AT17950U1 - Wrapped skylight, vent louver mount and using a vent louver mount - Google Patents

Abstract

A packaged skylight, the skylight comprising a vent passage and a vent flap, the vent passage extending from an inside of the skylight to an outside of the skylight, the vent flap being provided on the inside of the skylight and between a first position in which the vent passage is open , and a second position in which it covers the ventilation passage. The skylight is contained in a cardboard box, and blocks of shock-absorbing materials are placed inside the cardboard box to protect the skylight. A louver mount made of paper-based material is provided on or at the louver to prevent its unintended movement. Also disclosed is a vent mount and the use of a vent mount.

Description

Description

PACKAGED ROOF WINDOW, VENTILATOR BRACKET AND USE OF A VENTILATOR BRACKET

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to a packaged roof window comprising a ventilation passage and a ventilation flap, the ventilation passage extending from an inner side of the roof window to an outer side of the roof window, the ventilation flap being provided on the inner side of the roof window and between a first position in which the ventilation passage is open and a second position in which the ventilation passage is covered, the roof window being contained in a cardboard box and blocks of shock-absorbing materials being arranged inside the cardboard box to protect the roof window.

STATE OF THE ART

When installing windows in a roof, it must be ensured that both the skylight itself and the connection between the skylight and the roof structure are sufficiently weatherproof. This is ensured through the use of covers and flashings that cover the skylight or joint. Covering and flashing elements are usually made of sheet metal, which combines the advantages of low weight and high weather resistance, but is susceptible to damage from deformation and scratches. Flashing elements are typically provided in separate packaging, but at least some of the covering elements are typically pre-attached to the skylight. To protect these and other sensitive components, such as the skylight pane, blocks of expanded polystyrene or similar shock-absorbing material are placed inside the cardboard box. These blocks can prevent deformation of the paperboard box, thereby preventing excessive stresses from being placed on the skylight, and/or holding components of the skylight in their intended positions within the box. An example of a packaged roof window using these principles is known from EP2748071B1. Although this packaging has proven its worth, the demand for more environmentally friendly products is constantly increasing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, it is an object of the invention to provide a packaged roof window that has a smaller ecological footprint while still ensuring good protection of the roof window during transport.

These and other objects are achieved by a packaged skylight product of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph, which is further characterized in that a louver support made of a paper-based material is provided on or at the louver to prevent its unintentional movement.

Vent flap brackets have traditionally been made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is inexpensive, lightweight, and soft enough not to cause abrasion damage to other rooflight components during handling and shipping in the packaged condition. However, the use of EPS requires that the packaging material has to be separated into different fractions for recycling. The paper-based vent mount, on the other hand, belongs to the same faction as the cardboard box, which significantly increases the likelihood that the packaging material will be recycled rather than simply discarded as combustible waste, and reduces the risk of the recycled material being contaminated by other materials.

Some paper-based materials may have poorer properties than EPS in terms of abrasion, but this can be offset by the fact that between the

A paper-based material is interleaved between the vent flap bracket and potentially sensitive components of the skylight, such as the pane or a painted surface of the sash. Likewise, smearing should be avoided by either checking the material chosen for the vent flap mount or by using an interleaf.

Another potential benefit of using a vent mount made from a paper-based material is that it is biodegradable. When installing a skylight product on a building roof, lightweight packaging materials such as plastic wrap, film and EPS are quickly caught by the wind and can easily end up in nature or other places where the installer cannot collect them. Whilst it is of course not intended to leave any packaging material behind, a paper-based vent mount will do little harm as it is essentially biodegradable.

A louver is typically part of a skylight, which also includes a sash that supports a pane, a frame, a series of hinges that allow the sash to pivot or pivot with respect to the frame, and a latch assembly for latching of the sash with respect to the frame, wherein the locking arrangement is operable by moving the louver, with the sash being locked in first and second positions with respect to the frame and with the sash in a third position with respect to the louver the frame is movable. Such a window is usually stored in the middle, and the ventilation flap is located on an upper sash element, which should be located at the top of the window when installed.

The ventilation flap can be connected to a wing or frame of the skylight by means of one or more hinges.

The ventilation flap can be an elongate element which extends along an element of the sash or frame parallel to this and can extend substantially over the entire width or length of the skylight, with this width or length substantially parallel to the Pane of the skylight extends.

A handle may be provided on the vent to facilitate operation. Where the louver is an elongate member, the handle may be in the form of a rail or rod running parallel thereto and of substantially the same length as the louver.

