Adjustable Shim Assembly for Window Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building construction practices face difficulties in finding and using shims of the correct size and shape to achieve proper spacing for installing prefabricated windows and doors, leading to inefficient and time-consuming processes, especially for unskilled workers.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable shim assembly with a base, fixed wedge, and adjustable wedge, featuring multiple rails and channels, allowing for incremental thickness adjustment and extension, enabling quick and easy securement to rough framed openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional wooden shims are used, then the shim can be fabricated from scrap materials, but finding a shim of the appropriate size and shape is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The shim assembly includes an adjustable wedge that can be moved along the base to change the thickness of the shim dynamically. This allows the worker to adjust the shim thickness on-site to match the specific gap requirements without searching for pre-cut shims of various sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The shim is divided into separate components: a base and an adjustable wedge. This segmentation allows the wedge to be independently positioned and secured at different locations along the base, enabling continuous adjustment of shim thickness to fit any gap size.
2Device complexity
If a fixed thickness shim is used, then the shim structure is simple, but the shim cannot be adjusted to different thicknesses for different gap sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable wedge can be positioned at different locations along the base and secured using set screws, transforming a static fixed-thickness shim into a dynamic adjustable-thickness shim while maintaining relatively simple structural components.
Solution Approach 2:
The shim assembly serves multiple functions: it provides spacing, allows thickness adjustment, and can be secured in various positions. This multi-functionality enables a single shim design to replace multiple fixed-thickness shims of different sizes.
3Manufacturing precision
If the shim thickness is adjusted incrementally, then the positioning precision is improved, but the adjustment mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge shape provides natural incremental adjustment as it is moved along the base. Each position of the wedge corresponds to a specific thickness, and the set screws lock the wedge in place, providing precise positioning without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is divided into multiple segments or positions where the wedge can be secured. This segmentation allows for incremental thickness adjustment while keeping the adjustment mechanism simple—essentially just moving and securing the wedge at different locations.
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 shim assembly allows for rapid and precise adjustment of thickness, facilitating proper installation of windows and doors by unskilled workers, ensuring accurate positioning and durability in various construction types.
Implementation Method 1
the adjustable wedge having an upper surface and an upwardly sloping lower surface provided with a multiplicity of spaced apart track like channels configured to encircle and engage the fixed wedge rails
Data Source
AI summary
Shims of the character used in building construction to install fixtures such as windows, doors, and the like within rough framed openings.