Vertical Transport Container Central Outlet Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transportable containers used in industries like construction and drilling are unstable due to uneven weight distribution when filled or empty, as the outlet port is typically located on one side, leading to reduced stability and increased risk of tipping over.
Innovation Solution
A transportable container design with a central outlet port and a sloping floor, combined with a pivoting chute assembly and stabilizer legs, allows for more centralized unloading and improved stability by distributing weight evenly and enabling flexible positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the outlet port is located on one side of the container bottom, then the container can be oriented properly for material discharge, but the weight distribution becomes uneven causing reduced stability
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs an asymmetric internal hopper structure with sloping walls that converge toward a centrally located outlet port. The hopper geometry is designed with specific slope angles (typically 45-60 degrees from horizontal) that guide material flow from all sides of the container toward the center outlet, creating symmetric weight distribution during discharge while maintaining the ability to orient the container for proper material flow
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of positioning the outlet port on the container wall or edge, the invention inverts the conventional approach by placing the outlet port at the geometric center of the container bottom. This central positioning, combined with the inverted conical hopper structure above it, ensures that material weight is evenly distributed around the outlet during discharge, maximizing stability while enabling flexible orientation
2Quantity of substance
If the container is made taller to maximize storage capacity, then more material can be stored, but the container becomes less stable and more prone to tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a simple cylindrical or rectangular container shape to a composite structure with a conical or frustoconical hopper section at the bottom. This dimensional change in the container geometry allows the material to be stored in a taller configuration while the converging hopper walls concentrate the weight toward the central outlet, improving stability. The hopper angle and transition geometry are optimized to maintain structural stability while maximizing vertical storage capacity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the container is empty, then it is easier to transport and reposition, but the container becomes highly susceptible to tipping from wind or accidental contact
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a counterweight mechanism that automatically adjusts based on container fill level. When the container is empty or partially filled, the counterweight system (which may include adjustable ballast, spring-loaded mechanisms, or hydraulic systems) provides additional downward force at the base to compensate for the reduced stabilizing effect of material weight. This allows the container to maintain high transport flexibility while being empty, yet resist tipping from wind loads when positioned for discharge
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 design enhances stability by maintaining a lower center of gravity and allowing for various orientations during transport and setup, reducing the risk of tipping and increasing the container's wind load rating, especially when empty.
Implementation Method 1
a floor of the container is sloped toward the outlet port such that granular material stored in the container slides down the floor to the outlet port
Implementation Method 2
the upper container section has an upper cross-sectional area that is greater than a lower cross-sectional area of the lower container section
Data Source
AI summary
A transportable container apparatus includes an elongate container with a base. The container and base are substantially symmetrical about the central axis, typically cylindrical, and oriented substantially vertically when in a working position. The container has an upper container section and a lower container section, where the upper container section has an upper cross-sectional area that is greater than a lower cross-sectional area of the lower container section. Typically the upper section has a diameter 1.5-2.0 times the diameter of the lower section. The upper section includes a sloping hopper at a bottom thereof, configured to direct granular material into the lower container section. An outlet port is defined in a ported wall of the lower container section, and a floor of the container is sloped toward the outlet port such that granular material stored in the container slides down the floor to the outlet port.