Glass Railing Holder Wedge Profile for Stable Fixation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing glass railing holding arrangements face challenges in achieving stable and accurate vertical fixation of glass panels, with limitations in stability and adjustability, often requiring specialized support profiles and narrow foot areas for fixation.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves separate wedge profile parts with simple, non-cambered fixing wedges and a foot fixation mechanism using a wedge block guided on the wedge profile part, allowing for a stable and defined mounting of the glass pane within a U-shaped support profile, which can be of any construction, such as welded steel, and includes features like undercut guide grooves and corrugated surfaces for enhanced stability and assembly aids like spacers for centering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a wedge fixing arrangement is used to hold the glass pane, then the glass pane can be secured in the support profile, but the vertical fixation accuracy and stability are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixation stabilityVSAvoidvertical fixation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wedge profile part is divided into separate functional elements: contact legs for positioning, fixing wedges for clamping, and a wedge block for vertical adjustment. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized independently for its specific function, improving both stability and precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The wedge fixing arrangement is designed to be self-aligning and self-adjusting. The wedge block can move vertically within the wedge profile part to automatically compensate for tolerance variations in the glass pane, achieving accurate vertical fixation without additional adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If a specialized support profile with actuating screws is used, then the glass railing can be held, but the system becomes complex and cannot be universally applied to different support profile constructions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholding stabilityVSAvoidsupport profile complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wedge fixing arrangement is extracted from the support profile itself and implemented as a separate, independent component. This allows the support profile to remain simple and universal (U-shaped cross-section), while the removable wedge profile parts provide the necessary fixing functionality for any glass pane thickness or material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The wedge profile part is designed as a universal component that can be applied to any U-shaped support profile regardless of the specific construction material (steel, aluminum, etc.). The same wedge profile part works with different glass pane thicknesses and can be installed on various building parts (balconies, stairs, terraces).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If the glass pane is held only at its base area with two wedge blocks, then the fixation is simple, but the stability and load distribution are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixation simplicityVSAvoidfixation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fixing system transitions from holding the glass pane only at the base (one dimension/level) to distributing fixation forces along the entire lower edge zone (two dimensions). The wedge profile part engages with both inner and outer edge zones, creating a distributed fixation system that improves stability while maintaining simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Reliability

If corrugated contact surfaces and cambered wedge surfaces are used, then the holding force and resistance to loosening are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholding forceVSAvoidwedge profile manufacturing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The wedge profile part uses standardized corrugation parameters (ridge spacing, depth) and camber radii that are optimized for maximum holding force. These parameters are selected during design to achieve the required mechanical performance while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing processes for extruded or formed profiles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This configuration ensures a permanently stable and accurately aligned glass panel mounting, allowing for angle correction and tolerance compensation, with improved holding force and resistance to loosening, while enabling flexible and sealed support of the glass pane.

Implementation Method 1

The mutually facing contact surfaces of the guide groove and the guide web are provided with intermeshing teeth to block the relative displacement of wedge profile part and wedge block

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

The mutually facing contact surfaces of the guide groove and the guide web are provided with intermeshing teeth to block the relative displacement of wedge profile part and wedge block in their clamped position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical interlocking: Mechanical Fastener

Data Source

PatentEP3199738B1Glass railing holder assembly and wedge profile section for use in such an assembly
Publication Date: 2018.10.31 MOGLA TECH
  • EP3199738B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3199738B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3199738B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A glass railing support arrangement comprises: - a glass panel (3) usable as a railing for building components, with a lower edge (4); - a U-shaped support profile (7, 7') accommodating the lower edge (4) and the edge zone (5, 6) of the glass panel (3) for fastening the glass panel (3) to the building component (1); and - a wedge fixing arrangement (9, 9') between the side walls of the support profile (7, 7') and the edge zone (5, 6) of the glass panel (3) for fixing the glass panel (3) in the support profile (7, 7'); - wherein the wedge fixing arrangement (9, 9') has contact legs (11, 12) associated with the support profile (7, 7') with upwardly wedge-shaped contact surfaces (13, 14) and between the edge zone (5, 6) of the glass panel (3) and the respective contact surface (13, 14). the mounting leg (11, 12) has clamped fixing wedges (15, 16), - wherein the mounting legs (11, 12) of the wedge fixing arrangement (9') are each formed on wedge profile parts (29', 29") separate from the support profile (7'),where a foot fixing (F) for the edge zones (5, 6) is arranged in front of the lower edge (4) of the glass plate (3), and - wherein the foot fixing (F) is formed by a wedge arrangement (33, 33') on the wedge profile part (29', 29"), which has a wedge block (34, 34') guided slidably on the wedge profile part (29', 29") such that by a relative displacement of wedge profile part (29', 29") to wedge block (34, 34') the glass plate (3) can be clamped to the inner or outer side wall (8, 10) of the support profile (7').