EP2329090A1

EP2329090A1 - Insulated window structure

Info

Publication number: EP2329090A1
Application number: EP08803138A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eirik BJØRN
Original assignee: VKR Holding AS
Current assignee: VKR Holding AS
Priority date: 2008-08-21
Filing date: 2008-08-21
Publication date: 2011-06-08
Also published as: WO2010020283A1

Abstract

A window or door structure (1) comprising a fixed frame, said fixed frame being adapted to be mounted in a window or door opening (5) in a building structure, a sash frame which is suitable for use in an outwardly opening window or door structure with a fixed pivot hinge connected to at least one sash member and at least one fixed frame member, where said fixed frame and said sash frame are arranged such that a first cross section taken through the window or door structure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of one of the sash members when the window or door structure is closed and when the window or door structure is mounted in a window or door opening shows a first essentially enclosed area (10) between the sash frame and the fixed frame, said first essentially enclosed area being defined by a first surface of the sash member which faces the periphery of the window or door opening, a second surface of the sash member which faces towards the inside of the window or door structure and surfaces of the frame member and/or surfaces of the window or door opening, and where said first essentially enclosed area is arranged such that a fixed pivot hinge could be mounted within said first essentially enclosed area to provide an outwardly opening window or door structure with a fixed pivot axis. The fixed frame and said sash frame are furthermore arranged such that a second cross section taken through the window or door structure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of one of the sash members when the window or door structure is closed and when the window or door structure is mounted in a window or door opening shows a second essentially enclosed area (10) essentially identical to the first essentially enclosed area but where at least the forward most and rearward most 20% of the second essentially enclosed area is isolated from the rest of the area when compared to the first essentially enclosed area.

Description

INSULATED WINDOW STRUCTURE

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a window or door structure comprising a fixed frame made up of a number of fixed frame members, said fixed frame being adapted to be mounted in a window or door opening in a building structure, a sash frame made up of a number of sash members which are suitable for use in an outwardly opening window or door structure with a fixed pivot hinge connected to at least one sash member and at least one fixed frame member, where said fixed frame and said sash frame are arranged such that a first cross section taken through the window or door structure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of one of the sash members when the window or door structure is closed and when the window or door structure is mounted in a window or door opening shows a first essentially enclosed area between the sash frame and the fixed frame, said first essentially enclosed area being defined by a first surface of the sash member which faces the periphery of the window or door opening, a second surface of the sash member which faces towards the inside of the window or door structure and surfaces of the frame member and/or surfaces of the window or door opening, and where said first essentially enclosed area is arranged such that a fixed pivot hinge could be mounted within said first essentially enclosed area to provide an outwardly opening window or door structure with a fixed pivot axis.

Background of the Invention

Window or door structures of the above mentioned type are typically mounted in a window or door opening of a building structure. Most window and door structures are usually part of a series of different types of windows having different functions but which share a common sash and frame member. For example, in a particular series of window or door structures, the same sash and frame members can typically be used both for side opening windows with fixed pivot point hinges, awning type top hinged windows, reversible windows and fixed windows, the main difference being in the type of fittings used. It is also possible to use the same sash and frame members for both windows and doors in the same series. In the types of window or door series which comprise an outwardly opening window or door with a fixed pivot hinge, the sash members must be designed to allow the pivot axis of a fixed pivot hinge to be as far towards the outside of the window or door as possible in order to permit the window sash to open properly. If the pivot axis is mounted too close to the inside of the window, then the sash will conflict with the frame when the sash is swung open. This means that the forward most portion of the sash is usually very thin and is not very insulating. The main purposes of the forward portion is to protect the mounting fittings against break in, hide the fittings for cosmetic reasons and protect the fittings against the outside environment.

The essentially enclosed area mentioned above can be arranged between the sash frame and the fixed frame when the window or door structure is closed, see for example figure 4. In other cases, the essentially enclosed area is arranged between the surfaces of the sash frame which face the periphery of the window or door structure, the surfaces of the fixed frame and the surfaces of the window or door opening which face in towards the centre of the window structure, see for example figure 1. The hinges, or other mounting fittings which connect the window sash to the window frame, are typically mounted on the window sash and the fixed frame such that they are positioned inside this enclosed area when the window or door structure is closed. In this way, the hinges, or other mounting fittings, are completely hidden from the outside when the window or door structure is closed.

