Crane Boom Rail Heating Wire Mounting for Unobstructed Deicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for removing snow and ice from cranes, particularly tower cranes, are inefficient, pose safety risks, and result in significant downtime due to their impracticality and inability to reach all areas of the crane, including the boom, which can interfere with operations and compromise safety.
Innovation Solution
A heat application apparatus and method for tower crane boom rails that uses a heating wire secured with a space available mount to apply heat uniformly along the rail, ensuring unobstructed movement of trolley elements by occupying only the available remainder space, thus melting snow and ice without obstructing trolley movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional spray methods are used to remove snow and ice, then snow and ice removal is achieved, but the mobile units cannot reach the crane boom area and deice solution is wasted on entire equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical spray system with an electrical heating wire system. The heating wire is wrapped around the boom rail to provide direct thermal energy to melt snow and ice, eliminating the need for chemical deice solutions and mobile spray units. This substitution achieves precise application to the target area while eliminating waste and improving accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the snow and ice removal function from the mobile spray unit and integrates it directly onto the crane boom through the heating wire system. This allows the deicing capability to be positioned exactly where needed on the boom rail, eliminating the waste associated with spraying entire equipment and improving access to previously unreachable areas.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual scraping methods are used, then snow and ice can be removed, but crane operators face safety risks when working at height with minimal bracing
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire system is designed to be self-regulating with built-in temperature control and overload protection. The system automatically melts snow and ice without requiring operator intervention, eliminating the safety risks associated with manual scraping at height. The self-service nature of the system ensures continuous operation while maintaining operator safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical scraping process with an automated electrical heating system. This substitution eliminates the need for operators to physically scrape snow and ice while working at height, thereby removing the safety risks while maintaining effective snow and ice removal capability.
3Device complexity
If waiting for natural melting is used, then no active removal is needed, but crane operations experience significant downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire system is installed and activated proactively to prevent snow and ice accumulation before it interferes with crane operations. By applying heat in advance and continuously, the system maintains clear boom rails, eliminating downtime associated with waiting for natural melting or performing emergency removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating wire system operates continuously to maintain snow and ice-free conditions on the boom rail. This continuous action ensures uninterrupted crane operations by preventing accumulation rather than reacting to it, thereby maximizing productivity while maintaining simple system operation.
4Ease of manufacture
If trolley wheels are used to break up snow and ice, then snow and ice removal is achieved, but crane components and trolley wheels suffer damage and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical force-based snow and ice breakdown method with a thermal-based heating wire system. This substitution eliminates the damaging impact forces that cause wear to trolley wheels and other crane components, while still achieving effective snow and ice removal through controlled heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of snow and ice removal from mechanical force to thermal energy. By using heat to melt snow and ice rather than mechanical force to break it up, the system achieves the same removal capability without the damaging effects on crane components and trolley wheels.
5Ease of manufacture
If breaking ice with trolley is used, then snow and ice are removed, but chunks of ice fall to the ground creating hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire system replaces the mechanical ice-breaking process with thermal melting. This substitution causes snow and ice to melt gradually into water that can be safely wiped or drained away, eliminating the hazard of large ice chunks falling to the ground that creates safety risks for personnel and equipment below.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the phase and state of ice removal from solid breaking to liquid melting. By using heat to transform ice into water, the system eliminates the creation of falling ice chunks and associated hazards, while still achieving complete snow and ice removal from the boom rail surface.
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
Effectively removes snow and ice from tower crane boom rails, allowing uninterrupted operation by ensuring trolley movement is not impeded, reducing downtime and safety risks associated with conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a heat source configured to apply heat to the unobstructed movement element travel space of the surface of the tower crane boom rail
Implementation Method 2
melting snow and ice without obstructing trolley movement
Data Source
AI summary
Removal of snow and ice from crane booms (3) is disclosed. A heat source (13) may apply heat to an unobstructed movement element travel space (10) of a crane boom (3). A space available mount (12) of the heat source (13) may occupy an available remainder space (11) of a crane boom (3). A space available mount (12) may be a wire assembly (18) having a heating wire (19) disposed within a channel (20). Heat applied from a heat source (13) may melt snow or ice in an unobstructed movement element travel space (10) of a crane boom (3).