loading Area With Guided Lid Trajectory

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional road sweeper loading areas face issues with lid swiveling that can lead to incorrect waste unloading, jamming, and collisions with external systems, making the unloading process unsafe and prone to system failures.

Innovation Solution

A loading area design featuring a constraining mechanism that controls the movement of a lid along a predetermined trajectory, ensuring parallel alignment with the tub surface, preventing encumbrance and collisions, and allowing safe, controlled unloading.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a swivelling lid is used for the loading area, then the opening can be freed during unloading, but the lid may collide with external devices such as waste compactors and cause system failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveopening freedomVSAvoidsystem safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lid is transformed from a completely free-swivelling component to a dynamically constrained component that moves along a predetermined trajectory. The constraining mechanism allows the lid to rotate and open during unloading while preventing excessive movement that would cause collisions with external devices, thus maintaining both operational effectiveness and system safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A constraining mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the lid and the loading area tub. This mechanism mediates the lid's movement by guiding it along a predetermined trajectory, allowing the lid to open sufficiently for waste discharge while preventing it from colliding with external compactors or other system components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a swivelling lid is used for the loading area, then the lid can rotate during overturning, but agglomerates of consistent sizes can get stuck between the lid and loading area, locking the unloading activity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelid rotationVSAvoidunloading efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The constraining mechanism dynamically controls the lid's rotation trajectory, ensuring it moves in a predetermined path that prevents the lid from positioning itself in a way that would trap waste agglomerates. This maintains lid rotation functionality while preventing jamming that would stop unloading operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The constraining mechanism provides geometric feedback by physically guiding the lid along a predetermined trajectory. This trajectory is designed to ensure the lid maintains appropriate clearance from the tub surface during rotation, preventing conditions that would allow waste agglomerates to become trapped and lock the unloading mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If a swivelling lid is used for the loading area, then the lid can open during unloading, but it may not allow correct unloading of waste due to improper positioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelid openingVSAvoidlid alignment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The lid transitions from uncontrolled free rotation to controlled movement along a predetermined trajectory. The constraining mechanism ensures the lid opens to the correct position and orientation during unloading, maintaining precise alignment with the discharge path while still allowing sufficient opening for waste removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4357529B1Road sweeper with loading area
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 DULEVO INT SPA
  • EP4357529B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4357529B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4357529B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A loading area (1) for road sweeper (10) is provided comprising a tub (2) suitable to contain waste and defining at least an opening (20) through which waste can escape from the tub (2), a complementary surface (21) adjacent to the opening (20), a lid (3) configured to occupy, on command, the opening (20); a constraining mechanism (4) constraining in a compliant way the lid (3) to the tub (2) in such a manner to determine at least a closing configuration in which the lid (3) occupies entirely the opening (20), and an opening configuration in which the lid (3) frees entirely the opening (20); operation means (5) operatively connected to the constraining mechanism (4) and configured to bring the constraining mechanism (4) from the closing configuration to the opening configuration or vice versa; in which the constraining mechanism (4) is connected to said tub (2) at the complementary surface (21) and it is configured so that, in the opening configuration, the lid (3) is at least partially superimposed on the complementary surface (21).