Window Panel Retention Assembly with Hidden Locking Latch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional window or door panel retention systems require visible fasteners and brackets, which can loosen over time, causing rattling and allowing air, water, and debris to leak, and are aesthetically unpleasing and costly to assemble.
Innovation Solution
A retention assembly comprising a surround, a frame, and a locking latch that interlocks the frame with the surround, eliminating the need for fasteners and providing a secure, leak-proof, and visually appealing solution by using a locking latch that remains hidden between the frame and surround segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fasteners and brackets are used to secure the frame to the surround, then the panel is retained in the window or door, but the fasteners and brackets become visible and can loosen over time causing rattling and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the visible fasteners and brackets from the exterior of the window or door by extracting their retention function and relocating it to interior components (nails or screws within the surround, and retention notches within the frame). This eliminates the aesthetic problem of visible fasteners while maintaining secure retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention system is nested within the existing frame and surround structures. The retention notches are formed within the frame members themselves, and the fasteners are concealed within the surround, creating a nested configuration where the retention function is embedded within the structural components rather than being external attachments.
2Reliability
If traditional fasteners are used to attach the frame, then the panel is secured, but assembly requires extra time and expense
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into multiple members (first pair of sides, second pair of sides) with retention notches formed in each. This segmentation allows the frame to be assembled piece by piece into the surround, with each segment independently retained by its corresponding notches and fasteners, streamlining the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention notches are pre-formed within the frame members during manufacturing, and the surround is prepared with concealed fastener locations. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for on-site drilling, cutting, or complex fastening operations, significantly reducing assembly time and expense.
3Ease of operation
If the frame is loosely cradled by slots, then assembly is simple, but the frame rattles and allows leakage
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly securing the entire frame perimeter, the patent applies retention features (notches and corresponding fasteners) at specific critical locations where the frame members join the surround. This localized retention provides sufficient structural stability to prevent rattling and leakage while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A retention assembly is for retaining a panel in a window or a door. The assembly includes a surround, a frame, and a locking latch. The surround includes a first and a second pair of spaced segments which extend to define an opening. The frame includes a pair of first spaced sides and the panel is supported between the sides. The pair of first spaced sides are disposed between the first and second pair of segments. One of the first sides includes a floor and a catch which extends from the floor. The locking latch is movably supported by the surround and defines a retention recess for permitting locking engagement between the locking latch and the catch as the locking latch is moved relative to one of the first segments.