Sliding Window Seal Compression via Locking Member Transverse Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing window and French window designs with sliding openings face challenges in achieving effective sealing, especially when wind is present, and often require complex, bulky, and expensive hardware that restricts the order in which the openings can be manipulated.
Innovation Solution
A window design with first and second sliding openings that utilize transverse movement to compress the joint between uprights, allowing for improved sealing through the use of simple, compact, and inexpensive hardware, where the first and second locking members are moved between positions to compress and decompress the joint, enabling manipulation of the openings in any order without risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is slightly compressed between the first and second uprights in conventional designs, then the seal provides basic closure, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates under windy conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are designed to preliminarily compress the seal between the uprights before the openings are fully closed, ensuring the seal is already engaged and compressed, preventing wind from compromising the sealing effectiveness
2Reliability
If transverse displacement of the first sash is used to improve seal compression, then better sealing is achieved, but the second sash must be fixed which restricts usability
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing and locking function is segmented from the sash movement mechanism. Each opening has its own locking member that independently compresses the seal through transverse movement of the locking member itself, not the entire sash, allowing both sashes to remain movable while achieving proper seal compression
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members act as intermediary elements between the sashes and the seal. Instead of moving the entire sash transversely, only the locking members move transversely to compress the seal, mediating the sealing function while preserving sash mobility
3Reliability
If complex transverse movement mechanisms are used to improve seal compression, then better sealing is achieved, but the hardware becomes bulky and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The locking and sealing compression functions are merged into a single mechanism. The locking members perform both the locking function and the seal compression function through their transverse movement, eliminating the need for separate sealing mechanisms and reducing overall hardware complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are designed to automatically compress the seal through their own transverse movement when engaged, without requiring additional actuators or complex mechanisms. The spring-loaded design allows the locking members to self-compress the seal as they move into the locked position
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 enhanced sealing at the central upright, allowing for flexible operation of the windows without risk of deterioration, using relatively simple mechanical movements and existing components like cremone bolts, resulting in a cost-effective and compact hardware solution.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second locking members are then supported in the transverse direction by means of their respective first and second support surfaces which thus hold the first and second uprights of the openings at a first close distance from each other in the transverse direction, compressing the seal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Window or French window (1) with first (2) and second (3) sashes arranged to slide along a sliding direction (II). First (14) and second (15) locking members are adapted to bear against each other along respective first and second bearing surfaces shaped so as to bring the first (2) and second (3) sashes together along the transverse direction (VV) to compress at least one seal (12, 13) between them.