Construction with rear ventilated facade elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rear-ventilated facade constructions face challenges with precise alignment, corrosion protection, and effective liquid ingress prevention, particularly during cleaning and vapor diffusion, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating labyrinth seal-like splash guards in the upper and lower frame leg profiles, which connect to the frame limb profiles below the ventilation openings and extend towards the facade front, providing enhanced protection against liquid ingress and facilitating vapor diffusion while maintaining rear ventilation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If punctiform attachment is used to fasten facade elements to the supporting structure, then the construction is simpler to manufacture, but considerable alignment work is necessary due to dimensional deviations accumulating during assembly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The frame is divided into multiple adjustable connection points along its length, allowing each segment to be independently positioned. This segmentation enables the frame to accommodate dimensional deviations in both the supporting structure and building wall while maintaining precise alignment of facade elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connection system incorporates adjustable parameters such as movable clamps or sliding mechanisms that can be positioned at different locations along the frame. This adjustability allows compensation for dimensional variations without requiring precise pre-alignment, thus simplifying manufacture while maintaining installation precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If conventional ventilation openings are provided in the frame profiles, then rear ventilation is achieved, but liquid ingress such as driving rain and cleaning water can penetrate into the rear ventilation area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveventilation functionVSAvoidliquid ingress
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A splash guard is introduced as an intermediary element between the ventilation opening and the rear ventilation area. This splash guard allows air to pass through while blocking liquid penetration, thus maintaining the ventilation function while protecting against harmful liquid ingress.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The splash guard functions as a thin barrier structure that selectively permits gas molecules to pass while blocking liquid droplets. Its design allows it to maintain ventilation effectiveness while providing liquid protection through its specific geometric configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the labyrinth seal-like splash guard is added to the frame profile, then protection against liquid ingress is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid ingress protectionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The splash guard is merged with the existing frame profile structure, forming an integrated component rather than a separate addition. This combining approach provides enhanced liquid protection while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity by utilizing the existing structural framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 prevents liquid penetration into the rear ventilation area, ensuring improved protection against driving rain and high-pressure cleaning, while allowing vapor diffusion and enhancing fire protection by decoupling adjacent facade elements, thus simplifying assembly and reducing maintenance efforts.

Implementation Method 1

at least the upper frame limb profile interior is assigned a labyrinth seal-like splash guard, which connects to the frame limb profile below the ventilation openings, covers the ventilation openings and has its free end pointing towards the facade front

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLabyrinth seal:

Implementation Method 2

Both the upper and the lower frame leg profile 5, 6 of the frame 3 have ventilation openings 8 opening out to the facade front 7

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVapor diffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP2675961B1Construction with rear ventilated facade elements
Publication Date: 2017.05.10 ASCHAUER JOHANN
  • EP2675961B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2675961B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2675961B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A structural design with rear-ventilated cladding elements (1), in particular plates or boards which can be hung in front of a supporting framework (2), in particular consisting of vertical support elements and horizontal bearing elements, is proposed, wherein the cladding elements are each assigned a frame (3) which spans a rear-ventilation cross section (4) and the upper and lower frame leg profiles (5, 6) of which have ventilation openings (8) leading to the front of the cladding (7). In order to provide advantageous rear-ventilation conditions, it is proposed that at least the upper frame leg profile interior (12) is assigned a splash guard (13) which is in the form of a labyrinth seal, adjoins the frame leg profile below the ventilation openings (8), covers the ventilation openings (8) and preferably points with the free end thereof towards the front of the cladding (7).