Sliding Door Drainage Frame with L-Shaped Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drainage systems for sliding door and window assemblies, particularly patio doors with solid sills, face challenges in efficiently draining water and condensation without invasive installation methods, as they often require hollow sill constructions and extensive trenching work.
Innovation Solution
A drainage frame system comprising an upright support, a weeping upright forming a channel with the support, and an accumulator in fluid communication, allowing for minimal invasive installation and effective drainage of liquid from sliding closure assemblies, including an L-shaped channel configuration for enhanced liquid collection and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a collection pan is mounted under a channel to collect liquid, then liquid drainage is achieved, but extensive trenching work and invasive installation are required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the collection pan below the channel (traditional approach requiring trenching), the patent inverts the arrangement by positioning the collection pan above the channel. The channel receives liquid from the sill and directs it upward into the pan, eliminating the need for extensive ground preparation while maintaining effective liquid collection and drainage
2Reliability
If drain holes are positioned throughout the assembly to allow water escape, then water drainage is achieved, but the structural integrity and durability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drainage function from the sill structure itself by introducing a separate, dedicated collection pan system. Instead of drilling holes through the sill (which compromises strength), the channel collects liquid along the sill's surface and directs it to the external pan, preserving the sill's structural integrity while achieving effective drainage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a channel as an intermediary element between the sill and the collection pan. This channel collects liquid from the sill surface and transports it to the pan without requiring direct penetration of the sill structure, thus maintaining strength while enabling drainage through the intermediary transport mechanism
3Ease of operation
If the sill profile is made low and unobtrusive to facilitate wheelchair passage, then accessibility is improved, but wind-driven water infiltration becomes a problem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by designing the channel with a bottom surface that slopes toward the accumulation pan. This slope creates a gravity-driven hydraulic flow that actively directs wind-driven water and other liquids toward the pan, preventing infiltration while maintaining the low-profile sill design needed for wheelchair accessibility
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 system enables efficient drainage of water and condensation from sliding door and window assemblies with minimal trenching and installation barriers, providing a low-profile, unobtrusive solution that maintains structural integrity and facilitates easy setup.
Implementation Method 1
The pan collects the liquid from the channel through an aperture, usually by way of gravity.
Data Source
AI summary
A window or door assembly and/or system having a drain method and device that is less invasive than previous implementations. The assembly can include slidable window or door panels and an upright support allowing translational movement of the panels. Distal thereto, a weeping upright is provided. The upright support and the weeping upright can form a channel therebetween where the liquid is collected, wherein the channel in one embodiment is L-shaped. To remove liquid from the channel, an accumulator that is perpendicular to the channel can receive the fluid through an opening. Liquid can also be removed through a drainage opening within the upright support or weeping upright. An aperture along with a connector along a bottom portion of the channel can also be used to remove the liquid within the channel.