Reinforcing Fabric Spacer with Foldable Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reinforcing fabrics with dimensionally stable spacers face challenges in ease of handling and transportability due to their reliable spacing function, which conflicts with roll-up capability and space-saving storage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating notches or a foldable region in the spacers, such as an L-shaped design with a hinge joint, allows for easier rolling and unrolling while maintaining reliable spacing and penetration into the render compound, using materials like PVC for flexibility and resilience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dimensionally stable spacers are used to ensure reliable spacing function, then spacing reliability is improved, but roll-up capability and transportability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is divided into two functional parts: a foldable region that enables rolling and a projection region that maintains spacing. The foldable region can be bent or folded during rolling, while the projection region extends perpendicularly to maintain the minimum layer thickness, thus resolving the contradiction between roll-up capability and spacing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic structure with movable parts. The foldable region allows the spacer to adapt its shape during rolling and unrolling, changing from a compact state during transport to an extended state during use, ensuring both ease of handling and reliable spacing function
2Reliability
If dimensionally stable spacers are used to ensure reliable spacing function, then spacing reliability is improved, but transportability and storage space deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable region of the spacer allows it to be collapsed or folded into a compact form during storage and transport, similar to a nested doll structure. When not in use, the spacer can be flattened against the reinforcing fabric, significantly reducing the volume occupied by the reinforcing fabric roll while maintaining the ability to extend to full spacing length during application
3Ease of operation
If spacers are made flexible to improve roll-up capability, then roll-up capability is improved, but spacing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the spacer have different mechanical properties: the foldable region is designed with flexibility to enable rolling, while the projection region is designed with sufficient rigidity to maintain dimensional stability and reliable spacing. This local differentiation of material or structural properties resolves the contradiction between flexibility for rolling and rigidity for spacing
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
Enhances compatibility between roll-up capability and transportability while ensuring a uniform minimum layer thickness without excessive force on the spacer during rendering, facilitating easier handling and storage.
Implementation Method 1
the spacers having a variable cross-sectional profile in the direction of the application thickness of the render... a region which can be folded over or unfolded to lie flat approximately parallel to the reinforcement fabric... automatic straightening-up
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
Reinforcement, preferably a reinforcing fabric (3), for reinforcing a render layer (2), wherein the reinforcement has elongate spacers (4), preferably spacer profiles, which preferably extend approximately parallel to one another and at a distance from one another in the or over the reinforcement and which, including the reinforcement, predetermine a minimum application thickness for the render layer.