Expandable Shelter Assembly with Hinged Insulated Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelter assemblies lack the ability to efficiently reconfigure and change size for versatile use, particularly in mobile applications, where ease of assembly, transportation, and environmental durability are critical.
Innovation Solution
The expandable shelter assembly features a hollow quadrilateral frame with hinged panels and a composite covering and base, allowing for vertical or horizontal attachment, with insulation options like closed-cell foam or structural insulated panels, enabling easy folding and unfolding for compact storage and deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shelter is designed to be portable and collapsible for easy transport, then ease of operation and storage are improved, but structural integrity and environmental durability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The shelter is divided into multiple modular panels that can be independently folded and connected. Each panel maintains structural integrity through internal framing, while the segmented design allows the entire shelter to be collapsed into a compact configuration for transport. The panels connect through reinforced joints that preserve strength during both deployed and collapsed states.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelter employs dynamic folding mechanisms with hinges and articulation points that allow transition between rigid deployed state and compact collapsed state. The structural elements are designed to be rigid when deployed to maintain durability, but capable of controlled folding motion for portability, switching between these states as needed.
2Weight of moving object
If the shelter is designed to be lightweight for mobile applications, then ease of transport is improved, but protection from environmental factors may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The shelter utilizes thin-film composite materials for the exterior covering that provide effective environmental protection (water resistance, wind resistance, UV protection) without adding significant weight. These thin film layers are integrated with the lightweight frame structure to create a protective envelope that maintains durability while minimizing weight penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelter employs composite material construction combining lightweight aluminum or aluminum alloy framing with high-strength, low-weight panel materials. This composite approach achieves an optimal balance between weight reduction for mobility and sufficient protection from environmental factors, as the composite structure provides both strength and protective functionality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the shelter includes insulation options for environmental protection, then protection from weather is improved, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation functionality is merged with the existing panel structure rather than being added as a separate complex subsystem. Insulation layers are integrated directly into the panel sandwich construction, combining the structural panel function with thermal insulation function in a single integrated component, thereby providing weather protection without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulated panels are designed as multi-functional elements that simultaneously provide structural support, environmental protection, and thermal insulation. This universal design allows a single component to fulfill multiple functions, reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate systems for each function.
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
This solution provides a lightweight, easily transportable shelter that can be configured to various sizes, offering protection and insulation while maintaining structural integrity, suitable for diverse environments and applications.
Implementation Method 1
with insulation options like closed-cell foam or structural insulated panels
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable shelter assembly that includes a covering hinge coupled to an expandable frame and a base hinge coupled to the expanding frame opposite the covering. The expandable frame is a hollow quadrilateral structure that includes a plurality of sides. The expandable frame includes a collapsed state and a deployed state. When collapsed, the expandable frame is collapsed and the cover is positioned proximate to the base. When deployed, the expandable frame is expanded and the cover is positioned distal to the base. Each side of the expandable frame is insulated, collapsible; includes a first panel hinge coupled to a second panel; and folds inward when the expandable frame is in the collapsed state. The covering and the base are each complementary in shape compared to the expandable frame. The covering is a rigid structure that partially encloses the expandable frame. The base is a hollow and rigid frame.