Height and Tilt Adjustable Support Leg Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support foot designs for building columns are either not adjustable in inclination after assembly or require excessive manual effort and skill for height and inclination adjustments, leading to inefficiencies and potential structural issues due to non-level foundations.
Innovation Solution
A height and inclination-adjustable support leg design featuring a bottom, middle, and top part with opposite thread directions for height adjustment and partial spherical surfaces for inclination adjustment, allowing for easy and precise alignment without losing height adjustment range, with the middle part's threads used for both height and tilt adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the middle section is rotated around its axis relative to the upper and lower sections to adjust height, then the height adjustment range is increased, but the height change per rotation becomes two thread pitches which causes lifting difficulties and fine-tuning problems
Solution Approach 1:
The height adjustment function is segmented into two independent threaded connections: one between the lower section and middle section, and another between the upper section and middle section. Each connection provides one thread pitch of height change per rotation, rather than two thread pitches from rotating the middle section. This segmentation allows the middle section to be held stationary while adjusting height by rotating either the lower or upper section, eliminating the doubling effect and improving adjustment precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the support foot is designed to be both height-adjustable and tilt-adjustable, then the adaptability to uneven surfaces is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tilt adjustment function is merged with the height adjustment structure by incorporating spherical surfaces at the interfaces between sections. The lower section has a spherical surface that interfaces with a corresponding spherical surface in the middle section, allowing tilt adjustment. This merging eliminates the need for separate tilt adjustment mechanisms and reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining both height and tilt adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded connections serve multiple functions: they provide height adjustment by rotating the lower or upper section relative to the middle section, and they provide clamping force to secure the spherical surfaces together for tilt adjustment. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall structure.
3Reliability
If a screw connection is used to clamp the partial spherical surfaces together, then the tilt adjustment is secured, but the screw becomes inaccessible after column installation preventing further adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of clamping the spherical surfaces from the outside with a screw that becomes inaccessible, the design inverts the approach by having the spherical surfaces interface internally between sections. The threaded connections that adjust height also serve to clamp the spherical surfaces together from the inside, maintaining tilt adjustment stability while keeping the adjustment mechanism accessible through the external threaded interfaces.
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
Enables easy and precise adjustment of height and inclination, reducing manual effort and preventing structural issues like buckling, especially on uneven or inclined surfaces, while maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a lower, a middle, and an upper part (3, 4) with the middle part (3) being threaded in engagement with both the lower and the upper part (4), wherein the direction of rotation of the thread between the middle part (3) and the upper part (4) is opposite to the direction of rotation of the thread between the middle part (3) and the lower part (1)
Implementation Method 2
a tilt adjustment assembly is realized by forming the mutually contacting surfaces of two parts as intersecting partial spherical surfaces with at least approximately the same spherical center
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a height- and tilt-adjustable support foot for supporting a part of a structure. For height adjustability, a middle part (3) is threaded to both a lower part (2) and an upper part (4), the two threaded connections being designed to rotate in opposite directions. For tilt adjustability, the contacting surfaces of two parts (1, 3) are designed as intersecting partial spherical surfaces (6, 10) which can be clamped together by means of a screw connection. The two threads of the middle part (3) are designed as coaxial nut and bolt threads that overlap each other in their longitudinal extent. One thread of the middle part (3) is also part of the screw connection by means of which the two parts (1, 3) that contact each other at the partial spherical surfaces (6, 10) can be clamped together.