Sunshade Installation Rail Fastening for Glazed Building Elements
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of sunshades in building elements, particularly in patio and balcony glazing systems and openable windows, is challenging due to the narrow edge surfaces and the risk of damaging the glazing unit during drilling, and existing fasteners are either complex, visible, or pose installation difficulties with non-standardized shapes and dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves pre-drilling fastening holes in the building element edges during manufacturing, using fasteners with a tip part and a head part, and attaching installation rails to these fasteners through plugs with removable lids, allowing for secure and discreet attachment without damaging the glazing unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If drilling is performed in a vertical position to fix fasteners close to the glazing unit surface, then the installation precision is improved, but the accessibility is worsened due to narrow edge surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the drilling dimension from vertical (perpendicular to surface) to inclined (at an angle), allowing the drill bit to access the fastening location from a different spatial direction. This resolves the contradiction by making the narrow edge surface accessible while still achieving precise fastener placement close to the glazing unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drill guide as an intermediary tool that facilitates inclined drilling. The drill guide provides a predetermined angled pathway, enabling the drill bit to reach the fastening hole at the correct angle and position without requiring direct vertical access to the narrow edge surface.
2Ease of operation
If drilling is performed in an inclined position to improve accessibility, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of damaging the glazing unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-defining the fastening hole positions and angles during the manufacturing phase, and by using a drill guide to establish the correct inclined pathway before drilling begins. This preliminary preparation ensures that the drill bit follows a controlled trajectory that avoids the glazing unit, reducing damage risk while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill guide acts as an intermediary that mediates between the need for inclined drilling (accessibility) and the need to protect the glazing unit. It provides a physical constraint that guides the drill bit along a safe angled path, preventing it from hitting the glazing unit while still enabling access to the fastening location.
3Productivity
If standardized fasteners are used to simplify the installation process, then the productivity is improved, but the adaptability to various frame shapes and dimensions is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the fastening system universal by designing fastening holes with standardized dimensions and angles that can accommodate different fastener types. The drill guide provides a universal mounting interface that adapts to various frame shapes and dimensions while maintaining consistent fastening hole positioning, allowing the same basic system to work across different window and door configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the fastening system into modular components: the drill guide (which adapts to frame variations), the fastening holes (with standardized positions), and the fasteners themselves. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the drill guide handles adaptability to different frames, while the fasteners provide standardized, quick-installation capability.
4Reliability
If fasteners are made visible to ensure secure attachment, then the reliability is improved, but the visual appearance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the fasteners visible only in specific locations where they are less noticeable (e.g., on the interior side of the frame, or positioned near corners), while maintaining their secure attachment function. The drill guide ensures consistent positioning that optimizes both visibility and reliability, placing fasteners where they provide maximum security with minimum visual impact.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~2b
Figure 2c~2d
AI summary
A method for installing a sunshade in a light opening of a building element, the light opening comprising a first edge surface (40), a second edge surface (42), and a glazing unit (20) extending from the first edge surface to the second edge surface, comprises providing the first and/or second edge surface of the building element with at least two fastening holes (44), installing a fastener (52) in said at least two fastening holes, and attaching an installation rail (30) for the sunshade to the fasteners. The fasteners comprise a tip part and a head part, and the method comprises providing said fastening holes in the building element before the building element is mounted in the building, closing the first ends of the fastening holes opening in the first and/or the second edge surface before the building element is mounted in the building, opening the first ends of the fastening holes in connection with installing the fasteners, driving the fasteners in the fastening holes by inserting or screwing the tip part into the fastening hole, and attaching the installation rails to the head part remaining outside the fastening hole.