Movable Insulating Seal for Door Sill Thermal Break
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Door sills in buildings, especially old structures, often create significant thermal bridges due to inadequate insulation, leading to energy losses through both conductive and convective heat flux, which are difficult to address without replacing the doors and sills, especially in heritage buildings where preservation is a concern.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring an insulating base with a movable joint embedded in the threshold, actuating means to adjust the joint's position, and a design that maximizes thermal resistance, incorporating high-insulation materials like wood or honeycomb structures to break the thermal bridge effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a fixed insulating module is embedded in the threshold to break the conductive thermal bridge, then the conductive heat flow is reduced, but the convective heat flow through the gap between the door and floor is not addressed, and the device is difficult to use in renovation projects
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating joint is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be positioned in different states. During installation, the joint can be moved to a first position enabling placement in the threshold housing, then moved to a second position for thermal break operation. This dynamic capability enables both easy installation in renovation projects and effective thermal bridging interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable insulating joint acts as an intermediary element between the door and the threshold housing. It can be inserted into the housing and positioned to block thermal bridges while allowing the door to function normally. This intermediary component enables thermal break without requiring complete replacement of door or threshold structures.
2Ease of operation
If the insulating joint is made movable to facilitate installation and operation, then ease of installation is improved, but the thermal resistance may be compromised due to potential gaps or poor contact
Solution Approach 1:
The movable insulating joint is equipped with actuation means that enable it to automatically move into the correct position and maintain proper contact with the door and threshold housing. The actuation means ensures the joint self-adjusts to optimize thermal contact, eliminating gaps and ensuring reliable thermal resistance without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation means replaces complex mechanical assembly requirements with a simpler system that automatically positions the insulating joint. This substitution maintains reliable thermal contact while significantly easing the installation process, as the joint can be moved into position and secured without precise manual alignment.
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 device significantly reduces overall thermal bridges by ensuring effective contact between the insulating joint and the door edge, enhancing energy efficiency and maintaining aesthetic and functional integrity, especially in renovations.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating base suitable for being embedded in a housing provided in the threshold, the insulating base itself comprising a movable insulating seal
Implementation Method 2
the insulating base having an overall thermal resistance of more than 0.1 m2K/W
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device for thermal break of a door threshold comprising: • an insulating base (1) suitable for being embedded in a housing (2) provided in the threshold (3), the insulating base itself comprising a movable insulating seal (4), the width of which corresponds to that of the door (5), placed in a groove (9) of said base, the movable seal being able to adopt a low position and a high position; • actuation means (6) enabling: a) placing the movable seal in the high position when the door is closed, so as to ensure contact between said movable seal and the lower edge of the door; b) placing the movable seal in the low position in the groove when the door is open, so as to be flush with the surface of the threshold.