Glass Door Sealing with Overlapping Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Glass door apparatuses fail to effectively prevent sound, wind, and humidity from penetrating between inner and outer areas, and there is a continuous need for improving their durability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The glass door apparatus is designed with specific frame configurations and weather strips that engage with functional end caps to create a sealing mechanism, where protrusions and cavities overlap to prevent sound and moisture ingress, and an extractable sealing system is used to enhance durability by avoiding direct contact with the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional glass door apparatuses are used, then the structure is simple, but sound, wind, and humidity penetrate through the glass door apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The glass door apparatus is divided into multiple glass panes (first glass pane, second glass pane) separated by frame parts. Each frame part contains multiple sealing elements positioned at different locations, creating segmented sealing zones that collectively block sound, wind, and humidity penetration paths.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sealing elements are nested within the frame parts, with sealing elements positioned inside cavities and protrusions of the frame structure. This nested arrangement allows multiple sealing functions to be integrated within the frame body without significantly increasing external dimensions.
2Reliability
If conventional sealing mechanisms are used, then the structure is simple, but durability and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing elements are designed to be extractable from the frame parts, allowing dynamic adjustment and maintenance. The sealing elements can be removed and reinstalled, providing adaptability for repair and replacement without replacing entire frame assemblies, thus improving durability while maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame parts are pre-configured with cavities, protrusions, and sealing element receiving positions during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation ensures that when sealing elements are installed, they automatically engage with the predetermined sealing zones, guaranteeing reliable sealing performance without requiring complex assembly procedures.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If sealing elements directly contact the housing, then the sealing mechanism is simple, but wear on components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame parts act as intermediary structures between the sealing elements and the housing. The sealing elements are positioned within cavities and protrusions of the frame parts, which are themselves attached to the housing. This intermediary arrangement prevents direct contact between sealing elements and housing, reducing wear on both components while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing elements are designed as flexible components that can deform to conform to the cavity and protrusion geometries within the frame parts. This flexibility allows the sealing elements to maintain continuous contact with the frame surfaces without requiring rigid, complex mechanical connections, thereby extending service life while keeping the structure manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a glass door apparatus with a right and a left glass door leaf (10, 100) and functional end caps (40a, 40b, 240a, 240b), which respectively have a protrusion (52a, 52b, 252a, 252b), which, with respect to a lateral front face of the functional end cap protrudes laterally outwards in a manner at least substantially parallel to a pane face of a glass pane of one glass door leaf as well as away from said glass pane, and/or a cavity (54a, 54b, 254a, 254b) which, with respect to said lateral front face, protrudes laterally inwards in a manner is at least substantially parallel to said pane face and towards said glass pane and which, in the opposite direction, opens laterally outwardly, and wherein, in the closed state of glass door apparatus, the protrusion and/or the cavity is/are overlapped with a complementary counterpiece of the other glass door leaf.