Facade Tension Cable Panel Mounting with Spherical Bearings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing facade and wall construction methods face challenges in ensuring secure panel hold, ease of assembly, and cost-effectiveness while maintaining alignment and stability.

Innovation Solution

A facade and wall construction system featuring stationary profile beams or walls with vertically aligned, tensioned support cables and ceramic plates that utilize spherical bearing bodies and holding elements to securely anchor the plates, allowing for independent assembly and alignment regardless of manufacturing tolerances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If panels are attached to vertical support cables using conventional methods (hooks, brackets, or clamping elements), then the panels can be secured to the supporting structure, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming with many separate components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidcomplexity of supporting structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate components (holding element, clamping element, and cable connection element) into a single integrated holding element. This unified component attaches directly to the support cable and secures the panel in one piece, eliminating the need for multiple separate parts and simplifying the assembly process while reducing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If conventional attachment methods are used with multiple separate components, then panels can be secured, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly speedVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The holding element is pre-assembled with the cable connection element integrated into its structure before installation. This preliminary integration means that during assembly, workers only need to attach one pre-configured component to the cable and panel, rather than assembling multiple separate parts on-site, thereby significantly reducing assembly time and increasing productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If panels are secured using conventional methods with multiple components, then attachment is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases due to more parts and assembly steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost-effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By merging the holding element, clamping element, and cable connection element into a single integrated component, the patent reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, inventoried, and assembled. This consolidation lowers manufacturing costs through reduced material waste, fewer production steps, and simplified quality control processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Manufacturing precision

If conventional attachment methods are used, then panels can be secured to support cables, but alignment precision is affected by manufacturing tolerances of multiple components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepanel alignment precisionVSAvoidnumber of connection elements
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The integration of the cable connection element directly into the holding element eliminates the interfaces and connection points between separate components. This reduction in connection points minimizes the accumulation of manufacturing tolerance errors, thereby improving the overall alignment precision of panels while reducing the number of elements involved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 system provides a secure, easy-to-assemble, and cost-effective solution for maintaining panel alignment and stability, reducing the impact of manufacturing tolerances and ensuring panels are held firmly in a vertical plane.

Implementation Method 1

Bearing bodies, which are fixed axially on the support cables, support for the plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpherical bearing: Ball

Data Source

PatentEP3943685B1Façade and/or wall construction with supporting structure of tension elements
Publication Date: 2024.02.28 MOEDING KERAMIKFASSADEN GMBH
  • EP3943685B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3943685B1 patent drawingFigure 1b~1d
  • EP3943685B1 patent drawingFigure 2a

AI summary

Facade and/or wall construction for a building, comprising panels (1) and a supporting structure (2) in which the panels (1) are each mounted in a vertical plane. The supporting structure (2) has vertical tension elements (3) on which axially fixed bearing bodies (4) are mounted. The vertical tension elements (3) are assigned to the panels (1) such that at least one of the vertical tension elements (3) assigned to a panel extends through two retaining elements (5) of the panel (1), namely a first retaining element (5) located in a lower region of the panel, and a second retaining element (5) located in an upper region of the panel (1). For the bearing of the panels on the vertical tension elements (3), the bearing bodies (4) mounted on the vertical tension elements are designed to interact with the retaining elements (5).