Glass Edge Protection Attachment for Balustrades
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
All-glass railings and French balconies require edge protection for safety without disturbing their transparent appearance, as traditional metal handrails are visually intrusive and can detach due to differing coefficients of expansion.
Innovation Solution
A transparent edge protection attachment made of glass, laminated onto the top edge of the glass construction, which forms a permanent unit with the laminated glass pane, eliminating the need for metal handrails and providing a secure, non-intrusive safety solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal handrail is added to the glass construction, then safety protection is improved, but the transparent appearance is deteriorated and detachment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by using a glass edge protection attachment made of the same material (glass) as the glass construction it protects. This eliminates the visual contrast and detachment issues that arise from combining different materials like metal handrails with glass panels, while still providing the necessary safety function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful metal handrail element from the glass construction and replaces it with a glass-based edge protection attachment. This removal of the incompatible material resolves both the aesthetic problem of visual intrusion and the technical problem of detachment due to different thermal expansion coefficients.
2Reliability
If a metal handrail is added to the glass construction, then safety protection is improved, but detachment due to different coefficients of expansion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By using glass material for the edge protection attachment rather than metal, the patent ensures homogeneous material composition with the glass construction. This eliminates the differential thermal expansion and contraction that causes metal handrails to detach from glass panels over time, thereby improving long-term attachment stability.
3Shape
If a transparent edge protection attachment is laminated onto the glass edge, then visual appearance is improved, but structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by laminating a glass edge protection attachment to the glass construction. This layered composite structure combines the transparency of the edge protection with the structural strength of the glass panel, achieving both aesthetic and structural requirements simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the edge protection function with the glass construction by laminating the glass edge protection attachment directly to the glass panel. This integration ensures that the edge protection becomes part of the overall structural system, maintaining strength while providing the desired transparent appearance.
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 ensures the safety of all-glass railings and French balconies by preventing impacts and fractures while maintaining transparency, with the added benefit of decorative lighting effects through integrated LED lighting.
Implementation Method 1
A composite element designed as a glass laminate is disclosed, which consists of at least two glass panes which are connected by an adhesive intermediate layer made of plastic
Implementation Method 2
an edge protection attachment (20) which is laminated onto the top edge (19)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An edge protection attachment (20) is proposed for protecting a free glass edge in safety-relevant glass components (10), wherein the glass component (10) has at least one glass pane (12) and the edge protection attachment (20) is made of glass and is arranged on at least one free glass edge (19) of the glass component (10).