Removable Trailer Bumpers for Multi-Pallet and Dairy Crate Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard 102-inch-wide trailers are limited in their use due to dimensions that accommodate only a single row of standard pallets, restricting their application to dairy and beverage transport, thus increasing costs and reducing versatility.
Innovation Solution
A conversion system with removable bumpers and a movable bulkhead that adjusts the internal dimensions of trailers to accommodate multiple rows of pallets, enhances airflow, and maintains temperature control, allowing for versatile freight transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard 102-inch-wide trailers are used, then they can accommodate two rows of standard pallets, but they cannot accommodate dairy and beverage crates requiring 96-inch external width
Solution Approach 1:
The trailer interior is segmented by installing bumpers that divide the single wide space into multiple functional zones. The bumpers create separate loading areas that can accommodate different freight configurations, allowing the same trailer to handle both standard pallets and dairy crates by changing the internal segmentation rather than the external dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The conversion system uses removable and reconfigurable bumpers that can be dynamically adjusted or removed based on the freight type. This dynamic configuration allows the trailer to transform its internal geometry from a single-wide space optimized for pallets to a segmented space optimized for dairy crates, and back again, resolving the contradiction between fixed width and variable adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dairy trailers with 96-inch external width are used, then they can accommodate dairy and beverage crates, but they can only accommodate a single row of standard pallets and cannot be used for other purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a conversion system that enables a single trailer model (102-inch width) to perform multiple functions: transporting standard pallets, dairy crates, and other specialized freight. The removable bumpers allow the trailer to universally accommodate different freight types without requiring separate specialized trailers, thereby improving both adaptability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The conversion system allows for the temporary installation of bumpers when dairy crate transport is needed, and their removal when standard pallet transport is required. This discarding and recovering of the bumper components enables the trailer to switch between different freight types, maximizing utilization and eliminating the need for dedicated single-purpose trailers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If bumpers are installed to reduce internal width, then airflow around freight is restricted, but without bumpers the trailer cannot accommodate dairy crates
Solution Approach 1:
The bumpers are designed with local quality variations including openings, perforations, or specific geometric patterns that allow airflow to pass through and around them. This localized modification of the bumper structure enables them to simultaneously reduce internal width for crate accommodation while maintaining adequate airflow channels for refrigeration efficiency, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and energy use.
Data Source
AI summary
A conversion system for modifying internal dimensions of a semitrailer for use in hauling freight, the conversion system comprising a plurality of first bumpers, each of the first bumpers being configured to removably attach to one of first and second opposing sidewalls of the semitrailer, wherein the plurality of first bumpers are configured to reduce an internal usable width of the semitrailer, and wherein the plurality of first bumpers are configured to allow airflow around the freight within the semitrailer.