Extendable Beam With Slots For Adjustable Lintel Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional masonry methods for creating openings, such as windows or doorways, rely on costly, single-use wood frames that require frequent installation and removal, causing disruptions and environmental concerns, and existing extendable lintels are limited in size adjustment and not environmentally friendly.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a U- or C-shaped metal housing with extendable members that can be forged, welded, or milled from a single piece of metal, allowing for adjustable length configurations to fit various opening sizes, using support members and retention elements like pins and slots for secure extension and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional wood frames are used to create openings, then the frames can be easily constructed and installed, but they are costly, single-use only, and require frequent installation and removal causing disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The beam incorporates extendable members that can be telescoped to adjust the beam length, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to different opening sizes. This allows the same beam to be reused for various span requirements without fabrication or modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam is designed as a universal support structure that can serve multiple functions: it can be adjusted to span different opening widths, reused across multiple installations, and accommodate various opening sizes by extending or retracting its members, eliminating the need for custom-built frames for each application.
2Manufacturing precision
If wood frames are used to create openings, then they can be constructed to fit specific dimensions, but they require cutting, fitting, and reworking until proper dimensions are achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The beam uses telescoping extendable members that can be adjusted to precise lengths by extending or retracting, eliminating the need for cutting and fitting operations. The adjustable mechanism allows for quick dimensional adjustment to match any opening size without material removal or rework.
3Adaptability or versatility
If extendable lintels are used to adjust opening sizes, then they can telescope from a single side, but they are limited in size adjustment range
Solution Approach 1:
The beam is divided into a central housing and two separate extendable members that can be independently extended or retracted. This segmentation allows the beam to achieve greater total adjustment range by extending from both sides simultaneously, effectively doubling the potential adjustment capability compared to single-side extension designs.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional frames are used, then they can be built to fit openings, but they leave rough finishings and limit access through the opening while in place
Solution Approach 1:
The extendable members can be retracted into the housing when not in use, creating a compact profile that does not protrude into the opening space. This dynamic retraction capability allows full access through the opening while maintaining precise dimensional fit when extended for support.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for traversing an opening of a construction element the system including a elongated housing with two extendable elements configured to reside at least partially within the housing. The extendable elements may extend beyond the housing and may include flanges or ledges which may engage the ends of a construction element, which may be a wall, and thus allow the system to traverse the opening of a construction element, such as a window or door. The system may allow a user to easily manipulate the system to fit a plurality of openings and reuse the system a countless number of times.