EP3480382B1 - Seal for curtain wall and curtain wall comprising such seals - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention belongs to the field of the construction of glazed facades for buildings, and relates more particularly to a seal for a curtain wall, as well as a curtain wall comprising such seals. The present invention finds a particularly advantageous application, although in no way limiting, in the case of a curtain wall delivered in separate parts and assembled on site.

STATE OF THE ART

Currently, there are different types of sealing systems intended to ensure the watertightness (or any other liquid) of a curtain facade which separates an external environment from an internal environment (offices, living rooms, etc.). .) that the curtain wall aims to protect.

Such a waterproofing system must above all prevent the infiltration of water within the curtain wall, so that the structure of the curtain wall is not subject to humidity which, if it accumulates for an extended period, can be the cause of inconvenience: water infiltration directly into the interior environment, development of mold within the structure of the curtain wall, etc.

Conventionally, a curtain facade comprises a frame formed by assembling mullion sections with crosspiece sections. This framework supports glazed elements of said curtain wall, typically double glazing taking the form of panels, for example rectangular panels. These glazed elements are in contact with seals fitted to the profiles in order to prevent water from penetrating. Although it is clear that the problem of sealing arises at the level of all the contacts made between a glazed element and the seals fitted to the profiles, the fact remains that the zone located at the intersection of a mullion profile and a transom profile remains the most sensitive. Indeed, this is an area in which different elements interconnect (profiles, seals, glazed elements), so that multiple contacts between these elements are created and weaken the sealing of the facade accordingly. curtain.

Also, in order to waterproof a construction of this type, several solutions have been proposed so far. For example, connection elements have been proposed between mullion sections and crosspiece sections. Such a connecting element forms an extension of a transom profile and is configured so as to allow the evacuation of moisture accumulated in said transom profile through drainage surfaces of a mullion profile to which the transom profile is connected.

However, if these solutions implementing such connecting elements have certainly made it possible to substantially improve the sealing of a curtain wall, the fact remains that they have disadvantages. Indeed, because of their design, such connecting elements generally require the use of joints cut at the angles formed between the mullion and crosspiece sections. It is then imperative to inject a waterproof mass, such as putty, at the level of the junctions between the cut joints so as to guarantee sufficient sealing. This results in a complicated general implementation, the correct injection of the sealed mass being in particular difficult to control. Alternatively, to do without such a sealed mass, a joint forming a frame is welded in said corners. Nevertheless, such an implementation is restrictive insofar as seals of this type are produced on demand according to the dimensions of the sites, thus opposing a sealing solution which is desired to be the most generic and the most as simple as possible.

In addition, such solutions all have the drawback of bringing into contact, at the level of the intersection zone, elements of different hardness, in particular seals fitted to the crosspiece sections in direct contact with the mullion sections. Such contacts are known not to promote good sealing.

More recently, new sealing systems have been developed. The latter still implement improved connection elements, and associated with seals all substantially identical dimensionally and fixed on mullion and crosspiece sections of particular configurations. According to these configurations, the joints of the transom profiles are only in contact with the joints of the mullion profiles at the level of the intersection zone, which contributes to the improvement of sealing, without making it optimal. Indeed, the contact between two seals is all the more tight as said seals are compressed towards each other. However, the shape of the seals used hitherto does not favor obtaining sufficient compression to achieve optimum sealing, and this especially when the glazed elements are installed bearing against the seals. Furthermore, the compression achieved during the assembly of the curtain wall is altered by deformations of the framework, due to mechanical and thermal stresses experienced over time, as well as by the manufacturing tolerances which remain unavoidable. These new sealing systems are therefore not able to provide optimum long-term sealing. EP 2 787 138 A1 And US 4,283,895 disclose examples of curtain walling.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is defined by the characteristics of claim 1 and its objective is to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular those set out above, by proposing a solution which makes it possible to have a joint of seal for a curtain facade, said seal being adapted to promote excellent compression in the direction of another seal of the same type with which it is intended to be brought into contact at the level of a zone intersection of the curtain wall. Said seal also makes it possible to compensate effectively, over time, for the manufacturing tolerances of the curtain wall that it is intended to equip, as well as the deformations undergone by the structure of said curtain wall. The present invention aims to provide a curtain facade comprising such seals.

In particular embodiments, the seal may also include one or more of the following characteristics, taken separately or in any technically possible combination.

Said deformation means are a curved surface of said contact part, said curved surface extending between a first end common to the lateral junction face and a second end common to the lateral bearing face, so as to present a curvature oriented towards the fixing foot, said curved surface being inclined at least at the level of said first end by a non-zero angle α with respect to the horizontal, in the direction going from the fixing foot towards the contact part.

In a particular embodiment, said second end has the shape of a protruding tab.

Said junction side face is inclined at a non-zero angle θ with respect to the vertical, in the direction going from the support side face towards the junction side face.

