Modular wall structure

Abstract

The modular wall structure comprises a plurality of primary frames (10) for holding cladding elements (11) and building service equipment (12), secondary frames (20) for supporting the primary frames (10), and a movement system for moving each primary frame (10) with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frames (20). The movement system comprises at least three movement units (40) for each primary frame (10). Each movement unit (40) comprises a housing (50) attached to the primary frame (10), a spherical joint bushing (61) in the housing (50), the joint bushing (61) being capable of translation parallel to the plane of the primary frame (10), and a first drive unit (40) attached to the primary frame (10) for moving the ball joint bushing (61) relative to the housing (50) via a first shaft (70) along a first direction (x). The present invention also includes a first drive unit (72) mounted on the primary frame (10) for moving the ball joint bushing relative to the housing (50) via a second axis (80) along a second direction (y) perpendicular to the first direction (x), and a third drive unit (92) mounted on the secondary frame (20) for moving the ball joint bushing relative to the secondary frame (20) via a third shaft in a third direction (z) perpendicular to both the first direction (x) and the second direction (y). The free end of the first shaft (70) is slidably mounted in a first guide groove of the ball joint bushing, the first guide groove (62) extending in the second direction (y). The free end of the second shaft is slidably mounted in a second guide groove of the ball joint bushing, the second guide groove extending in the first direction (x). The free end of the third shaft is attached to a ball joint that is rotatably disposed in the ball joint bushing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular wall structure, in particular a wall structure suitable for holding building service equipment and electronic equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, in the construction industry, indoor building service and electronic equipment is installed in structurally prepared buildings at the final stage of the construction process. After the installation of the building service and electronic equipment, cover elements are placed on the wall structure, which, on the one hand, hide the equipment from users and, on the other hand, also serve an aesthetic function. During installation in several steps, the positioning and alignment of the individual elements is often inaccurate, and the position of the installed elements cannot be changed. One solution to this problem is to use a wall structure, whose constituent independent elements can be freely positioned relative to each other.

[0003] German Patent Application Publication No. 102013109897 describes a modular wall structure consisting of a so-called primary frame and a connected secondary frame. The primary frame is provided with a decorative layer and magnetic elements. The secondary frame is provided with magnetic elements of opposite polarity for magnetically securing the primary frame. The secondary frame can be attached to a load-bearing wall. Building service cables / pipes can be placed in channels formed in the primary frame. Due to the magnetic fastening, individual primary frames can be freely positioned relative to the secondary frame within certain limits, allowing them to be removed in one step along with the building service cables / pipes. The disadvantage of this solution is that the position of the primary frame relative to the secondary frame can only be changed manually and only along the magnetic connection surface.

[0004] German Patent Application No. 102004052367 describes a wall structure comprising several primary frames with covering elements. The primary frames are connected to secondary frames consisting of profiled rods that can be attached to the load-bearing wall via a movable hinge system, so that each primary frame can move with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frame. The disadvantage of this solution is that, since the movement of the movable hinge system cannot be remotely controlled, setting the primary frames to the desired position is very tedious and time-consuming when there are a large number of primary frames.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0022330 describes a tiled wall structure that includes several primary frames that hold displays. Each primary frame is connected to a secondary support frame that can be attached to a load-bearing wall via a movable structure, allowing each primary frame to move with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frame. In a plane parallel to the plane of the primary frame, the movement of each primary frame can be electrically and remotely controlled, but the angular position relative to the secondary support structure can only be adjusted manually. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102013109897 [Patent Document 2] DE 102004052367 [Patent Document 3] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0022330 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a modular wall structure that allows the installation of cladding elements and building service elements in one step and allows the primary frame holding the cladding elements to be positioned with high precision by remote control and adjustment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above object is achieved by providing a modular wall structure according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the modular wall structure according to the invention are defined by the dependent claims.

