Cuboid Hoarding Block with Indented Bracket Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hoarding systems, primarily made of timber and plywood, are unsustainable as they require cutting down trees and often end up in landfills after use, lacking a closed-loop recycling option and contributing to environmental harm.
Innovation Solution
A hoarding system composed of steel, concrete, and recyclable uPVC, featuring a cuboid block design with adjustable post brackets and a modular structure, allowing for repeated use and reuse of materials, eliminating the need for timber and plywood, and incorporating features like uPVC panels that can be easily recycled and reused.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional timber and plywood hoarding is used, then the hoarding system is simple to manufacture and install, but it requires cutting down trees and ends up in landfills after use, causing environmental harm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from traditional timber and plywood to a composite system of concrete blocks, steel posts, and uPVC panels. This material substitution maintains manufacturability while eliminating environmental harm through recyclability and reuse capability, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and environmental harm
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a recovery system where uPVC panels and steel components are designed for easy disassembly and recycling. The concrete blocks serve as permanent infrastructure while other materials are recovered and reused, transforming the linear dispose model into a circular economy approach that eliminates landfill waste
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional timber hoarding is used, then the initial construction is straightforward, but the materials cannot be reused and must be scrapped after use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hoarding system into distinct modular components: concrete blocks, steel posts, and uPVC panels. This segmentation allows individual components to be disassembled, reused, or replaced independently, enabling multiple reuse cycles while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized modular units
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic connectivity through adjustable steel posts and removable panel connections. The system transitions from fixed timber construction to a dynamic, reconfigurable structure where components can be easily assembled, disassembled, and repositioned for continuous reuse across different projects
3Reliability
If in-ground hoarding with concrete posts is used, then the hoarding is stable and secure, but it requires digging holes and pouring concrete, increasing installation time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-casting concrete blocks with integrated post mounting features and pre-fabricating steel posts with connection hardware. This eliminates the need for on-site concrete pouring and hole digging, reducing installation complexity while maintaining the stability benefits of concrete anchoring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces steel posts as intermediary elements that connect the concrete blocks to the uPVC panels. These standardized steel connectors simplify the connection process compared to direct concrete-to-wood connections, reducing installation complexity while ensuring structural stability through proven connection mechanisms
Data Source
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AI summary
A substantially cuboid block for supporting a hoarding system comprises a body having a length being a distance between a first set of two parallel planes at a front and back of the body, a width being a distance between a second set of two parallel planes defined at first and second sides of the body, each plane of the second set being substantially perpendicular to the planes of the first set, a height being a distance between a third set of two parallel planes defined at a top and bottom surfaces of the body, each plane of the third set being substantially perpendicular to the planes of the first and second sets, the body having a substantially cuboid void, an edge of the void corresponding with an edge between the first side and the front of the body thereby providing an indented front surface and an indented first side surface. An elongate channel is located in the top half of the indented front surface substantially parallel with the third set of two parallel planes. In use, the channel receives one or more fixings to secure a first post bracket. Two sockets are provided in the bottom half of the indented front surface below the channel and substantially equidistant from the channel. In use, the sockets receive fixings to secure a second post bracket. The post brackets enable a post to be fixed to the block and orientated vertically.