Gravity Actuated Crane Stop for Automatic Safety and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crane stops require user intervention or external power sources and can hinder crane assembly by preventing necessary movements, posing safety risks when not loaded.
Innovation Solution
A gravity-actuated stop assembly that automatically changes configurations based on orientation, using a weighted portion, lock arm, and latch mechanism to enable or disable interaction with crane members, allowing for safe operation and assembly without external power or user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stop member is installed to prevent crane component from moving into a particular orientation, then safety is improved, but the stop member may prevent necessary movements during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member is designed with a dynamic activation mechanism that changes its state based on operational conditions. During assembly, when the crane component is in a horizontal position, the stop member remains retracted and non-obstructive. When the crane component rotates to an operational inclined position, the stop member automatically activates to prevent unwanted movement, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and assembly ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop member's position and state are changed based on the orientation parameter of the crane component. By monitoring the angular position of the crane component, the stop member transitions from a retracted state during assembly to an extended blocking state during operation, allowing the system to adapt its safety function based on operational parameters.
2Reliability
If a stop member is always engaged to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but the stop member hinders crane assembly by preventing necessary movements
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member system is designed to be preliminarily configured in a retracted state that allows free movement during assembly. The activation mechanism is pre-set to automatically engage the stop member only when the crane component reaches its operational orientation, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex assembly procedures while maintaining safety.
3Reliability
If a conventional stop mechanism is used, then safety function is provided, but user intervention or external power source is required
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member system is designed to activate and deactivate automatically based on the crane component's orientation without requiring user intervention or external power sources. The mechanism uses the gravitational force and mechanical motion of the crane component itself to trigger the stop member's engagement and disengagement, making the system self-sufficient and fully automated.
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
Enables safe crane operation by automatically inhibiting undesirable orientations and facilitating assembly by disabling stops when not needed, ensuring safety and reducing assembly constraints.
Implementation Method 1
a gravity actuated mechanism disposed on the body. The gravity actuated mechanism has a first configuration in which gravity actuated mechanism disables the interface, and a second configuration in which the gravity actuated mechanism does not disable the interface, and the gravity actuated mechanism is automatically changeable from the first configuration to the second configuration as the body is moved from a first orientation relative to a horizontal plane to a second orientation relative to the horizontal plane
Data Source
AI summary
A gravity actuated crane stop for a crane is disclosed. The gravity actuated crane stop has a first connector at a first end configured to couple to a first crane member and an interface at a second end configured to interface with a second crane member. A gravity actuated mechanism is disposed on the body and has a first configuration in which gravity actuated mechanism disables the interface, and a second configuration in which the gravity actuated mechanism does not disable the interface. The gravity actuated mechanism is automatically changeable from the first configuration to the second configuration as the body is moved from a first orientation relative to a horizontal plane to a second orientation relative to the horizontal plane.