[0009] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1A] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a modular wall structure according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 1B] 1 is a perspective view of the primary frame and movement system of a modular wall structure according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 1C] 1 is a side view of a modular wall structure according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a mobile unit according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a moving unit according to the present invention with a side wall of the housing removed; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a moving unit according to the present invention; [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the movement unit according to the present invention during a movement cycle of the primary frame along a straight line in a third direction. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the moving unit according to the present invention when adjusting the tilt angle defined by the plane of the primary frame and the plane of the secondary frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A modular wall structure according to the present invention will be described herein using a preferred embodiment, different views of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1A shows the design of a modular wall structure according to the present invention. The modular wall structure comprises several primary frames 10 which hold cladding elements 11 and building service equipment 12. The primary frames 10 are also suitable for holding other equipment such as electronic devices (especially speakers, cameras, sensors, lasers, etc.), although for the sake of simplicity such equipment will also be referred to herein as "building service equipment".

[0012] Each primary frame 10 is connected to a secondary frame 20, consisting for example of profile bars, which can be attached to the static load-bearing walls or to the interior partition walls of the building, via a movement system 4 which allows each primary frame 10 to move with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frame 20. On its front face facing the secondary frame 20 (the so-called mounting face), the primary frame 10 is preferably provided with fixing elements which are used to fix building service equipment 12 (and / or electronic equipment). The face opposite to the first face (i.e. the face facing the interior of the building) is preferably provided with fixing elements for fixing cladding elements 11.

[0013] 1B, the movement system 4 is located on a first side of the primary frame 10 facing the secondary frame 20. The movement system 4 of each primary frame 10 comprises at least three, preferably four, movement units 40, which are preferably located in the corner regions of the rectangular (or optionally square) primary frame 10.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1C, the secondary frame 20 comprises fastening elements 21 by which the secondary frame 20 can be attached to a wall 19 of a building, such as a static bearing wall or an interior partition wall.

[0015] 2 to 4 show the arrangement of the main elements of the moving unit 40 from different perspectives in a preferred embodiment of the modular wall structure according to the present invention. The moving unit 40 includes a housing 50 attached to the primary frame 10, and the housing 50 has two walls parallel to the plane of the primary frame 10 and a side wall 51 perpendicular to the plane of the primary frame 10. A ball joint bushing 61 is disposed inside the housing 50 and is movable within the housing 50 in any direction parallel to the plane of the primary frame 10. The outer dimensions of the ball joint bushing 61 are smaller than the inner dimensions of the housing 50.

[0016] The moving unit 40 includes a first drive unit 72 mounted on the primary frame 10, the first drive unit 72 configured to move the ball joint bushing 61 relative to the housing 50 along a first direction, in this case parallel to the x-axis shown in FIG. 2, via a first shaft 70, and a second drive unit 82 fixed to the primary frame 10, the second drive unit 82 configured to move the ball joint bushing 61 relative to the housing 50 along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in this case parallel to the y-axis shown in FIG. 2. The moving unit 40 also includes a third drive unit 92 fixed to the secondary frame 20, the third drive unit 92 configured to move the ball joint bushing 61 relative to the secondary frame 20 along a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions, in this case parallel to the z-axis shown in FIG. 2.

[0017] The free end of the first shaft 70 is held in a groove 62 formed in the side wall 51 of the housing 50 facing the shaft 70 and running parallel to the y-axis. Similarly, the free end of the shaft 80 is held in a groove 63 formed in the side wall 51 of the housing 50 facing the shaft 80 and running parallel to the x-axis. Each of the drive units 72, 82, 92 preferably includes a self-locking worm gear unit 73, 83, 93, respectively, having a gear ratio of, for example, 1:50, and further includes a stepper motor 74, 84, 94, respectively. The first drive unit 72 can move the first shaft 70 in a first direction parallel to the x-axis, and the second drive unit 82 can move the second shaft 80 along a straight line in a second direction parallel to the y-axis. The third drive unit 92 rotates a third shaft 90 parallel to the z-axis such that the ball joint bushing 61 in the housing 50 moves relative to the secondary frame 20 along a third direction parallel to the z-axis.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the modular wall structure according to the invention, as can be seen in particular from FIG. 2 , the housing 50, the first drive unit 72 and the second drive unit 82 are fixed to a support plate 52 attached to a first face of the primary frame 10 facing the secondary frame 20, said support plate 52 extending parallel to the plane of the primary frame 10, while the third drive unit 92 is attached to a horizontal bracket 22 attached to a horizontal profile bar of the secondary frame 20.

