Retractable Wall Seals for Airtight Expandable Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Expandable homes and recreational vehicles face challenges in sealing between movable wall structures to prevent air and weather intrusion during expansion, as conventional sealing arrangements are inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A retractable seal system featuring a movable sleeve with a flexible seal material that transitions between expanded and retracted configurations, allowing the seal material to extend outward to engage with adjacent structural panels, utilizing a rack and pinion mechanism for operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealing arrangement is used between movable wall structures, then the structure is simpler, but the sealing reliability deteriorates due to inadequate prevention of air and weather intrusion during expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The seal transitions from a static conventional arrangement to a dynamic retractable system that moves between extended and retracted positions. The movable sleeve and seal material are configured to dynamically adapt to the expansion state of the home, extending outward during expansion to maintain sealing contact between structural panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal material is nested within the movable sleeve, which itself is attached to the structural panel. This nested configuration allows the seal to be compact when retracted while still providing full sealing coverage when extended, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Reliability
If the seal material extends outward to engage with adjacent panels, then the sealing performance improves, but the risk of internal bumps and obstruction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable seal dynamically adjusts its position based on the expansion state. During transportation when the home is compact, the seal retracts to avoid creating internal bumps or obstructions. During expansion, it extends to provide sealing performance, thus resolving the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and internal space clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal operates periodically, extending during expansion phases and retracting during transportation phases. This periodic action ensures that the seal provides protection when needed while avoiding harmful effects during other operational states.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a retractable seal mechanism is implemented, then the adaptability to expansion states improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional moving components
Solution Approach 1:
The seal system is configured to dynamically respond to the expansion state of the home through the movable sleeve mechanism. The seal material can extend and retract in response to changes in the distance between structural panels, providing high adaptability to different expansion configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractable seal mechanism is designed to automatically respond to expansion and contraction forces without requiring active control systems. The mechanical configuration allows the seal to self-adjust its position based on the natural movement of the structural panels during expansion and transportation.
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing arrangement can be used to provide a seal between two adjacent structural elements, such as between two walls. The sealing arrangement may be particularly useful for expandable structures, such as expandable mobile homes, recreational vehicles, or the like. The sealing arrangement can include a first wall member that can provide a retractable seal that may extend outward from a face of the wall, toward a second wall member. The second wall member can include a door-covered opening along its end face that can receive the retractable seal from the first wall member. The second wall member may include upper and lower lids that automatically extend outward when the retractable seal is inserted into the opening. Air vents may be provided in the walls to provide air exchange.