In a particular embodiment, said lateral support face comprises a lug so as to form a support part positioned between said fixing foot and said lug, said support part being intended to be arranged in leaktight support against a edge of the drainage surface of the profile.

In a particular embodiment, said seal comprises means for aiding the cutting of said seal along a horizontal plane P positioned between said contact part and said fixing foot.

In a particular embodiment, said cutting aid means are at least one cell extending, in the plane P, over a predetermined distance along the length of said seal.

In a particular embodiment, the seal deprived of its fixing base is made of cellular EPDM foam.

The invention relates to a curtain facade with the characteristics of claim 1.

In particular embodiments, the curtain facade can also include one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations.

In a particular embodiment, the seal of a crosspiece profile extends over a length substantially greater than the length of said crosspiece profile.

In a particular embodiment, each profile comprises two seals cooperating respectively with two fixing grooves arranged on either side of said at least one drainage surface of said profile.

In a particular embodiment, each drainage surface comprises a rim resting on a fixing groove and extending in the direction of the glazed elements, said rim further comprising a return end so as to present an L-shape facing towards said drainage surface, said bearing part of each seal being arranged to bear tightly against the edge of the drainage surface of the profile fitted with said seal, so as to conform to said L-shape

PRESENTATION OF FIGURES

• Figure 1 : une représentation schématique d'un exemple de réalisation d'un tel joint d'étanchéité, et correspondant à une vue dans une section transversale dudit joint d'étanchéité.
• Figure 2 : une représentation schématique d'un exemple de réalisation d'une portion d'une façade rideau, et correspondant à une vue en perspective depuis un point d'observation situé dans un environnement extérieur de ladite façade rideau.
• Figure 3 : une représentation schématique d'un exemple de réalisation d'un profilé de la portion de la figure 2, et correspondant à une vue dans une section transversale dudit profilé.
• Figures 4a et 4b : une représentation schématique d'un exemple de réalisation d'un profilé de meneau relié avec deux profilés de traverse pour former la portion de la figure 2, et correspondent à des vues respectivement regroupée et éclatée de l'assemblage de ces profilés.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the figures 1 to 4b that represent :

• Figure 1 : a schematic representation of an embodiment of such a seal, and corresponding to a view in a cross section of said seal.
• Figure 2 : a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a portion of a curtain facade, and corresponding to a perspective view from an observation point located in an environment outside of said curtain facade.
• Figure 3 : a schematic representation of an embodiment of a section of the portion of the figure 2 , and corresponding to a view in a cross section of said profile.
• Figures 4a and 4b : a schematic representation of an example production of a mullion section connected with two crosspiece sections to form the portion of the figure 2 , and correspond to grouped and exploded views respectively of the assembly of these sections.

In these figures, identical references from one figure to another designate identical or similar elements. For clarity, items shown are not to scale unless otherwise noted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention finds its place in the field of the construction of curtain walls for buildings, such as for example a building comprising housing or offices, and more particularly finds an application in the protection of such curtain walls against projections of water (or any other liquid) and moisture resulting from such splashes.

There figure 1 schematically represents an exemplary embodiment of such a seal 100, and corresponds to a view in a cross section of said seal 100. In addition, the seal 100 as shown in the figure 1 is at rest, i.e. it is not deformed by any compressive force.

Said seal 100 extends along a longitudinal axis, and along a predetermined length, between two ends which respectively have a cross section conforming to that illustrated in the figure 1 . By “transverse”, reference is therefore made here and for the rest of the description to a section along a plane normal to said longitudinal axis.

The curtain facade with which the seal 100 is intended to cooperate comprises a framework formed by assembling mullion sections with crosspiece sections, said framework supporting glazed elements of said curtain façade. Each profile comprises, in a manner known to those skilled in the art, a fixing groove as well as a drainage surface. Such a geometric and mechanical configuration of the curtain wall is described in more detail later.

The seal 100 includes a fixing foot 110 intended to cooperate with a fixing groove of a profile. As shown on the figure 1 in no way limiting, said fixing foot 110 has an end taking the form of a mushroom with an inverted head and extending from a base which forms a face of the seal. The fixing foot 110 is also sized so that it can be clipped into the fixing groove of the profile, thus maintaining the seal 100 in a fixed position on the profile. It should be noted that said section with which the seal 100 is intended to cooperate can equally well be a mullion section or a cross section.

Nothing excludes however, according to other examples not detailed here, to have a fixing foot 110 of different shape (rectangular, square, triangular, etc...) since it is adapted to make cooperate in a way fixes the seal 100 with the fixing groove of a profile.

