Window Frame Drainage Piece for Thin Profile Water Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a conflict between the aesthetic desire for thin profiles in sliding windows or doors and the technical need for sufficient internal height to accommodate a water column for effective drainage, as high wind pressures require a minimum water column height to ensure drainage, which is not feasible with low-profile designs.
Innovation Solution
A drainage piece with a horizontal gutter connected to a vertical pipe is integrated into the bottom profile, allowing water to flow from the top wall through drainage holes and outlets, with a valve that opens when internal pressure exceeds external wind pressure, enabling drainage without increasing the profile height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the bottom profile is made thin for aesthetic reasons, then the profile height is reduced, but the water column height becomes insufficient for effective drainage under high wind pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage piece extends outward from the bottom profile in a third dimension (perpendicular to the profile plane), allowing the water collection and drainage path to occur outside the profile's internal volume. This external drainage piece with its gutter and pipe structure provides the necessary water column height without increasing the profile's internal height, thus maintaining aesthetic appearance while ensuring effective drainage function under high wind pressure.
2Shape
If the bottom profile is made thin, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the internal volume for water accumulation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage function is extracted from the bottom profile's internal volume and implemented in a separate external drainage piece. The drainage piece includes a gutter and pipe that extend outward from the profile, providing the necessary water accumulation space and drainage path outside the profile structure. This allows the profile to maintain its thin, aesthetically pleasing form while the external drainage piece provides sufficient volume for water column formation.
3Reliability
If outlets are provided with valves to prevent air infiltration, then air tightness is improved, but water drainage becomes dependent on water pressure exceeding wind pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage piece is designed with its inlet positioned at a higher elevation than its outlet, creating a pre-established water column height difference. This preliminary configuration ensures that when rainwater enters the drainage piece through the inlet, sufficient hydrostatic pressure is immediately available to overcome external wind pressure and open the valve, enabling reliable water drainage without requiring additional pressure buildup mechanisms.
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
This solution allows for effective water drainage even under high wind pressures without increasing the profile height, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and functional drainage capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
the inlet is situated in a higher position than the second outlet, whereby the vertical distance between the inlet and the second outlet determines the water column height that can be present in the drainage piece
Implementation Method 2
The water can only flow out of the outlets in the bottom profile if the water pressure at the location of the valve is higher than the wind pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
Frame (6) for a window or door, whereby the frame (6) is made of profiles (7, 8) that are connected together, whereby these profiles comprise a bottom profile (7) that is on the underside of the frame (6), whereby the bottom profile (7) is provided with one or more drainage holes (10) to allow water to flow away from a top of the bottom profile (7) through the bottom profile (7), whereby the bottom profile (7) is provided with one or more first outlets (14) for the said water, whereby the frame (6) is provided with a drainage piece (15) for water drainage, whereby the drainage piece (15) is provided with an inlet (19) and a second outlet (20) that have an open connection to one another, whereby the inlet (19) is higher than the second outlet (20), whereby the inlet (19) connects to a said first outlet (14).