Modular Decking Assembly With Pin-Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decking solutions fail to provide a dry and stable support surface for large gatherings, as they are either permeable or lack a secure coupling mechanism, leading to wet feet and instability.
Innovation Solution
A modular decking system comprising fluid-impermeable panels with tongues and grooves that can be coupled together using extendable pins, creating a secure and dry support surface for standing or sitting, while allowing easy disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If permeable decking materials are used, then ease of manufacture and cost are reduced, but feet get wet during standing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from permeable to fluid-impermeable, transforming the decking from allowing fluid penetration to blocking it entirely. This parameter change directly resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of manufacture while eliminating the harmful effect of wet feet through the use of impermeable materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction combining fluid-impermeable panel material with a pin-locking mechanism system. This composite approach integrates multiple functional properties (impermeability, structural stability, and secure coupling) into a single decking system that addresses both the harmful effect and maintains ease of manufacture.
2Ease of operation
If simple panel coupling is used, then ease of operation is improved, but stability and security of the support surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pin-locking mechanism is designed to be self-aligning and self-securing, where the pin automatically engages with the receiving feature on adjacent panels when pushed into place. This self-service mechanism provides secure coupling without requiring complex alignment procedures or additional fastening steps, thereby maintaining ease of operation while achieving reliable stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism transitions from static simple overlap to dynamic pin-insertion-and-lock, where the pin can be inserted and removed as needed. This dynamic mechanism provides secure stability during use while maintaining ease of operation through simple insertion and removal actions, allowing the decking to be both stable and easy to assemble/disassemble.
3Reliability
If fixed decking structure is used, then stability is improved, but adaptability for different configurations and events deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The decking system is divided into separate modular panels that can be independently positioned and coupled together using the pin-locking mechanism. This segmentation allows the decking to be configured in various arrangements and easily assembled or disassembled for different events or locations, maintaining stability through secure pin coupling while achieving high adaptability through modular reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The decking transitions from a fixed permanent structure to a dynamic temporary structure that can be quickly assembled and disassembled. The pin-locking mechanism enables the decking to be stable during use yet easily reconfigured or removed afterward, providing adaptability for different configurations and events while maintaining structural stability when deployed.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular decking assembly for defining a floor to stand upon includes a plurality of panels that each has a tongue and a groove. The tongue on each of the panels releasably engages the groove on an adjacent one of the panels. In this way the panels can be coupled together to define a support surface for standing or sitting. Each of the panels is positionable on the ground and each of the panels is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit people's feet from getting wet during standing. A plurality of pins is provided and each of the pins is extendable through a respective panel and engages an adjacent panel for removably coupling the panels together.