Composite panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing composite panels for interior design fail to balance structural and aesthetic requirements, often creating shadow areas and being difficult to maintain while maintaining transparency and stability over time.
Innovation Solution
A composite panel design featuring transparent glass or methacrylate slabs with embedded aluminium slats that mimic wood patterns, supported by a frame with spacers and elastomeric connecting elements to prevent contact and ensure thermal stability, along with optional liquid crystal or LED features for opacity and lighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If transparent glass or methacrylate slabs are used for the panel, then transparency and aesthetic appeal are improved, but structural robustness and safety are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines transparent glass or methacrylate slabs with a metallic frame structure to create a composite panel system. The transparent slabs provide aesthetic appeal and light transmission, while the metallic frame provides structural support and robustness, resolving the contradiction between transparency and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel is divided into multiple transparent slabs spaced apart from each other, supported by a frame structure. This segmentation allows each slab to be thinner and more transparent while the frame system collectively provides the necessary structural support, maintaining both transparency and robustness.
2Shape
If wood-like patterns are reproduced on the panel surface, then aesthetic design is improved, but maintenance difficulty and cleaning complexity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses aluminium slats with moulded or printed surfaces that copy the appearance of wood grains and patterns. This allows the panel to achieve the aesthetic appeal of wood design while maintaining the ease of cleaning and maintenance of smooth, non-porous aluminium and glass surfaces, resolving the contradiction between aesthetic design and maintenance ease.
3Shape
If slats are placed close to the slabs to maximize wood pattern visibility, then aesthetic effect is improved, but thermal expansion issues and structural stability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the aluminium slats at specific distances from the glass slabs, creating local variations in spacing. The slats are spaced close enough to be visible and create the wood pattern effect, but far enough to allow for thermal expansion and contraction without causing structural issues, resolving the contradiction between aesthetic visibility and dimensional stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent accounts for thermal expansion by providing adequate spacing between the aluminium slats and the glass slabs. This allows the aluminium components to expand and contract with temperature changes without causing stress or damage to the rigid glass structure, maintaining dimensional stability while preserving the visual effect.
4Strength
If the panel structure is made more complex to improve robustness, then structural safety is improved, but the screen effect and shadow areas are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the panel into multiple thin, transparent glass or methacrylate slabs spaced apart and supported by a minimal metallic frame. This segmented structure provides structural safety through the frame support while maintaining high transparency and minimizing shadow areas, as the individual slabs are thin and the frame elements are minimal compared to solid partition walls.
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 panel effectively separates areas without creating shadow effects, is easy to clean, and maintains dimensional stability while providing a design that mimics wood nuances, ensuring robustness and safety.
Implementation Method 1
suitable for precisely defining the position of the slats (4) inside the closed inner chamber... connecting elements (5) that, preferably are of resilient, elastomeric and/or polymeric material, so as to avoid vibrations, interrupt thermal bridges and better absorb any thermal expansions
Implementation Method 2
The composite panel (1) can comprise a liquid crystal layer or the like, for example, a layer associated with the inner side of one of the two slabs (3), which can be polarized so as to become completely opaque
Implementation Method 3
The composite panel (1) can comprise lighting means, in particular LEDs
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A composite furnishing panel comprises a frame (2) and two glass slabs (3) that together define a closed chamber in which a plurality of parallel slats (4) is positioned, spaced apart so that in said composite panel (1) an alternation of substantially transparent strips without slats (4) and non-transparent strips at said slats (4) is found.