Collapsible Enclosure Panels for Weather-Adaptive Outdoor Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor enclosures are typically permanent, not selectively collapsible, and lack flexibility to adapt to varying weather conditions, making them unsuitable for temporary or seasonal use.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible and movable enclosure design featuring sides and a roof with panels that can be retracted and overlapped for storage, allowing for customizable configurations between enclosed and open settings, with independent movement of roof and wall sections to accommodate different weather conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the enclosure is constructed to permanently cover the predetermined area, then protection from the elements is improved, but flexibility and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure transitions from a static permanent structure to a dynamic reconfigurable system. The roof panels and wall panels are designed to be independently movable, allowing the enclosure to adapt between fully enclosed, partially enclosed, and completely open configurations. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by maintaining protection when needed while enabling flexibility when desired.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure is divided into separate movable segments including roof panels and wall panels that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows different portions of the enclosure to be in different states (enclosed or open) simultaneously, providing both protection and flexibility as needed in different areas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the enclosure is constructed for temporary use and can be taken down, then flexibility is improved, but ability to withstand weather conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure provides weather resistance dynamically by allowing users to close the roof and wall panels when adverse weather conditions are present, and open them when conditions are favorable. This dynamic response enables the temporary structure to withstand various weather conditions effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure can be proactively closed before adverse weather occurs, allowing users to prepare the enclosed space in advance. The movable panels can be positioned to protect the predetermined area before rain, wind, or snow arrives, then opened again after the weather event passes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the enclosure is made permanently fixed, then stability is improved, but ability to be reconfigured deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure achieves both stability and reconfigurability through its movable panel design. The panels are supported on rails that provide stable guidance while allowing controlled movement. This enables the enclosure to maintain structural stability when enclosed while being easily reconfigurable between different states.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure serves multiple functions through its reconfigurable design, acting as a fully enclosed protective structure when needed and as an open-air space when desired. The same structure provides both permanent-like stability and temporary-like flexibility, making it universally adaptable to different usage requirements.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the enclosure uses movable panels for flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is segmented into standardized roof panels and wall panels that move independently on separate rail systems. This segmentation simplifies the overall structure by breaking down the complex movable enclosure into manageable, independent components that can be controlled separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The independent movement of roof and wall panels creates a dynamically controllable system where each panel type operates on its own rail system. This dynamic separation reduces structural complexity by allowing simpler, dedicated support mechanisms for each panel type rather than a single complex integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
A movable enclosure is configured to selectively enclose an area. The enclosure includes at least one side wall and an end wall attached thereto. The side wall comprises a number of individual panels that are independently movable along a track secured to the ground. The panels are selectively collapsible such that they may travel along the track and overlap one another when in a collapsed or stowed position. The enclosure may be configured in any number of intermediate positions wherein the panels are partially collapsed. Roof panels may be attached to the side walls for movement therewith, or alternatively, the roof panels may operate independent of the side walls to extend and retract between an open and collapsed configuration.