Batten Bar Assembly for Dome Roof Panel Securing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for constructing dome roofs are expensive, time-consuming, and result in excess scrap material, particularly due to the need for folded or crimped panels and intricate beam designs, which tighten fabrication and assembly tolerances, and require blind fastening without visible alignment.
Innovation Solution
A batten bar assembly that secures adjacent panels to a structural framework using flat panels, inside and outside legs with seal recesses, and apertures, allowing for alignment and securement without bent or crimped edges, and visible fastener alignment, reducing fabrication and assembly costs and errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If folded or crimped panels are used to secure panels to the support beam, then the panels can be held in place, but additional labor and cost are required for folding the panels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the folding/crimping operation from the panel fabrication process. Instead of modifying the panel edges through folding or crimping, the patent uses flat panel edges that simply rest against the support beam, eliminating the need for these additional fabrication steps while maintaining secure attachment through the batten bar and fastener system.
2Reliability
If folded or crimped panels are designed to interface with batten bar or beam components, then securement is achieved, but tightening of tolerances for part fabrication and assembly is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the securement function into distinct components: the flat panel edge, the support beam with defined geometry, the batten bar, and the fastener system. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with standard tolerances, while the assembly achieves reliable securement through the coordinated geometry of these separate elements, particularly the way the batten bar spans across the panel and beam interface.
3Strength
If beams with intricate and/or asymmetric design are used, then structural requirements are met, but fabrication cost increases and assembly tolerances are tightened
Solution Approach 1:
The support beam is designed with an asymmetric cross-section featuring a flat top surface and a slot, which provides the necessary structural integrity while creating a simplified interface for panel attachment. This asymmetric geometry allows the flat panel edges to rest directly on the flat top surface and enables the batten bar to engage with the slot, achieving securement without requiring complex or symmetric beam designs.
4Ease of operation
If fasteners are driven through panels to secure the batten bar, then the batten bar is held in place, but blind fastening without visible alignment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces the batten bar as an intermediary element between the fastener and the panel-beam interface. The batten bar includes a slot that receives the fastener, providing a visible alignment feature that guides fastener insertion. This intermediary structure allows the fastener to be properly positioned and driven without requiring blind alignment through the panel, as the batten bar's slot serves as a visual and physical guide for correct fastener placement.
Data Source
AI summary
A batten bar is configured to secure first and second adjacent flat panels to a structural framework. The batten bar includes first and second inside legs, first and second outside legs, and a plurality of apertures disposed along the length of the batten bar. The first and second inside legs define a central channel. The first outside leg and the first inside leg define a first seal recess configured to receive and retain a first seal. The second outside leg and the second inside leg define a second seal recess configured to receive and retain a second seal. In an installed configuration, the first inside leg and the first outside leg are configured to contact the first flat panel along a first common plane, and the second inside leg and second outside leg contact the second panel along a second common plane.