Vehicle Floor Element with Segmented Foam Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor elements for refrigerated vehicles face challenges in balancing low weight, high load-bearing capacity, and effective thermal insulation while being cost-effective and easy to produce, as they often rely on expensive and complex foam fillings that require high manufacturing effort.
Innovation Solution
A floor element design where the crossbars take on the majority of the load, minimizing the load-bearing contribution of the foam filling, using cost-effective foams with optimized insulation properties, and combining a lightweight metal upper cover layer with a durable wood base layer, along with strategically placed crossbars and a metal or sheet steel lower cover layer for enhanced support and corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If foam filling is used to provide load-bearing capacity and thermal insulation, then load-bearing capacity and insulation are improved, but manufacturing cost and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The floor element is divided into modular chambers separated by crossbars, allowing the foam filling to be applied in sections rather than as a single large mass. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing process by enabling step-by-step foam application and reduces the complexity of handling large volumes of foam material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies using foam with a density of 20-40 kg/m³, which is optimized to provide sufficient thermal insulation while minimizing load-bearing contribution. This parameter change allows the use of cheaper, easier-to-process foam materials that don't require high structural strength, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
2Strength
If foam filling with high load-bearing capacity is used, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies using foam with a density of 20-40 kg/m³, which is optimized to provide sufficient thermal insulation while minimizing load-bearing contribution. This parameter change allows the use of cheaper, easier-to-process foam materials that don't require high structural strength, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The load-bearing function is extracted from the foam filling and assigned to the crossbars and cover layers. This separation of functions allows the foam to be optimized solely for thermal insulation purposes, enabling the use of lower-cost foam materials that would not be suitable if they had to provide both insulation and structural support.
3Strength
If crossbars are added to increase load-bearing capacity, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crossbars serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for load-bearing, create chamber divisions for foam filling, and offer attachment points for the cover layers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still achieving improved load-bearing capacity.
4Loss of energy
If foam filling is used for thermal insulation, then insulation effect is improved, but load-bearing capacity requirements increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies using foam with a density of 20-40 kg/m³, which is optimized to provide sufficient thermal insulation while minimizing load-bearing contribution. This parameter change allows the use of cheaper, easier-to-process foam materials that don't require high structural strength, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
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
This design achieves a cost-effective, lightweight, and durable floor element with improved load distribution, reduced manufacturing complexity, and enhanced insulation, meeting practical requirements while minimizing the foam's load-bearing role and utilizing cheaper, easier-to-process materials.
Implementation Method 1
the foam filling ensures the required heat-insulating effect of the floor element
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a floor element for a vehicle, such as a truck, semi-trailer or trailer, with an upper cover layer (1) whose free surface forms a loading area (F) on which a load (T) to be transported can be placed, with a lower cover layer (10) which forms the termination of the floor element (B) towards the underside (US) of the vehicle (S), and with transverse ribs (7a, 7b, 7c, 8) oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction (L) of the floor element (B) and spaced apart from each other, which divide the space between the cover layers (1, 10) into chambers (18), wherein the chambers (18) are filled with a foam filling (SF).