Facade Board Joints for Rainwater Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exterior building structures face issues with rainwater infiltration through gaps between facade boards, leading to degradation of insulating members and the external appearance of the wall, requiring complex prevention measures or additional waterproofing.
Innovation Solution
The exterior structure features a 'four-side shiplap' configuration with strategically positioned joints and securing members that prevent rainwater from reaching the insulating member, allowing for adjustable ventilation gaps and eliminating the need for a waterproof sheet, while ensuring reliable attachment of facade boards without exposing securing members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ventilation gap is widened or a waterproof sheet is laid over the insulating member to prevent rainwater infiltration, then the insulating member is protected from degradation, but the structure becomes more complex and the external appearance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The facade board is divided into multiple segments with joint portions (front-side lateral joint portion, back-side lateral joint portion, front-side vertical joint portion, back-side vertical joint portion) that create overlapping joints between adjacent boards. This segmentation allows the formation of a continuous water barrier through the overlapping configuration without requiring additional waterproofing materials or complex structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint portions are configured to overlap in a manner that converts the potential harm of exposed joints into a beneficial water-shielding effect. The overlapping configuration causes rainwater to run down the outer surface of the facade boards without penetrating to the insulating member, thus protecting the insulating member while maintaining a simple structure and good external appearance.
2Reliability
If a passageway is created behind the gap between horizontally adjacent facade boards to discharge rainwater downward, then the insulating member is protected from rainwater infiltration, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water discharge function from the interior space behind the facade boards and relocates it to the outer surface. The overlapping joint portions guide rainwater to flow down the external surface of the facade boards, eliminating the need for internal passageways or channels while maintaining effective water protection.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a three-dimensional passageway structure behind the facade boards to manage water flow, the invention uses the two-dimensional overlapping joint configuration on the outer surface to achieve the same water discharge function. This dimensional simplification reduces structural complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If facade boards are placed adjacent to each other with simple abutting joints, then the structure remains simple and ventilation gaps are maintained, but rainwater enters through the gaps and degrades the insulating member
Solution Approach 1:
The facade board is segmented into multiple portions (front-side lateral joint portion, back-side lateral joint portion, front-side vertical joint portion, back-side vertical joint portion) that create overlapping joints. This segmentation maintains relative structural simplicity while effectively preventing rainwater infiltration through the overlapping configuration that guides water away from the insulating member.
Data Source
AI summary
An exterior structure includes a front-side lateral joint portion and a back-side lateral joint portion disposed at horizontal edge portions of each facade board, a front-side vertical joint portion and a back-side vertical joint portion disposed at a lower edge portion and an upper edge portion of each facade board, a lateral joint formed between horizontally adjacent facade boards as a result of superposing the front-side lateral joint portion of one facade board and the back-side lateral joint portion of the other facade board one on the other, and a vertical joint formed between vertically adjacent facade boards as a result of superposing the front-side vertical joint portion of one facade board and the back-side vertical joint portion of the other facade board one on the other. In at least four horizontally and vertically adjacent facade boards, the lateral joints form a joint area substantially linearly continuous in the vertical direction.