Structural Offset Adaptor for Flush Glass Door Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial doors with glass panes cannot be made ADA-compliant with a bottom rail less than 10 inches high, and there is no known method for flush-mounted glass panels using structural silicone glazing.
Innovation Solution
A structural offset adaptor is used to mount glass panes flush with the door frame's push surface, allowing for a bottom rail less than 10 inches high and utilizing structural silicone glazing for ADA compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If glass panes are recessed relative to the door surface to align with the center plane, then the glass can be securely installed in conventional door frames, but the bottom rail must be at least 10 inches high to maintain ADA compliance and a smooth planar surface
Solution Approach 1:
An offset adapter is introduced as an intermediary component between the door frame and the glass pane. This adapter includes a first portion that attaches to the inner perimetral surface of the door frame and a second portion that extends outward to support the glass pane flush with the door surface, eliminating the need for a deep recess and allowing reduced bottom rail height while maintaining ADA compliance
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a conventional recessed installation (where glass is set back in the plane of the door) to a flush-mounted installation (where glass aligns with the outer surface of the door). The offset adapter achieves this by extending perpendicular to the door frame surface, changing the dimensional relationship between the glass and the door plane
2Adaptability or versatility
If the bottom rail height is reduced below 10 inches to improve door design flexibility, then ADA compliance and smooth planar surface are compromised, but the offset adapter enables flush-mounted glass that maintains compliance with reduced rail height
Solution Approach 1:
The offset adapter serves as a mediator that allows the bottom rail height to be reduced while still achieving ADA compliance. The adapter compensates for the reduced rail height by providing the necessary support and positioning for the glass pane, maintaining the smooth planar surface requirement without needing a 10-inch high bottom rail
3Ease of manufacture
If structural silicone glazing is used to flush-mount glass panes, then installation simplicity and adaptability are improved, but there is no known construction method that achieves both flush mounting and ADA compliance with reduced bottom rail height
Solution Approach 1:
The offset adapter acts as a precision intermediary that ensures accurate flush mounting of the glass pane. By providing a structured interface between the door frame and glass, and combining with structural silicone glazing, the system achieves both ease of installation and precise alignment flush with the door surface
Solution Approach 2:
The solution changes the installation parameters by transitioning from mechanical attachment methods to structural silicone glazing. This allows the glass pane to be flush-mounted with greater precision and ease, while the offset adapter provides the necessary geometric reference for achieving the correct alignment and maintaining ADA compliance
Data Source
AI summary
A structural offset adaptor formed as a unitary body for installing glass in a door frame includes snap-in connecting portions extending along each side of the structural offset adaptor, configured to retain the structural offset adaptor on an inner perimetral surface of the frame. The adaptor is configured with an inner wall and an unenclosed space adjacent the inner wall which allows the glass pane to be installed offset from the center of the door frame and flush to the push surface of the door frame. A glass-paned door with the adaptor installed on the inner perimetral surface includes the glass pane installed in the unenclosed space and flush to the push surface of the door frame. A method of installing a glass pane in a door frame includes mounting the glass flush with a push side of the door frame via the adaptor.