Patent Publication Number: US-2009223140-A1

Title: Kinetic wall system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to structures such as buildings or stadiums. More specifically, this invention relates to a kinetic wall system for such structures. 
     2. Description of the Related Technology 
     Structures such as buildings are from time to time provided with kinetic walls, which for purposes of this document may be defined as kinetic sections of a wall or bulkhead that are larger than a typical door, e.g. having a surface area on one side that is greater than about 30 ft. 2 . 
     The term kinetic wall also applies to large kinetic or movable structural members that are used for purposes of providing shade or providing a surface to which photovoltaic cells are mounted for gathering electrical energy. 
     Conventionally, kinetic walls have been operated by using cables, linkage arms or struts that are unsightly, require maintenance because of their exposure to the environment and may interfere with the function of the structure in which they are being used. In addition, many conventional kinetic wall designs lack sufficient strength and durability for many purposes. 
     A need exists for an improved kinetic wall system and method that provides improved aesthetics, strength and durability with respect to conventional designs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved kinetic wall system and method that exhibits improved aesthetics, strength and durability with respect to conventional designs. 
     In order to achieve the above and other objects of the invention, a retractable wall for a structure according to a first aspect of the invention includes a torque tube; a wall member that is secured to the torque tube; a shaft that is at least partially positioned within the torque tube, the shaft being secured to the structure so that rotation with respect to the structure is precluded; and a drive mechanism positioned at least partially within the torque tube, the drive mechanism being constructed and arranged to selectively change a rotatable position of the shaft with respect to the torque tube, whereby the wall member may be moved with respect to the structure. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of retrofitting a structure to incorporate a kinetic wall member includes steps of removing a portion of a pre-existing wall within the structure to form a wall opening; providing a retractable wall assembly that includes a torque tube; a wall member that is secured to the torque tube; a shaft that is at least partially positioned within the torque tube, and a drive mechanism positioned at least partially within the torque tube, the drive mechanism being constructed and arranged to selectively change a rotatable position of said shaft with respect to the torque tube; mounting the retractable wall assembly within the wall opening so that the shaft is secured to the structure so that rotation of the shaft with respect to the structure is precluded, whereby the wall member may be selectively positioned within and retracted from the wall opening by operating the drive mechanism. 
     A method of operating a kinetic wall member with respect to a structure to which it is mounted according to a third aspect of the invention includes steps of determining a first position of a kinetic wall member with respect to the structure to which it is mounted; and moving the kinetic wall member to a second position by operating a drive mechanism to cause rotational displacement between a shaft that is mounted to the structure and a torque tube that is mounted to a kinetic wall member. 
     These and various other advantages and features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatical isometric view of a kinetic wall that is constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded diagrammatical view of the kinetic wall that is shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the area that is indicated at  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the area that is indicated at  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary side elevational view of the kinetic wall that is shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of the area that is indicated at  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  7 - 7  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of the area that is indicated at  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of the area that is indicated at  9 - 9  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  10 - 10  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  11 - 11  in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  12 - 12  in  FIG. 5   
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  13 - 13  in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic diagram depicting a control system for the kinetic wall that is shown in  FIGS. 1-13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding structure throughout the views, and referring in particular to  FIG. 1 , a kinetic wall assembly  10  that is constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is mounted for movement with respect to a structure  12 . Structure  12  may be an edifice such as a building, stadium or monument. 
     Kinetic wall assembly  10  preferably and advantageously includes a torque tube  14 , which in the illustrated embodiment is positioned at an upper portion of the kinetic wall  10  and extends for the entire length of the kinetic wall  10  along the horizontal axis as it is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 . In the illustrated embodiment, kinetic wall  10  includes a wall member  16  that is securely mounted to the torque tube  14  so as to be immobilized with respect to the torque tube  14 . Accordingly, wall member  16  is constructed so as to rotate together with the torque tube  14 , as will be described in greater detail below. Torque tube  14  could alternatively be oriented vertically so that the kinetic door assembly could open as a large door would, or it could be positioned at the bottom of the wall member  16 . It is preferably, although not necessarily, positioned at an edge of the wall member  16 . 
     To meet a variety of architectural requirements, the kinetic wall assembly  10  can allow for an opening in a building facade or within the interior of a building. It could also be used in an outdoor environment to provide shade for a sheltered area or patio, or to support photovoltaic cells. The torque tube  14  and any needed mullions are preferably constructed out of steel. 
     The kinetic wall assembly  10  is designed to function under load conditions that may occur as a result of wind forces, snow loads or other external pressures. 
     Wall member  16  in the illustrated embodiment includes three different panel sections  18 ,  20 ,  22  that are fabricated out of insulated glass panels. Each of the panel sections  18 ,  20 ,  22  are securely mounted to the torque tube  14  and to the adjacent panel section or panel sections. The wall panel could alternatively be constructed out of any number of materials including but not limited to, glass, wood, tensioned fabric, or perforated steel, whichever material best performs the selected function of the kinetic wall assembly  10 . Alternatively, a single panel or any other number of panels could be used. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , it will be seen that the kinetic wall  10  further preferably includes a shaft  24  that is at least partially positioned within the torque tube  14 . Shaft  24  is secured to the structure  12  so that rotation between the shaft  24  and the structure  12  is precluded. 
