Trolley With Hinged Cover And Guide Rails For Component Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and time-consuming process of storing and transporting truss sections and components due to their weight and size in the entertainment industry, where traditional methods require costly and labor-intensive loading and unloading.
Innovation Solution
A trolley design with a frame, rollers, vertical supports, and adjustable rails and bushings that allow for loading from above and the side, with a lockable cover to secure components during transport, preventing movement and damage, and enabling efficient stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If components are stored and transported in boxes or cases, then they are protected from damage, but the weight and volume increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy outer boxes and cases from the transportation system. Instead of transporting components wrapped in protective packaging, the invention uses a specialized trolley with built-in protective features (cover, rails, bushings) that protect components during transport without adding the weight of separate packaging materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The trolley serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transports components, protects them through its cover and rail system, and provides a structured loading/unloading mechanism. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protective packaging, reducing overall weight while maintaining protection reliability.
2Productivity
If components are loaded and unloaded manually due to their weight and size, then no additional equipment is needed, but the process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The trolley employs dynamic elements including a hinged cover that can be opened and closed, and a lock assembly that can be engaged and disengaged. These dynamic features allow the trolley to transition between locked/secure and unlocked/access states, enabling efficient loading and unloading operations while maintaining security during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The rails and bushings act as intermediary elements that guide and constrain components during loading and unloading. The rails provide a guided path for sliding components in and out, while the bushings on the cover provide controlled movement and positioning, making the loading/unloading process faster and more manageable without requiring complex mechanical lifts or automated systems.
3Reliability
If a cover is added to secure components during transport, then component safety improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into multiple sections with distinct functions: side supports with bushings for lateral movement control, cross members for structural support, and a lock assembly for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, providing comprehensive security while keeping the overall design manageable and not excessively complex.
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 trolley design reduces transportation costs and time by securely holding and protecting components during transport, accommodating various sizes and shapes, and allowing for efficient stacking and secure movement.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of rollers mounted on the bottom of the base
Implementation Method 2
a first side support being hingeably mounted to a top of the frame
Implementation Method 3
a lock assembly for releasably securing the cover to the frame
Data Source
AI summary
A trolley is provided for storing and transporting components. The trolley has a frame and a cover that can open or close. The frame has a base, rollers mounted on the bottom of the base, vertical supports extending from the top of the base, and one or more pairs of rails mounted in between adjacent vertical supports, each pair of rails being adapted to receive and support said components. The cover has a first side support that is hingeably mounted to the frame, a second side support, and cross members substantially parallel to one another and horizontally spaced apart, mounted between the first side support and the second side support. When the cover is open, components may be loaded by sliding them along a pair of rails or by lowering the components between a pair of rails. When the cover closed, loaded components are constrained from movement.