Mobile Concrete Pump Cover and Work Platform Arrangement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile concrete pumps face difficulties in easy filling and safe cleaning of the material supply container due to a laterally arranged work platform, which increases maneuvering challenges and safety risks, and restricts access for filling from certain sides.

Innovation Solution

The material supply container is equipped with a foldable cover having two hinges that can pivot about parallel axes, allowing the cover to assume multiple positions for easy filling, protection during operation, and simplified cleaning, along with a work platform arranged on the side of the pump unit facing the driver's cab for enhanced accessibility and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the work platform is arranged laterally next to the material supply container, then fall protection can be provided for the person standing on the working platform, but the rear swing-out radius of the mobile concrete pump becomes very large due to the particularly wide structure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefall protectionVSAvoidmaneuvering
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The work platform is moved from a lateral arrangement to a rear arrangement on the mobile concrete pump. This spatial repositioning in another dimension (from side to back) allows the platform to be positioned away from the material supply container, reducing the overall width and improving maneuverability while still providing fall protection for workers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the work platform is arranged laterally next to the material supply container, then fall protection can be provided, but access to the material supply container is blocked by the fall protection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefall protectionVSAvoidaccess to material supply container
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The work platform is extracted from its lateral position next to the material supply container and repositioned to the rear of the pump. This separation removes the conflict between fall protection requirements and access needs, as workers can now access the material supply container from the front or sides without being blocked by lateral fall protection structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

By relocating the work platform to the rear dimension rather than the lateral dimension, the design allows unobstructed access to the material supply container from the front and sides while maintaining fall protection capabilities at the new platform location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If the cover of the material supply container can only be opened on one side in the direction of travel, then the structure is simple, but filling from other sides is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecover structureVSAvoidfilling from multiple sides
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is divided into multiple segments or sections that can be opened independently from different sides of the material supply container. This segmentation allows the cover to maintain structural simplicity while enabling versatile filling operations from multiple directions, as each segment can be opened as needed based on the position of the concrete mixer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2733283B1Mobile concrete pump
Publication Date: 2016.10.19 LIEBHERR BETONPUMPEN
  • EP2733283B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2733283B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2d
  • EP2733283B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3d

AI summary

The mobile concrete pump (1) has a chassis (2) that is arranged at read end of a cab (18). A pump unit (7) is arranged at the rear end of the chassis and is provided with a material supply container (6). The pump unit is associated with a work platform (8). The material supply container is provided with a cover (10). The cover is double-sided hinged with material supply container.