Rotatable Support Arm Safety Net with Load-Bearing Braces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety nets for multi-storey building construction are complex, expensive, and require securing to multiple floors, making them cumbersome and costly to install and move, while also posing potential safety hazards due to torque loading and exposure to heavy loads.
Innovation Solution
A safety net system with rotatable support arms and braces that allow the netting to transition between deployed and stowed configurations, with braces transmitting loads directly to floor engaging portions, reducing the need for multiple floor attachments and enhancing structural rigidity and ease of movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional safety nets are secured to multiple floors to account for heavy loads, then the safety and load-bearing capacity are improved, but the device complexity, installation cost, and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The safety net system is divided into modular components: multiple netting panels can be connected end-to-end to cover different floor perimeters, and each panel is supported by independent support arms that can be individually adjusted. This segmentation allows the system to handle heavy loads distributed across multiple panels without requiring a single complex multi-floor anchoring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms provide an additional dimensional element by extending horizontally from the floor perimeter and positioning the netting at an optimal distance from the building. This creates a three-dimensional safety zone that improves load distribution and reduces the need for complex multi-floor mechanical structures.
2Strength
If conventional safety nets are secured to multiple floors to handle heavy loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the installation and movement efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms are designed to be adjustable and repositionable, allowing the safety net system to be quickly installed, removed, and relocated between floors. This dynamic capability enables the system to maintain high load-bearing capacity while significantly improving installation and movement efficiency compared to fixed multi-floor anchoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms can be pre-assembled and positioned before the netting panels are attached, streamlining the installation process. This preliminary preparation allows workers to efficiently secure the safety net to a single floor without the time-consuming process of coordinating multiple floor attachments.
3Reliability
If conventional safety nets use complex mechanical structures to support heavy loads, then the safety and reliability are improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety net uses flexible netting panels that are lightweight yet strong, replacing the need for heavy rigid mechanical structures. These thin film-like panels can be easily manufactured and installed, significantly reducing costs while maintaining safety through their ability to flex and distribute loads effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of load support by using adjustable support arms that can be positioned at optimal angles and distances, rather than relying on heavy fixed mechanical structures. This parameter optimization allows the use of lighter, less expensive materials while maintaining or improving safety performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system simplifies installation and movement, reduces costs by securing to a single floor, and enhances safety by minimizing torque loading and maintaining net integrity under heavy loads, while maintaining effective protection against falling objects.
Implementation Method 1
the horizontal component of a load applied to said support arm is at least partially transmitted by said brace from said support arm directly to said respective floor engaging portion, resisting said netting moving to said stowed configuration
Implementation Method 2
rotation of said support arms causes said netting to move between a deployed and a stowed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A safety net and a safety net frame for multi-storey building construction. The safety net has a first netting support secured to a plurality of floor engaging portions, each having a support arm rotatably attached thereto; a second netting support secured to the support arms; and netting, spanning said the netting supports such that rotation of the support arms causes the netting to move between a deployed and a stowed configuration. Each support arm has a brace. When the netting is deployed the brace extends between the support arm and its respective floor engaging portion such that a vertical load applied to the netting is at least partially transmitted by the brace from the support arm to its respective floor engaging portion, and a floor structure to which it is secured, to resist the netting moving to its stowed configuration.