EP0601488B1 - Spacing element - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a spacer (11) in the form of a plastic hollow profile (12) for insulation-glass windows (1) or the like, having at least one insert (21) which prevents the diffusion of water vapour and is embedded in the side walls (15, 17) directed towards the glass panes (2, 3) and in the outer wall (14) of the hollow profile. In the case of said spacer, a further insert (22) is also embedded in the inner wall (16) directed towards the interior (4) of the insulation-glass window (1). This configuration makes it possible for the stresses occurring within the hollow profile (12) to be absorbed and its wall (16) directed towards the interior of the insulation-glass window (1) to be stabilised and consolidated, with the result that it cannot be deformed. Moreover, a gas exchange between the atmosphere and the interior (4) is prevented. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a spacer in the form of a hollow profile made of plastic for components which comprise two or more glass panes or similar plates arranged at a distance from one another and are firmly connected to one another, in particular for insulating glass windows, panels or the like, with at least one water vapor diffusion-inhibiting insert, which is embedded in the side walls facing the glass panes and in the outer wall of the hollow profile.

A spacer of this type is known from DE-A1 33 02 659. In order to prevent moisture from reaching the desiccant stored in it from the outside through the sealant applied to the spacer, the outer wall facing the sealant and the two walls facing the glass panes are provided with a vapor barrier in the form of a metallized film. Although these walls are also stiffened as a result, the inner wall of the spacer, which is designed as a hollow profile, can deform over time, in particular due to temperature fluctuations, chemical effects or the incidence of light, so that the spacer can no longer fulfill the assigned function, namely the prevention of gas exchange between the atmosphere and the interior of the insulating glass window.

The object of the invention is therefore to improve the spacer of the aforementioned type in such a way that its wall facing the interior of the component has a higher strength, so that deformations and resulting leaks are avoided and a long service life of the spacer over a long period of time is guaranteed. The construction effort required for this should be kept low, but changes in the position of the inner wall of the spacer should be almost impossible.

According to the invention, this is achieved with a spacer of the type mentioned in that a further insert is embedded in the inner wall of the component facing the interior of the component.

According to a preferred embodiment, the insert can consist of a water vapor diffusion-inhibiting material and can be in the form of a thin-walled, preferably chemically pretreated foil made of metal or plastic, the insert being approximately rectangular in cross-section, having a material thickness of less than 0.5 mm and being should extend approximately over the entire width of the inner wall of the hollow profile.

According to another design, the insert embedded in the inner wall of the hollow profile facing the interior of the component can also be at least as a reinforcing body extending in the axial direction of the hollow profile may be formed.

The reinforcing body can be designed in the form of a rope or a piece of wire or pipe made of metal or plastic, and in the case of a rope formed from strands, these should be twisted to enlarge the surface and thus to improve the adhesion. The reinforcing body can also consist of a spiral wire or of steel or aluminum.

The reinforcing bodies of the hollow profile can be arranged in the center of the inner wall or in the region of the partition walls dividing its interior.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide one or both side walls of the hollow profile on the outside with anchors which engage in sealing and sealing materials.

The anchors can in a simple manner by protruding in the direction of the glass panes provided with undercuts, by laterally protruding and / or projecting into the interior of the component reinforcements, incorporated in this and / or the side walls of the hollow profile and / or by in a or Both side walls and the outer wall are incorporated or provided with corrugations or grooves extending preferably in the longitudinal direction of the hollow profile.

It is also appropriate to fill a desiccant into the interior of the hollow profile and at least into the inner wall facing the interior of the component to incorporate a passage opening. The spacer should also consist of acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester, polycarbonate blend or foamed polycarbonate.

If a spacer is designed according to the invention, the stresses occurring within the hollow profile are absorbed without difficulty and the wall facing the interior of the component is stabilized and strengthened so that it cannot deform, but rather maintains its position and gas exchange between the atmosphere and the interior of the component is thus prevented. In addition, due to the design of the outer surface of the spacer, the spacer is firmly connected to the sealing and sealing materials, thus ensuring a long service life with always satisfactory function. The construction costs, by means of which this can be accomplished, is low, so that the spacer designed according to the proposal can also be manufactured economically, and this can also be used in a variety of ways for differently designed components.

