Fillable Equipment Pad for Wind-Stable Outdoor Unit Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional equipment pads for outdoor appliances are either impractical due to high cost, time-consuming installation, or inadequate weight to prevent tipping and theft, especially in high winds, and often require additional support structures that increase complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, hollow plastic equipment pad with adjustable securing straps and threaded inserts, filled with water and a super absorbent polymer to provide weight and stability, which can be easily transported and installed, and optionally anchored to the ground for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If poured concrete pads are used, then stability and weight are improved, but installation time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into separate components: a pre-formed plastic shell and removable ballast material. This allows the pad to be manufactured and transported efficiently, then assembled quickly on-site by simply filling the shell with ballast, eliminating the time-consuming processes of mixing, pouring, and curing concrete.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic shell is pre-formed and prepared in advance with integrated features such as mounting surfaces, anchor holes, and reinforcement structures. This preliminary preparation eliminates on-site construction steps and enables rapid installation by simply adding ballast material.
2Ease of operation
If foam interior pads are used, then ease of handling is improved, but stability in high winds deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pad's weight parameter is made adjustable through removable ballast material, allowing the same shell to be optimized for different wind conditions and equipment weights. The shell itself is designed with appropriate thickness and reinforcement to maintain structural integrity while remaining handleable.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad combines a rigid plastic shell with dense ballast material (such as iron shot or concrete) to create a composite structure that achieves both handleability and wind resistance. The shell provides structural framework and weather resistance, while the ballast provides the necessary weight for stability.
3Ease of operation
If thin concrete skin pads are used, then ease of handling is improved, but security against theft and tipping deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pad concentrates strength where needed: the plastic shell includes integrated reinforcement ribs, thickened mounting surfaces, and anchor holes with threaded inserts or heavy-duty fastening features. The ballast material provides concentrated weight at the base to prevent tipping, while the overall structure remains compact and handleable.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of rigid plastic shell with dense ballast creates a composite structure where the shell provides structural integrity and mounting surfaces, while the ballast provides the necessary weight and inertia to resist theft and tipping attempts.
4Reliability
If additional support structures are added, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pad integrates multiple functions into a single structure: the plastic shell serves as both the structural framework and the mounting surface for equipment, while also incorporating anchor holes, reinforcement ribs, and drainage features. The ballast material serves both as weight for stability and as a simple fill operation during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad design is universally applicable to various equipment types and sizes through adjustable ballast quantity and integrated mounting features. The same basic structure serves multiple purposes: structural support, weather protection, anchoring, drainage, and equipment mounting, eliminating the need for separate support structures.
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 provides a cost-effective, easily transportable, and secure equipment mounting system that prevents tipping and theft, even in high winds, without the need for additional support structures, while maintaining the integrity of waterproof roofing systems.
Implementation Method 1
filled with water and a super absorbent polymer to provide weight and stability
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.