Integrated Ladder Fall Protection Rail for Stable Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladders with fall arrest rails require complex and labor-intensive retrofitting processes, compromising production effort, functional reliability, and ladder stability.
Innovation Solution
A ladder design with a fall protection rail integrated between stiles, permanently connected to rungs without welding, using a hollow profile with runner receiving rails and rung widenings for secure attachment, allowing for simplified manufacturing and enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fall protection rails are retrofitted to ladders after manufacturing using screw connections, then fall protection function is achieved, but production complexity and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fall protection rail is integrated into the ladder structure during the initial manufacturing process rather than being retrofitted later. The rail is inserted through rungs before the resin bonding agent sets, allowing the fall protection function to be built-in from the start and eliminating complex retrofitting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The fall protection rail is merged with the ladder structure by combining it with the rungs through resin bonding. This integration creates a unified structure where the rail and rungs become mechanically coupled, eliminating the need for separate retrofitting steps and reducing overall assembly complexity.
2Reliability
If fall protection rails are retrofitted using holding elements with screw connections, then fall protection is achieved, but production time and labor effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fall protection rail is installed during the ladder manufacturing process before the resin bonding agent cures. This preliminary action allows the rail to be positioned and secured while the bonding agent is still pliable, eliminating the need for time-consuming retrofitting operations and显著提高 production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex retrofittting process involving holding elements and screw connections is extracted and replaced by a simpler integration method. The rail is directly inserted through rungs and bonded with resin, removing unnecessary intermediate components and steps that previously reduced productivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If fall protection rails are integrated during ladder manufacturing, then production effort is reduced, but the connection stability between rail and rungs must be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The fall protection rail is inserted through the rungs before the resin bonding agent fully cures. This timing allows the resin to flow around and bond the rail to the rungs, creating a stable mechanical connection. Once the resin sets, the rail becomes firmly fixed to the ladder structure, ensuring connection stability while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
A resin bonding agent is used as an intermediary material to connect the fall protection rail to the rungs. The resin fills the spaces between the rail and rungs, creating a strong adhesive bond that ensures connection stability. This intermediary material allows for simple integration during manufacturing while maintaining robust mechanical connection.
4Strength
If rungs are widened in the region of fall protection rail attachment, then connection strength increases, but manufacturing complexity of individual rungs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rungs are widened only in the specific regions where the fall protection rail attaches, rather than throughout their entire length. This localized widening provides the necessary connection strength at the attachment points while maintaining the standard design and simplicity of the rung structure in other areas, thus minimizing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional dimensions of the rungs are changed locally at the attachment regions to provide increased strength. By modifying only the width parameter in specific zones where the rail contacts the rungs, the connection strength is enhanced without requiring fundamental changes to the overall rung design or structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a ladder with at least two stiles on the outside of the ladder and with a plurality of rungs connecting the stiles to one another. The ladder has at least one fall protection rail which is arranged between the stiles and extends in the longitudinal direction L of the ladder. The fall protection rail is permanently connected to at least one rung of the ladder.