Containment Berm Bracket Assembly for Foldable Sidewall Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containment berms face issues with bulky, rigid braces that are difficult to install, prone to loss, and require replacement of the entire berm when damaged, hindering storage and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A flexible containment berm with bracket assemblies comprising leg segments that engage pockets on the sidewalls and ground section, allowing for easy installation, secure retention, and easy replacement of individual components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid braces are permanently attached to the containment berm, then the braces are secured and available when needed, but the braces become a hindrance to compactly folding the containment berm for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assembly is divided into multiple separable components: a first bracket portion attached to the ground section and a second bracket portion attached to the sidewall. These segments can be independently folded during storage, allowing the containment berm to be compacted without the braces interfering with the folding process, while still providing structural support when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket assembly incorporates flexible or movable connections between its components, allowing it to transition between an extended configuration during use (providing structural support) and a compact configuration during storage (allowing the berm to fold). This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between maintaining brace availability and enabling compact storage.
2Strength
If rigid braces are used to maintain sidewalls in a raised position, then structural support is provided, but the braces become bulky and difficult to install
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assembly is segmented into multiple attachable components rather than a single rigid piece. This segmentation allows for simpler manufacturing of individual parts and easier installation, as the components can be attached separately to the ground section and sidewall without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket assembly incorporates flexible elements or thin-walled structures that can bend and adapt to the contours of the containment berm, reducing bulkiness while maintaining the necessary structural support for the sidewalls. This flexibility also simplifies installation by allowing the brackets to conform to the berm shape during assembly.
3Reliability
If the containment berm is designed with integrated braces, then the braces are always available, but replacing damaged braces requires replacing the entire containment berm
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assembly is designed as a segmented, modular system where the first bracket portion and second bracket portion can be independently attached and detached. This modular design allows damaged portions to be replaced individually without discarding the entire containment berm, significantly improving ease of repair while maintaining brace availability through the permanent attachment of undamaged components.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular bracket assembly enables selective replacement of only the damaged components while retaining and recovering the intact portions of the bracket system and the entire containment berm structure. This approach eliminates the need to discard the entire berm when braces are damaged, reducing waste and maintenance costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A containment berm having a flexible, substantially impermeable polymer material forming a ground section with a plurality of sidewalls extending upward from the ground section. A plurality of bracket assemblies are positioned on an external surface of the containment berm. Each of the bracket assemblies includes (i) a pair of first leg segments having first and second ends, the pair of first leg segments being joined by an end segment at their second ends; (ii) a pair of second leg segments having first and second ends, the pair of second leg segments being configured to allow relative movement between their second ends; and (iii) the pair of first leg segments and the pair of second leg segments being joined at their first ends in a substantially perpendicular configuration. One of either the pair of first or second of leg segments engages pockets on the sidewalls.