• hohe Steifigkeit (Festigkeit),
• Wärmeformbeständigkeit bis +100 °C,
• hohe Kälteschlagzähigkeit,
• optimaler Isolationswert,
• es diffundieren keine Medien durch den Abstandhalter, daher keine Beschlagbildung um Innenraum eines Isolierglasfensters durch eindringende Feuchtigkeit; auch wird das Entweichen von speziellen Gasen aus dem Innenraum eines Isolierglasfensters, der oftmals zur Verbesserung der Isolation mit Edelgasen, wie Argon oder Krypton gefüllt ist, verhindert,
• durch die Aluminium-Folie ist der Abstandhalter wasserdampfdicht; das chemische Grundmaterial geht eine dauerhafte Verbindung zu den derzeit in der Mehrscheiben-Isolationsglasfertigung verwendeten Butyl- und Silikonkleber sowie Polyurethan- und Polysulfid- und Silikondichtstoffen ein,
• das Material hat in der speziellen Einstellung eine hohe Beständigkeit gegenüber starken ultravioletten Sonnenstrahlen.

The special plastic, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester, polycarbonate blend or foamed polycarbonate, is particularly well suited as a spacer in connection with a chemically pretreated aluminum foil, which must be arranged homogeneously in the middle of the wall cross-section, since it has the following properties:

• high rigidity (strength),
• Heat resistance up to +100 ° C,
• high cold impact strength,
• optimal insulation value,
• no media diffuse through the spacer, therefore no fogging around the interior of an insulating glass window due to penetrating moisture; the escape of special gases from the interior of an insulating glass window, which is often filled with noble gases such as argon or krypton to improve the insulation, is prevented,
• the spacer is water vapor tight due to the aluminum foil; the chemical base material forms a permanent connection to the butyl and silicone adhesives currently used in multi-pane insulation glass production as well as polyurethane and polysulfide and silicone sealants,
• in the special setting, the material has a high resistance to strong ultraviolet sun rays.

Figur 1

ein Isolierglasfenster mit einem zwischen dessen Scheiben angeordneten Abstandhalter mit einer in dessen Innenwand eingebetteten Folie als Einlage,

Figur 2

den Abstandhalter nach Figur 1, in einer vergrößerten Wiedergabe,

Figuren 3 und 4

das Isolierglasfenster nach Figur 1 mit jeweils andersartig gestaltetem Abstandhalter,

Figur 5

ein Isolierglasfenster mit ener als Verstärkungskörper ausgebildeten Einlage,

Figuren 6 und 7

Ausführungsvarianten des Abstandhalters nach Figur 5,
sowie in Draufsicht,

Figur 8

die bei dem Abstandhalter nach den Figuren 6 und 7 auf der Außenwandung aufgebrachte Riffelung.

In the drawing, some embodiments of the spacer designed according to the invention are shown, which are explained in detail below. Here, each in an axial section:

Figure 1

an insulating glass window with a spacer arranged between its panes with a film embedded in its inner wall as an insert,

Figure 2

1 in an enlarged representation,

Figures 3 and 4

the insulating glass window according to Figure 1, each with a differently designed spacer,

Figure 5

an insulating glass window with an insert designed as a reinforcing body,

Figures 6 and 7

Variants of the spacer according to FIG. 5,
as well as in top view,

Figure 8

the corrugation applied to the spacer according to FIGS. 6 and 7 on the outer wall.

The insulating glass window shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 and designated 1 or 1 ′ or 1 ″ consists of two insulating glass panes 2 and 3 arranged at a distance from one another and enclosing an interior space 4. For this purpose, a spacer 11 is arranged between the two insulating glass panes 2 and 3, which is designed as a hollow profile 12 and has an interior 13 into which a desiccant 19 is filled. The spacer 11 is firmly connected to the two insulating glass panes 2 and 3 by means of a sealing material 20.

In order to prevent moisture from getting into the interior 13 of the hollow profile 12, which is enclosed by four walls 14, 15, 16 and 17, and the interior 4 of the insulating glass window 1, an insert 21 in the form of a film made of a water vapor-inhibiting material is in the outer wall 14 Metal or plastic material embedded, which is also partially in the side walls 15 and 17 extends. Furthermore, an insert 22 is also embedded in the inner wall 16 of the hollow profile 13 from a film 23, through which the inner wall 16 is stiffened and is therefore dimensionally stable. To the desiccant 19 introduced into the interior 13 of the hollow profile 12, only moisture can thus reach the interior 4 of the insulating glass window 1 via openings 18 incorporated into the inner wall 16, a long service life of the spacer 11 and a long service life of the insulating glass window 1 are accordingly guaranteed.

