Column Leveling Device with Weakening Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for leveling columns made of self-hardening fluids in the ground face challenges such as manual deployment difficulties, risk of damage, imprecise leveling, and the need for earthmoving machines, leading to incomplete or inaccurate column separation and potential damage to the surrounding ground.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a weakening member that does not require deployment, integrated with an arm to facilitate precise positioning and separation of the column, using a screw-nut system for stability, and a non-stick layer to ensure clean breaks and easy extraction, reducing the risk of damage and manual effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a membrane is used to pre-cut the column, then the column can be separated into two parts, but the membrane requires manual deployment which is difficult and risks damage to the positioning system or membrane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the membrane component entirely from the system. Instead of using a deployable membrane to create the separation plane, the invention uses a solidifying fluid that naturally forms a separation plane as it sets, eliminating the need for manual membrane deployment and associated risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the reusable but complex membrane system with a simple, consumable solidifying fluid. The fluid performs its function of creating the separation plane and then remains as part of the column structure, eliminating the need for complex deployment mechanisms while achieving the same separation effect.
2Manufacturing precision
If a membrane is deployed to achieve pre-cutting, then column separation is enabled, but significant torque must be exerted on the positioning device making operation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical membrane deployment system with a chemical/physical process. Instead of using mechanical torque to deploy a membrane, the invention uses the natural solidification process of a fluid to create the separation plane, eliminating the need for high-force mechanical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The solidifying fluid automatically creates the separation plane through its own solidification process without requiring external mechanical force or manual intervention. The fluid self-organizes to form the desired separation geometry as it sets, eliminating the need for operator-applied torque.
3Ease of operation
If earthmoving machinery is used to level the ground around the column head, then the column head can be extracted, but large excavations are formed which is not desirable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the separation action in advance during the solidification process itself. By creating the separation plane as the column forms, the column head is already prepared for extraction without requiring subsequent ground removal or excavation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows the column head to be cleanly separated and removed without discarding surrounding ground material. The separation plane ensures that only the column head itself needs to be extracted, leaving the surrounding ground intact and eliminating the need for earthmoving operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Device (10) for leveling a column (C) made in a soil (S), the device comprising an arm (20,20') having a longitudinal direction (Y); and a weakening element (30) configured to be introduced into the column in order to create a discontinuity of material allowing to separate said column into two distinct parts (C1,C2), the weakening element being immobile with respect to said arm and extending in a plane (P) transverse to the longitudinal direction of said arm, the weakening element comprising at least a first branch (32,32') extending radially from the arm.