Reconfigurable Wall Panels with Flexible Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of shatterable materials like glass and ceramics in modular wall systems is challenging due to their fragility, which leads to breakage, increased production time, and stringent building codes, as well as limitations in touch-responsive functionality and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
Combining a layer of shatterable material with a substrate to form a reinforced panel, where the glass layer is affixed to a substrate using adhesives, and connectors are attached to the substrate for attachment to the wall, allowing for enhanced strength and flexibility, and incorporating intermediate layers to manage thermal expansion differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If glass panels are used in modular wall systems, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but fragility and breakage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining glass panels with a flexible backing material to create a reinforced panel structure. The glass layer maintains aesthetic appearance while the flexible backing material prevents shattering and provides structural support, resolving the contradiction between aesthetic appearance and fragility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If glass panels are repeatedly connected and reconnected to modular walls, then reconfigurability is improved, but breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible backing material creates a composite structure that allows repeated connection and reconnection of panels to modular walls without causing glass breakage. The flexible material absorbs stress during reconfiguration operations, enabling adaptability while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible backing material serves as a cushioning layer that is already in place before connection operations. This beforehand cushioning protects the glass from impact and stress during repeated connection and reconnection to modular wall systems.
3Strength
If spot gluing is used to attach connection components to glass, then connection strength is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the connection function from the glass surface by attaching connection components to the flexible backing material instead of the glass. This takes out the detrimental spot gluing operation from the visible glass surface, maintaining aesthetic appearance while preserving connection strength through the flexible material.
4Area of stationary object
If large glass sections are manipulated for panel assembly, then panel size is improved, but handling difficulty and breakage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible backing material transforms rigid large glass sections into flexible, easy-to-handle composite panels. The flexible shell allows large panels to be bent and manipulated without breaking, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining large panel sizes for architectural applications.
5Adaptability or versatility
If specialized glass coatings are applied for touch-responsive functionality, then functionality is improved, but cost and appearance alteration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the touch-responsive functionality from the glass surface by applying specialized coatings to the flexible backing material instead. This takes out the need for expensive and appearance-altering glass coatings, maintaining functionality while reducing device complexity and preserving aesthetic appearance.
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 reinforced panels are more resistant to damage, easier to handle, and provide improved aesthetics and functionality, including touch-responsive capabilities, while reducing the risk of breakage and enhancing environmental versatility.
Implementation Method 1
the glass layer and substrate are joined by adhesion, such as by spreading an adhesive on the surface (or portion of the surface) of the glass layer and/or substrate and joining the glass layer and substrate
Implementation Method 2
one or more intermediate layers, disposed between the glass layer and the substrate, configured to compensate for differences in material properties between the glass layer and the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Reinforced panels include a layer of glass joined to a substrate to support the glass. Connectors are joined to the side of the substrate opposite the glass to enable the reinforced panel to be configured with and/or attached to a modular wall system. The glass can be backpainted prior to joining to the substrate, and/or a film can be included in the reinforced tile disposed between the glass panel and the substrate. A reinforced panel includes a conductive material disposed between a glass layer and a substrate to form a touch-responsive section. One or more intermediate layers disposed between the glass layer and the substrate are included. The one or more intermediate layers have sufficient elastic deformability so as to enable the reinforced panel to tolerate differences in thermal expansion between the substrate and the glass layer without resulting in cracking of the glass layer.