Threshold Gasket Assembly Water Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current sill pan designs and materials are expensive, require skilled labor for installation, and often fail to effectively collect and direct water due to issues like damage during storage and installation, and the likelihood of holes or wrinkles in flexible membranes.
Innovation Solution
A threshold gasket assembly with flexible fins forming channels, providing a low-cost, easy-to-install solution that collects and directs water effectively, regardless of the shape or contour of the sill assembly's lower region, using a durable and waterproof material like fluorosilicone rubber, and minimizing the number of components and tools needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional pan flashings are constructed on site from flexible membranes, then installation is possible, but the membranes are prone to holes, tears, and wrinkles that retain water
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane is segmented into multiple rigid panels that are joined together to form the pan flashing. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain rigidity and prevent wrinkles while still being installed on-site, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction combining rigid panels with flexible sealing elements. The rigid panels provide structural integrity and prevent wrinkles, while flexible seals maintain water tightness, achieving both ease of installation and reliable water barrier function.
2Reliability
If rigid sheet metal or plastic pan flashings are used, then water barrier durability is improved, but skilled labor is required for proper installation and fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The pan flashing incorporates adjustable and adaptable features that allow installation on various opening sizes and shapes without requiring precise pre-fabrication. This dynamic adaptability reduces the skill level needed for proper installation while maintaining durable rigid construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid panel system is designed with universal mounting capabilities that work across different opening configurations. This multi-functionality allows standard installation procedures to be used regardless of specific opening dimensions, reducing the need for skilled custom fitting.
3Manufacturing precision
If pre-formed pan flashings are manufactured in various widths and lengths, then fit to opening is improved, but damage occurs during storage and installation
Solution Approach 1:
The pan flashing is divided into multiple smaller rigid panels that can be transported and stored without damage. These segments are then assembled on-site to create the full-size flashing that precisely fits the opening, maintaining both product integrity during handling and fitting accuracy in installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid panels are pre-manufactured with precise dimensions and mounting features, but the final assembly is deferred until installation time. This allows precise manufacturing without the risk of damage during extended storage, as the complete assembly is put together just before installation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a threshold gasket assembly to be used in conjunction with end and/or back dams to form a sill pan. The threshold gasket assembly is fixed to a lower region of a rough opening in a wall and comprises a base with a plurality of fins projecting away from base to form a corresponding plurality of channels with a length generally the same as a base. Base has a generally “L” shaped cross section. At least two fins are sufficiently spaced from another to prevent contact with each other thereby simultaneously ensuring that moisture is dammed by at least one fin and directed by at least a portion of an adjacent channel.