Play Panel Installation With Integral Wing Cutouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing panel installations for playground equipment are costly and expose sharp edges that can harm children, as they rely on expensive connector fittings with exposed cap ends.
Innovation Solution
The panels feature integral wings extending beyond vertical side walls with cutouts that house a single connector bolt, providing a secure and cost-effective connection to vertical posts while minimizing exposed edges by using a threaded engagement through the wing walls and posts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional connector fittings with caps are used to connect panels to vertical posts, then the connection is secure, but the cost increases and exposed cap ends create sharp edges that may harm children
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the cap component from the connector assembly, extracting only the necessary functional elements (connector body and bolt) while eliminating the harmful exposed cap ends that create sharp edges. The connector is designed to engage directly with the panel and post without requiring a cap to secure the bolt.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a cap to cover and secure the bolt from the outside, the patent inverts the approach by having the bolt extend through the connector body and engage directly with the panel mounting holes. The securing action occurs internally through thread engagement rather than external cap fastening.
2Reliability
If traditional connector fittings with multiple components are used, then the connection is secure, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple traditional connector components (cap, connector body, mounting elements) into a single integrated connector assembly. The connector body incorporates features that previously required separate components, reducing part count and manufacturing complexity while maintaining connection security.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, houses the bolt mechanism, creates mounting interfaces for the panel, and secures the connection to the vertical post. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If integral wings with cutouts are used to house connectors, then exposed sharp edges are minimized, but the panel structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The panel structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: the main panel body, the integral wings extending from side walls, and the cutouts within the wings. This segmentation allows each element to serve its specific purpose while maintaining overall structural integrity and reducing sharp edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector assembly is nested within the cutout of the integral wing, with the bolt passing through the wing wall and engaging with the panel. This nesting arrangement houses the connector components within the panel structure itself, minimizing external protrusions and sharp edges.
Data Source
AI summary
A panel installation provides a panel spaced between first and second uprights. The panel has first and second wings having wing wall portions preferably contacting the uprights above spaced side wall portions spaced from the uprights. Cutouts in the wings allow for insertion of a connector through the wings into threaded bores in the uprights. A deck between the uprights can receive connector(s) for connecting a lower portion of the panel to the deck.