Trailer Stabilizer Jacks Wedge Underside to Prevent Tipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Freight trailers at loading docks are prone to movement and tipping during cargo loading/unloading, posing risks of damage and injury due to their high center of gravity and the inability of landing gear to handle the weight and dynamic forces, necessitating a reliable stabilization system that does not rely solely on the trailer's landing gear.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizer system comprising a post and a repositionable frame with jacks that extend to wedge between the trailer's underside and the surface, providing support and preventing movement, including a method of operating the system to engage and disengage the trailer securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the trailer relies solely on its landing gear for support, then the structure remains simple, but the trailer becomes unstable and prone to tipping during loading/unloading operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external stabilizer system comprising a frame, post, and jack as intermediary elements between the ground and the trailer. The stabilizer system acts as a mediator that transfers and distributes the trailer's weight to the ground through multiple contact points, preventing the landing gear from bearing the full load and reducing tipping risks during loading/unloading operations.
2Strength
If the landing gear supports the full weight of the trailer, then no additional stabilization equipment is needed, but the landing gear cannot handle the dynamic forces and high center of gravity creates tipping risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the weight-bearing function by dividing the support system into multiple independent components: the original landing gear and the additional stabilizer system with its own frame, post, and jack. This segmentation distributes the weight and dynamic forces across multiple structural elements, preventing any single component from being overloaded and reducing the tipping risk associated with the trailer's high center of gravity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizer system adds a new dimensional aspect to the support structure by introducing a vertical post that extends upward from the ground to contact the trailer's underside. This creates an additional vertical support dimension that works in conjunction with the landing gear, providing enhanced stability against tipping forces while maintaining the original horizontal support function.
3Reliability
If a stabilizer system is introduced to prevent movement and tipping, then trailer stability improves, but the system complexity and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer system incorporates dynamic elements including a repositionable frame that can move between storage and operational positions, and a jack mechanism that can be extended or retracted as needed. These dynamic components allow the system to be quickly deployed and stowed, reducing setup and disengagement time while maintaining stability during loading/unloading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is designed with preliminary positioning features that facilitate rapid deployment. The post and jack are pre-configured in a compact state during storage, and the frame's repositionable design allows it to be quickly moved into the operational position beneath the trailer, minimizing the time required to establish stabilization before loading or unloading begins.
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 stabilizer system effectively maintains the trailer's position, reduces the risk of tipping, and ensures safe loading/unloading operations by distributing the weight and stabilizing the trailer, thereby preventing damage and injury.
Implementation Method 1
a first jack coupled to the frame... configured to wedge at least one of the first jack and the frame between an underside of the trailer and the surface
Data Source
AI summary
Supports utilized to stabilize and/or support parked trailers, such as semitrailers parked at loading docks while loading and/or unloading cargo, are disclosed. Some example embodiments may include jacks mounted to repositionable frames, which may be mounted to posts. Some example embodiments may be configured to engage with king pin plates and/or king pins on the undersides of trailers.