Modular Guard Rail Connection for Impact Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Warehouses and similar facilities face collisions between stock-handling equipment and obstacles, leading to damage of both the equipment and obstacles, especially around corners, necessitating a protective barrier system that can absorb kinetic energy and maintain integrity during impacts.
Innovation Solution
A modular guard rail system with a rigid upright member, hollow plastic rail, and impact-absorbing connection, secured by fasteners, allowing for customizable and stress-tolerant installations tailored to specific environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective barrier system is installed to prevent collisions between stock-handling equipment and obstacles, then damage to equipment and obstacles is prevented, but the system complexity and installation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guard rail system is divided into modular components including upright members, rails, and base plates that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows for easier installation and maintenance while maintaining overall system reliability for protecting against collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines metal upright members and base plates with plastic rail components to create a composite structure. This composite approach provides both the strength needed for collision protection and the design flexibility needed for various installation configurations, balancing reliability with manageable complexity.
2Reliability
If the guard rail system is designed to absorb high kinetic energy from collisions, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the structural complexity and material requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is designed with features that allow it to absorb and dissipate impact energy before it reaches the upright member. This beforehand cushioning capability enables the system to handle high kinetic energy collisions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as the energy absorption function is built into the base mounting components.
3Strength
If the guard rail system uses rigid metal components for strength, then collision resistance is improved, but the ability to absorb impact energy through deformation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses metal upright members and base plates for structural strength and collision resistance, while incorporating plastic rail components that can deform to absorb impact energy. This composite material approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve high strength for resisting collisions and energy absorption through controlled deformation of the plastic components.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective barrier includes a rigid upright member including a post, a fitting having a housing with a first outer surface and a first inner surface. The housing includes a first hole extending from the first outer surface to the first inner surface; a first end, a second end and an inner chamber defined by the inner surface of the housing and extending from the first end to the second end; the first end having a flange sized and shaped for attachment to an outer surface of the rigid upright; at least one support member disposed within the inner chamber and extending from the first end toward the second end of the housing, the support member including a second hole. The protective barrier also comprises a hollow rail including a third end sized and shaped for being received within the inner chamber, the hollow plastic rail including a third hole; and a fastener extending through the first hole, second hole and third hole such that the hollow plastic rail is secured to the fitting.