Composite Door Window Assembly with Interlocking Cassette
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional process of assembling a composite door with a window is complex and wasteful, involving material wastage due to drilling or milling for glazing apertures, and traditional cassette designs protrude and are difficult to disassemble for glass panel replacement.
Innovation Solution
A closure assembly with aligned front and rear panels, a frame, and filling material to form a one-piece structure, featuring engaging members and holding members for secure glass retention without protrusion, allowing for easy glass panel replacement and minimizing material wastage through compression molding or punching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If drilling or milling through the skins and core is used to create glazing apertures, then the window can be assembled, but huge material wastage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into front and rear panels with aligned apertures, and the window assembly is segmented into separate cassette members that interlock. This segmentation allows the window to be assembled without drilling or milling through the entire door, eliminating material wastage while maintaining manufacturing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cassette members are nested within the door structure, with the front and rear cassette members interlocking to hold the glass panel. The filling material is nested within the cavity defined by the cassette members, creating a compact assembly that requires no material removal from the door panels.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional cassette members are used, then the glass panel can be held, but the cassette stands proud of the door surface
Solution Approach 1:
The front and rear cassette members are merged with the door panels through alignment and interlocking, creating a flush assembly. The filling material merges the entire assembly into a one-piece structure, eliminating protrusion and maintaining a smooth door surface profile while still retaining the glass panel effectively.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional cassette members are used, then the glass panel can be held, but disassembly for replacement is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette members are designed with dynamic interlocking features that allow for easy assembly and disassembly. The engagement means can be engaged and disengaged to release the glass panel for replacement, while maintaining secure retention during normal use. This dynamic design enables simple glass panel replacement without difficult disassembly procedures.
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
This solution simplifies the assembly process, reduces material wastage, and facilitates easy glass panel replacement while maintaining structural integrity and aesthetic appeal by forming a one-piece composite door structure without the need for drilling or milling, thus lowering production costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
filling material placed in the cavity and bonding the front and rear panels together thereby forming a one-piece structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
A closure assembly and a method of making the closure assembly with a window comprising front and rear panels defining a space there between; an aperture in each of the front and rear panels, the aperture being aligned to form an aperture for the window; a frame at least partly positioned between the front and rear panels and extending along the aperture to delineate the space and define a cavity between the front and rear panels; and filling material placed in the cavity and bonding the front and rear panels together thereby forming a one-piece structure.