Rotatable Racking Leg Shroud to Reduce Impact Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current racking protection units are prone to damage from frequent collisions with forklifts and other vehicles, leading to the need for frequent repairs or replacements, as they are fixedly attached and fail to effectively absorb impact forces.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable protective shroud that partially or fully encircles the leg of a racking unit, allowing it to absorb and deflect impact forces instead of transferring them directly to the leg, thereby reducing damage and extending the lifespan of the protection unit and the racking unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the protective shroud is fixedly attached to the racking unit, then the protection unit remains stable and in position, but it gets damaged over time and requires frequent fixing or replacing
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shroud is designed to rotate about the leg of the racking unit, transforming from a static fixed attachment to a dynamic movable component. This rotation capability allows the shroud to absorb impact forces by moving rather than rigidly resisting them, which reduces the damage accumulated over time and extends the service life of the protection unit while maintaining continuous protection effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the protective shroud is fixedly attached to the leg, then it provides continuous protection, but it transfers impact force directly onto the leg causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable protective shroud acts as an intermediary between the external impact force and the racking unit leg. Instead of directly transferring the impact force to the leg, the shroud absorbs and redistributes the force through its rotation mechanism, thereby protecting the leg from direct damage while maintaining continuous protection coverage.
3Force
If the protective shroud is made rotatable, then it absorbs and deflects impact forces, but it requires a gap between the shroud and leg which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shroud is designed as a segmented structure that can rotate independently around the leg. This segmentation allows the creation of a functional gap between the shroud and the leg without requiring complex mounting mechanisms. The gap is intentionally designed as part of the rotation mechanism, simplifying the overall structure while enabling impact force absorption through rotation.
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 rotatable protective shroud effectively reduces the force transferred to the racking unit's leg during impacts, minimizing damage and extending the lifespan of both the protection unit and the racking unit, thus providing enhanced protection and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one protective shroud is arranged to be rotatable about the at least one leg... the rotatable protective shroud beneficially provides a system which can rotate and absorb impacts when impacted by an external force
Data Source
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AI summary
A racking system (10) comprising a racking unit for holding goods thereon, the racking unit having at least one leg (14) and at least one protective shroud (12). The at least one protective shroud (12) is arranged to at least partially encircle a portion of the at least one leg (14). The at least one protective shroud (12) is arranged to be rotatable about the at least one leg (14).