Hollow Polymer Support Leg Assembly for Lightweight Material Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction materials like sheetrock and plasterboard, despite being lighter than traditional materials, pose a significant transportation and storage burden due to their weight and require improved load-bearing capacity and moisture resistance during packaging.
Innovation Solution
A composite load-bearing element for construction materials, such as plasterboard, composed of a hollow elongated leg with vertically oriented side walls and interconnect structures, supported by binding elements like plastic straps, forming a stack support assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If construction materials are packaged into large stacks or bundles, then transportation efficiency is improved, but the weight burden increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple individual support legs rather than a single solid block, allowing each leg to be optimized independently for strength-to-weight ratio while collectively providing the necessary support for stacked materials
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs incorporate hollow or porous internal structures that reduce the weight of the packaging components while maintaining sufficient load-bearing capacity through optimized wall thickness and internal geometry
2Weight of stationary object
If packaging weight is reduced to minimum, then transportation cost is improved, but load-bearing capacity must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure utilizes composite construction combining different materials or material densities in specific configurations to achieve optimal strength-to-weight ratio, where lighter materials are used in non-critical areas and heavier materials are concentrated in load-bearing zones
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs incorporate diagonal bracing and three-dimensional structural elements that distribute loads across multiple dimensions, allowing the structure to achieve higher load-bearing capacity without proportionally increasing weight
3Reliability
If packaging provides high moisture resistance, then material protection is improved, but packaging complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates thin film or shell-like protective layers that provide moisture barrier functionality without adding significant structural complexity, allowing the basic support geometry to remain simple while achieving the required protection level
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging structure is designed so that the same support legs and framing elements simultaneously provide mechanical support, moisture protection, and structural stability, eliminating the need for separate dedicated moisture barrier components
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Disclosed is stack support assembly. The stack support assembly includes at least one binding element to press and bind at least one support leg to a material stack; and at least one elongated and partially hollow support leg composed of a shaped polymer. The elongated and partially hollow support leg includes vertically oriented side walls connected to one another with a repeating pattern of interconnect structures, thereby forming hollowed channels extending between a top plane and a bottom, plane of the support leg.