GB2055942A

GB2055942A - Double glazing

Info

Publication number: GB2055942A
Application number: GB8017567A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: CAMFINE Ltd; Richards E B
Current assignee: CAMFINE Ltd; Richards E B
Priority date: 1979-05-29
Filing date: 1980-05-29
Publication date: 1981-03-11
Also published as: GB2055942B

Abstract

A double glazing assembly comprising a frame 10, a primary glazing panel 11 secured to the frame and a secondary glazing panel 13 secured around its periphery, the secondary panel being contoured to provide a space between the panels. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to glazing This invention relates to double glazing and particularly, but not exclusively, to double glazing of skylights.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved double glazing system which is particularly suitable for skylights.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a double glazing assembly comprising a frame, a primary glazing panel secured to the frame and a secondary glazing panel secured in the assembly around the periphery of the secondary panel and the secondary panel being contoured to provide a space between the primary panel and the remainder of the secondary panel.

According to another aspect of the invention we provide a secondary glazing panel secured around its periphery to a primary glazing panel and the secondary panel being contoured to provide a space between the primary panel and the remainder of the secondary panel.

The secondary panel may comprise a main part and a flange part extending around the periphery of the main part and providing a spacing portion to space the main part away from the primary panel.

The free edge of the flange part may be provided with a lip by which the secondary panel is secured in position.

The secondary panel may be secured in airtight or substantially air-tight relationship with the primary sheet.

According to another aspect of the invention, we provide a secondary glazing panel for use in an assembly according to the first aspect of the invention and comprising a main part and a flange part extending around the periphery of the main part and providing a spacing portion to space the main part away from a surface in which the free edge of the flange part lies and said free edge being provided with a securing lip.

The main part may be planar and the flange part may extend therefrom at an acute angle, there being a line of sharp discontinuity in the slope of the parts between the main and flange parts.

Alternatively, the main part may be of generally domed shape and the flange part may extend therefrom as a continuation of the domed contour without any sharp line of discontinuity in the slope of the parts between the main and flange parts.

The secondary panel may be formed as a one piece member in a suitable synthetic plastics material such as a thermoplastics material.

The securing lip may extend continuously around the free edge of the flange part and extend on the opposite side of the flange part from which it extends, to the main part.

The lip portion may be secured adhesively to the primary panel.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:~ FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view through a double glazing assembly embodying the invention; and FIGURE 2 is a similar view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a double glazing assembly embodying the invention comprises a frame 10 of a suitable material such as metal comprising, in the present example, a rectangular frame of T cross-section.

A primary glazing panel of glass, and preferably of translucent metal-reinforced, glass, indicated generally at 1 1, is secured in the frame in conventional manner by means of putty 12.

A secondary glazing panel 13 is secured to the internal surface of the primary panel. The panel 13 comprises a generally planar shaped part 14 having a peripheral flange part 15, the free edge 16 of which is provided with a continuous outwardly directed lip 17 which is secured to the glass 1 1 by means of a suitable adhesive 18 which serves to secure and seal in air-tight manner the secondary panel 13 to the glass 11.

The secondary panel 13 is made of any suitable transparent or translucent material which is of ultra-violet stabilised PVC of, for example, 2 millimetres thickness. It is preferably made as a one-piece member by a suitable moulding, vacuum-forming, blow forming or pressing technique. If desired the secondary panel may be of greater or less thickness than that mentioned above, for example a thickness in the range 1.3 millimetres to 3 millimetres.

The adhesive 18 may be any suitable adhesive which is compatible with glass and the material of the panel 13 but is preferably a reactive two part polysulphide adhesive.

To facilitate assembly a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive pads are interposed between the primary panel and the lip of the secondary panel in order to hold the panels together until the adhesive cures and in addition ensures that the lip is spaced a small distance, e.g. 2 millimetres, from the glass to permit of movement due to thermal expansion.

If after securing of the panel 13 to the glass 1 1 by the adhesive 1 8 it is found as a result of visual inspection that an air tight seal has not been formed, any suitable seal may be provided where necessary to complete the seal.

By providing an air tight seal the air trapped in the space between the two panels serves to support the secondary panel against externally applied loads thereby preventing the secondary panel from damaging distortion or breakage. It is to be understood that the extent of air tightnesses required is such as to provide the above effect in practice and that strict air tightness is not essential so long as the rate of air leakage is very slow so that the air in the space will serve to support the panel in use.

If desired, the secondary panel 13 may be secured to the portion of the frame indicated at 19 instead of to the glass 11. Further, if desired, the secondary panel may be secured so as to be disposed externally of the primary panel and the secondary panel may be of any desired space providing contour, for example the secondary panel may be corrugated and/or of generally dome shape.

