Concrete Pump Mast Arm Segment Hinge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concrete pump mast arm segments face significant dynamic and directional loads due to burst concrete delivery, leading to stress peaks and manufacturing challenges in creating a lightweight and cost-effective design.
Innovation Solution
The mast arm segment design incorporates an upper chord, lower chord, side parts, and a hinge connection with a transition piece that distributes forces effectively by forming a pivot axis below the lower chord, using reinforcement parts to manage stress and facilitate force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the transition piece is directly connected to the end of the lower chord, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but stress peaks occur at the transition area due to concentrated loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transition piece as an intermediary element between the lower chord and the hinge connection. This transition piece distributes the concentrated loads from the hinge connection across a larger area of the lower chord, preventing stress peaks while maintaining structural integrity. The transition piece acts as a load-distributing mediator that resolves the conflict between simple direct connection and stress-free connection.
2Strength
If the boom arm segment uses more reinforcement material to handle dynamic loads, then the structural integrity is improved, but the weight and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies reinforcement parts only in specific areas where loads are concentrated - namely at the hinge connection area and along the lower chord. Rather than uniformly reinforcing the entire boom arm segment, the reinforcement is locally applied where structurally necessary. This localized reinforcement approach maintains structural integrity while minimizing additional weight and material costs.
3Device complexity
If the pivot axis is positioned above the lower chord plane, then the structural design is simpler, but the force distribution becomes less effective under dynamic loading conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the pivot axis below the lower chord plane, utilizing the vertical dimension to optimize force distribution. This below-chord positioning allows the hinge connection to effectively transfer loads into the boom arm segment structure, taking advantage of the geometric relationship between the pivot axis position and the lower chord to improve force distribution under dynamic loading conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a boom-arm segment, comprising an upper chord (33), a lower chord (34) and two side parts (35, 36) connecting the upper chord (33) and the lower chord (34). The boom-arm segment (30) comprises a hinge connection (62) which defines a pivot axis (74) for a pivot connection between the boom-arm segment (21) and an adjacent structure (20), wherein: the pivot axis (74) is located below the plane (63) of the lower chord (34); a transition piece (64) is located between the lower chord (34) and the hinge connection (62), and the connection (65) between the transition piece (64) and the lower chord (34) is spaced apart from the adjacent end (61) of the lower chord (34); the transition piece (64) is enclosed between a first reinforcement part (40) and a second reinforcement part (70) which laterally adjoin the transition piece (64); the reinforcement parts (40, 70) each have a lower edge (69) which extends from the hinge connection (62) to the lower chord (34); and the lower edges (69) enclose an angle (68) with the plane (63) of the lower chord (34) that is smaller than the angle (67) which the transition piece (64) encloses with the plane (63) of the lower chord (34).