Modular Building Locking System with Shock Absorber
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and labor intensity of current modular building construction methods, combined with rising land, labor, and material costs, make it difficult to address the global shortage of affordable housing, as existing modular buildings are expensive to transport, install, and expand, and require extensive fastening and labor.
Innovation Solution
A modular building system featuring interlocking vertical and horizontal elements made from materials like fiber-reinforced plastic, with a locking system that connects elements without fasteners or glue, allowing for rapid assembly and disassembly by unskilled workers without cranes, and enabling the creation of multi-floor layouts and energy-efficient structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional modular building methods are used, then building structure and stability are achieved, but construction cost and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The building is divided into discrete modular units that can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site. Each module contains pre-installed components (windows, doors, fixtures) that are segmented and ready for integration, reducing on-site construction time and cost while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Construction activities are performed in advance during manufacturing - foundations are prepared, modules are built with pre-installed fixtures, and components are pre-assembled in controlled factory environments. This preliminary action transfers complex work from expensive on-site labor to efficient factory production, reducing overall construction cost while ensuring quality.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional modular building methods are used, then structural stability is achieved, but assembly time and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The building structure is segmented into modular units with standardized connection points. This segmentation allows parallel assembly of multiple modules simultaneously, and the standardized interfaces enable rapid connection without complex on-site fabrication, reducing assembly time while maintaining structural stability through engineered connection details.
Solution Approach 2:
All construction activities except final assembly are performed in advance during manufacturing. Modules arrive on-site ready-to-assemble with pre-installed components, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site construction work. This preliminary action dramatically reduces assembly time while the engineered connection systems ensure structural stability is maintained during rapid assembly.
3Productivity
If modular buildings are designed for easy assembly, then construction speed increases, but structural strength and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into modules with standardized connection interfaces that enable rapid assembly. These standardized connections are engineered to maintain structural strength equivalent to traditional methods, allowing fast assembly without compromising durability. The segmentation allows for pre-engineered connection details that ensure strength while enabling speed.
Solution Approach 2:
Structural connections and critical assemblies are performed in advance during manufacturing under controlled conditions. This preliminary action ensures that strength-critical work is done with precision before modules are transported and assembled on-site. The pre-engineered connections maintain structural integrity while the modular nature enables rapid deployment, resolving the contradiction between speed and strength.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If traditional construction methods are used, then building durability is achieved, but expansion and modification capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The building is segmented into modular units with standardized interfaces that enable both durable construction and flexible reconfiguration. The modular segmentation allows modules to be added, removed, or repositioned while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connections, providing expansion capability without sacrificing the durability achieved through controlled factory manufacturing and engineering.
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 system reduces construction costs by half, saves labor, and allows for faster assembly, resulting in stronger, more durable buildings that can be erected in less time, addressing housing shortages while being adaptable and resistant to natural disasters.
Implementation Method 1
a shock absorber; and a locking element connected to the shock absorber
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may enable manufactured modular construction. The various embodiment manufactured modular construction systems, methods, and devices may offer a solution to the housing shortage worldwide that is less than half the cost of the cost of current modular buildings. Various embodiments may include interlocking vertical and horizontal elements. Various embodiments may include a locking system pulling upper horizontal elements of an embodiment modular building toward lower horizontal elements and/or a foundation or a lower floor of the embodiment modular building to thereby lock vertical elements and vertical panels in place between the upper horizontal elements and the lower horizontal elements, foundation, and/or lower floor. In various embodiments, the locking system may include a shock absorber.