Infill Frame Mitred Corners Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal construction facades with butt-jointed infill frames struggle to achieve a homogeneous, independent appearance due to dimensional tolerances and economic constraints, often resulting in an inhomogeneous look that does not meet contemporary architectural and aesthetic demands.
Innovation Solution
An infill frame design featuring frame legs connected via corner connectors with a floating arrangement, allowing for precise angular offset and easy adjustment within tolerances, enabling the creation of mitred corners that can be manufactured uniformly regardless of base frame deviations, and secured with connecting pins for enhanced stability and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If mitred corners are used to create a homogeneous appearance, then aesthetic quality improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to individual fitting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The infill frame is divided into separate frame legs that can be manufactured independently with standard dimensions, then assembled using corner connectors. This segmentation allows each component to be produced using standard processes without requiring individual mitre cutting and fitting, thus maintaining aesthetic quality while reducing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Corner connectors are introduced as intermediary components that join the frame legs at mitred angles. These connectors absorb the complexity of angular joining, allowing the main frame legs to be manufactured with standard dimensions and simple end preparations, thereby achieving mitred corner aesthetics without individual fitting of each strip
2Reliability
If frame dimensions are increased to accommodate tolerances, then reliability improves, but the slim appearance desired architecturally deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The corner connectors are designed with floating arrangement capabilities, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position within a range to accommodate dimensional tolerances of the base frame. This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables the frame to maintain both slim dimensions and high reliability by absorbing tolerance variations without requiring oversized components
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for parameter changes in the corner connector positioning to compensate for base frame tolerance variations. By enabling the connectors to shift within a controlled range, the system maintains proper alignment and appearance without increasing the overall frame dimensions, thus preserving the slim architectural appearance while ensuring reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
A framework of a metal structure facade which comprises a basic frame with admissions, and in which the limbs of the frame are inter-connected via the corner connector, and devices are provided for locking behind the framework to one limb of the basic frame of the metal structure facade.