Multi-section Concrete Chute with Nesting Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional steel discharge chute systems for concrete mixing trucks are heavy, prone to corrosion and abrasive wear, making them difficult to handle and maintain, and lack efficient storage and shipping configurations.
Innovation Solution
A multi-section chute system made from lightweight non-metallic materials with a U-shaped or arcuate design, featuring integral handles, a central stiffening rib, and a hook-and-pin fastening system for easy assembly and interlocking nesting/stacking, allowing for compact storage and shipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional heavy gauge steel is used for chute sections, then strength and durability are improved, but weight increases making them difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The chute system is divided into multiple modular sections that can be assembled and disassembled. Each section is designed to be lightweight yet strong, with standardized connection features that enable easy assembly without requiring heavy individual components. The segmentation allows the chute to be handled in manageable sections rather than as a single heavy piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute sections utilize composite construction combining aluminum alloy framework with polymeric lining. This composite approach provides the strength and rigidity of metal structure while incorporating the corrosion resistance and lightweight properties of polymer materials, achieving an optimal balance between strength and weight.
2Strength
If steel chute sections are used, then structural strength is improved, but corrosion and abrasive wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chute employs a composite structure with an aluminum alloy outer shell providing structural strength and a polymeric inner lining providing corrosion and abrasive wear resistance. This combination allows the chute to withstand the demanding conditions of concrete handling while resisting degradation from moisture and abrasion.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are applied to different parts of the chute structure based on functional requirements. The aluminum alloy provides structural integrity where strength is needed, while the polymeric lining is applied to the interior surface where contact with concrete occurs, providing localized protection against corrosion and wear.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple chute sections are carried for extension, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chute is designed as a series of standardized modular sections that can be easily assembled and disassembled. Each section has identical connection features that simplify the assembly process, allowing workers to quickly configure the desired chute length without dealing with complex joining mechanisms. The modular design makes it straightforward to add or remove sections as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized modular sections are designed to be universally compatible, with each section capable of functioning in multiple positions and configurations. The universal connection features allow any section to be assembled with any other section, simplifying the system while providing flexibility for various chute length requirements.
4Ease of operation
If sectional chute components are used, then ease of handling is improved, but storage and shipping stability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The modular chute sections are designed to nest within each other when disassembled, with tapered or stepped features that allow smaller sections to fit inside larger ones. This nesting configuration maximizes storage efficiency and creates a stable, compact package that is easy to handle and transport, eliminating the instability associated with separate loose components.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-section chute of a type suitable for directing mixed concrete compositions from a discharge end of a transit concrete mixer truck to a desired receiving location. The chute includes a plurality of elongate chute sections, each having a wall with a low friction concave inter-surface configuration and a convex outer configuration wherein each chute section includes a pair of longitudinal channel shapes along and integral to longitudinal edges of the wall and a central longitudinal rib, the channel shapes and the rib re-enforcing the chute section against longitudinal bending, and a fastening assembly for removably joining the plurality of chute sections together in a consecutive longitudinal arrangement and wherein the plurality of elongate chute sections further comprise cooperating nesting configurations that enable formation of a compact stable interconnecting nesting storage arrangement.