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Student Designer
University Product Description and Principal Function(s) The inflatable window is a secondary glazing system that is suitable for the rental market. It uses an inflatable rubber tube to seal into the window reveal. The rubber tubing provides a 100% air tight seal without damaging the building in any way. The inflatable window gives a 60-70mm air gap providing the window with good levels of thermal and acoustic insulation. The thermal testing has proven the inflatable window gives up to a 68% improvement on the cooling load of a home.Why does the product represent design excellence and why do you believe it deserves an Australian Design Award? The project addresses a key issue not only Australia wide, but world wide, energy efficiency and sustainability. There are many systems available to provide better insulation for the windows; however the gap in the rental market was the driving force for the innovation of the project. The rental market has no option to modify the building and it is not in the interest of the land lord to outlay money without a return on investment. The innovation for this project is to use a rubber tube to seal a secondary glazing system into the building. Not only does the tube not damage the building, but allows the system to have a variation in size of up to 100mm. This 100mm increase in size allows for variation in window style, size, company and also buildings that have shifted or moved over time, creating a semi universal design.The system was also designed to give the user/renter an option to improve the aesthetics of the building. In many cases, rental properties can have old and out dated windows and architrave. The inflatable window has a larger profile to cover the existing window and architrave. The system can be manufactured in a range of profiles to give the user an option to have a colonial style, modern style, designer style etc, not only improving the look of the building but also giving the renter a sense of ownership. The functionality of the system comes from the magnetically attached secondary glazing. The system/profile is secured in place through the inflatable rubber tube with the glazing/polycarbonate sheet attached through magnetic tape. The glazing can then easily be removed while the profile stays in place. The user can still operate the window as per normal for operability and cleaning ability. The system is to be extruded out of uPVC and can then be painted by the user to give a sense of ownership, or can be left natural. The clear gloss polycarbonate sheet gives the same look and feel as glass but has the added safety and resistance to breakage of plastic. Usability testing showed that the product is very easy to install and use. According to the anthropometric data from the project thesis, it was found that the weight (approx 4.8Kg) of the system is well within the 15Kg static lift limit of even the 5th percentile female. The entire purpose of the system is to provide better insulation for the windows. 87% of heat loss and 48% of heat gain is through the 8% of windows in the building (Australian Building Codes Board). The system is scientifically proven to have up to 50% improvement on insulation resulting in a 68% improvement on the energy use for heating and cooling (Window Energy Rating Scheme). The system is a complete system that the user can buy/rent to provide a solution to reducing energy use in the rental property. After discussion with the Window Industry and Australian Government bodies through the Australian Window Association, there is a huge demand for a retrofit solution for windows. |
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