Movable Ladder Access Panel with Rung Cutouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety devices for ladders are not universally applicable and fail to effectively prevent access to all types of ladders, particularly those close to infrastructure or equipped with passive safety features, as they do not adequately hinder unauthorized use.
Innovation Solution
A panel is designed to be connected to a ladder, capable of being placed in two states - against or distant from the ladder's face, with a cross-section that includes cutouts to make rungs inaccessible, allowing for universal application across various ladder types, including those near infrastructure and inclined ladders, and can be manufactured from a flat metal sheet through folding or bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a panel is used to mask rungs of a ladder to prevent unauthorized access, then access control is improved, but the device is not universally applicable to all types of ladders particularly those close to infrastructure or equipped with passive safety features
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be positioned in different states (first state against the ladder face, second state distant from it). This dynamic capability enables the same panel to adapt to different ladder types and configurations, including those close to infrastructure or equipped with passive safety features, while maintaining reliable access control when in the first state
Solution Approach 2:
The panel includes cutouts that segment the continuous surface, creating specific passages for authorized rung access while blocking unauthorized access to other rungs. This segmentation allows the panel to be universally applicable by selectively opening access points based on the specific ladder configuration and safety requirements
2Reliability
If a panel is designed to be applied against the ladder face to block rungs, then unauthorized access is prevented, but the panel cannot be installed on ladders close to infrastructure due to insufficient space
Solution Approach 1:
The panel's ability to move between a first state (applied against the ladder face) and a second state (distant from the ladder face) resolves the space constraint issue. When installed on ladders close to infrastructure, the panel can be positioned in the second state during installation, then moved to the first state to provide reliable access prevention, accommodating limited installation space while maintaining security effectiveness
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple panel structure is used for access control, then manufacturing is simplified, but the device lacks the sophistication needed for complex locking mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The simple panel structure is designed with universal compatibility, enabling it to function both as a standalone access control device and as an integrated component of more sophisticated locking systems. The panel's basic design with cutouts provides inherent access control, while its standardized interface and movable capability allow it to be incorporated into complex locking mechanisms, normal locks, or other advanced security systems without requiring redesign
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4a
Figure 4b~4e
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for the controlled access to an upper area, having a ladder (1) with transverse rungs (3) and longitudinal uprights (1a, 1b), which is flat with a mean plane (P), extending between a lower area that is freely accessible to a user and said upper area, a means for hindering or preventing the use of at least some of the rungs of this ladder, formed by an elongate panel (4), and means for connecting the latter to the ladder, which make it possible to place the panel (4), in a first state, pressed against a face of the ladder (1) and, in a second state, away from this face of the ladder, characterized in that said panel (4) is designed so as to have a running section, transverse to its major axis, at least a central part (4a) of which crosses the mean plane (P) of the ladder, and to have cutouts (5) in this central part (4a) for each rung (3) to pass through, when the panel (4) is in its first state.