Movable Panel System Weight Management via Segmented Carriage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing movable panel systems face challenges with large panel sizes, which increase design, production, and operational complexity, and can cause structural issues, particularly in outdoor installations where building or load-bearing structures may not support the weight or dimensions of traditional systems.
Innovation Solution
A movable panel system utilizing a lower guide and upper guide, partially made of extrusion, with rotation and sliding means that allow panels to slide along a guide axis and rotate, featuring anti-lifting profiles, wheels, and a lifting device to manage panel weight and configuration, ensuring the panels can be easily moved and supported without burdening ceilings or beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the panels are made large in size for natural lighting, then the natural lighting of the environment is improved, but the design, production and operational complexity of the support and handling systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is segmented into multiple carriage assemblies, each independently supporting portions of the panel. This distributes the load and complexity across multiple simpler units rather than requiring a single complex support mechanism, allowing large panels to be managed through modular, manageable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional horizontal sliding along the ground to vertical suspension from the ceiling. This dimensional change allows the panels to be supported from above, distributing weight across ceiling mounting points and enabling easier manipulation through vertical movement and rotation rather than horizontal dragging.
2Illumination intensity
If the panels are made large in size, then the natural lighting of the environment is improved, but the criticality of the design, production and operation of the support and handling systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the panel are supported by separate carriage assemblies at different locations. Each carriage handles a specific local portion of the panel, allowing for localized support and control. This distributes the reliability requirements across multiple independent local units rather than requiring the entire system to function as a single critical unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage assemblies provide dynamic support that allows the panels to move freely between horizontal closed positions and vertical packaged positions. The system transitions from static fixed-position support to dynamic multi-position support, enabling the panels to be reconfigured and stored in various orientations to reduce stress and improve reliability.
3Device complexity
If the full force of the weight of the panels is borne by the upper guide attached to ceiling or beam, then the panel support is simplified, but structural problems occur with pergolas, ceilings and beams in outdoor installations
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the weight of the panels themselves as a counterweight mechanism. When panels are rotated to vertical positions, their weight naturally pulls them into the packaged configuration against the ceiling-mounted carriages, eliminating the need for additional active holding mechanisms and reducing the structural load on ceiling and beam attachments.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage assemblies are designed to be self-supporting, with each carriage bearing its own weight and the portion of panel weight assigned to it. The carriages move along vertical guides and use their own structural integrity to support loads, rather than requiring the ceiling or beams to bear the full force, allowing installation in outdoor structures with limited load-bearing capacity.
4Reliability
If traditional upper guide systems are used to support large panels, then panel support is achieved, but installation is not permitted in outdoor use where load-bearing structures cannot support the weight
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into multiple independent carriage assemblies that can be individually mounted to ceiling or beam structures. This segmentation allows the total load to be distributed across multiple attachment points, enabling installation in outdoor environments where the overall structure cannot support a single heavy load but can support multiple lighter distributed loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The system moves from ground-level horizontal sliding to ceiling-suspended vertical movement. This dimensional inversion allows the panels to be supported from above, utilizing the ceiling structure's ability to handle hanging loads rather than requiring ground-level load-bearing capacity, thereby expanding adaptability to outdoor pergolas and other lightweight structures.
Data Source
Figure 1~1b
Figure 2
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention relates to a movable panel system (1) comprising a lower guide (2) restable on a ground plane (P), having an extension along a guide axis (G-G) and comprising at least one rail (20). The movable panel system (1) comprises at least one panel (4a), preferably made of glass, supported on the lower guide (2), and rotating and sliding means comprising a base (6) fixed to the lower guide (2) and a carriage assembly (5) engaged at the lower edge (42a) of the panel (41) . The carriage assembly (5) comprises a supporting body (50), at least one wheel (51) engageable in a sliding manner to the rail (20), and a lifting device (52). The panel (4a) is configurable along the guide axis (G-G) in a sliding configuration, in which the at least one wheel (51) engages the rail (20), and in an end configuration, in which the lifting device (52) engages the base (6), the at least one wheel (51) is lifted off the rail (51), and the panel (4a) is movable about a vertical axis (V-V).