In one embodiment, a ventilation flap holder is arranged between the ventilation flap and a wing or frame of the skylight. Skylights are often shipped with the disengaged vent flap pivoted away from the skylight frame and/or sash toward the pane to reduce space requirements and thus allow a smaller cardboard box to be used. A louver bracket, located between the louver and a sash or frame of the roof window, holds the louver in that position and prevents it from moving toward the sash or frame during handling and transport of the packaged roof window.

In one embodiment, a ventilation flap holder is arranged between the ventilation flap and a pane of the skylight. Such a louver support prevents a louver that is provided in a disengaged condition from moving further than intended towards the pane, thereby preventing it from hitting the pane, for example, and during handling and transport of the packaged skylight may cause damage.

A vent flap mount may extend from the pane to the cardboard box.

In one embodiment, the vent panel mount is positioned between the vent panel and the cardboard box. This also helps to ensure that the ventilation flap remains in the intended position during handling and transport of the packed skylight.

In one embodiment, the skylight includes a handle on the vent and the vent bracket is attached to the handle. This arrangement of the louver mount is particularly advantageous in embodiments where the louver mount is intended to be located between the louver and the pane and/or between the louver and the cardboard box.

For example, the vent flap support may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of molded pulp, folded cardboard, folded corrugated cardboard, multi-ply corrugated cardboard, cardboard profile and honeycomb material, the honeycomb material preferably having a cell size of 22 mm and made of paper with a weight of 140 g/m2 and a height of 20 - 40 mm.

Existing formed pulp, folded paperboard or folded corrugated paperboard is considered advantageous because the strength requirements for the vent mount are limited.

Shaped pulp can be formed into virtually any desired shape, but has limited strength. It is therefore advantageous for applications where the louver support must have a complex three-dimensional shape, but molded pulp articles are generally characterized by large dimensional tolerances. Folded cardboard and folded corrugated cardboard, on the other hand, can be formed into less complex shapes, but have higher strength and tighter tolerances. In addition, folded paperboard and folded corrugated paperboard can be reformed into a different configuration by folding, unfolding, and optionally refolding.

In one embodiment, the vent mount is a folded cardboard or folded corrugated cardboard box that contains components for use in installing or operating the skylight. Examples of such components are sensitive components such as electronic components, e.g. wires, photovoltaic elements, sensors, batteries or remote controls; components that could damage other components, such as mounting brackets for connecting a skylight to a roof structure and screws, nails, clips or similar fasteners; and components that are advantageously maintained in a folded and/or compressed condition, such as wires, cables, weatherstrips, insulating components, underroof seals, and vapor barriers.

It is presently considered particularly advantageous to provide components to be used on the inside of the skylight in a carton used as a vent support; these include, for example, a remote control to operate the window when installed and a vapor barrier used to seal the joint between the skylight and the roof structure, wall or waterproofing on the inside of the building.

Additionally or alternatively, items may be attached to a vent mount, for example with an adhesive, adhesive, paper tape or strip. Small items, such as fasteners, may be located in a paper bag attached to the vent panel bracket. Screws can even be attached to an air vent mount by simply threading them into it.

The attachment of the louver bracket may be accomplished by providing it with a physical structure that allows it to be engaged with the handle, e.g. B. with one or more hook-shaped projections. These can be formed, for example, by cutting and/or folding the material of the ventilation flap holder. A shock absorbing material may be provided on the vent panel mount. Such a shock absorbing material is preferably also made of a paper-based material.

In one embodiment, the vent mount is configured to serve a secondary purpose after removal from the vent or handle. An example of such a second purpose is that the vent mount is configured to

to be attached to a corner of a sash of the skylight after removal from the ventilation flap. Often the sash of a roof window is removed prior to fitting the window frame into an opening in a roof structure and then the sash has to be laid down, for example on a floor. There is a risk that the sash will be scratched or soiled, especially at the corners. Since when the window is in use, essentially the entire sash can be visible, the ability to protect it without increasing material consumption is clearly advantageous. The louver bracket is preferably attached to a corner of the sash before the sash is detached from the window frame.

The attachment of the louver bracket to the corner of the wing can be done, for example, by inserting the corner of the wing or a projection thereon into a recess in the louver bracket, or vice versa.

When the louver mount is made of folded cardboard or folded corrugated cardboard, it can be folded into two different configurations, one suitable for holding the louver and one for protecting the wing corner. To this end, the vent flap support may have matching flaps and recesses that allow it to be held in one or more folded states by folding the flaps into the recesses.

