Fencing Panel Intermeshing Assembly for Lightweight Corrosion Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fencing panels require additional connecting elements like rivets, screws, or welds, which complicate assembly and can lead to corrosion and scratching, while most are heavy due to thick raw materials.
Innovation Solution
A fencing panel composed of two detachable sections with intermeshing bends and a press-fit assembly, using a thin, coated sheet for reduced weight and structural reinforcement, filled with expanded polystyrene to prevent water penetration and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additional connecting elements like rivets, screws, or welds are used to join sections, then the connection strength is improved, but the assembly complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting function is merged into the panel sections themselves through intermeshing bends and locks formed directly from the sheet metal, eliminating the need for separate connecting elements like rivets, screws, or welds. The bends and locks are integral parts of the panel structure that interlock to provide both connection and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel sections are designed with self-connecting features where the intermeshing bends and locks automatically engage with each other during assembly, allowing the structure to join itself without requiring additional fastening operations or external connecting components.
2Strength
If additional connecting elements like rivets, screws, or welds are used to join sections, then the connection strength is improved, but the risk of corrosion and scratching increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is merged into the panel material itself, eliminating foreign objects that could cause corrosion or scratching. The intermeshing bends and locks are formed from the same coated sheet metal, ensuring uniform corrosion resistance and eliminating scratching risks associated with separate fastening elements.
3Strength
If thick raw material is used to ensure rigidity, then the structural strength is improved, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is segmented into multiple sections with interlocking bends and locks, creating a modular structure that distributes loads and enhances rigidity without requiring increased material thickness. The segmented design allows thin sheet metal to achieve the structural performance of thicker material through geometric reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel combines thin coated sheet metal with filling material arranged between the sections, creating a composite structure where the filling material provides additional structural support and rigidity while the thin metal shell maintains light weight. This composite approach achieves the strength-to-weight ratio of much thicker solid material.
4Weight of moving object
If thin coated sheet is used to reduce weight, then the panel weight is reduced, but the structural rigidity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The thin sheet is segmented into sections with complex interlocking bends and locks that provide geometric reinforcement. The segmented structure with multiple bends creates inherent rigidity through the geometry of the folds, allowing thin material to resist deformation without requiring increased thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin coated sheet is combined with filling material to create a composite panel structure. The filling material provides core support and rigidity while the thin metal shell provides structural integrity and weather resistance, achieving the rigidity of thick material with the weight of thin material.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fencing panel usable, among others, in fencing spans of metal fences in a transverse position, comprising interconnected sections that form a closed profile, wherein the sections are provided with intermeshing bends, characterized in that it has: a longer arm (2.2.) of the front section (2) of a width s1 inclined at an acute angle α relative to the front surface (2.1.), an additional arm (2.3.) of a width s2, and a final arm (2.4.) of a width s3 inclined inwardly at an acute angle β relative to an additional arm (2.3.), wherein the inner surface of the additional arm (2.3.) and the final arm (2.4.) is provided with the bending (P), and more preferably, the bending P of a width s4, which additionally covers a surface of a longer arm (2.2.) from the inside; a shorter arm (2.5.) of a front section (2) of a width s5 provided with an additional arm (2.6.) of a width s6 perpendicular to the shorter arm (2.5.); an arm (3.2.) of a width s7 of a rear section (3) inclined at an obtuse angle y relative to the rear surface (3.1.) of this section (3), provided with the bending (P), and more preferably, the bending (P) further covers the surface of the rear surface (3.1.) at a width s8 from the inside; a bend (3.3.) of the rear section (3) formed by a double bend forming a pair of walls, an inner wall (3.4.) of a width sg and an outer wall (3.5.) of a width s10, parallel to each other and to the rear surface (3.1.).