Semi-trailer chassis rail height reduction via coupling pin stress extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing semi-trailers face stability issues during transport and swiveling due to the high height of the chassis rails, which are required to withstand stress, leading to increased height of the tipper above the ground and reduced stability.
Innovation Solution
The semi-trailer design includes a telescopic cylinder with a first fixation located on the coupling pin, allowing stress from the tipper's weight to be transmitted directly to the motor vehicle, reducing stress on the chassis and lowering the tipper's center of gravity by positioning the second fixation superposed over the coupling pin, thereby reducing the height of the chassis rails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the chassis rails have high height dimensions to withstand stresses during swivelling, then the strength and stress resistance are improved, but the tipper is located high above the ground which worsens the stability of the semi-trailer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the stress-bearing function from the chassis rails by introducing a coupling pin that directly transmits stresses from the cylinder to the motor vehicle chassis. This separation allows the chassis rails to be reduced in height while maintaining overall structural strength, thereby lowering the tipper's position and improving stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling pin acts as an intermediary element between the cylinder and the motor vehicle chassis, transferring the stresses generated during tipper swivelling directly to the vehicle's frame. This intermediary structure relieves the chassis rails from bearing excessive loads, enabling their height to be reduced without compromising strength.
2Force
If the first fixation is positioned far from the coupling pin in vertical projection, then the stress transmission to the motor vehicle is reduced, but the stress on the chassis rails increases requiring greater height
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by positioning the first fixation at a specific location on the coupling pin (in vertical projection substantially coinciding with the coupling pin's position). This localized positioning optimizes the stress transmission path, ensuring that forces are efficiently transferred to the motor vehicle chassis while minimizing the load on the chassis rails.
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
This configuration decreases the height of the chassis rails, lowering the tipper's center of gravity and enhancing stability during transport and swiveling, especially when using a gooseneck or lowered chassis, improving overall stability and reducing deformation.
Implementation Method 1
the cylinder transmits stress to the chassis rails... allows at least a part of the stress generated by the weight of the tipper and of the freight of goods contained in the tipper, to be transmitted by the cylinder to the coupling pin
Implementation Method 2
causes a decrease in the height at which the bottom of the tipper rests, also called floor, thereby lowering the centre of gravity of the tipper, thus providing greater stability during transport of the semi-trailer by the motor vehicle and during the swivelling of the tipper
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Comprising: chassis (1); tipper (2) to receive a freight of goods; rear articulated joint (8) to swivel the tipper (2) relative to the chassis (1); front telescoping cylinder (3), with a first end (7) coupled to the chassis (1) and a second end (9) coupled to the tipper (2), to swivel the tipper (2) relative to the chassis (1) around the articulated joint (8); and a coupling pin (6), at the bottom front of the chassis (1), to hitch the chassis (1) to a motor vehicle. It is characterized in that the first end of the chassis (1) is above the coupling pin (6) and a vertical axis (V) of the coupling pin (6) is spaced apart, in vertical projection, from the first end (7), by less than 300 mm. It stabilizes the tipper (2) during semi-trailer transportation and during tipper (2) swivelling.