Bordered Wall Panels With Friction-Locked Cord
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of panels with a visible cord lining is complicated and requires additional tools or force, leading to inefficiencies in the interlinking process.
Innovation Solution
The panels feature coupling elements with a tongue and groove system that allow for easy interlinking without glue, where the cord is placed on the tongue and secured in a gap, preventing twisting and ensuring a stable position through frictional connection, with additional features like a lip and groove for enhanced holding and moisture protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cord is pushed into the gap between panels using force or additional tools, then the cord can be installed in the gap, but the installation process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cord is placed on the tongue of the first panel before the second panel is attached. This preliminary positioning ensures the cord is already in the correct location, eliminating the need for forceful insertion or additional tools during the final assembly step.
Solution Approach 2:
The tongue acts as an intermediary element that temporarily holds the cord in position. The tongue provides a convenient surface for placing the cord before final panel attachment, serving as a mediator between the cord and the gap where the cord ultimately needs to be positioned.
2Ease of operation
If the cord is placed on the tongue without additional holding features, then the installation is simple, but the cord may twist or shift from the correct position
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is provided with a specifically designed upper surface that has different properties than the rest of the panel. This localized feature provides the optimal surface for cord placement, ensuring the cord remains in the correct position without complicating the overall installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The cord is positioned on the tongue's upper surface before panel attachment, allowing the installer to ensure correct alignment beforehand. The tongue's design facilitates this preliminary positioning, ensuring the cord will not twist or shift during the attachment process.
3Device complexity
If the panels are coupled without a retention feature for the cord, then the panel coupling is simple, but the cord may fall out of the gap during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The cord retention function is merged with the existing panel coupling structure. The groove and lip features that form the gap are also used to retain the cord, eliminating the need for separate retention mechanisms while ensuring the cord stays in place during installation and use.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove and lip structures act as intermediaries that both form the visible gap for aesthetic purposes and provide retention features to prevent the cord from falling out. These features mediate between the need for a clean aesthetic appearance and the need for reliable cord retention.
4Reliability
If additional tools are used to install the cord in the gap, then the cord can be securely installed, but the installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The panel coupling structure itself provides the means for cord installation and retention. The tongue provides a placement surface, the groove forms the receiving gap, and the lip provides retention—all features are built into the panels, eliminating the need for separate tools or additional installation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The cord is positioned on the tongue before panel attachment, and the panel coupling process itself secures the cord in place. This preliminary positioning combined with the self-securing mechanism during attachment eliminates the need for additional tools or time-consuming steps to secure the cord afterward.
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
This solution simplifies and speeds up the installation process, prevents cord misalignment, and ensures a secure, moisture-resistant connection, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-clean surface.
Implementation Method 1
the groove above the tongue as well as the lip are dimensioned such that the cord is held by frictional connection onto the panel when the lip is arranged in the groove
Implementation Method 2
the lip forms at the same time a broadening on the lower side of the cord. In this way, first the correct position of the cord on the upper surface of the tongue is secured. On the other hand, the cord can be clamped into the groove
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to panels (1, 2) that can be interlinked without using glue. In the interlinked state of the panels, a cord (3) runs along the upper side of and between the panels. Said cord widens downwards and rests on the upper side of a spring (5) that forms the coupling element of a panel. The widening is preferably asymmetric. The inventive panels especially allow to provide a wall covering or a ceiling covering in an especially simple manner. The cord consists of a compressible material and prevents water from entering the gap between the panels. The design also compensates for effects related to expansion and shrinkage.