Foldable Safety Ladder With Pivoted Supports for Stable Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladders are unsafe due to slippage and ergonomic issues, and require large space when not in use.
Innovation Solution
A safety ladder with pivotally connected support rods and step members that can be folded for storage, ensuring stability and safety during use and minimizing space occupation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ladder is placed in an inclined position to improve safety and ergonomics, then safety and comfort are improved, but the space occupied increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder employs dynamic support rods that can pivot between oblique and perpendicular positions. During use, the support rods stand oblique to provide stable inclined positioning for safe climbing. During storage, the support rods can be moved to a perpendicular position to minimize space occupation, thus resolving the contradiction between safety during use and space efficiency during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The ladder is divided into modular components including support assemblies with pivot connections. This segmentation allows the ladder to be folded and reconfigured, enabling it to transition between an inclined operational state for safety and a compact storage state that occupies minimal space.
2Ease of manufacture
If round tubular step members are used in existing ladders, then manufacturing is simple, but slippage occurs and ergonomics are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The step members feature localized quality variations with grooves or ridges on their upper surfaces. These local structural modifications increase friction and prevent slippage where needed, while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity. The local quality enhancement addresses the slippage issue without requiring complete redesign of the entire ladder structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ladder is fixed directly to a vertical wall, then installation is simple, but the center of gravity falls backward and ergonomics are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The support rods are designed with pivot connections that allow dynamic adjustment of the ladder's angle and position. This dynamic capability enables the ladder to achieve an optimal ergonomic angle during use, improving comfort and safety while maintaining simple installation through the pivot mechanism.
4Area of stationary object
If the ladder structure is made foldable to save space, then storage efficiency is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder is segmented into modular support assemblies connected by pivot joints. This segmentation enables folding capability for compact storage while keeping individual components relatively simple. The modular design allows the structure to be folded without requiring complex mechanisms, thus balancing storage efficiency with structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety ladder for mounting between a support surface and a ground surface includes two support assemblies and parallel step members pivoted between the support assemblies. Each support assembly includes first and second support rods each having upper and lower ends. The upper ends of the first support rods of the support assemblies are configured to be pivoted to the support surface. The safety ladder is movable between a use position, in which the lower ends of the first and second support rods of the support assemblies are adapted to simultaneously contact the ground surface, and a storage position, in which the first and second support rods stand substantially perpendicular relative to the ground surface.