GB2098647A - Insulating frame member for doors and windows - Google Patents

Abstract

An elongate frame element (10) for a metal window or door frame having a mounting flange (14) on which the frame element (10) is slidably mounted is made of plastics material and is hollow, and presents a planar inwardly facing surface which will overlie the interior side of the metal frame, thereby to provide thermal insulation for the internal side of the metal frame as to minimise the transfer of heat through the metal frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Thermally insulative frame element for use in composite window section This invention relates to a frame element which is intended to form a part of a framework for use in a building, and is particularly, though not exclusively, concerned with a frame element which will form an internal part of a composite window frame.

The use of aluminium window sections is rapidly becoming accepted in the building industryforwin- dow and door frames, both as original equipment and also in the replacement market and double glazing systems.

Aluminium sections have the advantage of being very resistant to corrosion, lightweight, and pleasing in appearance. However, as compared with traditional wooden framing, aluminium has the disadvantage that it is a good conductor of heat, and therefore external cold is more readily transferred to the interior of a room via an aluminium window frame than a conventional wooden frame. This can give rise to condensation on the cold internal faces of an aluminium frame.

Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a means whereby the advantages of aluminium sections may be retained, while overcoming the disadvantage just mentioned and still maintaining a visu ally pleasing design for the user.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a frame element which is adapted for mounting on a metal window or doorframe member having a mounting flange for the frame element, in which the frame element is made of plastics material and is shaped so as to be capable of slidable mounting on said flange, said frame element being hollow, and generally elongate, and presenting, in use, an inwardly facing planar surface which overlies the mounting flange.

The use of plastics material in the manufacture of the frame element, in conjunction with the hollow construction, provides a thermally insulative element which is placed on the inwardly facing part of the metal frame member so as to minimise transfer of cold from outside, thereby reducing the risks of condensations forming on the composite frame formed by the metal frame member and the plastics frame element.

The frame element is readily moulded, e.g. by extrusion, in plastics material (preferable white plastics), and provides a visually acceptable product for a customer.

The window frames or sections on which the frame element can be mounted can comprise any standard aluminium section, provided that a suitable mounting flange is provided on the section, and the composite window frame formed thereby may comprise a window frame as original equipment, a "replacement window frame", or a secondarydou- ble glazing frame e.g. for application to an existing window frame.

The frame element may be of generally rectangular hollow shape, as seen in section, and one of the longer limbs of the rectangular shape will form the planar surface facing the interior of a building, and the other of the limbs may be provided with a longitudinal, generally T-shaped in cross-section, groove into which the flange of the frame member is received. This limb may also have a similar, but smaller groove in which a conventional elongate sealing brush element can be received.

The T-shaped groove for the flange is preferably formed, at discrete regions along the surface engaged by the flange, with shearable pips or the like. This enables the flange to enter and make a tight fit with the frame element, regardless of any small variations in permitted tolerances for the frame member (usually formed as an aluminium extrusion) and the frame element (usually formed also by extrusion). This will enable a satisfactory composite window frame to be formed, even when the extrusion dies become a little worn.

The frame element according to the invention is also applicable to form part of a composite frame for a glazed door.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a window or doorframe including a metal frame member which is adapted to mount a single or double glazed unit and having a mounting flange arranged on its side which, in use, will be the interior side of the frame, and a frame element made of plastics material which is slidably mounted on said mounting flange, in which the frame element is hollow and generally elongate, and presents in use an inwardly facing planar surface on the interior side of the frame which overlies the mounting flange, whereby the frame element provides thermal insulation for the mounting flange so as to minimise heat transfer through the metal frame member.

One embodiment of frame element according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an illustration, in side elevation, of a number of the frame elements mounted on different constructions of flanged metal window frame members so as to form therewith composite window frames; Figure 2 is a detail view of one of the frame elements; Figure 3 is a detailed illustration of an alternative mode of interengagement between the frame element and a mounting flange of a metal frame member; and Figure 4 illustrates a modified construction of frame element for use with a metal frame member in order to form a composite frame for a glazed door.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a number of frame elements are designated generally by reference numeral 10, and each is mounted slide ably on a flange provided on an aluminium window section. The different types of aluminium section will be readily apparent from the drawing, and are of generally standard form and will therefore not be described in great detail herein.

Each frame element 10 is formed from extruded plastics material, and is of elongate hollow construction. The preferred plastics material from which the frame element 10 is formed is unplasticised P.V.C. and the frame element 10 presents an inwardly face ing planar surface 11 which will normally be on the interior side of a window frame.

As will be evident from Figure 1, the frame ele ment 10 substantially masks from view (and ther mally insulates) the flange and adjacent connecting portions of each aluminium section, and provides a visually pleasing inwardly facing edging for the composite frame formed by the frame element and the metal frame member. Also, by virtue of the construction of the frame element from plastics mater ial, and the hollow construction, a thermally insulative frame element is provided, which acts to minimise the transference of cold from the outside through the metal frame to the interior of a building.