When the vent bracket is made from molded pulp, it can be reshaped by compressing it or providing it with one or more zones of weakness that allow a portion of the vent bracket to be broken.

Information about the intended use of the vent mount, the installation of the window, or items contained in or attached to the vent mount may be printed on the vent mount. Alternatively, a sticker with this information can be attached to the ventilation flap bracket.

It will be appreciated that while paper and paperboard are commonly made from wood fibers, other fibers such as fibers from straw, bamboo, bagasse, esparto, other grasses, hemp, flax, and cotton, including combinations of different fiber types, can also be used. In Europe, up to 5% of alternative materials such as glue or adhesive used in the manufacture of corrugated board or honeycomb is permitted, but the recommended maximum is 3%.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following description, embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the schematic drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a skylight with blocks of shock absorbing packaging material placed therearound and vent flap brackets attached to a handle;

Figure 2 shows another embodiment placed in a cardboard box, in cross-section along line A-A of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment, corresponding to the part marked B in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a cardboard vent retainer in an unfolded condition;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the vent flap bracket of Figure 4 in a folded condition;

Figures 6a - 6c are a series of perspective views showing the simultaneous folding and securing of the vent bracket of Figures 4 - 5 to the handle of the skylight of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the vent panel retainer of Figures 4-6 in a different folded condition;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the folded louver bracket of Figure 7 attached to a corner of a window sash;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a vent flap bracket made from folded corrugated cardboard;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a louver bracket made of a honeycomb material;

Figure 11 is a front view of another louver bracket in an unfolded state;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the vent flap bracket of Figure 11 in a folded condition;

Figures 13a - 13b are perspective views showing attachment of the vent panel bracket of Figures 11 - 12;

Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the air vent bracket of Figures 11-12 in an attached condition;

Figure 15 is a front view of another louver bracket in an unfolded state; FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of the ventilation flap bracket from FIG. 15 in a fastened state; FIG.

Figure 17 is a perspective view of the vent bracket of Figure 15 attached to another skylight;

Figures 18a - 18d show various stages of assembly and fastening of a cardboard serving as a vent flap support and

Figure 19 is a perspective view of another carton suitable to serve as a vent bracket attached to a handle of a skylight.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In Fig. 1, a centrally mounted roof window 1 is first shown, which includes a frame 11 and a wing 12, which carries a pane 13. The skylight can be opened and closed by operating a handle bar 14 connected to a vent 15 which in turn is connected to a latch assembly (not visible in Figure 1) configured to latch the sash to the frame and placed in an intermediate ventilation position. However, in the condition shown in Figure 1, the handle bar and vent flap are shown disengaged from the latch assembly to allow the roof window to take up less space during storage and transportation. In order to prevent the disengaged handle bar and vent from moving excessively during handling and transport, the handle bar 14 has vent latch brackets 21, 22 attached thereto.

Around a frame 11 of the skylight and on top of the pane 13 is a series of blocks 41-45 of shock absorbing material. The blocks of shock absorbing material are intended to protect the skylight when it is placed in a cardboard box prior to delivery to a customer and will not be further described here.

In the following, the same reference symbols are used for elements that essentially have the same function, even if they are not identical.

In Fig. 2, which corresponds to a cross-section along the line A-A of Fig. 1, the roof window 1 is now placed in a cardboard box 3, but without the louver bracket 21. As can be seen, the louver bracket 22 is above the handle bar 14 hooked

and extends from the inner side 131 of the disk 13 to the parallel portion 31 of the cardboard box. In this way, the louver bracket not only holds the handlebar and the louver to which the handlebar is connected, but also helps prevent the cardboard box from deforming and thus protects the window itself. Similarly, the block 45 of insulating material provided on the outside 132 of the pane 13 maintains a spacing between the pane and the portion 32 of the cardboard extending therealong.

Between the ventilation flap 15 and the upper frame element 111 of the roof window 1, a further ventilation flap holder 23 can be seen in FIG. The louver bracket can both hold the louver and support the upper wing member 121 of the skylight.

Fig. 3, which corresponds to the detail marked B in FIG. 1, but seen from the inside of a skylight 1, now shows a cardboard box 24 instead of the ventilation flap holder 21 made of molded pulp the handle bar 14 as well as the ventilation flap 15 are elongate and extend parallel to the upper wing element 121 and essentially over the entire width of the skylight. This does not have to be the case, but the ventilation flap should be able to cover the entire opening of the ventilation passage 151, which in this case is divided into a series of openings by a grid-like structure 152. As can be seen, the vent mounts 22, 23 shown in Figure 2 are both made from folded cardboard and the cardboard 24 attached to the handle bar 14 also serves as the vent mount. The vent brackets 22, 23 can be made of unbleached recycled cardboard as can the carton 24, however as the carton will contain items needed for the installation and operation of the skylight it may be advantageous to make it from white cardboard to draw attention to the to steer it and make sure that the items inside are not accidentally thrown away.

