Panel Alignment Trough with Inclined Joint Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for adjusting the alignment of glass panels in balustrades and partitions are difficult to use due to adjustment components being located within the trough at an inconvenient angle, limiting the range of adjustment and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A system with a longitudinal trough and adjustable gripping parts that allow for secure holding and alignment of flat panels, featuring a gripping part with an inclined joint surface and an adjustment part with a second joint surface that can be adjusted to pivot the panel within the trough, enabling vertical alignment even when the trough is not horizontal, and providing increased stability and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If adjustment components are located within the trough at an inconvenient angle, then the panel alignment can be adjusted, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to limited accessibility and range of adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment component (hexagonal nut head) is extracted from the confined space within the trough and repositioned to protrude outward from the side wall of the trough. This extraction allows the adjustment component to be accessed from an convenient external location, enabling full rotation of the spanner/wrench and improving ease of operation while maintaining the structural integrity of the trough.
2Reliability
If the trough is placed on an approximately horizontal surface, then the panel alignment can be achieved, but the reliability deteriorates when the surface is subject to subsidence or not perfectly horizontal
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static alignment approach (requiring perfectly horizontal trough installation) to a dynamic adjustment mechanism. The adjustable gripping part with movable joint surface allows the panel angle to be modified after installation, enabling the system to adapt to surface irregularities and maintain reliable vertical alignment even when the trough is placed on non-horizontal or subsiding surfaces.
3Strength
If the gripping part uses an inclined joint surface, then the panel can be securely held and aligned, but the device complexity increases due to the additional joint surfaces and adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping part with the inclined first joint surface serves multiple functions: it provides secure gripping force on the panel through the oblique contact surface, enables angular adjustment through the joint mechanism, and allows force transmission from the adjustment part. By combining these functions into a single multi-functional component, the system achieves strong panel holding capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
It is known for balustrades and partitions to be formed from a flat panel, such as glass, and for such panels to be anchored along a lower edge and substantially unsupported at an upper edge. Vertical alignment of such panels has been achieved by ensuring that the trough in which they are anchored is itself precisely aligned on a horizontal, such that any flat panel inserted therein stands in a vertical plane. According to the invention, a panel may be aligned with its major face in a substantially vertical plane, even when the trough is located with its base substantially not horizontal. In addition, the panel may be held in the base of the trough by the force of an adjustment part on a first joint surface, thereby increasing stability of the panel.