Protective Casing Height Adjustment for Surface Cover Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Moving drum cover devices fail to effectively seal all four sides of a surface, allowing contamination and wind penetration due to the lack of a reliable system for fixing and sealing the longitudinal edges and transverse ends, particularly in applications like swimming pools where safety and pollution prevention are critical.
Innovation Solution
A device with a protective casing mounted on a carriage that adjusts its height to ensure a tighter seal between the casing and the surface, using height varying means such as electrical or pneumatic cylinders to minimize the gap between the casing rim and the surface, and a continuous locking system for the longitudinal edges with sealing beads and rails to secure the cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective casing is mounted on the carriage to seal the transverse end, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is made movable relative to the carriage through height varying means (cylinders), allowing it to adjust its position between a first position during movement and a second position during parking. This dynamic adjustment enables the casing to seal against the surface when parked while maintaining operational flexibility during movement, resolving the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and device complexity.
2Reliability
If the casing is positioned close to the surface to improve sealing, then the gap reduction is improved, but the obstacle clearance capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The height varying means enable the casing to dynamically adjust its height relative to the carriage. During movement, the casing is positioned at a first height that clears obstacles. During parking, it adjusts to a second, lower position that maximizes sealing contact with the surface. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and obstacle clearance capability.
3Reliability
If a locking system is added to secure longitudinal edges, then the cover fixation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system integrates multiple functions into a unified mechanism: the rails and sealing beads simultaneously secure the longitudinal edges of the cover and provide sealing against contamination. This merging of fixation and sealing functions into a single integrated system improves cover fixation reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity compared to separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for covering a surface (3) of which the contour defines a surface plane, said device comprising: (a) a substantially rectangular cover (10) wound onto (b) a drum (2) which is rotatably mounted on a carriage that can wind up or unwind the cover (10) by movement of the carriage in a longitudinal direction of the surface and thus allows the deployment of the cover or the removal thereof from the surface (3); and (c) a protective casing (20) mounted on said carriage, characterized in that the distance between the edge of the casing and the edge of the surface varies between a first stopping position dp, and a second movement position dm when the carriage moves the drum over the surface (3), and in that dm>dp.