EP0583948A1

EP0583948A1 - Connector

Info

Publication number: EP0583948A1
Application number: EP93306383A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Robert William Kelcher; Michael Kalas
Original assignee: UKae Ltd
Current assignee: UKae Ltd
Priority date: 1992-08-12
Filing date: 1993-08-12
Publication date: 1994-02-23
Also published as: GB9309635D0; GB2269845B; GB9217066D0; GB2269845A

Abstract

The connector may be moulded of resilient plastics or formed of springy metal and includes a plug-in portion of substantially U-shaped transverse cross section. The limbs of the plug-in portion are arranged to co-operate with the walls of the spacer bar 1 to be deformed inwardly and thus provide an interference action which retains, or assists in retaining, the connector within the spacer bar. The free ends of the two limbs may be chamfered to co-operate with inclined shoulders 2, 3 of the spacer bar, and an internal space 26 is formed within the connector to allow the passage of desiccant.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to connectors for use in a sealed glazing panel, often referred to in the trade as an insulated glass unit.
In particular, the connectors of the invention are intended for joining the cut ends of hollow spacer bar. This is a length of hollow bar, usually aluminium, which is made up into an endless frame to space apart the glass sheets at the periphery of an insulated glass unit, and the spacer is filled with desiccant to remove moisture from between the glass sheets. Angled connectors, known as corner keys, are used to join pieces of spacer at the corners of the frame, and straight connectors may be used at other positions to join lengths of spacer to reduce wastage. In addition, with the introduction of automated spacer bending machines which allow rectangular frames to be formed from a single length of spacer (or more than one length if desired), straight connectors are being increasingly used to join the ends of such formed frames.

