Wood Lamella Core Panel with Distance Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of building panels with wood lamella cores faces challenges due to the use of low-grade materials with knots and cracks, and varying lengths, leading to material waste and difficulties in achieving a stable locking system, which results in inefficiencies and quality issues.

Innovation Solution

The use of semi-products comprising wood lamellas fixed with adhesive or distance elements, allowing for the utilization of lower-grade materials and improving the handling and length control of wood lamella cores, while enhancing the mechanical locking system by incorporating distance elements that secure the lamellas and reduce material waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If low-grade wood material with knots and cracks is used for the wood lamella core, then material cost is reduced, but the quality and structural integrity of the building panel deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveusable material volumeVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wood lamella core is divided into multiple individual lamellas arranged parallel to each other, allowing low-grade material with knots and cracks to be used while maintaining overall structural integrity through the distributed assembly of multiple segments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple wood lamellas are combined into a unified core structure through fastening elements, creating a composite assembly that achieves the required structural integrity even when individual components are made from low-grade material

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of substance

If wood lamellas of different lengths are used, then material waste is reduced, but the precision of the core length and locking system alignment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial wasteVSAvoidcore length control
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Fastening elements are positioned at predetermined locations along the wood lamellas before assembly, establishing reference points that enable precise length control and alignment of the core and locking system even when lamellas have varying lengths

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the wood lamella core have different functional requirements - the fastening elements and locking system areas require high precision while other regions can accommodate varying lengths, allowing optimization of material usage without compromising critical dimensions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If a mechanical locking system is formed in the wood core, then the panel connection strength is improved, but the complexity of the production process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocking system strengthVSAvoidproduction process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical locking system is integrated directly into the wood lamella core structure, combining the core and locking functions into a single unified component rather than adding a separate locking mechanism, thereby reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The locking system is divided into discrete locking elements that are formed as integral parts of the wood lamellas, allowing for simplified manufacturing and assembly while maintaining connection strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Manufacturing precision

If distance elements are used to fix wood lamellas, then the positioning precision is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelamella positioning precisionVSAvoidfastening system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The distance elements are integrated into the fastening system as unified components that simultaneously provide both spacing and positioning functions, reducing the need for separate positioning mechanisms and simplifying the overall manufacturing process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 approach increases the usable material volume, reduces waste, strengthens the locking system, and improves the quality of the building panels by ensuring precise positioning and reduced splintering during profiling, ultimately enhancing the structural integrity and appearance of the panels.

Implementation Method 1

The long edge of a first wood lamella is fixed to a long edge of an adjacent second wood lamella by a fastening element, preferably an adhesive and/or a distance element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesive: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP2809489B1Building panel comprising a lamella core
Publication Date: 2019.03.06 VÄLINGE INNOVATION AB
  • EP2809489B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1e
  • EP2809489B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2809489B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3d

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a semi product for building panels or structural elements comprising several wood lamellas (5) fixed by distance elements (4), a building panel with such a semi product and a method of producing the semi product and the building panel.