A natural ventilation performance driven modular building adaptive skin system

Abstract

The application provides a natural ventilation performance driven modular building adaptive skin system. It relates to the technical field of building skin system and comprises a support frame, a middle support, a driving mechanism, a modular foldable skin and a skin unit stretching device. The support frame and the middle support support the overall structure of the building adaptive skin. When the driving mechanism is positively rotated, the center square of the skin unit is rotated, and under the pulling action of the stretching device, the skin unit is folded inward. The skin changes from relaxation to contraction, and the building ventilation opening rate becomes larger. Conversely, when the driving mechanism is reversely rotated, the skin changes from contraction to relaxation, and the building ventilation opening rate becomes smaller. The modular skin of the application is suitable for diversified building facades. The folding degree of the building adaptive skin can be flexibly controlled by controlling the rotation amplitude of the driving mechanism, the natural ventilation process of the building can be accurately adjusted, and the individualized ventilation demand of each area in the room can be realized by respectively controlling the building adaptive skin units at different positions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of building skin systems, and in particular to a modular adaptive building skin system driven by natural ventilation performance. Background Technology

[0002] Building ventilation is a crucial aspect of architectural design. The activities of occupants within a building reduce indoor oxygen levels, and prolonged, extensive indoor activity can significantly degrade indoor air quality. To improve indoor air quality and increase comfort, buildings require a certain level of ventilation. Traditional building windows are typically distributed across the facade, requiring users to manually open them, making it difficult to accurately control ventilation time and the specific ventilation needs of different areas. Furthermore, for large spaces like shopping malls, mechanical ventilation equipment is often used, consuming significant amounts of energy and failing to meet energy conservation and emission reduction requirements.

[0003] Passive ventilation technology in buildings can utilize the external natural wind environment to ventilate the interior of the building. When the building needs ventilation, the ventilation structure on the exterior facade can be opened, which greatly reduces energy consumption. However, it cannot adjust the ventilation structure in real time according to the indoor ventilation needs and the outdoor natural conditions, and it cannot meet the personalized ventilation needs of different spaces inside the building.

[0004] Dynamic building skin systems can dynamically adjust the ventilation volume of the ventilation structure according to the environment and ventilation needs. The dynamic skin is designed as a modular unit that can be arranged side by side and expanded to cover all sides to adapt to different building facades. However, common dynamic skin systems have complex structures, are difficult to control, and occupy a lot of space when opened and closed. They cannot be precisely controlled, and the ventilation efficiency when opened and closed is low, failing to achieve good ventilation effects. Various dynamic skins lack aesthetic design, affecting the beauty of the building facade. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of traditional ventilation windows requiring manual opening and closing by users, making it impossible to accurately control ventilation time and ventilation needs in different parts of the room; excessive energy consumption of mechanical ventilation in large spaces such as shopping malls; and the complex structure, large space occupation, difficult control, and low ventilation efficiency of common dynamic skin systems. This invention proposes a modular building adaptive skin system driven by natural ventilation performance.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: This invention proposes a modular building adaptive skin system driven by natural ventilation performance. The skin system comprises m*n skin units arranged closely together, with m rows and n skin units per row, where m and n are arbitrary natural numbers, and their values ​​can be adjusted according to the building facade. The skin system includes a support frame, a central support, a drive mechanism, a modular foldable skin, and a skin unit stretching device. The support frame and the central support support the overall structure of the adaptive building skin. The drive mechanism includes an actuator and a rigid fixing layer. Each skin unit can be folded inwards and extended outwards as a whole.

[0007] When the actuator rotates forward, it drives the central square of the outer folded skin to rotate through the rigid fixing layer. At the same time, under the pulling action of the skin unit stretching device, the skin unit folds inward, the skin changes from expansion to contraction, the gap between the skin units increases, and the building ventilation opening ratio increases. Conversely, when the actuator rotates in the opposite direction, the skin changes from contraction to expansion, the gap between the skin units decreases, and the building ventilation opening ratio decreases. Controlling the rotation of the actuator and thus changing the degree of folding of the skin unit can adjust the building ventilation.

[0008] Furthermore, the support frame includes an inner frame and an outer frame. The inner frame is a mesh orthogonal rigid frame closer to the interior, and the outer frame is a rigid frame closer to the exterior. Its planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit. The central support is a support structure between the inner frame and the outer frame, and the central support is rigidly connected to the inner and outer frames.

