Collapsible Storm Water Filter Frame Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storm water filtration systems face challenges with dimensional stability, maintenance, and transport due to either flexible self-supporting filters being too small or rigidly supported filters being bulky, complex, and costly, with potential fire risks and frequent maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, collapsible frame with rigid elements and a filter bag with peripheral attachment elements that maintain shape and resist bulging, allowing for easy assembly, disassembly, and secure attachment to a frame for stability and compact transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid cage structure is used to support the filter bag, then dimensional stability is improved, but weight and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid cage structure is divided into multiple rigid elements (struts, braces, cross-members) that are assembled together to form the support frame. This segmentation allows the frame to achieve dimensional stability through the collective structural arrangement rather than requiring a single complex rigid component, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter bag is nested within the rigid element frame structure, with the bag positioned inside the three-dimensional framework formed by the rigid elements. This nesting arrangement allows the flexible filter bag to benefit from the dimensional stability of the rigid frame while the frame itself can be designed with open spaces and modular components that reduce overall material usage and complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid cage structure is used to support the filter bag, then dimensional stability is improved, but transportability deteriorates due to bulkiness
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid cage structure is segmented into multiple discrete rigid elements that can be disconnected from one another. This allows the frame to be disassembled into smaller components for transport, reducing bulkiness and improving transportability while still providing dimensional stability when assembled and in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid element frame is designed with movable or detachable connections between rigid elements, allowing the structure to transition from a rigid assembled state (providing dimensional stability during operation) to a disassembled or collapsed state (improving transportability). This dynamic design enables the frame to adapt between operational and transport conditions.
3Volume of stationary object
If the filter bag is allowed to bulge, then containment volume increases, but filter reliability decreases due to stress concentration and potential blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid element frame acts as a counteracting structure that applies outward support forces to balance the inward pressure from bulging caused by filled contaminants. This counterbalancing effect prevents excessive stress concentration on the filter bag while maintaining adequate containment volume, thereby preserving filter reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter bag is designed as a flexible membrane that can expand to accommodate contaminants but is constrained by the rigid element frame to prevent excessive bulging. This flexible construction allows the bag to maintain volume while the frame prevents stress concentration and potential blockage, resolving the contradiction between volume and reliability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a non-collapsible frame is used, then dimensional stability is maintained, but transport efficiency decreases due to increased volume
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into multiple rigid elements that can be disconnected and collapsed together for transport. This segmentation allows the frame to maintain its rigid, dimensionally stable configuration during operation while being compacted into a smaller transport volume when disassembled, resolving the contradiction between stability and transport efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame design incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing the rigid elements to be reconfigured between an extended operational state (providing dimensional stability) and a collapsed transport state (reducing volume). This dynamic adaptability enables the frame to optimize its volume characteristics based on whether it is in use or being transported.
Data Source
AI summary
A storm water drain filter including a collapsible frame supporting a filter bag. The filter may be installed in a stormwater drain pit to capture contaminants and particulate matter before it enters a stormwater drain. The collapsible frame is light weight, compact, simple and inexpensive. The filter bag is secured to the frame so as to maintain its shape and avoid deformation. There is also disclosed a method of installing a stormwater drain filter in a stormwater drain pit to provide an effective seal between the stormwater drain filter and the pit.