Configurable High Directional Support with Telescoping Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high directional rope supports lack flexibility in configuration and efficient storage solutions, limiting their adaptability and usability in various rescue operations.
Innovation Solution
A configurable high directional support system featuring a plurality of telescoping legs and pivotally attachable head units, allowing for reconfiguration from a triangular working configuration to a linear storage configuration, with each head unit capable of forming a chain and being connected to multiple other units to adjust the number of legs and shape as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional high directional supports use fixed-length legs and fixed head configurations, then the structure is simple and stable, but the adaptability and flexibility for different rescue operations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The head is divided into multiple head units that can be independently connected and disconnected. Each head unit can be attached to a telescoping leg, and the head units can be chained together in different configurations. This segmentation allows the system to be reconfigured for different rescue operations while keeping individual components simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates telescoping legs with adjustable lengths and head units with pivotal connections that allow dynamic reconfiguration. The legs can extend or retract to change the overall height and span, while the head units can pivot and connect in different sequences to create various geometric configurations suitable for different rescue scenarios.
2Reliability
If the high directional support uses multiple fixed head units connected in a rigid structure, then the load-bearing capacity is maintained, but the ability to compact for storage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the head into separate head units with standardized coupling mechanisms, the system can be disassembled into compact segments for storage. Each head unit maintains its structural integrity and load-bearing capability while being small enough to store efficiently when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The head units are designed to nest within each other or against each other when disconnected, creating a compact storage configuration. The telescoping legs can be collapsed and stored alongside the nested head units, significantly reducing the overall storage volume while preserving the full load-bearing capacity when deployed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the head units are made with complex coupling mechanisms to allow reconfiguration, then the adaptability increases, but the ease of assembly and disassembly decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanisms are designed with universal interfaces that can accommodate different connection configurations. The same coupling mechanism handles both pivotal connections and chained connections, eliminating the need for multiple specialized fasteners and simplifying the assembly process while maintaining high reconfiguration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanisms incorporate self-aligning and self-locking features that guide the head units into proper alignment during assembly and automatically secure them without requiring complex tools or procedures. This self-service capability maintains ease of operation while enabling versatile reconfiguration.
Data Source
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AI summary
A support in the form of a high directional having a configurable number of telescoping legs is disclosed. The support provides a head and a plurality of telescoping legs, the head having a plurality of head units and each head unit having at least one associated leg depending therefrom. Each head unit being adapted to be coupled to at least two other head units.