Truck Box Space Frame With Variable Width and Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional truck boxes made of metal are stiff but costly and heavy, while substituting plastic for steel reduces stiffness and increases stress, necessitating a design that minimizes the contribution of box side material to structural performance for cost and weight reduction, and allows for greater design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A truck box frame with extendable laterally extending frame members and a frame side rail assembly that includes curved or swept frame side rails, allowing for variable width and length configurations, and adjustable stiffness through modifications in intermediate portions and reinforcement panels, enabling the use of alternative materials and geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If plastic is substituted for steel in truck box construction, then cost and weight are reduced, but box stiffness decreases and stress magnitudes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The truck box is divided into two functional systems: a structural space frame made of steel (or other stiff material) that provides overall structural performance and stiffness, and inner panels made of plastic or alternative materials that provide surface coverage and styling. This segmentation allows each material to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and stiffness maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural function is extracted from the box side panels and transferred to a dedicated space frame structure. By taking out the structural role from the plastic panels, the design allows plastic to be used for non-structural purposes (cost reduction, weight reduction) while the space frame maintains the required stiffness and strength.
2Adaptability or versatility
If alternative materials and geometries are used to reduce box side material contribution to structural performance, then design flexibility increases and cost decreases, but structural support capability must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The space frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support and stiffness, accommodates various box size configurations through extendable members, and allows different material choices for inner panels. This multi-functionality enables design flexibility while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The space frame incorporates extendable laterally extending frame members that can be adjusted to create different box widths and lengths. This dynamic adjustability allows the same basic structure to accommodate multiple box size variants, increasing design flexibility without requiring completely different structural designs for each configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A truck box frame includes first and second laterally extending frame members and a frame side rail assembly. The frame side rail assembly includes first and second frame side rails. The first and second frame side rails generally extend between and are coupled to the first and second laterally extending frame members. The first and second laterally extending frame members are extendable laterally, creating a variable width truck box frame. The first and second frame side rails may be curved or swept so that the intermediate portions extend inwardly toward one another, forming a tapered portion of the frame side rail assembly. The length and curvature, or sweep, of the side frame rails may also be varied to create a variable length truck box frame.