Vertically Sliding Marine Window Hermetic Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ship cabin windows are unsuitable for new architectural trends that incorporate outdoor spaces, as they fail to provide adequate watertightness, sound insulation, and draft protection, essential for maintaining comfort in harsh marine environments.
Innovation Solution
A vertically-sliding window system with a hermetically sealed mechanism, featuring a flexible gasket and sophisticated motorized mechanism allowing the second panel to move along two perpendicular axes, equipped with sensors for safety and automatic operation, ensuring watertightness and sound insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a vertically-sliding window is used to incorporate outdoor space into the cabin, then the cabin area is enlarged and view access is improved, but perimetral air gaps form between panels and frame causing water infiltration, drafts, and noise penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing mechanism transitions from a single-plane vertical seal to a two-dimensional sealing action. The second panel moves horizontally along the x-axis to engage the gasket, then vertically along the y-axis to compress the gasket against the frame, creating a hermetic seal that blocks water, drafts, and noise while maintaining the enlarged cabin space.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible gasket is introduced as an intermediary element between the second panel and the frame. This gasket deforms to accommodate the movement of the second panel along two axes and creates a hermetic seal, effectively blocking harmful factors (water, drafts, noise) without compromising the window's opening functionality or cabin space enlargement.
2Reliability
If a hermetic seal is created by moving the second panel along two perpendicular axes, then watertightness and sound insulation are improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The window system merges multiple functions into a single integrated mechanism. The second panel combines both sealing functionality (by engaging the gasket) and opening/closing functionality (by moving vertically) into one component, eliminating the need for separate sealing mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity despite the two-axis movement requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The second panel serves multiple functions: it acts as a sealing element by engaging the flexible gasket horizontally, serves as a structural component of the window, and functions as the movable element for opening/closing the window vertically. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and simplifies the overall mechanism.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional windows are used in the new architectural configuration, then construction is simpler, but they fail to provide adequate sound insulation and draft protection
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible gasket (thin film) is used to create the hermetic seal between the second panel and the frame. This flexible element can deform to accommodate manufacturing tolerances and movement, providing effective sealing against noise and drafts while maintaining ease of assembly similar to traditional window construction.
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 effectively eliminates air gaps and drafts, provides excellent noise insulation, and ensures user safety through automated operation and sensors, enhancing comfort and performance in marine environments.
Implementation Method 1
said means for horizontally bringing the second panel closer towards the frame so as to make them adhere in a hermetically sealed manner on each other by inserting a flexible gasket
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~4d
AI summary
A window or glass door is described for stopping up a span (P) present in a structure, e.g. present in the facade of a ship, comprising a perimeter frame (30) mountable within the span, a first fixed panel (20), integral with the frame, to stop up the lower part of the span, a second panel (10) mounted on the frame for sliding vertically parallel (Y) to the first panel up to a position in which it stops up the top of the span. To give good performances of water-tightness and air-tightness, there are means (78) for joining two surfaces which are comprised, respectively, in the second panel (10) and the frame (30) and which are facing each other in said position, so that the second panel and the frame adhere to each other in a hermetically sealed manner. The described window has also constructive ease.