In the insulating glass window 1 'according to FIG. 3, the spacer 31 consists of a hollow profile 32 which is divided into two interior spaces 33 and 33' by an intermediate wall 32 '. Each of the two interior spaces 33 and 33 'is connected to the interior space 4 of the insulating glass window 1' via openings 38 and 38 'incorporated in the inner wall 36.

In this embodiment too, an insert 41 is embedded in the outer wall 34, which protrudes into the two outer walls 35 and 37 of the hollow profile 32. Furthermore, an insert 42 formed by a film is embedded in its inner wall 36, so that the drying agent 39 located in the interior 33 and 33 'only absorbs moisture from the interior 4 of the insulating glass window 1'. And in order to be able to connect the spacer 31 firmly to the glass panes 2 and 3, the outer surfaces of the outer walls 35 and 37 are provided with a corrugation 51, in which the sealing materials 40 and 40 'interlock.

In the spacer 31 'according to FIG. 4, the outer walls 35 and 37 of the hollow profile 32' are extended by projections 52 into which cutouts 53 are incorporated.

In this way it is ensured that the sealing material 40 'applied to the glass panes 2 and 3 in the form of a bead is well distributed. Adhesives based on polyurethane or polysulfide or silicone or butyl or silicone adhesive can be used as sealing materials 40 and 40 '. The lugs 52 'additionally stiffen the hollow profile 32', especially since the insert 41 ', which is embedded in the outer wall 34 and the two side walls 35 and 37, extends into the lugs 52.

In the case of the insulating glass window 101 according to FIG. 5, which also consists of two glass panes 102 and 103 and which are firmly connected to one another by a spacer 111 designed as a hollow profile 112, an insert 122 is inserted in the inner wall 116 of the hollow profile 112 as a reinforcing body in the form of a wire 122 ' which extends in the longitudinal direction of the spacer 111. In addition, reinforcements 127 and 128 are formed on the two outer walls 115 and 117, by means of which not only good anchoring in the sealing material 120 'is achieved, but also the inner wall 116 is additionally stiffened. Furthermore, projections 123 and 124 are formed on the side walls 115 and 117 in the region of the outer wall 114 and on these, by means of which undercuts 125 and 126 are formed. The spacer 111 is thereby also firmly anchored in the sealing material 120, especially since the outer surfaces of the side walls 115 and 117 are provided with corrugations 129.

The interior 104 of the insulating glass window 101 is connected to the interior 113, in which desiccant 119 is filled, via openings 118 machined into the inner wall 116 of the hollow profile 112. in order to prevent the ingress of moisture into the interior 113, in the outer wall 114 and the two side walls 115 and 117 in turn an insert 121 made of a water vapor diffusion-inhibiting material and thus embedded to shield against moisture from outside.

According to FIG. 6, the hollow profile 112 'of the spacer 111' is divided by an intermediate wall 112a into two interior spaces 113 'and 113' ', each of which is connected to the interior 104 of the insulating glass window 101 via openings 118 and 118' which are incorporated into the interior wall 116 are. In addition, an insert 131 in the form of a wire 132 is embedded in the inner wall 116 in the region of the intermediate wall 112 a, and on the outer walls 115 and 117 there are projections 137 or protruding into the interior 104. 138 molded. The inner wall 116 is thus designed to be dimensionally stable.

Furthermore, protrusions 133 and 135 projecting laterally, on the side opposite to the projections 137 and 138, are formed on the hollow profile 112 ', by which undercuts 134 and 136 are formed. Secure anchoring in a sealing material is thus ensured, especially since the two outer surfaces of the outer walls 115 and 117 and the outer wall 114, as can also be seen in FIG. 8, are each provided with corrugations 139 and 140, respectively.

In the spacer 111 ″ according to FIG. 7, the hollow profile 112 ″ is subdivided into two interior spaces 113 a, 113 b and 113 c by two intermediate walls 112 b and 112 c, with the central interior space 113 a being over into the inner wall 116 incorporated openings 118 are connected to the interior 104 of the insulating glass pane 101, Desiccant 119 is filled. Furthermore, in the area of the connections of the intermediate walls 112 b and 112 c, inserts 131 'in the form of wires 132' are embedded in the inner wall 116, and the lugs 137 'and 138' are designed as reinforcements. The spacer 111 ″ thus also has a high strength and this reliably prevents moisture from diffusing.

