Integrally Formed Flange Assemblies for Decorative Stone Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of decorative stone and similar materials is labor-intensive and requires precise measurements, leading to installation difficulties due to the unwieldy and costly nature of heavy materials like stone, rock, and concrete.
Innovation Solution
A wall treatment assembly with integrally formed flanges and a cast portion that allows for easy alignment and installation by adjusting angles and using fasteners, enabling parallel installation without direct contact between outer regions of adjacent assemblies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional heavy stone materials are used for wall construction, then durability and aesthetic quality are improved, but installation labor intensity and handling difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wall treatment is divided into modular assemblies, each comprising a decorative stone body with integrally formed flanges. This segmentation allows individual units to be handled and installed separately, reducing the labor intensity associated with moving and positioning large heavy stone sections while maintaining the overall durability of the wall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Flanges are introduced as intermediary structural elements that facilitate the connection between decorative stone bodies and support structures. These flanges act as mediators that simplify the installation process by providing standardized attachment points, reducing the complexity of directly fastening heavy stone materials to walls.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise measurements and high training requirements are imposed on installation, then alignment accuracy and installation quality are improved, but installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flanges are pre-formed as integral parts of the decorative stone bodies during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that alignment features are already in place, eliminating the need for complex field measurements and adjustments during installation, thereby reducing installation time while maintaining alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates specific geometric parameters for the flanges (such as angles between flanges and stone bodies) that are optimized to facilitate straightforward alignment. By changing the physical parameters of the connection elements to more favorable values, the installation process becomes less complex and time-consuming while preserving precision.
3Productivity
If modular prefabricated products are used, then ease of installation and mass production capability are improved, but maneuverability and handling ease deteriorate due to size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The wall treatment system is segmented into smaller modular assemblies that can be mass-produced using standardized processes. Each module contains a decorative stone body with integrated flanges, allowing for efficient manufacturing while keeping individual unit sizes manageable for handling and installation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method and assembly for hanging decorative stone. A method and assembly to hang decorative stone or other similarly situated devices with an integrally formed frame portion is discussed herein. An integrally formed frame portion with at least one first flange, at least one second flange that interface with a prior installed assembly of the same type without interacting with the stone portion.