Undulated Corner Protector Sheet for Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protective items for objects during transport are either pre-fabricated and costly to transport or difficult to form onsite, and often fail to adapt to the object's shape effectively, providing inadequate protection.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, undulated sheet with summit and valley portions that can be folded to match the shape of a corner, featuring a rigid inner layer sandwiched between flexible outer layers, allowing it to be easily formed and positioned around the object's corner for protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-fabricated protective items are used, then protection effectiveness is improved, but transportation cost and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective item is divided into multiple collapsible sections that can be compressed into a compact configuration for transportation and expanded to a protective configuration when needed. This segmentation allows the same structure to serve both as a compact transport package and an expanded protective barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective structure transitions from a static compact form during transportation to a dynamic expanded form when protection is needed. The structure incorporates movable elements that can be deployed or inflated to increase volume and protective capability only when required, rather than maintaining constant protective volume throughout.
2Reliability
If pre-fabricated protective items are used, then protection effectiveness is improved, but transportation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective item is divided into multiple collapsible sections that can be compressed into a compact configuration for transportation and expanded to a protective configuration when needed. This segmentation allows the same structure to serve both as a compact transport package and an expanded protective barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure changes its physical parameters (volume, shape, density) between transport and protective states. During transport, it maintains a compact, dense configuration to minimize weight and volume. When protection is needed, it expands to increase volume and protective surface area, effectively changing its physical parameters based on operational requirements.
3Volume of moving object
If protective items are formed onsite, then transportation volume is reduced, but ease of manipulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure is pre-assembled in a compact configuration during manufacturing, with all components prepared and positioned for easy deployment. Connection elements, support structures, and protective surfaces are pre-configured so that onsite assembly requires minimal manipulation - essentially only expansion or unfolding actions are needed rather than complex assembly procedures.
4Volume of moving object
If protective items are formed onsite, then transportation cost is reduced, but protection effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure is pre-assembled in a compact configuration during manufacturing, with all components prepared and positioned for easy deployment. Connection elements, support structures, and protective surfaces are pre-configured so that onsite assembly requires minimal manipulation - essentially only expansion or unfolding actions are needed rather than complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure changes its physical parameters (volume, shape, density) between transport and protective states. During transport, it maintains a compact, dense configuration to minimize weight and volume. When protection is needed, it expands to increase volume and protective surface area, effectively changing its physical parameters based on operational requirements.
5Reliability
If conventional protective items are used, then protection is provided, but adaptability to object shape deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure incorporates flexible, movable elements that can be adjusted to match different object geometries. The collapsible sections can be configured in various arrangements, and the structure can be expanded or contracted to adapt to different sizes and shapes of protected objects, providing both protection and shape adaptability.
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 flexible sheet provides effective protection by maintaining its undulated shape when folded, offering strength and adaptability to various corner shapes while minimizing transportation volume and cost, and can be quickly formed into different shapes as needed.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible sheet having an undulated shape with summit portions, valley portions, and intermediate portions
Implementation Method 2
a flexible sheet having an undulated shape with summit portions, valley portions, and intermediate portions each extending between corresponding summit and valley portions
Data Source
AI summary
The corner protector has a flexible sheet having an undulated shape with summit portions, valley portions, and intermediate portions each extending between corresponding summit and valley portions. The sheet is foldable along a length of at least one of the summit portions to form a folded shape for the sheet corresponding to a shape of the corner. The valley portions of the sheet in the folded shape are abuttable against side walls of the object intersecting at the corner. An apex section of the summit portion in the folded shape is spaced from the corner of the object upon the valley portions abutting the side walls.