Foldable flexible insulating working platform

Abstract

A foldable flexible insulation working platform comprises an umbrella type framework structure, the umbrella type framework structure comprises a center pivot, a plurality of radial supporting rods and a flexible insulation working face, and one ends of the radial supporting rods are rotatably connected with the center pivot; the flexible insulating working surface is laid on a plane supported by the plurality of radial supporting rods after the radial supporting rods are unfolded; the umbrella type framework structure further comprises a sliding working face supporting piece, and the sliding working face supporting piece is arranged below the central pivot in a sliding mode and is connected with the radial supporting rods in an operable mode. By driving the sliding working face supporting piece to slide in the axial direction of the central pivot, the radial supporting rods can be driven to unfold so as to open the flexible insulating working face or fold the flexible insulating working face, and the purpose is to provide a safe, stable and efficient aerial working face for hot-line work in an area where a vehicle cannot reach. The working condition is fundamentally improved, and the burden of live working personnel is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a foldable, flexible, insulated work platform, belonging to the field of work platform technology. Background Technology

[0002] With the State Grid Corporation's increasing demands for power supply reliability, live-line work on power distribution networks is becoming more routine and refined, extending its reach to vast rural and mountainous areas. However, roads in these areas are generally narrow, winding, and steep, with complex surrounding environments such as trees and buildings encroaching on access, and poor roadbed load-bearing capacity. A significant number of work sites are located in farmland, mountains, and other areas inaccessible to insulated bucket trucks, necessitating the use of ladders for live-line work. However, ladder work is extremely physically demanding, requiring workers to climb the ladder by hand, resulting in high energy consumption and low efficiency. Furthermore, workers on the ladder can only perform limited actions, limiting their range of motion and hindering complex operations, posing safety hazards. To address these issues, a foldable, flexible, insulated work platform needs to be developed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies, this invention provides a foldable flexible insulated work platform, designed to provide a safe, stable, and efficient aerial work surface for live-line work in areas inaccessible by vehicles, fundamentally improving working conditions and reducing the burden on live-line workers.

[0004] A foldable flexible insulated work platform includes an umbrella-shaped frame structure. The umbrella-shaped frame structure includes a central hub, multiple radial support rods, and a flexible insulated working surface. One end of each radial support rod is rotatably connected to the central hub. The flexible insulated working surface is laid on a plane supported by the unfolded radial support rods. The umbrella-shaped frame structure also includes a sliding working surface support member, which is slidably disposed below the central hub and operably connected to the radial support rods. By driving the sliding working surface support member to slide along the axial direction of the central hub, the radial support rods can be unfolded to open or retract the flexible insulated working surface. This aims to provide a safe, stable, and efficient aerial working surface for live-line work in areas inaccessible by vehicles, fundamentally improving working conditions and reducing the burden on live-line workers.

[0005] The central hub includes an annular body and a radial locking mechanism. The inner diameter of the annular body is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pole, allowing the annular body to be fitted onto the pole and slide along its axial direction. The radial locking mechanism is disposed on the annular body and has a locked state and a released state. The radial locking mechanism includes a drive unit and at least two locking units. The inner wall of the annular body is provided with a mounting groove, in which locking units are evenly arranged. Each locking unit includes an arc-shaped friction block that can move radially within the mounting groove, and a reset elastic element connecting the arc-shaped friction block and the annular body. The drive unit includes an annular hydraulic oil chamber disposed inside the annular body, a miniature hydraulic pump communicating with the annular hydraulic oil chamber, and an electromagnetic control valve for controlling the miniature hydraulic pump. The inner wall of the annular hydraulic oil chamber is a radially expandable flexible pressure wall, which contacts the outer surface of each arc-shaped friction block.

[0006] The electromagnetic control valve is connected to a manual control switch for the operator to actively issue a locking command for the radial locking mechanism; the release state of the radial locking mechanism is controlled by the axial position of the sliding working surface support; the sliding working surface support is provided with a trigger cam, and a corresponding limit switch is provided on the annular body of the central hub, and the limit switch is electrically connected to the electromagnetic control valve.

[0007] The annular body of the central hub and the sliding working surface support are both openable clamp structures; the openable clamp structure includes a first half-ring and a second half-ring, which are connected by a hinge shaft on one side and a quick-lock buckle on the other side.

[0008] The flexible insulating working surface is a multi-layer composite structure made of high-strength insulating fiber fabric, and its edges are provided with connecting parts that connect to the ends of the multiple radial support rods. When the umbrella-shaped frame structure is fully deployed, the radial support rods radially tension the flexible insulating working surface in all directions, making it a pre-tensioned membrane structure. This pre-tensioned membrane structure has structural stiffness in the vertical direction to bear the load of the workers.