The seal 100 is conventionally formed by extrusion, along its longitudinal axis, of extensible polymer materials, typically synthetic rubber. In a preferred embodiment, the seal 100 deprived of its fixing foot 110 is made of cellular EPDM (acronym for the ethylene-propylene-diene monomer formulation) foam. It is noted that the part of the joint 100 corresponding to the joint deprived of its fixing foot 110 forms an active part. By "active part", reference is made here to a part intended to undergo mechanical stresses, for example following a support exerted by a glazed element or even another contiguous seal, as well as configured, both in terms of shape and of materials used, to compensate for these constraints. The fixing foot 110, for its part, is for example made of compact EPDM material, which advantageously makes it possible to stiffen the seal 100 at the level of said fixing foot 110. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art knows produce a seal 100 consisting of materials having different respective densities. Alternatively, the seal 100 in its entirety is for example made of cellular EPDM foam.

The seal 100 has an outer surface comprising a contact part 120 opposite said fixing foot 110 and intended to support a glazed element. More particularly, such a glazed element is planar in shape and is pressed, during the assembly of the curtain facade, against said contact part 120 which therefore crushes under the effect of this cladding due to the materials used for the realization of the seal 100, in particular its active part. The contact part 120 then tends to match the flat shape of the glazed element when the latter exerts a pressure directed from said contact part 120 towards the fixing foot 110.

Said external surface comprises a lateral face, called junction 130, connecting said contact part 120 to said fixing foot 110. Furthermore, the external surface also comprises a lateral face, called support 140, connecting said contact part 120 to said fixing foot 110 and opposite to said lateral junction face 130, said lateral support face 140 being intended to be arranged on the side of a drainage surface of the profile. As shown on the figure 1 in no way limiting, said side faces 130, 140 are substantially parallel when the seal 100 is at rest.

For the rest of the description, the notions of upper, lower, above, below, high, low, horizontal and vertical are defined with respect to the relative position of the fixing foot 110 with said contact part 120. Thus, the direction according to an axis connecting the fixing foot 110 to the contact part 120 is said to be vertical, the horizontal direction being for its part orthogonal to the vertical direction. In this way, the contact part 120 and the fixing foot 110 are arranged respectively at the upper level and at the lower level of the seal 100. In addition, the face of the seal 100 from which extends the fixing foot 110 is called the underside 150.

The seal 100 comprises deformation means configured to extend substantially horizontally, in a cross section of said seal 100, said contact portion 120 at least in the direction going from the lateral bearing face 140 towards the lateral junction 130, when a pressure, substantially directed from said contact part 120 towards said fixing foot 110, is exerted on said contact part 120. It is noted that the term “extend” here has the same meaning as the term "stretch", so that the use of this or that term should not create confusion.

Such deformation means thus make it possible to increase horizontally, by elastic deformation, the surface of the contact part 120, this deformation occurring, when said pressure is exerted, essentially at the upper level of the seal 100, namely its contact part 120. It should nevertheless be noted that due to its elastic composition, the active part of the seal 100, located beyond the contact part 120, is also likely to extend locally horizontally when said pressure is exercised. This being the case, the deformation means advantageously allow the deformation undergone by the contact part 120 to be substantially greater, in terms of horizontal distance, than that undergone by the rest of the active part of the seal 100.

Such a configuration then makes it possible to obtain excellent sealing at the level of an intersection zone between a mullion section and a crosspiece section of the curtain wall, even more particularly in an interior corner of this zone in contact with a glazed element. Indeed, by stretching in this way, the seal 100 will be all the more compressed when faced with an obstacle located in its direction of stretching. Therefore, it is understood that if this obstacle is another seal, the compression between these two seals is greatly accentuated due to said deformation means.

In addition, the deformation of the seal 100 also makes it possible to advantageously compensate for the manufacturing tolerances of the curtain wall that it is intended to equip, more specifically the dimensional tolerances of the mullion and transom profiles. This is further reinforced when the gasket is fixed to a mullion profile so as to be in contact with another seal fixed to a transom profile. Indeed, the relative movements of these two seals due to the compression generated by the deformation means make it possible to minimize the possible assembly deviations which could result from manufacturing errors, which in general can be of the order of a few millimeters in regarding the profiles of the facade.

It should be noted that this ability to compensate for manufacturing tolerances makes it possible in the same way to compensate for the deformations that the framework of the facade is liable to undergo during its life cycle, for example deformations resulting from mechanical stresses and/or strong thermals (exposure to high temperatures, etc.). Here again, the deformation of the seal 100, and above all the fact that it is intended to be fixed in strong compression against another seal, means that it can be additionally subjected to the stresses acting on the facade without that the excellent sealing quality initially obtained is not compromised over time.

In a particular embodiment, illustrated by the figure 1 in no way limiting, said deformation means are a curved surface of said contact part 120. Said curved surface extends between a first end 121 common to the side face of junction 130 and a second end 122 common to the side face of support 140, so as to present a curvature oriented towards the fixing foot 110. By "curvature oriented towards the fixing foot 110", reference is made here to the fact that the curved surface has a curvature whose center of curvature is outside to the seal 100. In other words, the contact part 120 thus shaped hollows the external surface towards the fixing foot 110. Thus, when the seal 100 is observed along its longitudinal axis, in a cross section such than that shown on the figure 1 , that is to say with the fixing foot 110 below the contact part 120, said contact part 120 is seen as a convex curve.

