Telescopic Crane Boom Profile for Higher Buckling Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing telescopic crane boom profiles face challenges in achieving high rigidity and buckling resistance across both vertical and horizontal axes, with previous designs often compromising on space efficiency and material distribution, leading to instability under various loads and increased risk of buckling.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates upper and lower profile parts with curved cross-sectional sections, featuring a combination of more outwardly curved and less outwardly curved segments with obliquely inclined end segments, which optimizes space usage and enhances rigidity, torsion resistance, and load-bearing capacity by distributing material further from the centroid and limiting buckling fields.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the upper cross-sectional part is designed with flat sheets and rounded corners, then manufacturing is simplified, but buckling resistance is significantly reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidbuckling resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature to the upper cross-sectional part by introducing outwardly curved shell segments instead of flat sheets. The curvature radius is specifically designed to be at least half the inner width of the cross-section, creating a rounded profile that inherently resists buckling while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled curvature rather than complex shaping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the upper cross-sectional part by defining specific curvature radii (at least half the inner width) and segment configurations. This parameter optimization balances buckling resistance with manufacturing simplicity, transforming the upper part from a vulnerable flat structure to a resilient curved structure without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the lower cross-sectional part is designed with outwardly curved shell segments, then flexural rigidity and buckling resistance are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebuckling resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the lower cross-sectional part into multiple outwardly curved shell segments rather than attempting to form the entire structure as a single complex piece. This segmentation allows each segment to be manufactured and assembled separately, reducing individual manufacturing complexity while achieving the overall buckling resistance through the cumulative effect of multiple curved elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If material is distributed further from the centroid to increase rigidity, then area moments of inertia increase, but space available for telescopic nesting is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproverigidityVSAvoidnesting space
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different curvature characteristics to different parts of the cross-section. The upper part has curvature radius of at least half the inner width, while the lower part has outwardly curved segments with potentially different radii. This local differentiation optimizes rigidity where needed while controlling overall dimensions for nesting compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates an asymmetric cross-sectional design where the upper and lower parts have different curvature characteristics and segment configurations. This asymmetry allows optimization of the upper part for buckling resistance with gentler curvature while the lower part can have more aggressive curvature for rigidity, achieving balance between strength and nesting space through non-uniform material distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP1840075B1Telescopic crane beam with greater and lesser curved profile segments in the upper and lower profile part
Publication Date: 2010.06.02 MANITOWOC CRANE GROUP FRANCE
  • EP1840075B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1840075B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1840075B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a telescopic crane boom section (1) with an upper profile section (10) and a lower profile section (20) having curved cross-sectional sections (12 to 19; 22 to 28), wherein the upper profile section (10) and the lower profile section (20) each have, on one side of the cross-section symmetrical to the vertical central plane (3), a less strongly outwardly curved segment (14, 24) and a more strongly outwardly curved segment (16, 26) starting from the connection point (2) of the profile sections (10, 20), and wherein the end segments (12, 22; 14, 24) adjoining each other at the connection point (2) extend obliquely outwards.