BACKGROUND

In order to maintain a firm engagement between the connector and the section, various means are currently employed.
In one common arrangement, the connector has a series of resilient tongues, and the roots of the tongues extend transverse to the axis of the section. The tongues are deformed when the connector is pushed into the section. With metal connectors the tongues may bite into the section and form a mechanical lock, but in plastics connectors the tongues simply form a tight frictional engagement with the section.
The resilient tongues usually bear against a relatively wide flat part of the section. As a result, the pressure exerted by the tongues on this area can lead to deformation of the spacer, which is generally undesirable to avoid leakage of desiccant or problems with the seal. In addition, formed spacer frames are filled with desiccant after the bending process by drilling holes in the frame and blowing in beads of desiccant. The connectors therefore need to provide a clear path of maximum cross sectional area through which desiccant can pass, but this conflicts with the requirement to produce a firm, rigid joint. The space taken up by the tongues, for example, reduces the cross sectional area which is available for the desiccant to pass through.
Additional problems may arise due to dimensional variations in the interconnecting parts of the connector and the section. The combined effect of manufacturing tolerances can significantly affect the tightness of the connection and can also affect the end-to-end or side-to-side alignment of the spacer frame.
A common form of spacer is of generally rectangular cross-sectional shape with a pair of opposed inclined shoulders formed at the two outer corners to receive sealant. EP 0 330 906 (Franz Xaver Bayer) discloses a straight connector of U-section for use with such spacer. The cross-web of the connector has inclined ramps which engage the inclined shoulders of the spacer to align the spacer with the connector. The spacer is locked to the connector by pressing the wall of the spacer into depressions in the connector. However, this requires the use of a special pressing tool, and the depressions reduce the internal space of the connector.
EP 0 283 689 (Max Kronenberg) discloses another U-section connector having tongues pressed out of the limbs and the cross-web of the U to engage the walls of the section. Whilst this allows the internal space of the connector to be increased the presence of the sharp tongues makes the connectors physically unpleasant and difficult to handle, and as a result, they are widely disliked among the operatives who actually assemble the spacer frames. In addition, it is considered that the use of such tongues does not provide the required degree of rigidity in the joint if manufacturing tolerances are to be allowed for.
An aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to provide a form of connector which provides an accurately aligned rigid joint, which has sufficient grip without requiring excessive force for engagement, the performance of which is not adversely affected by manufacturing tolerances, which is pleasant to handle, and which allows the internal space of the connector to be optimised so that a large through-space can be provided if required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a connector for joining hollow spacer sections in glazing panels, in which the connector comprises a plug-in portion for insertion into an end of the section, and the plug-in portion includes at least one resiliently deformable limb which extends substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the plug-in portion and is arranged to co-operate with the wall of the section such as to be deformed inwardly thereby and provide an interference action which retains, or assists in retaining, the plug-in portion within the section.
The connector may be of resilient plastics or metal for example, and may, for example, be in the form of a straight connector or a corner key having a pair of such plug-in portions.
The resiliently deformable limb assists in retaining the plug-in portion within the spacer frame and also takes up dimensional variations in the spacer and, to a lesser extent, in the connector itself providing a fit that is neither too tight nor too loose over the whole tolerance range of spacer and connector.
The plug-in portion is preferably provided with a pair of such resiliently deformable limbs which are arranged to co-operate with opposed walls of the spacer section.
In some forms of the connector, the said pair of limbs may be slightly outwardly divergent away from their respective root regions. In the case of connectors which are intended for use with spacer having a pair of opposed mutually convergent wall portions, the pair of limbs are preferably arranged to co-operate with the said convergent wall portions. In this case the limbs may, initially, be substantially parallel. The limbs may be provided with inclined interference surfaces for contact with the said convergent wall portions of the section. These inclined interference surfaces are preferably disposed adjacent to free ends of the limbs.
The limbs may be connected to a common body portion of any convenient shape which fits into the section with sufficient clearance to allow for manufacturing tolerances. In a particularly preferred form of the connector the limbs are longitudinally joined to a common cross web such that the plug-in portion is substantially of U-shaped transverse section. This may also provide the necessary through-passage for desiccant during filling of the spacer frame.
The outer surface of the cross web is preferably provided with projection means arranged to support the web clear of perforations formed in the wall of the spacer. The projection means may comprise a rib which extends substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the plug-in portion, or a pair of such spaced ribs.
The invention also includes a connector for joining hollow spacer sections in glazing panels, in which the connector comprises a plug-in portion of generally U-shaped transverse cross section for insertion into an end of the section, and the plug-in portion includes a pair of resiliently deformable limbs which extend substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the plug-in portion, each of said deformable limbs being connected to a common cross web along a root region of the limb which extends generally parallel to said direction of insertion and being arranged to co-operate with the wall of the section such as to be deformed inwardly thereby and provide an interference action which retains, or assists in retaining, the plug-in portion within the section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a straight connector of the invention, engaged with a single length of spacer shown partially broken away,
Figures 2 and 3 are top plan and bottom plan views of the connector, respectively,
Figure 4 is a transverse section IV-IV through the connector of Fig. 1, including an enlarged inset detail
Figure 5 is a further transverse section V-V through the connector of Fig. 1,
Figure 6 is a general view of a corner key connector of the invention for use with spacer frame,
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a further form of straight connector of the invention,
Figure 8 is a transverse section through the connector of Fig. 7 received in a length of spacer, and
Figure 9 is a transverse section through another form of straight connector of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The connector 10 of Fig.s 1 to 5 is a so-called linear or straight plug-in connector for joining the ends of a spacer frame end-to-end in an axially aligned relationship. The spacer 1 is of the common form shown most clearly in Fig. 5, being of generally rectangular cross-sectional shape with a pair of opposed inclined shoulders 2, 3 formed at two adjacent corners. The completed frame is filled with desiccant and is used to space two sheets of glass in an insulated glass unit, in well known manner.
The illustrated connector is injection moulded in one piece from a suitable semi-rigid and slightly resilient plastics such as polyamide (unfilled or filled, e.g. with glass), ABS and its derivatives such as ABS/polycarbonate alloys, polypropylene (unfilled or filled, e.g. with chalk), styrene or polyester. The essential characteristics of the material are that it exhibits the required degree of resilience and does not give off volatile substances under the effect of heat or uv light which may condense on the glass inside the sealed glazing panel.
The connector 10 is generally of U-shaped cross section (see Fig.s 4 and 5) and includes a generally flat, elongate rectangular cross-web 11 with elongate rectangular limbs 12 and 13 projecting generally perpendicularly in the same direction from the side edges of the cross-web 11. Considering the cross sectional view of Fig. 4 in more detail, it will be noted that the outer face of the cross-web 11 includes a flat central land 14 flanked by upstanding marginal ribs 15, 16 of shallow rectangular section. The opposed inner faces 15' and 16' of the ribs 15 and 16 are chamfered as shown to provide a small clearance for the internal projections 4 formed by the two parallel rows of punched perforations which allow moisture through to the desiccant within the spacer. The ribs 15 and 16 thus serve to hold the cross-web 11 clear of the projections. It should also be noted that the two ribs 15 and 16 could be replaced by a single rib located midway between the rows of perforations 4, particularly in narrow spacer where the projections are close to the side walls of the section. In addition, the free longitudinal edges of the limbs 12 and 13 are chamfered on their outwardly facing sides to form outwardly directed interference faces 17 inclined at about the same inclination as the shoulders 2 and 3 of the spacer 1. It is also important to note that the overall height h of the connector 10 (Fig. 4) is slightly but significantly less than the maximum internal height H of the spacer 1 (Fig. 5). In this particular embodiment, the maximum outer width w of the connector (Fig. 4) is also slightly less than the maximum internal width W of the spacer 1 (Fig. 5).
Considering the external views of Fig.s 1 to 3, it will be noted that the cross-sectional shape illustrated in Fig. 4 is modified in the region of the ends and centre of the connector. In particular, the outermost faces of the connector are inwardly chamfered towards the ends of the connector to form lead-in portions 18. Also, the outer surface of the cross-web 11 is provided with a transversely extending rib 20 forming a stop for the leading end faces of the spacer 1 (see Fig. 1). The stop 20 divides the connector into two plug-in parts 21 and 22 which are usually (but not necessarily) of the same length. The free lower edges of the limbs 12 and 13 are provided with respective recesses 23 extending to both sides of the stop 20, to receive any shavings which may be removed from the said edges of the limbs as the spacer is pushed onto the connector.
When the ends of the spacer 1 are pushed onto the respective plug-in halves 21 and 22, even though the height h and width w of the connector are significantly less than the corresponding internal dimensions of the spacer 1, the inclined faces 17 of the limbs 12 and 13 interfere with the inner surfaces of the inclined shoulders 2 and 3 so that the limbs 12 and 13 are deformed inwardly (see Fig. 5) towards each other. Unlike existing spring tongues, this frictional engagement provides a straight, rigid joint which is not too tight to cause difficulty in engagement and not too loose to form a poor connection, even over a substantial range of dimensional variations in the two components, namely the spacer 1 and, to a lesser extent, the connector 10. It will further be noted that the connector defines an internal through-space 26 through which desiccant can flow during filling of the spacer frame. Furthermore, the cross-web 11 is arranged to continuously cover the portion of the joint which faces the inside of the sealed glazing unit so that the connector reduces the risk of desiccant leaking through the joint into the space between the glass sheets.
Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the moulded connector in which the two plug-in halves 21, 22 are arranged perpendicularly to form a corner key for use at the corner of a spacer frame. The halves 21 and 22 are joined by a stop element 30 against which the ends of the spacer frame are abutted when pushed onto the plug-in portions. It will be appreciated that the stop element 30 could easily be shaped to include a through passage for desiccant, if desired.
Fig.s 7 and 8 show a metal linear connector 40 for use with spacer of the kind shown in Fig. 5. The connector 40 may be of ferrous or non-ferrous spring metal and is pressed from a single strip to attain a U-shaped cross section. The connector includes a flat cross-web 41 and generally parallel side limbs 42 and 43. The overall height h' of the connector is slightly less than the maximum internal height H of the spacer 1 (Fig. 5), and again, in this instance, the maximum outer width w' of the connector is also slightly less than the maximum internal width W of the spacer 1. The ends of the connector are angled inwardly to form lead-in portions 48, and stops (not shown) may be formed in the centre region of the connector in any convenient manner to longitudinally locate the ends of the spacer. Rounded transversely extending ribs 47 are also pressed out of the cross-web 41 to locate between the projections 4 and hold the cross-web clear of the projections.
The ends of the spacer 1 are pushed onto the opposite ends of the connector so that the free edges of the limbs 43 and 44 interfere with the inner surfaces of the inclined shoulders 2 and 3 and the limbs 12 and 13 are thus deformed inwardly as shown in Fig. 8. The resulting joint is straight, rigid and easily engaged over a wide dimensional tolerance band. A large internal through-space 46 is formed through which desiccant can flow, and the cross-web 41 continuously covers the portion of the joint which faces the inside of the sealed glazing unit to prevent desiccant from leaking into the space between the glass sheets.
Fig. 9 shows a modification to the connector of Fig.s 7 and 8 for use with plain rectangular spacer bar. In this case the side walls 43 and 44 diverge outwardly from the cross-web 41. Thus, as the connector is pushed into the spacer bar the limbs 43 and 44 are deflected inwardly towards a parallel configuration forming an interference connection with the spacer bar. The plastics connector of Fig.s 1 to 5 and 6 could be similarly modified for use with plain rectangular spacer bar.
In the case of the form of spacer known as T-bar (which is generally of T-shaped transverse section), provided there are suitable sloping shoulders, the form of connector shown in Fig.s 1 to 5, 6, or 7 and 8 could be used, but if these are not present a connector (plastics or metal) with divergent limbs could be used.
Metal corner keys can be formed using the same principles as the connectors of Fig.s 7 to 9.

