Insect Screen Frame System with Segmented Corner Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing frame systems for insect and pollen protection screens, particularly those for door and window openings, face instability and aesthetic issues due to insufficiently stable corner connectors and imperfections in cutting edges, leading to instability and an unsightly assembly.
Innovation Solution
A frame system with longitudinal and transverse profiles featuring a covering collar for hiding cut edge imperfections, screw-in openings for enhanced stability, and connecting elements to ensure secure and deformation-free corner connections, utilizing metal profiles and plastic connecting components for increased rigidity and aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If one-piece right-angled corner connectors are used to connect longitudinal and transverse profiles, then the frame system can be assembled quickly, but the corner connection becomes unstable and aesthetically unsightly due to insufficient stability and visible cut edge imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The corner connector is divided into two separate parts: a corner piece and a connecting element that inserts into the profile. This segmentation allows the connecting element to be precisely fitted into the hollow profile, providing stable mechanical anchoring through friction and geometric interlocking, while the corner piece provides the external connection interface. This resolves the instability issue by creating a more reliable connection mechanism than a single monolithic connector.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting element acts as an intermediary component between the corner piece and the profile. It inserts into the hollow profile and provides a stable mounting surface for the corner piece, mediating the connection between these two elements. This intermediary structure ensures both stability and aesthetic appearance by hiding the connection details within the profile cavity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If profiles are cut to length with standard cutting methods, then the frame can be adapted to different opening sizes, but the cut edges create unsightly appearances and reduce assembly quality due to bevel cuts and imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The problematic cut edge is extracted from the visible exterior by inserting the connecting element into the hollow profile. The cut edge remains inside the profile cavity where it is hidden from view, while the external appearance is provided by the finished surfaces of the corner piece and connecting element. This allows standard cutting methods to be used while maintaining aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting element serves as an intermediary that conceals the cut edge within the profile structure. It provides a finished external surface that masks the imperfect cut edge, allowing the frame to be adapted to different sizes while maintaining visual consistency and aesthetic appeal.
3Device complexity
If manual cutting methods are used to cut profiles to length, then the frame system remains simple and cost-effective, but the cut edges are generally not ideal compared to machine cuts, leading to assembly imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The imperfection of manual cutting is converted into a non-issue by designing the connecting element to be inserted into the hollow profile. The cut edge precision no longer affects the external appearance or connection quality, as the connecting element provides the finished interface. This allows manual cutting to remain viable while achieving precision-level appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The cut edge is extracted from the visible connection interface and placed inside the hollow profile where its imperfections do not matter. The connecting element provides the external interface, allowing manual cutting to be used without compromising the final assembly quality or appearance.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The frame system (1) has multiple longitudinal profiles (2) and transverse profiles (3) which are mounted with each other in frame corners in a perpendicular manner. The longitudinal profiles and the transverse profiles are formed as hollow profiles with an angular profile inner contour and with a receiving chamber for receiving a weather strip-like holding element for a frame-sided fastening a grip fixture (6).