Claims (15)

1. Spacing element (11; 31; 111) in the form of a hollow section (12; 112; 132) made of plastic for components surrounding two or more panes of glass (2, 3; 102, 103) or similar plates arranged with a gap between one another and firmly connected together, in particular for windows with insulating glass (1; 101), panels or similar with at least one inlay (21; 41; 121) preventing the diffusion of water vapour which is embedded in the side walls (15, 17; 35, 37; 115, 117) facing the panes of glass (2, 3; 102, 103) as well as in the outer wall (14; 34; 114) of the hollow section (12; 32; 112),
   characterised in that,
   a further inlay (22; 42; 122; 131) is embedded in the inner wall (16; 36; 116) of the hollow section (12; 32; 112; 132) which faces the inner cavity (4; 104) of the component (window with insulating glass 1; 101).
2. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 1,
   characterised in that,
   the inlay (22; 42) which, in a preferred embodiment, is embedded centrally in the inner wall (16; 36) of the hollow section (12; 32) consists of a material which prevents the diffusion of water vapour.
3. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 1 or 2,
   characterised in that,
   the inlay (22; 42) is configured as a thin-walled film which, in a preferred embodiment, is pre-treated and is made of metal, in particular aluminium, or plastic.
4. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 1 to 3,
   characterised in that,
   the inlay (22; 42) has an approximately rectangular cross section.
5. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that,
   the thickness of the material comprising the inlay (22; 42) is less than 0.5 mm.
6. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterised in that,
   the inlay (22; 42) extends approximately across the entire width of the inner wall (16; 36) of the hollow section (12; 32).
7. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 1,
   characterised in that,
   the inlay (122; 131) embedded in the inner wall (116) of the hollow section (112) which faces the inner cavity (104) of the component (window with insulating glass 101) is configured as at least one reinforcement element (wire 122'; 132) running along the axis of the hollow section (112).
8. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 7,
   characterised in that,
   the reinforcement element is configured in the form of a cable or a piece of wire or pipe (122'; 132) made of metal or plastic.
9. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 8,
   characterised in that,
   if the cable (122', 132) is made of litz wires, these wires are twisted together.
10. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 8,
    characterised in that,
    the reinforcement element (122'; 132) is formed by a spiral wire made of steel or aluminium.
11. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 7 to 10,
    characterised in that,
    the reinforcement elements (122'; 132) of the hollow section (112) are arranged within the inner wall (116) either centrally or in the area of the partition walls (112' or 112', 112") which divide up the inner cavity (113', 113" or 113,113',113") in the hollow section (112).
12. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 1 to 11,
    characterised in that,
    one or both side walls (115; 117) of the hollow section (112) have anchoring points (projections 123, 125, reinforcements 127, 128; 137, 138) on the outside which protrude into insulation and sealing materials (120, 120').
13. The spacing element in accordance with Claim 12,
    characterised in that,
    the anchoring points are formed by means of projections (123, 125) with notches (124, 126) reaching towards the panes of glass (2, 3; 102, 103), by means of reinforcements (52; 127, 128; 137, 138) protruding laterally and/or into the inner cavity (4; 104) of the component (window with insulating glass 101), by means of notches (53) worked into these reinforcements (52; 127, 128; 137, 138) and/or into the side walls (35, 37) of the hollow section (32) and/or by means of corrugations (51; 140) or grooves preferably running along the length of the hollow section (32; 112) which are formed into or applied onto one or both side walls (35, 37; 115, 117) as well as the outer wall (34; 114).
14. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 1 to 13,
    characterised in that,
    the inner cavity (13; 33, 33') of the hollow section (12; 21) is filled with a desiccant agent (19; 39) and at least one passageway (18; 38, 38') is worked into the inner wall (16; 36) facing the inner cavity (4) of the component (window with insulating glass 1).
15. The spacing element in accordance with one or more of Claims 1 to 14,
    characterised in that,
    the spacing element (11; 31; 111) consists of acrylonitrile styrene acrylester, polycarbonate blend or expanded polycarbonate.

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