Coiling Composite Stand Legs for Compact Field Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional collapsible stands are often heavier, bulkier, and more complex than desired, with issues related to portability, storability, and robustness, particularly when used in the field, as they typically feature multiple moving parts and require tools for assembly and disassembly.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible stand with fibre-reinforced polymer composite legs and a moulded plastic or metallic alloy head unit, allowing for a simpler and lighter mechanism that collapses to a smaller volume, using a co-coiling mechanism where legs can be coiled around the head unit, reducing the number of moving parts and minimizing damage risk, with adjustable leg sockets and foot units for enhanced stability and adjustability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional telescopic metal legs are used, then the stand can be collapsed for portability, but the stand becomes heavier and bulkier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by using fibre-reinforced polymer composite legs instead of conventional metal telescopic legs. The composite leg construction provides both strength and light weight, enabling the stand to collapse to a smaller volume without increasing weight. The composite material allows the leg to be both stiff and lightweight, resolving the contradiction between compact collapsed volume and stand weight.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple moving parts are used for collapsible mechanism, then the stand can be adjusted and collapsed, but the number of moving parts increases leading to more damage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the leg into modular sections that can be independently adjusted. The leg comprises a proximal section, a distal section, and an intermediate section with a telescopic adjustment mechanism. This segmentation allows adjustability while isolating the moving parts to specific sections, reducing the overall number of moving parts and minimizing damage risk to critical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by incorporating a telescopic adjustment mechanism that allows the leg to dynamically change length. The intermediate section can extend or retract relative to the proximal and distal sections, providing adjustability while maintaining a compact structure when collapsed. This dynamic mechanism is localized to minimize the number of moving parts throughout the entire stand.
3Volume of moving object
If telescopic aluminium legs are used, then the stand can be collapsed, but the mechanism becomes more complex and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fibre-reinforced polymer composite material for the legs, which inherently provides both strength and stiffness without requiring complex internal support structures. This composite construction simplifies the overall leg design compared to telescopic aluminium legs, reducing mechanism complexity while enabling compact collapse. The composite material's high strength-to-weight ratio eliminates the need for additional reinforcement elements that would increase complexity.
4Reliability
If the stand is made robust and protective, then damage resistance improves, but weight and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials with fibre reinforcement that provide exceptional strength and damage resistance at reduced weight. The fibre-reinforced polymer composite structure offers high tensile strength and impact resistance comparable to or exceeding metal constructions, but with significantly lower weight. This resolves the contradiction between protection against damage and stand weight by utilizing the superior strength-to-weight ratio of composite materials.
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 provides a lightweight, robust, and compact stand that is easier to stow and deploy, with reduced vibration and rattling during transport, and increased cycle life due to lower stress on the components, while maintaining stability and adjustability for various applications.
Implementation Method 1
Each leg comprises a resilient member which can be deformed from an extended tubular form to a coiled form and vice versa
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a collapsible stand (10), a kit for a collapsible stand and to associated methods and apparatus. The collapsible stand is intended for supporting an object, and includes a head unit (12) comprising a fixture (20) for attaching to the object, and one or more leg sockets (22); and one or more legs (14) proximal ends of which are reversibly received in the respective leg sockets. Each leg comprises a bistable reelable composite member (1) having a first stable form in the form of an elongate slit tube (4) in which form the member is resiliently biased and acts as a leg. When removed from the socket, the tube can be opened out at the slit at an end and progressively coiled to reversibly attain a second stable form in the form of a coil (7). The coil defines an internal space for accommodating at least part of the head unit.