Toggle Shim Securing for Fenestration Frame Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fenestration system frame members tend to twist or bend due to the weight of movable sashes, leading to separation from the underlying substrate during movement between closed and open positions.
Innovation Solution
The use of toggle shims that are secured to the substrate and include engagement members to transition between disengaged and engaged positions, preventing the frame members from separating from the substrate by engaging with the frame member projections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the frame member is left unsecured to allow easy installation, then the ease of manufacture and installation is improved, but the frame member bends, twists, or separates from the substrate under the weight of the movable sash
Solution Approach 1:
A toggle shim is introduced as an intermediary component between the frame member and the substrate. The toggle shim includes engagement members that interface with the frame member and a body that interfaces with the substrate, mediating the connection and preventing direct contact between the frame member and substrate while maintaining structural stability
Solution Approach 2:
The toggle shim is designed to be rotatable about an axis, transitioning between a first position where the engagement members are disengaged from the frame member (allowing easy installation) and a second position where the engagement members are engaged with the frame member (providing structural stability). This dynamic mechanism resolves the contradiction between ease of installation and structural stability
2Reliability
If the toggle shim is secured to the substrate to prevent frame member separation, then the structural integrity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional securing mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The toggle shim serves as a intermediary component that provides the necessary structural integrity while maintaining relative simplicity. By distributing the connection functions across engagement members (interface with frame member) and a body (interface with substrate), the complexity is managed through functional segmentation
Solution Approach 2:
The toggle shim is segmented into distinct functional components: engagement members for interfacing with the frame member and a body for interfacing with the substrate. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity
3Stability of the object's composition
If the engagement members are always engaged with the frame member to prevent bending and twisting, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of operation during installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The toggle mechanism is designed to be rotatable about an axis, allowing it to transition between a first position where the engagement members are disengaged from the frame member (enabling easy installation) and a second position where the engagement members are engaged with the frame member (providing structural stability). This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and structural stability
Data Source
AI summary
A fenestration system includes a frame member positionable within an opening defined in a building and adjacent a substrate of the building, the frame member including a plurality of bottom projections extending from the frame member and a foot extending laterally from at least one of the plurality of bottom projections, and a toggle shim arranged within a clearance defined between the frame member and the substrate, the toggle shim being securable to the substrate and including a securing device providing one or more engagement members engageable with the frame member. The toggle shim is transitionable between a disengaged position, where the one or more engagement members are disengaged from the foot, and an engaged position, where the one or more engagement members are engaged with the foot and thereby prevent the frame member from separating from the substrate.