L-Shaped Trailer Beam Supports for Plate Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for supporting component mounting plates between trailer I-beams are complex and costly to fabricate, leading to high production expenses due to intricate shapes and designs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a pair of top and bottom supporting members, each L-shaped, that span between the flanges of trailer I-beams, secured by fastening mechanisms with threaded bolts and nuts, allowing for straightforward fabrication and assembly with minimal bends and parts, reducing complexity and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mounting elements are designed with complex shapes to provide openings for receiving I-beam edges, then the supporting function is improved, but fabrication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting element is divided into a flat plate portion and a separate engagement portion that receives the I-beam edge. This segmentation allows each part to be simpler in shape while collectively providing the required supporting function, reducing fabrication complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex engagement features are extracted from the main plate body and implemented as separate components or simplified geometric features on the plate. This extraction reduces the overall shape complexity of the mounting element while maintaining its functional capability to support and secure the I-beam.
2Reliability
If sliding guides and clamp plates are designed with multiple features (raised teeth, fixing pins, cutouts, notches, recesses), then the attachment function is improved, but fabrication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into distinct functional components: sliding guides for positioning, clamp plates for securing, and fixing pins for locking. Each component has a simplified shape focused on its specific function, avoiding the need for complex integrated features, thereby reducing fabrication costs while maintaining attachment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp plates and sliding guides are designed with standardized shapes that can serve multiple attachment points and configurations. This universality reduces the need for custom complex shapes at each location, simplifying fabrication while providing reliable attachment functionality across the entire structure.
3Reliability
If mounting elements have complex shapes with multiple bends, then the engagement with I-beams is improved, but fabrication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting element's engagement capability is achieved through segmentation rather than complex continuous shaping. The flat plate portion provides the mounting surface while separate engagement portions or simplified geometric features provide the I-beam reception, reducing overall shape complexity while maintaining engagement reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is provided for supporting a component mounting plate that is suspended between a first trailer beam and a second trailer beam. The apparatus comprises a pair of top supporting members including (i) a first top supporting member secured to the plate, and (ii) a second top supporting member secured to the plate. Each of the first and second top members spans between and engages the first and second trailer beams. The apparatus also comprises a pair of bottom supporting members including a first bottom supporting member and a second bottom supporting member. The apparatus further comprises a pair of fastening mechanisms including (i) a first fastening mechanism that secures at least the first top member to the plate, and (ii) a second fastening mechanism that secures at least the second top member to the plate.