An extendible enclosure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing enclosures for tools, equipment, and machinery are often bespoke and expensive, requiring separate cages for each device, which can be costly and obsolete when equipment is updated, posing safety risks if not replaced.
Innovation Solution
An extendible enclosure with a sliding mechanism allowing reversible extension between contracted and extended positions, featuring a first and second frame member with mesh canopies for universal fit, enabling air flow and visual inspection, and comprising a sliding mechanism with tubular members and locking mechanisms for adjustable size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bespoke cages are purchased for each piece of machinery, then safety is ensured, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is designed with extendible frame members that can be adjusted to different lengths, allowing a single enclosure design to safely enclose multiple different pieces of machinery of varying sizes. This universal design eliminates the need to purchase separate bespoke cages for each device, significantly reducing cost while maintaining safety standards.
2Reliability
If bespoke cages are purchased for each piece of machinery, then safety is ensured, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of managing multiple different enclosure designs for different machinery, the invention provides a single universal enclosure with adjustable frame members. This simplifies the overall system by reducing the variety of enclosure types needed while maintaining appropriate safety enclosures for each piece of machinery.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame members are designed to be extendible and adjustable, allowing the enclosure to dynamically adapt to different machinery sizes and configurations. This dynamic capability replaces the need for multiple static enclosure designs, reducing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the enclosure is extended to accommodate larger equipment, then versatility is improved, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The frame members incorporate locking mechanisms that allow the enclosure to be extended to different lengths while maintaining structural stability at each extended position. The locking mechanism ensures that once extended, the frame remains rigid and stable, preventing compromise of structural integrity while providing versatility.
4Volume of stationary object
If the second frame member nests within the first frame member, then storage space is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The second frame member is designed to nest within the first frame member when the enclosure is not in use. This nesting capability significantly reduces the storage volume required for the enclosure. The design incorporates guiding features and tolerances that ensure precise sliding engagement during extension and retraction, maintaining manufacturability while achieving compact storage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an extendible enclosure, comprising a first frame member supporting a first mesh canopy and a second frame member supporting a second mesh canopy. A sliding mechanism coupling the first frame member to the second frame member is operable to reversibly extend the enclosure between a first contracted position and a second extended position, wherein the first frame member is configured to slidingly engage with the second frame member so that the second frame member at least partially nests within the first frame member when in the first contracted position. The extendible enclosure is particularly suited for objects such as tools, equipment and machinery.