Aluminum Hollow Profile with Stabilizing Webs for Fire Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Thermal insulation strips in hollow-chamber profiles for doors and windows lose strength at elevated temperatures during a fire, compromising the structural integrity needed for safety, despite maintaining thermal insulation effectiveness during normal operation.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating stabilizing webs between thermal insulation strips, with specific width and spacing to maintain structural integrity during a fire, and using thermally stable polymers like polyamide for the insulation strips, ensuring the profile's static stability for a defined safety period.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If thermal insulation strips are used to connect inner and outer shells, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but structural strength is lost at elevated temperatures during fire

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal energy lossVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The thermal insulation strip is segmented into multiple sections by introducing stabilizing webs at specific intervals. This segmentation allows the strip to maintain thermal insulation continuity while creating discrete support points that can withstand fire temperatures, thus resolving the contradiction between thermal insulation performance and fire-resistant structural strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The thermal insulation strip is constructed as a composite structure combining plastic material with embedded stabilizing webs. The plastic provides thermal insulation properties while the stabilizing webs (made of fire-resistant material) provide structural strength at elevated temperatures, thereby simultaneously achieving both thermal insulation and fire-resistant structural requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If stabilizing webs are added to maintain structural integrity during fire, then structural strength is improved, but heat dissipation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidheat dissipation
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The stabilizing webs are designed with specific local characteristics - they are positioned at strategic locations within the thermal insulation strip and have optimized dimensions. This local quality approach ensures that structural strength is enhanced only where necessary for fire resistance, while minimizing the overall thermal bridge effect and heat dissipation across the entire insulation strip.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If the width of stabilizing webs is increased to improve static behavior, then structural strength is improved, but heat dissipation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestatic strengthVSAvoidheat dissipation
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The width and spacing of stabilizing webs are optimized as key parameters to achieve the desired balance between static strength and heat dissipation. By carefully selecting these dimensional parameters, the design ensures adequate structural support during fire while minimizing thermal bridging effects that would increase heat dissipation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Loss of energy

If plastic thermal insulation strip is used for thermal insulation, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but strength is lost when critical temperature is reached

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transferVSAvoidstrength
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The stabilizing webs act as intermediary elements within the plastic thermal insulation strip. These webs are made of fire-resistant material that does not lose strength at critical temperatures, thereby providing continuous structural support to the entire assembly even when the surrounding plastic material degrades under fire conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

The solution effectively maintains structural stability and thermal insulation performance, allowing the profile to withstand a fire for a specified safety period while minimizing heat dissipation and maintaining the necessary strength for statics.

Implementation Method 1

a plastic flat profile (7) extending between the two end strips (5, 6) to reduce the heat transfer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

In the event of an accident caused by a fire inside the building, heat is transferred to the half shells of the aluminum hollow chamber profile facing the fire and thus also to the plastic thermal insulation strip, which loses its strength when a critical temperature is reached

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal stability:

Data Source

PatentEP2487314B1Light metal profile for façades, windows, doors or similar
Publication Date: 2015.08.19 HEROAL JOHANN HENKENJOHANN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2487314B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2487314B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3d

AI summary

The extruded and drawn aluminum-hollow profile (1) has stabilization bars (8) that are provided between both end strips (5,6) of an insulator strip (4), where the stabilization bars are spaced from each other. The stabilization bars serve as holding points in the event for the end strips. A plastic flat profile (7) is formed as an extrusion profile made from a thermoplastic material from the group of polymers or polycondensates, particularly from polypropylene or polyamide.