Mobile Anchor Cart With Repositionable Axle for Stable Fall Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fall protection systems face challenges in providing reliable anchor points in environments lacking structural integration, such as residential or commercial properties, and portable systems are often too heavy for single workers to maneuver efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An anchor cart assembly with a repositionable axle assembly and a jack mechanism that allows the cart to be easily maneuvered and anchored at desired locations, providing a mobile and weight-bearing anchor point for fall protection systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If portable anchor systems use weight to provide stability, then the anchor point reliability is improved, but the system becomes too heavy for a single worker to move
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor system is divided into modular components: a cart body, an axle assembly with wheels, and a separate load. This segmentation allows the load to be independently adjusted or removed, enabling the system to be moved by a single worker when the load is not required, while still providing heavy-weight stability when anchoring is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The axle assembly is designed to be repositionable between a raised position (for moving the cart) and a lowered position (for anchoring). This dynamic configuration allows the system to transition between mobile and stationary states, resolving the contradiction between ease of movement and anchoring stability.
2Reliability
If anchor points are incorporated directly into the structure, then the anchor point reliability is improved, but the adaptability to different environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cart assembly serves as an intermediary between the worker and the ground surface. Instead of requiring permanent anchor points in the structure, the cart provides a temporary, movable anchor that interfaces with the ground through its wheels and axle assembly, enabling fall protection in environments without pre-installed anchor points.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart assembly can be used across multiple environments and surfaces (concrete floors, paved areas, etc.) without requiring environment-specific modifications. The same universal cart design provides reliable anchoring in residential, commercial, and construction settings, enhancing adaptability while maintaining strength.
3Productivity
If workers must cover large areas in multiple directions, then the productivity is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in moving heavy anchor systems
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the load from the cart body through the repositionable axle assembly, the system becomes easier to maneuver when the load is raised. Workers can easily move the cart to different locations to cover large areas, then lower the axle assembly to provide stable anchoring when needed, thus maintaining both productivity and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using an anchor cart assembly includes rolling the anchor cart assembly along a ground surface, the anchor cart assembly comprising a cart and a load, the cart comprising a frame defining a front end and a rear end, the cart comprising an axle assembly, the load configured to add weight to the cart, wherein the axle assembly is positioned in a lowered position; repositioning the axle assembly from the lowered position to a raised position, the load configured to immobilize the anchor cart assembly when the axle assembly is in the raised position; and tilting the anchor cart assembly to a transition position wherein the front end or the rear end of the frame rests upon the ground surface.