GB2150193A - Secondary glazing of corrugated roof lights - Google Patents

Abstract

A secondary glazing panel 12 for use with established corrugated glazing 11 to provide a double glazed area comprises a main glazing area 13. Two raised corrugated lateral ribs 16 and 17 have corrugations 18, 19 arranged to correspond with the corrugations of sheet 11. Two raised longitudinal ribs 23 and 24 extend along the other edges of the panel and are each aligned with troughs in the corrugated lateral ribs so that in use they are aligned with downward projections of the sheet 11. The main glazing area has stiffening ribs 14 and 15. Projections such as 25 of rib 23 extend below the level of main glazing area 13 and terminate in flanges such as 27. Secondary panels 12 are secured to the corrugated glazing 11 by adhesives applied to the ribs. Flanges 27 assist in providing sealing between adjacent panels. Self-adhesive pads may hold the secondary glazing panel in position while the sealant/adhesive sets. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Secondary glazing panels The invention relates to secondary glazing panels for use in conjunction with a corrugated glazing surfaceto provide a double glazed area. Many industrial buildings are provided with roof lights constituted by corrugated transparent or translucent sheets of a material such as GRP or PVC. Corrugated glazing areas ofthis kind allow heat to escape from the building and it is desirablethatsuch corrugated glazing should be provided with a secondary glazing panel to improve heat insulation and reduce condensation. A third g lazing surface two provide triple glazing may also be an attractive proposition in some situations.

It has already been proposed to provide factory assembled double glazing panels with a corrugated outer skin and then to install the double unit as a whole when cladding a roof. However, the techniques and panels presently available are notsuitablefor provid- ing secondary glazing for addition to existing corrugated glazing surfaces.

An object of the present invention is to provide a secondary glazing panel which may be used effectively in conjunction with an existing corrugated glazing surface, particularly but not exclusively a nearhorizontal roofing surface.

In accordance with one aspectofthe present invention there is provided a secondary glazing panel for use in conjunction with a corrugated glazing surfaceto provide a doubleglazedarea,the panel comprising a main glazing area, two raised corrugated lateral ribs, one extending adjacent each end edge of the panel and having corrugations which are arranged to engage in corrugations of the corrugated glazing surface, two raised longitudinal ribs, one extending adjacent each side edge of the panel and each being aligned with a trough in the corrugated lateral ribs, all said ribs being such as to enable the panel to engage with the corrugated glazing surface and form a closed space therewith with the main glazing area spaced below the corrugated surface, the panel having lateral extensions beyond the longitudinal ribs extending to a common level below that ofthe main glazing area, at least one ofthe lateral extensions terminating in a laterally extending flange atthe common level.

Preferably both lateral extensions terminate in flanges at the common level. Preferably the lateral extensions with their rib or ribs together extend sufficiently far to enable the extensions to overlap each otherwhen the longitudinal ribs are engaged with adjacent downward projections ofthe corrugated glazing surface.

Preferably the glazing panel also has longitudinal extensions beyond both lateral ribs and these extensionsextend to the common level. At least one and preferably both ofthe longitudinal extensions may haveflangesatthecommon level.

When flanges are provided around all of the edges a further glazing panel may be attached to the flanges in order to provide (togetherwith the corrugated sheet) a third skin to result in triple glazing.

According to a second aspect ofthe invention there is provided a method of assembling secondary glazing panels as defined above to a corrugated glazing surface including the steps of applying a settablesealant(adhesivealongthe uppersurfacesof the ribs ofthe panel, applying contact adhesive pads to the corrugated ribs at positions offset from the sealantladhesive, engaging the panel in position such that it is held temporarily bythe adhesive pads and allowing the sealantladhesive to set.

An embodiment ofthe invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa diagrammatic pictorial view of a secondary glazing panel in accordance with the present invention, spaced out below part of a corrugated glazing surface with which it isto be used; Figure 2 is a partial sectional view on line ll-ll of figure 1, showing the glazing panel in position with respect to the corrugated glazing surface; and Figure 3 is a scrap perspective view illustrating the method of attachment ofthe secondary glazing panel to the corrugated glazing surface.

Figure 1 shows both an established corrugated glazing surface in the roof of a building represented by corrugated sheet 11 and a secondary glazing panel 12 in accordance with the present invention. The two components are shown separate from each otherfor the purposes of illustration but in practice they are to be broughttogether as will be described subsequently. The secondary glazing panel 12 incorporates a rectangular main glazing area 13which may be enti rely flat but in this case is stiffened bytwo low raised ribs 14 and 15.The main glazing area 13 is bounded at both ends bytwo corrugated lateral ribs 16 and 17.These ribs incorporatetroughssuch as 18 which are raised slightly above the surface of the main glazing area 13 and projections 19which are raised much higherthanthetroughs 18. The configuration of the corrugations constituted by the projections and troughs corresponds to the configuration of the corrugations ofthe sheet 11 such that when the two components are broughttogetherthetroughs 18 receive downward projections 21 of panel 11 while the projections 19 project up into downwardly directed troughs 22. The form ofthe corrugated ribs 16 and 17 should of course be selected to conform to the corrugated glazing surface with which the panel 12 is to be used.

Main glazing area 13 is also bounded by raised longitudinally extending ribs 23 and 24adjacentthe lateral edges of the panel. These ribs 23 and 24 coincide with the outermost troughs of the lateral ribs so thatthese longitudinal ribs 23 and 24 engage with downward projections 21 ofthe sheet 11 when the sheet and panel are broughttogether.

