Panel Mounting System with Ball Bearing Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional panel mounting hardware is not suited for pre-fabricated building modules, as it struggles with the wide range and direction of stresses applied to panels during installation, and adjustment mechanisms face difficulties with heavy panels, often resulting in improper alignment and increased friction.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system featuring a bracket with a fixed lower component and a movable upper component, utilizing ball bearings for low-friction horizontal adjustment, combined with mullion guides that automatically adjust panel position from a large initial tolerance to a precise alignment, allowing easy locking after installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional panel mounting hardware is used for pre-fabricated modules, then the system can support heavy panels (1.5 tons or more), but the adjustment mechanisms experience high friction making position adjustment difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional sliding adjustment mechanisms with a robotic system that uses sensors and controlled motion to adjust panel positions. The robotic arm with gripper replaces manual mechanical adjustment, eliminating friction issues while maintaining the ability to handle heavy panels up to 1.5 tons.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that automatically detect panel position and guide the robotic adjustment process. The panel itself provides feedback through sensor detection, enabling the system to self-correct positioning without manual intervention, thus resolving the friction-based adjustment difficulty.
2Productivity
If panels are pre-mounted to modules at remote locations, then less work is required at the building site, but the mounting hardware must handle wide range and direction of stresses during module lifting and swinging
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting hardware is designed with dynamic components including a robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom and compliant grippers that can adapt to various stress directions. The system includes sensors that detect stress conditions and adjust gripping force and arm positioning in real-time, allowing the hardware to reliably handle the wide range of stresses during module lifting and swinging while maintaining pre-mounting capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system incorporates adjustable parameters including robotic arm position, gripper force, and panel clamping pressure that can be dynamically changed based on detected stress conditions. This allows the same hardware to handle both pre-mounting operations and the subsequent stresses of module installation without failure.
3Device complexity
If panels are made wider and heavier for pre-fab modules, then the total number of panel interfaces is reduced, but conventional mounting hardware adjustment mechanisms with slotted parts experience increased friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional slotted adjustment mechanisms with a robotic system that uses sensors and controlled motion to adjust panel positions. The robotic arm with gripper replaces manual mechanical adjustment, eliminating friction issues while maintaining the ability to handle heavy panels up to 1.5 tons.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces sensors as an intermediary between the mounting hardware and panels. These sensors detect panel position and guide the robotic adjustment process, enabling precise positioning of large panels without relying on friction-based mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual lowering of panels is used during on-site installation, then workers can couple panels to building structure, but achieving 1 mm alignment tolerance requires significant manual adjustment effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual panel lowering and positioning with an automated robotic system. The robotic arm with sensors detects the target position and automatically adjusts the panel to achieve the required 1 mm alignment tolerance, eliminating the time-consuming manual adjustment process while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that provide real-time feedback on panel position during the lowering and installation process. This feedback enables the robotic system to make precise adjustments to achieve the required 1 mm alignment tolerance automatically, significantly reducing the time compared to manual measurement and adjustment.
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
Enables precise alignment and secure locking of panels on prefabricated modules with reduced on-site work, improving installation efficiency and reducing friction-related issues with heavy panels.
Implementation Method 1
at least part of a bearing assembly, such as a ball bearing, is positioned in the gap between the surfaces. When a panel is mounted, the panel load is transferred, at least in part, from the moving component to the fixed component through the bearing assembly allowing the upper component to move horizontally relative to the lower component with low friction.
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting and alignment system for building panels. A mullion guides one edge of a first panel mounted on a structure interacts with a mullion guide on an adjacent edge of second panel to be mounted next to the first. The mullion guides engage and interact as the second panel is lowed in place to adjust the horizontal position of the second panel relative to the first to a small tolerance suitable for other interacting panel structures. After the second panel is installed, mullion guides on the adjacent panel edges can be removed.