[0019] 3 shows the design of the moving unit 40, in particular the design of the ball joint bushing 61. The ball joint bushing 61 is formed with a first guide groove 62 extending in the second direction and a second guide groove 63 extending in the first direction. A free end 71 of a first shaft 70 is slidably fastened to the first guide groove 62, while a free end 81 of a second shaft 80 is slidably fastened to the second guide groove 63.

[0020] As can be seen from the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, the ball joint bushing 61 includes a ball joint 60 that is freely rotatable in multiple directions. In the illustrated embodiment, a third shaft 90 is threadedly connected to the ball joint 60. A third drive unit 92 can rotate the third shaft 90 in one position to move the housing 50 along a third direction parallel to the z-axis. The portion of the shaft 90 between the third drive unit 92 and the ball joint 60 is preferably supported by a load-bearing guide 95, such as a bearing, attached to the bracket 22, as shown in Figure 4.

[0021] The operation of the four movement systems will now be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. By appropriately controlling each movement unit 40, the movement system 4 is configured to rotate each primary frame 10 about three mutually perpendicular axes and to linearly move the primary frame 10 along said three mutually perpendicular axes, i.e., to position the primary frame 10 with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frame 20.

[0022] The first shaft 70 and first drive unit 72 of each movement unit 40 constituting the movement system 4 enable linear movement of each primary frame 10 in a first direction, and the second shaft 80 and second drive unit 82 enable linear movement of each primary frame 10 in a second direction. The first shaft 70 and second shaft 80 cooperate with the respective drive units 72, 82 to rotate each primary frame 10 about an axis in a third direction.

[0023] When the primary frame 10 moves linearly in the first direction, the first drive unit 72 of each moving unit 40 constituting the moving system 4 moves the first shaft 70 in the first direction at the same speed. At this time, the free end 71 of the shaft 70 rests on one surface of the guide groove 62, and the first drive unit 72 and the housing 50 attached thereto move in the first direction along a straight line relative to the ball joint bushing 61 disposed within the housing 50, parallel to the plane of the primary frame 10. As a result, the primary frame 10 moves along a straight line in the first direction relative to the secondary frame 20. Meanwhile, the free end 81 of the shaft 80 moves in the first direction (i.e., parallel to the x-axis) in the second guide groove 63. Similarly, while the primary frame 10 moves in the second direction along a straight line, the second drive unit 82 of each moving unit 40 of the moving system 4 moves the second shaft 80 in the second direction along a straight line at the same speed. The free end 81 of the shaft 80 rests on one surface of the guide groove 63, and the second drive unit 82 and the housing 50 attached thereto move along a straight line relative to the ball joint bushing 61 disposed within the housing 50, in a second direction parallel to the y-axis and parallel to the plane of the primary frame 10. As a result, the primary frame 10 moves along a straight line in the second direction relative to the secondary frame 20. Meanwhile, the free end 71 of the shaft 70 moves in the second direction (i.e., parallel to the y-axis) in the first guide groove 62.

[0024] When the primary frame 10 rotates around the z-axis, the first drive unit 72 of at least one moving unit 40 of the movement system 4 and the second drive unit 82 of at least one moving unit 40 move the first shaft 70 in a first direction and the second shaft 80 in a second direction, thereby rotating the primary frame 10 relative to the secondary frame 20.

[0025] At the end of a predetermined operating cycle, drive units 72 and 82 are configured to stop. Self-locking worm gear units 73 and 83 lock shafts 70 and 80, which further prevents shafts 70 and 80 from moving in the first and second directions, respectively. In this manner, the position of housing 50 relative to ball joint bushing 61, and consequently the position of primary frame 10 relative to secondary frame 20, is determined.