The frame element 10 is generally rectangular, as seen in end view, and a first long limb forms the inwardly facing planar surface 11, whereas a second long limb 12 is provided with suitable shaping to enable the frame element 10 to be slidably mounted on a flange of a metal frame member. The shaping on the limb 12 comprises the formation of a generallyT-shaped groove into which the flange is slidably received. Taking upper aluminium section 13, by way of example only, internal flange 14 of the section 13 is illustrated in position within the T-shaped groove provided in the back face of the frame element 10. Thus, the frame element 10 overlies, and thermally insulates the only internally exposed surfaces of the metal frame (prior to mounting of the frame element), namely the mounting flanges 14. Therefore, transfer of cold from the exterior via the metal frame is minimised.

As illustrated in Figure 1,there are a number of aluminium frame members, similarto upper section 13, as well as other components normally used in aluminium window frames for single or double glazing. For illustration purposes only, there are shown in Figure 1 a clip-overweather bar30, an outer frame unequal leg 31 of section 13, a vent section 32, a bead section 33, a double glazed sealing unit 34, a front arrowhead gasket 35, a handle assembly 36, a woolpile sealing strip 37, a transome/mullion section 38 and a rearwedge gasket 39.

The construction of the frame element 10 is shown in more detail in Figure 2, from which it will be seen that the limb 12 is provided with a T-shaped groove 15 for the flange 14 by means of an opposed pair of L-shaped locators 16. Additionally, the limb 12 is provided with a similar, but smaller T-shaped groove 17, by means of a pair of L-shaped portions 18. The groove 17 may serve to receive an elongate sealing brush 19 (see Figure 1).

In order to make provision for variation in man ufacturingtolerancesfortheframe element 10 and/orthe aluminium sections, the T-shaped groove 15 is provided, on its surface which engages the flange, with raised formations which can be sheared, to any necessary extent, upon insertion of the flange 14 in the groove. The raised formations may comprise a series of spaced shearable pips 20. As a result, even when the extrusion dies become a little worn, a tight fit can be ensured between the flange and frame element.

As an alternative to the arrangement of the shear able pips 20 on the frame element 10 as shown in Figure 2, the pips may be mounted on the ends of the mounting flanges 14. Thus, referring to the detail illustration in Figure 3, pointed pips40 are provided at spaced intervals along the upper and lower lon gitudinal edges of the frame member 13, which are sharp enough to cut into the parts of the plastics material of the frame element 10 which define the groove 15, so as to make a tight fit This arrangement may also compensate for wear in the extrusion dies, which may cause undue tolerance gaps between the main parts of the mounting flange and the facing surfaces of the T-shaped groove 15 in which the flange is slidably received.

Figure 1 illustrates the different manner by which frame elements 10 can be mounted on the projecting flanges of the horizontal frame members of metal window frames, so as to form composite framing for windows, e.g. single or double glazed window units.

Naturally, the frame elements 10 can be similarly mounted on flanges provided on upright frame members of the window frames. However, the frame element according to the invention is not restricted to use with window frames, and may be applied to other metal frame members for use in buildings.

Thus, having regard to Figure 4, the frame element 10 is illustrated mounted on an aluminium frame member so as to form a composite frame for a glazed door. The frame element is designated generally by reference numeral 21, and is mounted on an aluminium door section 22 in generally similar manner to the mounting of the frame element 10 on the window frame section. However, one difference is that the frame member 22 has a pair of flanges 23, 24, and suitable T-shaped grooves are provided, corresponding in shape to the flanges 23 and 24. As in the frame element 10, shearable pips 25 are provided to ensure a tight fit between the flanges and the respective grooves.

Claims (10)

1. A frame element which is adapted for mounting on a metal window or doorframe member having a mounting flange for the frame element, in which the frame element is made of plastics material and is shaped so as to be capable of slidable mounting on said flange, said frame element being hollow, and generally elongate, and presenting, in use, an inwardly facing planar surface which overlies the mounting flange.

2. A frame element according to claim 1, in which the hollow shape of the element is rectangular, as seen in cross-section, and is formed by first and second opposed long limbs and two shorter transverse limbs, and in which the first limb forms said inwardly facing planar surface and the second limb is provided with a longitudinal groove, generallyT-shaped in cross-section, into which said mounting flange is receivable.

3. A frame element according to claim 2, in which said second limb is formed with a further groove in which an elongate sealing brush element is received.

4. A frame element according to claim 2 or3, in which said T-shaped groove is formed, at discrete regions along the surface engageable by the mounting flange, with shearable pips or the like.

5. A frame element according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

6. A metal window or door frame having a frame member provided with a mounting flange, and a frame element according to any one of the preceding claims slidably mounted on said flange.

7. Awindowordoorframe including a metal frame member which is adapted to mount a single or double glazed unit and having a mounting flange arranged on its side which, in use, will be the interior side of the frame, and a frame element made of plastics material which is slidably mounted on said mounting flange, in which the frame element is hollow and generally elongate, and presents in use an inwardly facing planar surface on the interior side of the frame which overlies the mounting flange, whereby the frame element provides thermal insulation for the mounting flange so asto minimise heat transfer through the metal frame member.

8. A frame according to claim 7 and made-up from a plurality of said metal frame members, each frame member having a respective said frame element slidably mounted thereon.

9. A frame according to claim 7 or 8, in which each frame element includes a T-shaped groove in which the respective mounting flange is slidably received.

10. A frame according to claim 9, in which each mounting flange has spaced pips which engage with the internal surface of the respective groove, to achieve atightfittherebetween, so asto compensate for any tolerances in the fit between the groove and the main part of the mounting flange.