Modular Gate Post Bearing Frame to Prevent Plate Slipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gate posts lack modularity and structural integrity, requiring multiple designs for support and free gate posts, leading to increased stock requirements and potential structural failure due to sideways slipping of plates.
Innovation Solution
A unified bearing frame design with integrally formed plates, featuring extruded side plates and folded front and back plates, secured by retention grooves and threaded fasteners, ensures rigidity and prevents sideways slipping, allowing for both support and free gate post functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a gate post is designed to support a closure member with sufficient strength, then structural strength is improved, but the gate post cannot accommodate functional components like parcel boxes
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing frame is divided into multiple plates (front plate, back plate, side plates) that are separately formed and then assembled together. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain strength through proper connection design while creating internal space for functional components like parcel boxes to be integrated within the frame structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Functional components such as parcel boxes are nested within the bearing frame structure itself. The bearing frame encloses the functional components while maintaining its load-bearing capability, allowing the gate post to simultaneously support the closure member and accommodate additional functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate designs are used for support gate posts and free gate posts to meet different functional requirements, then adaptability is improved, but stock requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing frame is designed as a universal component that can be used for both support gate posts and free gate posts. By making the bearing frame itself adjustable or configurable, a single design can serve multiple functions - supporting closure members when needed or standing independently as a free post, thereby reducing the number of different designs required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If areas of front and back plates are removed to provide space for parcel boxes, then adaptability is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates due to sideways slipping
Solution Approach 1:
Retention grooves are provided on the side plates before assembly to receive and secure the front and back plates. This preliminary provision of retention features ensures that when plates are connected, they are positively retained against sideways slipping, maintaining structural integrity even when plate areas are reduced to accommodate functional components.
Data Source
AI summary
A gate post extending in an upright direction and comprising a bearing frame (10) for supporting a gate. The bearing frame comprises: a gate facing side plate (6) and a free side plate (7) each having a front fastening rib (11) and a back fastening rib (12); and a front plate (8) and a back plate (9) which are fixed to the side plates by means of the fastening ribs. Tor each plate, there exists a plate segment extending in the upright direction uninterruptedly between the bottom end and the top end of the respective plate. This avoids that there are free areas that divide one of the plates into multiple individual elements which could negatively affect the rigidity of the bearing frame.