It should be noted that the contact part 120 has such a domed surface only when the seal 100 is at rest. Thus, in view of the fact that the contact part 120 is intended to match the flat surface of the glazed element provided to bear on the latter, it is understood that the configuration of said contact part 120 not only aims for a horizontal stretch but also flattening along the stretch direction. Such flattening promotes better sealing at the level of contact with the glazed element.

Furthermore, said curved surface is inclined at least at the level of said first end 121 by a non-zero angle α with respect to the horizontal, in the direction going from the fixing foot 110 towards the contact part 120. The inclination of such a slope is adapted so that the contact part 120 stretches in priority horizontally, in the direction going from the lateral face support 140 towards the lateral junction face 130. For example, the angle α is included in the interval [15°, 35°] with respect to the horizontal (the horizontal and the inclination of the slope are shown in dotted lines on the figure 1 ), for example more particularly a value of 25°. As illustrated in the figure 1 , due to the presence of such an inclination, said first end 121 is in the form of a point pointing upwards. Such a configuration thus allows the seal 100, when it is compressed and fixed on a profile of the curtain wall, to stretch first of all towards the outside of said profile.

In a more particular embodiment, said second end 122 has the shape of a protruding tongue. As shown on the figure 1 , said tab is substantially directed in the direction going from the lateral junction face 130 towards the lateral support face 140, said tab being further inclined with respect to the horizontal so as to point upwards and extend to the -beyond the lateral support face 140 according to a predetermined distance. Such a configuration of the second end 122 allows the contact part 120, when it is subjected to a pressure directed from said contact part 120 towards the fixing foot 110, to extend horizontally also in the direction going from the lateral face of junction 130 towards the lateral face of support 140. This is particularly advantageous when the seal 100 is fixed on a profile, because then said tab 122 makes it possible to narrow an air space located between the glazed element and the drainage surface, thereby slowing the passage of moisture from an external environment to said profile.

However, nothing excludes having a different configuration of the curved surface of the contact part 120, since the latter firstly allows the contact part 120 to be stretched horizontally in the direction going from the side face of the support 140 towards the junction side face 130. For example, the curved surface may have a horizontal slope at the level of the second end 122 so that the support side face 140 is substantially perpendicular to the contact part 120 at the level of said second end 122.

In a preferred embodiment illustrated by the figure 1 in no way limiting, said junction side face 130 is inclined at a non-zero angle θ relative to the vertical, in the direction going from the support side face 140 towards the junction side face 130. For example, said angle θ has a value comprised in the interval [2°, 10°] when the seal 100 is not deformed (the vertical and the inclination of the lateral face of the junction are shown in dotted lines on the figure 1 ), for example more particularly a value of 3.5°.

Thus, when the gasket 100 is fixed to a profile of the curtain wall, the lateral junction face 130 leans outwards, beyond a frame forming said profile. Such a configuration is particularly advantageous when it is combined with the means for deforming the seal 100. Indeed, the inclination of the lateral junction face 130 allows, in itself, when the seal 100 is fixed on a mullion profile, to favor contact of the upper part of said joint 100 with another joint of a cross member profile connected to said mullion profile. The fact of thus ensuring a contact in a priority manner at the level of the upper part of the seal 100 contributes to securing in the very first place, from the point of view of sealing, a contact of joint to joint between mullion and transom , this type of contact being an area known to be critical from the point of view of sealing. Furthermore, it is also understood that due to the elastic composition of the seal 100, the angle θ increases when the seal 100 is compressed from the contact part 120 towards the fixing foot 110. This allows to favor even more a contact at the upper level of the seal 100.

If the deformation means alone contribute to obtaining excellent sealing, it is understood that the combination of these means with an inclined junction side face 130 according to the invention contributes to obtaining optimum sealing. Indeed, once a joint of a mullion section has come into contact with a cross section of a crosspiece joint, via the lateral junction face 130 of said mullion joint, the deformation means will allow, pressure of the glazed element on the joints, that the joint of the mullion profile extends towards the joint of the crosses so as to increase the compression at their contact. The contact is then sealed by this increase in the level of compression.

It is noted that according to this preferred embodiment, and as illustrated in the figure 1 in no way limiting, the junction side face 130 is flat. This is an advantageous configuration when the seal 100 equips a mullion section and is brought into contact with a seal of the same type of a cross section. Indeed, as explained above, when contact is established between these two joints, the reinforced compression obtained by the deformation means initially brings the joint of the mullion profile closer to the joint of the crosspiece profile at the level of the part top of the mullion seal. As the compression increases, and in a second step, the flat surface of the mullion joint also approaches the joint of the transom profile to end up pressing against the cross section of the latter, thus limiting any risk. moisture infiltration.