Since the mounting fittings are hidden, it is difficult for a thief to gain access to the fittings from the outside of the window without damaging the window structure significantly. Furthermore, in many cases, the enclosed area is at least partially sealed in order to minimize the heat loss through the window structure and in order to prevent air/water from the outside environment from getting into the area.

It should be mentioned that in this specification, the term an "essentially enclosed area" is used. That is to say that even if there are small openings into the area from the outside of the window/door structure, then the area is still an "essentially enclosed area" according to this specification. For example, in the embodiment shown in figure 1 , the area is not fully enclosed, but is encompassed within the understanding of "essentially enclosed" according to this specification, since the length of the opening forms is small when compared to the entire perimeter of the area. The term essentially enclosed area according to this specification could be defined as an area where the ratio between the total length of the surfaces in said cross section of the sash frame, fixed frame and/or window/door opening which define the area to the total length of the periphery of the area is at least 0.8, more preferably 0.9.

Object and Summary of the Invention

Window and door structures of the above mentioned kind are well known and already have very good insulation properties. However, it is always desired to further improve the thermal insulation properties of windows and doors. The main technical problem which the current invention seeks to solve is there- fore how to increase the thermal insulation properties of the above mentioned type of windows and doors.

The solution to this problem according to the current invention is defined by the characterizing portion of claim 1. Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined by the dependent claims. The benefits and advan- tages of the present invention are explained and discussed in the detailed description.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising/comprised of when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to embodiments shown by the enclosed figures. It should be emphasized that the embodiments shown are used for example purposes only and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention unnecessarily.

Figure 1 illustrates a prior art window structure in cross section

Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of a first embodiment of a window struc- ture having an insulating profile according to the current invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a window sash showing the arrangement of the fittings and the insulation profiles.

Figure 4 illustrates a cross section of a second embodiment of a window structure having a second embodiment of an insulating profile according to the current invention.

Figure 5 illustrates a cross section of a third embodiment of a window struc- ture having a third embodiment of an insulating profile according to the current invention. Figure 6 illustrates a cross section of a fourth embodiment of a window structure having a fourth embodiment of an insulating profile according to the current invention.

Figure 7 illustrates a cross section of a fifth embodiment of a window structure having a fifth embodiment of an insulating profile according to the current invention.

Figure 8 illustrates a cross section of a sixth embodiment of a window structure having a sixth embodiment of an insulating profile according to the current invention.

It should be noted that the embodiments shown in the figures are from win- dow structures, but it should be clear to the person skilled in the art that the invention could also be used with door structures.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

The prior art window structure 1 shown in figure 1 comprises a frame member 2 of a fixed frame and a sash member 3 of a window sash frame. The window structure 1 is mounted in a window opening 4. The mounting details of how the fixed frame is mounted to the window opening are not shown in the figure as different options are available to the person skilled in the art. A sealing bead 5 is applied between the fixed frame 2 and the window opening

4 in order to ensure a sealed connection between the fixed frame and the window opening.

The window sash shown in figure 1 comprises a double glazed window pane 6. Seals 7,8 are arranged between the window sash and the fixed frame to ensure a sealed connection between the window sash and the fixed frame in the closed position of the window structure.

As can be seen from figure 1 , an enclosed area 10 is formed between the window sash, the fixed frame and the window opening. The area is defined in part by the surfaces of the fixed frame, in part by the surfaces of the window sash and in part by the surfaces of the window opening. In particular the area is defined by a first surface 11 of the window opening which faces in towards the centre of the window structure, a first surface 12 of the window sash which faces out towards the periphery of the window structure and towards the first surface 11 of the window opening, a first surface 13 of the fixed frame which faces the outside of the window structure and a second surface 14 of the window sash which faces the inside of the window structure and the first surface of the fixed frame.