Claims

A connector for joining hollow spacer sections in glazing panels, in which the connector comprises a plug-in portion for insertion into an end of the section,
characterised in that the plug-in portion includes at least one resiliently deformable limb (12, 13) which extends substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the plug-in portion and is arranged to cooperate with the wall of the section such as to be deformed inwardly thereby and provide an interference action which retains, or assists in retaining, the plug-in portion within the section.
A connector according to Claim 1, in which said deformable limb (12, 13) is connected to the remainder of the plug-in portion along a root region of the limb which extends generally parallel to said direction of insertion.
A connector according to Claim 1 or 2, which comprises a pair of such resiliently deformable limbs (12, 13) which are arranged to co-operate with opposed walls of the spacer section.
A connector according to Claim 3, in which the said limbs (12, 13) are arranged to co-operate with a pair of opposed mutually convergent wall portions of the spacer section.
A connector according to Claim 4, in which said limbs are provided with inclined interference surfaces (17) for contact with said convergent wall portions of the section.
A connector according to Claim 5, in which said inclined interference surfaces (17) are disposed adjacent to free ends of said limbs.
A connector according to any of Claims 3 to 6, in which said limbs are both connected to a common body portion (11).
A connector according to Claim 7, in which the body portion (11) is in the form of a cross web such that the plug-in portion is substantially of U-shaped transverse cross section.
A connector according to Claim 8, in which the outer surface of the cross web (11) is provided with at least one rib (15, 16) which extends parallel to the direction of insertion of the plug-in portion and is arranged to support the web clear of perforations formed in the wall of the spacer.
A connector according to any preceding Claim, which is moulded of resilient plastics.