Tent Base Structure Direct Ballast on Floor Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Generic tents face challenges in securing themselves against wind forces, especially when pegs are not sufficient or feasible, leading to potential lifting or displacement, and existing ballasting solutions either reduce usable space or are aesthetically undesirable.
Innovation Solution
The tent substructure design allows ballast bodies to directly act on floor beams without longitudinal supports, bypassing the connection between longitudinal and floor supports, thereby absorbing wind forces and preventing tent displacement, with ballast bodies placed below floor segments to enhance stability and counteract vertical and horizontal forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ballast bodies are arranged below floor segments directly on floor beams without longitudinal supports, then reliability of force transmission is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the ballast bodies from the conventional arrangement on longitudinal supports and places them directly on floor beams. This removes the intermediate longitudinal support component from the force transmission path, creating a more direct and reliable load path from ballast to floor beam, while simplifying the overall structure by eliminating unnecessary intermediate elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor beams are pre-designed with receiving grooves and attachment points for ballast bodies during the manufacturing stage. This preliminary preparation ensures that when ballast bodies are installed, they can be directly secured to the floor beams without requiring additional intermediate components, thereby improving force transmission reliability while maintaining ease of installation.
2Ease of operation
If ballast bodies are arranged far from tent support, then ease of installation is improved, but stability deteriorates due to reduced ballast effect
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by concentrating ballast bodies at specific locations directly on the floor beams near the tent support areas. This localized placement ensures that the ballast effect is maximized where it is most needed for stability, while still allowing for practical installation access. The floor beams serve as optimal locations because they are structurally positioned to effectively transfer these localized ballast forces to the ground.
3Ease of operation
If ballast bodies are arranged within the erected tent, then ease of installation is improved, but usable floor space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention moves the ballast bodies from the vertical dimension (inside the tent volume) to the horizontal dimension (below the floor segments, attached to floor beams). This dimensional relocation allows ballast bodies to be positioned in the space underneath the tent structure rather than inside it, maintaining full usable floor space while still achieving the ballasting function. The floor beams provide attachment points that extend into this under-tent space.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ballasting with multiple component transitions is used, then adaptability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential failure at connection points
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the ballast bodies from the conventional multi-component arrangement and places them directly on the floor beams, removing the intermediate longitudinal supports and their connection points. This eliminates the potential failure locations at these connections while maintaining the adaptability of the system, as the floor beams are already integral parts of the tent structure designed to bear loads.
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
This design ensures high reliability in ballasting, reducing the risk of force transmission failures and maintaining usable space while being aesthetically acceptable, as the ballast bodies can be arranged to counteract wind forces effectively without deforming the tent structure.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one ballast body is arranged in such a way that its weight acts on a floor beam loaded with the ballast body without the interposition of a longitudinal beam
Implementation Method 2
absorbing wind forces and preventing tent displacement, with ballast bodies placed below floor segments to enhance stability and counteract vertical and horizontal forces
Data Source
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AI summary
The tent base has multiple floor beams (10) aligned horizontally and parallel to each other. Open grooves (12a) are equipped for insertion of floor segments, and are pointed towards each other. A ballast body (80) is arranged, such that the weight of the ballast body acts on the floor beams without the interposition of a longitudinal beam (20).