[0026] A third shaft 90 rotatably engaged with the ball joint 60 disposed within the ball joint bush 61, and a third drive unit 92 enable each primary frame 10 to move linearly along a third direction parallel to the z-axis, and further rotate about the first and second axes, i.e., adjust the tilt angle of the primary frame 10 relative to the secondary frame 20.

[0027] During the linear movement of the primary frame 10 in the third direction, the drive units 92 of each movement unit 40 of the movement system 4 rotate the third shaft 90 at the same speed, and the ball joints 60 threadedly connected to the respective shafts 90 perform the same amount of incremental movement along the direction of the third shaft 90. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the ball joint bushings 61 and the primary frame 10 fixedly attached to the ball joint bushings 61 move along a straight line relative to the secondary frame 20 in the third direction parallel to the z-axis.

[0028] During adjustment of the tilt angle of the primary frame 10, the drive units 92 of the movement units 40 constituting the movement system 4 rotate the third shaft 90 at different speeds. In this case, each ball joint 60 performs a different amount of incremental movement along the third shaft 90. As a result, the ball joint bushings 61 rotate relative to the ball joints 60, as shown in FIG. 6 . Since the primary frame 10 is fixed relative to the ball joint bushings 61, the primary frame 10 rotates around an axis in a first direction and / or a second direction, i.e., the plane of the primary frame 10 tilts in one or two directions at a predetermined angle relative to the plane of the secondary frame 20.

[0029] At the end of a given movement cycle, the drive unit 92 stops. The self-locking worm gear 93 prevents further rotation of the shaft 90, so that the position and tilt angle of the primary frame 10 in the third direction is determined relative to the secondary frame 20.

[0030] The drive units 72, 82, and 92 constituting the modular wall structure movement system 4 of the present invention can be individually controlled by a central computer via conventional signal lines. By individually controlling the drive units 72, 82, and 92, each primary frame 10 can be individually positioned with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frame 20. The individual primary frames 10 can be individually and independently positioned, or, using an appropriate computer program, ten primary frames can be simultaneously positioned cooperatively. In the latter case, positioning errors that occur during installation of the modular wall structure can be completely eliminated, allowing flat tiles attached to the primary frames 10 to be perfectly aligned in a plane, and tiles with curved or other three-dimensional surfaces to be positioned with high precision and aligned with the desired three-dimensional surface (e.g., a cylindrical column, an arch, etc.). For connection to the central computer, connectors to which signal lines from the central computer can be connected can be formed on either the primary frame 10 or the secondary frame 20. That is, the central computer that controls the operation of the drive units does not necessarily form part of the modular wall structure according to the present invention.

[0031] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the modular wall structure according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1C , the primary frame 10 may be provided with a distance measuring sensor 13 on its second surface facing the interior of the building. The sensor 13 may be connected to a central computer via a signal line. The distance measuring sensor 13 may be, for example, a laser distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring sensor 13 measures the distance between the primary frame 10 and a reference object placed in the spatial volume in front of the modular wall structure and transmits the measurement data via the signal line to the central computer. Based on the measurement data, the central computer calculates the movement distance and rotation angle required for positioning each primary frame 10, and accordingly sends corresponding control signals to all drive units of the individual movement units involved in the positioning of a given primary frame 10.

[0032] The main steps in on-site installation of a modular wall structure according to the present invention will now be described.

[0033] The fixing system is constructed on top of the static load-bearing wall structure of the building or on top of a lightweight wall, for example an internal partition wall made up of custom-made aluminium profiles.

[0034] The fixing system is attached to the wall vertically and horizontally with screws and / or adhesive, using spacers as required. The floor, ceiling or static walls (if any) of a given premises are used as fixing points. The depth of the fixing system is typically 30 to 400 mm. Within this depth range, there is usually enough space for the entire building service system (e.g. cable bundles, pipelines, pipe fittings, air conditioning equipment, ventilation systems, power rails, bus connectors, fiber optic units, etc.).

