Fenestration Dust Plugs with Support Members for Weatherstrip Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fenestration units, particularly those exposed to extreme weather conditions, face challenges in maintaining effective seals due to the transition between cantilevered and sill/weatherstrips, leading to air and water infiltration, and issues like weatherstrip tucking and permanent set, which compromise the seal's effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of water funneling dust plugs with a support member in the sealing systems, which includes a base attached to the side frame member, a support member in the channel of the cantilevered leg, an exterior weatherstrip member, and an interior weatherstrip member, helps to enhance the seal by resisting deflection, funneling water back to the exterior, and preventing interior infiltration through a drain channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the cantilevered leg of the weatherstrip is left unsupported, then the device complexity is reduced, but the seal robustness deteriorates due to excessive deflection and inability to maintain full reach
Solution Approach 1:
A support member (intermediary element) is introduced between the cantilevered leg and the jamb to provide structural support. This mediator prevents excessive deflection of the cantilevered leg while maintaining seal contact, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and reliability.
2Reliability
If the secondary seal is positioned close to the exterior face of the panel, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but weatherstrip tucking occurs preventing the cantilevered leg from returning to its full reach
Solution Approach 1:
The support member acts as an intermediary that prevents the secondary seal from catching and tucking the cantilevered leg. By providing a stop or guide function, it allows the weatherstrip to maintain full reach while still achieving effective sealing.
3Device complexity
If the fenestration unit uses conventional sealing without water management features, then the device complexity is lower, but water infiltration increases leading to interior damage
Solution Approach 1:
The drain channel converts the harmful effect of water infiltration into a beneficial drainage function. By providing a controlled path for water to exit, the system transforms potential damage into a managed water removal mechanism, improving water performance ratings.
4Reliability
If the cantilevered leg is made more rigid to resist deflection, then the seal robustness is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to material and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The weatherstrip system is segmented into multiple functional components: the cantilevered leg for sealing, the support member for structural reinforcement, and the drain channel for water management. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, maintaining seal robustness without requiring the entire weatherstrip to be more rigid.
Data Source
AI summary
Water funneling dust plugs, fenestration units including the dust plugs, and related methods are described herein. The sealing systems of fenestration units described herein include features to improve scaling the transition between cantilevered weatherstrips on a side frame member and sill/bottom weatherstripping which is notorious for allowing air and/or water to pass.