Window Frame Glass Edge Extension for Thermal Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current window and door systems face challenges in balancing thermal insulation, light incidence, and aesthetic appeal, particularly in larger facades, where improved insulation often results in smaller viewing areas and increased material costs, while existing solutions offer poor burglary security and thermal insulation.
Innovation Solution
A window system design where the glass edge extends into the frame, providing insulation from the outside in, with a sash frame and pane configuration that enhances thermal and sound insulation, while making it difficult to forcibly open and allowing for optimal glass insertion, using materials like plastic hollow chamber profiles with metal reinforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the glass edge extends into the frame to improve thermal insulation, then thermal insulation is improved, but the viewing area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The glass edge extends in the depth dimension into the frame rather than reducing the face width, thereby improving thermal insulation through increased glass mass and insulation path length without sacrificing the viewing area on the visible face of the window
Solution Approach 2:
The glass pane is nested deeper into the frame structure, with the glass edge extending into the frame's depth to create overlapping insulation layers between glass and frame, improving thermal performance without affecting external dimensions
2Loss of energy
If stronger insulated profiles are used to improve thermal insulation, then thermal insulation is improved, but the aesthetic impression is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
Thermal insulation is enhanced by increasing the depth of the profile and extending glass into the frame rather than increasing face width, allowing better insulation performance while maintaining slender, aesthetically pleasing external dimensions
Solution Approach 2:
The profile structure is optimized with different characteristics in different dimensions: slender face width for aesthetics, increased depth for insulation, and strategic glass extension in the fitting groove area for targeted thermal improvement
3Loss of energy
If the number of chambers in plastic profiles is increased to improve insulation, then thermal insulation is improved, but material costs and system costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing insulation throughout the entire profile structure, the glass edge is extended specifically into the fitting groove area where thermal bridging occurs, providing targeted insulation improvement with minimal additional material
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration of existing profile chambers is optimized and glass extension is applied selectively in critical areas rather than increasing the number of chambers throughout, achieving better insulation performance with reduced material consumption
4Reliability
If the glass edge extends into the frame to improve burglary security, then burglary security is improved, but the fitting groove area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The glass edge extends in the depth dimension into the fitting groove area, creating a longer path for forced entry attempts and improving burglary security, while the fitting groove is repositioned to accommodate this extension without significantly reducing functional area
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 achieves improved thermal and sound insulation, increased glass area for better light incidence, reduced material usage, and enhanced burglary security, while maintaining aesthetic appeal and allowing for the use of commercially available fittings.
Implementation Method 1
the insulation in the frame area of the window is achieved from the outside to the inside, first through the pane and then through the frame of the sash
Implementation Method 2
the increased glass inset provides better sound insulation as the increased amount of glass adds more mass to the window system
Data Source
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AI summary
A building element, in particular a window or a door, with a sash frame and a pane, in particular a glass surface, in which the pane has an inside and an outside and a plane perpendicular to these sides intersects a fitting groove area.