Telescopic Pipe Buffer Structure for Ladder Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing telescopic ladders lack a buffer effect between adjacent sections, leading to unsafe and inconvenient use due to rapid unfolding or folding under tension and gravity, especially when hung on walls or beams.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic pipe buffer structure featuring an inner tube, outer tube, buffer plate, and guard plate with an accommodating groove and guide sleeve, where the buffer plate abuts the outer tube to provide frictional resistance during extension and retraction, preventing rapid extension and improving safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If no buffer structure is provided between telescopic sections, then the structure is simple, but the unfolding speed is too fast causing safety problems
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer plate is introduced as an intermediary element between the inner and outer tubes. The buffer plate abuts against the inner wall of the outer tube and utilizes friction to control the extension speed, acting as a mediator that provides safety without requiring a complex buffer mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer plate utilizes the friction between its surface and the inner wall of the outer tube to automatically control the extension speed. The system uses its own frictional properties to provide the buffer effect, eliminating the need for external power sources or complex control mechanisms
2Reliability
If friction is increased to slow down extension, then safety is improved, but the folding operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer plate is designed to move dynamically between two positions: abutting against the outer tube wall during extension to provide friction-based buffering, and retracting into the accommodating groove during folding to reduce friction. This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt its friction characteristics based on the operational phase
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer plate alternates between providing high friction (when abutting the outer tube wall during extension) and low friction (when in the accommodating groove during folding). This periodic change in friction characteristics matches the periodic nature of extension and folding operations
3Reliability
If a buffer member is added to provide friction, then buffer effect is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer function is segmented from the main tube structure and implemented as a separate buffer plate. This segmentation allows the buffer function to be added independently without redesigning the entire telescopic mechanism, maintaining simplicity while improving safety
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer plate is nested within the telescopic structure, fitting into the space between the inner and outer tubes. The accommodating groove in the inner tube provides a recess that accommodates the buffer plate when not in use, maximizing space utilization without increasing overall device dimensions
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 buffer structure effectively slows down the extension of the telescopic ladder, enhancing safety by reducing frictional resistance during unfolding and facilitating smooth folding, thus improving the overall usability and safety of the ladder.
Implementation Method 1
an edge of the buffer plate abuts against an inner wall of the outer tube, so that while the inner tube is inserted into the outer tube, the edge of the buffer plate is scrolled into the accommodating groove; and while the outer tube is pushed to make the inner tube extend outwardly from the outer tube, the buffer plate keeps slidably abutting against the inner wall of the outer tube to realize a buffer function
Data Source
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AI summary
A telescopic pipe buffer structure (100), comprising an inner tube (1), an outer tube (2), a buffer plate (3), a gear plate (4), and a guide sleeve (5); the inner tube (1) is slidably sleeved in the outer tube (2); the buffer plate (3), the gear plate (4), and the guide sleeve (5) correspond to the cross section of the inner tube (1); the guide sleeve (5) is fixed on an end face of the inner tube (1); the gear plate (4) is fixed on the guide sleeve (5) by means of a screw (7); a surrounding accommodating groove (6) is formed between the gear plate (4) and the guide sleeve (5); and the buffer plate (3) is provided at one side of the accommodating groove (6) close to the gear plate (4). The buffer structure (100) can enable a telescopic ladder to be cached when extending and to be rapidly retracted.