Base Shoe Dovetail Groove for Safer Glass Panel Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass panel installation systems face challenges such as difficulty in precise clamping, potential damage to components during installation, and safety risks due to the need for installers to lean over installed railings to insert weather seals, as well as issues with stuck taper plates during removal.
Innovation Solution
The improved base shoe design features a dovetail groove for pre-installation of weather seals and a continuous setting strip, along with a taper plate configuration allowing for easier removal, enhancing safety and installation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If installers insert weather seals after installing glass panels, then the installation sequence allows for panel first installation, but installers must lean over installed railings creating safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The dovetail groove is designed to receive the weather seal before the glass panel is installed. The groove's geometry (narrow opening at the top, wider at the bottom) allows the weather seal to be inserted and seated at the bottom of the groove prior to panel installation, eliminating the need for installers to lean over the railing later.
2Strength
If taper plates are driven tightly to secure glass panels, then clamping force is sufficient, but taper plates become stuck and difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The removal tool is designed with a segmented functional structure: a flathead screwdriver component for inserting into the recess to break the seal, and a wedge tool component for inserting into the gap between the taper plate and base shoe to pry the plate loose. This segmentation allows different mechanical actions to be applied in sequence for effective removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess and gap act as intermediaries that facilitate removal. The recess provides a access point for the removal tool to engage with the taper plate, while the gap between the taper plate and base shoe allows the wedge tool to insert and lever the plate loose without damaging surrounding components.
3Strength
If cement is used to hold panels in base shoes, then panels are secured in place, but installers lack sufficient time to align panels and ensure smooth appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The chemical bonding system (cement) is replaced with a mechanical clamping system using taper plates. The taper plates can be driven to secure the panel and then removed if adjustment is needed, eliminating the time-critical nature of cement setting and allowing flexible adjustment during installation.
4Strength
If wedges are driven vertically into base shoes to secure panels, then panels are clamped, but decorative cladding is prone to damage during insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping force is applied locally at the bottom of the base shoe where the taper plate contacts the glass panel and base shoe interior, rather than through the decorative cladding. The taper plate's tapered geometry concentrates the clamping force at the critical interface while leaving the decorative exterior surfaces undisturbed.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved base shoe for use with panel installation and removal systems. The improved base shoe includes dovetail grooves for use with a safety-seal, weather seal, wherein the safety-seal, weather seal must be installed prior to installing a glass panel. The improved base shoe features a recess for use with taper plates having a continuous projection along an upper surface. The base shoe and taper plates are configured so as to provide a prying surface between the projection on the taper plates and a wall of the base shoe.