Asymmetric Window Seal Design for Rebate and Glazing Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing window seals, particularly extruded seals, face issues when used as both rebate and glazing seals, as they tend to deform unevenly or curl up under pressure and shear stress, and existing solutions either consume excessive material or are not suitable for both applications.
Innovation Solution
A seal design featuring a sealing foot and head with a hollow chamber, an inclined support cam, and a support web that allows for adjustable compression characteristics, enabling the same seal to function effectively as both a rebate and glazing seal by minimizing curling and rolling, and optimizing contact pressure and shearing rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a symmetrically constructed seal is used for both rebate and glazing applications, then the seal can be used universally, but the seal has a large cross-sectional area and consumes excessive material
Solution Approach 1:
The seal cross-section is designed with asymmetric geometry where the sealing head has different dimensions on the inside and outside. The inside dimension is smaller than the outside dimension, allowing the seal to function effectively in both rebate and glazing applications without requiring a large cross-sectional area throughout. This asymmetric design optimizes material usage while maintaining universal applicability.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal structure varies its properties at different locations: the sealing foot has a first cross-sectional area for rebate sealing, while the sealing head has a second cross-sectional area that is smaller than the foot. This local variation in geometry allows the seal to adapt to different sealing requirements (rebate vs. glazing) without uniformly increasing material consumption across the entire seal length.
2Force
If pressure and shearing stress are applied simultaneously to the seal, then the seal generates necessary sealing force, but the seal deforms unevenly and curls up in a wavy shape
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-formed with an asymmetric cross-sectional geometry during manufacturing, with the sealing head intentionally designed to be smaller than the sealing foot. This preliminary structural configuration prepares the seal to distribute applied pressure and shearing stress more evenly during operation, preventing the curling and wavy deformation that occurs in symmetric seals under the same conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal geometry parameters are specifically optimized with different cross-sectional areas at different locations along the seal length. By changing the dimensional parameters from a uniform symmetric design to a tapered asymmetric design (smaller head, larger foot), the seal's mechanical response to combined pressure and shear loads is improved, resulting in more uniform deformation characteristics and reduced curling.
3Reliability
If a seal with larger cross-sectional area is used, then the seal has increased material availability for sealing, but the seal requires more material and increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into distinct functional segments: a sealing foot with a first cross-sectional area optimized for rebate sealing, and a sealing head with a second cross-sectional area optimized for glazing sealing. The sealing head is segmented to be smaller than the foot, creating a tapered structure that provides adequate material for sealing functions while avoiding the excessive material consumption and complexity of a uniformly large cross-section.
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 seal effectively slides on contact surfaces without curling or rolling, maintaining low compression forces as a rebate seal and high glazing pressures as a glazing seal, while using the same geometry for both applications with adjusted gap dimensions, thus preventing deformation and ensuring reliable sealing.
Implementation Method 1
both types of seals must accommodate tolerances in the gap dimension and generate the lowest possible contact pressure for the rebate seal and relatively high contact pressure for the glazing seal
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a seal for window and/or doors comprising a seal base and a seal head with a hollow chamber, wherein the seal head comprises a visible area tilted and/or bent toward the outside, a sealing area and a web that supports the sealing area. It is proposed that an additional support lobe be provided in the hollow chamber.