Insulated Glazing Unit Hermetic Sealing and Pressure Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated glazing units face issues with jamming and moisture ingress due to differential pressure and lack of hermetic sealing, which can lead to fogging and early aging of components, and do not meet the tightness requirements of standards like EN 1279.
Innovation Solution
A hermetically sealed insulated glazing unit with a support frame and panes of glass that permanently seal the gap, incorporating a pressure sensor housed in a sealed box to control the screening element's deployment and prevent jamming, while using sealed cable raceways to avoid additional openings for sensor cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the insulated glazing unit uses a non-hermetically sealed gap with pressure regulation valves, then the blind mechanism can operate without jamming under pressure differential, but moisture and weather agents can penetrate into the gap causing fogging and early aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hermetic sealing to create an isolated environment within the insulated glazing unit gap. By permanently sealing the gap between panes and the frame, the system prevents moisture and weather agents from penetrating into the interior, effectively creating a protected inert environment that preserves the blind mechanism and prevents fogging and early aging of components.
2Measurement precision
If passages are formed in the frame to supply power and control signals to the pressure sensor, then the pressure sensor can be integrated into the system, but the seal of the insulated glazing unit is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hermetically sealed cable conduit as an intermediary element that allows power and control signals to be supplied to the pressure sensor without compromising the hermetic seal. The conduit acts as a mediator that penetrates the frame structure while maintaining the seal integrity, enabling the pressure sensor to function within the sealed gap environment.
3Loss of energy
If the gap thickness is reduced to improve insulation, then the insulating performance is enhanced, but moisture that penetrates cannot escape and leads to fogging
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing hermetic sealing, the patent creates a controlled inert environment within the gap that prevents moisture ingress from the outside. This eliminates the risk of moisture accumulation and fogging that would otherwise occur in reduced-thickness gaps, allowing the system to achieve both improved insulation performance and moisture protection.
4Reliability
If the insulated glazing unit complies with EN 1279 hermetic sealing requirements, then tightness and durability are improved, but the blind mechanism may still jam under extreme pressure differentials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a pressure sensor that continuously monitors the pressure differential across the hermetically sealed gap. When the pressure differential exceeds safe operating limits that could cause glass bending or blind mechanism jamming, the control unit receives feedback and prevents blind operation until conditions are safe. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain hermetic sealing while protecting the blind mechanism from damage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an insulated glazing unit (1) comprising a support frame (2); a pair of at least partially transparent panes (3) sealingly fixed to the frame (2) to define a gap (4); a screening element (5) that is adapted to be deployed within said gap (4) to be switched between an open configuration, and at least one closure configuration; a control unit (9) comprising an actuator module (10) associated with the screening element (5) to control deployment of the screening element (5); a pressure sensor (11) configured to send a signal representative of an internal pressure value (Pi) in said gap (4) to the control unit (9).