Insulating Glass Spacer Profile with Segmented Reinforcement
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spacer profiles for insulating glass units face challenges in achieving high thermal insulation while maintaining strength, flexural strength, and minimizing wrinkle formation during bending, while also ensuring diffusion resistance and low heat conductivity.
Innovation Solution
A spacer profile design featuring two separate reinforcement layers connected by a diffusion barrier made of synthetic material with sheet silicate, which provides lower heat conductivity while maintaining diffusion resistance and enhancing rigidity and strength, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a continuous thick metal reinforcement layer is used to increase strength and prevent sagging, then strength and rigidity are improved, but heat conductivity increases and diffusion resistance is lost when bent
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement layer is divided into two separate layers instead of one continuous thick layer. This segmentation reduces the overall metal content and heat conductivity while maintaining structural strength through distributed reinforcement. The patent specifically uses two separate reinforcement layers made of metal material applied to opposite sides of the spacer profile.
Solution Approach 2:
Metal reinforcement is applied locally only where structurally necessary rather than uniformly throughout. The reinforcement layers are positioned on specific surfaces of the spacer profile to provide strength at critical areas while minimizing overall metal content and heat conduction paths.
2Manufacturing precision
If the spacer profile is made more rigid to reduce wrinkle formation during bending, then manufacturing quality is improved, but flexibility during cold bending deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is segmented into multiple thin layers rather than one thick layer, allowing the profile to bend more flexibly during cold bending while still providing sufficient rigidity to prevent wrinkle formation. The distributed reinforcement maintains shape stability during the bending process.
3Stability of the object's composition
If thicker profile walls are used to prevent sagging and maintain strength, then structural stability is improved, but heat insulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wall structure incorporates air chambers and voids that segment the material continuity, creating thermal breaks that improve insulation. The hollow profile structure with internal chambers reduces heat conduction while maintaining structural strength through the distributed geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer profile uses composite construction combining synthetic material with metal reinforcement layers and air chambers. This composite structure achieves structural stability through the metal reinforcement while maintaining heat insulation through the synthetic material and air gaps, creating a multi-functional material system.
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 spacer profile achieves improved thermal insulation, higher rigidity and strength, and reduced wrinkle formation during bending, while maintaining diffusion resistance and lowering heat conductivity compared to conventional profiles.
Implementation Method 1
the diffusion barrier (157) is at least partly made of a synthetic material to which sheet silicate is added... having a heat conductivity being substantially lower than that of the reinforcement (stiffening, strengthening) layers
Implementation Method 2
The synthetic material with sheet silicate has a heat conductivity being substantially lower than that of the reinforcement (stiffening, strengthening) layers
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A spacer profile adapted to be used in a spacer frame (50) of an insulating glass unit, comprising a hollow profile body (10) made of a first synthetic material comprising a chamber (20) for accommodating hydroscopic material, the hollow profile body (10) comprising an inner wall (12) that is, in an assembled state of the insulating glass unit, directed to the intervening space (53) between panes (51, 52) of the insulating glass unit, an outer wall (14) on the opposite side of the inner wall (12), a first side wall (16) and a second side wall (18) on the opposite side to the first side wall (16), the walls being connected to form the chamber (20), and a diffusion barrier portion (34) made of a second synthetic material with sheet silicates and being formed as at least a part of the outer wall (14).