One-Piece Guide Fitting with Integrated Studs for Telescopic Columns
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing telescopic element guiding systems for lifting devices in construction require manual positioning of fittings, leading to substantial assembly time and a high risk of fittings escaping, causing imbalance and potential loss during use.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of plastic guide fittings with integrated studs and cutouts that form a one-piece end piece, providing a secure locking mechanism without the need for extensive machining, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly while preventing escape from housings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual positioning of fittings is used, then assembly flexibility is maintained, but assembly time increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The fittings are pre-assembled into one-piece end pieces with integrated studs and cutouts before being installed on the telescopic profiles. This preliminary assembly prepares the components in optimal positions, eliminating the need for manual positioning during final assembly and substantially reducing assembly time while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple fittings are merged into a single one-piece end piece structure that integrates multiple studs and cutouts. This consolidation reduces the number of separate assembly operations required, allowing the entire assembly to be installed as one unit rather than positioning individual fittings separately, thereby reducing assembly time.
2Reliability
If fittings are arranged to overflow from internal walls, then guidance function is provided, but risk of fitting escape increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fittings are pre-configured with integrated studs that extend beyond the end pieces before installation. This preliminary configuration ensures that the studs are already positioned to engage with corresponding holes in the telescopic profiles, preventing any possibility of fitting escape during operation while maintaining the necessary guidance function.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates studs that protrude from the end pieces as a preventive measure against fitting escape. These studs act in advance to secure the fittings to the profiles, counteracting any forces that might cause the fittings to dislodge or escape during telescopic element movement and operation.
3Reliability
If clipping configurations are used for fixing, then anchoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing mechanism is merged into the one-piece end piece structure itself. The studs are integrated directly into the molded end piece rather than being separate clipping components. This integration maintains strong anchoring capability while simplifying the overall device structure by eliminating separate fixing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The studs are designed to automatically engage with the corresponding holes in the telescopic profiles during assembly. The fitting structure itself provides the fixing function through its integrated studs, eliminating the need for separate clipping configurations or additional fixing components, thereby reducing device complexity.
4Reliability
If extensive machining is performed on profiles, then fitting retention is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end pieces are designed to provide their own retention mechanism through integrated studs that engage with pre-existing holes in the telescopic profiles. The fittings themselves create the retention connection without requiring any additional machining or grooves to be cut into the profiles, thereby maintaining fitting retention while avoiding increased manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention function is extracted from the profile structure and transferred to the fitting structure. Instead of modifying the profiles with grooves or special features, the end pieces are designed with integrated studs that provide all necessary retention functionality, eliminating the need for extensive profile machining.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2a
Figure 3~3a
AI summary
The device comprises sets of two sub-assemblies (D1) (D2) of trims (11) (12) with a profile corresponding to the upper inner and lower outer profile of each telescopic element (1) (2) and (3) forming a one-piece end piece and comprising an inner (11b) and outer (12b) band to cooperate with the upper and lower front end edges in the inner cavity of said telescopic profile element for upper guidance and on the outside of said telescopic profile element for lower guidance, and in that the end piece constituting each trim is arranged on its inner band with cutouts (11d) and (12d) each receiving a pin (11e) and (12e) articulated and linked to said band to integrate and position itself by elastic deformation in the openings forming a housing established opposite each other on the upper and lower parts of the corresponding telescopic profile,and in that around these cutouts receiving studs, there is a support and guidance zone (11c) and (12c) for another profile.