Ceiling temperature-control body

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ceiling temperature control bodies, particularly radiant ceiling panels, face challenges in maintaining structural integrity under mechanical stress from temperature control arrangements like fluid pipes, leading to potential bending and making mechanical connections between units difficult.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a transverse stiffening body that connects to the side legs of the support body, providing additional support and stability through connections such as adhesive, magnetic, or form-fitting means, which can be arranged along the longitudinal axis or specifically in areas of greatest deflection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the supporting wall is made robust to bear the load of fluid pipes and flowing fluid, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the device complexity and material usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload-bearing capacityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting wall is segmented by introducing transverse stiffening bodies that divide the wall into multiple sections. These stiffening bodies are spaced at specific intervals along the longitudinal axis, creating a modular structure that distributes mechanical loads more effectively across the supporting wall without requiring the entire wall to be uniformly robust.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The solution transitions from reinforcing the supporting wall in the longitudinal direction (making it thicker or more massive) to adding transverse reinforcement elements that extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. This dimensional change allows the stiffening bodies to bridge across the wall and provide support through a different structural dimension, reducing the need for excessive wall thickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the supporting wall is made thicker or more massive to prevent deflection, then the structural stability is improved, but the weight and material consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of uniformly thickening the supporting wall, transverse stiffening bodies are introduced at specific intervals to segment the wall into multiple supported sections. This segmentation allows each section to maintain adequate stability while the overall structure remains lighter due to the distributed rather than concentrated reinforcement approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stiffening is applied locally at specific positions along the longitudinal axis rather than uniformly across the entire wall. The transverse stiffening bodies are placed at locations where deflection is most likely to occur, providing targeted reinforcement that maintains structural stability without adding unnecessary weight to the entire supporting wall.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Shape

If the supporting wall is made more robust, then the deflection is reduced, but the ease of making mechanical connections between adjacent units deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovedeflectionVSAvoidease of connection
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting wall is divided into manageable sections by transverse stiffening bodies spaced at appropriate intervals. This segmentation creates a structure that is stiff enough to minimize deflection under load while maintaining sufficient flexibility and accessibility at the connections between adjacent ceiling temperature control units for easy mechanical assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3803221B1Ceiling temperature-control body
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 ZEHNDER GROUP INTERNATIONAL AG
  • EP3803221B1 patent drawingFigure 1~6
  • EP3803221B1 patent drawingFigure 7~12
  • EP3803221B1 patent drawingFigure 13~14

AI summary

The invention relates to a ceiling temperature-control body (10) having an elongate supporting body (20) which extends along a longitudinal axis (L) and has a plate-like supporting wall (21) from which lateral legs (22) running parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) project at an angle and which bears a temperature-control arrangement (40) having a plurality of temperature-control strands (41). The temperature-control strands (41) contain fluid pipes (42) for a temperature-control fluid to flow through and/or electric temperature-control lines. The supporting body (20) is stiffened by at least one transverse stiffening body (50), the longitudinal ends (51) of which are supported on the lateral legs (22) of the supporting body (20), and a central portion (52) of said transverse stiffening body (50) extends transversely to the longitudinal axis (L) of the ceiling temperature-control body (10) over the supporting wall (21). The central portion (52) is connected to the supporting wall (21) by at least one connecting region (53).