Modular Railing Adaptation to Variable Slopes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current practices for installing long railings on irregular slopes and non-straight paths are costly due to the need for custom-made products, which are not suitable for industrial production and require specialized expertise for installation, leading to high material, production, and installation costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular railing system composed of interconnected modules with adjustable supporting posts and horizontal bars, allowing for simple and aesthetically homogeneous connections, using profiled elements for easy assembly and interchangeable parts to adapt to various slopes and paths, enabling industrial-scale production and standardization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom-made railings are used to adapt to irregular slopes and non-straight paths, then adaptability to terrain is improved, but manufacturing cost and installation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The railing system is divided into modular segments (posts, handrails, infill panels) that can be independently manufactured and then assembled on-site. This segmentation allows for standardized mass production of components while maintaining the ability to adapt to irregular terrain through modular configuration, thereby reducing manufacturing costs compared to custom-made continuous railings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs universal connection mechanisms and adjustable components that can accommodate various slope angles and path configurations. The standardized posts and connectors can be used across different terrain conditions, allowing a single set of manufactured components to serve multiple functions and locations, thus reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining terrain adaptability.
2Shape
If custom-made railings are used for irregular fence paths, then aesthetic homogeneity is improved, but installation complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the railing into standardized modules with consistent design elements (uniform post styles, matching handrails, coordinated infill panels), aesthetic homogeneity is achieved through repetition of proven designs. The segmentation allows pre-fabrication of aesthetically coordinated sets that simplify on-site assembly while maintaining visual consistency across the entire fence line.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable connection mechanisms that allow modification of installation parameters (angle, height, positioning) without changing the fundamental component design. This enables the same standardized components to adapt to varying terrain conditions while maintaining aesthetic homogeneity, and simplifies installation by reducing the need for custom fabrication or complex field modifications.
3Ease of manufacture
If modular railing components are used for mass production, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but adaptability to various slopes and paths may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable and movable connection elements within the modular components. The connection mechanisms allow for dynamic adjustment of angle and position during installation, enabling standardized mass-produced modules to adapt to various slope conditions. This dynamic capability is built into the component design itself, allowing a single standardized part to serve multiple slope configurations without requiring custom manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention teaches a modular railing, in which the various modules that constitute it can be connected to each other in a simple and aesthetically homogeneous way. This modular railing provides that even the individual modules can in turn be made with interchangeable parts. All suitably standardized, so as to preserve the possibility of using, in large quantities, identical pieces.Each module of the railing comprises: at least a support pole placed at one end of said section of railing, and suitable for being fixed to the ground, an upper horizontal bar that connects two support poles (and coupled to them near their upper end), a lower horizontal bar that connects two support poles (and coupled to them near their base), and a plurality of vertical rods that connect said two upper and lower horizontal bars.