Ladder Frame With Stud Notches For Mast Socket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ladders used as bridges tend to bend under weight, requiring additional structural support like ropes and masts, which complicates quick assembly from kits of parts.
Innovation Solution
A frame with two sub-frames that attach to a ladder, forming a socket for a mast, with stud receiving notches to prevent rotation and support bars to transfer loads, allowing for easy assembly and stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ladders are used as bridges, then they can provide a simple structure, but they bend under weight and require additional structural support
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into two separate sub-frames that can be independently attached to the ladder. Each sub-frame has legs with stud receiving notches that engage with studs on the ladder, allowing the frame to be assembled from modular components that work together to provide structural support without requiring a complex monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The stud receiving notches act as intermediary elements between the frame legs and the ladder studs. These notches engage with the studs to locate and secure the sub-frames to the ladder, providing a simple yet effective connection mechanism that transfers loads without requiring complex fastening systems.
2Stability of the object's composition
If ropes and masts are added to stiffen the ladder, then the bridge becomes more stable, but the assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame components are pre-configured with integrated attachment features - the legs are formed with stud receiving notches that directly engage with studs on the ladder, and the sub-frames are designed to assemble into a complete frame structure before attachment. This preliminary preparation of attachment mechanisms allows for rapid on-site assembly without requiring time-consuming field modifications or complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame combines multiple functions into a single integrated structure: the two sub-frames form a socket for receiving a mast, provide structural stiffening through their geometric configuration, and include built-in attachment features for securing to the ladder. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate components for each purpose, reducing assembly steps and time.
3Manufacturing precision
If the frame uses stud receiving notches to limit rotation, then the attachment precision improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stud receiving notches are localized features positioned at specific locations on the frame legs where engagement with ladder studs occurs. This localized approach to precision - concentrating the precision requirement only at the attachment points rather than throughout the entire frame - allows for simple manufacturing of the frame body while achieving precise attachment through the strategically placed notches.
Solution Approach 2:
The stud receiving notches are asymmetric features that engage with corresponding asymmetric studs on the ladder. This asymmetric pairing provides inherent orientation guidance and limits rotation to the correct position, achieving precise attachment without requiring complex symmetric precision manufacturing. The asymmetry naturally guides assembly and ensures proper positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A frame releasably fixable to a ladder for attaching a mast to the ladder, the frame comprising two sub-frames, each sub-frame comprising two legs, each leg including a stud receiving notch and a support bar at one end thereof, the stud receiving notch for limiting rotation of the sub-frame relative to the ladder, with the frame in place on a ladder and the stud receiving notch engaged with a stud provided on the side of the ladder, the support bar for resting on a surface of the ladder, in use, the two sub-frames releasably attachable to one another at the other end thereof to form a socket for receiving the structural mast.