Fillable Equipment Mounting Pad for Wind Resistance and Theft Deterrence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing equipment pads for outdoor appliances are either impractical due to high cost, time-consuming installation, or insufficient weight to prevent tipping in high winds, and they often lack effective theft deterrence.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, cost-effective equipment mounting pad made from a hollow plastic shell filled with a gelling formulation that can be completely filled with water, combined with adjustable securing straps and anchoring systems to secure the pad to the ground, providing the necessary weight and stability against high winds and theft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If a poured concrete pad is used, then the pad provides sufficient weight to resist high winds, but the installation becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into a reusable rigid shell and a removable fill material component. The shell can be manufactured separately and reused across multiple installations, while the fill material (sand, water, or other granular materials) can be quickly added or removed as needed, eliminating the need for time-consuming concrete pouring and curing at each installation site.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad's weight can be adjusted by changing the fill material parameters - using sand for maximum weight, water for reduced weight, or other granular materials for intermediate weights. This allows the same shell structure to adapt to different wind resistance requirements without requiring different shell designs.
2Ease of operation
If a lightweight plastic pad is used, then the pad is easy to transport and install, but it lacks sufficient dead load to resist tipping in high winds
Solution Approach 1:
The fill material (sand, water, or granular materials) is nested inside the rigid plastic shell, creating a composite structure. The lightweight shell provides portability and structural integrity, while the nested fill material provides the necessary weight for wind resistance. The entire assembly can be transported disassembled and quickly assembled on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad combines a rigid plastic shell with dense fill materials (sand, water, or other granular materials) to create a composite structure that achieves both light portability and heavy weight. The plastic shell protects the fill material and provides structural framework, while the fill material provides mass for wind resistance.
3Weight of stationary object
If a foam-cored pad with concrete shell is used, then the pad provides sufficient weight, but it is prone to damage if dropped or mishandled
Solution Approach 1:
The pad uses a rigid but flexible plastic shell design that can withstand impact and dropping without cracking. The shell is engineered with appropriate wall thickness and reinforcement to absorb impact energy, protecting the fill material inside. This flexible shell approach is more damage-resistant than rigid concrete shells while maintaining the necessary weight.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional hardware is used to secure equipment to plastic pads, then the installation is simple, but the hardware is prone to pulling out of the plastic
Solution Approach 1:
The pad combines a rigid plastic shell with dense fill materials (sand, water, or granular materials) to create a composite structure that achieves both light portability and heavy weight. The plastic shell protects the fill material and provides structural framework, while the fill material provides mass for wind resistance.
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
The solution enables easy transportation and rapid installation of a pad that securely holds outdoor equipment in place during high winds and deters theft, meeting wind resistance requirements without the need for heavy concrete or internal support structures.
Implementation Method 1
A lightweight, cost-effective equipment mounting pad made from a hollow plastic shell filled with a gelling formulation that can be completely filled with water
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting pad system for securing equipment, such as an HVAC outdoor unit or a standby generator, is provided in the form of a lightweight fillable pad member having a plurality of receivers located on a top surface of the pad member. The receivers are associated with attachment points located on the equipment and are used to secure the equipment to the pad. The pad member contains a filling port on its top surface and is configured as a molded hollow shell containing a gelling material which, when mixed with water, provides support to reduce deflection of the pad member caused by the equipment secured to the pad, prevents damage to the pad that would otherwise be caused by the expansion of internal contents upon freezing and prevents leakage of internal contents of the fillable pad in the event of an unintended breach in the hollow shell. The pad member is provided with at least one through-hole that acts as a supporting structure.