Slider Bar Extension Bracket for Pneumatic Line Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Slider bar systems in tractor-trailer units provide inadequate clearance for mounting equipment and can cause damage to the cab due to insufficient slack, while maintaining lateral sliding functionality during turns is compromised by existing extension devices.
Innovation Solution
A slider bar extension bracket system with curved tubular members and a tubular mounting member, featuring attachment mechanisms and an over-molded rubber bumper, provides increased clearance and maintains lateral sliding capability by affixing to the tractor unit's wall, ensuring the lines do not hit the cab and allowing for equipment mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a fixed bracket extension device is used to increase clearance, then equipment mounting space is improved, but the lateral sliding functionality of the slider bar is eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The extension device incorporates a slider bar that can move laterally along the bracket, transforming the fixed structure into a dynamic one. This allows the extension to maintain both increased clearance and lateral sliding capability during tractor-trailer turns, resolving the contradiction between static clearance improvement and dynamic functionality preservation
2Adaptability or versatility
If a slider bar is used to allow lateral movement, then adaptability during turns is improved, but clearance for equipment mounting is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The extension device adds a spatial dimension by extending outward from the slider bar through a bracket structure. This creates additional clearance space in the radial direction while preserving the original slider bar's lateral movement capability along the longitudinal axis, effectively resolving the clearance insufficiency without sacrificing adaptability
3Device complexity
If the slider bar is positioned close to the cab, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful effects increase due to line contact with the cab
Solution Approach 1:
The extension device acts as an intermediary element between the slider bar and the cab, providing physical separation and preventing direct contact between the hookup lines and the cab. This mediator structure eliminates the harmful contact effects while maintaining relative structural simplicity through the use of a straightforward bracket and bumper assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An extension bracket for a slider bar comprising a first curved tubular member affixed to a first end of a slider bar and a second end extending below the slider bar, spaced from a wall of a tractor unit. A second curved tubular member is affixed to a second end of the slider bar and a second end extending below the slider bar, spaced from the wall. There is a tubular cross member affixed to a portion of the first curved member to a portion of the second curved member. There is a tubular mounting member having first and second ends connected, respectively, to the second end of the first curved tubular member and to the second end of the second curved tubular member. The tubular mounting member also has a mid-section between the first and second end sections which is in contact with the wall of the tractor unit.