Adjustable Height Balance Beam with Modular Support Columns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balance beams are expensive and lack affordability and adjustability in height settings, making them unsuitable for less experienced gymnasts who require a safer, lower height for practice.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable height balance beam design featuring elongate members with upper and lower support columns, tension knobs, and base bars that allow for selective height adjustments through aligned apertures and attachment points, enabling multiple height settings without the need for costly manufacturing or purchase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a balance beam is made adjustable in height to accommodate less experienced gymnasts, then safety and usability are improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The balance beam is divided into separate modular components: an elongate beam member, multiple support columns with different heights, base bars, and attachment mechanisms. This segmentation allows the beam to be configured at different heights by assembling different components, providing height adjustability without requiring a completely complex adjustable mechanism throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support columns are designed to nest within each other or be positioned in nested configurations, with the elongate beam member selectively attachable to different support column heights. This nesting approach allows multiple height settings to be stored in a compact manner while maintaining structural integrity, reducing both storage space requirements and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing adjustable balance beams are manufactured with multiple height settings, then versatility is improved, but manufacturing cost increases making them expensive to purchase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the balance beam into separate standard-height components (elongate beam member, support columns, base bars), the manufacturing process for each individual component can be simplified and standardized. This reduces tooling costs and manufacturing complexity compared to producing single complex adjustable units, while still achieving the goal of height variability through selective assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The support columns are designed with universal attachment features that allow the same column to work with different beam members and base bars. The attachment mechanisms use standardized interfaces (attachment zones, attachment points) that can accommodate various configurations, reducing the need for multiple specialized parts and thereby lowering manufacturing costs through economies of scale.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable height balance beam includes an elongate member; opposing upper and lower support columns; opposing base bars; wherein opposing attachment zones of the elongate member are configured for selective attachment to each of the opposing upper support columns, defining a first configuration, and wherein each of the opposing lower support columns is configured for attachment to the corresponding opposing base bars, and the respective opposing base bars, defining a second configuration, for selective height adjustment of the elongate bar relative to the opposing base bars; wherein the height of the elongate bar relative to the opposing base bars may be selectively adjusted when in the first configuration by aligning tension knob ports on the lower support column with a correspondingly selected one of the plurality of linearly displaced apertures on the upper support column to form an aligned attachment channel that is configured for receipt of the tension knob.