Pivoting Locking Member for Facade Lift Guide Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor systems for transporting heavy facade elements are costly and time-consuming to assemble, and pose a risk of body damage during lifting due to their complexity and instability, making them unsuitable for frequent re-development projects.
Innovation Solution
A lift system with a locking member that secures facade elements to a conveyor guide profile, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and featuring a pivoting mechanism to prevent sliding and ensure secure attachment, even when trucks are not perfectly aligned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional conveyor systems are used to transport heavy facade elements, then the elements can be moved vertically, but the assembly time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is divided into modular components: guide profiles that can be assembled in sections, interchangeable locking members for different scenarios, and separable trolley units. This segmentation allows rapid assembly and disassembly without requiring complex welding or permanent connections, directly reducing assembly time while maintaining structural integrity for secure facade element attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are designed with movable parts including pivoting mechanisms and adjustable components that can dynamically adapt to different facade element positions and orientations. This dynamic design enables the system to maintain secure attachment under varying load conditions and alignment scenarios without requiring reassembly, thus reducing both assembly time and improving reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional conveyor systems are used for heavy facade elements, then vertical lifting is achieved, but the risk of body damage increases due to instability
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are designed to engage facade elements before lifting begins, with blocking members that prevent unintended movement in advance. The system includes safety features that activate automatically to cushion or arrest any unexpected descent or lateral movement, providing prior protection against body damage risks associated with unstable conventional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the locking member are optimized for specific functions: some sections provide rigid blocking for vertical stability, while other sections offer adjustable positioning for lateral alignment. This localized optimization ensures that each part of the system contributes maximally to preventing specific types of instability, thereby reducing the overall risk of body damage during facade element transport.
3Productivity
If conventional conveyor systems are assembled on building sites, then facade elements can be transported, but the systems are costly and time-consuming to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The guide profiles and locking members are designed as pre-fabricated modular units that can be quickly connected on-site using simple joining mechanisms. This segmentation eliminates the need for time-consuming custom fabrication or complex welding operations, significantly reducing both assembly cost and time while maintaining the productivity needed for efficient facade element transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are designed as universal components that can be used across different guide profile configurations and for various facade element types. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of different parts needed on-site, simplifies inventory management, and accelerates assembly by allowing the same components to serve multiple purposes throughout the construction project, thereby improving productivity while reducing costs.
4Ease of manufacture
If scaffolding is used instead of conveyor systems, then assembly is easier and less costly, but the risk of body damage during lifting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system adopts the assembly ease of modular scaffolding by using segmented guide profiles and interchangeable locking members that can be quickly connected and disconnected. This modular approach maintains the simplicity and reusability of scaffolding while incorporating specialized locking mechanisms that provide secure, stable attachment for heavy facade elements, thereby eliminating the safety risks associated with improvised scaffolding lifts.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members act as intermediary components between the simple modular structure and the heavy facade elements. These intermediaries provide the necessary mechanical advantage and secure engagement points that scaffolding alone cannot offer, enabling safe and stable lifting of heavy elements while preserving the assembly ease and modularity of the underlying support structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4b
AI summary
A locking member (11) for securing facade elements connected via facade attachment elements (13a, 13b) to an open-ended rail conveyor guide profile (12) of a lift (10) for vertically lifting facade elements. The locking member comprising a body (111) arranged adjacent to an exterior surface of a sidewall (123) of the conveyor guide profile(12) and extending at least partly along a longitudinal extension thereof. Said body having first and second blocking members (113, 114) arranged at a first and second longitudinal positions. Said body (111) being pivotal into a locked state wherein the first and second blocking members (113, 114) transversally extend over and beyond a slot (121) in the bottom surface (122) of the conveyor guide profile(12), thereby preventing any facade attachment elements attached to the conveyor guide profile of longitudinally moving past the first longitudinal position and the second longitudinal position.