Building Wall Spacer Panel with Tapered Legs for Moisture Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spacer members for building walls fail to provide effective drainage paths on both sides while resisting compression, and are prone to being blocked by masonry materials, which disrupts moisture drainage.
Innovation Solution
A spacer panel with independently formed, tapered spacer members projecting from a central web, featuring planar surfaces for adhesive attachment of a barrier and perforations for moisture flow, which are resistant to compression and allow unidirectional moisture passage without compromising structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spacer member is placed between the interior and exterior substructures to provide a drainage path, then moisture drainage is improved, but the spacer member collapses when compressed by exterior covering materials or wire mesh attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer member is divided into multiple independent legs (typically three) that are spaced apart and extend from the interior substructure toward the exterior substructure. This segmentation allows each leg to independently support compression loads while maintaining the drainage cavity space, preventing collapse while preserving drainage functionality.
2Strength
If the spacer member is made more rigid to resist compression, then compression resistance is improved, but the drainage ability on both sides of the spacer member is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer member features localized rigid elements (the legs) that provide compression resistance at specific points, while the spaces between the legs remain open to maintain drainage pathways. The legs are strategically positioned to provide structural support without blocking moisture flow on either side of the interior substructure.
3Reliability
If perforations are formed in the spacer member to allow moisture passage, then drainage ability is improved, but masonry material fills the perforations and blocks the drainage path
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage function is extracted from the spacer member body itself and relocated to the cavity space created by the legs. Moisture drains through the open cavity space between the legs rather than through perforations in the spacer material, eliminating the problem of masonry material blocking drainage paths while maintaining effective moisture removal.
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 spacer panel effectively drains moisture from building walls by maintaining open pathways on both sides, resisting compression, and preventing masonry material intrusion, ensuring efficient moisture management and durability.
Implementation Method 1
provide a drainage path for moisture
Implementation Method 2
perforations for moisture flow
Data Source
AI summary
A spacer panel is incorporated into building walls to drain accumulated moisture from the wall structure. The spacer panel is formed with spacer members that project on opposing sides of a central planar web member. Each spacer member is formed independently and has a planar portion extending around the spacer member to provide a location for the insertion of apertures to allow moisture to pass from one side of the panel to the other. Each spacer member includes a planar surface that facilitates an application of adhesive for attachment of a barrier member thereto. The spacer members can be oriented in a herringbone pattern alternating on opposing sides of the central web member. The spacer members can be formed as a circular projection extending on one side of the central web with a truncated conical member projecting to the opposing side of the central web from the circular projection.