Tapered-Edge Elastomeric Sheets for Building Joint Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sealing gaps between building structural elements, such as windows and doors, are laborious, require skilled workers, and are unsatisfactory for large gaps or those that change due to environmental conditions. Additionally, existing elastomeric sheets struggle to form effective seals at corners and colinear overlap joints.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing tapered edge elastomeric sheets with a thickness of 0.8 to 2.5 mm, involving cutting the sheets at an angle of 15 degrees or less to create precisely angled tapered edges. These sheets can be easily adapted to have multiple tapered edges and can be cut to arbitrary widths and lengths, facilitating efficient installation and effective sealing at various joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If elastomeric sheets are made thick and robust to resist damage during installation and maintain durability, then mechanical strength and reliability are improved, but difficulty in laying down uniformly at corners and obtaining good seals at overlap points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric sheet is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thicker central region (0.8 to 2.5 mm) for strength and durability, and tapered edges that transition to thinner sections. This local variation in thickness allows the sheet to maintain robust mechanical properties where needed while being easier to install and seal at the edges, particularly at corners and overlap joints.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional cutting methods are used on elastomeric sheets, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but sheet distortion occurs at the cut line due to blade pressure
Solution Approach 1:
A support element is introduced as an intermediary between the cutting blade and the elastomeric sheet during the cutting process. This support element prevents the sheet from distorting under blade pressure while allowing the cut to proceed. The support element can be a sacrificial material that is removed after cutting, or a reusable support structure that maintains sheet flatness and dimensional accuracy during the cutting operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Polygonal elastomeric barrier sheets have tapered edges on at least two adjacent sides. At least one of the tapered edges is made by cutting the elastomeric barrier sheet along a cut line at an angle of at most 15° from the plane of the sheet. The elastomeric barrier sheet is supported during the cutting step to prevent distortion due to pressure of the cutting blade. The elastomeric barrier sheet can be supported from above, below or from both above and below, and can be supported on each side of the cut line. The polygonal barrier sheets so produced are useful in building and construction to seal gaps between structural elements such as expansion or control joints in a building or around functional elements such as a window or door inserted into a wall.