Building Component Mounting Means for Uneven Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
High wind speeds in multi-storey buildings cause creaking or groaning noises due to the uneven underside of concrete slab floors, leading to tension in head tracks and subsequent noise production when attached to the slab, as the legs of the track become splayed, reacting to wind loads.
Innovation Solution
A building component, such as a track, with mounting means that can be positioned outside its plane to attach to an uneven surface, maintaining a substantially straight profile by bridging gaps and using deformable fixing tabs or corrugations to secure the track to the surface, preventing splaying and noise generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the head track is secured to the uneven underside surface of the concrete slab through fasteners at predefined distances, then the track can be attached to the slab, but the unevenness of the surface creates tension at various points along the track causing the legs to splay inwardly or outwardly
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting means is divided into a first portion that attaches to the concrete slab and a second portion that contacts the track web. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the first portion for secure attachment to the uneven surface and the second portion for maintaining track straightness, resolving the contradiction between attachment reliability and track stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting means acts as an intermediary element between the uneven concrete slab and the track. It bridges the gap caused by surface unevenness, providing a stable connection point that prevents direct transmission of surface irregularities to the track structure, thereby maintaining track straightness while ensuring reliable attachment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the track legs are splayed due to tension from uneven surface attachment, then the track can accommodate surface variations, but the splayed legs react to wind loads and produce creaking or groaning noises
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the mounting means into two distinct portions, the invention allows the track to adapt to surface variations through the mounting mechanism rather than through leg splaying. The first portion accommodates the uneven surface while the second portion maintains the track's structural integrity, preventing noise generation while preserving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting means extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the track, utilizing a different spatial dimension to resolve the conflict between surface adaptation and noise prevention. This perpendicular extension allows the mounting means to bridge gaps caused by surface unevenness without causing the track legs to splay, thereby eliminating the source of wind-induced noises.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If plastic strips are inserted to prevent rubbing between the stud and head track, then contact noise is reduced, but the fundamental cause of noise from the track-slab interface is not addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and addresses the fundamental source of noise at the track-slab interface by improving the mounting mechanism. Rather than applying superficial fixes like plastic strips, the mounting means directly eliminates the tension and leg splaying that cause noise, removing the need for additional noise-reduction components.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting means is designed to preemptively prevent the development of tension and leg splaying by providing a stable attachment mechanism from the outset. This preliminary action ensures that the track remains straight and unstressed under wind loads, preventing noise generation before it occurs and eliminating the need for corrective measures.
Data Source
AI summary
A building component (1) for attachment to an uneven surface (32) such that a gap (34) exists at one or more locations between the building component (1) and the uneven surface (32), the building component (1) including mounting means (10) located at one or more positions along the building component (1), the mounting means (10) having a portion (20) adapted to be located outside the plane of the building component (1) and between the building component (1) and the uneven surface (32), wherein fastening means attaches the mounting means (10) to the uneven surface (32) to enable the building component (1) to remain substantially straight when attached to the uneven surface (32).