U-Shaped Ceiling Spacer With Base Slot Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for connecting C-shaped spacer profiles to primary profiles in false ceiling structures are not reliable, require complex alignment, and pose a risk of injury due to sharp edges, while also being inefficient in assembly.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a primary beam with a web and transverse flange, featuring a male element like a tab or tongue attached by a bridge of material, and a spacer with a flat sole, orthogonal flanges, and a cutout and slot arrangement that allows for secure and reliable connection by accommodating the male element during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a tongue and slot connection system is used to join spacer and primary profiles, then the connection is removable and allows assembly, but the assembly process requires complex alignment and multiple successive movements making it time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The male element is pre-positioned on the primary profile with its bridge of material extending beyond the flange plane, and the light with cutout and slot is pre-formed on the spacer. This preliminary configuration allows the connector to be ready for immediate engagement without requiring complex alignment procedures during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is divided into distinct functional elements: the male element with bridge of material for engagement, and the light with separate cutout and slot features for guidance and locking. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function efficiently during the assembly process.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional connecting means are used, then assembly is possible, but the connection reliability between spacer and primary is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The male element is nested within the light structure, with the bridge of material passing through the cutout and engaging with the slot. This nested configuration provides multiple engagement points and distributes loads across several contact surfaces, significantly improving connection reliability while maintaining ease of assembly.
3Ease of operation
If the spacer has open edges for connection, then assembly is enabled, but sharp edges pose a risk of injury
Solution Approach 1:
The potentially harmful sharp edges of the spacer are transformed into a functional feature. The light with its cutout and slot configuration converts what would be dangerous exposed edges into controlled engagement surfaces that guide the male element during assembly, eliminating injury risk while maintaining assembly capability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If an abutment is added to block the spacer perpendicular to the sole, then connection stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the cutout for male element engagement, the slot for lateral guidance, and acts as the blocking feature perpendicular to the sole. This multi-functionality achieves connection stability without adding separate abutment components, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
AI summary
A U-shaped cross-sectional profile, called a spacer, intended for a structure such as a suspended ceiling, comprising: - a flat base; and - two lateral edges or sides substantially orthogonal to the base, the profile having at least one opening capable of being traversed and cooperating with a male element provided on the primary to which said profile is intended to be fixed perpendicularly to the primary, is characterized in that the opening is arranged in the plane of the base. The opening has a shape and surface such that the male element can pass through the opening when the spacer is moved in a direction transverse to the base of the primary. The opening comprises: - a cutout with a closed contour, and - at least one slot opening into the cutout.