Elastic Fire Bar Facade Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing building facades with rear-ventilated, thermally insulated designs require high dimensional accuracy during assembly, making them complex and time-consuming to install, especially due to the need for precise placement of fire bars, flame arrestor elements, and facade cladding.

Innovation Solution

A simplified building facade design where an elastically deformable fire bar and/or additional layer, supported by a spacer element, compresses to maintain a consistent ventilation gap, eliminating the need for a separate flame arrestor element and allowing for easier assembly by ensuring the fire bar is closely adjacent to the facade cladding, while maintaining effective rear ventilation and thermal insulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separate flame arrestor element is provided attached to the fire bar, then fire protection is improved, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire protectionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the fire bar and flame arrestor element into a single integrated fire bar structure. The fire bar itself is designed with flame-arresting properties through its material composition (combustion-retardant materials) and structural features (horizontal orientation, specific dimensions), eliminating the need for a separate flame arrestor element while maintaining fire protection functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fire bar serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the facade cladding, acts as a combustion barrier, and functions as a flame arrestor through its horizontal configuration and material properties. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed in the facade assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If high dimensional accuracy is required for component placement, then fire protection and ventilation functionality are ensured, but assembly time and labor intensity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire protection functionalityVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces elastic deformation capability into the fire bar structure, allowing it to adapt to dimensional variations in the facade components. The fire bar can elastically deform to accommodate slight variations in spacing between the building wall and facade cladding, maintaining contact and functionality without requiring precise dimensional control during assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the fire bar by introducing elastic deformability. This allows the fire bar to adjust its dimensions and shape within certain limits, accommodating variations in assembly tolerances and maintaining proper spacing and contact with adjacent components without requiring high precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If the fire bar is made closely adjacent to the facade cladding, then structural efficiency is improved, but ventilation gap maintenance becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural efficiencyVSAvoidventilation gap maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The fire bar is designed with elastic deformability that allows it to dynamically adjust its position and shape. When installed close to the facade cladding, it can elastically deform to maintain the required ventilation gap spacing, compensating for variations in component dimensions and assembly tolerances automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The fire bar is pre-designed with built-in elastic deformation capacity and appropriate stiffness characteristics before installation. This preliminary design ensures that during assembly, the fire bar can automatically adjust to maintain proper spacing with the facade cladding and building wall, eliminating the need for precise pre-positioning or adjustment during installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 design simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for a separate flame arrestor element and maintaining effective rear ventilation and thermal insulation, reducing assembly complexity and time while ensuring fire protection.

Implementation Method 1

The fire bar in turn and/or an optionally provided additional layer is or are elastically deformable, so that a restoring force is generated as a result of the deformation, which presses the spacer element against the inside of the facade cladding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2604763B1Building façade
Publication Date: 2014.01.22 REINWARTH PATENTVERWALTUNG
  • EP2604763B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2604763B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2604763B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The building facade (10) has spacing element (56) that is connected with a fire latch (30) and is extended with ventilation gap (50) bridging spacing portion (58) between outer side of fire latch and inner side (28) of front lining (26). An additive layer (40) is arranged between inner side (38) of the fire latch and building wall (12) which is made of resilient deformable material. A pressing force is exerted to inner side of front lining against deformation resistance of resilient deformable material to indirectly support outer side (14) of building wall.