Staircase Girder Protrusions for Slip Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mountain road staircases face challenges in preventing slipping between the user's shoes and the girder, especially on wet or snowy surfaces, and they are not suitable for steeper slopes.
Innovation Solution
The simplified staircase design features girders with first and second protrusions on their upper surfaces, which provide enhanced traction by engaging with the sole of the shoe. The girders are also connected by longitudinal members and fixed to the ground using piles, allowing for installation on steeper slopes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional girders are used without protrusions, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but slipping occurs between shoes and girder on wet or snowy surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The girder surface is modified with protrusions only in the areas where shoe contact occurs, providing enhanced traction where needed while maintaining simplicity elsewhere. The protrusions are strategically positioned on the upper surface to engage with the sole of the shoe, preventing slipping without complicating the overall girder structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions on the girder surface create a curved or uneven texture that engages with the shoe sole. This curved surface geometry increases friction and prevents slipping, while the protrusions themselves remain relatively simple in form to maintain manufacturing ease.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional girders without protrusions are used, then manufacturing is easy, but the staircase cannot safely accommodate steeper slopes
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are positioned and dimensioned to provide adequate traction for steep slopes while keeping the overall girder design relatively simple. The local modification allows the staircase to adapt to steeper gradients without requiring a complete redesign of the girder structure.
3Reliability
If protrusions are added to prevent slipping, then traction is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the entire girder surface, only localized protrusions are added to the upper surface areas where shoe contact occurs. This localized approach provides the necessary traction while minimizing the complexity of the manufacturing process compared to complete surface modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are designed as discrete, separate elements rather than a continuous complex surface. This segmentation allows each protrusion to be manufactured independently or as simple features, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while achieving the desired traction effect.
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 design effectively reduces slipping between the shoe and the girder, even on wet or snowy surfaces, and allows for safe use on steeper slopes, enhancing user safety and stability.
Implementation Method 1
there is a request to prevent slipping between the shoes of the person going up and down the stairs and the girder
Data Source
AI summary
A simplified staircase 1 includes a plurality of girders 3 that form a plurality of steps Each of the girders 3 includes one or more first protrusions 17 that protrude from a front side of an upper surface of each of the girders 3. Each of the girders 3 further includes one or more second protrusions 15 that protrude from a rear side of the upper surface of the girder 3. The one or more second protrusions 15 are higher than the one or more first protrusions 17 in height.