4-6 the vent bracket 22 is shown in more detail, with FIG. 4 showing the bracket in an unfolded condition and FIG. 5 showing it in the folded condition, as can also be seen in FIG. A bone-shaped cutout 221 is provided for attachment of the window handle bar 14 and the fold lines 222 extend perpendicularly to the longest dimension of the cutout. As seen in Figures 6a - 6c, the vent panel mount 22 is attached to the handlebar 14 by first placing the unfolded or slightly folded vent panel mount onto the handlebar so that the straight portion 2211 of the cutout extends parallel to the handlebar. When the vent panel bracket 22 is then folded along the fold lines 222 , the straight sections 2211 extend over the handle bar, which is placed in the wider end sections 2212 of the cutout 221 . The slight resiliency of the cardboard at fold lines 222, urging the vent retainer 22 back to the unfolded condition, now presses the ends of the cutout 221 against the handle bar 14, as also seen in Figure 3, and holds it in place.

After unpacking the roof window, the ventilation flap bracket 22 is no longer required and can be removed. At the same time, it is often necessary to remove the sash of the skylight to facilitate installation of the frame into the roof structure, and the louver bracket can then be further folded and used to protect the sash. The further folded louver bracket is shown in FIG. 7 and the louver bracket further folded and secured to a corner of the wing is shown in FIG. As best seen in Figure 8, the vent panel bracket 22 remains folded at the original fold lines 222 and is folded along a second fold line 223 located at the notch 2231 shown in Figures 4-5 and parallel to the original fold lines 222 extends, further folded. The louver bracket is fixed in the further folded condition by folding over the V-shaped portions 224 and the cutout 221 now fits over a protruding edge 122 of the sash of the skylight, as shown in FIG. The cutout 221 is preferably slightly smaller than the projecting edge 122 of the wing so that the further folded louver bracket 22 is held in place by friction against the wing.

In this embodiment, the V-shaped portions 224 are delimited by pre-made cuts in the material, but it is also possible to use zones of weakness that can be severed when the V-shaped portions are to be used, or printed lines that indicate where to cut the cardboard.

Furthermore, information 225 about the purpose of use of the louver brackets 22 can be printed on their surface, as shown in FIG.

In Figures 9 and 10 two alternative vent mounts 22 are shown. In Fig. 9 the louver support 22 is pre-folded with a tubular cross-sectional shape instead of the U-shape resulting from the folding shown in Figs. 6a - 6c, and in Fig. 10 the louver support 22 is made of a honeycomb material. Both of these louver mounts are stronger and more stable than the one shown in Figures 3-6, but are not immediately usable as wing corner protectors.

In Fig. 11 - 14 the further ventilation flap holder 23, which is arranged between the ventilation flap 15 and the upper frame element of the roof window 1 and extends into the ventilation passage 151, is now shown in more detail. Two score lines 232 separate two wing sections 233 from a center section 234. The wing sections are configured to be inserted into the vent passage 151, as shown in Figs. 13a-13b, and the center section is configured to abut the vent flap 15, as shown shown in FIG. The shape and size of the further ventilation flap holder 23 depends on the design of the skylight. Therefore, in particular, the shape of the vent passage 151, and hence the shape and position of the wing portions 233, may need to be different than that shown in Figures 11-14.

An alternative to the air vent mount 23 shown in Figures 11-14 is shown in Figures 15-17. This vent panel bracket 23' is folded along fold lines 232 so that the center cutout 231 has a T-shape that fits over the clip assembly 153 that secures the vent panel 15 to the latch assembly 154 (seen in Figure 17 only) of the skylight connects. At the same time, the other cutouts 236 and recesses 237, which are superimposed when folded, fit over the lattice-like structure 152 at the entrance to the vent passage 151, and the resilience resulting from the folding holds the vent flap bracket 23' in position. A further recess 235 allows the use of the louver bracket also with a power window which includes a further bracket 155 attached to the louver as shown in FIG.

The shape and size of this louver bracket 23' also depend on the design of the skylight. In particular, it may be necessary for the shape of the cutouts 236 and the cutouts 235, 237 to deviate from the shape shown, with the further cutout 235 not having to be present in all embodiments.

