Extensible Support Foot With Integrated Weighing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extensible support feet for structures and machinery lack the ability to measure the weight borne on them, which can compromise safety and lead to inaccurate waste compactor fullness detection due to variations in waste hardness and positioning.
Innovation Solution
An extensible support foot with a weighing device featuring a resilient element, such as a helical compression spring, that measures weight by evaluating deformation, and a display system to show the measured weight, ensuring accurate weight measurement and reduced wear from foreign bodies and atmospheric agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a resilient element is added to measure weight, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weighing function is merged with the existing support foot structure by integrating the resilient element between the first and second bodies, eliminating the need for separate weighing equipment and reducing overall system complexity despite adding measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient element acts as an intermediary component that indirectly measures weight through deformation, allowing weight measurement without direct contact sensors or complex measurement systems on the load-bearing surfaces
2Device complexity
If the resilient element is exposed, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to wear from foreign bodies and atmospheric agents
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient element is nested within the cavity of the second body, placing it inside a protective enclosure that shields it from foreign bodies and atmospheric agents while maintaining its weight measurement function through controlled deformation
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity structure provides beforehand protection against environmental damage and foreign body interference, ensuring the resilient element maintains optimal operation over time without direct exposure to harmful factors
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
Enables precise weight measurement on the support foot, enhancing safety and reducing unnecessary waste compactor emptying by providing direct measurement of waste volume, thus improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient element (for example a spring) arranged between the first and the second body... capable of determining the weight that bears down on the support foot by simply evaluating the deformation of the resilient element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An extensible support foot (10) comprising: a first body (20) equipped with a support base (21), a second body (30) slidingly associated with the first body (20) and movable along a predetermined longitudinal direction towards or away from the support base (21), and means (40) for adjusting the distance between the second body (30) and the support base (21), where the support foot (10) comprises a weighing device (50) adapted for measuring a force acting on the second body (30) in said longitudinal direction (A).