Hinged Mold for Concrete Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current forms used to shape pre-formed concrete elements are time-consuming to create, break down, and rebuild, leading to increased material wear and costs, as they require frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
A hinged mold design featuring a casting bed, liner, frame, and side-panel members with hinges and hold-down collars, allowing for easy assembly, concrete pouring, and efficient disassembly without breaking the frame, enabling faster fabrication and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional nailed or screwed wooden frames are used, then the form can be assembled, but it requires frequent replacement due to mechanical wear and is time-consuming to break apart and recreate
Solution Approach 1:
The form is divided into multiple side-panel members that can be independently hinged to the frame. Each panel can be separately opened and removed, allowing the concrete element to be accessed without breaking the entire frame structure. This segmentation enables rapid disassembly and reuse of the frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The side-panel members are made movable through hinge connections instead of being fixed to the frame. This dynamic design allows the panels to rotate between a closed position (for forming) and an open position (for removal), eliminating the need to break the frame apart after use.
2Strength
If traditional nailed or screwed wooden frames are used, then the form provides structural integrity, but mechanical wear requires frequent replacement increasing monetary cost
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is separated from the side panels through hinge connections, allowing the frame to remain intact and reusable while the panels can be replaced if needed. This segmentation protects the expensive frame structure from the mechanical wear that would otherwise affect the entire assembled form.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the frame to be recovered and reused multiple times while side-panel members can be discarded or replaced as needed. The hinge connection enables the frame to be separated from worn panels, recovering the valuable frame structure for continued use.
3Productivity
If the form requires breaking apart to release the concrete element, then the concrete can be removed, but the process is time-consuming and causes mechanical wear
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged side panels can be rapidly opened by rotating about the hinge connection, allowing the concrete element to be accessed and removed quickly. This dynamic opening mechanism eliminates the time-consuming process of breaking apart traditional nailed frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge connection provides a uniform and consistent method for assembling and disassembling the form. Each side panel connects to the frame through the same hinge mechanism, creating a homogeneous assembly process that is both simple and rapid.
Data Source
AI summary
The concepts disclosed herein provide for a concrete mold that improves upon existing concrete molds known in the art. The hinged side-panel members that are locked to a hold-down frame allow for the mold to cure a concrete member, and then allow the concrete member to be removed without the need to break-down the frame surrounding the concrete member. During the pouring and ensuing curing process of the concrete member, the hinged side-panel members are secured to the hold-down frame and to each other in order to hold the concrete in the mold. Once the concrete is cured, the hinged side-panel members may be unlocked and opened quickly, allowing for expedient removal of the concrete member. After closing and re-locking the hinged side-panel members, the mold may be reused to cure another concrete member without the need to rebuild the frame around the mold.