Modular Pedestrian Tunnel with Foldable Legs and Segmented Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pedestrian tunnel solutions are inflexible, requiring rectilinear paths and taking a long time to install, with monolithic structures that are cumbersome to transport and provide inadequate protection from debris and rainwater, limiting pedestrian safety and mobility.
Innovation Solution
A modular pedestrian tunnel with foldable, telescopic legs and a polygonal frame that can be easily assembled and disassembled, allowing for non-rectilinear path adaptation, featuring a gas cylinder retention system for leg management and adjustable length for stability on uneven terrain, and a design that allows for easy stacking and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid and dismantleable structure is used for the covered way, then the structure provides stable protection, but the installation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The covered way is divided into multiple modular elements that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each module contains integrated connecting means that enable rapid assembly without requiring complex dismantlable structures, thus reducing installation time while maintaining protection stability through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting means are integrated directly into the modular elements themselves rather than being separate components. This merging of connection functions into the structural elements eliminates the need for separate assembling operations, reducing installation time while ensuring stable connections between modules for reliable pedestrian protection.
2Reliability
If a monolithic cover structure is used, then the protection is continuous and effective, but the structure becomes cumbersome and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous protective cover is segmented into multiple modular elements that can be transported separately. Each module maintains its structural integrity and protective function, while the standardized connecting means ensure that when assembled, they form a continuous protection barrier equivalent to a monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular elements are designed to nest within or alongside each other during transport and storage. This nesting arrangement minimizes the space required for transporting multiple modules while ensuring that each module remains structurally sound and ready for assembly into a continuous protective cover.
3Stability of the object's composition
If each module comprises a single pair of legs connected via tie rods and struts, then the structure is stiffened, but the path is restricted to rectilinear configurations only
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting legs are designed as foldable elements that can be adjusted between different positions. This dynamic capability allows the modular elements to adapt to various path configurations including curved and angled paths, while the connecting means maintain structural stiffness when the legs are deployed in the working position.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting structure is segmented into independent foldable legs at each module rather than a continuous rigid framework. This segmentation allows each module to be independently configured for different path angles and curves, providing versatility while the connecting means ensure overall structural stiffness when assembled.
4Reliability
If the supporting legs are made telescopic with adjustable length, then the stability on uneven terrain is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting legs incorporate telescopic sections with adjustable length mechanisms that allow adaptation to uneven terrain. The dynamic adjustment capability enables each leg to be independently lengthened or shortened to reach the ground securely, improving stability without requiring complex active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic leg mechanism is designed to be manually adjustable by the user without requiring external tools or complex mechanical systems. The self-service adjustment capability allows quick adaptation to terrain variations while keeping the device complexity manageable through simple, tool-free operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The modular design enhances pedestrian safety by providing flexible path coverage, easy installation and transport, and effective protection from falling objects and rainwater, while allowing for wide and stable passage configurations.
Implementation Method 1
The gas cylinder retention element configured so as to maintain each leg (3) in the extracted position even against the action of the force of gravity when the covering element (1) is moved
Implementation Method 2
The safety device comprises an extractable pin (15)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A modular covering element (1) comprises a frame (2), a continuous plate (4), fixed to the frame (2) for preferably protecting a pedestrian passing under the element (1), a plurality of supporting legs (3), hinged to the frame (2), a connecting profiled element (8), which is carried by the frame (2) for coupling together a plurality of said modular covering elements (1), and wherein the connecting profiled element (8) is continuous so as to close a passage between one covering element (1) and the adjacent one and prevent any body that might drop by gravity, for example rainwater, from reaching the pedestrian passing between one covering element and the adjacent one.