In the figure, mounting fittings are not shown, however, the enclosed area, or cavity, is sized and formed such that mounting fittings, such as hinges, can be arranged in the cavity. Figure 1 shows schematically a pivot point for a fixed pivot hinge arranged in the cavity. In order to provide room for the mounting fittings, the cavity therefore has a relatively large size. Due to the large size of the cavity, air trapped in the cavity will create a form of thermal bridge between the window sash and the fixed frame. Due to the temperature differences between the different surfaces of the window sash and the fixed frame, small convection flows will be created in the cavity which will cool the warm surfaces and will reduce the insulation properties of the window. This is illustrated by the arrows A₁B₁C in figure 1. Arrow A shows the convection flow from the outside environment to the outer surface of the sash member. Due to this convection flow, the inwardly facing surface 14 of the sash element will be cooled significantly. The arrow B shows the air flow which enters the en- closed area and cools the interior of the enclosed area. Figure C shows the convention flow which is created between the sash member and the frame member.

In general, the enclosed area is sized to be as small as possible, while still permitting the mounting fittings to be mounted therein. Furthermore, since most window structures are part of a series of different types of windows which share a common sash and frame member, the sash members must be designed to allow the pivot point of a fixed pivot hinge to be as far forward as possible in order to permit the window sash to open properly. This means that the forward portion of the sash is usually very thin and is not very insulating. The main purposes of the forward portion is to protect the mounting fittings against break in, hide the fittings for cosmetic reasons and protect the fittings against the outside environment.

In order to increase the insulating properties of the window structure of this kind, it has therefore been proposed to arrange an insulating profile 15 in the enclosed area 10. As can be seen from figure 2, the insulating profile of this embodiment essentially fills the entire enclosed area. In this way, there is no room for trapped air in the enclosed area and the small convection flows which are typically created in an enclosed area in the prior art types of windows will not be created. Furthermore, air from the outside environment is prevented from getting into the enclosed area. In this way, the thermal insulation properties of the window are enhanced. It should be noted that in the prior art types of windows, large enclosed areas are avoided and are broken up into smaller areas with walls. This however reduces the space available for fittings.

In the embodiment of the insulating profile shown in figure 2, the insulating profile also improves the aesthetic impression of the window frame since the exposed surface of the insulating profile forms a smooth surface at the edge of the window sash. In addition, the insulating profile can be made in a par- ticular color or material in order to fit into the design of the remaining window assembly or building in which the window is mounted. For example, the insulating profile could be covered with a film which has the same color as the paint on the outer walls of the house in which the window assembly is mounted.

The insulating profile can be made from many different types of insulating material. Three non limiting examples are (i) a polyurethane based material having a soft/foam like core and a hard water resisting surface, (ii) a mineral wool based material enclosed within a protective extruded profile of PVC and (iii) a core of balsa surrounded by a harder water resisting shell of hardwood.

It should also be noted that in the embodiment shown in figure 2, the enclosed area 10 of the current embodiment is not "fully" enclosed. A small gap 16 is present between the sash element and the window opening. However, according to the understanding of the current specification, this area is also "essentially enclosed". It can also be seen that the enclosed area is not entirely filled with the insulation element. A small gap 17 is present between the surface 18 of the insulating profile which faces out towards the periphery of the window structure and the first surface 11 of the window opening.

It should be noted that the insulating profile of the current embodiment can not be arranged in the enclosed area, or cavity, along the entire periphery of the window sash. This is due to the fact that mounting fittings and/or other fittings, for example locking mechanisms, will fill a portion of the cavity at certain locations around the periphery of the window sash. The insulating profile is therefore formed as a number of individual sections of different lengths which are mounted in the enclosed area at all those locations where there are no mounting fittings and/or other fittings. The insulating profile is there- fore located at all those locations where there is room for the insulating profile. This is shown schematically in figure 3. Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a window sash 3 of a top hinged window. Mounting fittings 19 in the form of hinges are located at two locations at the top of the window sash. A locking mechanism 20 with a han- die is located at the bottom of the window sash. Insulating profiles as described above are located at all the locations around the periphery of the window sash where there are no mounting fittings 19 or other elements 20 located within the cavity.

The embodiment 30 of a window structure shown in figure 4 is similar to the embodiment shown in figure 2 in principle, but the sash and fixed frame are constructed quite differently. However, the same features have been given the same reference numerals. As before, the structure comprises a frame member 2 and a sash member 3. The entire structure is mounted in a win- dow opening 4. Sealing beads 5 seal the gap between the window opening and the frame member. A triple glazed pane of glass 6 is mounted in the sash. A seal 7 is arranged between the sash and the frame. An enclosed area 10 is provided between the sash and the frame in which mounting fittings and/or other fittings can be arranged. An additional seal 9 is arranged between the sash and the frame to seal the enclosed area 10 from the outside environment.