An example of one such alternative is illustrated in Figure 2 which also shows a different form of glazing of the primary panel.

In Figure 2, a double glazing assembly comprises a rectangular frame provided by glazing bars 20 of T-cross-section. A primary glazing panel of glass, preferably of translucent metal reinforced glass, indicated generally at 21 is supported on the glazing bars and sealed thereto by a suitable sealant 22 and by means of a flashing strip 23 of channel configuration adapted to resiliently engage the stem of the T of the glazing bar and having out-turned flanges 24 which engage the other side of the glass panels 21 than are engaged by the head 25 of the glazing bar. The strips 23 may be made of any suitable material such as aluminium or lead.

A secondary glazing panel 26 is secured to the external surface of the primary panel 21. The panel 26 is of generally domed configuration having a main part 27 and a peripheral flange part 28 which merges smoothly with the contour of the main part 27 and at the free end of the flange part 28 is an out-turned lip 29 which engages the surface of the primary panel 21 and is secured thereto by means of a suitable adhesive 18a as described in connection with the first embodiment.

A flash band 30 such as aluminium foil with a bitumastic backing is secured to the outwardly facing surface of the lip 29, to the surface of the panel 21, and to the out-turned flanges 24 of the flashing 23 so as to provide a seal therebetween.

It is important that the flash band engages the panel to prevent vapour reaching the adhesive 1 8 and thus provide an additional security that vapour does not enter the space between the panels.

The provision of the flash band provides additional security for the airtight seal between the primary and secondary panels described in connection with the first embodiment.

The height of the flange parts 15 and 28 is such as to give an adequate air gap between the main parts 14, 27 and the respective primary panels 11,21 to afford adequate rigidity and typically the distance between the highest portion of the main parts 14 and 26 and the associated primary panels 11 and 21 lies in the range 25 to 60 millimetres, whilst the distance between the free edge of the lips is typically 560 millimetre and the width of a lip is typically 30 millimetres.

It will be appreciated that the double glazing assembly of the present invention can be provided without disturbing the glazing of the primary panels and thus existing glazed panels can be double glazed in accordance with the present invention.

Of course, if desired, the primary and secondary panels could be secured together prior to insertion into the frame.

If desired, the flash band described in connection with the second embodiment could be provided in the first embodiment, and in either case could extend over the frame to an adjacent primary panel.

The contour of the secondary panels may be as desired and may, if required, be asymmetrical, for example, higher one side than the other so as to facilitate dispersion of rain or snow on a roof when the panel to be glazed is a roof light. Further, if desired, the secondary panels may be made of any desired material including reinforced material and the material may be treated for solar heat control.

The invention is particularly suitable for a skylight since the transparency required of a skylight is not great and it is not normally looked through but is present only to admit light to a building. Thus the optical transparency of the secondary sheet 13, 26 does not have to be high and so it can be made of materials of pure optical properties. Of course, if desired, the invention can be applied to any glazed assembly including conventional house, or other building, windows.

Claims

1. A double glazing assembly comprising a frame, a primary glazing panel secured to the frame and a secondary glazing panel secured in the assembly around the periphery of the secondary panel and the secondary panel being contoured to provide a space between the primary panel and the remainder of the secondary panel.

2. A secondary glazing panel secured around its periphery to a primary glazing panel and the secondary panel being contoured to provide a space between the primary panel and the remainder of the secondary panel.

3. The invention claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the secondary panel comprises a main part and a flange part extending around the periphery of the main part and providing a spacing portion to space the main part away from the primary panel.

4. The invention claimed in Claim 3 wherein the free edge of the flange part is provided with a lip by which the secondary panel is secured in position.

5. The invention claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary panel is secured in air-tight or substantially air-tight relationship with the primary sheet.

6. A secondary glazing panel for use in an assembly according to the first aspect of the invention and comprising a main part and a flange part extending around the periphery of the main part and providing a spacing portion to space the main part away from a surface in which the free edge of the flange part lies and said free edge being provided with a securing lip.

7. The invention claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the main part is planar and the flange part extends therefrom at an acute angle, there being a line of sharp discontinuity in the slope of the parts between the main and flange parts.

8. The invention claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the main part is of generally domed shape and the flange part extends therefrom as a continuation of the domed contour without any sharp line of discontinuity in the slope of the parts between the main and flange parts.

9. The invention claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary panel is formed as a one piece member in a suitable synthetic plastics material.

10. The invention claimed in Claim 4, Claim 6 or any one of Claims 5, 7 and 8 when dependent on Claim 4 wherein the securing lip extends continuously around the free edge of the flange part and extend on the opposite side of the flange part from which it extends, to the main part.

11. A double glazing assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A secondary glazing panel secured to a primary glazing panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A secondary glazing panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.