L-Shaped Mounting Frame for Trailer Lighting and Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Trailer environments lack sufficient lighting and ventilation during loading and unloading, leading to uncomfortable working conditions, safety hazards, and inefficiencies due to inadequate lighting and ventilation systems.
Innovation Solution
An attachment frame with non-articulating segments bending at angles and a support arm is used to securely mount environmental control devices like lights and fans above the work area within trailers, providing improved lighting and ventilation without obstructing user movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If battery operated lights are used for illumination in the trailer, then portability is improved, but lighting distribution and illumination intensity deteriorate due to poor light distribution and dark zones
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is segmented into multiple light sources (LED light strip with multiple LEDs) distributed along the frame structure, replacing a single battery-operated flashlight. This segmentation provides uniform illumination across the entire trailer interior while maintaining portability through the removable frame design.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting solution transitions from a single-point source (flashlight) to a distributed linear source along the frame. The LED light strip is positioned to illuminate the trailer interior from multiple points simultaneously, eliminating dark zones and providing comprehensive coverage.
2Illumination intensity
If cords for non-battery powered lights are used, then illumination intensity is improved, but safety deteriorates due to cords becoming tangled and tripping users
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful cords are completely extracted from the system. The frame-mounted lighting and ventilation devices are powered through integrated wiring within the frame structure itself, eliminating the need for trailing extension cords that pose tripping hazards in the trailer interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves as an intermediary that conceals and protects the power wiring. Electrical conduits are embedded within the frame members, providing a safe pathway for power delivery that prevents cord-related safety hazards while maintaining illumination quality.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If fans or air conditioning units are placed outside the trailer, then energy efficiency is improved, but ventilation effectiveness deteriorates in areas away from the doors
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system provides localized air circulation directly at the loading area where it is most needed. The fan is positioned within the trailer interior near the loading zone, creating targeted airflow that effectively cools and ventilates the work area without requiring energy-intensive whole-trailer air conditioning.
4Ease of operation
If environmental control devices are mounted inside the trailer, then ventilation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for mounting devices, contains integrated wiring channels for power delivery, and acts as the mounting interface itself through the removable attachment mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity despite adding ventilation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples provide an attachment frame for combination attachment of environmental control devices. A plurality of non-articulating, rigid segments within a main body bend at various fixed angles. A perpendicular support arm forms an “L-shaped” attachment at the top of the main body. The support arm mounts one or more lights which attach to a top surface of the support arm. A bottom surface of the support arm mounts a fan or heater above a conveyor or other work area. The attachment frame includes a container holder to hold a water bottle or other container. A mounting plate connected to segment at the bottom of the main body mounts to the trailer conveyor device or other equipment. The attachment frame provides light, ventilation and/or temperature control for users working within an interior of a trailer or other confined spaces.