Insulating Picture Window with Translucent Structural Seals

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large bay windows in buildings, particularly in exhibition rooms and commercial spaces, face significant heat loss due to high heat conduction through large glass surfaces, and existing solutions fail to adequately insulate while maintaining visibility and structural integrity.

Innovation Solution

An insulating bay window design featuring multiple glazing panels connected by translucent sealing joints and spacers, with a structuring function to minimize heat loss, maintain visibility, and provide resistance to wind and atmospheric conditions, using materials like translucent silicone, polyurethane, and organic glass for enhanced gas and moisture tightness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If large glass surfaces are used for bay windows to maintain visibility, then visibility of objects inside the building is improved, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates due to high heat conduction

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidheat loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The large glass surface is divided into multiple individual glass panels (at least two) that are connected by translucent connection elements. This segmentation allows the bay window to maintain large overall visibility while reducing heat conduction through the distribution of thermal load across multiple smaller panels and insulating connection elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Translucent connection elements with structuring function are introduced as intermediaries between adjacent glass panels. These elements provide thermal insulation while maintaining light transmission, thereby reducing heat loss through the bay window structure without compromising visibility of objects inside the building.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of energy

If multiple glazing panels are assembled to improve thermal insulation, then heat loss is reduced, but structural integrity and resistance to wind loads deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat lossVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The bay window structure combines multiple materials with complementary properties: glass panels for visibility, translucent sealing materials for thermal insulation and weatherproofing, and structuring connection elements for mechanical strength. This composite approach achieves both thermal insulation and structural integrity simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The connection elements perform multiple functions simultaneously: they structurally connect adjacent glass panels to resist wind loads, provide thermal insulation through their translucent material, and ensure weatherproofing through sealing joints. This merging of functions resolves the contradiction between insulation and strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Illumination intensity

If translucent connection elements are used to maintain visibility, then light transmission is improved, but gas tightness and moisture-proofing deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight transmissionVSAvoidgas tightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Translucent sealing joints made of flexible materials (such as silicone or polyurethane) are used to connect glass panels. These flexible seals maintain gas tightness and moisture-proofing while allowing for thermal expansion and contraction, and their translucent nature preserves light transmission for visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 significantly reduces thermal exchange with the atmosphere, maintains clear visibility, and ensures structural integrity by using multiple glazing panels with translucent sealing joints and spacers, achieving a thermal insulation coefficient (Ug) of 0.3 to 1.8 W/m², with gas tightness and moisture-proofing standards met.

Implementation Method 1

each glazed panel is a multiple glazing comprising several sheets of glass enclosing at least one space between the sheets

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

comprising at least one translucent sealing joint along its connecting edge facing the other adjacent glazed panel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSealing: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP3230547B1Insulating picture window

Publication Date: 2019.06.19 AGC GLASS EUROPE SA

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Figure 5~6

AI summary

An insulating window unit for a building formed from adjacent glazed panels linked to each other by at least one translucent connection element having a structural function, in which each glazed panel is a multiple glazing unit comprising several sheets of glass enclosing at least one closed space between the sheets and comprising at least one translucent seal along the connection edge of same facing the other adjacent glazed panel.