Stowable Cargo Guide Rotation for Variable ULD Restraint
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cargo handling systems are limited in accommodating cargo of varying sizes and locations, as they are typically designed for specific ULD sizes and cannot provide flexible longitudinal, lateral, and vertical restraints across the cargo bay floor.
Innovation Solution
A stowable cargo guide system that can be mounted to a roller tray, allowing for rotation between a stowed and raised position, providing customizable guidance and restraint by being positioned below or above the conveyance plane of the rollers, accommodating different ULD sizes and locations through adjustable vertical restraints and securement clips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cargo handling systems are designed for specific ULD sizes, then they provide stable and reliable guidance and restraint for those specific sizes, but they cannot accommodate ULDs of varying sizes and locations
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo guide is designed with rotational capability, allowing it to dynamically change between a stowed position (below conveyance plane) and a raised position (above conveyance plane). This dynamic positioning enables the same guide structure to serve multiple cargo size requirements without adding complex adjustable mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo guide is segmented into distinct functional components including the guide block, securement clip, and vertical restraint elements. This segmentation allows each component to be independently positioned and configured for different ULD sizes while maintaining overall system simplicity, enabling versatility without proportionally increasing complexity
2Reliability
If cargo guides are positioned to provide vertical restraint for smaller ULDs, then they provide optimal guidance and restraint for those ULDs, but they may interfere with the conveyance of larger cargo
Solution Approach 1:
The guide block can be rotated to a stowed position below the roller conveyance plane when larger cargo needs to pass, eliminating interference. When smaller ULDs require vertical restraint, the guide block is rotated to the raised position above the conveyance plane. This dynamic repositioning maintains both reliability for small cargo and adaptability for large cargo
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo guide utilizes the vertical dimension by rotating between positions above and below the conveyance plane. This vertical movement provides an additional degree of freedom that allows the same horizontal guide structure to serve multiple cargo size requirements, resolving the contradiction between restraint effectiveness and cargo size compatibility
3Ease of operation
If the cargo guide is raised to provide guidance above the conveyance plane, then it provides effective lateral restraint, but it increases the risk of interfering with cargo loading and unloading operations
Solution Approach 1:
The guide block is designed to be rotatable between raised and stowed positions, allowing operators to dynamically adjust its presence in the cargo path. When lateral restraint is needed, the guide is in the raised position; when loading/unloading is required, it can be rotated to the stowed position, eliminating interference while maintaining ease of operation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A stowable cargo guide may be configured to couple to a roller tray (94). The stowable cargo guide may comprise a guide block (128) configured to rotate between a stowed position and a raised position. In the stowed position, the guide block may be located below a conveyance plane of the roller tray. In the raised position, the guide block may be located above the conveyance plane of the roller tray.