The enclosed area 10 is defined by a first surface 11 of the frame member which faces the centre of the window structure, a first surface 12 of the sash member which faces the outside periphery of the window opening and the first surface of the frame member, a second surface 13 of the frame member which faces the outside of the window and a second surface 14 of the sash member which faces the inside of the window structure and the second surface of the frame member. An insulating profile 15 as in the previous embodiment is arranged in the enclosed area 10. The insulating profile is arranged to fill essentially the entire enclosed area 10. As before, the insulating profile is arranged around the periphery of the sash, at those locations where there are no other fittings ar- ranged.

The insulating profile of the current embodiment is mounted in the cavity via a snap mechanism. The sash element has a rearwardly pointing flange 31 located at the point of the sash which is closest to the periphery of the win- dow structure and which defines a pocket 32 in the sash element. The sash element also has a recess 33 arranged at a distance towards the inside of the window structure from the pocket. The insulating profile is formed with a first end 34 which fits into the pocket of the sash element and a co-extruded protrusion 35 which fits into the recess 33 in the sash element. In this way, the insulating profile can easily be "snapped" into place without the need for any special tools or the need for any forms of glue or other adhesives. If it is desired to remove the insulating profile, it is easy to unsnap the profile.

It should be noted that in the current embodiment the distance between the pocket and the recess on the sash element is greater than 50% of the width of the sash element. This ensures that the insulating element is well supported since the connection points between the window sash and the insulating profile are far apart. In this embodiment, the pocket 32 and the recess 33 act as two snap elements which cooperate to provide a better connection between the sash element and the insulation profile. It should also be noted that the snap mechanism effect can be arranged in many other forms within the scope of the current invention. The insulating profile of the embodiment shown in figure 2 could also be said to comprise a snap mechanism for snapping the profile into place. It should also be noted that the profile in the current embodiment is designed such that there will be a small gap of between 1 -3 mm (typically 2mm) between the surface 36 of the insulating profile which faces the outer periphery of the window assembly and the surface 11 of the frame member which faces in towards the centre of the window assembly. This gap will allow the window sash to close properly while taking into account the normal tolerances present in a window assembly.

The embodiment 50 shown in figure 5 is almost identical to the embodiment shown in figure 4, so the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same features. The reader is also referred to the description of the embodiment of figure 4 for the details of the embodiment of figure 5. The difference between the embodiment of figure 4 and the embodiment of figure 5 is that the insulating profile 51 does not completely fill the enclosed area 10. A new cavity 52 is formed between the sash 3 and the insulating profile 51. While there will be a small risk of convection within this cavity, the cavity could be used for different positive purposes. For example, the cavity could be arranged to allow certain fittings to be arranged inside the cavity. Or a break-in detection sensor could be mounted in the cavity. The cavity could also have the purpose of minimizing the amount of material of the insulating profile as seen from a cost/weight perspective.

While it is clear that an insulating profile which fills the entire area of the enclosed area would have the best effect seen from a thermal perspective, it has been discovered that alone by isolating the forward most part of the enclosed area, that the thermal insulation properties of the window can be significantly enhanced. Therefore, an insulating profile 61 ,71 as shown in figure 6 or 7 also has a significant positive effect on the insulation properties of the window, even though it only isolates a relatively small portion of the entire cavity. The embodiment of the window structure 60 shown in figure 6 is similar to the embodiment of the window structure shown in figure 4. Therefore the reader is referred to the description of figure 4 for more details of the window structure. However, the insulating profile 61 of the embodiment of figure 6 is very different from the embodiment of the insulation profile of figure 4. In this embodiment, the insulating profile is a simple extruded profile which snaps into the pocket 32 formed by the rearwardly pointing flange 31 at the outermost part of the sash member 3. The insulating profile, isolates the forward most area of the enclosed area and prevents air circulation in the enclosed area from circulating from the forward most surface 14 of the enclosed area 10 and the inner most portion of the enclosed area 10. In this way, the thermal properties of the window structure are significantly improved. A seal 62 attached to the insulating profile 61 is in contact with the forwardly protruding portion 63 of the frame member 2. In this way, the enclosed area is com- pletely sealed from the outside environment.

