Modular Platform with Foldable Quad-Chord Trusses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular platforms for maintenance and construction lack the ability to increase load capacity without increasing weight, require complex installation processes, and are not easily deployable or collapsible, making them cumbersome and labor-intensive to set up and dismantle.
Innovation Solution
A modular platform system utilizing quad-chord trusses that are foldable for storage and transport, allowing for easy and quick assembly without heavy equipment, with a design that enables flexibility around obstacles and allows for single-person operation, featuring a sealed floor and adaptable structural components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the load capacity of a modular platform is increased, then the structural strength is improved, but the weight of the platform increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is divided into modular truss units that can be independently assembled and configured. Each truss unit is a self-contained structural element with standardized connection points, allowing the platform to achieve high load capacity through optimized modular assembly rather than increasing overall mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The truss structure utilizes composite construction combining different materials and structural forms (tubes, channels, solid bars) to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio. The quad-chord configuration with diagonal bracing creates a composite structural system that maximizes load-bearing efficiency while minimizing material usage.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the platform structure is made rigid and stable, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system transitions from permanent rigid joints to dynamic, reversible connections. Pins and connectors can be quickly inserted and removed, allowing the structure to be assembled and disassembled rapidly while maintaining rigid stability during use. The standardized connection interfaces enable tool-free or minimal-tool assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is segmented into modular truss units with standardized connection points. Each module is designed to be independently assembled and connected to adjacent modules through simple pin connections, enabling rapid deployment without requiring complex assembly procedures or heavy equipment.
3Ease of operation
If the platform is designed for easy storage and transport by being foldable, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The truss structure incorporates hinged connections that allow the rigid framework to be folded into a compact configuration for storage and transport. The same hinged joints that enable folding also provide rigid stability when the structure is assembled in its operational configuration, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable truss design allows structural members to be nested within each other during storage, with tubes and channels fitting inside one another in a compact arrangement. This nesting capability maximizes storage efficiency while maintaining the full structural integrity when deployed.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the platform uses standardized modular components, then the adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The platform employs universal connection interfaces and standardized dimensions across all truss components. The same pin holes, connection points, and interface geometries are used throughout the system, allowing components to be interchanged and reconfigured for different applications without requiring custom-manufactured parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is segmented into standardized modular components with predetermined connection points and dimensions. This segmentation into uniform modules simplifies manufacturing by allowing mass production of identical components, thereby reducing the actual precision requirements compared to custom-fitted parts.
Data Source
AI summary
A platform erected by adding an other platform portion to an existing platform portion, as illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 23, by holding a first other truss adjacent decking of the existing portion, connecting ends of sides of the first other truss and a first existing truss with a first pin, swinging the first other truss about the first pin, and connecting ends of other sides of the first other truss and first existing truss with a second pin. In order to similarly connect a second other truss to a second existing truss, the first pin is removed and the first other truss is swung out of the way. After the second other truss is connected to the second existing truss, the first other truss is swung back into position and the first pin re-inserted. Decking is applied to the first and second other trusses.