Semitrailer Lighting Device with Extensible Bars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lighting devices for semitrailers hauling oversized loads lack a selectively extendable feature to indicate the end of the load, braking, or turning to trailing motorists, which is essential for safety and compliance with rear lighting requirements.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device comprising a pair of extensible bars mounted to the semitrailer with brackets and an indicator positioned at the end of the bars, which can be extended past the rear of the semitrailer to indicate the load's end, braking, or turning, using a plurality of brackets, bars, and an indicator with integrated lighting and biasing mechanisms for protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a lighting device is mounted at the rear of a semitrailer, then it can indicate basic rear presence, but it cannot extend past the end of an oversized load to provide visibility beyond the load
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device employs a telescopic bar assembly that can dynamically extend and retract. The bars are configured to slide within each other, allowing the indicator to reach positions beyond the oversized load when needed, while remaining compact when retracted. This dynamic structure resolves the contradiction by providing variable length rather than a fixed compromise between extension capability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic bars are nested within each other in a concentric arrangement, with each bar containing the next smaller bar. This nesting configuration maximizes the extension length while minimizing the retracted profile and structural complexity. The nested design allows multiple bars to work together to achieve extended reach without requiring equally complex support structures throughout the entire extended length.
2Reliability
If the indicator is positioned past the end of the oversized load, then visibility to trailing motorists is improved, but the indicator becomes vulnerable to damage from loads or road obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic bar assembly can be dynamically positioned to extend only as far as necessary to clear the oversized load, rather than always extending to maximum length. This allows the indicator to maintain visibility function while minimizing exposure to potential damage from road obstructions. The dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to adapt to different load lengths and road conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The nested telescopic bar structure provides inherent protection by allowing the indicator to be retracted into the protected interior of the semitrailer when not in use or when visibility is not required. This prior positioning capability protects the indicator from damage before exposure to harmful conditions occurs, while still allowing full visibility function when extended to the appropriate position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed lighting device is used at the rear of the semitrailer, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different oversized load lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic bar assembly provides continuous adaptability to different oversized load lengths through its extendable design. The bars can be extended to match the length of any oversized load, ensuring the indicator always positions appropriately beyond the load end. This dynamic adaptation capability replaces the need for multiple fixed-position lighting devices, achieving versatility without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A semitrailer rear lighting device for enhancing safety of a semitrailer hauling an oversized load includes a plurality of brackets, a pair of bars, and an indicator. Each bracket is mountable to a respective opposed side of a semitrailer so that at least two brackets are mounted to each opposed side. Each bar is slidably engaged to the brackets positioned on a respective opposed side of the semitrailer. The bars are selectively extensible from a rear of the semitrailer to position a terminus of the pair of bars past an end of an oversized load that extends past the rear of the semitrailer. The indicator is engaged to the terminus of the pair of bars. The indicator indicates to a trailing motorist one or more of the rear of the semitrailer, the end of the oversized load, a braking action of the semitrailer, or a turning of the semitrailer.