T-Shaped Profile Strips for Laminated Glass Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting laminated glass panes at their end faces face challenges in ensuring weather and aging resistance, safety, and strength, while also requiring quick and easy on-site assembly.
Innovation Solution
The method involves pre-assembling T-shaped profile strips with reinforcement elements and cover strips on the glass panes in the factory, which are then connected on-site using clamping elements and screws, enhancing strength and weather resistance, and allowing for various optical effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If connection is performed on-site with adhesive, then flexibility in installation is improved, but weather resistance and connection strength deteriorate due to delayed hardening at low temperatures and damage from driving rain
Solution Approach 1:
The T-shaped profile strips are pre-assembled with seals and reinforcement elements in the factory before transportation. This preliminary preparation ensures that the connection components are ready for immediate installation on-site without exposure to adverse weather conditions during the assembly process, thereby maintaining both installation flexibility and weather resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The T-shaped profile strips serve as intermediary elements between the glass panes, incorporating integrated seals and reinforcement. These profile strips protect the connection points from driving rain and provide structural strength, mediating between the glass panes while ensuring both weather resistance and connection integrity.
2Productivity
If factory pre-assembly of T-shaped profile strips is performed, then on-site assembly time is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into modular T-shaped profile strips that can be independently manufactured and pre-assembled in the factory. Each profile strip is a self-contained unit with integrated functions (structural support, sealing, reinforcement), allowing for simplified factory production while enabling rapid on-site assembly through simple connection operations.
3Strength
If reinforcement elements are added to increase connection strength, then safety requirements are met, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement elements are merged with the T-shaped profile strips to form an integrated structural unit. The profile strips incorporate reinforcement elements within their geometry, combining the structural support function with the connection function in a single component, thereby increasing connection strength without proportionally increasing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The T-shaped profile strips utilize composite construction combining aluminum alloy material with integrated reinforcement elements. This composite approach provides high strength-to-weight ratio and meets safety requirements while maintaining reasonable device complexity through efficient material utilization.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The device has a wall portion (1) provided at the connected end face with a cross-sectional approximately T-shaped profiled strip (2), whose foot (3) on a first wall side of the wall portion and whose back having a leg on the end face abuts in the connection position. The back bears two T-shaped profile strips that remain between the end faces. A clamping element (7) is provided with clamping projections connected to the end face adjacent to the legs of the T-shaped profile strips.