Modular Manhole Guard With Attachable Winch Mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manhole guards and hoist devices face durability, accessibility, assembly, and portability issues, posing safety concerns for workers and the public during the servicing of underground infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A portable manhole guard with a modular design featuring interlocking sections, including a center section and wings, with adjustable mounting brackets and a hoist assembly, allowing for easy assembly, stability, and secure access, while enabling the attachment of a safety net for debris blocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional manhole guards and hoist devices are used, then basic safety coverage is provided, but durability and stability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The manhole guard is divided into multiple sections that can be connected together to form a stable structure. Each section can be independently manufactured and assembled, improving overall durability while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the manhole guard structure with integrated mounting brackets and hoist assembly into a unified system. This merging of components improves stability and durability by reducing the number of separate parts that could fail independently, while the modular nature keeps the overall complexity manageable.
2Ease of operation
If conventional hoist devices are attached to manhole guards, then material and personnel transport is enabled, but assembly and portability become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The hoist assembly is designed as a separate modular component that can be independently assembled and then attached to the manhole guard. This segmentation allows for simplified assembly procedures where the hoist can be pre-assembled and then quickly connected to the guard structure, improving ease of operation while managing assembly complexity through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting brackets are designed with universal attachment capabilities that work with both the manhole guard structure and the hoist assembly. This universal design simplifies the assembly process by using standardized connection interfaces, reducing the complexity of assembling multiple components together while maintaining portability.
3Ease of operation
If manhole guards are designed for portability, then mobility is improved, but stability and secure access are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The manhole guard is constructed from multiple sections that can be easily connected and disconnected for portability. When assembled, these sections form a stable structure through standardized connection mechanisms, allowing the guard to be both portable when disassembled and stable when assembled around the manhole.
Solution Approach 2:
The manhole guard incorporates dynamic connection mechanisms that allow easy assembly and disassembly for portability, while maintaining stable rigid connections when assembled. The modular design enables the structure to transition between portable and stable states as needed, balancing mobility requirements with stability during use.
Data Source
AI summary
A manhole guard, methods of assembling the same, and methods of using the same, are described. The manhole guard generally includes a plurality of sections connected for movement, the sections being capable of being locked into a fixed rigid structure through the use of a first arm and second arm that act independently of each other. The manhole guard may include a safety net attached to one or more sections of the manhole guard. The manhole guard may include attachable mounting brackets designed to facilitate the attachment of a first hoist device and/or first winch and include attachable mounting members designed to facilitate the attachment of a second hoist device and/or second winch.