Locking Pipe Frame Assembly for Reusable Pipe Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipe frames or crates for transporting cylindrical pipes are prone to failure due to weak wooden slats, requiring additional plastic strapping, and lack of structural integrity, posing safety risks during transit.
Innovation Solution
A pipe frame with tubular frame members connected by transverse leg formations and locking arrangements, providing a strong, reusable, and easily assembled structure for holding pipes together during storage and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional wooden slats are used to form pipe frames, then the frames can be easily manufactured, but the structural strength and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional wood to engineered timber products (LVL, GLULAM, PSL) with superior mechanical properties. These engineered materials maintain ease of manufacture through standardized production processes while providing significantly enhanced structural strength, stiffness, and reliability for pipe frame construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite engineered timber materials that combine multiple wood layers or strands bonded with adhesives under controlled conditions. This creates a composite structure with optimized grain orientation and distribution, resulting in frames that are both easy to manufacture through standardized processes and possess superior structural strength compared to conventional solid wood.
2Ease of operation
If conventional nailed joints are used to connect frame members, then the assembly process is simple, but the joint strength is not assured and additional plastic strapping is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connection function into two distinct components: mechanical fastening (through bolts, screws, or metal connectors) providing immediate structural strength, and metal strapping providing supplemental reinforcement. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while maintaining overall assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metal connectors (such as gusset plates, angle brackets, or specialized joint connectors) as intermediary elements between frame members. These intermediaries provide reliable mechanical attachment points that enhance joint strength without complicating the assembly process, as the connectors are designed for straightforward installation.
3Quantity of substance
If wooden slats are used for pipe frames, then the initial manufacturing cost is low, but the frames are discarded after single use and lack reusability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a recovery system where engineered timber frame members and metal components are collected, inspected, and refurbished for repeated use. The durable engineered timber and metal materials withstand multiple assembly-disassembly cycles, and the framework enables systematic recovery and reuse, transforming single-use disposable frames into reusable assets that reduce long-term material consumption.
4Productivity
If conventional pipe frames are used during transit, then the pipes can be bundled for transport, but the frames are prone to breaking and pose safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preemptive reinforcement measures in the frame design, including metal strapping that encircles the bundle and metal connectors at critical joint locations. These elements act as protective cushions against impact and stress during transit, preventing frame failure before it can occur and eliminating the need for reactive load restraining straps.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe frame, a pipe crate and methods of use thereof for holding a plurality of pipes together for storing, handling and transport are disclosed herein. In one form, there is provided a pipe frame including: at least two frame members connectable together to form the pipe frame; at least one transverse leg formation operatively associated with an end of a first frame member; at least one receiving opening defined at an end of a second frame member and configured to at least partially receive the at least one transverse leg formation for attachment and orientation of the first frame member relative to the second frame member; a locking catch operatively associated with the receiving opening; and a locking element operatively associated with the transverse leg formation and releasably connectable to the locking catch for locking the first frame relative to the second frame.