Balcony Safety Net for Blind Installers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blind installers on balconies face safety risks due to the need to extend ladders beyond protection grilles when installing blind support systems, exposing them to falling hazards and requiring a solution that is lightweight, easily transportable, and simple to assemble.
Innovation Solution
A safety system comprising tubular and telescopic uprights with adjustable height mechanisms and a protection net, secured between balcony slabs, allowing for safe movement and protection against falls, with optional retractable devices for tool protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a ladder or trestle is extended beyond the protection grille to install blind support means, then the installer can reach the work area, but the installer is exposed to falling hazards
Solution Approach 1:
A safety net is introduced as an intermediary element between the installer and the ground, catching potential falls before they reach harmful consequences. The net is suspended within the balcony enclosure, creating a protective barrier that allows installers to work at height without direct exposure to falling hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection system transitions from a two-dimensional surface barrier (protection grille) to a three-dimensional volumetric barrier (safety net suspended in space). This creates a protective volume within the balcony enclosure that the installer operates within, eliminating the need to extend beyond the grille boundary.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a safety system is provided to protect against falling, then the installer is protected, but the system becomes heavy and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system is divided into separate modular components: the protection net, suspension cables, anchoring elements, and adjustment mechanisms. Each component can be independently handled and transported, with the net being a lightweight flexible element that can be folded or rolled for easy movement to different locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection net is implemented as a flexible thin film structure rather than a rigid framework. This flexible netting provides adequate fall protection while maintaining extremely low weight, allowing easy transport and installation without requiring heavy support structures.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a safety system is provided to protect against falling, then the installer is protected, but the system becomes complex and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into pre-fabricated modules with standardized connection interfaces. The net is divided into panels that can be assembled sequentially, with each panel connecting to adjacent panels through simple cable and connector mechanisms, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining protection effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-adjusting and self-securing mechanisms that reduce the need for complex assembly procedures. Components are designed to automatically tension and secure themselves during installation, minimizing the skill level and time required for proper assembly by a single operator.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the protection net is used to prevent falling, then the installer is protected, but the net may trap the installer if they fall
Solution Approach 1:
The protection net uses a flexible open-mesh structure rather than a solid continuous surface. This mesh configuration allows the net to deform and create gaps under load, preventing the installer's body from being trapped while still providing adequate support to catch and slow the fall. The flexibility of the thin film netting allows it to conform to the installer's body without creating restrictive enclosures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A safety system for blind installers comprising: a tubular first main upright (10); a tubular first telescopic upright (11) insertable into and slidable within said first main upright; means for locking (12,13) said first telescopic upright to said first main upright; said first main upright comprising at one end a first bearing plate (15)abutting against a slab of the operating floor (5); said first telescopic upright having at one end a second bearing plate (26) abutting against a slab of the upper floor (26); a tubular second main upright (30); a tubular second telescopic upright (31) insertable into and slidable within said second main upright; means for locking (14) said second telescopic upright to said second main upright; said second main upright having at one end a third bearing plate (15) abutting against the slab of the operating floor; said second telescopic upright having at one end a fourth bearing plate abutting against the slab of the upper floor (6); said system has a net (36) fixed to said first main upright, to said first telescopic upright, to said second main upright, and to said second telescopic upright.