Modular Pier Hinge System for Single-User Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional removable piers are heavy, requiring at least two individuals and external hardware for assembly and disassembly, which can lead to loss of components in water and reduced usage season due to harsh weather conditions.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight modular pier system with a hinge system that allows single-user assembly and disassembly, using a shore section and connectable pier sections with male and female connectors, and anti-torsion members for structural stability, eliminating the need for external hardware and enabling installation by a user in or out of the water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional heavy piers are used, then structural strength and stability are improved, but assembly and disassembly require at least two individuals and external hardware, increasing complexity and risk of component loss
Solution Approach 1:
The pier is divided into multiple modular sections that can be independently assembled and disassembled. Each section contains integrated connectors that eliminate the need for external hardware, allowing single-person assembly while maintaining structural integrity through standardized coupling mechanisms between sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector components are integrated directly into the pier sections themselves rather than being separate external parts. The male and female connectors are built into the section structures, merging the connection function with the structural elements, which eliminates lost hardware and simplifies assembly to a simple interlocking action.
2Reliability
If traditional piers with external hardware are used, then connection reliability is improved, but the need for pins, retainers, screws and bolts leads to loss of components in water
Solution Approach 1:
The connection components are merged with the pier sections themselves. The male connector is an integral part of one section and the female connector is an integral part of the adjacent section, eliminating separate hardware that could be lost. The connection reliability is maintained through the robust interlocking design of these integrated connectors.
3Stability of the object's composition
If traditional heavy piers are used, then structural stability is improved, but assembly and disassembly in cold weather requires at least two individuals, reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The pier is segmented into modular sections with integrated connectors designed for single-person handling. Each section is sized and weighted to be manageable by one individual, and the connectors are designed to engage through simple actions that do not require multiple people or complex tool operations, even in cold weather conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pier sections are designed to be self-assembling through the integrated male and female connectors. The sections guide themselves into proper alignment and lock together through simple interlocking movements that require minimal user effort, eliminating the need for multiple individuals to manually position and secure heavy components.
4Strength
If traditional piers are removed before ice forms, then structural integrity is preserved, but the usage season is shortened due to early removal and late installation
Solution Approach 1:
The pier system is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable and easily deployable. The modular sections with integrated connectors allow for rapid assembly and disassembly that can be performed by a single individual, enabling the pier to be installed later in the season and removed later as well, thereby extending the overall usage duration without compromising structural integrity through proper engineering of the connector systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular pier including: a plurality of connectable pier sections wherein each pier section includes a frame having a top, a bottom, at least one transverse frame member, a first transverse end frame member, a second transverse end frame member, a first longitudinal side frame member and a second longitudinal side frame member, at least one longitudinal anti-torsion member, at least one male connector, attached to the first end of the frame of each pier section; and at least one female connector, attached to the second end of the frame of each pier section, the at least one male connector including a first rod member and a second rod member; the second rod member being proximate the first rod member and lower the first rod member in relation to the top of the pier section; the at least one female connector including a first receiver for receiving the first rod member; and a second receiver for receiving the second rod member; the second rod member receiver being proximate the first rod member receiver and lower to the first rod member receiver in relation to the top of the pier section; wherein the first receiver receives the first rod prior to the second receiver receiving the second rod wherein the first rod in the first receiver facilitates maneuvering of the second pier section in relation to the first pier section during assembly and disassembly of the modular pier.