[0009] Furthermore, the inner frame is a grid-shaped orthogonal sheet-like rigid frame structure, with rounded corners at each vertex to reduce structural stress, and square falcon eyes opened at the four edges; the outer frame is a sheet-like rigid frame, whose planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit, with rounded corners at each vertex to reduce structural stress, and square falcon eyes opened at the four edges; the middle support is a square sheet-like rigid structure, with falcon heads set on the inner and outer sides corresponding to the falcon eyes of the inner and outer frames, respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, the modular foldable skin is a two-dimensional flexible foldable panel located on the outside of the support frame. It is divided into a central square, four surrounding squares, and four rhombuses according to the creases on it. The interior angles corresponding to adjacent vertices of the rhombuses are 45° and 135°, respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, the creases are divided into two types: mountain creases and valley creases. The four sides of the square in the middle of the epidermal unit are valley creases, and the creases on the two adjacent sides of the four squares surrounding the middle square of the epidermal unit are alternating between mountain creases and valley creases. The epidermal unit folds and unfolds according to the creases, presenting an overall contracted and expanded state respectively.

[0012] Furthermore, the housing of the servo motor is rigidly connected to the internal frame at the orthogonal node of the internal frame. The rigid fixing layer is a square rigid plate, the shape of which is the same as the square in the middle after the skin unit is divided by creases. The servo motor's rudder, the rigid fixing layer, and the skin unit are aligned in sequence and rigidly connected by screws.

[0013] Furthermore, the skin unit stretching device is a linear elastic rope, one end of which is fixed to the outer vertex of a square on the outside of the skin unit, and the other end is fixed to the structural intersection of the outer frame closest to the vertex; skin stretching devices are provided at all four vertices of the skin unit; the four stretching devices around the skin unit continuously provide the skin unit with a pulling force from the central square outward, so that the skin unit folds inward and contracts when the actuator rotates in the forward direction, and the modular skin unit expands outward when the actuator rotates in the reverse direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the rotation amplitude of the actuator directly affects the degree of folding of the modular folding skin. The rotation angle of the actuator can be precisely controlled to control the degree of folding of the skin unit, thereby achieving precise regulation of the building's natural ventilation. Each skin unit can be individually controlled in terms of its degree of folding. By controlling the degree of folding of the adaptive skin units at different locations, personalized ventilation needs of different indoor areas can be met.

[0015] Furthermore, the modular foldable skin has a relatively small individual coverage area, and when combined with the external frame, it can be arranged in multiple rows and columns to achieve full coverage of the building surface without overlap, and the surface is flat and tight, adapting to diverse building facade forms.

[0016] Furthermore, each skin unit is cut as a whole from a 0.3mm thick PP polypropylene sheet material.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] This invention proposes a modular adaptive building skin system driven by natural ventilation performance. When ventilation is required in the building, the actuator rotates forward, driving the central square of the modular folding skin to rotate through the rigid fixing layer. Simultaneously, under the pulling action of the skin unit stretching device, the skin units fold inward, changing from expansion to contraction. The gaps between the skin units increase, and the building ventilation opening ratio increases, thus enhancing building ventilation. Conversely, when the building's natural ventilation demand decreases, the actuator rotates in the opposite direction, changing the skin from contraction to expansion. The gaps between the skin units decrease, and the building ventilation opening ratio decreases. Controlling the actuator rotation and thus changing the folding degree of the skin units can regulate building ventilation. The building ventilation demand is quantified by the required fresh air volume. Precise control of the folding rate of the skin units and the folding of skin units in different areas of the facade can achieve precise control of the building's natural ventilation process and meet the personalized ventilation needs of different areas of the interior. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is an exploded isometric view of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a plan view of each component of the rigid support frame in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a plan view of the modular foldable skin in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the folded and unfolded states of the modular foldable skin in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the structure combining the drive mechanism and the modular foldable skin in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a side view of the foldable skin unit in the folded and unfolded states in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of markings in the diagram: 101 - Inner frame, 102 - Middle support, 103 - Outer frame, 104 - Falcon eye on the outer frame, 105 - Tenon on the middle support, 106 - Falcon eye on the inner frame, 201 - Servo actuator, 202 - Rigid fixing layer, 203 - Screw fastener, 204 - Servo actuator housing, 205 - Servo actuator rudder, 301 - Modular foldable skin (folding degree 0%), 302 - Modular foldable skin (folding degree 40%), 303 - Modular foldable skin (folding degree 70%), 304 - Modular Foldable skin (100% folding), 305 - mountain fold on skin unit, 306 - mountain fold on skin unit, 307 - mountain fold on skin unit, 308 - mountain fold on skin unit, 309 - valley fold on skin unit, 310 - valley fold on skin unit, 311 - valley fold on skin unit, 312 - valley fold on skin unit, 313 - valley fold on skin unit, 314 - valley fold on skin unit, 315 - valley fold on skin unit, 316 - valley fold on skin unit, 401 - skin unit stretching device. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0029] This invention proposes a modular adaptive building skin system driven by natural ventilation performance. The skin system consists of m*n skin units arranged closely together, with m rows and n skin units per row, where m and n are arbitrary natural numbers that can be adjusted according to the building facade. The skin system includes a support frame, a central support, a drive mechanism, a modular foldable skin, and a skin unit stretching device. The support frame and the central support support the overall structure of the adaptive building skin. The drive mechanism includes an actuator and a rigid fixing layer. Each skin unit can be folded inward and extended outward as a whole.

