Wall Cladding Attachment Element With Elastic Retention Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall cladding attachment systems face limitations in supporting cladding elements without subjecting retention pins to excessive stress, requiring complex panel shaping, and complicating installation and replacement processes, especially when dealing with different types and sizes of panels.
Innovation Solution
A wall cladding attachment element with a main body featuring a first wing fixed to the wall and a second wing that supports the cladding element, along with elastically deformable retention members engaging grooves in the cladding, allowing for secure attachment without bearing the full weight and enabling easy panel replacement and installation without additional fixing means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If retention pins are used to fix panels to the load-bearing sub-structure, then the panels can be securely attached, but the retention pins are subjected to excessive mechanical stress which deteriorates the aesthetic appearance and long-term reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment element is divided into distinct functional components: a first retention pin for engaging the first groove of the panel, and a second retention pin for engaging the second groove of the panel. This segmentation allows each retention pin to be optimized for its specific function and reduces the overall mechanical stress on any single retention pin compared to systems where retention pins must support the entire panel weight individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment element acts as an intermediary component between the panel and the load-bearing sub-structure. It distributes the mechanical load across multiple retention pins and engagement points, thereby reducing the excessive stress that would otherwise be placed on individual retention pins and improving long-term reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If panels are fixed using screws or nails that transversely pass through the panels, then the attachment is simple and panels can be easily removed, but the exposed screws or nails deteriorate the aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening function is extracted from the panel itself and transferred to a separate attachment element that engages with grooves in the panel. This allows the panel to have a clean, aesthetic surface without exposed fasteners, while the attachment element handles the fastening function through its retention pins engaging with the grooves.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment element serves as an intermediary that hides the fastening mechanism. Instead of screws or nails being visible on the panel surface, the retention pins are incorporated into the attachment element structure, allowing for concealed fastening that preserves aesthetic appearance while maintaining ease of installation.
3Reliability
If C-shaped plates with retention pins are used to hold adjacent panels, then the panels are securely fixed, but it becomes impossible to remove a single panel without also removing the adjacent panel
Solution Approach 1:
Each panel is assigned its own dedicated attachment element with dedicated retention pins for each panel's grooves. This segmentation isolates the fastening of each panel, allowing individual panels to be removed and replaced without affecting adjacent panels, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining secure fixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment element is designed with localized retention features tailored to each specific panel. The first retention pin engages with the first groove and the second retention pin engages with the second groove of the same panel, creating a localized fastening system that does not mechanically couple adjacent panels together.
4Ease of operation
If retention pins are made of elastic material to enable snap-engagement in grooves, then installation is simplified, but the elastic material deteriorates over time jeopardizing structural wholeness
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter of the retention pins is changed from purely elastic material to a composite or reinforced material that combines elasticity for easy installation with enhanced strength and durability for long-term reliability. This parameter change allows the retention pins to maintain their snap-engagement capability while resisting deterioration over time.
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
The solution provides a cost-effective, simple, and reliable attachment system that supports cladding elements of various types and sizes, allowing for quick installation and replacement without exposing screws or nails, reducing mechanical stress on retention members and manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the first retention member (3) extends protruding from the front face (212) of the first wing (21) along a first extension direction (X), is configured to be elastically deformed at least transversely to the above-mentioned first extension direction (X), and it is adapted to be engaged in compression in the first groove (102) of the cladding element (100)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Wall cladding attachment element (1), which comprises a main body (2) designed to be fixed to a wall (200) and adapted to support a cladding element (100) provided with a first groove (102) and with a second groove (104). The attachment element (1) comprises a first wing (21), which is designed to be fixed to the wall (200), and a second wing (22), which extends like a shelf from the first wing (21). The first wing (21) and the second wing (22) delimit a positioning cavity (23), which is designed to receive the cladding element (100). Furthermore, the attachment element (1) comprises a first retention member (3), extending protruding from the first wing (21), and a second retention member (4) extending protruding from the second wing (22), which are configured to be elastically deformed and they are adapted to be engaged in compression respectively in the first groove (102) and in the second groove (104) of the cladding element (100).