Boarding Bridge Rotunda Height Adjustment Device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotunda height adjusting devices for boarding bridges face challenges in distributing lateral weight efficiently, leading to oversized or excessive vertical screws due to wind pressure and movement-induced loads, which increases size and cost, and requires a solution to minimize frictional forces during vertical movement.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of rails on both the inner and outer columns, along with a lubricating oil receiver, allows for the distribution of lateral weight and reduces the size of vertical screws by maintaining a gap to minimize bending and friction, enabling safe and efficient vertical movement of the rotunda.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only vertical screws are used to support the rotunda weight, then the structure is simple, but the vertical screw size must increase to bear lateral wind pressure and movement loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the lateral weight bearing function from the vertical screw by introducing separate guide rails (outer column and inner column) that handle lateral loads, allowing the vertical screw to focus only on vertical weight support, thus reducing its required size while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails act as intermediary structures that intervene between the vertical screw and the lateral loads, transferring lateral wind pressure and movement loads away from the vertical screw through the rail-groove interaction, enabling the screw to remain smaller
2Force
If the vertical screw size is increased to bear lateral weight, then lateral load capacity improves, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the load-bearing functions between vertical screws (vertical load) and guide rails (lateral load), the patent avoids the need for oversized expensive screws, reducing production costs while maintaining adequate lateral weight bearing capacity through the rail system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses relatively simple and inexpensive guide rail structures instead of expensive oversized vertical screws to handle lateral loads, providing a more cost-effective solution for achieving the required lateral weight bearing capacity
3Device complexity
If vertical screws bear both vertical and lateral loads, then structural configuration is simple, but frictional force between screw and nut increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the load paths so that vertical screws only handle vertical loads while guide rails handle lateral loads, eliminating lateral friction from the screw-nut interface and reducing energy loss through friction, while maintaining relatively simple structural configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails serve as intermediaries that intercept lateral loads before they can act on the vertical screws, preventing lateral forces from increasing frictional resistance in the screw-nut connection, thus reducing energy loss
4Force
If multiple vertical screws are used to bear lateral weight, then lateral load distribution improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide rails as intermediary structures that specifically handle lateral load distribution, eliminating the need to increase the number of vertical screws for lateral load bearing, thus improving lateral load distribution without increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the load-bearing responsibilities between vertical screws and guide rails, the patent achieves effective lateral load distribution through the rail system without requiring additional vertical screws, maintaining device simplicity
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
This configuration decreases the size and number of vertical screws, reduces pressure on them, and ensures safe ascension and descent of the columns, while minimizing frictional forces through lubrication, thereby lowering production costs and enhancing operational safety.
Implementation Method 1
a stable lubricating oil receiver to minimize a frictional force between a screw and a nut caused by a vertical movement of the screw
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is a height adjustment device for a rotunda of a boarding bridge. A height adjustment device for a rotunda of a boarding bridge can comprise: an outer column which fixes a rotunda and ascends and descends; an inner column which is connected to the outer column and is fixed on the ground surface; a vertical screw which is placed on the lower end of the rotunda; a nut which is formed in the inner central part of the outer column or the inner column so as to interlock in correspondence to the outside diameter of the vertical screw; and rails which are provided on one side of the outer column or the inner column and are formed in correspondence to each other so as to assist the ascent and descent of the outer column, wherein the lateral weight can be distributed by means of the rails and the nut. By maintaining a gap in which an inner column and an outer column can be assembled and reducing the occurrence of the bending of a vertical screw, the lateral weight of a height adjustment device for a rotunda of a boarding bridge can be distributed.