Modular Storm Protection Panels for Window and Door Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for protecting buildings from storm damage, such as hurricanes and high winds, are either costly, require extensive installation time, or are not suitable for existing structures, and existing solutions like plywood leave damage and are not easily installable by homeowners.
Innovation Solution
A protection panel system comprising a lightweight solid plastic shell and a multi-wall plastic inner portion, with anchoring straps and fasteners, designed to fit within or adjacent to building openings, providing a cost-effective and easy-to-install solution for securing windows and doors against external forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plywood is installed over windows and doors to shield the building from storm damage, then protection from external forces is provided, but installation requires extensive time, specialized tools, and manpower that may not be available during a storm
Solution Approach 1:
The protection system is divided into separate modular panels that can be independently installed over individual windows and doors. Each panel is a self-contained unit with integrated fastening mechanisms, allowing rapid installation without requiring extensive preparation or specialized tools. The panels can be quickly deployed one at a time as needed during a storm event.
2Reliability
If conventional plywood is used for protection, then shielding from storm damage is achieved, but fasteners leave screw holes and damage to exterior surfaces that require repair or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The protection panels are designed to be temporary, removable covers that are installed only during storm events and then removed afterward. The panels themselves are discarded or stored for future use, while the building's exterior surfaces remain undamaged and require no repair. This approach trades the permanence of traditional plywood installation for minimal surface impact.
3Reliability
If impact-rated glass windows are installed to provide storm resistance, then protection from wind pressure and debris is improved, but the cost increases significantly and compatibility with existing antique or period window styles is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of investing in expensive impact-rated glass windows that permanently alter the building's appearance and cost significantly, the invention uses affordable, temporary protection panels made from inexpensive materials like plywood or composite boards. These panels provide equivalent storm protection during critical events but can be removed or replaced without significant cost, making them economically viable for retrofitting existing structures.
4Reliability
If impact-rated glass windows are installed, then storm resistance is improved, but installation requires adapting structural framing, brackets, and fasteners to support additional weight and dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The protection system uses separate, modular panels that fit over existing window and door openings without requiring structural modifications. Each panel is a standalone unit with its own fastening system that attaches to the existing frame or surrounding structure, eliminating the need to adapt structural framing, brackets, or fasteners. This modular approach dramatically simplifies installation compared to permanent impact glass installations.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are building opening protection panel systems and methods for windows, doors, and other portals that may be vulnerable to damage, such as external projectiles or wind and debris forces active during storms. The protection panel systems and methods may include a lightweight multi-wall plastic panel housed within a lightweight solid plastic shell, which can be inserted into the building opening to prevent external wind pressures and other elements from infiltrating and/or causing damage to the building and its interior contents. The multi-wall plastic panel may include through-holes and/or other apertures for threading anchoring straps. The multi-wall plastic panel threaded with straps may then be inserted and affixed within the solid plastic shell to provide a wind proof exterior face. The multi-wall plastic panel within the solid plastic shell may then be fastened to a window sash, door, and/or other anchoring structure within the building opening using the straps.