Foldable Ladder Connectors for Low-Friction Angle Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladders and scaffolding stairs face challenges in adjusting inclination angles and heights, leading to increased friction and wear between side supports and stair treads, making them laborious to fold and unfold.
Innovation Solution
A foldable and angularly adjustable ladder with rotatable stair treads and side supports, equipped with metal ring pieces at connectors to reduce friction and wear, and retractable assemblies for stability, allowing for easy adjustment and folding without special tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the ladder uses a direct contact structure between side supports and stair treads, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it causes increased friction and wear making folding laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces connectors as intermediary components between the side supports and stair treads. These connectors serve as mediators that eliminate direct contact between the side supports and stair treads, thereby reducing friction and wear while enabling smooth folding and unfolding operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If the ladder uses a direct contact structure between side supports and stair treads, then the structure is simple, but it causes increased wear between components
Solution Approach 1:
The connectors act as protective intermediaries that prevent direct contact and wear between the side supports and stair treads. This intermediary structure extends the service life of the ladder components by distributing contact forces and reducing friction-based degradation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the ladder is designed to be foldable with rotatable connections, then it becomes adaptable to various conditions, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connectors serve as versatile intermediary components that enable rotatable connections between side supports and stair treads. These connectors facilitate angular adjustment and adaptability to different working conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through standardized connection mechanisms.
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 ladder can be easily adjusted to various angles and heights, reducing friction and wear, making it simpler to fold and unfold, and extending its usage life.
Implementation Method 1
reduce a friction between the side supports and the stair treads
Implementation Method 2
two ends of each of the multiple stair treads are rotatably connected with the two side supports, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable and angularly adjustable ladder includes two side supports (1) and multiple stair treads (2). Two ends of each of the stair treads (2) are rotatably connected with the side supports (1), respectively. Each of the side supports (1) includes an upper pole (101) and a lower pole (102) parallel to the upper pole (101). Two foot covers (3) are disposed at a lower end of the side supports (1), respectively. Two upper poles (101) and two lower poles (102) are connected with two end surfaces of the each of the stair treads (2) through four connectors (4), respectively. Each of the connectors (4) is sleeved with a metal ring piece (5), one end of the metal ring piece (5) passes through one of the end surfaces of the each of the stair treads (2) and is located at an inner side of the each of the stair treads.