     Kinetic wall  10  further includes a drive mechanism  26  that is positioned at least partially within the torque tube  14 . Drive mechanism  26  is constructed and arranged to selectively change a rotatable position of the shaft  24  with respect to the torque tube  14 , so that the wall member  10  may be moved with respect to the structure  12 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the drive mechanism  26  is positioned so as to be entirely within the torque tube  14 , and the shaft  24  is positioned so as to be substantially entirely within the torque tube  14 . 
     Preferably, the kinetic wall  10  includes two drive mechanisms  26  and two shafts  24  that are positioned within opposite ends of the torque tube  14  and are symmetrically opposed to each other. Alternatively, only a single drive mechanism  26  could be used. 
     Shaft  24  in the preferred embodiment includes a spline shaft  28  that is keyed at a first distal end to a bearing flange  34 , which is connected to a mounting bracket  38  by bolts  40  so that the spline shaft  28 , the bearing flange  34  and the mounting bracket  38  are rotationally immobilized with respect to each other. This is best illustrated in  FIG. 6 . A second proximal end of the spline shaft  28  is keyed to an output portion of a reduction gear assembly  68  that is part of the drive mechanism  26 . A shaft collar  30  and a spacer member  32  are provided to maintain spacing between the spline shaft  28  and the mounting bracket  38 . The mounting bracket  38  is securely mounted to the structure  12  so that it is completely immobilized with respect to the structure  12 . 
     The bearing flange  34  and a bearing  36  are provided in order to permit rotational movement between the spline shaft  28  and the torque tube  14  under load conditions. The purpose of the bearings  36 , which are provided at opposing ends of the torque tube  14 , is to restrain the motion of the wall member  16  to allow for pure rotation with respect to the structure  12 . This bearing  36  can be made from a variety of materials, although it is preferably made from ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene, oil impregnated bronze or it could be embodied as a rolling element bearing. 
     An adjustable physical stop  37  is preferably provided to physically constrain relative rotation between the shaft  24  and torque tube  14 , and thus the permitted degree of travel of the kinetic wall assembly  10 , between first and second extreme limits of travel. Adjustable physical stop  37 , which is best shown in  FIG. 3 , includes a first adjustable stop member  39  and a second adjustable stop member  41 , which in the preferred embodiment are constructed as threaded bolts having bearing heads. Stop members  39 ,  41  are constructed and arranged to bear against respective stop surfaces on the bearing flange  34  at the respective extreme limits of travel. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , which is an enlargement of the area that is indicated at  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 , a mounting bracket  42  is mounted for movement with the spline shaft  28  and accordingly with the shaft  24 . A secondary sensor bracket  50  is connected to the mounting bracket  42 . A first limit switch  46  and a second limit switch  48  are both positioned on the secondary sensor bracket  50 . A speed sensor  47  is also provided on the bracket  42 . The first and second limit switches  46 ,  48  are in communication with a controller  56 , which will be described in greater detail below. 
     As may be seen in  FIG. 3 , a first limit stop  62 , a second limit stop  64  and a speed sensor bracket  60  are fixed to an interior surface of the torque tube  14 . Referring briefly to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , it will be seen that the first limit switch  46  will be substantially in contact with limit stop  62  when the shaft  24  is in a first rotational position with respect to the torque tube  14 , namely the position that corresponds to the vertical orientation of the kinetic wall  10  that is shown in  FIG. 1 . The second limit switch  48  will be substantially in contact with the limit stop  64  when the shaft  24  is in a second rotational position with respect to the torque tube  14 , namely a horizontal orientation. 
     In this embodiment of the invention, the kinetic wall  10  is constructed so as to permit a displacement of 90°, or between a downward vertical position and a substantially horizontal position. However, kinetic wall  10  could alternatively be constructed so as to permit 180° travel between, for example, a downward vertical position and an upward vertical position. In such an embodiment, the limit stops  62 ,  64  would be positioned 180° apart in order to correspond to the permitted extent of travel. 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the kinetic wall  10 .  FIG. 6  is an at-large view of the area that is indicated at  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 6  depicts the relationship between the gear reduction assembly  68 , the spline shaft  28 , the torque tube  14 , the bearing  36  and a mounting bracket  38  in their operative positions. 
     As  FIG. 7  shows, the torque tube  14  is securely mounted to the wall member  16  by means of a welding bracket  74 , which preferably has a first portion that is welded to an external surface of the torque tube  14  and a second portion that is connected to the panel section  22 , in this case using structural adhesive. In the illustrated embodiment, which contains a number of window panels, the mullions of the window panel assembly are preferably connected directly to the torque tube  14 . 
     A seal system is preferably positioned around the perimeter of the wall member  16 , effectively sealing the interior envelope from the exterior envelope. The seals prevent air and water filtration through the device. A number of thermal breaks are present in the wall member  16  as well to prevent frost or condensate from building up on the device. 
