Elevating Deck Safety Support Device with Automatic Gravity Reset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional elevating deck support devices require manual intervention or machinery to position and lower the elevating deck, leading to inefficiencies, increased labor, and potential safety hazards due to corrosion and mechanical failures.
Innovation Solution
An elevating deck safety support device that includes a fixed plate, fixing pieces, a deck stopper, lever fixing pieces, an operating lever, and torsion springs, allowing the device to automatically position and lower the elevating deck without manual assistance, while ensuring safe operation even with corroded components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual intervention or machinery is used to position and lower the elevating deck, then the deck can be positioned accurately, but labor requirements and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support device enables automatic operation through self-weight utilization. The deck stopper automatically rotates and positions itself using the weight of the elevating deck during upward movement, eliminating the need for manual wire pulling or external machinery to lower the deck. This self-service mechanism directly resolves the contradiction by making the system operate autonomously without increasing labor or time requirements.
2Device complexity
If the stopper is kept in the same posture for a long period, then structural simplicity is maintained, but corrosion occurs leading to malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The deck stopper is designed to dynamically change its posture during operation. It rotates from a horizontal position (when the deck is at the lowest floor) to a vertical position (when supporting the deck), and can rotate back automatically. This dynamic movement prevents prolonged exposure of any single surface to corrosive marine environments, thereby maintaining reliability without adding significant structural complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the wire connected to the stopper is pulled to lower the deck, then precise positioning is achieved, but the wire may be cut causing safety accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the wire-pulling mechanical system with a gravity-based automatic rotation system. Instead of using tensioned wires that can snap, the deck stopper utilizes the weight of the elevating deck itself to generate the rotational force needed for positioning and lowering. This substitution eliminates the harmful factor of wire failure while maintaining precise positioning capability through controlled gravitational action.
4Extent of automation
If the elevating deck moves up and pushes up the stoppers, then automatic positioning is achieved, but the stoppers must be manually reset to original position
Solution Approach 1:
The deck stopper operates through periodic cyclic motion. As the elevating deck moves up, the stopper rotates to a vertical position against the deck. When the deck stops or moves down, the stopper automatically rotates back to its original horizontal position through its own weight. This periodic automatic resetting eliminates manual intervention, achieving both automation and ease of operation simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables efficient and automated positioning and lowering of the elevating deck, reducing labor and time requirements, while minimizing safety risks through self-rotation mechanisms and tension springs that facilitate easy operation even with corroded parts.
Implementation Method 1
torsion springs located between the pair of lever fixing pieces and the operating lever to keep a posture of the operating lever
Implementation Method 2
torsion springs located between the pair of lever fixing pieces and the operating lever to keep a posture of the operating lever
Implementation Method 3
tension springs for connecting the base portion of the deck stopper and the operating point of the operating lever
Implementation Method 4
tension springs for connecting the base portion of the deck stopper and the operating point of the operating lever
Implementation Method 5
the elevating deck moves up from the lowest floor and pushes up the stoppers of the support devices, and if the elevating deck completely passes through the stoppers to allow the stoppers to be returned to their original position by means of gravity
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an elevating deck safety support device. The elevating deck safety support device according to the present invention includes a fixed plate located on a support structure along which an elevating deck moves up and down, a pair of fixing pieces protruding from the fixed plate in parallel to each other toward the elevating deck, a deck stopper located between the pair of fixing pieces in such a way as to be rotatably coupled to the pair of fixing pieces and having one end portion extending toward the elevating deck to form a base portion for supporting the elevating deck and the other end portion thereof coming into contact with the fixed plate to form a rotation limiting portion for limiting a downward rotation of the base portion, a pair of lever fixing pieces protruding from the fixed plate or the pair of fixing pieces, an operating lever having one end portion coming into contact with the elevating deck to create a force point to which a given force is transferred and the other end portion connected to the base portion of the deck stopper to create an operating point through which the deck stopper is pulled, a portion of the operating lever between the force point and the operating point being rotatably coupled to the pair of lever fixing pieces, and torsion springs located between the pair of lever fixing pieces and the operating lever to keep a posture of the operating lever.