Extendable Level With Modular Retainer Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional levels in construction lack adjustability and ease of engagement with spaced-apart construction components, making it difficult to ensure accurate positioning of components like wall sections during construction.
Innovation Solution
An extendable level with a modular retainer assembly that includes a retainer pin and brake shoe mechanism, allowing the extension member to be securely locked at predetermined positions, facilitating easy extension and retraction for quick engagement with wall plates, and featuring a biasing arrangement to maintain the extension member's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional fixed-length level is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be adjusted to different lengths for engaging spaced-apart construction components
Solution Approach 1:
The level is divided into a base frame component and an extendable frame component that can be telescopically extended or retracted. This segmentation allows the level to adjust its length by extending the extendable frame component between spaced-apart construction components, providing adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The extendable frame component is made dynamically adjustable, allowing it to be extended or retracted as needed. The retainer mechanism enables dynamic locking at various extension positions, transforming a static fixed-length structure into a dynamic adjustable one that adapts to different construction spacing requirements.
2Reliability
If an extendable mechanism with retainer is used, then the extension member can be securely locked, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through a spring-loaded pin that automatically engages with notches on the extension member when the extension is pulled out to a desired length. The spring provides the locking force, and the geometry of the pin and notches ensures automatic engagement without requiring additional actuators or complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded pin acts as an intermediary element between the extension member and the base frame. It mediates the locking function by translating the linear motion of extension into automatic engagement with the notched surface, providing secure locking while simplifying the overall mechanism through this single intermediary component.
3Ease of operation
If manual force is required to hold the extension member, then the mechanism is simpler, but it requires continuous user attention and force to maintain position
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded retainer mechanism serves itself by automatically maintaining the extension member in the locked position through the spring force. Once the extension is pulled to the desired length, the spring automatically engages the pin with the appropriate notch, and the spring continues to exert force to maintain this position without any user intervention or additional force required.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring provides a counteracting force that opposes the tendency of the extension member to move or slip. This elastic counterforce automatically balances any external forces trying to change the extension position, eliminating the need for continuous manual force to maintain the extended state.
4Productivity
If a modular retainer assembly is used, then the level facilitates quick engagement with wall plates, but the assembly structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer mechanism is designed as a modular assembly with distinct components including the spring-loaded pin, notched extension member, and base frame elements. This segmentation allows for quick assembly and disassembly of the entire retainer assembly as a unit, enabling rapid engagement with different wall plate configurations while maintaining organized internal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular retainer assembly is designed to be universally applicable to various construction scenarios. The extendable frame component with its adjustable length and the notched locking mechanism can engage with different spaced-apart components (such as various wall plate configurations), providing multi-functionality that increases productivity across different construction tasks.
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
Enables quick and accurate positioning of construction components by allowing adjustable length settings, ensuring ease of use and facilitating precise alignment with various wall heights, while maintaining the extension member's position securely without manual force.
Implementation Method 1
The modular retainer assembly may include a biasing arrangement that biases the retainer pin toward the extended position
Data Source
AI summary
An extendable level includes a base frame having an internal passage, an extension member positioned within the internal passage and movable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the frame, and a retainer mechanism for securing the extension member in position relative to the frame. The retainer mechanism is in the form of a modular retainer assembly that can be assembled as a unit to the base frame. The retainer mechanism includes a positioning arrangement that is configured to prevent movement of the extension member relative to the frame at predetermined positions of the extension member relative to the frame via a first engagement arrangement, and is further configured to resist movement of the extension member relative to the base frame at locations between the predetermined positions via a second engagement arrangement.