GB2166183A

GB2166183A - Extruded plastics door or window member

Info

Publication number: GB2166183A
Application number: GB08526479A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tilo Jager; Armin Tonsmann
Original assignee: Heinz Schuermann and Co
Current assignee: Heinz Schuermann and Co
Priority date: 1984-10-27
Filing date: 1985-10-28
Publication date: 1986-04-30
Also published as: GB8526479D0; DE3439474A1; DE3439474C2; GB2166183B

Abstract

An extruded plastics door or window member has a cover foil glued thereto over its entire area, for decoration or protection and the edges of the cover foil being additionally fixed by welding or by the foil material being formed into the plastics material. A tool to secure the foil is described.

Description

SPECIFICATION Extruded plastics door or window member The invention relates to extruded plastics door or window members with at least one visible surface covered with a cover foil fixed to the extruded member and to a tool for producing such an extruded door or window member.

It has previously been proposed that cover foils be provided on extruded members applied to the visible surfaces thereof, to protect the visible surfaces which are exposed to the weather and to provide a decorative effect. The cover foils were glued to the extruded member, over their entire surface area. In particularthe edge region of the cover foil had to be glued particularly carefully as otherwise moisture penetrated into the layer of glue and the foil became loose. The edge region is normally comparatively narrow as functional grooves are provided in the vicinity of the edges of the extruded member. Consequently, the foil is bent over at a comparatively short distance from the edge, thus giving resilient return forces which make it difficult to stick the cover foil in place in the edge region thereof.For that reason, the adhesive join is often inadequate. Cleaning operations may also contribute to causing the foil to come away from the extruded member if they involve mechanical forces acting on the edge region of the foil.

According to the invention there is provided an extruded plastics door or window member with at least one visible surface provided with a cover foil fixed to the extruded member by adhesive in which, to provide a positive connection, the cover foil is additionally fixed in the region of the free edges thereof by a weld or by forming foil material into the extruded plastics door or window member.

Thus, in simple fashion the join between the foil and the extruded plastics door or window member can be made particularly strong in the region of the edges of the foil.

A tool for producing an extruded door or window member according to the invention may comprise a heatable welding member which is provided with a shaping skid, which shaping skid, in operation, bears against the door or window member, in the region of a free edge of the cover foil.

As a contact pressure is required for the purposes of welding materials, the resilient return forces which are produced by virtue of the foil being bent over are completely insignificant. By the time that the contact forces are removed when the welding operation is concluded, the welded seam is already of such a level of strength that the join is not adversely affected. Welding is particularly advantageous if the cover foil also comprises plastics material. If the materials used give rise to problems in regard to welding them to the extruded plastics member, the forming-in procedure is particularly advantageous.

A preferred embodiment provides that the cover foil is of metal and, in the region of the free edges thereof, has a row of perforations, the punched craters of each punched hole engaging into the material of the extruded member. An aluminium foil is particularly advantageous since it can have decorative effect by virtue of the options available in regard to colouring and since it can be extremely resistant to weather. The operation of forming the foil into the extruded plastics member can be particularly simple as firstly the metal foil is joined to the extruded member and then the row of perforations is formed by means of a perforating tool. As moreover the extruded plastics member is to be plasticized in the region of the edges of the foil, in a simple fashion, the craters which are produced when the perforated holes are punched or stamped out engage into the extruded member.As soon as the stamping tool moves away from the foil, further material flows into the hole so as to provide a positive orform-locking connection. That additionally enhances the strength and intensity of the join.

The welding plate member provided with the shaping skid or runner which, in operation, bears against the extruded door or window member in the region of a free edge of the cover foil can be particularly suitable for a cover foil of plastics material. If a metal foil is used, it is particularly advantageous if the shaping skid of the welding member is provided with stamping or punching teeth.

Advantageously a welding roller is used with which a heating unit is associated, for plasticizing the extruded door or window member in the region of the join. If a forming-in operation is required instead of a welded seam, the welding roller is provided with stamping or punching needles which are uniformly distributed around the periphery thereof.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an extruded plastics door or window member according to one embodiment of the invention provided with a cover foil; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a welding plate member shown during a welding operation on the door or window member of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a highly diagrammatic side view of the welding plate member of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a welding tool comprising two welding rollers; and Figures 5 and 6 are front views of two embodiments of the welding rollers shown in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, an extruded plastics door or window member 1, which is not described in greater detail herein, has a portion thereof which represents a visible surface provided with a masking or cover foil 2 which is bent over at three locations.

The longitudinal edges 3 and 4 of the cover foil 2 are disposed at a relatively small spacing from the bent edges of the cover foil and the edges of the extruded member 1 respectively. As can be seen from Figure 1, functional grooves 5 and 6 are provided at a small spacing from the longitudinal edges 3 and 4 of the cover foil 2.

Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views showing the welding of the cover foil 2 by means of a welding member 7. The welding member 7 is of a plate-like configuration and is provided with a shaping skid or runner at the side that is towards the member 1. The welding member may be heated in various ways, for example directly by a supply of electrical energy or by means of a hot air blower. The welding member 7 is secured to a holder 9 which is indicated in the drawing. If the shaping skid 8 has a smooth outside surface, the welding operation may be performed continuously, in that either the extruded member 1 is moved in its longitudinal direction, or the welding member 7 is moved. If the welding member 7 is moved, it must be lifted from the extruded member 1 after a welding operation has been concluded.

Figure 3 shows the welding member 7 in its welding position. The welds should be as close as possible to the longitudinal edges 3 and 4 but a relatively small spacing of for example 0.5 to 1.5 mm could be necessary, for reasons concerned with the manufacturing procedure. As far as possible, it should still be in the visible region of the extruded member 1. Figure 2 only illustrates the welding member 7 which is associated with the longitudinal edge 3. It will be appreciated that a further welding member is associated with the longitudinal edge 4.

In a modification of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, at the side that is associated with the extruded member 1 the welding member7 may be provided with a tooth configuration comprising projecting portions which are formed in the manner of punches and which provide the cover foil 2 with openings therethrough, parts thereof being formed into the extruded member 1. The extruded member 1 may be plasticized by a jet of hot air which is blown directly onto the extruded member.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, instead of the welding member 7 the arrangement uses a welding roller 10 which is freely rotatably mounted on a pin 11 which projects relative to an outward side of a housing 12. It will be seen from Figure 4 that a welding roller 10 is associated with each bongitudinal edge 3 and 4, the welding roller 10 associated with the longitudinal edge 3 being rotatable about a horizontal axis while the welding roller which is associated with the longitudinal edge 4 is rotatable about a vertical axis. That arrangement is governed by the nature of the extruded member 1. The welding rollers 10 may be heated either by way of a respective hot air blower 13 or by the supply of electrical energy, by way of a power cable 14.If the hot air blower 13 is used, the jet of air which issues from the nozzle may also be directed onto the region which is directly upstream of the respective welding roller 10. As can be seen from Figure 4, the welding roller 10 is of a wedge-like configuration in its outer region, in respect of its cross section.

The welding roller 10 shown in Figure 5 is formed with a smooth surface on its outer periphery. That construction is suitable for welding the cover foil 2 to the extruded member 1. The embodiment shown in Figure 6 is provided with stamping or punching teeth 15 over the whole of its outside periphery.

While the cover foil shown in Figure 5 is a plastics foil, the foil of Figure 6 is a metal foil. The cover foil 2 is then provided with a row of openings therethrough, by means of the welding roller 10, with portions of the material being impressed into the extruded plastics member 1. The material which is disposed in the region of the join and which is already plasticized before the welding roller 10 is applied or which is plasticized by the welding roller 10 itself also flows into the space within the openings in the material of the foil, thus providing an extremely durable and strong join.

Other designs of welding tools may be used, the important consideration is welding the cover foil 2 or forming it into the extruder member, as closely as possible to the longitudinal edges of the cover foil 2.

Claims

1. An extruded plastics door or window member with at least one visible surface provided with a cover foil fixed to the extruded member by adhesive in which, to provide a positive connection, the cover foil is additionally fixed in the region of the free edges thereof by a weld or by forming foil material into the extruded plastics door or window member.

2. An extruded plastics door or window member according to claim 1, in which the cover foil is of metal and has a row of perforations in the region of each of the free edges thereof with the punched craters of each punched hole engaging into the material of the extruded plastics member.

3. An extruded plastics door or window member according to claim 2, in which the space inside the punched craters of each punched hole are partially or completely filled with material of the extruded plastics member.

4. An extruded plastics door or window member according to claim 1, in which the seams formed by the welding operation or by the operation of forming the foil material into the extruded plastics member are disposed at a small spacing from the free edges of the cover foil.

5. Atool for producing an extruded plastics door or window member according to claim 1, comprising a heatable welding member provided with a shaping skid, which shaping skid, in operation, bears against the door or window member, in the region of a free edge of the cover foil.

6. Atool according to claim 5, in which the welding member is heated up by supplying electrical power or by the impingement of an air flow produced by means of a hot air blower.

7. Atool according to claim 5, in which the welding member is of a plate-like configuration.

8. Atool according to claim 5, in which the shaping skid of the welding member is provided with punching teeth for forming foil material into the extruded plastics door or window member.

9. A tool for producing an extruded plastics door or window member according to claim 1, comprising a welding roller with which there is associated a heating unit for plasticizing the extruded plastics door or window member in the region of the join.

10. Atool according to claim 9, in which the welding roller is provided with punching needles which are distributed uniformly around the periphery thereof.

11. A tool according to any one of claims 5 to 10, in which the welding roller which is provided with punching teeth or the welding member which is provided with punching teeth has a smoothing roller disposed downstream thereof.

12. A tool according to any one of claims 5 to 11, in which the welding roller is of a wedge-shaped configuration in the region of its outer periphery, with respect to its cross section.

13. A tool according to claim 9, in which the heating unit is in the form of a hot air blower.

14. An extruded plastics door or window member substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. Atool for producing an extruded plastics door or window member according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.