Flexible Service Ceiling Duct for Low-Draft Lab Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media ceilings for laboratories are costly to manufacture and maintain due to their rigid structure, making spatial changes and cleaning difficult, and they do not efficiently distribute air while minimizing drafts.
Innovation Solution
A media ceiling with a detachable, elongate hollow air supply duct made of dimensionally stable, elastic material with air outlet openings and a translucent or light-permeable design, allowing for easy installation, maintenance, and adjustable ventilation patterns, which can be quickly fastened to a support frame using elastic properties and Velcro or zip fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid support frame structure with profiled beams is used, then structural stability is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase due to required breakthroughs in the profile beams
Solution Approach 1:
The supply air duct is divided into multiple detachable sections that can be assembled in modular fashion on the support frame, eliminating the need for complex breakthroughs in profile beams while maintaining structural stability through distributed attachment points
Solution Approach 2:
The supply air duct is constructed as a flexible hollow body made of elastic material that can be detached and repositioned, replacing rigid profile beam constructions and reducing manufacturing complexity while preserving structural integrity through elastic attachment mechanisms
2Strength
If a rigid profile beam structure is used, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability for spatial changes deteriorates due to difficulty in reconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
The supply air duct transitions from a fixed rigid structure to a dynamic, detachable system that can be easily reconfigured. The elastic hollow body can be removed and repositioned along the support frame, enabling spatial adaptability while the support frame itself maintains structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
The duct system is segmented into detachable sections that can be independently repositioned, allowing flexible spatial reconfiguration without compromising the overall structural strength of the support frame
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid support frame with integrated ducts is used, then structural stability is improved, but ease of maintenance deteriorates due to difficulty in cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The supply air duct is segmented into detachable sections that can be easily removed from the support frame for cleaning and maintenance, while the support frame itself maintains structural stability through its rigid profiled beam construction
Solution Approach 2:
The supply air duct is extracted as a separate, detachable component from the support frame structure, allowing it to be removed for cleaning without affecting the structural stability of the remaining frame
4Reliability
If traditional rigid ducts are used, then air supply function is provided, but manufacturing cost increases due to complex construction requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The supply air duct is constructed as a flexible hollow body from elastic material instead of rigid metal or plastic sections, significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining airtightness and air supply function through the material's inherent flexibility and sealability
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow body combines elastic material properties with light-permeable characteristics, creating a composite structure that is both cost-effective to manufacture and functional for air supply, while the detachable design reduces installation complexity
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 solution reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs, allows for flexible and efficient air distribution, and minimizes drafts by enabling easy assembly and disassembly, while providing a cost-effective and adaptable ventilation system that can be easily cleaned.
Implementation Method 1
the hollow body comprises a first and a second lateral longitudinal section, which is used to fasten the hollow body to the support frame by briefly deforming it of the hollow body can be inserted into an associated groove-like receiving section extending parallel to the hollow body and is held therein by the intrinsic elasticity of the material
Data Source
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AI summary
The service ceiling (1) has an inherently rigid support frame (2) made of beams (4), which is fixed in the area of the ceiling of the room, a supply duct (10) for supplying fresh air and supply lines (6) for supplying sanitary media. The supply duct has a longitudinally stretched hollow body, which is detachably retained at the lower side of the support frame. The hollow body is made of dimensionally stable inherently flexible material, particularly metal sheet or plastic.