GB2124689A - Roof light - Google Patents

Abstract

A roof light, shaped as a segment of a circle in cross-section and mounted on a frame bounding a roof aperture, comprises at least two parallel members 3 connected by arcuate members 8, 9, each of which comprises an upper 8 and a lower 9 member with glazing mounted between them. A tensioning means is provided, comprising a base portion 4 joined to the member 3 and with a rocker 7 mounted on it to rotate about a horizontal axis, the upper end of the rocker 7 being in contact with the upper member 8 and the lower end with the lower member 9; tensioning the upper member 8 causes the glazing to be gripped firmly between the members 8, 9. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A roof light shaped as a segment of a circle in cross-section The invention relates to a roof light mounted on a frame bounding a roof aperture.

A roof light of this type is known from German patent specification number 21 33 335. Here the lower arcuate profile has two spaced, parallel central ribs, into which the upper arcuate profile engages with two ribs forming the cross-section of a slit tube.

The ends of the upper and lower arcuate profile lie on the bottom profile. A straining screw is screwed from the bottom profile into the upper arcuate one and draws the front of it towards the bottom profile.

However, the direct contact between the arcuate profiles and the bottom profile represents a cold bridge. Furthermore the inevitably different thermal expansion of the various constructional components can only partly be absorbed or compensated for, so tensions appear, giving rise to considerable clicking noise when they are reduced. A further point is that the known roof light cannot have a multiple shell construction. But above all a satisfactory seal cannot be obtained between the arcuate profiles and the glazing, since the necessary applying pressure of the arcuate profiles normal to the glazing is lacking.

In another known roof light this applying pressure is indeed obtained by screwing the top and bottom arcuate profiles together. However, one has to accept the fact that the screws form cold bridges, and that the roof light is complex and time consuming to assemble.

The problem underlying the invention is to provide a roof light of the above type which retains the advantage of time saving assembly, while being constructed optionally with one or more shells, avoiding cold bridges and ensuring a reliable seal between the arcuate profiles and the glazing.

According to the present invention there is provided a roof light shaped as a segment of a circle in cross-section and mounted on a frame portion bounding a roof aperture, comprising at least two parallel bottom profiles, each arranged on the frame portion and joined at intervals by supporting profile arcs, each of which comprises an upper arcuate profile and a lower arcuate profile, the edges of an at least single shell plastic window made up of individual panes lying between said profiles, and the upper arcuate profile being pretensioned lengthwise by a tensioning means bearing against the bottom profile, said tensioning means comprising a base portion joined to the bottom profile and with a rocker or lever mounted on it to rotate about a horizontal axis, the upper end of the rocker or lever being non-positively connected to the upper arcuate profile and the lower end to the lower arcuate profile, and means for pivoting the rocker or lever in a direction which reduces the distance between the upper and lower arcuate profiles, said means being supported by the base portion.

The basic idea is that, when the roof light has been pre-assembled, the two associated arcuate profiles should be braced against one another by a rocker, so that the distance between them is reduced, leading to compression of the sealing strip or strips inserted between the edges of the profiles and the glazing.

The bracing and displacement of the arcuate profiles relative to one another can be obtained optionally, by a tensile force exerted on the upper profile or a compressive force exerted on the lower one. Since the resultant elongation or compression of the profile material is negligible, in the first case the upper profile will be deformed with an enlargement of its radius of curvature, while in the latter case the lower profile will be deformed with a reduction of its radius of curvature, both leading to the desired reduction in the distance between the profiles.

However, it is preferable to make use of both methods simultaneously. The prerequisite is that the upper profile arc should be fitted a predetermined amount undersize and the upper one a predetermined amount oversize.

A further advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the upper and lower arcuate profiles are no longer directly positively connected.

As a result thermal isolation is considerably improved, a simple multiple shell construction on the modular concept becomes possible, and heat expansion does not build up tensions in the material. The fact that the arcuate profiles are supported on the bottom profile with the bolts, rocker and base portion interposed finally enables virtually complete thermal isolation between the outside and the inside to be obtained even in this fastening region.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 7 is a perspective view of a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a cross-section on a larger scale taken along the line A-A indicated in Figure 1, during pre-assembly; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the portion reproduced in Figure 2, on a larger scale and with the upper arcuate profile left out; Figure 4 is a section similar to that of Figure 2 in the fully mounted state; Figure 5is a section taken along the line B-B indicated in Figure 1; and Figures 6to 9 show four further embodiments, each in a cross-sectional view similar to that of Figure 4.

Figure 1 shows a roof light which is built up on a frame portion 1, e.g. a supporting, which roof light comprises three panels, of which the central one is a ventilating panel. Each panel is formed by a pane of synthetic glass, the curved longitudinal edges of which are held and sealed in profile arcuate members extending between two opposed bottom profiles.

Figure 2 is a larger scale fragmentary section, showing how a profile arcuate member is fixed to the bottom profile, taken along the line A-A indicated in Figure 1. The bottom profile 3 is screwed onto the frame portion 1 with an intervening cover plate 2.