The embodiment 70 shown in figure 7 is very similar to the embodiment shown in figure 2, however, the insulating profile 71 of the embodiment of figure 7, is a simple extruded profile which snaps into the sash member and which isolates the forward most portion of the enclosed area. A seal 72 closes off the rest of the enclosed area from the outside environment.

It should be noted that in the embodiments of figure 6 and 7, the end sections of the insulating profiles, could be closed off to prevent air from circulating along the longitudinal axis of the profiles. However, this is not necessary, since the main thermal effect of the profile is provided by preventing the convection airflow between the front surface of the sash and the inner most portions of the sash. In one embodiment, not shown, the insulating profile could be arranged such that it matches the shape of the mounting fittings. In this way, the mounting fittings themselves could close the end sections of the insulating profiles. The insulating profiles could also be filled with a foam material if desired.

In another embodiment which is not shown in the figures, the insulating pro- file could be integrally formed with the sash member. At those locations where mounting fittings or other fittings are to be mounted, the insulating profile could be removed via a cutting or other material removing operation.

In the embodiments described above, the insulating profile has been at- tached to the forward most portion of the sash, however, the forward most portion of the enclosed area could also be isolated from the rest of the enclosed area by adding an insulating profile to the rear portion of the enclosed area. This is shown in figure 8.

It should be noted that in the claims, the value "forward most 20%" has been chosen, however, it should be clear to the person skilled in the art, that this value is dependent on the insulation properties of the insulation profile as well as the shape of the sash/frame. If the insulation profile is made from a material with very good insulation properties, the isolated area could be made smaller than if the insulation profile is made from a material with poor insulation properties. The value of 20% has therefore been chosen as a minimum value in the claims, but the person skilled in the art will understand that the result of the invention could be achieved by isolating a smaller or a larger percentage of the total enclosed area. Furthermore, as is shown by the embodiment of figure 8, one could isolate the forward most 20% of the sash either by mounting an insulation profile at the front of the sash or at the rear of the sash. Therefore, in the claims it is specified that either the forward most 20% or the rearmost 20% of the enclosed area of the sash is isolated from the remaining portion of the enclosed area of the sash. This could for example be a solution where an insulating profile is located in the middle of the enclosed area. In this case, the forward most 50% of the area is sepa- rated from the rearmost 50% of the area. It should be noted that it is not meant that both the forward most 20% of the area and the rearmost 20% of the area are isolated, just that one of the two is isolated from the remainder of the enclosed area.

It should also be mentioned that by "isolated" from the rest of the enclosed area, it is meant that airflow is prevented between the area that is isolated and the remainder of the enclosed area. It should be noted that it is not necessary that 100% of the airflow is prevented. A significant portion of the air- flow should be stopped, but there is no demand for 100% hermetic sealing between the two areas. The person skilled in the art should be able to distinguish when the purpose of the invention is fulfilled.

It is also to be noted that the figures and the above description have shown the example embodiments in a relatively simple and schematic manner. The details have not been shown in great detail since the person skilled in the art should be familiar with these details and they would just unnecessarily complicate this description.

Furthermore it should be noted that the above embodiments have only disclosed a small number of possible embodiments which are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, in all the embodiments disclosed above, the profile has been mounted in the sash via a snap mechanism. However, other forms of attachment could also be used. Three non limiting examples of other forms of attachment are Velcro, glue or adhesive and tape.

It should also be mentioned that in the current embodiments, the insulation profile is always formed as a single integrated element, however, the person skilled in the art will understand that the profile could also be comprised of a number of discrete elements. For example, the protrusion 20, which acts as a means for connection, could be formed separately from the rest of the insulation profile. The protrusion could then be fastened to the profile before the profile is attached to the sash.