[0030] When the actuator rotates forward, it drives the central square of the outer folded skin to rotate through the rigid fixing layer. At the same time, under the pulling action of the skin unit stretching device, the skin unit folds inward, the skin changes from expansion to contraction, the gap between the skin units increases, and the building ventilation opening ratio increases. Conversely, when the actuator rotates in the opposite direction, the skin changes from contraction to expansion, the gap between the skin units decreases, and the building ventilation opening ratio decreases. Controlling the rotation of the actuator and thus changing the degree of folding of the skin unit can adjust the building ventilation.

[0031] The support frame includes an inner frame and an outer frame. The inner frame is a mesh orthogonal rigid frame closer to the interior, and the outer frame is a rigid frame closer to the exterior. Its planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit. The central support is a support structure between the inner frame and the outer frame, and the central support is rigidly connected to the inner and outer frames.

[0032] The internal frame is a grid-shaped orthogonal sheet-like rigid frame structure with rounded corners at each vertex to reduce structural stress and square falcon eyes at the four edges. The external frame is a sheet-like rigid frame whose planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit, with rounded corners at each vertex to reduce structural stress and square falcon eyes at the four edges. The central support is a square sheet-like rigid structure with falcon heads set on the inner and outer sides corresponding to the falcon eyes of the inner and outer frames, respectively.

[0033] The modular foldable skin is a two-dimensional flexible foldable panel located on the outside of the support frame. It is divided into a central square, four surrounding squares, and four rhombuses according to the creases on it. The interior angles corresponding to adjacent vertices of the rhombuses are 45° and 135°, respectively.

[0034] The creases are divided into two types: mountain creases and valley creases. The four sides of the square in the middle of the epidermal unit are valley creases. The creases on the two adjacent sides of the four squares surrounding the middle square of the epidermal unit are alternating between mountain creases and valley creases. The epidermal unit folds and unfolds according to the creases, showing an overall contraction and expansion state respectively.

[0035] The outer shell of the servo motor is rigidly connected to the internal frame at the orthogonal node of the internal frame. The rigid fixing layer is a square rigid plate, the shape of which is the same as the square in the middle after the skin unit is divided by creases. The servo motor's rudder, the rigid fixing layer, and the skin unit are aligned in sequence and rigidly connected by screws.

[0036] The skin unit stretching device is a linear elastic rope, one end of which is fixed to the outer vertex of a square on the outside of the skin unit, and the other end is fixed to the structural intersection of the outer frame closest to the vertex; skin stretching devices are provided at all four vertices of the skin unit; the four stretching devices around the skin unit continuously provide the skin unit with a pulling force from the central square outward, so that the skin unit folds inward and contracts when the actuator rotates in the forward direction, and the modular skin unit expands outward when the actuator rotates in the reverse direction.

[0037] The rotation amplitude of the actuator directly affects the degree of folding of the modular folding skin. The rotation angle of the actuator can be precisely controlled to control the degree of folding of the skin unit, thereby achieving precise regulation of the building's natural ventilation. Each skin unit can be individually controlled in terms of its degree of folding. By controlling the degree of folding of the adaptive skin units at different locations, personalized ventilation needs of different indoor areas can be met.

[0038] The modular foldable skin has a relatively small individual coverage area. When combined with the external frame, it can be arranged in multiple rows and columns to achieve full coverage of the building surface without overlap, and the surface is flat and tight, adapting to diverse building facade forms.