The bottom profile 3 extends beyond the outside of the frame portion 1, and terminates in a substantially semi-circular shell section, on the outer surface of which a base portion 4 bears with a corresponding mating surface. The shape of the base portion 4 can be seen more clearly from Figure 3. The portion 4 is joined to the bottom profile 3 by a screw 5, which extends through a slot 3a in the semi-circular section of the bottom profile 3 and through a bush 5a and wich is provided with a nut 5c. The upper part of the base portion 4 is formed with support members 4a, 4b (see Figure 3) for supporting a bearing bolt 6 on which a rocker 7 is mounted. The function of the rocker 7 is to tension the associated profile arc, comprising an upper arcuate profile 8 and a lower arcuate profile 9.For this purpose the rocker 7 has a recess 7a at the top, for engagement with a bolt 10 seated in two parallel central webs of the upper arcuate profile 8, of which only the web 8a can be seen in Figure 2. A similar bolt 11 is passed through the lower arcuate profile 9 and through the lower end of the rocker 7 through appropriate holes. The position of the rocker 7 can be varied by means of a screw 12 seated in a screw-threaded hole in the base portion 4, the screw 12 being supported against a cam surface 7b formed on the rocker 7. In the pre-mounted state shown in Figure 2 the arcuate profiles 8 and 9 are not yet braced against one another. Their lengths and the holes to receive the bolts 10 and 11 are stipulated so as to allow for the necessary tensioning distance. It will be seen that the upper profile 8 and lower profile 9 are not directly connected to one another.Nor is there any direct connection with the bottom profile 3. This produces very good thermal separation between the outside and the inside, which is further improved by a plastics insulating profile 13 slid over the external part of the bottom profile 3.

Figure 3 is a representative view of the parts shown in Figure 2, but without the upper arcuate profile 8.

Figure 4 shows the fully mounted state, i.e. when the upper arcuate profile 8 and lower arcuate profile 9 have been braced against one another by screwing-in the screw 12. The region of the join between the arcuate profiles and the bottom profile 3 is protected by having a covering profile 14 slid over it, the lower end of the profile 14 engaging positively in the plastics insulating profile 13. A plastic cap 5d is placed over the threaded end of the screw 5. A connecting profile 15 forms the transition between the bottom profile 3 and the roof membrane 16.

Figure 5 is a section through the bottom of the glazing corresponding to the line B-B in Figure 1. The glazing is double, comprising an outer shell 18 and an inner shell 19. The bottom longitudinal edge of the inner shell bears via a bottom spacing profile 20 against the top of the plastics insulating profile 13.

The bottom longitudinal edge of the outer shell 18 rests on the inner shell 19 via a top spacing profile 21. There is an edge seal 22 between the covering profile 14 and the outer shell 18. The curved longitudinal edges of the outer shell and inner shell 19 are clamped between the corresponding edges of the upper arcuate profile 8 and lower arcuate profile 9 by means of a sealing strip 23 and/or a profiled seal 24. When there are large tensioning widths the upper profile 8 and lower profile 9 may be secured against lateral displacement by additional plastics catches 25.

Figures 6 to 9 show other ways of bracing the upper and lower arcuate profiles against one another, to obtain the amount of pressure on the glazing which is necessary to give a perfect seal.

In Figure 6 the lower arcuate profile 9 is screwed directly onto the base portion 4a and the rocker is replaced buy a one-armed lever 17 rotatable about the bolt 11. The upper end of the lever 17 receives a bolt 10 which is simultaneously engaged by a screwthreaded rod 12a via a bracket 26, the screwthreaded rod 12a bearing against the base portion 4a via a nut 12b. So here the upper arcuate profile 8, is pulled against the lower arcuate profile 9, which is at rest.

In Figure 7 embodiment differs from the Figure 6 embodiment only in the fact that, instead of the lower profile 9 being used to mount the one-armed lever 27, a bearing block 4e integral with the base portion 4d is used for the purpose, and the lower arcuate profile 9 is at the same time fixed to the block 4e.

In the embodiments in Figures 8 and 9, on the other hand, the lower profile 9 is pressed against the upper profile 8, which is at rest. In the case of Figure 8 the base portion 4f is provided with an upper bearing block 4g for the purpose and the block 4g has both the rocker in the form of a one-armed lever 37 connected to it and the upper profile 8 fixed to it.

The screw 1 2c is screwed in to tighten the arrangement.

In Figure 9 the position is the same except that there is no bearing block 49 and the upper profile 8 is accordingly screwed directly onto the base portion 4h.

Claims (6)

1. A roof light shaped as a segment of a circle in cross-section and mounted on a frame portion bounding a roof aperture, comprising at least two parallel bottom profiles, each arranged on the frame portion and joined at intervals by supporting profile arcs, each of which comprises an upper arcuate profile and a lower arcuate profile, the edges of an at least single shell plastic window made up of individual panes lying between said profiles, and the upperarcuate profile being pretensioned lengthwise by a tensioning means bearing against the bottom profile, said tensioning means comprising a base portion joined to the bottom profile and with a rocker or lever mounted on it to rotate about a horizontal axis, the upper end of the rocker or lever being non-positively connected to the upper arcuate profile and the lower end to the lower arcuate profile, and means for pivoting the rocker or lever in a direction which reduces the distance between the upper and lower arcuate profiles, said means being supported by the base portion.

2. A roof light as claimed in claim 1, in which the rocker is mounted approximately midway between two spaced bearing blocks provided on the base portion on a bearing bolt, the lower end of the rocker having a hole to receive a bolt extending transverse ly to the longitudinal axis of the lower arcuate profile and joined to the profile, and the upper end of the rocker having an outwardly directed, slot-shaped recess, whereby the rocker engages a further bolt extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the upper arcuate profile and joined thereto.

3. A roof light as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the means for pivoting the rocker or lever comprises a screw pressing against the lower end of the rocker or lever.

4. A roof light as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the means for pivoting the rocker or lever comprises a threaded rod engaging the upper end of the rocker or lever.

5. A roof light as claimed in anyone of claims 2 to 4, in which each of the bolts is seated in holes in two parallel, spaced central limbs of the arcuate profile in question.

6. A roof light shaped as a segment of a circle in cross-section and mounted on a frame portion bounding a roof aperture, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.