French Window Sealing Plug Structure for Faster Airtight Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current casement windows require significant time and precision for installation and maintenance of rigid plugs and sealants, which are necessary for ensuring water and air tightness, increasing manufacturing and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of sealing plugs with a rigid and flexible component that ensure continuous sealing without the need for additional sealants, by providing a watertight connection between the sashes and the frame, using a first rigid piece and a second flexible piece that compress against the perimeter and first seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid plugs and sealants are used to ensure water and air tightness, then sealing reliability is improved, but installation time and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the rigid plug and flexible seal into a single integrated sealing component. The sealing plug includes a rigid body portion that provides structural support and positioning, and a flexible seal portion that ensures water and air tightness. This merging eliminates the need for separate sealant application steps, reducing installation time while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing plug uses composite construction with a rigid body portion (likely plastic or metal) and a flexible seal portion (elastomeric material). This composite approach allows the single component to provide both structural function and sealing function, eliminating the need for additional sealants and reducing installation complexity.
2Reliability
If rigid plugs with sealant are used for sealing, then water and air tightness is ensured, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state and properties of the sealing material by using a pre-formed flexible seal portion integrated with the rigid plug. The flexible portion can deform to accommodate variations in component dimensions and positioning, reducing the precision requirements for manufacturing and assembly while maintaining water and air tightness.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible seal portion acts as a compliant element that can adapt to dimensional variations and positioning tolerances. This flexibility compensates for manufacturing variations without requiring high precision, while still ensuring effective water and air sealing.
3Reliability
If separate sealants are used for sealing connections, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the sealing function into the plug component itself by integrating a flexible seal portion with the rigid body. This eliminates the need for separate sealant materials and application processes, reducing device complexity while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing plug is self-contained with the flexible seal portion already attached to the rigid body. The component serves its own sealing function without requiring external sealants or additional sealing operations, simplifying the overall system.
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
Reduces installation time and eliminates the need for sealants like silicone, ensuring effective water and air tightness by providing a continuous sealing solution that adapts to different thicknesses and positions of the window components.
Implementation Method 1
a second flexible piece: arranged partly between the first piece and the longitudinal end of the jamb and compressed by the first piece on the longitudinal end of the jamb
Implementation Method 2
comprising an elastic material
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a window (100) comprising a frame (10), a semi-fixed sash (30), and a service sash (40), said frame comprising a peripheral seal (60) against which the two sashes bear, said semi-fixed sash comprising a rebate mullion (50): - fixed against one of the mullions, called the free mullion (33), of the semi-fixed sash, - carrying a first sealing gasket (70) against which one of the mullions, called the free mullion (43), of the service sash bears, - comprising, at its ends (51), a sealing plug (90), each sealing plug comprising: - a first rigid piece (91), fixed to one end (51) of the rebate mullion (50), - a second flexible piece (92), arranged partly between the first piece (91) and the longitudinal end (51) of the rebate mullion and compressed by the first piece on the end (51) of the amount of beat.