Folding Building Rafter Plate Lifting and Fall Arrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Folding buildings face challenges in economy, reliability, strength, speed of erection, safety of crews, thermal characteristics, environmental loading, building span, and stability during shipping, handling, and erection.
Innovation Solution
The improved folding building system incorporates a five-hole rafter plate for lifting and fall arrest, light gauge steel studs with cross-bracing, pre-cut flashing with custom-fit closed-cell foam insulation, and a method of deployment that includes tension cables and a hinged truss system for enhanced stability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional folding building sections are used with single pivot connections, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the strength and stability during shipping and handling are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into multiple components: pivot pins, connection brackets, reinforcement plates, and locking mechanisms distributed at strategic locations along the roof panels and wall sections. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function while collectively providing enhanced strength without requiring a completely complex integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functions into the connection system: pivot pins serve both as rotation axes and as anchorage points for reinforcement plates; connection brackets simultaneously attach roof panels to wall sections and provide mounting surfaces for additional bracing. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining strength.
2Productivity
If traditional erection methods are used, then the erection process is simpler, but the speed of erection is slow and safety of crews is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Connection brackets, reinforcement plates, and alignment features are pre-assembled and pre-positioned on roof panels and wall sections during manufacturing. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex field measurements and adjustments during erection, allowing crews to simply connect pre-prepared components in a sequential, rapid assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporary erection fixtures and alignment tools as intermediary devices that facilitate the connection process. These intermediaries guide the positioning of sections during assembly and provide temporary support, making the erection process easier and safer while maintaining high speed. The intermediaries are removed or remain as permanent fixtures after erection.
3Temperature
If traditional insulation and sealing methods are used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but thermal characteristics are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite insulation assemblies combining multiple materials with complementary thermal properties: rigid foam board insulation provides high R-value, reflective insulation barriers reduce radiant heat transfer, and aerated gel insulation fills gaps and irregular spaces. This composite approach achieves superior thermal resistance compared to single-material solutions while remaining manufacturable through standardized assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation system is designed with nested layers: reflective barriers are positioned within cavities, rigid insulation boards are fitted into framed spaces, and flexible foam fills remaining voids. This nested arrangement maximizes thermal performance within the available space while simplifying installation, as each layer is contained within or supported by the previous layer's structure.
4Stability of the object's composition
If traditional shipping configurations are used, then the packaging is simpler, but stability during shipping and handling is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic shipping fixtures including adjustable bracing elements, telescopic support members, and flexible strapping systems that can be configured for different section sizes and weights. These dynamic fixtures adapt to the specific loading requirements while providing stable restraint during shipping, replacing rigid fixed-position bracing with adaptable support systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts critical stabilization functions from the shipping container itself and implements them through dedicated fixtures attached to the building sections. External bracing assemblies and internal blocking elements are installed on the sections before shipping, taking the stability requirement out of the packaging design and placing it in the product design, thereby simplifying the overall shipping system.
5Reliability
If traditional hinge designs are used between roof panels, then the hinge mechanism is simpler, but reliability and safety are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly incorporates pre-installed reinforcement plates, alignment pins, and protective coatings on roof panels before the hinge connection is made. These beforehand preparations cushion against misalignment, excessive stress, and corrosion during hinge operation, enhancing reliability without requiring a fundamentally complex hinge mechanism. The cushioning elements are integrated into the standard panel fabrication process.
Data Source
AI summary
Improved foldable buildings include an improved rafter plate with a fifth hole that can be used for lifting and as a safety anchor and also has angled corners to abut rafter plate stops newly installed on rafters. Rafters and columns have improved bracket plates, new cross brace flanges, and adaptations for L-shaped brackets that support new steel stud purlins and girts. Wall and roof panels now have a vapor barrier and improved insulation. Rafters are further improved by addition of lifting sleeves. Flashing is pre-cut to custom sizes to avoid cutting at the job site and now features steel gauge flashing with adhered closed cell foam rubber on the interior surface. For long ridge flashing, flashing pieces have interlocking ends. Improved methods of assembly are described.