Adjustable Display Apparatus for Industrial Gauge Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field-based personnel in manufacturing facilities face significant cognitive workload in interpreting and managing numerous data points from field-based instrumentation, leading to potential human errors and safety risks due to reliance on memory for determining normal or abnormal process variables.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable information display apparatus that attaches to industrial gauges or objects, using colored visual indicators and signage panels to clearly present process information, reducing cognitive demand and enhancing situational awareness by converting memory-based tasks into visual activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If personnel rely on memory to determine normal or abnormal process variables, then they can operate with minimal additional equipment, but cognitive workload increases and human error risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual indicators as an intermediary element between the gauge and the operator's brain. These indicators provide external memory aids that mediate the information processing, allowing operators to quickly determine normal vs. abnormal conditions without relying solely on their own memory, thereby reducing cognitive workload while maintaining or improving safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies of normal and abnormal states through colored indicators. Instead of relying on the operator to recall what normal looks like, the system provides visual copies of both normal (green) and abnormal (red) states, making the information externally available and reducing the cognitive burden of memory retrieval.
2Productivity
If personnel monitor numerous process variables manually, then they maintain direct control over field-based instrumentation, but time required for inspection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes in the visual indicators to convey process status at a glance. Green indicates normal operation while red indicates abnormal conditions, allowing operators to rapidly assess multiple gauges without spending time interpreting numerical values or recalling normal ranges, thereby significantly reducing inspection time and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the information display by placing individual visual indicators on or near each gauge, allowing operators to quickly scan multiple distributed indicators rather than reading multiple gauges individually. This segmentation of the monitoring task into discrete visual checks reduces the time required to inspect all process variables.
3Reliability
If field-based personnel travel throughout the facility to monitor process variables, then they can directly observe all gauges, but exposure to harmful conditions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The visual indicators serve as an intermediary that provides situational awareness without requiring direct observation of the gauges themselves. Operators can determine process status through the indicators while remaining at safer distances from the actual process equipment, reducing exposure to harmful conditions while maintaining awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies of the process state through the colored indicators, allowing operators to gain situational awareness of process conditions without needing to physically approach or observe the actual gauges and equipment, thereby reducing exposure to harmful working conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable information display apparatus for industrial, commercial, or domestic applications is described herein. The apparatus can include a band and a faceplate attached to the band. The band can be removably securable to an exterior surface of an object, such as an industrial gauge or pipe. The faceplate can be configured to receive one or more detachable components, such as one or more visual indicators or signage panels.