Diving Bell Lifting System for Underfloor Distributor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underfloor systems face operational reliability issues due to water infiltration into shafts during heavy rain or sewage backwater, which can damage or destroy the distributor equipment.
Innovation Solution
A lifting system incorporating a horizontally oriented diving bell that surrounds and protects the distributor, remaining in this position during movement in and out of the shaft, ensuring water cannot penetrate and contact the equipment, with mechanisms like telescopic systems or lifting forks for vertical movement and automatic cover operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the distributor is placed in an underground shaft for aesthetic and visual reasons, then the visual appearance is improved, but the risk of water damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
A diving bell is introduced as an intermediary protective element between the water-filled shaft environment and the distributor equipment. The diving bell maintains an air-filled protective chamber that prevents direct contact between water and the distributor, thereby eliminating water damage risk while preserving the underground aesthetic installation
2Ease of operation
If the diving bell is tilted or lifted off the distributor during movement, then the distributor becomes accessible for maintenance, but water can penetrate and contact the distributor
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting system is designed to dynamically adjust the vertical position of the distributor within the shaft while maintaining the diving bell's horizontal orientation. The distributor can be raised to accessible heights for maintenance operations, yet the diving bell's horizontal configuration ensures continuous water protection throughout the movement range
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the protection function (diving bell maintaining horizontal orientation) from the movement function (lifting system adjusting distributor height). This segmentation allows the distributor to be moved vertically for accessibility while the diving bell independently maintains its protective horizontal position
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The system (4) has a distributor (3) moving up or down and pushing a plunger (1). The plunger is arranged at a lower side of a shaft cover (2). The distributor is detached from the plunger and freely accessible when lower edge of the plunger reaches an upper edge of a shaft (5), through a telescopic function of the shaft cover with the plunger driven upwards. The shaft is made of plastic or stainless steel. The cover is linearly driven from the shaft, where the system moves in and out by spindle or hydraulic pressure.