As best seen in figure 2, there are downward projections such as 25 for rib 23 and 26 for rib 16 and these extensions go beyond the level of surface 13.

The extensions such as 25 and 26 carry outwardly directed flanges such as 27,28 and 29 and these flanges are all at a common level, below the level of main glazing area 13 and coincidentwith the lower extremity ofthe extensions such as 25. Some of these flanges are optional as well be explained subse quently.

The method, in accordance with the invention, for assembling the panel 12 to the sheet 11 will now be explained, primarilywith reference to figure 3. First of all, a series of self adhesive pads, of a kind having a thickness of about 1-2 mm andsomeflexibilityas regards this thickness are mounted on the projections 19 of ribs 16 and 17 along the whole ofthe length of these ribs. Next, a sealant is extruded from a suitable dispenser to form a continuous raised line of sealant along the upper surface of four ribs. The sealant chosen is such that it has powerful permanent adhesive properties when set but has sufficient flexibilitytoenableasealedjointto be obtained. The self adhesive pads 29 and extruded adhesive sealant 31 are shown clearly in figure 3.When thus equipped, panel 12 is raised into position and pushed firmly againstthecorrugated panel 11 with the projections of the panel engaged in the corresponding troughs of the sheet. Pads 29 provide sufficient strength of adhesion to hold the panel in position temporarily, while the sealant adhesive sets and provides a permanent sealed joint At this stage, an entirely enclosed space is provided between the corrugated sheet 11 and panel 12. It should be observed that, as best seen in figure 2, the stiffening ribs such as 14coincidewith raised parts ofthesheet 11 sothatasubstantial air gap remains between these ribs and the upper sheet despite the factthatthe ribs 14 are raised to a level which is nearto the level ofthe longitudinal ribs 23 and 24.

In orderto cover a larger area than a single sheet with secondary glazing, several panels such as the panel 12 are employed. These panels are placed side by side against the corrugated glazing surface in such a way that the rib 24 of a second panel engages with thefirstfree downward projection such as 21 adjacent to rib 23 of the first panel. This leaves a space between panels equivalentto a single corrugation ofthe sheet 11 which is not double glazed by the presence ofthe main glazing area 13. The flanges such as 27 are made such that in the situation just described, they overlap and together with the sides ofthe ribs form an area of secondary glazing across the junction between the two panels.

Generally, glazed areas have a substantial width across the corrugations which may require several panels but are of a standard length along the corrugations corresponding to a standard sheet length. Forthis reason it is unlikelythatthere will be a requirementforsealingtwo panels together end to end butthe end flanges 28 and 29 would allowfor such a contingency. In the moretypical case where a single sheet 1 1 and panel 12 spans the whole length of a windowalongthecorrugations,flangessuch as 28 and 29may serve to assist sealing at the endsofthe panels.

Another purposeforthe flanges such as 27 and 29 is thatthey form a flat area belowthe level ofthe main glazing area 13towhich afurtherpanel (not shown) could be applied in orderto provide a third skin and thus triple glazing. In such a case, it is desirable to securethe additional panel in position the flanges in a factory ratherthan to add the additional panel atthe installation site.

The panel 12 is preferably produced byvacuum forming techniques from a flatsheetof PVC. It may be used with a sheet 11 of any material provided a suitable bonding agent is employed.

Claims (8)

1. Asecondaryglazing panel for use in conjunction with a corrugated glazing surface to provide a double glazed area, the panel comprising a main glazing area, two raised corrugated lateral ribs, one extending adjacent each end edge ofthe panel and having corrugations which are arranged to engage in corrugations of the corrugated glazing surface, two raised longitudinal ribs, one extending adjacent each side edge of the panel and each being aligned with a trough in the corrugated lateral ribs, all said ribs being such asto enable the panel to engage with the corrugated glazing surface and form a closed space therewith with the main glazing area spaced below the corrugated surface, the panel having lateral extensions beyond the longitudinal ribs extending to a common level belowthat ofthe main glazing area, at least one ofthe lateral extensions terminating in a laterally extending flange atthe common level.

2. Asecondaryglazing panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein both lateral extensions terminate in flanges at the common level.

3. Asecondaryglazing panel as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the lateral extension with their flange or flanges together extend sufficientlyfarto enable the extensions to overlap each otherwhen the longitudinal ribs are engaged with adjacent downward projections ofthe corrugated glazing surface.

4. Asecondaryglazingpanel as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims wherein the glazing panel also has longitudinal extensions beyond both lateral ribs and these extensions extend to the common level.

5. Asecondaryglazing panel asclaimed in claim 4 wherein at least one ofthe longitudinal extensions has a flange atthe common level.

6. A secondary glazing panel as claimed in claim 5 wherein flanges are provided around all ofthe edges and a further glazing panel is attached to theseflanges in order to provide (together with the corrugated sheet) a third skin to result in triple glazing.

7. A secondary glazing panel substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by figures 1 and 2 ofthe accompanying drawings.

8. A method of assembling secondary glazing panels as claimed in any one of the preceding claims to a corrugated glazing surface includingthesteps of applying asettable sealant'adhesive along the upper surfaces of the ribs of the panel, applying contact adhesive pads to the corrugated ribs at positions offset from the sealantladhesive, engaging the panel in position such that it is held temporarily by the adhesive pads and allowing the sealantladhesive to set.