Modular Support Post With Interlocking Covering Elements
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing urban support posts for public lighting, catenaries, and billboards lack aesthetic customization and adaptability, compromising their visual integration into urban environments while maintaining robustness and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A support device with a cross-section featuring solid branches forming a salient angle, incorporating an intermediate element and a covering element with interlocking teeth, allowing for modular design and easy customization, while ensuring mechanical strength and vandalism resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If simple tubular or H-shaped metal posts are used, then manufacturing simplicity and mechanical strength are improved, but aesthetic appearance and adaptability to urban environments deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The post is divided into modular segments that can be independently manufactured and then assembled. Each segment maintains the structural integrity of the original simple post design while allowing for aesthetic customization through different covering elements that can be applied to individual segments.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the post can have different aesthetic treatments or covering elements applied to them. This allows specific sections of the post to be customized for aesthetic purposes while maintaining the simple, strong structural design in the core post body.
2Device complexity
If standardized post designs are used, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but visual integration and customization capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The post design incorporates universal mounting interfaces and standardized connection points that allow the same basic post structure to support various different covering elements and functional attachments. This enables a single post design to serve multiple aesthetic and functional purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The post system allows for dynamic reconfiguration through removable and replaceable covering elements. The aesthetic appearance can be changed over time by swapping covering elements without replacing the entire post structure, enabling adaptation to different seasonal or event-based requirements.
3Strength
If robust structural designs are used, then mechanical strength and vandalism resistance are improved, but aesthetic adaptability and visual integration deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Aesthetic covering elements are designed to nest over or around the robust post structure. The covering elements can be slipped onto the post and secured, providing aesthetic customization without compromising the underlying strong structural design. The post structure remains hidden or partially hidden within the aesthetic covering.
Data Source
AI summary
Support device intended to be installed on public roads, comprising a support post, characterized in that said post has a cross-section comprising a first and a second branch, the support device further comprising:a first intermediate element which is separate from said post and designed to be secured thereto anda first element for covering said post, which is designed to be fastened between said first and second branches,said first intermediate element and covering element being provided with a complementary first attachment element and a complementary second attachment element, respectively, in order to secure said first covering element to said post, the first and second attachment elements being arranged so that said first covering element, when it is secured to said post, conceals said first intermediate element.Support device comprising a post, for example, for supporting tramway catenaries.