Modular Fastening Element for Flat Roof Insulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular fastening elements for insulating materials and roofing membranes on flat roofs are limited by fixed lengths due to injection molding constraints, making them inadequate for increasing insulation thicknesses and requiring multiple stock variations, which complicates storage and increases tool costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular fastening system composed of three types of plastic modules and a screw adaptable to different roof substrates, allowing for unlimited height fixation by combining modules with connecting means like threads or snap closures, enabling flexible length adjustment and use on various substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-length plastic holders are used for fastening insulating materials, then the fastening element can be manufactured with simple injection molding tools, but the fastening element cannot accommodate increasing insulation thicknesses and requires multiple stock variations
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element is divided into multiple modular plastic holders that can be connected in series. Each holder is a standardized component with connecting means (threads or snap closures) that allow them to be assembled into longer configurations. This segmentation enables adaptation to various insulation thicknesses while maintaining simple manufacturing of individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized plastic holder design serves multiple functions: it provides anchoring capability, connects to adjacent holders through connecting means, and maintains structural integrity. The same basic holder design can be used in various configurations (single, double, triple assemblies) to accommodate different insulation thicknesses, eliminating the need for multiple specialized holder types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple types of plastic holders are kept in stock for different insulation thicknesses, then the fastening system can accommodate various insulation thicknesses, but storage and tool costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single standardized plastic holder design performs multiple functions across different applications. By using the same basic holder type in different quantities and configurations, the system covers all insulation thickness requirements without needing specialized holders for each thickness category.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system transitions from static fixed-length holders to a dynamic modular assembly system. The number and configuration of holders can be adjusted based on the specific insulation thickness requirement, allowing the system to adapt flexibly without maintaining large inventories of different holder types.
3Length of moving object
If one-piece plastic fastening elements are made excessively long to accommodate thick insulation, then the fastening element can reach through thick insulation layers, but the elements become unstable and exhibit a sickle effect
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one long plastic holder, the system segments the fastening function into multiple shorter holders connected in series. Each individual holder maintains its structural stability and resists the sickle effect, while the connected assembly achieves the necessary total length to penetrate thick insulation layers.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than making a single long holder that becomes unstable, the solution inverts the approach by using multiple short stable holders connected together. The stability is achieved at the component level rather than requiring a single stable long component.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modular fastening elements with connecting means are used to achieve unlimited height fixation, then the fastening system can accommodate any insulation thickness, but the complexity of assembly and connection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into standardized modular holders with integrated connecting means. The segmentation is designed to be simple, with each holder having matching connection features that facilitate straightforward assembly without complex alignment or fastening procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting means are designed to be self-aligning and self-securing. The standardized connection interfaces allow holders to connect automatically with proper orientation, reducing the skill level and time required for assembly while maintaining secure connections.
Data Source
Figure 1~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a modular fastening element for mechanically fastening insulating materials and roof sealing sheets on flat roofs, and to a tool for the threaded connection thereof. The mounting element is made of a plastic holder having a head plate and a hollow shaft and a screw held countersunk in the hollow shaft and seated with the screw head thereof on a support shoulder near the shaft tip of the plastic holder and with the thread thereof protruding out of the shaft tip of the hollow shaft and engaging in the roof substrate while pressing against the insulating material and the roof sealing sheet, wherein the plastic holder is made of at least two coaxial modules that can be adapted to each other, wherein the first module (1) is made of a head plate (11) and a hollow shaft (12) and the hollow shaft (12) comprises a connecting means (14), which can be adapted to a subsequent module (2) (3), on the end (13) thereof opposite the head plate (11), and wherein a further module (2) is a hollow shaft (21) comprising a connecting means (24) (25), which can each be adapted to an adjacent module (1) (3), on each free end (22) (23) thereof, and wherein a further module (3) is a hollow shaft (31) having connecting means (34) on a free end (34) that can be adapted to the adjacent first (1) and/or second module (2), and configured as the shaft tip (35) at the opposite end (33) thereof, the support shoulder (36) for the screw head (41) of the screw (4) being configured in said shaft tip.