GB2168801A

GB2168801A - Ventilator

Info

Publication number: GB2168801A
Application number: GB08430661A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Melvin John Hutton
Original assignee: Norcros Investments Ltd
Current assignee: Norcros Investments Ltd
Priority date: 1984-12-05
Filing date: 1984-12-05
Publication date: 1986-06-25
Also published as: GB2168801B; GB8430661D0

Abstract

Double-glazed window frame assembly comprises frame members (14, 16) and a ventilator (12) incorporated in the assembly. The ventilator includes means (66) which enable the use of double-glazed units having various thicknesses. The ventilator also includes shutter parts (42, 42') having rectangular apertures which may be moved into and out of correspondence with apertures (69), Figure 1, in the adjacent parts of frame members (14, 16). A hood (60) incorporating a flyscreen (56) is provided on the outside of the ventilator. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ventilator This invention relates to ventilators capable of incorporation in a double-glazed unit of different thickness which unit is, in turn, incorporated in a window frame assembly.

The use of double-glazing has increased substantially of recent years but one disadvantage is the encouragement of condensation with consequent damp patches on adjacent walls particularly above a window opening. It has therefore been proposed to incorporate a ventilator at the top of a window frame so that the risk of dampness and consequent mould growth will at least be reduced.

From the cost and installation viewpoint it is desirable that the ventilator should form an integral part of the window frame and, again, such an arrangement has already been proposed. However, that part of such a window frame which incorporates the ventilator has the disadvantage that it is relatively complex and from a commercial standpoint problems of cost arise if a plurality of different ventilator sizes must be kept in stock in order to accommodate the wide variation in the thickness of double-glazed units. Furthermore, it has become relatively common practice where double-glazing is used in conjunction with a metal window frame, generally of aluminium or aluminium alloy to incorporate a thermal break to avoid transmission of heat across the frame.

According to the present invention there is provided a double-glazed window frame assembly comprising frame members and a ventilator incorporated in the assembly, the ventilator including means which enable the use of double-glazed units having various thicknesses.

Preferably the window frame assembly comprises inner and outer parts interconnected by strips of a material which provides a thermal barrier or break between the inner and outer parts.

The means which enable the use of doubleglazed units having various thicknesses, may comprise a telescopic connector between an inner and an outer part of the ventilator.

Preferably, the ventilator, mounted between inner and outer frame parts is surrounded by strips of material which provide a thermal barrier or break.

The inner and outer frame parts preferably cooperate with the associated double-glazed units through the intermediary of glazing wedges each incorporating a ridge, which when in situ engages a beading of the corresponding frame part, each wedge also incorporating a cap portion, which will remain exposed when fitted.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ventilator part of a double-glazed window frame assembly embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section, to an enlarged scale, on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a detail showing, in side elevation, an operating knob of the ventilator; Figure 5 is a detail showing, in side elevation, a connector part which co-operates, when assembled, with the knob of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side elevation of an inner end cap of the assembly; Figure 7 is an end elevation of the cap of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a side elevation of an outer end cap of the assembly; Figure 9 is an external end elevation of the cap of Figure 8;; Figure 10 is an internal end elevation of the cap of Figure 9; and Figure 11 is a plan view of a self-locking ring used in the assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, the window frame assembly is generally conventional in the window frame art where double-glazed units are incorporated. A portion of such a unit is indicated at 10 in Figure 3. The part of the frame incorporating a ventilator is generally designated by the reference numeral 12. As is conventional practice with window frame assemblies, many of the parts are of extruded aluminium or aluminium alloy and parts of other materials will be referred to specifically hereinafter. However, the invention should not be considered as limited to window frames of aluminium.

The double glazing unit 10 is engaged between inner and outer portions 14, 16 of the ventilator assembly but direct contact between these portions and the glazing unit 10 is prevented by intermediate plastics glazing wedges 18, 20 respectively. As will be apparent from the Figure 3 the edges of the portions 14, 16 are each provided with a bead 22, 24 and these engage in a locking manner against a corresponding ridge in each of two glazing wedges 18, 20. The latter each include a main body portion 26, a chamfered portion 28 which will be concealed after fitting and a cap portion 30 which provides for a finished appearance when assembled. The cap portion is externally rounded and has an extent such that it covers the associated beading 22, 24.

The inner portion 14 includes upwardly beyond the glazing unit 10 a channel section 32 portion with inturned flanges 34 and having the opening of the channel lying in a vertical plane, one limb 36 of this channel section portion having an upwardlyextending flange 38 which, with another part of the inner portion 14 defines a channel 40 which opens upwardly. This upwardly opening channel 40 receives a lower edge portion of one part 42 of a shutter to be described hereinafter in greater detail and an upper edge portion of the shutter part is received in a downwardly-facing channel 44 defined by the main part of the portion 14, an elongate member 46 upstanding from that part and a downwardly extending flange 48. The channels 40 and 44 enable sliding motion of the shutter part 42.At the uppermost edge region the inner portion 14 bears a further channel section formation 50 with inwardly-directed flanges 52 and the opening lies in a vertical plane.

