Swivelling Lifting Point With Unremovable Pivot Connection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rotating lifting rings face safety concerns due to their removable nature, where essential elements like the pivot connection can be replaced with inferior quality parts without detection, compromising performance and safety.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a one-piece design for the pivoting body and fixing member using metal additive manufacturing to create an unremovable pivot connection, ensuring that the parts cannot be dismantled and replaced, thereby enhancing safety and integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the pivot connection is made removable to allow assembly and disassembly, then the ease of manufacture and assembly is improved, but the safety and reliability deteriorate due to potential replacement with inferior parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the fixing member and pivoting body into a single integrated component made by additive manufacturing, eliminating the removable pivot connection that allowed unauthorized replacement. This combining of parts resolves the contradiction by maintaining assembly capability while preventing disassembly, thus ensuring safety without compromising manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of connection permanence from removable to unremovable through additive manufacturing technology. This parameter change allows the pivot connection to be manufactured as a single integrated piece that cannot be separated, thereby eliminating the risk of unauthorized part replacement while maintaining the functional integrity of the lifting ring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the pivot connection is made unremovable to prevent unauthorized replacement, then the safety and reliability are improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to complex manufacturing processes

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidease of manufacture
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes additive manufacturing technology to change the manufacturing parameter from traditional subtractive or assembly-based methods to a direct digital fabrication process. This enables the production of complex unremovable pivot connections as single integrated parts, resolving the contradiction by making the previously difficult-to-manufacture unremovable connection both safe and manufacturable through advanced additive processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical assembly methods with additive manufacturing technology. Instead of using separate parts joined by fasteners or other mechanical means that are difficult to make unremovable, the invention uses digital fabrication to directly create the integrated structure, thereby achieving unremovable connections while simplifying the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional assembly methods are used for the pivot connection, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the risk of unauthorized replacement and performance degradation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidperformance integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the fixing member and pivoting body into a single integrated component through additive manufacturing, eliminating the separate parts that could be unauthorizedly replaced. This merging maintains the functional assembly capability while ensuring performance integrity by preventing any unauthorized intervention in the pivot connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the connection parameter from removable to unremovable through additive manufacturing, thereby eliminating the possibility of unauthorized part replacement. This parameter change ensures that the lifting ring maintains its announced performance characteristics without the risk of degradation from substituted components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3405426B1Swivelling lifting point for the lifting of loads
Publication Date: 2019.12.25 INTELPROP SA
  • EP3405426B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3405426B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8

AI summary

The invention relates to a lifting point for lifting loads, which includes a pivoting body (12) combined with a hooking loop (16) capable of engaging with a lifting accessory; and an attachment member (14) for attaching said lifting point to a load, the attachment member (14) and the pivoting body (12) being connected by a pivot link allowing the body (12) to pivot relative to the attachment member (14) about an axis [A]. The portions of the attachment member (14) and the pivoting body (12) that engage in the pivot link are each made of a single part so as to form a permanent link, one and/or the other of said portions (12, 14) being manufactured by metal additive manufacturing.