Nothing excludes however, according to other examples not detailed here, having other values for the angle θ. In particular, nothing excludes either that the lateral junction face 130 is horizontal, that is to say that the angle θ is zero, in which case, only the means of deformation of the seal 100 participate in the substantial bringing together (and therefore compression) of the joint towards another joint of the facade.

In a particular embodiment illustrated by the figure 1 in no way limiting, said lateral support face 140 comprises a lug 141 so as to form a support part 142 positioned between said fixing foot 110 and said lug 141, said support part 142 being intended to be arranged in waterproof support against an edge of the drainage surface of the profile. As explained later, such a rim of the drainage surface is in particular configured so that hardware elements cooperate with the drainage surface. The lug 141 of the lateral support face 140 extends for example substantially normally to the lateral support face 140. In this way, when the rim of the drainage surface is configured substantially in the shape of an L, the part support 142 matches the shape of the rim, said lug 141 resting in tight support on a branch of the L. In addition, when the seal 100 is compressed from top to bottom, for example during the installation of a glazed element in support, the deformation of the active part of the seal 100 tends to compress said support part 142 against the rim, thus reinforcing the seal at this point. This tightness is also further reinforced by the mutual compression exerted between a mullion profile joint and a cross member profile joint as explained in detail above.

In a particular embodiment, the seal 100 comprises means for aiding the cutting of said seal 100 along a horizontal plane P positioned between said contact part 120 and said fixing foot 110. Such means advantageously allow easy cutting of the seal 100 in said plane P so as to be able to remove a mass from said seal 100 (the plane P is shown in dotted lines in the figure 1 ). It is in fact understood that when a mass of substantially parallelepipedic shape must be removed from the seal 100, from the contact part 120, it is first necessary to cut the seal 100, over a distance allowing said cutting aid means, along substantially parallel cross sections. The respective executions of such notches are easy insofar as they are made from the contact part 120 which is directly accessible. Once these notches have been made, the final cutting of the mass takes place at the level of the plane P which is less accessible than the contact part 120 insofar as it extends into an internal volume of the seal. 100, said internal volume being delimited by the external surface. Thus, said cutting aid means make it possible to cut the seal 100 more easily and more quickly at the level of the plane P.

For example, said cutting aid means are at least one cell 170 extending, in the plane P, over a predetermined distance along the length of said seal 100. Thus, taking the form of a cell 170, said cutting aid means constitute a targeted recess of the seal 100 at the level of the plane P, which facilitates cutting due to a reduction in the resistance encountered against the elastic mass, and allows thus a clear and rapid execution in a privileged direction. In the example of the figure 1 , the seal 100 comprises four contiguous cells 170 extending in the plane P along the longitudinal axis of said seal. However, according to other examples not detailed here, nothing excludes having a different number of cells. There is also nothing to exclude having cells extending in the plane P in a different way, for example normally to the longitudinal axis of the seal 100, that is to say along an axis going from the junction side face 130 to the support side face 140.

The invention relates to a curtain facade comprising seals. There figure 2 schematically represents an embodiment of a portion 200 of a curtain facade, and corresponds to a perspective view from an observation point located in an external environment 10 of said curtain facade 200.

The curtain wall comprises a frame formed by assembling mullion sections 210 with crosspiece sections 220, said frame supporting glazed elements 300 of said curtain wall. Said profiles 210, 220 are conventionally made by extrusion, for example from aluminum material. In addition, according to a preferred embodiment illustrated by the figure 2 , said mullion 210 and crosspiece 220 profiles are identical, which contributes to facilitating and accelerating the production of the elements necessary for the construction of the curtain wall.

It should be noted that the framework of the curtain wall is for example assembled even before being delivered to the site, or for example still delivered to the site in separate parts to be assembled on site. Conventionally, the curtain facade thus formed separates the exterior environment 10 from an interior environment 20 (offices, living spaces, etc.) intended to accommodate people.

There picture 3 schematically represents an embodiment of a section of the portion 200 of the picture 2 , and corresponds to a view in a cross section of said profile.

As indicated above, the mullion 210 and crosspiece 220 sections used to form the framework of the figure 2 are identical to each other. There picture 3 therefore illustrates a mullion section 210, but it is easy to understand that the reference sign "210" of the picture 3 can be replaced by the reference sign "220" without this causing any confusion. In addition, for the rest of the description, the use of the term "profile" without it being specified whether it is a mullion profile or a cross member profile refers indiscriminately to one of these two types of profiles.

It should nevertheless be noted that this way of forming the framework is in no way limiting, the profiles of mullions and crosspieces may differ provided that the other characteristics set out below are respected.

