Mechanical Locking Tongue with Variable Spring Force for Building Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing mechanical locking systems for building panels, such as floorboards and wall panels, suffer from a tongue that springs back with a lower force than desired, leading to inadequate locking strength.
Innovation Solution
A displaceable tongue with a varying spring constant along its longitudinal direction, featuring a higher spring constant in the middle section for improved locking and a lower spring constant at the edge sections for easier assembly, is integrated into a mechanical locking system. This tongue cooperates with a tongue groove for vertical locking and includes protrusions with different bending resistances and thicknesses to enhance the locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a uniform spring constant is used throughout the tongue, then the structure is simple, but the locking force is insufficient and assembly is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is designed with a non-uniform spring constant distribution: the middle section has a higher spring constant to provide strong locking force, while the end sections have lower spring constants to facilitate easy assembly and disassembly. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between strong locking and easy assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The tongue is divided into multiple sections with different spring constants (first end section, middle section, second end section). Each section is optimized for its specific function: ends for assembly, middle for locking, creating a segmented functional design that balances assembly ease and locking strength.
2Strength
If a higher spring constant is used throughout the tongue, then the locking strength is improved, but the assembly process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue structure implements local quality by assigning different spring constant values to different sections. The middle section has high spring constant for strong locking, while end sections have low spring constant for easy assembly, resolving the contradiction between locking strength and assembly ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring constant is made dynamic along the length of the tongue rather than static/uniform. This dynamic property allows the tongue to be soft at the ends during assembly and stiff in the middle during locking, optimizing both assembly and locking performance.
3Ease of operation
If a lower spring constant is used throughout the tongue, then the assembly process is easier, but the locking force is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue implements local quality with low spring constant at the end sections for easy assembly and high spring constant at the middle section for sufficient locking force, resolving the contradiction between assembly ease and locking strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The tongue is segmented into functional zones: end sections with low spring constant for assembly operations and a middle section with high spring constant for locking operations, ensuring both assembly ease and adequate locking force.
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 improved locking system provides a stronger locking mechanism with a higher spring force, indicated by a distinct click sound during assembly, ensuring proper panel alignment and stability while maintaining ease of assembly.
Implementation Method 1
The displaceable tongue is of a longitudinal shape and resilient with a spring constant that varies in the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue
Data Source
AI summary
A set of essentially identical panels, such as building panels, provided with a mechanical locking system including a displaceable tongue, which is arranged in a displacement groove at a first edge of a first panel. A second panel is provided with a tongue groove at a second edge. The displaceable tongue is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove for locking together the first and the second edge. The displaceable tongue has a spring constant that varies along the length of the tongue.