Claims

1. A window or door structure (1 ) comprising:

- a fixed frame made up of a number of fixed frame members (2), said 5 fixed frame being adapted to be mounted in a window or door opening

(5) in a building structure,

- a sash frame made up of a number of sash members (3) which are suitable for use in an outwardly opening window or door structure with a fixed pivot hinge connected to at least one sash member and at o least one fixed frame member,

- where said fixed frame and said sash frame are arranged such that a first cross section taken through the window or door structure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of one of the sash members when the window or door structure is closed and when the window or door struc-5 ture is mounted in a window or door opening shows a first essentially enclosed area (10) between the sash frame and the fixed frame, said first essentially enclosed area being defined by a first surface of the sash member (12) which faces the periphery of the window or door opening, a second surface of the sash member (14) which faces to- 0 wards the inside of the window or door structure and surfaces of the frame member (11 ,13) and/or surfaces of the window or door opening (11 ), and

- where said first essentially enclosed area is arranged such that a fixed pivot hinge could be mounted within said first essentially enclosed 5 area to provide an outwardly opening window or door structure with a fixed pivot axis, characterized in that

- said fixed frame and said sash frame are arranged such that a second cross section taken through the window or door structure perpendicu- 0 lar to the longitudinal axis of one of the sash members when the window or door structure is closed and when the window or door structure is mounted in a window or door opening shows a second essentially enclosed area (10) essentially identical to the first essentially enclosed area but where at least the forward most 20% of the second essentially enclosed area is isolated from the rest of the area when com- pared to the first essentially enclosed area and at least the rearmost

20% of the second essentially enclosed area is isolated from the rest of the area when compared to the first enclosed area.

2. A window or door structure (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that said forward most 20% of the second essentially enclosed area (10) is isolated from the rest of the area via an insulating profile (15) which is fastened to the sash member (3).

3. A window or door structure (1 ) according to claim 2, characterized in that said insulating profile (15) is arranged such that said insulating profile fills at least 60%, preferably at least 80% and more preferably at least 90% of said second essentially enclosed area as seen in said second cross section.

4. A window or door structure (60) according to claim 2, characterized in that said insulating profile (61 ) is a extruded profile which separates the area into at least two isolated areas.

5. A window or door structure (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said window or door structure comprises at least one mounting fitting (19) which is arranged in said first enclosed area (10) at a certain location at the periphery of the sash frame (3) and in that said isolated area of the second essentially enclosed area is arranged at the periphery of the window sash where there are no mounting fittings or other forms of fittings (20).

6. A window or door structure (30) according to any one of claims 1 -5, characterized in that said first and second essentially enclosed area (10) is located between a first surface (11 ) of a fixed frame member (2) which faces in towards the centre of the window or door structure and a first surface (12) of a sash member (3) which faces the first surface of the fixed frame member when the window or door structure is closed.

7. A window or door structure (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 -6, characterized in that said first and second essentially enclosed areas (10) are lo- cated between a first surface (11 ) of the window opening (4) which faces the centre of the window or door structure and a first surface (12) of the sash frame (3) which faces the first surface of the window or door opening.

8. A window or door structure (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 -7, charac- terized in that said first and second essentially enclosed areas (10) are located between a second surface (13) of a fixed frame member (2) which faces the outside of the window or door and a second surface (14) of the sash member (3) which faces the second surface of the fixed frame member.

9. A window or door structure (30) according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that said sash member (3) comprises at least one snap mechanism (31 ,32,33) and where said insulating profile (15) comprises a complementary snap mechanism (34,35) whereby said insulating profile can be snapped to said sash member such that said insulating profile is secured to said sash member via said snap mechanisms.

10. A window structure (30) according to claim 9 characterized in that said snap mechanism on said sash member (3) comprises at least two snap elements (32,33) between which the insulating profile (15) is fastened and where said at least two snap elements are spaced apart by more than 50% of the width of the insulating profile.

11. A window structure (30) according to claim 9 or 10 characterized in that said snap mechanism in said sash member (3) comprises at least one protrusion which engages with at least one recess in said insulating profile or in that said snap mechanism in said sash member comprises at least one recess (32,33) which engages with at least one protrusion (34,35) on said insulating profile (4).

12. A window or door structure (1 ) according to claim 3 characterized in that said insulating profile (15) fills at least 90% of the essentially enclosed area

(10) in said cross section.

13. A window or door structure (30) according to any one of claims 1 -12, characterized in that said window or door structure further comprises a seal element (9) which seals the connection between the sash member (3) and the frame member (2) at the outer periphery of the first and second enclosed areas in the closed position of the window or door structure.