[0009] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention achieves a precise coordination among various structures, including the rotatable connection between the central hub and multiple radial support rods in the umbrella-shaped frame structure, the hinged connection between the sliding working surface support and the radial support rods, the hydraulic drive coordination between the annular body, the arc-shaped friction block, and the annular hydraulic oil chamber in the radial locking mechanism, and the electrical linkage control between the trigger cam and the limit switch. This provides an aerial insulated working surface for live-line work in areas inaccessible by vehicles, allowing for quick folding and storage, convenient installation on utility poles, stable locking and positioning, and safe deployment. This significantly reduces the physical exertion of workers, eliminates climbing risks, improves the efficiency of single operations, ensures the insulation safety of 10kV power distribution, and fundamentally improves working conditions by adapting to complex terrain environments. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the umbrella-shaped frame structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the radial support rod and flexible insulating working surface of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the openable clamp structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a half-sectional view of the annular body structure of the present invention.

[0011] The reference numerals in the figure are as follows: 1. Central hub; 2. Radial support rod; 3. Flexible insulated working surface; 4. Sliding working surface support; 11. Annular body; 12. Arc-shaped friction block; 13. Reset elastic element; 14. Annular hydraulic oil chamber; 15. Miniature hydraulic pump; 17. Flexible pressure wall; 18. Limit switch; 41. Trigger cam; 51. First half ring; 52. Second half ring; 53. Hinge shaft; 54. Quick lock. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0013] Please see Figures 1 to 4 The invention provides a technical solution: The foldable flexible insulated work platform of this embodiment includes an umbrella-shaped frame structure, which includes a central hub 1, multiple radial support rods 2, and a flexible insulated working surface 3. One end of each radial support rod 2 is rotatably connected to the central hub 1. The flexible insulated working surface 3 is laid on the plane supported by the multiple radial support rods 2 after they are unfolded. The umbrella-shaped frame structure also includes a sliding working surface support member 4, which is slidably disposed below the central hub 1 and operably connected to the multiple radial support rods 2. By driving the sliding working surface support member 4 to slide along the axial direction of the central hub 1, the multiple radial support rods 2 can be driven to unfold to open or close the flexible insulated working surface 3.

[0014] The central hub 1, as a core connecting component, is typically designed with an internal hinge mechanism or pin structure that allows the ends of the radial support rods 2 to rotate. This ensures that the multiple radial support rods 2, like umbrella ribs, can rotate synchronously and smoothly around the central hub 1 under the drive of the sliding working surface support 4, thereby enabling the platform to unfold and retract. The multiple radial support rods 2 are preferably made of high-strength, lightweight insulating composite material (such as glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin). They are evenly distributed radially around the central hub 1. When fully unfolded, the tops of these radial support rods 2 collectively form a stable, approximately circular load-bearing plane. The flexible insulating working surface 3 is laid and fixed on the plane of the unfolded radial support rod 2. The flexible insulating working surface 3 is made of high-strength flexible insulating fabric or film material (such as specially treated insulating canvas or composite film). It not only has excellent insulation performance to ensure the safety of 10kV power distribution live work, but its flexibility also allows it to fold when the support rod is retracted, greatly reducing the storage volume. At the same time, the edge of the flexible insulating working surface 3 is provided with a connecting part that connects to the end of the multiple radial support rods. When the umbrella-shaped frame structure is fully unfolded, the radial support rod 2 stretches the flexible insulating working surface 3 radially in all directions, making it a pre-tensioned membrane structure. This pre-tensioned membrane structure has structural rigidity in the vertical direction to bear the load of the workers.

[0015] The sliding work surface support 4 is a key actuating component. It is hinged to the middle or a specific stress point of each radial support rod 2 via a series of connecting rods. When the sliding work surface support 4 is driven upwards manually or with a simple tool, it pushes each radial support rod 2 from a vertically retracted state to a horizontally extended state, thereby taut and expanding the flexible insulated work surface 3 to form a stable and flat work platform. Conversely, when the sliding work surface support 4 is driven downwards, it pulls the radial support rods 2 back to retract. To ensure absolute safety during operation, after the platform is fully extended, a limiting mechanism (such as a pin or elastic buckle) is usually installed to lock the relative position of the sliding work surface support 4 and the central hub 1, preventing accidental sliding during operation that could cause platform deformation or collapse, thus providing workers with a safe, stable, and insulated aerial work base.

[0016] The aforementioned limiting mechanism and other components can be any existing technology that can achieve the same function.

