Insulated Mounting Bracket for Adjustable Thermal Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermally isolating mounting brackets often form undesirable thermal bridges and require multiple sizes for different insulation panel thicknesses, leading to increased costs and thermal conductivity.
Innovation Solution
A thermally isolating mounting bracket with insulating material covering its walls and thermally insulating washers, along with adjustable dimensions and spacers, to minimize thermal transfer and accommodate various insulation panel thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If single piece sheet metal brackets are used to secure insulation panels, then the brackets provide structural strength and ease of manufacture, but they create thermally conductive bridges that increase thermal transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into separate components: a metal support structure portion and an insulating material portion. This segmentation allows the metal portion to provide structural strength while the insulating portion blocks thermal conduction paths, eliminating the thermal bridge problem inherent in single-piece sheet metal brackets.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket combines dissimilar materials - metal and insulating material - into a composite structure. The metal portion provides mechanical strength and attachment capability, while the insulating material portion provides thermal barrier functionality, achieving both structural strength and thermal isolation simultaneously.
2Strength
If fixed size brackets are used for each insulation panel thickness, then the brackets provide optimal structural performance for specific thicknesses, but contractors need to purchase and manage multiple different sized brackets
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates adjustable elements that allow its dimensions to be modified after manufacturing. The adjustable nature enables a single bracket design to adapt to various insulation panel thicknesses, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-size bracket variants while maintaining optimal structural performance for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed as a universal component that can serve multiple thickness requirements through its adjustable features. This multi-functionality allows one bracket design to replace multiple specialized bracket designs, providing both structural performance and versatility across different insulation panel thicknesses.
3Adaptability or versatility
If user selectively adjustable brackets are used to accommodate different insulation panel thicknesses, then the brackets provide versatility, but they include more metal parts that form thermally conductive bridges
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is segmented into metal and insulating material portions, with the insulating material strategically positioned to break thermal conduction paths. This segmentation allows adjustability features to be incorporated while preventing the formation of continuous thermal bridges that would occur with traditional all-metal adjustable brackets.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating material acts as an intermediary between the metal components, preventing direct thermal contact while allowing mechanical adjustment functionality. This intermediary material enables versatility and adjustability while blocking thermal conduction, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and thermal isolation.
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
Provides low thermal transfer with good structural strength, while being adaptable to different insulation panel thicknesses, reducing the need for multiple bracket sizes and minimizing thermal bridges.
Implementation Method 1
the first second and third walls being covered with a thermally insulating material outside of the corner
Implementation Method 2
thermally insulating washers insertable in the mounting apertures to form a thermal barrier between the thermal mounting bracket and the fasteners
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal mounting bracket securable to an exterior wall of a building, the thermal mounting bracket comprising: first, second and third walls pairwise substantially perpendicular to each other and forming a corner; the first, second and third walls each defining mounting apertures each for receiving a fastener therethrough to mount the thermal mounting bracket to the exterior wall; the first second and third walls being covered with a thermally insulating material outside of the corner.