Plastic Stormwater Chamber Half-Design for Nesting and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large molded plastic stormwater chambers face challenges in manufacturability, shipping, and handling due to the need for expensive and less common injection molding machines, difficulties in stacking and transporting, and the weight being too heavy for manual handling.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves creating stormwater chambers as two half-chambers that can be stacked and shipped efficiently, which are then mated at a top joint to form a complete chamber, using various coupling features such as flanges, clamps, and fasteners for assembly and securing, allowing for easier handling and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If large stormwater chambers are molded as single pieces using injection molding, then the chamber volume and load-bearing capacity are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to requiring large and less common injection molding machines
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is divided into two separate half-chambers that can be molded using standard injection molding machines and then assembled together to form the complete large-volume chamber. This segmentation allows manufacturing with common equipment while achieving large final chamber volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The half-chambers are designed to nest within each other during shipping and storage, with one half-chamber placed inside the other. This nesting arrangement reduces shipping volume and allows efficient transport of large chambers using standard truck capacity.
2Volume of moving object
If large stormwater chambers are molded as single pieces, then the chamber volume is increased, but the shipping efficiency deteriorates due to limited nesting capacity in standard trucks
Solution Approach 1:
The half-chambers are designed to nest within each other during shipping and storage, with one half-chamber placed inside the other. This nesting arrangement reduces shipping volume and allows efficient transport of large chambers using standard truck capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the large chamber into two smaller half-chambers, the invention enables these segments to be nested during shipping, thereby improving the number of chambers that can be transported per truck load.
3Volume of moving object
If large stormwater chambers are molded as single pieces, then the chamber volume is increased, but the handling difficulty increases due to excessive weight requiring materials handling equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is divided into two separate half-chambers that can be molded using standard injection molding machines and then assembled together to form the complete large-volume chamber. This segmentation allows manufacturing with common equipment while achieving large final chamber volumes.
4Strength
If stormwater chambers are made with closed ends and interconnected by pipes, then the structural integrity is improved, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The half-chambers are designed with overlapping ends that directly contact and connect to each other, eliminating the need for separate pipe connections. This merging of functions simplifies the assembly process while maintaining structural integrity through the overlapping end design.
Data Source
AI summary
A molded plastic arch shape cross section stormwater chamber having a corrugated wall comprises separately molded half chambers which are connected by coupling features at a joint at the top of the chamber. Preferably, the half chambers are substantially identical and are made in the same mold. The half chambers may be compactly stored and transported. Near the point of use, the chambers may be assembled.