Instead of removing material at the cutouts 236, material tabs can also be bent back so that they protrude along the surface of the grid-like structure 152 in the assembled state. This can help hold the vent flap bracket 23 in place.

Compared to the embodiment of Figures 11-14, the embodiment of Figures 15-17 has proven to be stronger and more stable in use.

It is common to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3-9 and in FIGS. 11-23 that cardboard or corrugated cardboard was used. These materials are considered advantageous due to the combination of low cost and high dimensional accuracy, but other paper-based materials can also be used. The fold lines 222, 232 can be predefined by printed lines, compressed lines or zones of weakness in the material, for example by partially cutting through the cardboard along the intended fold lines.

18a - 18d now show how a carton blank is folded into a carton 24 and attached to the handle bar 14 of a skylight. This box can be used for storing

storage of objects used during installation or operation of the window, as well as serving as a ventilation flap holder. It corresponds to that shown in FIG. 3, but has a slightly different shape. Figure 3 is seen from the inside of the skylight, while Figures 18c - 18d are seen from the outside of the skylight.

As best seen in Figure 3, the carton 24 rests against the inside of the disc 13 but does not protrude beyond the handle bar in the opposite direction. However, it is possible to make the box larger so that it may extend to the cardboard box 3 as does the vent support 22 shown in FIG. An example of such a larger carton 24 is shown in FIG.

REFERENCE LIST

1 skylight

11 frames

111 Upper frame element 12 wings

121 Upper wing element

13 disc

131 inside

132 outside

14 handle bar

15 ventilation flap

151 ventilation passage

152 Lattice-like structure

153 bracket arrangement

154 bracket

21 Air vent bracket 22 Air vent bracket 221 Cutout

2211 straight section 2212 end section

222 fold line

223 fold line

224 V-shaped section

225 info

23 Air vent bracket 231 Detail

232 fold line

233 wing section

234 middle section

235 recess

236 excerpt

237 recess

23 Air vent bracket 24 Air vent bracket 24’ Air vent bracket 3 Cardboard box

31 section of cardboard box 32 section of cardboard box

41-45 blocks of shock absorbing material

Claims (11)

Expectations 1. Packaged skylight, wherein the skylight comprises a vent passage and a vent flap, the vent passage extending from an inside of the skylight to an outside of the skylight, the vent flap being provided on the inside of the skylight and between a first position in which the vent passage is open, and movable to a second position in which it covers the ventilation passage, the roof window being contained in a cardboard box and blocks of shock-absorbing materials being placed inside the cardboard box to protect the roof window, characterized in that on or a louver support made of a paper-based material is provided on the louver to prevent its unintended movement. 2. The packaged skylight of claim 1, wherein the louver mount is located between the louver and the sash. 3. The packaged skylight of claim 1, wherein the louver bracket is positioned between the louver and a pane of the skylight. 4. The packaged skylight of claim 1, wherein the vent panel mount is positioned between the vent panel and the cardboard box. 5. A packaged rooflight according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the rooflight includes a handle on the vent flap and wherein the vent flap bracket is attached to the handle. 6. A packaged skylight according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the louver support is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: molded pulp, folded paperboard, folded corrugated paperboard, multi-ply corrugated paperboard, profiled paperboard and honeycomb material, preferably with having a cell size of 22 mm and made of paper with a weight of 140 g/m* and a height of 20 - 40 mm. 7. A packaged rooflight according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the louver support is a carton containing components for use in installing or operating the rooflight. 8. A packaged skylight according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the louver mount is configured to serve a secondary purpose after removal from the louver. 9. The packaged skylight of claim 8, wherein the louver bracket is configured to be attached to a corner of a sash of the skylight. 10. A vent mount made from a paper-based material and configured to be provided on or at the vent of a skylight, comprising a vent passage extending from an inside of the skylight to an outside of the skylight, the vent at the provided on the inside of the roof window and movable between a first position in which the ventilation passage is open and a second position in which it covers the ventilation passage, the roof window being contained in a cardboard box and blocks of shock-absorbing materials being arranged inside the cardboard box to protect the skylight, wherein the vent flap bracket is configured to prevent inadvertent movement of the vent at least when the skylight is in a packaged condition. 11. Use of a louver bracket according to claim 10 to protect a window sash during installation of a skylight, wherein the louver bracket is removed from the louver and attached to a corner of the window sash before the window sash is detached from a window frame of the skylight. 7 sheets of drawings