Prefabricated Balcony Assembly with Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The construction of balconies in buildings is complex and expensive due to the need for structural components that complicate the installation of materials like drywall, as workers must navigate and work around these components using scaffolding or lift systems.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated balcony assembly system that includes a locking mechanism on a long beam to securely attach to outriggers, allowing for easy installation by lowering the balcony into place and securing it with fasteners, thereby creating space for drywall installation between the balcony and structural posts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If structural components are installed to support balconies from the interior of buildings, then structural support is provided, but installation of materials like drywall becomes complex and expensive requiring scaffolding or lift systems
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of installing structural components from the interior of the building and then working around them, the balcony assembly is installed from the exterior first. The balcony assembly with pre-attached structural components is lowered into place from above, allowing drywall and other materials to be installed in the created space without requiring scaffolding or lift systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural components are pre-assembled as part of the balcony assembly unit before installation. The balcony assembly includes pre-attached beams, posts, and support structures that are prepared in advance, allowing for simpler on-site installation and creating space for material installation without requiring complex scaffolding setups.
2Strength
If structural components extend from the interior of buildings to support balconies, then structural support is achieved, but building design and construction becomes complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The balcony assembly merges multiple structural components (beams, posts, support structures) into a single integrated unit. This consolidation reduces the number of separate installation steps and simplifies building design and construction while maintaining the required structural support functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The balcony assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, creates installation space for building materials, and serves as the balcony structure itself. This multi-functionality reduces overall construction complexity by combining what would otherwise require separate components and installation processes.
3Ease of operation
If workers use scaffolding or lift systems to work around structural components, then material installation is possible, but construction time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The balcony assembly is extracted and installed as a complete pre-fabricated unit from the exterior, rather than building it in-place from interior structural components. This extraction approach creates immediate space for material installation without requiring workers to set up and work from scaffolding or lift systems, significantly reducing construction time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A balcony includes a balcony assembly and a structural post and outrigger system. The structural posts provide structural support for buildings and include the outriggers that extend substantially perpendicularly from the structural posts to a location where the balcony assembly will be installed. The outriggers include a tube or beam and an end plate on an end of the beam distal from the structural post. The balcony assembly includes at least one long beam, a platform, and a locking mechanism on an end of the long beam. The locking mechanism includes a channel for receiving and securing the end plate of the outrigger. The balcony assembly is secured to the outrigger using fasteners.