Portable Composite Panel Structure for Water-Resistant Staging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for constructing portable panels result in heavy, water-susceptible, and labor-intensive products with inadequate edge protection and sound absorption, lacking portability and storability, and often suffer from glue failure and disfigurement.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight panel construction using a core with fiber layers impregnated with polyurethane and bonded with external skins, featuring a frame with a locking mechanism to prevent lateral movement and a pinched edge design for enhanced durability and stacking, eliminating the need for molds in production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods use oriented strand board or plywood with manual glue application, then the panel structure can be assembled, but the panels become heavy, labor-intensive to manufacture, and susceptible to glue failure and water damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual glue application and mechanical assembly with a spray-applied adhesive system that automatically bonds the skin to the core structure. The spray adhesive is applied in a controlled manner and then activated (typically with heat or pressure) to create a strong bond, eliminating the need for manual glue spreading and reducing labor intensity while improving consistency and water resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite construction with a core material (oriented strand board or plywood) bonded to an outer skin using spray adhesive. This composite structure provides both the structural integrity of the core and the protective, water-resistant surface of the skin, creating a more reliable panel that resists water damage while maintaining structural strength.
2Weight of moving object
If conventional panels use heavy materials and traditional construction methods, then structural durability is achieved, but portability and ease of transport are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the panel into distinct segments: a lightweight core structure and an outer skin, joined by spray adhesive. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the core can use lightweight materials while the skin provides protective function, resulting in an overall lighter panel that maintains structural durability through the bonded composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin skin layer sprayed or applied over the core structure. This thin film provides the necessary protective function and structural contribution without adding significant weight, enabling the panel to be lighter and more portable while maintaining durability through the adhesive bond between the skin and core.
3Strength
If conventional flooring panels lack edge protection structures, then manufacturing is simpler, but the panels suffer from edge damage and inadequate impact resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates edge protection features directly into the panel construction process. The spray adhesive system allows edge reinforcements or protective coatings to be applied simultaneously with the main skin bonding, preparing the edges for impact resistance before the panel is put into service. This preliminary action integrates edge protection into the manufacturing process rather than adding it as a separate post-processing step.
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
The solution provides water-resistant, lightweight panels with superior adhesion and durability, facilitating easy transportation, assembly, and stacking, while reducing production costs and time, and offering improved shock absorption and sound attenuation.
Implementation Method 1
A first polyurethane layer is impregnated into the first fiber layer while a second polyurethane layer is impregnated into the second fiber layer
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a portable panel having numerous favorable characteristics. The panel comprises a core having a length, a width, a first side and a second side. A first fiber layer is attached to the first side while a second fiber layer is attached to the second side. A first polyurethane layer is impregnated in the first fiber layer while a second polyurethane layer is impregnated into the second fiber layer. A first skin is attached to the first polyurethane layer while a second skin is attached to the second polyurethane layer. The panel can be used in the manufacture of tables, flooring, risers, stages, bleachers, and the like.