Anti-sputtering sill vent cavity and drain system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sputtering occurs when water in window or door sills' containment tanks is forced upwards by high winds, causing water droplets to enter the building, and existing solutions that incorporate the exterior trim as part of the containment tank limit trim options due to the need for volume and fluid channels.
Innovation Solution
An anti-sputtering sill system that includes a vent cavity in the sill, allowing air bubbles to escape into the interior of the building, with a conduit system that directs water from the trough into the containment tank and an exterior drain to manage water effectively, while maintaining exterior trim flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the exterior trim is made part of the containment tank to prevent sputtering, then sputtering is reduced, but the options for exterior trim are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water management function into separate components: a standalone containment tank and a separate exterior drain system. This segmentation allows the exterior trim to be a different component that interfaces with the drain system rather than being integrated into the containment tank, thus maintaining trim design flexibility while preventing sputtering through proper water containment and drainage separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior drain acts as an intermediary component between the containment tank and the exterior environment. It provides a dedicated water discharge path that eliminates the need for the exterior trim to serve as part of the containment structure, allowing trim designers to use various materials and configurations without compromising sputtering prevention.
2Reliability
If the exterior drain is placed at a lower position to allow higher water head, then sputtering is prevented, but the exterior trim design is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the drain function from the trim structure, the system allows the exterior drain to be positioned optimally for water discharge while the trim maintains its design freedom. The containment tank and drain form an integrated water management system that operates independently from the exterior trim assembly.
3Reliability
If a containment tank is used to manage water, then water can be contained, but air bubbles trapped in the water cause sputtering
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts air bubbles from the water in the containment tank by providing an air venting path through the exterior drain assembly. As water drains through the exterior drain, air bubbles are released and vented to the exterior, preventing them from being forced upward during high winds and causing sputtering.
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior drain, which could potentially allow water leakage, is designed to serve dual purposes: draining water while simultaneously venting air bubbles. The air venting function converts the potentially harmful effect of trapped air bubbles into a beneficial release mechanism that prevents sputtering.
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
Reduces or prevents sputtering by allowing air bubbles to vent internally and efficiently draining water, maintaining the functionality of the exterior trim without limiting design options.
Implementation Method 1
air bubbles formed in the water in a containment tank in the sill preferentially allowing air bubbles to pass into a vent cavity
Implementation Method 2
water draining from the trough into the containment tank enters the conduit through the upper opening and leaves the conduit to enter the containment tank through the lower opening
Implementation Method 3
an exterior drain in the sill, the exterior drain configured to drain water in the containment tank to an exterior side of the sill
Data Source
AI summary
An anti-sputtering sill system for a window or door frame and a method of controlling sputtering associated with a sill of the window or door frame. The anti-sputtering sill systems may reduce or prevent sputtering by preferentially allowing air bubbles formed in the water in a containment tank in the sill to pass into a vent cavity in the sill that is vented to the interior of a building.