Roof Window Cover Elements for Weather-Tight Cleaning Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roof windows face challenges in manufacturing, installation, and cleaning, particularly in ensuring manageable movements without risking injury from cladding parts, and require complex designs for effective weather-proofing.
Innovation Solution
A roof window design featuring a stationary frame, a sash with hinge connections, a lifting device with springs, and a unique set of cover elements that allows easy rotation and cleaning without additional guides or links, ensuring weather-tight sealing through overlapping cover elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If complex linkage mechanisms are used to provide appropriate relative movement for cleaning, then cleaning functionality is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex linkage mechanism from the system. Instead of using linkage mechanisms to provide relative movement between cladding members during cleaning, the invention allows the sash to pivot independently on simple hinge connections, removing the disturbing complex mechanism while preserving the cleaning function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the window system into independent functional components: the frame, the intermediate frame, the sash, and cladding members. Each component can move independently through hinge connections, allowing the sash to rotate for cleaning without requiring coordinated movement of other parts through complex linkages.
2Reliability
If elaborate devices are used to establish overlap between cladding members during cleaning, then weather-proofing is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes elaborate devices from the system. The weather-proofing function is achieved through the inherent overlapping arrangement of cladding members and simple hinge connections, without requiring additional elaborate mechanisms to maintain sealing during the cleaning movement.
3Ease of operation
If the sash structure is connected with an intermediate frame to enable 180° rotation, then cleaning access is improved, but the risk of body part entrapment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the rotation function into separate simple hinge connections between the frame-intermediate frame and intermediate frame-sash. This segmentation allows the sash to rotate independently without creating pinching zones between cladding members and frame arms, eliminating the entrapment hazard while maintaining cleaning access.
4Device complexity
If simple hinge connections are used without additional guides or links, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the hinge system into two separate simple hinge connections: one between the frame and intermediate frame, and another between the intermediate frame and sash. This segmentation simplifies each individual hinge's manufacturing requirements compared to a single complex hinge, while the cumulative effect maintains the necessary overall precision for proper operation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5
AI summary
The roof window comprises a stationary frame (1) adapted to be built into a structure and having a top member (12), two side members (13, 14) and a bottom member (11), and defining a frame plane, a sash (2) having a top member (22), two side members (23, 24) and a bottom member (21), and carrying a pane (3) and defining a sash plane in parallel with the pane, an intermediate frame (4), and at least one first hinge connection (15) for connecting the sash (2) and the intermediate frame (4) to the stationary frame (1). Releasable locking means (16) for releasing the first hinge connection (15) are provided, and at least one second hinge connection (25) for connecting the sash (2) to the intermediate frame (4), as well as operating means (8) for opening and closing the sash relative to the frame. In order to provide a substantially weather-proof transition between the roof window and the surroundings, a first set of cover elements (100) is provided on the stationary frame and a second set of cover elements (200) provided on the sash. The second set of cover elements includes a top sash cover element (200) and the first set of cover elements includes a top frame cover element (100). The top sash cover element overlaps the top frame cover element to a maximum opening angle when the sash is rotated in a first direction relative to the frame plane, but is releasable from the overlap to allow a rotation of the sash in a second direction opposite the first direction.