Telescopic Ladder Collar Asymmetry and Actuator Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior ladder assembly designs are unsatisfactory in terms of construction and practical use, particularly regarding storage and handling, due to awkward connector designs and the need for complex bolt systems, and they require users to hold both hands to operate the actuators, which does not account for stabilizing the ladder during collapse.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic ladder assembly with collar segments that extend at angles between 120 and 150 degrees, featuring slidable actuators centrally located on the rung for single-handed operation and enhanced grip, and connectors with triangular protrusions for improved clamping and stability, allowing for controlled and safe collapse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the collar segments are positioned at 180 degrees along the longitudinal axis of the rung, then the connector can accommodate the bolt and nut, but the design becomes awkward for storage and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The collar segments are repositioned from a symmetric 180-degree arrangement to an asymmetric angular arrangement (first collar segment at 120-150 degrees, second collar segment at complementary angle), creating a more compact configuration that improves storage and handling while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
2Reliability
If the actuators are mounted at the front of the rung in close proximity to the stile members, then safety is improved by preventing hand seizure, but the user cannot stabilize the ladder during collapse
Solution Approach 1:
An elongated recessed portion is introduced as an intermediary structural feature in the front wall, allowing the actuators to be positioned centrally rather than at the front edge. This recessed portion serves as the mediator that enables both safe actuator placement and improved user grip/stabilization during operation
3Ease of operation
If the actuators are positioned centrally on the rung, then single-handed operation is enabled and grip is improved, but the actuators may be vulnerable to damage from feet
Solution Approach 1:
The actuators are nested within the elongated recessed portion of the front wall, which provides protective enclosure. The recessed portion acts as a protective cavity that shields the actuators from external damage (such as foot impacts) while still allowing accessible operation from the front
4Device complexity
If the collar segments are positioned at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rung, then the connector design is simplified, but two bolts are required to clamp the collar
Solution Approach 1:
The collar segment arrangement transitions from a right-angle (90-degree) symmetric configuration to an asymmetric angular configuration (120-150 degrees and complementary angle), which simplifies the overall connector design while reducing the fastening requirements to a single bolt-nut assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A telescopically extendable and collapsible ladder assembly having at least three ladder sections with two tubular stile members arranged parallel to each other and interconnected at one end by a ladder rung to form a U-shaped ladder section. The ladder assembly comprises latch mechanisms being associated with actuators for locking the telescopically inserted stile members relative to one another when the ladder sections are extended. Each ladder section includes a connector at each end of a rung, the connector having first and second collar segments with spaced apart opposed ends. A fastener bridges the opposed ends of the collar segments for securely coupling the collar segments around the stile member. The first collar segment extends over an angle of between 120 and 150 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rung, whereas the second collar segment extends over a complementary angle.