[0017] The central hub 1 includes an annular body 11 and a radial locking mechanism. The inner diameter of the annular body 11 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pole, allowing the annular body 11 to be fitted onto the pole and slide along its axial direction. This axial sliding is achieved by an external force, such as a lifting mechanism. The radial locking mechanism is disposed on the annular body 11 and has a locked state and a released state. The radial locking mechanism includes a drive unit and at least two locking units. The inner wall of the annular body 11 is provided with a mounting groove, in which locking units are evenly arranged. Each locking unit includes an arc-shaped friction block 12 that can move radially within the mounting groove, and a reset elastic element 13 connecting the arc-shaped friction block 12 and the annular body 11; the drive unit includes an annular hydraulic oil chamber 14 disposed inside the annular body 11, a miniature hydraulic pump 15 communicating with the annular hydraulic oil chamber 14, and an electromagnetic control valve for controlling the miniature hydraulic pump 15; the inner wall of the annular hydraulic oil chamber 14 is a radially expandable flexible pressure wall 17, and the flexible pressure wall 17 is in contact with the outer surface of each arc-shaped friction block 12.

[0018] The central hub 1 described in this invention is a dedicated locking mechanism for rapid and reliable fixing and releasing on circular utility poles. Its annular body 11 is made of high-strength aluminum alloy by casting or welding, and its inner diameter is precision machined to ensure it is slightly larger than the standard outer diameter of the target utility pole. This allows it to easily fit onto the pole and slide along the pole's axial direction under manual or auxiliary device push to adjust the working height. The radial locking mechanism consists of a drive unit and a locking unit working together. The locking unit includes at least two (preferably three or four to distribute the force evenly) arc-shaped friction blocks 12. Block 12 is made of a high-friction coefficient and wear-resistant non-metallic composite material (such as inlaid copper-based powder metallurgy or special engineering plastics). The arc-shaped friction block 12 is embedded in the mounting groove of the inner wall of the annular body 11 and can move radially within the groove. The back of each arc-shaped friction block 12 is connected to the bottom of the mounting groove through a reset elastic element 13, which is usually a fatigue-resistant disc spring or a stainless steel compression spring. This allows the preload of the elastic element 13 to retract the friction block 12 and maintain a gap with the pole surface in the non-locked state. The drive unit uses a ring integrated inside the annular body 11. The annular hydraulic oil chamber 14 serves as the power source. This chamber, connected to a miniature hydraulic pump 15 and a precision electromagnetic control valve, forms a closed hydraulic circuit. The inner wall of the annular hydraulic oil chamber 14 is designed as a radially expandable flexible pressure wall 17. The shape of this flexible pressure wall 17 is precisely designed to fit tightly against the outer surfaces of each arc-shaped friction block 12. When locking is required, the miniature hydraulic pump 15 is activated and hydraulic oil is injected into the annular hydraulic oil chamber 14. The increased pressure within the chamber pushes the flexible pressure wall 17 to expand uniformly outward, thus synchronously... All the arc-shaped friction blocks 12 are radially squeezed inward to overcome the elastic force of the reset elastic element 13, so that each friction block 12 presses against the surface of the pole synchronously, generating a huge static friction force to lock the position of the central hub 1. After the operation is completed, the electromagnetic control valve switches to the oil return state, the hydraulic system is depressurized, and the elastic force of the reset elastic element 13 pulls all the arc-shaped friction blocks 12 back to their original positions synchronously, releasing the locking of the pole. This achieves active, precise, and synchronous control of the entire locking and releasing process, ensuring the absolute reliability of the working platform's fixation on the pole and the high efficiency and convenience of position adjustment.

[0019] The electromagnetic control valve is connected to a manual control switch, which is used for the operator to actively issue a locking command for the radial locking mechanism; the release state of the radial locking mechanism is controlled by the axial position linkage of the sliding working surface support 4; the sliding working surface support 4 is provided with a trigger cam 41, and a corresponding limit switch 18 is provided on the annular body 11 of the central hub 1, and the limit switch 18 is electrically connected to the electromagnetic control valve.

