Glass Support Seal Compression for Facade Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support structures for glass carriers in building facades face issues with stability under load and seal reliability, as they tend to sink downwards and suffer from permanent seal damage leading to leaks.
Innovation Solution
A support structure with a screw groove surrounded by an attachment seal, featuring strip-shaped projections that compress the seal between the groove walls, ensuring a rigid and reliable seal even under mechanical stress, and a glass carrier design with hollow chambers and profiling to distribute forces and prevent seal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the glass support rests on the top seal, then the installation is simple, but the glass support sinks downward under load and the seal is permanently damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into distinct functional components: the screw groove for mechanical fastening, the attachment seal for sealing, and the glass carrier for supporting the glass element. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without compromising others.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment seal acts as an intermediary element between the screw groove and the glass carrier. It provides both sealing function and load distribution, mediating between the mechanical fastening system and the glass support to prevent direct damage while maintaining reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If support elements penetrate the seal at several points, then the supporting elements tilt less downward under load, but the seal is permanently damaged which can lead to leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment seal is designed as a flexible element that can be compressed between the strip-shaped projection and the groove wall end face. This flexibility allows it to deform under compression to provide stable support while maintaining its sealing integrity without permanent damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is compressed by a specific amount (0.2 mm to 0.9 mm, particularly 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm) to change its physical state from soft to hard, providing rigidity for support while maintaining sealing capability. This parameter change allows the seal to fulfill both support and sealing functions simultaneously.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the glass support is held rigidly to the support profile, then the support stability is high, but the seal material is subjected to excessive stress
Solution Approach 1:
The seal material undergoes a parameter change from soft to hard through compression (0.2 mm to 0.9 mm compression distance). This allows it to provide rigid support comparable to metal while maintaining its sealing properties, reducing excessive stress on the material.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment seal functions as a flexible element that, when compressed, provides rigid support. This flexible-to-rigid transition allows the seal to bear loads effectively while distributing stress evenly, preventing excessive localized stress that would lead to damage.
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
The solution provides a stable and reliable seal that maintains the glass carrier's rigidity under load, preventing sinking and seal damage, while allowing for easy installation and assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the attachment seal is compressed between the strip-shaped projection and an end face of the lower groove wall of the screw groove
Implementation Method 2
the compressed seal is hardly elastic and thus reliably ensures support of the glass support when subjected to loads
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A supporting structure (1) comprises a support profile (3, 3') to which at least one infill element is held, and the support profile (3, 3') has a screw groove (7) with two projecting groove walls (70, 71) on the side facing the infill element, which is enclosed by a top seal (4), wherein a glass support (10, 20) is fixed to the support profile (3, 3') by means of at least one fastening element (11, 21) which extends through the top seal (4) and prestresses the glass support (10, 20) towards the support profile (3, 3'). The glass support (10, 20) has at least one rib-shaped projection (24) on the side facing the top seal (4), and the top seal (4) is compressed between the rib-shaped projection (24) and an end face of the lower groove wall (71) of the screw groove (7). This allows the glass support (10, 20) to be fixed stably and sealed to the support profile (3, 3').