Side Underride Guard K-Brace Flexibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current regulations do not mandate side underride guards for vehicles, leading to potential side underride collisions, and existing solutions compromise between flexibility and aerodynamic effectiveness due to rigid restraints, causing high centering issues with trailers.

Innovation Solution

A side underride guard with vertical bars extending from the trailer's structural siderail, a longitudinally extending guard bar, lateral bracing, and a K-brace design that maintains flexibility while providing effective ground clearance and support, along with leaf springs for aerodynamic side skirts, to mitigate impact and reduce stress on the trailer bed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If side underride guards are installed with rigid restraint to prevent side underride collisions, then safety against vehicle frame intrusion is improved, but high centering occurs during normal operation due to lack of flexibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety against vehicle frame intrusionVSAvoidhigh centering during normal operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The side underride guard system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system with controlled movement capability. The guard bar is designed to pivot or rotate about vertical axes at its ends, allowing it to adapt its position during normal operation to prevent high centering, while maintaining its protective function during collision scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of the guard bar from fixed position to variable position. By allowing rotational movement about vertical axes, the guard bar can adjust its angular position and orientation, enabling it to accommodate normal operational variations while maintaining safety effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the guard bar extends to significant distance between wheels to provide effective side underride protection, then collision protection is improved, but ground contact becomes highly unlikely reducing effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveside underride collision protectionVSAvoidground clearance positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guard bar's position is made dynamic through rotational joints, allowing it to adjust its height and angle relative to the ground. This enables the system to maintain optimal protective positioning even when ground clearance varies due to loading conditions or terrain variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds rotational degrees of freedom about vertical axes, transforming the guard bar from a one-dimensional horizontal element to a multi-dimensional structure that can pivot and adjust its spatial orientation, thereby maintaining effectiveness across varying ground clearance conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Strength

If lateral bracing is supported from the trailer bed to provide structural support, then guard bar stability is improved, but stress raisers compromise the flexibility of the vehicle bed under cargo loads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguard bar stabilityVSAvoidtrailer bed flexibility under cargo loads

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The lateral bracing support is extracted from the trailer bed structure and relocated to the side underride guard assembly itself. The vertical bars and bracing elements are integrated into the guard structure, eliminating the need for trailer bed modifications and preserving the bed's flexibility for cargo accommodation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The support structure is segmented into modular components (vertical bars, lateral bracing, K-brace) that are independently adjustable and can be configured to provide necessary stability without creating stress concentration points in the trailer bed structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Loss of energy

If aerodynamic side skirts are restrained rigidly to maintain aerodynamic effectiveness, then drag reduction is improved, but high centering occurs due to inability to accommodate operational variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaerodynamic dragVSAvoidhigh centering prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The side skirt restraint system incorporates dynamic elements that allow controlled movement. The connection between the side skirts and the guard structure permits limited displacement, enabling the skirts to maintain aerodynamic positioning during normal operation while accommodating operational variations without causing high centering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11691583B1Side underride guards

Publication Date: 2023.07.04 UTILITY TRAILER MANUFACTURING COMPANY

AI summary

Vertical bars extend downwardly from the structural siderails of a trailer frame to a guard bar extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer, thus forming a side underride guard. Two side underride guards are fixed to the structural siderails of the trailer. The guard bars are located vertically below the bed of the trailer to have an effective ground clearance of twenty-seven inches. Lateral bracing of each guard bar extends from the guard bar to the structural siderail across the trailer. Bracing at the trailing end of the side underride guards employs a K-brace to provide an air brake hose non-chafing zone. The K-brace is displaced from the trailer bed.