[0020] This invention employs a dual-safety design combining active command and passive linkage in its locking control logic. The operator actively issues a locking command via a manual control switch located on the platform's operating panel or via a wireless remote control. This switch signal directly controls the energization and reversal of the electromagnetic control valve, thereby activating the micro hydraulic pump 15 to push the arc-shaped friction block 12 to press the electric rod, completing the locking process. More importantly, the release process of the locking mechanism does not rely solely on manual operation but is controlled by the axial position of the sliding working surface support 4. Specifically, a trigger cam 41 with a specific profile is located on the outer edge of the sliding working surface support 4, and a limit switch 18 is correspondingly fixedly installed on the annular body 11 of the central hub 1. The contact state of this limit switch 18 is connected in series with the de-energized return circuit of the electromagnetic control valve. When preparing for operation... The central hub 1 remains locked, meaning it is fixed to the pole. The operator drives the sliding working surface support 4 to slide upwards to open the radial support rod 2. When the radial support rod 2 is fully opened, the inclined surface or protrusion of the trigger cam 41 will move accordingly and eventually press down the contact of the limit switch 18. This action will trigger an electrical signal to forcibly cut off the power supply to the solenoid control valve, causing it to switch to the release position. The hydraulic system is depressurized, and the locking mechanism is automatically released under the action of the reset elastic element 13, thus preventing the entire structure from being locked to the pole. It is worth mentioning that the lower part of the overall umbrella-shaped frame structure is also equipped with a lifting structure. The lifting structure is used to lift the entire foldable flexible insulated work platform to the work position required. Therefore, after contact locking, the foldable flexible insulated work platform can be lifted upwards through the lifting structure. Meanwhile, due to the support of the lifting structure at the bottom, there is no risk of falling. The overall workflow is as follows: First, the central hub 1 remains fixed, the sliding working surface support 4 moves upward and spreads out multiple radial support rods until it is fully spread out. Then, the distance between the central hub 1 and the sliding working surface support 4 is kept fixed by the limiting mechanism. After the worker stands on it safely, it is lifted to the working area by the lifting structure. Then, the central hub 1 is locked again, which has a double stabilizing effect and avoids the risk of falling.

[0021] Specifically, the lifting structure can be made of any existing structure, as long as it can meet the requirement of lifting the foldable flexible insulated work platform upward. The lifting mechanism is not the core invention of this solution, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0022] The annular body 11 of the central hub 1 and the sliding working surface support 4 are both openable clamp structures; the openable clamp structure includes a first half ring 51 and a second half ring 52, which are connected by a hinge shaft 53 on one side and a quick lock 54 on the other side.

[0023] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of specific implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foldable flexible insulated work platform, characterized in that: The system includes an umbrella-shaped frame structure, which comprises a central hub (1), multiple radial support rods (2), and a flexible insulating working surface (3). One end of each radial support rod (2) is rotatably connected to the central hub (1). The flexible insulating working surface (3) is laid on a plane supported by the multiple radial support rods (2) after they are unfolded. The umbrella-shaped frame structure also includes a sliding working surface support member (4), which is slidably disposed below the central hub (1) and operably connected to the multiple radial support rods (2). By driving the sliding working surface support member (4) to slide along the axial direction of the central hub (1), the multiple radial support rods (2) can be unfolded to open or close the flexible insulating working surface (3).

2. The foldable flexible insulated work platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The central hub (1) includes an annular body (11) and a radial locking mechanism. The inner diameter of the annular body (11) is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pole, so that the annular body (11) can be fitted onto the pole and slide along its axial direction. The radial locking mechanism is disposed on the annular body (11) and has a locked state and a released state. The radial locking mechanism includes a drive unit and at least two locking units. The inner wall of the annular body (11) is provided with a mounting groove, and locking units are evenly arranged in the mounting groove. Each locking unit includes one that can be placed in the mounting groove. The radially moving arc-shaped friction block (12) and the reset elastic element (13) connecting the arc-shaped friction block (12) and the annular body (11); the driving unit includes an annular hydraulic oil chamber (14) disposed inside the annular body (11), a micro hydraulic pump (15) communicating with the annular hydraulic oil chamber (14) and an electromagnetic control valve for controlling the micro hydraulic pump (15); the inner wall of the annular hydraulic oil chamber (14) is a radially expandable flexible pressure wall (17), and the flexible pressure wall (17) is in contact with the outer surface of each arc-shaped friction block (12).

3. The foldable flexible insulated work platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnetic control valve is connected to a manual control switch, which is used for the operator to actively issue a locking command for the radial locking mechanism; the release state of the radial locking mechanism is controlled by the axial position linkage of the sliding working surface support (4); the sliding working surface support (4) is provided with a trigger cam (41), and a limit switch (18) is correspondingly provided on the annular body (11) of the central hub (1), and the limit switch (18) is electrically connected to the electromagnetic control valve.

4. The foldable flexible insulated work platform as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The annular body (11) of the central hub (1) and the sliding working surface support (4) are both openable clamp structures; the openable clamp structure includes a first half ring (51) and a second half ring (52), which are connected by a hinge shaft (53) on one side and a quick lock (54) on the other side.

5. The foldable flexible insulated work platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible insulating working surface (3) is a multi-layer composite structure made of high-strength insulating fiber fabric, and its edge is provided with a connecting part that connects to the end of the multiple radial support rods (2); when the umbrella-shaped frame structure is fully unfolded, the radial support rods (2) stretch the flexible insulating working surface (3) radially in all directions, making it a pre-tensioned membrane structure; the pre-tensioned membrane structure has structural stiffness in the vertical direction to bear the load of the workers.

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