Sealing Piece for T-Connection Water Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing post-transom constructions in facades, light roofs, and winter gardens face challenges in achieving effective sealing at the intersection of post and transom profiles, leading to potential moisture ingress.

Innovation Solution

A sealing piece with a hat-shaped cover body that includes an inner sealant receiving space, allowing for the introduction of viscous-elastic sealants like silicone, and features sloping surfaces to direct water into drainage channels, along with transverse grooves for secure engagement, ensuring comprehensive sealing and water management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sealing piece is used to seal the T-connection between post and transom profiles, then sealing performance is improved, but the complexity of the construction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing piece combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it has a cover body that covers the T-connection, an internal sealant receiving chamber that stores sealant, and drainage channel extensions that direct water away. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining effective sealing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealant is pre-loaded into the internal receiving chamber of the sealing piece during manufacturing or installation preparation. This preliminary action ensures that sealant is already in position and properly distributed before the sealing piece is installed, eliminating the need for separate sealant application steps and ensuring consistent sealing quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If an internal sealant receiving chamber is provided in the sealing piece, then sealant application is simplified, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealant application easeVSAvoidsealing piece complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealant receiving chamber is pre-filled with sealant during the manufacturing or pre-installation phase. This preliminary action simplifies the final installation process, as the sealant is already in position and properly distributed, eliminating the need for complex on-site sealant application procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The internal receiving chamber acts as an intermediary structure that holds and distributes sealant. This mediator component simplifies the overall system by providing a dedicated, controlled environment for sealant storage and distribution, rather than requiring direct application to the complex T-connection geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If drainage channels are extended by the sealing piece, then water management is improved, but the sealing piece complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater managementVSAvoidsealing piece complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing piece merges the drainage function with the sealing function by integrating drainage channel extensions directly into the cover body structure. This combination allows water to be directed away from the T-connection through channels that are formed as part of the same component, eliminating the need for separate drainage elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The drainage channels extend in multiple directions from the sealant receiving chamber, creating a three-dimensional water management system. This multi-directional channel arrangement effectively directs water away from the connection point through various pathways, improving water management without requiring additional external components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 provides enhanced sealing and water management by ensuring optimal filling of the sealant in the joint area, preventing moisture ingress and ensuring a watertight connection between post and transom profiles.

Implementation Method 1

a recess for extending the drainage groove of the transom profile

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

features sloping surfaces to direct water into drainage channels

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3879043B1Sealing piece for sealing a t-connection between a post and latch profile and a post-latch structure with such a sealing piece
Publication Date: 2024.07.24 RAICO BAUTECHN
  • EP3879043B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3879043B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3879043B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a sealing element (11) for sealing a T-joint between a mullion profile (1) and a transom profile (2), particularly for mullion-transom constructions of facades, skylights, and conservatories. To enable improved sealing of the intersection point of mullion and transom profiles, the sealing element (11) has a cover body (20, 21) designed to overlap the mullion profile (1) and the transom profile (2), with an inner sealant receiving chamber (30, 31) that can be filled from the outside with a sealant.