Utility Truck Bed With Worker Stations And Safety Gates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Road crews face safety risks during traffic control operations due to exposure to passing traffic while accessing and placing markers and materials on the road, as existing solutions fail to provide adequate storage configurations and visibility.
Innovation Solution
A modified utility truck bed with two worker stations, a safety gate, a safety harness, and storage compartments that allow workers to stand safely and access materials while maintaining visibility, along with amber warning lights for enhanced safety and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the road crew walks behind or alongside the vehicle to place markers, then they can access the road surface directly, but they are directly exposed to risk of being struck by oncoming traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertically extending platform that elevates the worker above the road surface to a safe height, while simultaneously providing horizontal extension to reach the road. This dimensional change allows the worker to operate over the road without being exposed to passing traffic at ground level.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform structure serves as an intermediary between the worker and the road surface. It provides a protected intermediate position where the worker can safely access markers and place them on the road without direct exposure to traffic, mediating the hazardous interaction between worker and moving vehicles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the road crew stands on the platform of a typical work truck, then they are protected from traffic, but they are forced to excessively bend down to place markers on the road surface
Solution Approach 1:
The platform extends horizontally outward from the vertical support structure, creating a new spatial dimension that bridges the gap between the protected elevated position and the road surface. This allows the worker to reach the road without excessive bending while maintaining protective elevation.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is designed to be movable and adjustable, allowing it to adapt to different working conditions and road surfaces. This dynamic capability enables the worker to optimize their position for placing markers while maintaining safety, rather than being fixed in an awkward static position.
3Ease of operation
If storage compartments are positioned to provide easy access to materials, then workers can quickly retrieve items, but it compromises the worker's visibility of oncoming traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The platform structure is designed with differentiated zones: areas close to the worker provide easy access to stored markers and materials, while the open front and side areas maintain unobstructed views of the road and oncoming traffic. This local quality differentiation allows simultaneous optimization of both material access and traffic visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is segmented into multiple compartments and locations, with frequently accessed items positioned within easy reach of the worker. This segmentation allows the worker to retrieve materials without needing to shift their overall position or compromise their visibility of the road environment.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the vehicle proceeds very slowly in a traffic lane to allow workers to place markers, then workers can safely access the road, but productivity is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Markers and other road work materials are pre-stored in organized compartments on the platform, positioned for immediate access by the worker. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for the vehicle to slow down or stop frequently to retrieve materials, allowing continuous operation at higher speeds while maintaining worker safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform design allows the worker to independently access and retrieve markers and materials without requiring the vehicle to stop or slow significantly. The worker can service themselves by reaching into storage compartments and taking items as needed, maintaining workflow continuity and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a utility truck bed comprising one or more of the following elements: (i) two worker stations located behind the cabin of the truck, each of which comprises a passenger well with a floor that is horizontally positioned below the bottom plane of the rest of the bed; (ii) a safety gate on the outside of the bed that slides horizontally to provide access to the well; (iii) a safety harness for connecting the worker to a fixed portion of the assembly; (iv) a sliding safety gate adjacent the passenger well on the inside of the bed; and (v) storage compartments positioned on the back of the truck bed, each extending longitudinally away from each worker station and positioned to provide sufficient space between each compartment to place working materials that do not fit in the storage compartments. Each storage compartment may include a closed box portion, an open box portion with guide rails to accommodate materials but allow the worker to have full view of the road behind the truck, and a safety guard to keep materials secured within the open box.