Foamed Plastic Light Well Wall Structure for Buckling Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light wells made of foamed plastic struggle to achieve sufficient stiffness and buckling resistance with minimal material usage.
Innovation Solution
A light well with a wall structure composed of foamed plastic material featuring varying density across different areas, with higher density in stress-prone regions and potentially incorporating compact or solid layers, enhances stability without increasing overall material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wall thickness of foamed plastic light wells is increased to improve stiffness and buckling resistance, then structural stability is improved, but material usage and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the density of the foamed plastic material at different wall locations. Areas subject to higher stress concentrations receive higher density foam, while less critical areas use lower density material. This localized differentiation optimizes structural performance while minimizing overall material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the density parameter of the foamed plastic material to optimize structural properties. By controlling foam density variations throughout the wall structure, the invention achieves enhanced stiffness and buckling resistance without simply increasing wall thickness or material quantity.
2Strength
If solid or compact materials are used to achieve required stiffness values, then structural stability is improved, but material usage increases significantly compared to foamed materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material strategies by combining foamed plastic with varying density characteristics. The multi-density foam structure creates a composite-like behavior within a single material system, achieving stiffness comparable to solid materials while maintaining the weight and material efficiency advantages of foamed structures.
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 achieves comparable stiffness and buckling resistance with reduced material consumption, allowing for lighter and potentially decorative foamed plastic light wells with enhanced structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a light well with a wall structure that is at least partially made of a foamed plastic material
Implementation Method 2
The light well can be manufactured by injection molding
Implementation Method 3
cooled in the injection mold to form a foam structure
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a building product for construction or civil engineering applications, having a wall structure (10) which is at least partially formed from foamed plastic material. The invention is characterized in that the plastic material comprises a foam structure and has a different density with respect to the wall cross-section.