Connecting Strip for Angled Ladder Privacy Screens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile privacy screens for emergency operations, such as traffic accidents and firefighting, face challenges in providing stability while minimizing space and weight, often requiring additional components that burden emergency vehicles and compromise stability for reduced size.
Innovation Solution
A connecting strip for ladders, designed to utilize standardized DIN EN 1147 ladders, which are already present in emergency vehicles, to create a stable privacy screen framework by connecting multiple ladders at adjustable angles, ensuring high stability and minimal additional space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile privacy screens use rigid frames with tarpaulins and mesh, then privacy coverage is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the privacy screen, acts as a standalone emergency tool, and utilizes existing emergency vehicle equipment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated privacy screen components, reducing device complexity while maintaining privacy coverage through the ladder-rung structure combined with tarpaulin.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the privacy screen structure with standard ladder components (stiles and rungs) that are already present in emergency vehicles. By combining these existing elements with simple connecting strips and tarpaulin, the solution achieves privacy coverage without requiring separate rigid frames, mesh, and dedicated screen components, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If mobile privacy screens are carried in emergency vehicles, then privacy screening capability is improved, but weight and space burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes ladders that are already standard equipment in emergency vehicles, effectively making the vehicle's existing equipment serve the additional function of privacy screening. Only minimal additional components (connecting strips and tarpaulin) need to be carried, dramatically reducing the weight and space burden compared to complete privacy screen systems while maintaining full privacy screening capability.
3Volume of moving object
If mobile privacy screens are made compact for vehicle storage, then space efficiency is improved, but stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder structure allows dynamic configuration - it can be assembled in various stable formations (A-frame, straight, angled) depending on the situation. The connecting strips enable the ladders to be joined at different angles, providing adaptability while maintaining stability. This dynamic assembly capability allows compact storage when disassembled while ensuring operational stability when assembled, resolving the contradiction between storage efficiency and stability.
4Ease of manufacture
If standardized DIN EN 1147 ladders are used, then ease of manufacture and availability are improved, but adaptability to different screen configurations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder is divided into modular components (stiles, rungs, sections) that can be independently connected using the connecting strips. This segmentation allows standardized ladders to be configured in multiple ways (single ladder, paired ladders, angled configurations) while maintaining the benefits of standardization. The modular connecting strips enable versatile arrangements without requiring custom-made ladders, thus preserving ease of manufacture while achieving configuration flexibility.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a connecting strip (1) for ladders for constructing a privacy screen, comprising the following: a strip-shaped base body (10), a first pair of supports arranged on the base body (10) and configured to receive a bottom section of the stiles of a first ladder, and a second pair of supports arranged on the base body (10) and configured to receive a bottom section or a section facing away from the ground of the stiles of a second ladder. The first and second pairs of supports are arranged such that the longitudinal axes of the two ladders are at an angle to each other other than 0° and 180°. By using a second connecting strip (1) with another first ladder and a privacy screen, a privacy screen element can be constructed quickly and easily.