Elevated Work Platform with Self-Closing Safety Cage to Prevent Falls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ladders provide inadequate stability and safety when used at elevated heights, often requiring users to tie off or wear harnesses, which can be cumbersome and inefficient, and users may climb beyond recommended heights, making the ladder unstable.
Innovation Solution
An elevated work platform with a rail assembly, platform, and safety cage that provides a large surface area for users to stand on, featuring adjustable rail assemblies, pulley systems, and retractable wheels, along with a safety enclosure that includes gates that automatically close and prevent users from falling, eliminating the need for tie-offs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If users climb higher on a ladder than recommended to reach elevated locations, then access to higher areas is improved, but ladder stability deteriorates and safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder system transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one with adjustable height. The telescoping rails allow the ladder to be extended to different heights based on work requirements, while maintaining stability at each configured height through locking mechanisms and brace structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds vertical dimensionality to the ladder structure through telescoping rails that extend in the vertical direction. This allows the ladder to reach higher elevations while maintaining a stable base footprint, effectively separating the reach height from the base stability.
2Ease of operation
If conventional ladders are used without additional safety measures, then ease of operation is improved, but safety and security deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder incorporates built-in safety features including handholds, guardrails, and anti-slip rungs that provide protection before a fall can occur. These features are integrated into the ladder structure itself, providing safety cushioning without requiring additional equipment or complex procedures.
3Length of moving object
If ladders are designed for maximum height reach, then access capability is improved, but structural complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder is divided into segmented telescoping rails that can extend and retract. This segmentation allows the ladder to achieve greater heights by stacking multiple rail sections, while each individual section remains manageable in size and weight. The modular design also simplifies storage and transport.
Data Source
AI summary
Elevated work platforms, as well as associated methods, are provided. In one particular embodiment, an elevated platform apparatus is provided comprising a first rail assembly having a pair of rails coupled with a plurality of rungs, a second rail assembly hingedly coupled with the first rail assembly, a platform configured to rest upon a portion of the first rail assembly and the second rails assembly and a cage associated with the platform. The cage may include at least one bar and at least one gate, the at least one gate being configured to swing in a first direction upon a user stepping on to the platform from the first rail assembly, and then swing back to a closed position after the user is standing on the platform. The at least one gate is also limited from being displaced in a second direction, opposite the first direction, beyond the closed position.