Stiffening Struts for Liquid Container Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container arrangements for transporting and storing liquids, particularly free-flowing substances, face challenges in mechanical resilience, such as withstanding surge effects during transport and preventing leaks or buckling, which existing designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A container arrangement featuring a stiffening element with at least two stiffening struts connected to the upper frame, where the struts have a specific end region design with a widening area and transition area ratio, allowing them to cross without fastening at the crossing point, providing additional strength and reducing the risk of cracks or buckling under mechanical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional stiffening struts with uniform cross-section are used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the struts are prone to cracks and buckling under high mechanical stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the cross-sectional dimensions of the stiffening struts along their length. The struts feature a uniform cross-section in the middle portion and enlarged cross-sections at the end regions, creating transition zones with specific geometry ratios. This parameter variation allows the struts to withstand high mechanical stresses without cracks or buckling while remaining manufacturable.
2Strength
If the ratio of widening region length to transition region length is outside the 2.5:1 to 5.9:1 range, then manufacturing is easier, but the structural integrity under surge effects is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a precise parameter range for the geometry ratio of the transition region (2.5:1 to 5.9:1 between widening region length and transition region length). This parameter optimization ensures that the stiffening struts can withstand surge effects during transport while maintaining manufacturability. The specific ratio range balances structural performance with manufacturing feasibility.
3Stability of the object's composition
If crossing stiffening struts are fastened together at the crossing point, then structural stability is improved, but the risk of stress concentration and cracking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the fastening connection at the crossing point of the stiffening struts. Instead of joining the struts together at their intersection, they are allowed to cross freely without fasteners. This extraction of the fastening element eliminates stress concentration points that would otherwise form at the crossing location, preventing cracks while maintaining sufficient stability through the overall frame structure.
4Strength
If more material is used in the stiffening struts, then mechanical resilience is improved, but the weight and material cost of the container arrangement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating material only where needed - the end regions of the stiffening struts have enlarged cross-sections to withstand high stresses, while the middle portions maintain a smaller, uniform cross-section. This localized material distribution provides the necessary mechanical resilience without increasing the overall weight and material cost of the container arrangement.
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 design enhances the container's ability to withstand mechanical stresses like vibrations and drops, reduces vibration amplitude, and shifts resonant frequency to lower frequencies, while minimizing material usage and maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the at least two provided stiffening struts cross. The crossing stiffening struts are preferably not fastened to one another in any way at the crossing point, for example by providing a welded connection, clamps, fastening means engaging in bores such as screws or the like, but preferably rest on one another or are slightly spaced apart from one another
Implementation Method 2
The container arrangement according to the invention has the great advantage that due to the specific design of the end area of the stiffening struts, the container arrangement withstands high mechanical stresses, such as vibration tests, drop tests or the like
Data Source
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AI summary
Container arrangement (10) for transporting and/or storing materials, in particular liquids, including flowable substances, comprising a support element (12), a shell element (14) and an inner container (16) surrounded by this shell element for receiving the material with a top (30), characterized in that it further comprises a stiffening element (18) which is connected to an upper frame (38) with first and second longitudinal sides (48.1, 48.2) and first and second transverse sides (50.1, 50.2) is connectable, wherein the stiffening element comprises at least two stiffening struts (60), wherein one stiffening strut connects the first and second longitudinal sides and the other stiffening strut connects the first and second transverse sides of the upper frame, and wherein the stiffening struts have an end region (62, 64) with a transition region (94) adjacent to a fastening region (92) and a widening region (96), and the ratio of the length of the widening region to the length of the transition region is in a range of about 2.5:1 to about 5.9:1.