Panel Door Sealing with Resilient Sealant Grooves
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wood and wood composite panel doors face issues such as delamination, veneer splits, panel cracking, joint separation, wood decay, and insulated glass seal failures, primarily caused by water infiltration due to differential expansion and contraction of stile and rail components with extreme weather.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating resilient sealant into grooves in the peripheral frame of panel doors allows for movement between the panel and frame, preventing water infiltration and accommodating thermal expansion, thus maintaining waterproof seals even with joint movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid sealing is used at the joint between panel and frame, then waterproofing is improved, but the door components cannot accommodate thermal expansion and contraction, leading to joint separation and seal failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible membrane that spans across the joint between the panel and frame. This membrane is capable of stretching and flexing to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the door components while maintaining a continuous waterproof barrier. The flexible nature of the membrane allows it to move with the expanding and contracting components without breaking the seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by changing the physical state or properties of the sealing material from rigid to flexible. The flexible membrane has different mechanical properties compared to traditional rigid seals, allowing it to dynamically adapt to dimensional changes in the door components while maintaining waterproof integrity throughout temperature cycles.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the panel is tightly fixed to the frame, then structural stability is improved, but water infiltration occurs due to differential expansion and contraction at extreme weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by introducing a flexible membrane as an intermediary element between the panel and frame. This membrane acts as a mediator that allows for differential movement between the tightly fixed components while preventing water infiltration. The membrane bridges the gap created by thermal expansion and contraction, maintaining the waterproof barrier even when components move relative to each other.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional sealing methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but delamination and veneer splits occur due to water infiltration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by pre-installing the flexible membrane into grooves or channels formed in the frame or panel before final assembly. This preliminary placement ensures proper positioning and alignment of the sealing membrane, allowing it to effectively prevent water infiltration from the start. The membrane is secured in advance to accommodate future thermal movements while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
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 enhances the weatherability of panel doors by preventing water infiltration and maintaining seal integrity during temperature changes, reducing damage from veneer splits, swelling, and IGU seal failures, while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the wood structure.
Implementation Method 1
resilient sealant is located in oppositely disposed grooves in the peripheral frame adjoining the panel in order to allow movement of the panel relative to the surrounding frame
Data Source
AI summary
A door is provided that includes a door panel having a periphery and opposite first and second panel surfaces, stiles and rails collectively surrounding the panel, and sealant. The stiles have channeled stile surfaces extending across a thickness of the stiles and facing one another. The rails have channeled rail surfaces extending across a thickness of the rails and facing one another. The channeled stile surfaces and the channeled rail surfaces include channels with open ends that receive the periphery of the panel, first grooves positioned at first interfaces of the first panel surface and first edges of the open ends of the channels, and second grooves positioned at second interfaces of the second panel surface and second edges of the open ends of the channels. The sealant is received in the first and second grooves, preferably forming a water-proof seal.