[0035] After the installation of the fixing system, a secondary frame is constructed to hold the primary frame and any additional building service equipment, entertainment electronics, healthcare devices, etc. attached to it, along with any decorative cladding elements. The secondary frame serves as a load-bearing connection between the building's masonry and the primary frame. Structurally, the secondary frame consists of two main units: a wall-mounting bracket (e.g., Eurofox) and a formed aluminum profile. Typically, the secondary frame is a specially designed, custom-made unit. The secondary frame has as small a front face as possible so that the aforementioned building service equipment (e.g., air conditioning equipment, plumbing fittings, etc.) can fit behind it and connect as easily as possible with the equipment attached to the primary frame.

[0036] The primary frame is preferably constructed from carbon fiber composite material and is particularly suitable for mounting the following equipment: liquid audio exciters and associated additional resonant systems, auxiliary audio exciters, electronic control units, signal amplifiers, power supplies, and mechatronic units such as heating / cooling systems, camera systems, LIDAR units, ultrasonic sensors, infrared cameras, electronic assembly boxes, servo motors that move the primary frame, air conditioning equipment, other building service units, entertainment electronics, fire protection units, integrated GIS lasers and other sensors, and Med-Tech devices such as UWB-SAR radars, ultrasound systems, infrared matrices, electrocardiography (ECG) systems, VO2 systems, etc.

[0037] The final covering element (which remains visible to the user after installation) is preferably glued to a spring steel plate, which acts as a safety element in case of breakage or damage to the covering. When installing an audio exciter, it is important that the tile's retaining plate is flexible, as the vibrations of the audio exciter need to reach the tile undampened.

[0038] Preferably, the tiles attached to the primary frame have invisible seams at the edges through which the sensors or cameras can see into the given room or building space in which the system is installed.

[0039] Air intake ducts for the air conditioning and heating systems are preferably installed at the top and bottom of the entire modular wall structure. These channels can be created with a 3D printer according to the specific size of the wall panels. The air ducts are preferably attached to the primary frame with flexible resin adhesive and through bolts.

[0040] The heating filament used for heating is preferably arranged on the backside of the tile by gluing. The connector and controller of the heating system are also attached to the primary frame.

[0041] Water supply elements such as servo valves, solenoid valves, control units, and inlet hot and cold water pipes are placed in specific locations on the primary frame.

[0042] By always providing flexible portions for the cable / pipeline connections formed on the primary frame, flexible lines (e.g. electrical cables, flexible corrugated ducts) and rigid lines (e.g. metal or plastic pipes) belonging to building service equipment and other electronic / electrical equipment can follow small spatial movements of the primary frame when positioning it, i.e. when moving the primary frame along three axes (translation, rotation).

[0043] An advantage of the modular wall structure according to the invention is that the cladding elements and building service units carried by the primary frames can be connected to the load-bearing walls of a building in one step using a movement system and secondary frames. The movement system also allows each primary frame to move with six degrees of freedom relative to the secondary frames. A further advantage of the modular wall structure is that distance measuring sensors and a central computer allow the primary frames to be simultaneously and cooperatively positioned relative to each other, thereby achieving an alignment accuracy of one hundredth of a millimeter for the primary frames and the devices they carry.

[0044] Another advantage of the modular wall structure of the present invention is that individual primary frames, and their associated building service equipment, can be easily replaced at any time without dismantling the wall.