[0039] Example

[0040] Reference Figures 1 to 6 This invention proposes a modular building adaptive skin system driven by natural ventilation performance, including an internal frame 101, a central support 102, an external frame 103, a central drive mechanism 201-205, a modular foldable skin 301-316, and a skin unit stretching device 401. In this embodiment, the skin system has a total of 9 skin units arranged in three rows, with 3 skin units in each row.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, the support frame includes an inner frame and an outer frame. The inner frame 101 is a rigid frame closer to the interior, which is a grid-shaped orthogonal sheet-like rigid frame structure. Rounded corners at each vertex reduce structural stress, and three square mortises are provided at each of the four edges. The outer frame 103 is a rigid frame closer to the exterior, which is a sheet-like rigid frame. Its planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit, rounded corners at each vertex reduce structural stress, and three square mortises are provided at each of the four edges. The central support 102 is the support structure between the inner frame and the outer frame. It is a square sheet-like rigid structure. Three mortises 105 are provided on the inner and outer sides corresponding to the mortises 104 and 106 of the inner and outer frames, respectively. In this embodiment, four central supports 102 are provided on the four sides corresponding to the inner and outer frames 101 and 103, and the central supports 102 are rigidly connected to the inner and outer frames 101 and 103 through mortise and tenon joints. In this embodiment, the inner and outer frames 101 and 103 and the four central supports 102 constitute the rigid structural support of the skin system.

[0042] Reference Figure 3 The modular foldable skin 301 is a two-dimensional flexible foldable sheet located on the outside of the outer frame 103. In this embodiment, each skin unit 301 is integrally cut from a 0.3mm thick PP polypropylene sheet material, as shown in the reference. Figure 3 As shown, the 12 creases on the epidermal unit can divide it into a central square, four surrounding squares, and four surrounding rhombuses, with the interior angles corresponding to adjacent vertices of the rhombuses being 45° and 135°, respectively.

[0043] Reference Figure 3 The creases are divided into two types: mountain creases (305-308) and valley creases (309-316). The four sides of the central square of the modular foldable skin 301 are valley creases (313-316). The creases on the inner two adjacent sides of the four squares surrounding the central square of the skin unit 301 alternate between mountain and valley creases; that is, 305, 306, 307, and 308 are mountain creases, and 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, and 316 are valley creases. The skin unit 301 can be folded and unfolded according to these creases, exhibiting overall contraction and expansion states, respectively. Figure 4 As shown, the folding degree corresponding to the folding state of the skin unit 301 is 0%, the folding degree corresponding to the folding state of the skin unit 302 is 40%, the folding degree corresponding to the folding state of the skin unit 303 is 70%, and the folding degree corresponding to the folding state of the skin unit 304 is 100%.

[0044] Reference Figure 5In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 201-205 includes an actuator servo 201, a rigid fixing layer 202, and screw fasteners 203. The side of the actuator servo housing 204 opposite to the servo disc 205 is fitted to the inner frame 101 and fixedly installed at the structural intersection of the inner frame 101, so that the rotation axis of the servo disc 205 passes through the structural intersection of the inner frame 101, and the servo housing 204 remains parallel to the inner frame 101. The rigid fixing layer 202 is a square rigid plate, the shape of which is the same as the square in the middle after the skin unit 301 is divided by creases, and holes are punched on it for the screw fasteners 203 to pass through. The square in the middle of the skin unit 301 after being divided by creases is aligned with the rigid fixing layer 202. The holes on the rigid fixing layer 202 are aligned with the holes on the servo disc 205 of the actuator. The skin unit 301, the rigid fixing layer 202, and the servo disc 205 of the actuator are connected and fastened using screws and fasteners 203.

[0045] Reference Figure 6 The skin unit tensioning device 401 is a linear elastic rope, one end of which is fixed to the outer vertex of a square on the outside of the skin unit 301, and the other end is fixed to the structural intersection of the outer frame closest to the vertex. Following this logic, elastic tensioning devices are provided at all four vertices of the skin unit. The four elastic tensioning devices 401 located around the skin unit continuously provide the skin unit 301 with a pulling force from the central square outwards. When natural ventilation needs to be increased in the building interior, the rudder disk 205 of the actuator rotates in the forward direction, and the skin unit stretching device 401 provides outward tension to the four squares around the skin unit 301. Under the combined action of the two, the skin unit 301 folds inward along the creases 305-316, increasing the gap between the skins and improving the building ventilation rate. Conversely, when natural ventilation needs to be reduced in the building interior, the rudder disk 205 of the actuator rotates in the reverse direction. Under the tension of the elastic device, the skin unit 304 expands outward, reducing the gap between the skins and decreasing the building ventilation rate.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the inner frame 101, the middle support 102, and the outer frame 103 are made of 10mm thick wooden boards. The boards are laser-cut to form various components, and then the components are assembled by mortise and tenon joints to form a rigid structural support for the building's adaptive skin.