For the rest of the description, the length of a profile 210, 220 then corresponds to the dimension of said profile 210, 220 counted along the axis normal to the cross section as illustrated in the picture 3 .

Each profile 210, 220 comprises along its length at least one fixing groove 230 as well as at least one drainage surface 240. Such a configuration is known to those skilled in the art.

In a particular embodiment, illustrated by the picture 3 in no way limiting, each profile 210, 220 comprises two fixing grooves 230 arranged on either side of said at least one drainage surface 240 of said profile 210, 220. Each fixing groove 230 comprises two side faces 231, 232 interconnected by a base so as to have a general U-shape. One 231 of said side faces extends a face of the profile 210, 220 intended to be normal to the glazed elements 300. The other side face 232 of the fixing groove 230 is in turn resting against one end of the drainage surface 240, so that this other side face 232 is substantially normal to said drainage surface 240.

In a more particular embodiment, the profile 210, 220 comprises a retaining groove 250 configured to receive a retaining element, such as for example a screw 251, said retaining element 251 making it possible to connect the profile 210, 220 in a fixed manner to an outer cover 400 so that the glazed elements 300 are held between said outer cover 400 and said profile 210, 220. For example, and as illustrated by the picture 3 , the two fixing grooves 230 are interconnected by a surface from which extends normally, in the direction of the glazed elements 300, said holding groove 250. In this way, said surface is separated into two parts which respectively form two drainage surfaces 240.

Each profile 210, 220 is equipped with at least one seal 100, so that the contact part 120 of a seal 100 is deformed by compression exerted by a glazed element 300. As explained above , a seal 100 is fixedly arranged in a fixing groove 230 of a profile 210, 220 by inserting the fixing foot 110 of said seal 100. For example, and as illustrated in the picture 3 , each profile 210, 220 comprises two seals 100 cooperating respectively with two fixing grooves 230 arranged on either side of said at least one drainage surface 240 of said profile 210, 220. The fixing foot 110 of a seal 100 is inserted by clipping between the side faces 231, 232 of a U-shaped fixing groove 230.

Nothing excludes however, according to others not detailed here, that each section includes two seals, one of said two seals of conventional configuration known up to now to those skilled in the art. It is however noted that the implementation for each profile of two seals according to the invention advantageously makes it possible to obtain optimum sealing at the level of each glazed element.

THE figures 4a and 4b schematically represent an embodiment of a mullion section 210 connected with two crosspiece sections 220 to form the portion 200 of the picture 2 , and correspond to respectively grouped and exploded views of the assembly of these sections 210, 220.

Each crosspiece profile 220 is connected in a substantially orthogonal manner to at least one mullion profile 210 by means of a connector 221 fixedly mounted at one connecting end 222 of said crosspiece profile 220, so as to extend said at least a drainage surface 240 of said cross-piece profile 230, said connecting end 222 then resting against said mullion profile 210. Such a connector 221 is fixedly connected to a cross-piece profile 220 in a manner known per se, for example by means of 'a screw. Such a connector 220 is known per se, and for example conforms to the connector described in the document EP2787138 . The connecting end 222 of a cross member profile corresponds to a cross section of said crosspiece profile 220 as illustrated for example in the picture 3 . It is also noted that when the crosspiece section 220 includes a retaining groove 250 as described above, the connector 221 is also advantageously configured to extend said retaining groove 250.

Thus assembled, said framework forms a frame of the grid type. Each mullion section 210 is then connected to one or two crosspiece sections 220 depending on whether said mullion section 210 is arranged on the edge or not of said grid. It is also noted that in addition to the implementation of connectors 221, it is also possible to use, in a manner known per se, retaining pins to connect the mullion 210 and crosspiece 220 sections to each other.

As shown on the figure 2 , the facade portion 200 comprises a mullion section 210 substantially normal to the ground plane (not shown in the figures), two crosspiece sections 220 being further connected to said mullion section 210 on either side of the latter of so that said portion 200 has a cross shape delimiting four quadrants equipped with glazed elements 300.

Said glazed elements 300 are panels of rectangular shape, each panel forming for example double glazing. A first pane then faces the outside environment 10, while a second pane, separated from the first pane by an air gap, faces the inside environment 20. The assembly of a crosspiece profile 220 with a mullion profile 210, on the inside, delimits so-called intersection zones 500 representative of the most vulnerable spaces in terms of sealing for the curtain wall. Such intersection zones 500 are for example illustrated on the figure 4b (dashed circles).

Furthermore, for the configuration of the curtain facade, a seal 100 of a crosspiece profile 220 extends over at least the entire length of said crosspiece profile 220, so as to be in exclusive contact with a seal 100 of mullion profile 210. By “exclusive contact”, and as illustrated in the figure 4b , reference is made here to the fact that a joint 100 fitted to a crosspiece profile 220 has no point of contact with the very rigid structure (for example made of aluminum) of the mullion profile 210 with which said transom profile 220 is connected. The fact of having such an exclusive joint-to-joint contact is advantageous because it makes it possible to avoid multiple contacts between materials of different constitutions at the level of the connecting end 222 of the crosspiece profile 220, for example contacts between a gasket and aluminum. Indeed, such multiple contacts are known to be a limiting factor in sealing performance in the intersection area 500.

