U-Channel Panel Alignment with Rocking and Tilting Grips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current panel railing systems require time-consuming shimming and specialized tools for installation, making them costly and difficult to install, especially when adjusting panels from one side without access to the other side.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring a rocking grip on one side of the panel and a tilting grip on the opposite side, with rotatable cams for horizontal and vertical adjustments, allowing for easy alignment and installation without shimming or specialized tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional shimming and specialized tools are used for panel installation, then panel alignment precision can be achieved, but installation time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the alignment function from the traditional shimming process by incorporating adjustable grips directly into the U-channel structure. The rocking grip and tilting grip provide built-in adjustment capabilities, eliminating the need for separate shimming operations and specialized alignment tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The U-channel structure with integrated grips performs its own alignment function without requiring external shimming materials or specialized tools. The adjustable grips enable the installer to directly adjust panel position and angle through the channel's built-in mechanisms, making the system self-sufficient for alignment tasks.
2Reliability
If traditional installation methods are used, then panel stability can be ensured, but the requirement for specialized tools and shimming increases cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the support function and alignment function into a single integrated U-channel structure with adjustable grips. The rocking grip handles lateral positioning while the tilting grip manages angular alignment, combining multiple functions that traditionally required separate components and tools into one unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
The U-channel with adjustable grips serves multiple functions: it supports the panel, enables lateral adjustment through the rocking grip, provides angular adjustment through the tilting grip, and ensures stable fixation. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate shimming materials and specialized alignment tools.
3Manufacturing precision
If panels are adjusted from both sides, then optimal alignment can be achieved, but access to both sides is not always available in installation scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the adjustment functions into two independent grips: the rocking grip for lateral positioning and the tilting grip for angular alignment. Both grips are positioned within the U-channel structure, allowing their adjustment mechanisms to be operated from one side of the panel while achieving alignment precision that would traditionally require access to both sides.
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
Enables simple, cost-effective installation and adjustment of panels by allowing lateral and angular positioning without the need for shimming or specialized tools, facilitating easy plumbing with adjacent panels.
Implementation Method 1
The rocking grip includes a rotatable rocking plate for abutting the first side of the panel
Implementation Method 2
a moveable top cam for rotating the tilting plate in a first direction and a moveable bottom cam for rotating the tilting plate in a second direction, opposite the first direction
Data Source
AI summary
A system is disclosed for holding a panel in a u-channel comprising a rocking grip configured to be positioned in the u-channel on a first side of the panel and a tilting grip configured to be positioned in the u-channel on a second side of the panel, opposite the first side for adjusting an angular position of the panel. The rocking grip includes a rotatable rocking plate for abutting the first side of the panel. The tilting grip includes a tilting plate for abutting the second side of the panel a moveable top cam for rotating the tilting plate in a first direction and a moveable bottom cam for rotating the tilting plate in a second direction, opposite the first direction.