EP0647759A1

EP0647759A1 - A frame produced with wood and aluminium profiled sections

Info

Publication number: EP0647759A1
Application number: EP94202583A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luigi Vecoli
Original assignee: Allco SpA
Current assignee: Allco SpA
Priority date: 1993-10-08
Filing date: 1994-09-08
Publication date: 1995-04-12
Also published as: ITMI930782U1; ITMI930782V0; IT230464Y1

Abstract

A wood-aluminium frame comprises a seal (13, 20) provided with coupling means (14, 15, 21) for engaging counter-means (16, 17, 21, 22) provided in the aluminium profiled sections (3, 9) and/or in the wood profiled sections (4, 10) between which the seal (13, 20) is clamped.

Description

The present invention relates very generally to a so-called wood-aluminum frame, that is, frames consisting of aluminium profiled sections and of wood profiled sections connected to one another by coupling systems including those of the detachable type.
As is known, frames of the above-mentioned type have been well-accepted on the market since they have characteristics of strength and reliability together with an acknowledged aesthetic appearance.
A rigid insert which is flattened to a greater or lesser extent and is incorrectly known as a seal, produced from a suitable heat-insulating material, provided so as to form thermal insulation between the wood and the metal is conventionally located between the coupled profiled sections, both of the fixed sash and of the movable sash of the frame.
One or more true seals, produced from elasto-plastic, flexible material (rubber and similar plastic materials) are, on the other hand, operationally provided between the fixed sash and the movable sash and extend peripherally relative to the frame.
Generally, a first seal is peripherally associated with the fixed sash and, in particular, with the metal profiled sections of this sash and is constructed and dimensioned so as to cooperate with a corresponding abutment stop, in turn provided peripherally in the metal profiled sections of the movable frame.
A second seal is associated peripherally with the movable sash, in particular between the wood and metal profiled sections thereof from which it projects for a portion having a shape and size such that it can abut the wood profiled sections of the fixed sash over the entire periphery thereof.
There is a disadvantage hitherto not overcome with respect to the second seal and more precisely to its position between the wood and aluminium profiled sections. In fact, in the assembly position (coupling) of the components of the movable sash, the latter is simply positioned in contact with the aluminum profiled sections, for example, on which the corresponding wood profiled sections are then secured. With this type of securing, the above-mentioned seal, or rather, a specific part thereof, is clamped between the wood and aluminum profiled sections.
During the above securing process, the seal is subject to movements which, even though very small, bring about an off-centring of the seal which is unacceptable to the point where the "work" has to be repeated, resulting in lost time and money.
On the other hand, the attention which must be taken in order to secure the wood and aluminium profiled sections to one another so as to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantage operationally involves a greater amount of time than is normally available and is to be expected for "simple" coupling of rod-like elements such as the wood and aluminium profiled sections.
The principal aim of the present invention is to produce and make available a wood-aluminum frame in which movable and fixed sashes have structural features such that the above disadvantages with respect to the prior art can be definitively overcome.
This object and others which will become clearer from the following description is achieved by a wood-aluminum frame comprising a movable sash and a fixed sash formed from aluminum profiled sections and wood profiled sections coupled to one another by known means, and at least one seal clamped between the profiled sections and extending on at least one side of the sashes, characterised in that the seal is provided with detachable coupling means engaged in coupling counter-means provided on the aluminum and wood profiled sections and along the at least one side of the movable sash.
The advantages and characteristics of the invention will become clearer from the following description of an embodiment thereof given with reference to the appended drawings which are provided solely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

Figure 1 shows in cross-section a "side" of a frame according to the invention; and
Figure 2 shows in cross-section the same frame of Figure 1 with a different arrangement of the seals.