[0045] Another advantageous feature of the modular wall structure of the present invention is its extremely rapid assembly and disassembly, enabling repairs of building service equipment installed behind ceramic tiles without damaging expensive decorative coverings, for example, in the case of repairs or replacements of building service equipment. Furthermore, the wall structure can be partially or completely installed or disassembled in an automated manner using special-purpose robots. Compared to conventional techniques (e.g., mechanical work, tiling, masonry, etc.), the overall cost and time required for mechanical, design, and construction can be reduced by up to one-tenth, and it is also environmentally friendly. The wall itself, its design, and its structural and mechanical systems are integrated, reducing the need for bricks and separation materials (e.g., gypsum board, pressed lumber (OSB), etc.), eliminating the need for additional building materials. Furthermore, because panels can be prefabricated based on the needs determined in the plan, fewer assembly materials (e.g., wires, pipes, etc.) are required, completely avoiding errors and the need for additional materials during construction. Material costs can also be calculated more accurately and easily. This system allows for a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions during interior and mechanical design, which can be as much as 40-90%, depending on the size and location of the investment and other parameters. Therefore, for a typical contract, this translates into a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 7-15%.

[0046] To summarise, the modular wall structure according to the invention has the following main advantages compared to conventional interior construction solutions: - Ability to fully meet individual needs even in short manufacturing times (basic systems are commercially available off-the-shelf products, but can be fully customized with thousands of materials and nearly 100 functions); - Rapid installation (installation time is a fraction of that required with current state-of-the-art technology, and the technology of the present invention can reduce the time required for interior design by up to 80%), -Quick replacement (even during a project) - Accurate and precise alignment according to plan (fully automated positioning, immediate feedback to designers), - Accurate quantities of materials allow for better project planning and cost forecasting (predefined part quantities), - Small carbon footprint (simplifies logistics), - The use of structural elements that can be installed by robots, without human intervention, not only in the mounting process but also during the installation of the entire system; -Full BIM (building information modelling) and CAD integration allows 100% monitoring and measurement of planning, installation and operation throughout the entire lifecycle.

Claims

1. - a number of primary frames (10) holding covering elements (11) and building service equipment (12); a secondary frame (20) supporting said primary frame (10); a movement system (4) for moving each primary frame (10) in six degrees of freedom relative to said secondary frame (20), said mobile system (4) comprises at least three mobile units (40) for each primary frame (10), each mobile unit (40) a housing (50) attached to said primary frame (10); - a spherical joint bush (61) in said housing (50), said joint bush (61) being able to translate parallel to the plane of said primary frame (10); a first drive unit (72) mounted on the primary frame (10) for moving the ball joint bush (61) relative to the housing (50) along a first direction (x) via a first shaft (70); a second drive unit (82) mounted on the primary frame (10) for moving the ball joint bushing (61) relative to the housing (50) along a second direction (y) perpendicular to the first direction (x) via a second axis (80); a third drive unit (92) attached to the secondary frame (20) for moving the ball joint bush (61) relative to the secondary frame (20) via a third shaft (90) in a third direction (z) perpendicular to both the first direction (x) and the second direction (y), - the free end (71) of said first shaft (70) is slidably mounted in a first guide groove (62) of said ball joint bushing (61), said first guide groove (62) extending in said second direction (y); - the free end (81) of said second shaft (80) is slidably mounted in a second guide groove (63) of said ball joint bushing (61), said second guide groove (63) extending in said first direction (x); - A modular wall structure, characterized in that the free end of said third shaft (90) is attached to a ball joint (60) rotatably arranged in said ball joint bush (61).

2. 2. The modular wall structure of claim 1, wherein the first drive unit (72) is configured to move the first shaft (70) along a straight line in the first direction (x), and the second drive unit (82) is configured to move the second shaft (80) along a straight line in the second direction (y).

3. 3. The modular wall structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the third shaft (90) is connected to the ball joint (60) by a thread, and the third drive unit (92) is configured to rotate the third axis (90) in one place to move the housing (50) along the third direction (z).

4. Modular wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the secondary frame (20) comprises fixing elements (21) for fixing to a load-bearing wall of a building.

5. 5. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the primary frame (10) is provided on its first side facing the secondary frame (20) with fastening elements for fastening building service equipment (12) and / or electronic equipment, and on its side opposite to the first side the primary frame (10) is provided with fastening elements for fastening the covering elements (11).

6. 6. A modular wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a laser distance measuring sensor (13) connected to a central computer via a signal line is arranged on the second face of the primary frame (10).

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