Flush Floor Secure Box Assembly with Powered Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trap doors in urban multistory homes are difficult to use and aesthetically unpleasing, often leading homeowners to cover them with furniture or rugs, thereby reducing the utilization of lower levels such as basements or cellars.
Innovation Solution
A secure box assembly for a floor structure, which includes a frame body coupled between joists, a door with a hinge assembly and powered arm for easy operation, and a cover layer to match the floor surface, allowing for secure and hidden access to lower levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional trap door with ladder or shortened staircase is used, then access to the lower level is provided, but the appearance is unattractive and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The trap door system is divided into multiple segments: a main door panel, a hinge assembly with multiple hinges, and a powered arm mechanism. This segmentation allows the door to pivot smoothly while maintaining a flush appearance when closed, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual operation of traditional trap doors is replaced with an automated powered arm mechanism that includes a motor and hydraulic piston. This substitution eliminates the need for manual lifting and maneuvering, significantly improving ease of operation while keeping the door外观 aesthetically pleasing when closed.
2Shape
If trap doors are covered with furniture or rugs, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but access to the lower level becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The powered arm mechanism automatically opens the door when activation is detected, eliminating the need for users to manually pull back rugs or move furniture. The system serves itself by detecting the need for access and automatically providing it, resolving the contradiction between maintaining aesthetic appearance and ensuring accessibility.
3Ease of operation
If a powered arm mechanism is added to the trap door, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The powered arm mechanism is nested within the cavity of the trap door assembly. The motor, hydraulic piston, and arm components are compactly arranged within the existing door structure, minimizing additional space requirements and reducing the apparent complexity of the overall system while still providing automated operation.
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 secure box assembly provides a secure, aesthetically pleasing, and easily accessible means to utilize lower levels of homes, enhancing functionality and reducing the need for external access.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one powered arm may comprise a hydraulic piston configured to operate in an extended state in the open state, and a retracted state in the closed state
Implementation Method 2
The at least one powered arm may comprise a motor configured to switch the hydraulic piston between the extended state and the retracted state
Data Source
AI summary
A secure box assembly for a floor structure may include a frame body coupled between joists within the floor structure and defining a cavity therein, an uppermost portion of the frame body being aligned with an upper surface of the floor structure. The secure box assembly may also include a door having a first major surface facing the cavity of the frame body and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, a hinge assembly coupled between the frame body and the first major surface, and a powered arm coupled between the frame body and the first major surface and configured to pivot the door between an open state and a closed state. The door may be flat and flush with the upper surface of the floor structure in the closed state.