       FIG. 10  depicts an elastomeric seal member  76  that includes an elastomeric pneumatic bumper that is secured to the window frame weldment  78  by means of a seal strip  80  and a plurality of screws  82 . The elastomeric seal member  76  preferably includes an extension  84  that provides thermal insulation to an end portion of the window frame weldment  78 . 
     As  FIG. 11  shows, the seal system also includes a lower elastomeric seal member  86  that is secured to a lower end of the window frame weldment  78  by a sealing strip  87  and a plurality of screws  88 . The lower elastomeric seal member  86  preferably includes an extension  90  that provides thermal insulation between the window frame weldment  78  and a kick plate  92  that is secured to a lower frontal portion of the window frame weldment  78 . 
     The drive mechanism  26  preferably includes a motor  70  that in the preferred embodiment is an electric motor, but could alternatively be a pneumatic or hydraulically driven motor. Motor  70  is coupled to the reduction gear assembly  68 , which preferably is a planetary gear based reduction drive. The reduction gear assembly  68  requires a lubrication system and the provision of an expansion tank  96 , as is shown in  FIG. 12 . Both the motor  70  and the reduction gear assembly  68  are preferably mounted entirely within the torque tube  14 . 
     A pair of rekinetic access panels  72  are provided on the torque tube  14  in order to provide convenient access to the motor  70 , the reduction gear assembly  68  and other components of the kinetic wall  10  that are positioned within the torque tube  14 . An additional cover is provided for access to the electrical panel. 
     The expansion tank  96  is also secured to the torque tube  14 . As the outer portion of the reducing gear assembly  68  rotates with the tube  14 , a simple breather can not be used as the breather could become submerged below the oil level. A diaphragm expansion tank  96  keeps constant pressure in the reducer while allowing the air to expand with temperature. This permits operation of the lubrication system  94  without requiring a more complicated pumping system. 
     Advantageously, the expansion tank  96  is also secured to the torque tube  14 , and is oriented so that it will be positioned above the reduction gear assembly  68  throughout the entire possible range of travel of the torque tube  14  and the kinetic wall  10  with respect to the structure  12 . This advantageously permits operation of the lubrication system  94  without requiring a more complicated pumping system. 
       FIG. 14  is a schematic diagram depicting a control system  56  that is employed in the preferred embodiment of the invention. The control system  56  is preferably CPU based and is preferably programmable. Input is received by the control system  56  from the limit switches  46 ,  48  in order to inform the control system  56  that the kinetic wall assembly  10  has reached its respective extreme limits of travel. Instead of proximity sensors, an absolute encoder  98  may be provided in order to provide the control system  56  with continuous information as to the position of the kinetic wall assembly  10  over its entire range of travel. 
     Preferably, each motor  70  is an electric motor that utilizes a variable frequency drive (VFD) that synchronizes the input voltage to provide the correct voltage and frequency to the drive motors  70 . This allows the kinetic wall assembly  10  to function at a variety of different input voltages. The control system  56  may accordingly be programmed to provide for variable speeds during operation. The control system  56  may monitor the speed of wall movement by receiving input from the speed sensor  47  shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The kinetic wall assembly  10  may for example be programmed to begin the opening or closing stroke by gently increasing operating speed through mid-stroke, and slows near the end of the stroke before coming to a stop. This variable speed protects the mechanism from immoderate wear, effectively increasing the life of the kinetic wall assembly  10 . 
     The control system  56  can accommodate whatever function the kinetic wall assembly  10  is serving. For example, the control system  56  could be programmed to respond to a manually operated constant pressure push button  102  or the control system  56  could be integrated with the heating and ventilation system  100  of the structure  12  to synchronize the operation of the kinetic wall assembly  10  with the operation of a climate controlled space. 
     Additionally, the inclusion of a programmable logic controller (PLC)  104  provides the ability to program and reprogram the control system  56 . The kinetic wall assembly  10  then, for example, could position and reposition itself as necessary at a requested optimal angle to the sun to allow the use of solar panels that are mounted on the wall member  16 , or alternatively, act as a sunshade. Utilizing the PLC  104  and integrating the control system with the structure&#39;s heating and ventilation system  100 , the kinetic wall assembly  10  could be used to allow ventilation air to enter or leave a space. 
     A pre-existing structure  12  could also be retrofitted in order to incorporate the kinetic wall assembly  10 . This would involve removing a portion of a pie-existing wall within the structure  12  to form a wall opening. The wall assembly  10  as described above would then be provided and would be mounted within the wall opening so that the shaft  24  is secured to the structure  12  so that rotation of the shaft  24  with respect to the structure  12  is precluded. The wall member  16  may then be selectively positioned using the control system  56  within and retracted from the wall opening by operating the drive mechanism  26 . 
     A method of operating the kinetic wall system  10  would include a first step of determining a first position of the kinetic wall member  16  with respect to the structure  12  to which it is mounted. The kinetic wall member  16  would then be moved to a second position by operating the drive mechanism  26  to cause rotational displacement between the shaft  24  that is mounted to the structure  12  and the torque tube  14  that is mounted to the kinetic wall member  16 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.