In order to obtain such exclusive contact, the seals 100 of the mullion 210 and of the crosspiece 220 are for example configured so that they have respective side junction faces 130 of substantially identical dimensions. For example, with reference to figure 1 And 3 , the vertical heights of the seals 100, at their respective side junction faces 130, are identical.

It is also noted that the fact that the seal 100 of a crosspiece profile 220 extends over at least the entire length of the crosspiece profile 220 allows said seal 100 to have a cross section which, at a minimum, flush with a connecting end 222 of said crosspiece profile 220. Such a configuration makes it possible to engage the contact with the seal 100 located opposite on the mullion profile 210 connected to said crosspiece profile 220. Insofar as the contact part 120 of the mullion seal 210 is stretched due to the support provided by the glazed element 300, it is understood that the two seals 100 come into contact by compressing each other at the level of the intersection zone 500. A such compression is moreover accentuated when at least the lateral junction face 130 of the joint 100 of the mullion profile 210 is inclined by a non-zero angle θ, as explained above in detail.

In a particular embodiment, a seal 100 of a crosspiece section 220 extends over a distance substantially greater than the length of the crosspiece section 220. For example, the difference in length between the seal 100 and the crosspiece profile 220 is of the order of a few centimeters, for example a difference comprised in the interval [1cm, 3cm], for example more particularly 2cm. Such a configuration allows the joint 100 of the crosspiece profile 220 to extend slightly beyond the fixing end 222 of said crosspiece profile 220, so as to bring the end of the joint 100 of the transom even closer to the contact portion 120 of the mullion joint. Thus, the mutual compression obtained between the crosspiece joint and the mullion joint is further advantageously reinforced.

In addition, each seal 100 of a mullion profile 210 includes a notch 160 configured to cooperate, in compression along said seal 100, with the connector 221 connecting said mullion profile 210 to a cross member profile. 220. Such a notch 160 therefore forms a recess in which the connector 221 is housed so as to be in contact with the entire surface of said notch 160. It is important to note that by "notch", reference is made here to a part recessed which does not entirely cross the seal 100. In other words, the mullion seal comprising such a notch 160 remains in one piece.

For example, and as illustrated in the figures 4a and 4b , said notch 160 is substantially U-shaped, so that it corresponds to the release of a substantially parallelepipedic mass from the joint 100 of the mullion section 210. It is for example obtained by transverse cuts in the joint 100 of the mullion 210, then by cutting along a plane P (said plane P is horizontal with reference to the figure 1 ). To this end, when the joint 100 of the mullion section 210 comprises cutting aid means, the production of the notch 160 is facilitated. In addition, the cutout along said plane P defines a base of the notch against which the connector 221 is arranged. More particularly, the connector 221 is pressed against said base so as to compress it, which advantageously contributes to increasing the sealing at the level of the contact between the connector 221 and the base.

In addition, the fact that the notch 160 is configured to cooperate with the connector 221 in compression along said seal 100 also makes it possible to obtain an excellent seal at the level of the contacts established between the connector 221 and the surface of the notch 160 which is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the seal 100. For example, and as illustrated in the figure 4a , the base of the notch 160 connects two cross sections of the seal 100 of the mullion section 210. The connector 221 then cooperates with the notch 160 so as to be in sealed contact with said two cross sections. For example, the length of the base, counted in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the seal 100, is substantially less (for example by a few millimeters, typically 5mm to 10mm) than the dimension of the connector 221 along this same axis. In this way, the connector 221 is held in the notch 160 by compression between said cross sections of the gasket 100.

In a preferred embodiment, illustrated by the picture 3 in no way limiting, when the lateral bearing face 140 of each seal 100 comprises a lug 141 as described above (see figure 1 ), each drainage surface 240 comprises a rim 241 resting on a fixing groove 232 and extending in the direction of the glazed elements 300, said rim 241 further comprising a return end so as to present an L-shape facing towards said drainage surface 240. Said bearing part 142 of each seal 100 is arranged to bear tightly against the edge 241 of the drainage surface 240 of the profile equipped with said seal 100, so as to conform to said L-shape In other words, the support part 142 also has an L-shape thanks to the presence of the lug 141. As explained above, the fact that the support part 142 of the joint 100 comprises a lug 141 so to cooperate with the L-shape of said rim 241 makes it possible to increase the seal at the level of the support of the seal 100 with the drainage surface 240. Indeed, if the rim does not include a return and if the part of support does not have a lug, moisture could infiltrate between the support part and the rim.

