Pre-formed Glazing Unit with Integrated Mounting Flange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glazing units in temporary structures like sheds and cabins face issues with glass pane fragility, installation damage risk, insecurity, poor thermal and noise performance, and water ingress, which are costly and impractical to address with traditional double-glazing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A pre-formed glazing unit with a face panel and mounting flange, where the connecting wall is integrally formed to space the panel outwardly, reducing installation damage and enhancing security, and a secondary unit creates an air gap for improved thermal and noise reduction, using polymeric materials for reduced weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If glass panes are used in traditional window arrangements, then transparency and aesthetic appearance are improved, but safety hazard and fragility increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to plastic (polymer), transforming the glazing material to eliminate fragility while maintaining transparency. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by providing a non-fragile material that retains the optical properties needed for transparency and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by integrating the glazing panel with a mounting flange and connecting wall to form a single-piece unit. This composite structure combines the plastic glazing material with structural polymer components, creating an integrated assembly that eliminates safety hazards associated with separate glass panes and traditional fixings.
2Strength
If glass panes are fixed using battens or mouldings from the outside, then secure mounting is improved, but risk of damage during installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assembling the glazing panel with its mounting flange and connecting wall into a single integrated unit before installation. This pre-integration eliminates the need for separate fixing operations that could damage the pane, as the panel is already securely attached to its mounting structure in a protected state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the glazing panel, mounting flange, and connecting wall into a single-piece integrated unit. This combining of previously separate components (panel and fixings) into one unified structure eliminates the damage risk associated with handling and attaching separate battens or mouldings to the pane during installation.
3Strength
If traditional window arrangements with battens are used, then mounting security is improved, but insecurity against lever-off attacks worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the glazing panel and mounting flange into a single integrated piece, eliminating the separate batten components that can be levered off. This integration removes the vulnerability to lever-off attacks by making the mounting structure inseparable from the panel itself, while maintaining secure attachment through the integrated design.
4Device complexity
If single glass pane is used, then simplicity and cost-effectiveness are improved, but thermal and noise transmission performance worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to plastic, which has different thermal and acoustic properties. This material parameter change improves thermal insulation performance and noise reduction while maintaining the simplicity of a single-pane configuration, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and performance.
5Device complexity
If single glass pane is used, then simplicity and cost-effectiveness are improved, but noise transmission performance worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to plastic, exploiting the different acoustic properties of polymer materials. This parameter change improves noise transmission performance by reducing sound penetration while maintaining the simplicity of a single-pane design, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and noise performance.
6Ease of manufacture
If traditional window arrangements are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but water ingress and rotting accelerate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the glazing panel with an integrated mounting flange and connecting wall to form a single-piece unit with continuous sealing surfaces. This integration eliminates the gaps and joints between separate components where water could penetrate, preventing water ingress and the subsequent rotting while maintaining ease of manufacture through single-piece construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A pre-formed glazing unit for installation in an opening defined in a structure such as a shed, greenhouse or other temporary building comprises a face panel having a periphery enclosing the face panel and a mounting flange for attachment to an inward side of the structure around a peripheral edge of the opening in use, the mounting flange being connected to the periphery of the face panel by a connecting wall. The connecting wall is integrally formed with the face panel and the mounting flange and extends away from the mounting flange to space the face panel from the mounting flange in an outward direction. The face panel and/or a top panel of the connecting wall may be inclined and/or a bottom panel of the connecting wall may include a drip-inducing formation to direct water away from the structure in use. A double-glazed variant is also disclosed.