Pretensioned Panel Locking Joint for Fluid-Resistant Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building panels face challenges in controlling fluid penetration through mechanical locking systems, leading to potential damage from fluids like water.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical locking device with a locking strip and groove system that creates a pretension between panels, forming a tight seal by angular displacement and vertical/folding movements, minimizing fluid ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mechanical locking system is used to assemble building panels, then ease of installation is improved, but sealing performance deteriorates due to insufficient control of fluid penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is divided into multiple functional components: a locking tongue for mechanical interlocking, a sealing element for fluid barrier, and a compression member for applying force. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its function, maintaining ease of installation while improving sealing performance through dedicated sealing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing element is introduced as an intermediary component between the locking tongue and the panel surfaces. This sealing element acts as a mediator that prevents fluid penetration while allowing the mechanical locking function to operate, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and sealing performance.
2Reliability
If locking surfaces are made tighter to prevent fluid penetration, then sealing performance is improved, but installation difficulty increases due to higher pretension requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The compression member is pre-loaded with a spring force that automatically applies the necessary pretension to the sealing element as soon as the panels are assembled. This preliminary action eliminates the need for manual adjustment or excessive installation force, maintaining ease of installation while ensuring tight sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring constant and pre-compression force of the compression member are optimized to provide sufficient pretension for sealing while remaining within manageable installation forces. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves both tight sealing and ease of installation.
3Reliability
If a complex sealing mechanism is added to the locking system, then sealing performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the existing mechanical locking structure. The sealing element is integrated into the locking tongue assembly, and the compression member utilizes the same assembly motion to apply sealing force. This merging approach improves sealing performance without adding separate complex sealing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded compression member automatically applies the necessary sealing force during the normal assembly process. The system serves itself by using the assembly motion to both engage the mechanical lock and compress the sealing element, eliminating the need for separate sealing mechanisms or additional operational steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A set of building panels, each building panel has a decorative surface and a mechanical locking device for horizontal and vertical locking of similar or essentially identical building panels in an assembled position. An upper edge portion of a side edge of a first building panel and an upper edge portion of a side edge of a second building panel are, in the assembled position, juxtaposed to form a joint seal. The mechanical locking device includes a locking surface at the upper edge portion of the side edge of the first building panel configured to cooperate with a locking surface at the upper edge portion of the side edge of the second building panel. The two locking surfaces are configured to lock the side edge of the first building panel and the side edge of the second building panel in a direction parallel to the extension of the decorative surface.