Corner Connector for Insulating Glazing Units with Integrated Electrical Supply Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulating glazing units face challenges in routing electrical supply lines without compromising the seal integrity, particularly at corners where mechanical damage and air leaks are common due to thermal expansion and complex cable routing.
Innovation Solution
A corner connector with integrated electrical supply lines that protrude from the connector, allowing for direct routing into the glazing interior or outer interpane space without passing through the primary sealant, thereby preventing damage and leaks, and enabling easy connection to electrical elements or voltage sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrical supply lines are routed through the primary sealant to reach the glazing interior, then electrical connection is achieved, but the sealing integrity is compromised and leak paths are created
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer frame is divided into modular components: hollow profile spacers for structural support and separate corner connectors for electrical supply. This segmentation allows the sealant to bond only to continuous spacer surfaces without cable interruptions, maintaining sealing integrity while providing dedicated electrical pathways through the corner connector structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner connector acts as an intermediary component that bridges the electrical supply function and the sealing structure. It provides a protected pathway for electrical supply lines through its hollow interior, allowing cables to reach the glazing interior without penetrating the primary sealant bond between spacer and pane.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electrical supply lines are routed around the spacer frame in the outer interpane space, then flexibility in routing is improved, but the lines are exposed to mechanical damage and thermal expansion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical supply lines are nested within the hollow interior of the corner connector structure. This nested configuration protects the flexible routing of cables while shielding them from external mechanical damage, thermal stress, and air leaks. The corner connector's hollow space accommodates the cables without exposing them to the harsh external environment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple connection cables are present in the outer interpane space, then multiple electrical contacts can be made, but automated filling with secondary sealant becomes problematic due to spatial obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cables are segmented and routed through separate hollow corner connectors positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows automated sealant filling equipment to access the outer interpane space without spatial obstruction from tangled cables, while still enabling multiple electrical contacts to be made at different glazing locations through the distributed corner connector network.
4Ease of operation
If cables are routed through the corner region, then direct contact with electrical elements is simplified, but the corner region becomes a critical defect site for leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The corner connector serves as an intermediary structure that decouples the electrical contact function from the sealing function. It provides a protected hollow pathway through the corner region, allowing cables to reach electrical elements without creating direct penetration points in the sealant bond. The sealant bonds continuously to the corner connector's external surfaces, maintaining sealing quality while enabling simplified electrical contact through the connector's internal cable routing.
Data Source
AI summary
A corner connector for connecting two hollow profile spacers of insulating glazing units, includes a first leg and a second leg, which are connected to one another via a corner region, and a first electrical supply line, wherein the first leg and the second leg enclose an angle α, where 45°<α<120°, the first leg, the second leg, and the corner region are formed in one piece, at least the corner region surrounds the first electrical supply line, and the first electrical supply line protrudes out of the corner region.