[0047] Reference Figure 3In this embodiment, the modular foldable skin 301 is made of 0.3mm thick PP polypropylene sheet material, so that the skin unit can form clear and obvious creases 305-316 through folding. At the same time, the skin unit has a certain hardness and toughness so that it can be restored from the folded state to the unfolded state.

[0048] In this embodiment, the modular foldable skin is a chiral structure. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort, such as mirror images of the unitized foldable skin of this embodiment, are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0049] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; however, such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A modular building adaptive skin system driven by natural ventilation performance, characterized in that, The skin system comprises m*n tightly arranged skin units, with m rows and n units per row, where m and n are arbitrary natural numbers that can be adjusted according to the building facade. The skin system includes a support frame, a central support structure, a drive mechanism, a modular foldable skin, and a skin unit stretching device. The support frame and the central support structure support the building's adaptive skin structure. The drive mechanism includes an actuator and a rigid fixing layer. Each skin unit can be folded inwards and extended outwards as a whole. When the actuator rotates forward, it drives the central square of the outer folded skin to rotate through the rigid fixing layer. At the same time, under the pulling action of the skin unit stretching device, the skin unit folds inward, the skin changes from expansion to contraction, the gap between the skin units increases, and the building ventilation opening ratio increases. Conversely, when the actuator rotates in the opposite direction, the skin changes from contraction to expansion, the gap between the skin units decreases, and the building ventilation opening ratio decreases. Controlling the rotation of the actuator and thus changing the degree of folding of the skin unit can adjust the building ventilation. The modular foldable skin is a two-dimensional flexible foldable panel located on the outside of the support frame. It is divided into a central square, four surrounding squares, and four rhombuses according to the creases on it. The interior angles corresponding to adjacent vertices of the rhombuses are 45° and 135°, respectively.

2. The epidermal system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support frame includes an inner frame and an outer frame. The inner frame is a mesh orthogonal rigid frame closer to the interior, and the outer frame is a rigid frame closer to the exterior. Its planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit. The central support is a support structure between the inner frame and the outer frame, and the central support is rigidly connected to the inner and outer frames.

3. The epidermal system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The internal frame is a grid-shaped orthogonal sheet-like rigid frame structure with rounded corners at each vertex to reduce structural stress and square falcon eyes at the four edges. The external frame is a sheet-like rigid frame whose planar structure follows the outer contour of the skin unit, with rounded corners at each vertex to reduce structural stress and square falcon eyes at the four edges. The central support is a square sheet-like rigid structure with falcon heads set on the inner and outer sides corresponding to the falcon eyes of the inner and outer frames, respectively.

4. The epidermal system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The creases are divided into two types: mountain creases and valley creases. The four sides of the square in the middle of the epidermal unit are valley creases. The creases on the two adjacent sides of the four squares surrounding the middle square of the epidermal unit are alternating between mountain creases and valley creases. The epidermal unit folds and unfolds according to the creases, showing an overall contraction and expansion state respectively.

5. The epidermal system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer shell of the servo motor is rigidly connected to the internal frame at the orthogonal node of the internal frame. The rigid fixing layer is a square rigid plate, the shape of which is the same as the square in the middle after the skin unit is divided by creases. The servo motor's rudder, the rigid fixing layer, and the skin unit are aligned in sequence and rigidly connected by screws.

6. The epidermal system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The skin unit stretching device is a linear elastic rope, one end of which is fixed to the outer vertex of a square on the outside of the skin unit, and the other end is fixed to the structural intersection of the outer frame closest to the vertex; skin stretching devices are provided at all four vertices of the skin unit; the four stretching devices around the skin unit continuously provide the skin unit with a pulling force from the central square outward, so that the skin unit folds inward and contracts when the actuator rotates in the forward direction, and the modular skin unit expands outward when the actuator rotates in the reverse direction.

7. The epidermal system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rotation amplitude of the actuator directly affects the degree of folding of the modular folding skin. The rotation angle of the actuator can be precisely controlled to control the degree of folding of the skin unit, thereby achieving precise regulation of the building's natural ventilation. Each skin unit can be individually controlled in terms of its degree of folding. By controlling the degree of folding of the adaptive skin units at different locations, personalized ventilation needs of different indoor areas can be met.

8. The epidermal system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The modular foldable skin has a relatively small individual coverage area. When combined with the external frame, it can be arranged in multiple rows and columns to achieve full coverage of the building surface without overlap, and the surface is flat and tight, adapting to diverse building facade forms.

9. The epidermal system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each skin unit is cut from a single piece of 0.3mm thick PP polypropylene sheet material.

Images