Telescopic Chassis for Handling 15m Glass Racks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-propelled transporters for handling glass-sheet supporting racks face maneuverability issues due to their large size, especially when dealing with racks that accommodate glass sheets or marble slabs up to 15 meters long, making it difficult to navigate within factories.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled vehicle with a rack-supporting chassis and rear drive unit, featuring telescopic longitudinal beams and a hydraulically or pneumatically operated lifting apparatus, allowing the chassis to adjust its length and height to accommodate glass sheets up to 15 meters long, while maintaining stability and maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle length is increased to accommodate longer glass sheets (up to 15 meters), then the capacity to handle larger glass sheets is improved, but the maneuverability within factory spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into two independent units: a front rack-supporting chassis and a rear drive unit. This segmentation allows the front chassis to be optimized for carrying long glass sheets while the rear drive unit can be maneuvered independently, resolving the contradiction between cargo capacity and maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system between the front chassis and rear drive unit allows the chassis to freely move in the vertical direction, creating a dynamic configuration that adapts to different operational needs. This dynamic coupling enables the vehicle to maintain stability when handling long racks while allowing flexible positioning during maneuvering.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the chassis length is increased to accommodate racks for 15-meter glass sheets, then the rack-supporting capacity is improved, but the overall vehicle size increases making navigation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the rack-supporting function (front chassis) from the propulsion function (rear drive unit), the design allows the chassis to be optimized for rack capacity while the overall vehicle configuration can be managed for maneuverability through independent unit control.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system introduces vertical movement freedom between chassis and drive unit, adding a vertical dimension to the configuration space. This allows the vehicle to navigate tight spaces by adjusting vertical positioning rather than requiring excessive horizontal clearance.
3Manufacturing precision
If a complex electro-hydraulic or electro-pneumatic lifting system is used to maintain chassis parallelism, then the lifting precision is improved, but the device complexity and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting system uses passive mechanical elements (swing arms with pivots) that automatically maintain chassis parallelism through geometric constraints rather than active control systems. The swing arm mechanism self-regulates to keep the chassis horizontal during lifting operations, eliminating the need for complex electro-hydraulic or electro-pneumatic systems with sensors and controllers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive, complex electro-hydraulic or electro-pneumatic lifting systems with simpler, more robust mechanical swing arm mechanisms. These mechanical elements are easier to manufacture, maintain, and replace if needed, reducing both initial costs and ongoing maintenance expenses.
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 vehicle can efficiently handle and move glass-sheet supporting racks of varying lengths, improving maneuverability in confined spaces without the need for complex electro-hydraulic or electro-pneumatic systems, reducing maintenance costs and enhancing operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
hydraulically or pneumatically operated lifting apparatus
Implementation Method 2
hydraulically or pneumatically operated lifting apparatus
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Self-propelled vehicle (1) for handling glass-sheet supporting racks (100) comprising a front rack-supporting chassis (2) and a rear driving unit (3), both provided with ground-resting wheels (4, 5); the rack-supporting chassis (2) comprising a substantially U-shaped rigid oblong frame (10) which is provided with two longitudinal beams (11) extending substantially horizontally and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (L), in substantially specular position on opposite sides of the vertical midplane of the vehicle (P) to form a rectilinear groove or slot (12) adapted to be engaged by a glass-sheet supporting rack (100); the rear drive unit (3) being connected to the rack-supporting chassis (2) by mechanical coupling means (6) allowing the rack-supporting chassis (2) to move vertically with respect to the drive unit (3); each longitudinal beam (11) being divided into a front rectilinear segment (14) and a rear rectilinear segment (15) that are coupled in axially slidable manner to one another so as to be able to vary the overall axial length (f) of the longitudinal beam (11) between a given maximum value and a given minimum value.