Securing Member with Folded Contact for Exterior Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exterior-material securing members face issues with stability, deformation, and rainwater ingress due to inadequate engagement and contact portions, leading to unstable support of exterior materials and increased risk of water entry between adjacent materials.
Innovation Solution
The exterior-material securing member features a supporting portion with a first and second engagement portion, a first and second contact portion, and a folded second contact portion that can be positioned near the supporting portion, enhancing stability and strength by allowing increased freedom in positioning and size adjustment, while reinforcing the fixing portion and reducing deformation under load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the second contact portion is formed below the supporting portion and below the opening, then the securing member can be simpler in structure, but the securing member cannot stably support the exterior material
Solution Approach 1:
The second contact portion is positioned laterally adjacent to the opening rather than below it, utilizing the horizontal dimension to provide support. This lateral positioning allows the contact portion to engage with the exterior material at the opening level, providing stable support without requiring complex vertical stacking of components.
2Device complexity
If the second contact portion is small, then the securing member can be simpler, but the second contact portion contacts only a small area of the back surface of the exterior material, resulting in unstable support
Solution Approach 1:
The second contact portion extends in the width direction (lateral dimension) rather than only in the vertical dimension. This lateral extension increases the contact area with the exterior material at the opening level, providing stable support without requiring the contact portion to be tall or complex in structure.
3Strength
If two steel plates are used to form the supporting portion, then the supporting portion can be stronger, but the steel plates may become deformed and displaced from each other under load, causing the engagement portions to become displaced
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second engagement portions are formed as an integrated unit from a single steel plate rather than as separate components. This integration ensures that the engagement portions maintain fixed relative positions and cannot become displaced from each other, even under load. The single-plate construction eliminates the gap and potential for relative movement between multiple plates.
4Strength
If two steel plates are used to form the supporting portion, then the supporting portion can be stronger, but the thickness of the supporting portion increases, causing the distance between adjacent exterior materials to increase and allowing rainwater entry
Solution Approach 1:
The securing member is designed with a U-shaped cross-section that segments the steel plate into multiple functional portions (fixing portion, supporting portion, engagement portions, contact portions) within a compact thickness. This segmentation allows the member to achieve sufficient strength through optimized geometry rather than increased thickness, maintaining close spacing between adjacent exterior materials and preventing rainwater entry.
Data Source
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AI summary
A securing member (10) includes a fixing portion (15) that is fixed to a framework (8); a supporting portion (13) that projects from the fixing portion and supports an exterior material (2); a first engagement portion (11) that is disposed on the supporting portion so as to extend in a first direction and engages with the exterior material; a second engagement portion (12 that is disposed on the supporting portion so as to extend in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, and engages with the exterior material; a first contact portion (31) that is disposed in the first direction from the supporting portion and contacts a back surface of the exterior material; and a second contact portion (42) that is disposed in the second direction from the supporting portion and contacts the back surface of the exterior material. The second contact portion is formed in a folded portion (40) that is folded toward the supporting portion.