Tiltable Vehicle Frame Assembly for Safer Tray Unloading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for removing goods like soil from vehicle trays are unsafe, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, requiring users to stand on ladders or jump into the tray, and are difficult for equipment like bikes and trolleys to be placed and removed without lifting equipment.
Innovation Solution
A tiltable load receiving body assembly for vehicles, featuring a primary and secondary frame with a hinge for angular movement, actuator for pivoting, and catch mechanisms to facilitate easy loading and unloading by raising the tray, eliminating the need for ladders and manual shoveling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual removal methods (ladder or jumping into tray) are used, then the structure remains simple, but safety deteriorates and labor intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is designed to be tiltable about a transverse axis, allowing it to dynamically change its angle between horizontal (for transport) and inclined (for unloading). This dynamic capability enables safe and efficient unloading of materials without requiring manual intervention, while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting mechanism enables the frame to perform its own unloading function automatically. When tilted, materials naturally slide off the inclined surface due to gravity, eliminating the need for manual removal methods and making the system self-sufficient for the unloading task.
2Productivity
If manual shoveling is used, then equipment complexity remains low, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tiltable frame design transforms the unloading process from manual shoveling to a passive gravitational flow. By tilting the frame, materials automatically slide off the inclined surface, dramatically increasing unloading speed without requiring complex automated handling equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined plane created by tilting the frame acts as an intermediary mechanism between the stored materials and the ground. This simple geometric transformation enables rapid material discharge without direct manual intervention or complex mechanical handling systems.
3Ease of operation
If the frame is made tiltable for easy unloading, then ease of operation improves, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is designed with controlled dynamic tilting capability about a fixed transverse axis. The tilting mechanism allows the frame to transition between stable horizontal positions (for transport) and inclined positions (for unloading), with the rotation axis providing a stable reference point that maintains overall structural stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting mechanism merges the functions of stability and ease of operation by integrating the rotation capability directly into the frame structure. The fixed transverse axis serves both as a stable mounting point and as the pivot for easy tilting, combining what are typically opposing requirements into a unified design.
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
Enables safe and efficient unloading of heavy materials like soil without manual intervention, reducing labor and risk, and simplifies the placement and removal of equipment from vehicle trays.
Implementation Method 1
a hinge pivotally attaching the primary frame to the secondary frame for angular movement about a pivot axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
a first actuator pivotally attached to a portion on the primary frame and pivotally attached to the secondary frame and operable to cause angular movement of the secondary frame about the pivot axis
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly (100) to be mounted on a vehicle to support a load receiving body on the vehicle. The vehicle having a forward direction of travel with the load receiving body being tillable. The assembly including a primary frame (110), having a longitudinal axis X, that is to be attached to the vehicle. A secondary frame (120) extending between the primary frame and to be attached to the load receiving body. A hinge (170a,b) pivotally attaches the primary frame to the secondary frame for angular movement about a pivot axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis so that the secondary frame is movable between a lowered position and a raised position. The lowered position has the secondary frame adjacent to the primary frame and the raised position having the secondary frame raised at an acute angle at the hinge. A first actuator (161) is pivotally attached to a portion on the primary frame and is pivotally attached to the secondary frame and operable to cause angular movement of the secondary frame about the pivot axis. A second actuator (162) is attached to the portion and mounted to primary frame and operable to cause movement of the hinge portion in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis X.