Telescoping Concrete Form Coplanar Surface Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional concrete forms, such as wooden boards and existing telescoping metal forms, often result in non-planar upper and vertical surfaces due to uneven surfaces and alignment issues, which can lead to imperfections in concrete slabs.
Innovation Solution
A telescoping concrete form assembly with a reduced end on the inner member, allowing for alignment of the outer and inner surfaces to be co-planar, ensuring a substantially planar upper surface when screeding wet concrete, and featuring a design where the second member can extend from the first member with minimal offset to maintain parallelism without displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a telescoping metal form with spaced C-shaped members is used, then the form length can be extended, but the upper surface becomes non-planar due to spacing ridges and elevation differences
Solution Approach 1:
The inner telescoping member is nested within the outer member, with the inner member's upper surface positioned at the same elevation as the outer member's upper surface. This nesting arrangement eliminates the spacing ridges and elevation differences that caused non-planar surfaces in previous designs, while still allowing the inner member to extend to increase form length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural characteristics to different parts of the telescoping members. Specifically, the upper surfaces of both outer and inner members are designed to be coplanar and smooth for screeding, while the lower portions can have spacing features. This localized differentiation allows the form to provide both extended length and a planar upper surface.
2Device complexity
If the inner member upper surface is disposed below the outer member upper surface, then the telescoping structure can be formed, but the vertical face becomes uneven with multiple non-aligned planar surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The inner member is nested within the outer member such that their upper surfaces are coplanar. This nesting configuration maintains the telescoping functionality while ensuring that the vertical faces form a substantially planar surface, eliminating the stepped appearance caused by elevated spacing ridges on the outer member.
Data Source
AI summary
A telescoping concrete form assembly is provided. The concrete form assembly includes a hollow, first member assembly with an elongated hollow body and a generally planar vertical first sidewall, as well as a second member assembly including an elongated body with a medial portion having an outer cross-sectional shape corresponding to the first body inner cross-sectional shape. The second member assembly is slidably disposed within the first member assembly and is structured to move between a retracted first position, wherein the second member assembly is substantially disposed within the first member assembly, and a second position, wherein the second member assembly extends from the first member assembly.