The outer portion 16 of the assembly is generally similar to the inner portion and like parts will be given the same reference numeral but with the addition of a prime. The outer portion differs inasfar as upwardly of the lower channel section 32' with the opening in a vertical plane, twin flanges 54 are provided which receive an edge portion of an elongate flyscreen 56; just below the upper, downwardly facing, channel 44' an elongate projection 58 with an upwardly-directed lip is arranged to receive a part of a hood 60 to be described in detail hereinafter. Outwardly of the upper channel section formation 50' defining an opening in a vertical plane, one limb of this channel section member is extended outwardly at 63 for receiving another portion of the hood 60.As for the inner portion 14, the two channel section formations 40' 44' defining openings in the horizontal plane receive another part 42' of the shutter and the two portions 14 and 16 are rigidly interconnected by identical connector strips 62 of PVC or other, preferably extruded material having a poor thermal conductivity. These strips 62 conform to the flanged channel section formations 32, 32', 50, 50' of both portions 14 and 16 and will have a transverse extent as viewed in Figure 3 consistent with the size of the glazing unit 10. The strips 62 are also provided in vertical parts of the frame (not shown) so that the ventilator is effectively surrounded by a thermal break.

Returning now to the details of the shutter parts 42, 42', they are made of plastics, preferably PVC and each part carries a seft-adhesive felt layer 64 which is applied against their flat surfaces and is in sliding contact with the opposing faces of the main, fixed parts of the inner and outer portions 14 and 16. This ensures that at all times the shutter parts will be chatter-free irrespective of wind conditions and, furthermore, leakage of air when the shutter is closed cannot flow between the shutter parts and the portions 14 and 16. The shutter parts 42, 42' are movable by a knob 70 positioned centrally-of the ventilator, having as is apparent from Figure 4 two hollow spigots 71, the holes of the spigots being continued into the body of the knob.

These spigots are arranged to receive telescopically corresponding members 73 rigid with a connector plate 75 (Figure 5). It follows that a range of adjustment is readily available between the shutter parts 42, 42'. To prevent adjustment to a particular size #being lost during use both spigots 71 and members 73 receive self-locking rings (TRUARC Registered Trade Mark) 68 (Figures 3 and 11). This avoids any need for shoulders or other stops on spigots 11 or the members 73. As will readily be seen this telescopic arrangement ensures ready assembly and maintenance of correct spacing throughout the life of the ventilator. The knob 70 and connector 66 are preferably made of DELRIN (Registered Trade Mark) or other plastics.

The shutter parts each have a row of generally rectangular apertures (not shown) while the corresponding part of the inner portion 14 has apertures of the same size, 69 in Figure 1, apart from a central, generally square aperture which enables adjusting movement of the knob 70. The corresponding part of the outer portion 16 has similar apertures (not shown).

The hood 60 is an aluminium or aluminium alloy extrusion and has an extent corresponding substantially to the height of the frame portion incorporating the ventilator. At its upper end the hood 60 has a flange 72 of which ed#ge portions are received in grooves defined by the outer portion 16 of the ass#embly. A part 74 of the hood adjoining the flange is inclined in relation to a lower portion of the flange, continues as a rounded portion 76 and is completed by a vertical portion 78 which protects the shutter assembly under substantially all weather conditions. Inwardly this vertical portion 78 has twin projections 80 lying opposite to corresponding projections 54 of the outer portion 16 and the flyscreen 56 is received in these twin projections.

The shutter is provided with two end caps 80, 82 preferably of thin plastics material and these will be of a sufficiently tight fit, particularly on the outside of the ventilator, to prevent ingress of water.

The two end caps 80, 82 illustrated in Figures 6 to 10, each have channel section formations 84, 86 respectively which enable them to be slid with a push fit on to connector strips (not shown) provided on the main parts of the assembly. Elongate projections 88 enable accurate location of the outer end cap 82 on the hood 78 and provide a clamping action by appropriate selection of dimensions of the engaging parts. As will be apparent from Figure 3 the end caps conform to the shape Of the corresponding extruded parts, and both inner and outer caps have cover legs 90, 92 which fit over end portions of the double-glazing unit 16.

Claims

1. A double-glazed window frame assembly comprising frame members and a ventilator incorporated in the assembly, the ventilator including means which enable the use of double-glazed units having various thicknesses.

2. A double glazed window frame assembly comprising frame members and a ventilator incorporated in the assembly, the ventilator comprising inner and outer slidable shutter means, fixed, apertured, portions of the window frame assembly cooperating with respective said inner and outer shutter means and telescopic connection means extending between the two slidable shutter means.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein means is provided to lock the adjustment for any given thickness of double-glazed units.

4. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the window frame assembly comprises inner and outer parts interconnected by strips of a material which provides a thermal barrier or break between the inner and outer parts, which barrier completely surrounds the ventilator.

5. An assembly according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the double-glazed units are connected to the members of the frame through the intermediary of glazing wedges each incorporating a ridge, which, when in situ, engages beading of the corresponding frame part, each wedge also incorporating a cap portion which will remain exposed when fitted.

6. An assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the slidable shutter means are received in channel-shaped portions of the window frame assembly.

7. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an outer portion of the window frame assembly includes a hood covering the ventilator in order to prevent the ingress of rainwater through the ventilator, the hood defining an opening lying in a substantially horizontal plane for receiving fresh air or discharging stale air.

8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means which enable the use of double-glazed units having various thicknesses incorporates an operating knob for adjustment of the opening of the ventilator.

9. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the window frame assembly is made of extruded aluminium or aluminium alloy.

10. A window frame assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.