Laser-Welded Modular Balcony Cell Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional modular balconies are complex to manufacture and poorly customizable, making them unsuitable for customer preferences, as they are typically integrated with the building structure and costly to customize.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated modular balcony with a metal, laser-welded structure featuring a cell structure formed by a surface plate and base plate joined by laser welds, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, with attachment supports and railing structures for flexible attachment to a building wall, reducing material usage and manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional modular balconies are manufactured as complete units with solid joining to building frame, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The balcony is divided into separate modular components: floor parts with cell structures, attachment supports, and railing structures. These modules can be manufactured independently and assembled on-site, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor parts utilize composite cell structures combining metal frames with infill materials (glass, metal panels, or other materials). This composite approach distributes structural loads effectively while allowing flexible manufacturing of individual components, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If balconies are integrated solidly with building structure, then structural stability is improved, but customization capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. Attachment supports can be positioned at different locations on the building, and the modular components can be configured in various arrangements, allowing customization while maintaining stable attachment through standardized connection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components are designed with universal attachment interfaces that can accommodate different building types and configurations. The same floor part modules can be attached to various building surfaces using the attachment supports, enabling customization without compromising structural stability.
3Productivity
If balconies are made as complete prefabricated units, then assembly speed is improved, but ease of customization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The balcony system is segmented into standardized modules that can be quickly assembled on-site. The floor parts, attachment supports, and railing structures are separate modules that connect through standardized interfaces, enabling rapid assembly while allowing customization of the overall configuration by selecting and arranging different modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components are pre-manufactured with standardized attachment interfaces and connection features. This preliminary preparation of components with built-in connection mechanisms enables both rapid on-site assembly and easy reconfiguration for different customization requirements.
4Strength
If traditional welding methods are used for metal structure assembly, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical welding processes are replaced with laser welding technology. Laser welding provides equivalent or superior structural strength while creating narrower heat-affected zones and requiring less filler material, thereby reducing the overall weight of the metal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process parameters are optimized through laser welding, which concentrates energy delivery to achieve deep penetration with minimal heat input. This parameter change in the welding process results in stronger joints with less material addition and reduced structural weight.
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 enables a lightweight, customizable, and easily mountable balcony that can be quickly assembled and disassembled, allowing customers to choose whether to include a balcony, while maintaining structural rigidity and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
a metal, laser-welded structure wherein the structure includes a floor part comprising a surface plate and a base plate which form at least a part of a cell structure that forms the floor part and the surface plate and the base plate are joined to one another by means of laser welds
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a prefabricated modular balcony (10), which is a metal, laser-welded structure, which includes - a floor part comprising a surface plate and a base plate, which surface plate and base plate form at least a part of a cell structure that can be formed in the floor part and the surface plate and the base plate are joined together by means of laser welds so as to form the cell structure, - an attachment support joined to the floor part at one edge for attaching the floor part to a building, - attachment means arranged in the attachment support for attaching the floor part to an attachment support counterpart of a wall of the building, and - railing structures attached to the floor part. The invention also relates to a corresponding arrangement.