Gangway Corner Panel Membrane for Leak-Proof Bellows Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gangways face impermeability issues due to gas or liquid entering through connections between membrane strips and are difficult to assemble due to the need for crimping profiles, which increases the risk of leaks and complicates the assembly process.
Innovation Solution
A corner panel membrane for a bellows membrane that is designed to be made from a single, continuous material with thicker and slimmer sections, allowing for easier bending around corners and reducing the number of connections, thereby enhancing gas and liquid tightness and simplifying assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bellows membrane is made up of multiple membrane strips connected by crimping profiles, then the gangway can be assembled from separate components, but gas or liquid can enter through the connections between strips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate membrane strips into a single continuous bellows membrane that extends along the entire gangway. This eliminates the crimping profiles and connections between strips, thereby preventing gas or liquid from entering through connection points while maintaining the modular assembly capability through the single membrane structure
2Ease of operation
If multiple membrane strips are connected by crimping profiles, then the gangway can be assembled from separate components, but the assembly process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple membrane strips into one continuous bellows membrane, eliminating the need for crimping profiles and multiple connection points. This significantly simplifies the assembly process as the single membrane can be installed as one piece rather than assembling multiple separate components with connections
3Ease of manufacture
If the bellows membrane uses standard flat strips, then manufacturing is simple, but it is difficult to bend around corners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating thicker sections at specific locations (attachment sections and corner areas) of the bellows membrane while maintaining thinner sections in other areas. The thicker sections provide the necessary structural integrity and flexibility to bend around corners and attach to the gangway structure, while the overall membrane remains manufacturable as a single continuous piece
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a corner panel membrane (2) for a bellows membrane (1) for a gangway whereby the corner panel membrane (2) has at least one attachment section (5) for attaching the corner panel membrane (2) to a supporting structure of the gangway, within the attachment section (5) the corner panel membrane (2) has a spine section (6) extending in a longitudinal direction and thicker sections (7) of a first thickness that border the spine section (6) and propagate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spine (6) and slimmer sections (8) of a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness, whereby the slimmer sections (8) also propagate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spine (6), whereby the widths of the thicker section (7), which is understood to be the extend of the thicker section (7) in the direction of the longitudinal direction of the spine (6), is larger closer to the spine (6) than further away from the spine (6).