Panel frame assembly, processing, transport, and installation system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacture, transport, and installation of large glass panels face challenges due to space requirements, labor-intensive traditional wet caulk glazing methods, ergonomic difficulties, and logistical issues with shipping and rotating heavy panels, which lead to inefficient handling and increased risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
A panel processing system featuring a frame assembly with hooks and a pivot cradle assembly that allows for vertical orientation during processing, efficient transport, and easy installation, utilizing upper and lower carriers on rails and spigot devices for secure handling and pivoting of panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional horizontal assembly methods are used for large glass panels, then the panel can be assembled on the ground, but the process becomes labor-intensive and requires flipping the panel to work on both sides
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal ground-based assembly to vertical upright assembly. The frame assembly includes a vertical support structure with carriers that move along vertical rails, allowing the glass panel to be assembled in a vertical orientation. This dimensional change eliminates the need to flip the panel and reduces labor intensity by enabling workers to access both sides of the panel simultaneously at ground level.
2Reliability
If large glass panels are shipped in horizontal pile stack or upright on incline, then they can be transported, but rotation of 750-2,000 pound panels through 90 degrees is difficult and puts shear stress on the glazing tape
Solution Approach 1:
The frame assembly is pre-configured with hooks at the top corners and a pivot cradle assembly at the bottom that engages with spigot devices. This preliminary setup allows the panel to be lifted and rotated directly from its assembled vertical position on the processing line without requiring intermediate horizontal stacking or manual rotation, eliminating shear stress on the glazing tape during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot cradle assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the vertical processing line and horizontal transport. It provides a controlled pivot point that enables smooth 90-degree rotation of the heavy panel from vertical to horizontal orientation for shipping, distributing the force and avoiding direct manual handling that would create shear stress on the glazing tape.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional wet caulk glazing is used on large unitized panel assemblies, then the panel can be assembled, but the process requires substantial floor space and is difficult to perform on moderately small facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs vertical upright assembly instead of traditional horizontal ground-based assembly. The frame assembly with vertical support members and movable carriers allows the glazing process to occur in a vertical plane, dramatically reducing the horizontal floor space required. Workers can perform wet caulk glazing on both sides of the panel simultaneously at accessible heights, eliminating the need for climbing or flipping the panel.
4Ease of operation
If panels are shipped in horizontal position and rotated on the job site, then they can be installed, but extra logistical effort and risk are required
Solution Approach 1:
The frame assembly is equipped with hooks and pivot cradle components during the assembly process itself, enabling direct rotation from the processing line to transport position. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for intermediate storage in horizontal position and subsequent rotation at the job site, allowing panels to be shipped directly in their assembled vertical orientation and installed with minimal additional handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A panel support and panel processing system that provides a single frame assembly for use on a panel processing line in transporting and installing panels, such as glass panels, the frame assembly having a frame with at least one hook that engages a carrier on a processing line to move the frame from one station to the next, and that enables lifting and stacking of multiple frames for transport to and installation at a building site without having to remove the panel, such as a glass panel, from the frame, at which point the frame and panel assembly are secured in situ.