Safety Railing Assembly Kit for Provisional Floor Slabs

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Solution Overview

Problem

The installation of safety railings and edge formworks on provisional floor or roof slabs composed of wide floor slabs or precast concrete slabs is labor-intensive and often obstructs further construction work, with no existing methods providing an efficient and universally applicable solution, especially when there are no adjacent fixed structures for support.

Innovation Solution

An assembly kit that includes slab elements for forming edge formworks and supporting safety railings, with retaining elements that interact with the slab elements to provide vertical support for the railing posts without fixing to the formwork, allowing for efficient installation and minimizing material usage and assembly complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If safety railing and edge formwork are installed separately using conventional methods, then both structures can be provided, but the installation becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation efficiencyVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the safety railing support function and edge formwork support function into a single integrated assembly kit. The kit includes a base element that can be attached to the provisional floor slab, and from this base element, both the safety railing and edge formwork can be installed simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate installation processes and reducing overall assembly complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The base element of the assembly kit serves multiple functions: it provides support for the safety railing, provides support for the edge formwork, and can be attached to various types of provisional floor slabs. This multi-functionality allows a single component to replace multiple separate components, significantly improving installation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If safety railing is installed close to the provisional floor slab edge, then safety protection is improved, but it hinders the installation of edge formwork and vice versa

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety protectionVSAvoidinstallation accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The assembly kit is segmented into distinct functional modules: a base element attached to the floor slab, a safety railing component, and an edge formwork component. This segmentation allows each component to be installed independently in optimal positions without interfering with each other, while the base element provides a common reference point that ensures proper spacing and alignment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The base element acts as an intermediary component between the provisional floor slab and both the safety railing and edge formwork. By providing a common attachment point, it mediates the spatial relationship between these two elements, allowing them to be positioned optimally for both safety and accessibility without direct interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional installation methods are used without adjacent fixed structures, then the safety railing can be installed on unsupported edges, but the installation becomes significantly more difficult and resource-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplicability to unsupported edgesVSAvoidinstallation speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The base element of the assembly kit is designed to attach directly to the provisional floor slab itself, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for adjacent fixed structures. The base element incorporates attachment mechanisms that can securely fasten to the slab, providing a stable foundation for both the safety railing and edge formwork without requiring external support structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3828364A1Assembly kit and method for assembling a safety railing, as well as such a safety railing
Publication Date: 2021.06.02 GILBERT STEEL SOLUTIONS NV
  • EP3828364A1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3828364A1 patent drawingFigure 5
  • EP3828364A1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

Assembly kit (1) for mounting a safety railing (2) on one or several edges (3) of a provisional floor slab (4) with the following elements; - slab elements (6, 7) for forming an edge formwork (5) on the respective edges (3) or at a certain distance (D) therefrom; - posts (19) serving as upright support posts of the safety railing (2); and, - for each post (19), a pair of retaining elements (20) with which each post (19) can be retained on the outside (23) of the edge formwork (5) and which can cooperate with the slab elements (6, 7) by resting on the latter.