It is noted that such a configuration of the rim 241 of the drainage surface 240 advantageously allows the cooperation of hardware elements which are thus kept fixed with the profile 210, 220 at the level of the drainage surface 240. For example, said elements hardware are glazing support plates, fixed to the crosspiece profiles 220 and substantially normal to the drainage surfaces 240 of these profiles.

The above description clearly illustrates that through its various characteristics and their advantages, the present invention achieves the objectives that it had set itself. In particular, a curtain facade fitted with seals according to the invention has optimum and long-lasting sealing performance, said seals also making it possible to effectively compensate, during the time, the manufacturing tolerances of said curtain wall, as well as the deformations undergone.

Claims (8)

1. Curtain facade including a frame formed by assembling mullion profiles (210) with transom profiles (220), said frame supporting glazed elements (300) of said curtain facade, so that:

   - each profile (210, 220) comprises along its length at least one fixing groove (230) as well as at least one drainage surface (240),

   - each transom profile (220) is substantially orthogonally connected to at least one mullion profile (210) by means of a connector (221) fixedly mounted at one connecting end (222) of said transom profile (220), so as to extend said at least one drainage surface (240) of said transom profile (220), said connecting end (222) then resting against said mullion profile (210),

   - each profile (210, 220) is equipped with at least one seal (100) so that the contact portion (120) of a seal (100) is deformed by compression exerted by a glazed element (300), each seal (100) including a fixing foot (110) intended to cooperate with the fixing groove (230) of a profile (210, 220), as well as an external surface comprising:

   ∘ a contact portion (120) opposite said fixing foot (110) and intended to bearingly receive a glazed element (300),

   ∘ a lateral face, called junction (130) face, connecting said contact portion (120) to said fixing foot (110),

   ∘ a lateral face, called bearing (140) face, connecting said contact portion (120) to said fixing foot (110) and opposite to said lateral junction face (130), said lateral bearing face (140) being intended to be arranged on the side of the drainage surface (240) of the profile (210, 220),

   an axis connecting the fixing foot (110) to the contact portion (120) defining a vertical direction, and a horizontal direction being defined as orthogonal to said vertical direction,

   each seal (100) including deformation means configured, in a cross section of said seal (100), to stretch, substantially horizontally along an axis orthogonal to the axis connecting the fixing foot (110) to the contact portion (120), said contact portion (120) at least in the direction from the lateral bearing face (140) towards the lateral junction face (130), when a pressure, substantially directed from said contact portion (120) towards said fixing foot (110), is exerted on said contact portion (120),

   said deformation means being a curved surface of said contact portion (120), said curved surface extending between a first end (121) common to the lateral junction face (130) and a second end (122) common to the lateral bearing face (140), so as to have a curvature oriented towards the fixing foot (110), said curved surface being inclined at least at said first end (121) by a non-zero angle α with respect to the horizontal, in the direction from the fixing foot (110) towards the contact portion (120),

   said lateral junction face (130) being inclined at a non-zero angle θ relative to the vertical, in the direction from the lateral bearing face (140) towards the lateral junction face (130),

   - a seal (100) of a transom profile (220) extends over at least the entire length of said transom profile (220), so as to be in exclusive contact with a joint (100) of the mullion profile (210),

   - each seal (100) of a mullion profile (210) includes a notch (160) configured to cooperate, in compression along said seal (100), with the connector (221) connecting said mullion profile (210) to a transom profile (220).
2. Curtain facade according to claim 1, characterised in that the seal (100) of a transom profile (220) extends over a length substantially greater than the length of said transom profile (220).
3. Curtain facade according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that each profile (210, 220) includes two seals (100) cooperating respectively with two fixing grooves (230) arranged on either side of said at least one drainage surface (240) of said profile (210, 220).
4. Curtain facade according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that, when said lateral bearing face (140) of each seal (100) includes a lug (141) so as to form a bearing portion (142) positioned between said fixing foot (110) and said lug (141), each drainage surface (240) includes a rim (241) bearing on a fixing groove (230) and extending in the direction of the glazed elements (300), said rim (241) comprising a return end so as to have an L-shape facing said drainage surface (240), said bearing portion (142) of each seal (100) being sealingly borne against the rim (241) of the drainage surface (240) of the profile equipped with said seal (100), so as to match said L-shape.
5. Curtain facade according to claim 1, characterised in that said second end (122) of a seal has the shape of a protruding tab.
6. Curtain facade according to claim 1, characterised in that a seal includes means for aiding the cutting of said seal along a horizontal plane P positioned between said contact portion (120) and said fixing foot (110).
7. Curtain facade according to claim 6, characterised in that said cutting aid means are at least one cell (170) extending, in the plane P, over a predetermined distance along the length of said seal (100).
8. Curtain facade according to claim 1, characterised in that a seal (100) deprived of its fixing foot (110) is made of cellular EPDM foam.

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