Modular Aluminum Composite Rail for Sliding Roof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding roof systems face challenges such as production bottlenecks due to thick steel processing, limited design flexibility, safety risks from strong winds, and high maintenance costs, particularly with traditional rail troughs that require welding and post-treatments.
Innovation Solution
A modular composite rail profile made of aluminum, featuring a customizable design with multiple rails and end profiles that can be easily assembled on-site without welding, providing enhanced safety and stability through secure hatch engagement and even load distribution, and incorporating features like recesses and upright ribs for secure connection and water collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional steel rail troughs are used with thick steel plates, then strength and durability are improved, but production complexity and manufacturing time increase due to welding and post-treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system is divided into separate modular components: longitudinal rails and transverse end profiles that can be manufactured independently and assembled on-site. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex welding and post-treatments of thick steel plates, while maintaining structural strength through the modular connection design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction with longitudinal rails and transverse end profiles made from different materials (e.g., aluminum extrusions combined with structural elements). This composite approach provides the necessary strength while simplifying manufacturing, as each component can be produced using optimized processes for its specific material rather than requiring complex processing of thick steel plates.
2Ease of manufacture
If modular aluminum composite rail profiles are used, then ease of assembly and installation time are improved, but structural strength must be maintained through design
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system is divided into separate modular components: longitudinal rails and transverse end profiles that can be manufactured independently and assembled on-site. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex welding and post-treatments of thick steel plates, while maintaining structural strength through the modular connection design.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between longitudinal rails and transverse end profiles is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing for flexible assembly on-site while maintaining structural integrity. The modular design enables adaptive connection methods that ensure both ease of assembly and sufficient strength for the application.
3Reliability
If hatch hooks engage with structures on the composite rail profile, then safety against wind forces is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety features are merged into the basic structure of the composite rail profile. The hatch hooks engage with integrated structures on the profile itself, combining the guidance, support, and safety functions into a single unified component system rather than adding separate safety mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite rail profile structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, guides the sliding hatch, and incorporates safety engagement points for hatch hooks. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by eliminating the need for separate safety mechanisms while maintaining reliability against wind forces.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a composite rail profile, comprising at least two rails, each rail comprising a running surface overhanging on an upright base plate reinforced by a bottom flange, wherein the running surface is suitable for supporting a number of wheeled sliding hatches, wherein each rail is made of extruded aluminum, wherein two composite rail profiles and the sliding hatches together form a sliding roof of a fixed structure, wherein the bottom flange comprises a recess, which recess is provided at an end of the bottom flange for connecting two adjacent rails in parallel. The invention also relates to an assembly and a method for assembling a composite rail profile for mobile support of a number of wheeled sliding hatches.