Skylight Frame Drain Notches for Cleaner Flush-Mounted Windows
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing skylights face issues with water accumulation and dirt buildup due to the lack of effective drainage, particularly in flush-mounted designs, leading to a dirty window surface.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating drainage notches in the frame flange that radiate outward from the window opening, allowing water to drain freely when the skylight is installed at an inclination, using materials like reaction-injected molded aliphatic polyurethane for durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a raised lip is formed in the frame to create a dam, then water containment is improved, but window cleanliness deteriorates due to evaporation leaving dirty surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful raised lip structure that creates water dams on the window surface. Instead, drainage notches are formed in the frame flange to extract water away from the window, eliminating the source of dirt accumulation while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
Drainage notches act as intermediary channels between the window surface and the exterior environment. These notches provide a controlled path for water to drain away, mediating the interaction between rainwater and the window surface to prevent direct contact and subsequent dirt buildup
2Object-affected harmful factors
If flush mounted glass is used without a raised lip, then window cleanliness is improved, but structural retention deteriorates relying on adhesive
Solution Approach 1:
The frame flange is segmented with drainage notches that create discrete drainage paths. This segmentation allows water to be channeled away at multiple points along the flange, improving drainage efficiency while maintaining the flush-mounted clean appearance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes reaction-injected molded polyurethane frame material that combines structural strength with integrated drainage features. The composite nature of the molded frame provides both the mechanical retention needed for flush-mounted glass and the drainage capability to maintain cleanliness
3Strength
If a peripheral frame with raised lip is used, then structural support is improved, but water drainage deteriorates causing evaporation and dirt buildup
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a raised lip to contain water, the patent inverts the approach by creating recessed drainage notches in the flange. This inversion allows water to actively drain through the notches rather than being contained, reversing the traditional damming approach to achieve better drainage while maintaining structural support
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 notches effectively prevent water from remaining on the window surface, maintaining cleanliness and reducing dirt accumulation, with the frame material providing long-term durability.
Implementation Method 1
Inclination of the skylight when installed allows water to freely drain from through the notches off the central light transmissive region of the window unit
Data Source
AI summary
A skylight having a frame with a flanged lip about a skylight window unit periphery having water drainage notches formed therein help keep the windows clean. The notches in the frame flange radiates outward from a central light transmissive region of the window unit and have an inboard depth adjacent the window opening approximately equal to the flange thickness. Inclination of the skylight when installed allows water to freely drain from through the notches off the central light transmissive region of the window unit.