Four-Point Panel Joint Member for Error-Tolerant Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for assembling wooden building panels require precise hole-making and screw placement, which is challenging and error-prone, especially when creating openings for doors or windows, leading to potential structural weaknesses and reduced earthquake resistance.
Innovation Solution
A joint member with four connecting portions, each with a seat for fixing elements, positioned at the vertices of a quadrilateral, allowing for easier assembly from the sides rather than above, with limited-depth holes and recesses in the panels for the joint member, facilitating secure and strong connections without the need for precise shaping of panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fixing screws are inserted from above into holes made in the thickness of the panels at approximately 45° inclination, then the upper panel is mechanically connected to the lateral panels, but the precision required in making holes makes it difficult to prepare them in advance and increases the risk of alignment errors during installation
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning element is introduced as an intermediary component between the upper panel and lateral panels. This positioning element includes guide portions that fit into recesses in the lateral panels and a guide hole that aligns with holes in the upper panel, thereby guiding the fixing screw and ensuring precise alignment without requiring high precision in the panel holes themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning element is prepared in advance at the factory with pre-formed guide portions and guide holes. The recesses in the lateral panels are also prepared in advance. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for precise hole-making during installation, as the positioning element and recesses work together to ensure correct alignment when assembled.
2Ease of operation
If holes are made during installation after the upper panel has been positioned, then alignment risks are avoided, but working from above is very awkward for operators and requires making long holes through the height of the upper panel
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning element serves as a mediator that transforms the installation process. Instead of making long holes through the upper panel from above, the guide portions of the positioning element fit into recesses in the lateral panels, and the guide hole provides a short, accessible path for the fixing screw from the top surface of the upper panel, making the operation easier and faster.
3Ease of manufacture
If the lateral panel shaping to create supports and the upper panel shaping to match are performed at the factory, then the connection structure is predetermined, but working errors are difficult to correct during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning element and recesses are prepared in advance at the factory with precise dimensions and positions. This preliminary action ensures that the connection geometry is predetermined and correct, eliminating the need for corrective work during installation. The guide portions of the positioning element fit precisely into the recesses, ensuring proper alignment and reducing the risk of installation errors.
4Adaptability or versatility
If fixing screws are inserted obliquely from the faces of the panels or from above with a different angle, then alternative connection methods are achieved, but the obtained result greatly depends on the professional expertise of the operators and on the precision of their assembling work during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning element acts as a standardized intermediary that ensures consistent and reliable connections regardless of operator expertise. The guide portions fit into recesses in the lateral panels, and the guide hole provides a fixed orientation for the fixing screw, eliminating variability introduced by different insertion angles or operator skill levels. This standardization ensures that the connection reliability is maintained across all installations.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The present invention relates to a joint member (1) for mechanically connecting a first panel (51) and a second panel (52) to each other. The joint member (1) has a body (20) equipped with at least four connecting portions (21, 22, 23, 24) each having a respective seat (31, 32, 33, 34) which receives a fixing element (5). The seats (31, 32, 33, 34) are spaced from each other and, in a plan view of the joint member (1), are positioned at the vertices of a quadrilateral. A first (21) and a second (22) of said connecting portions form a first pair of connecting portions, to be fixed to the first panel (51), whereas a third (23) and a fourth (24) of said connecting portions form a second pair of connecting portions, to be fixed to the second panel (52). Each connecting portion (21, 22, 23, 24) has a first face (41), which is facing the respective panel (51, 52) in use, and a second face (42), which is on an opposite side to the first face (41). Each seat (31, 32, 33, 34) is, or comprises, a through hole which extends between the first face (41) and the second face (42). The second face (42) of the first connecting portion (21) and the second face (42) of the third connecting portion (23) are on a same first side (25) of the body (20); the second face (42) of the second connecting portion (22) and the second face (42) of the fourth connecting portion (24) are on a same second side (26) of the body (20), opposite to the first side (25). The present invention also relates to an assembly (57) comprising a first panel (51), a second panel (52), at least one joint member (1) and a plurality of fixing elements (5). The present invention also relates to a wall (58) for a building or a floor for a building, formed by a plurality of panels (51, 52, 53) and comprising at least said assembly (57).