Roof Tile Embossments for Screw Alignment and Chip-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roof covering elements, such as tile-like sheets, face challenges in efficient assembly and screwing onto rafters due to the need for drilling through intact panel material, which results in metal chips and potential corrosion, and require complex alignment of holes for secure fastening.
Innovation Solution
The roof covering element features wave-shaped ribs with profiled bends and centrally located assembling holes in embossments on the edges, with acute-angle bottoms and circle-shaped bases, facilitating angled screw driving and eliminating the need for drilling through the panel material, thereby simplifying the assembly process and enhancing screw tightening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If assembling holes are drilled through intact panel material, then holes for fastening can be created, but metal chips are produced and corrosion risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The assembling holes are pre-formed during the panel manufacturing process by creating embossments with integrated hole structures, rather than drilling through intact material during assembly. This preliminary action eliminates metal chip generation and corrosion risks associated with post-manufacturing drilling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful drilling operation is extracted and replaced by an integrated embossment structure that inherently includes the assembling hole. The hole is taken out of the traditional drilling process and incorporated into the panel's embossed feature, eliminating the source of metal chips and corrosion vulnerability.
2Reliability
If complex alignment of holes is required for secure fastening, then fastening reliability improves, but assembly time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The embossments create localized structural features at specific positions on the panel edges, with assembling holes integrated into these embossed areas. This local quality enhancement provides inherent alignment guidance and secure fastening points without requiring complex overall hole alignment procedures across the entire panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossed structures with integrated assembling holes serve their own alignment and positioning function during assembly. The raised embossment features naturally guide the fastening process and ensure proper hole alignment, eliminating the need for external alignment tools or complex procedural steps.
3Ease of operation
If embossments with acute-angle bottoms are used, then screw driving angle is improved, but embossment geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The embossment geometry is designed with specific acute-angle bottom features that optimize the screw driving angle. By changing the geometric parameters of the embossment (creating acute angles rather than right angles), the structure facilitates improved screw insertion and tightening operations while maintaining manufacturability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A roof covering element (a tile-like sheet) equipped with embossments according to the present invention characterizes in that the surface of the lower edge (2) of the roof covering element (1) has at least one embossment (3) done downwards and inwards in relation to the roof covering element (1) with an assembling hole (4) prepared centrally. A bottom of that embossment (3) is at zero or acute angle with the surface of the lower edge (2). The surface of the upper edge (5) of the roof covering element (1) has at least one embossment (6) done downwards and inwards in relation to the covering element (1) with an assembling hole (7) prepared centrally. A bottom of that embossment (6), preferably of circular shape, is at zero or acute angle with the surface of the upper edge (5).