Elevated Flooring Saddle Beam Alignment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional modular tent and deck support structures are difficult to assemble and disassemble due to their complex configurations and large number of pieces, making them cumbersome and time-consuming to set up and take down.
Innovation Solution
An elevated flooring system featuring support beams with alignment passages and saddles with alignment posts, allowing for easy alignment and secure locking of the beams, along with a simplified design that reduces the number of parts and facilitates assembly and disassembly, including a method for installing support beams on saddles and securing them with fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional modular tent and deck support structures use multiple pieces and complex configurations to provide sturdiness, then structural strength is improved, but assembly and disassembly difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple support components into integrated units. The support post integrates the vertical support function with the alignment feature (protrusion) and the horizontal support beam integrates the spanning function with the connection interfaces (recesses and alignment features). This merging reduces the number of separate pieces from several components per joint to fewer integrated elements, directly addressing the contradiction by maintaining structural strength through integration while simplifying assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The support posts and beams are designed as multi-functional elements. Each support post serves simultaneously as a vertical support, an alignment reference (with protrusions), and a connection point for multiple beams. Each beam serves as a horizontal spanner, a connection element, and an alignment guide (with recesses and protrusions). This multi-functionality allows the structure to maintain strength with fewer components, reducing assembly complexity while preserving structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional structures use a large number of pieces to ensure stability, then structural stability is improved, but the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into fewer components. Instead of using separate alignment pins, connection plates, and support elements, the design integrates alignment protrusions directly onto the support posts and beams, combining the alignment function with the support function. This reduces the total number of parts while maintaining stability through the integrated multi-functional elements.
Solution Approach 2:
Each support post and beam is designed as a universal element that performs multiple functions simultaneously. The support posts provide vertical support, alignment references, and connection points. The beams provide horizontal spanning, connection interfaces, and alignment guidance. This universality allows the structure to achieve stability with a reduced quantity of parts, as each component contributes to multiple structural requirements.
3Strength
If conventional structures use complex configurations to ensure sturdiness, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple structural functions into integrated support elements. The alignment protrusions and connection recesses are built into the support posts and beams themselves, eliminating the need for separate alignment mechanisms and connection hardware. This merging reduces configuration complexity while maintaining structural strength through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support posts and beams are designed as universal multi-functional elements that simultaneously provide support, alignment, and connection capabilities. This universality simplifies the overall configuration by using standardized elements throughout the structure, reducing the variety of different components needed while maintaining structural strength through consistent, multi-purpose elements.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevated flooring system having plurality of beams configured to support a respective portion of at least one flooring panel, and at least one saddle configured to support the at least one of the beams. The saddle has a generally horizontally oriented base plate with an alignment post extending generally vertically upwardly from the base plate. The beam has an alignment passage extending through a portion of the bottom of a first end of the beam, wherein the alignment passage is configured to receive a portion of the alignment post of the saddle such that a portion of the beam rests on a portion of the base plate. A method of installing the elevated flooring system includes lowering a first beam and a second beam onto the alignment post of a saddle such that respective portions of the alignment post are received by the alignment passage of the first beam and the alignment passage of the second beam.