Office Enclosure Beam Bracket Mechanism to Prevent Sagging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Suspended beam structures in office enclosures often sag due to weight and span length, creating aesthetic and safety issues, and making alignment and attachment of additional structures problematic.
Innovation Solution
A bracket mechanism using a resiliently moveable reinforcing member that transitions from a curved to a linear orientation, positioned between beam members to form an elongated element, ensuring rigidity and preventing sagging, which includes clamping devices to maintain the linear orientation and fasten to beam members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If beam members are made longer to span over workspace, then coverage area is improved, but sagging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beam system is segmented into multiple beam members connected by bracket mechanisms at intermediate points. This segmentation allows each individual beam to remain short and rigid while the overall structure achieves long-span capability through the connected segments, eliminating sagging in each segment while covering the required workspace area.
Solution Approach 2:
Bracket mechanisms serve as intermediary elements between beam members, providing support and connection points that prevent sagging. These brackets act as mediators that transfer and distribute loads, enabling the beam system to maintain rigidity across long spans by breaking the continuous beam into supported segments.
2Strength
If beam members are made thicker to prevent sagging, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using single thick beams, the structure segments the beam into multiple thinner members connected by brackets. This segmentation achieves the required strength through the distributed support system rather than requiring individually thick beams, reducing material usage and structural complexity while maintaining or improving overall strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Bracket mechanisms serve as intermediary support elements that provide the necessary structural strength without requiring the beam members themselves to be thick. The brackets distribute and transfer loads, enabling thin beam members to achieve the strength of thick beams through the intermediate support system.
3Ease of operation
If beam members are suspended to span over workspace, then installation flexibility is improved, but sagging due to weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suspended beam system is segmented into multiple shorter beam members with bracket mechanisms at connection points. This segmentation maintains the installation flexibility of suspended beams while preventing sagging by creating multiple supported spans, where each segment remains stable and rigid despite being suspended.
Solution Approach 2:
Bracket mechanisms serve as intermediary support elements in the suspended beam system, providing stabilization without requiring the entire beam to be supported from above. These brackets prevent sagging by creating intermediate support points along the suspended span, maintaining both flexibility and stability.
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
The solution effectively maintains beam members in a rigid, linear orientation, preventing sagging and ensuring proper alignment and attachment, thus enhancing the aesthetic and safety aspects of the workspace.
Implementation Method 1
a first reinforcing member (2) that is resiliently moveable from a curved orientation at which the first reinforcing member (2) is curved along a length of the first reinforcing member (2) to a linear orientation at which the first reinforcing member (2) extends linearly
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket mechanism is configured to facilitate connection of multiple rail elements to form an elongated element to span over a work space and/or to help support a continuous integral element spanning over a work space. The bracket mechanism can be configured to help ensure the rigidity of the elongated element positioned over the work space so that the elongated element does not sag or bow downwards as it extends over the work space.