With reference to the above Figures, a wood-aluminium frame according to the invention comprises a fixed sash 1 and a movable sash 2 of which only the respective lower horizontal sides are shown.
The fixed sash 1 substantially comprises a half-sash formed of aluminium profiled sections 3 and a half-sash formed of wood profiled sections 4 which constitute the outer side and the inner side respectively of the fixed sash and which are connected to one another by conventional coupling means 5, 6.
A seal 7, of rubber or some other suitable plastics material, is detachably mounted in correspondence with a seat 8 defined in the aluminum profiled section 3 and from which it projects with a portion of suitable length and shape.
The movable sash 2 is in turn formed from a half-sash formed of aluminum profiled sections 9 and of a half-sash consisting of wood profiled sections 10 (the outer side and inner side respectively of the movable sash) which are secured to one another by conventional means 11, 12.
A seal, made from rubber or some other suitable plastic material, clamped between the profiled sections 9 and 10 and extending along at least the lower horizontal side of the movable sash 2, preferably and advantageously along the entire perimeter thereof, is indicated 13.
The seal 13 has a substantially flattened shape and is provided on at least one of its faces with a bead 14 projecting therefrom and having a cross-section substantially in the form of a mushroom, the head of which is indicated 15.
This bead 14-15 constitutes a means for coupling the seal 13 to one of the profiled sections 9 or 10 which, to this end, are provided with respective coupling counter-means 16, 17.
In particular, these profiled sections 9 and 10 have corresponding seats or grooves 18, 19 which have a cross-section matched to that of the bead 14-15 with which either one is intended to engage detachably. An engagement of this type can be of the snap type by deformation of the head 15 of the bead 14 or by longitudinal insertion of the head in the seats 18 and 19.
The position of the seats or grooves 18, 19 and the stability of the engagement of the bead 14-15 in one of these seats or grooves, ensures that the seal 13 is centred during the assembly of the profiled sections 9 and 10, thus enabling the operation to be performed quickly, precisely and with a high degree of repeatability.
Figure 2 shows the version in which the seal 13 is associated with the metal profiled section 9 prior to the coupling of the profiled sections 9 and 10, whilst, in Figure 1, the seal 13 is coupled to the wood profiled section 10.
A seal 20, produced, for example, from the same material used for the seal 13, is detachably clamped between the profiled sections 3 and 4 of the fixed sash 1 and extends along at least one lower horizontal side of the sash. This seal 20 is also provided on at least one of its faces with a bead 21 constituting a means of coupling the seal itself to one of the sashes 3 or 4 which, to this end, are provided with respective counter-means 22, 23 consisting of suitable grooves.
Figure 1 shows the version in which the seal 20 is associated with the wood profiled section 4; whilst, in Figure 2, the seal is coupled to the metal profiled section 3. In this case, the bead 21 has a mushroom head 21a.
The invention thus conceived can be varied and modified whilst remaining within the technical scope; for example, the beads 14-15, 20-21 can be substituted by respective pluralities of button elements regularly distributed over the entire length of the seals 13, 20, whilst the corresponding coupling seats 18, 19, 22, 23 can further consist of continuous grooves or of suitable blind holes shaped internally such that they match that of the buttons with which they are to engage. Other variants can be provided without departing from the protective scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

Wood-aluminium frame comprising a movable sash and a fixed sash, each of which is formed by aluminium profiled sections and wood profiled sections coupled to one another by known means, and at least one seal clamped between the profiled sections, extending on at least one side of the movable and fixed sashes, characterised in that the seal (13, 20) is provided with detachable coupling means (14, 15, 21) with counter-coupling means (16, 17, 21, 22), provided in the aluminium profiled sections (3, 9) and/or in the wood profiled sections (4, 10), along the at least one side of the movable and fixed sashes.
Frame according to Claim 1, characterised in that the coupling means (14, 15, 21) of the seal (13, 20) consist of a bead having a cross-section substantially in the shape of a mushroom, the counter-means (16, 17, 21, 22) consisting of respective grooves formed in the aluminium profiled sections (3, 9) and wood profiled sections (4, 10) and having cross-sections substantially matched to the cross-section of the bead.
Seal for the sash of wood-aluminium frames, characterised in that it is provided on at least one face with a bead extending over at least part of the length of the seal.