Foldable Structural Plate Element With Removable Bridging Strip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional building construction methods require on-site cutting and gluing of flat plates to create corner elements, which is inefficient, prone to damage, and lacks controlled manufacturing conditions, leading to suboptimal quality and increased installation time.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing foldable building plate elements with pre-made folding grooves and profiles that allow for factory-based manufacturing, enabling plates to be transported flat and folded on-site, using removable bridging strips and snap-connecting mechanisms for stability and ease of handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If flat plates are cut and glued on-site to create corners, then corner elements can be created, but production quality is poor and installation time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The folding profile is pre-installed in the factory on flat plates before transport. The profiles are positioned and secured in advance, allowing plates to be folded on-site without requiring complex on-site cutting and gluing operations. This preliminary preparation significantly improves corner finish quality while reducing installation time.
Solution Approach 2:
A folding profile acts as an intermediary component between flat plates, enabling corner formation through folding rather than traditional cutting and gluing. The profile includes side wings that connect to plate surfaces and a folding portion that enables the corner bend, providing a controlled factory-manufactured solution that improves precision and reduces on-site work time.
2Ease of operation
If folding profiles are used without bridging strips, then plates can be folded easily, but profiles may fold undesirably during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The folding profile's stability is made dynamic through removable bridging strips. During transport, the bridging strips connect the side wings to maintain the profile in its open, stable position. During installation, the bridging strips are removed, allowing the profile to be folded easily. This dynamic system resolves the contradiction between transport stability and folding ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridging strips are designed to be removable from the folding profile. They are extracted from the transport configuration before installation, allowing the profile to transition from a stable, locked state during transport to a flexible, foldable state during installation. This extraction enables easy folding while preventing unwanted folding during transport.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If edge protectors are applied to prevent corner damage, then corner protection is provided, but additional materials and steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The folding profile combines multiple functions into a single component: it enables corner folding, provides structural support, and protects plate corners during transport and installation. By merging the protective function into the folding profile itself, separate edge protectors become unnecessary, reducing device complexity while maintaining corner protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding profile serves multiple purposes: it acts as a folding mechanism, a structural connector, and a corner protector. The side wings of the profile protect the plate edges during handling and transport, eliminating the need for additional edge protectors and simplifying the overall system while providing comprehensive corner protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for the manufacture of a foldable building plate element by providing a flat plate (1), providing of at least one folding groove (2) in the flat plate, providing a folding profile (6), comprising two side wings (7) and an interposed folding portion (8), and fitting the folding groove into the folding profile in such a way, for example by gluing, that the side wings thereof form a strong connection with the two side faces (5) of the folding groove. The side wings are interconnected with each other through a bridging strip (9), which will be removed when the plate is folded. The wings are further provided with connecting means (10) that snap-connect with each other when the side wings are folded towards each other. If desired, a filler strip (11) can be inserted between the side wings.