Vacuum-Formed Sill Pan for Window Waterproofing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building flashing technologies face challenges in effectively sealing around window and door openings to prevent water ingress, particularly in new constructions with complex building envelopes and protrusions.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting, vacuum-formed sill pan and foldable window flashing made from flexible materials, featuring protrusions and connecting webs, which conform to building openings and apply loads to direct moisture, ensuring a waterproof seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rigid flashing components are used to seal around window and door openings, then structural strength and stability are improved, but adaptability to various building geometries and conformability to building envelopes deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flashings made from flexible materials that can conform to various building envelope geometries while maintaining sealing effectiveness. The flexible nature allows adaptation to different window and door configurations without requiring rigid structural components, thus resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes materials and designs that can change their physical parameters (such as flexibility, conformability) to adapt to different installation scenarios. This allows the flashing to maintain structural integrity while adapting to various building geometries, addressing both strength and adaptability requirements.
2Ease of operation
If foldable materials are used for flashings to improve adaptability and conformability, then ease of installation and adaptability are improved, but structural strength and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The flashings are pre-formed with specific geometries and folding patterns that facilitate easy installation while maintaining structural strength. The preliminary shaping allows the material to be easily manipulated during installation yet provides sufficient strength when properly installed, resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and structural strength.
3Manufacturing precision
If vacuum-formed unitary bodies are used to integrate multiple components, then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple flashing components (such as the flashing body, sealing elements, and structural supports) into a single vacuum-formed unitary body. This merging of components achieves high manufacturing precision and reliability while the vacuum-forming process itself manages the complexity by creating the integrated structure in one manufacturing step, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
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 solution provides a reliable, flexible, and adaptable waterproofing system that effectively seals around window and door openings, accommodating various building geometries and loads, thereby preventing water penetration.
Implementation Method 1
the bottom plate is self-supporting in a no-load condition and conformable under a load applied during installation in the building opening
Implementation Method 2
the one or more protrusions may comprise crushable protrusions that at least partially undergo plastic deformation under the load applied during installation
Implementation Method 3
The bottom plate, the end wall, the front skirt and the rear skirt are vacuum-formed as a unitary body
Data Source
AI summary
A sill pan for a building opening has a bottom plate with a first end, a second end, a front edge and a rear edge. An end wall is located at the first end of the bottom plate and extends substantially away from the first end in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate. The end wall has a front edge and a rear edge that are coplanar to the front and rear edges of the bottom plate, respectively. A front skirt and a rear skirt are connected to the front and rear edges, respectively, of the bottom plate and the end wall. The bottom plate, end wall, front skirt, and rear skirt are vacuum formed as a unitary body from a foldable material. The bottom plate is self-supporting in a no-load condition and conformable to a load applied during installation in the building opening.