Pivotable Modular Building Element for Compact Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional prefabricated building elements face limitations in transportation due to size restrictions and require lower prefabrication for easier transport, which increases assembly costs and complicates dismantling, undermining the modular design's advantages.
Innovation Solution
A modular building element design featuring pivotable side panels that form a compact transport package, allowing for easy transportation and rapid assembly/disassembly, with a floor panel, ceiling panel, and side wall panels that can be combined to create larger structures while maintaining a compact footprint during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the size of prefabricated building elements is increased to reduce the number of components and improve assembly efficiency, then the degree of prefabrication and assembly speed are improved, but the elements cannot be transported on public roads due to size restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The building element is divided into multiple detachable components including floor panel, ceiling panel, side wall panels, and end wall panels that can be separated for transport and reassembled on-site. This segmentation allows each component to meet transport size restrictions while maintaining the capability to form large assembled structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall panels and end wall panels are designed with pivotable connections allowing them to be positioned in different configurations - folded against the floor/ceiling panels during transport to minimize dimensions, and extended outward during assembly to create the building structure. This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction between transport size and assembled size.
2Ease of manufacture
If the degree of prefabrication is increased to reduce assembly costs and improve modular design, then assembly efficiency is improved, but dismantling becomes more difficult and transport becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The building element is designed as segmented modular components with standardized connection interfaces. The floor panel, ceiling panel, side wall panels, and end wall panels are separate modules that can be easily detached and reattached, facilitating both assembly and dismantling operations while maintaining high degree of prefabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable connections allow wall panels to be dynamically repositioned between folded and extended states. This dynamic design enables simple dismantling by folding panels inward and detaching connections, while maintaining rigid structural integrity when panels are extended and locked into position during assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional building elements are designed with fixed dimensions for transport, then transport logistics are simplified, but the ability to create variable spatial structures is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The building element incorporates dynamic pivotable connections that allow wall panels to be repositioned between folded and extended configurations. This enables the same transport package to generate multiple spatial arrangements and building layouts, significantly increasing adaptability while adding minimal complexity through simple hinge mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized modular components with universal connection interfaces can be configured to create various building types and spatial structures. The same floor panel, ceiling panel, and wall panel modules can be assembled in different arrangements to suit different functional requirements, achieving multi-functionality without increasing transport complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2g
Figure 2h~3
Figure 3d~5
AI summary
Building element comprising a base plate (3), a ceiling plate (4), and two side wall plates (9a, 9b), wherein two base side plates (5a, 5b) are provided which are pivotably attached to the base plate (3) about lower longitudinal pivot axes (Lua, Lub), and two ceiling side plates (7a, 7b) are provided which are pivotably attached to the ceiling plate (4) about upper longitudinal pivot axes (Loa, Lob), and the side wall plates (9a, 9b) are pivotally attached to the ceiling plate (4) about transverse pivot axes (Qa, Qb), wherein in a transport state the two base side plates (5a, 5b) are pivoted relative to each other and arranged below the base plate (3), the two ceiling side plates (7a, 7b) are pivoted relative to each other and arranged above the ceiling plate (4), and the two side wall plates (9a, 9b) are arranged side by side between the base plate (3) and the ceiling plate (4). are, and by means of a fixation a jointly raising and lowering,form a cuboid transport package (1), and in an assembled state after releasing the fixation, the two bottom side panels (5a, 5b) are pivoted out to the sides of the bottom panel (3), the two top side panels (7a, 7b) are pivoted out to the sides of the top panel (4), and the two side wall panels (9a, 9b) are arranged standing upright between the bottom panel (3) and the top panel (4).