Thermal Brick Support Bracket With Thermal Break Gaps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brick support systems create thermal bridges between the building substrate and the environment, leading to heat and cooling losses, and lack sufficient space for insulation, vapor barriers, and air gaps.
Innovation Solution
A mounting bracket with a mounting plate and spaced-apart legs, featuring hooks and gaps to minimize thermal contact with the substrate, allowing for insulation, vapor barriers, and air gaps while supporting bricks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If brackets rest on the substrate to support shelves and brick, then structural support is achieved, but thermal bridges are formed between the environment and substrate causing heat and cooling losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the direct contact between the supporting bracket and the substrate by extracting the thermal bridge path. The bracket is designed to be mounted away from the substrate surface, eliminating the continuous thermal conduction path that would otherwise exist between the environment and the substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mounting system consisting of the bracket with extension portion and depending portion that creates a thermal break. This intermediary structure allows support functionality while preventing direct thermal contact between the substrate and the supporting elements.
2Ease of manufacture
If brackets are mounted close to the substrate to provide support, then installation simplicity is maintained, but insufficient space is created for insulation, vapor barriers and air gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional mounting approach (bracket flat against substrate) to a three-dimensional configuration with the extension portion projecting from the substrate and the depending portion hanging below. This dimensional change creates the necessary volume for insulation and vapor barriers while maintaining straightforward installation through the bracket's integrated design.
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal brick support system includes a mounting bracket and a shelf. The mounting bracket has a mounting plate and a pair of spaced apart legs extending from the mounting bracket. The legs extend perpendicular from the mounting plate and each have an extension portion extending from the mounting plate and a depending portion depending from the extension portion. The extension portion spaces the depending portion from a plane defined by the mounting plate to define a gap. The legs each have a hook formed therein on a front edge. The shelf has an upstanding leg and a transverse leg. The upstanding leg has through wall slots formed therein to cooperate with the mounting bracket hooks. When the shelf is positioned on the mounting bracket, the hooks engage the slots to support the shelf from the mounting bracket. A mounting bracket for a thermal brick support system is also disclosed.