Collapsible Work Platform with Nested Legs and Adjustable Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional collapsible work platforms are inconvenient to carry and store due to protruding leg members, lack height adjustment capability, and are prone to damage and user injury under load.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible work platform design featuring pivotally engaged backrails, frontrails, link bars, braces, latching plates, and stopper blocks that allow for compact folding and adjustable height through telescoping mechanisms and locking buttons, ensuring stability and minimizing volume for easy storage and use at various heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the platform is folded upwards and the leg members are folded outwards, then the platform can be collapsed for storage, but the leg members protrude outwards from the platform and the volume increases making it inconvenient to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The leg members are designed to be nested within the platform structure when collapsed. Specifically, the leg members are positioned to fit inside the platform frame, with the connecting rods arranged to occupy minimal external space. This nesting arrangement allows the entire structure to collapse into a compact form that fits within a small storage volume, eliminating the protrusion problem of conventional designs.
2Ease of operation
If the connecting rod is detached from the leg member for folding, then the platform can be collapsed, but the connecting rod may be disconnected, disengaged, or damaged under load during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod is pre-configured with engagement features that automatically secure it to the leg member before the structure is subjected to load. The design includes predetermined engagement positions and locking mechanisms that ensure the connecting rod is properly attached during the folding operation, eliminating the need for manual attachment checks and preventing disengagement during subsequent use.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting rod design incorporates redundant engagement points and overload protection features that prevent damage before it occurs. The structure is designed to distribute loads through multiple engagement points, and includes features that will prevent excessive force from damaging the connecting rod or causing disengagement, thereby cushioning against potential failures.
3Device complexity
If the conventional work platform uses fixed-length leg members, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be adjusted with the height of the leg members making it inconvenient for workplaces with different heights
Solution Approach 1:
The leg members are designed with adjustable length capability through telescopic sections or interchangeable segments. The structure transitions from a fixed configuration to a dynamically adjustable one, allowing the leg length to be modified based on the required working height. This is achieved through mechanisms that allow smooth extension and retraction while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg member design incorporates multiple functions within a single component. The leg member serves both as a structural support element and as an adjustable height mechanism. By integrating the height adjustment function directly into the leg member structure, the design avoids adding separate adjustment mechanisms, thereby maintaining relative simplicity while achieving versatility.
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 platform maintains stability and minimizes volume for convenient storage and carrying, allowing for adjustable height settings to accommodate different work environments, preventing damage and user injury.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of backrails (300), each of which having an upper end engaging one corresponding outer side of the pair of toprails (200) pivotally through a hinge (H)
Implementation Method 2
each of a pair of latching plates (800) having a latching portion (810) engages fixedly the end portions of the pair of backrails and the pair of frontrails maintaining the deployed state
Implementation Method 3
each of a pair of stopper blocks (900) engage protrudingly an inner side and an outer side of one end and the other end of the pair of toprails, so that the latching portion of the latching plate contacts and engages fixedly and the pair of backrails and the pair of frontrails are not deployed further beyond a certain point
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible work platform includes toprails engaging fixedly to a platform, backrails engaging the toprails pivotally through a hinge at an end portion of the pair of toprails, frontrails engaging the toprails pivotally through a hinge at the other portion of the toprails, link bars engaging the toprails pivotally, a footstep engaging the link bars and the frontrails pivotally, and braces engaging the backrails and the frontrails, and the toprails pivotally through hinges. Each of latching plates having a latching portion engages fixedly the end portions of the backrails and the frontrails maintaining the deployed state by the braces. Each of stopper blocks engage protrudingly an inner side and an outer side of one end and the other end of the toprails, so that the latching portion of the latching plate contacts and engages fixedly and the backrails and the frontrails are not deployed further beyond a certain point.