GB2209047A

GB2209047A - Window assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2209047A
Application number: GB8820064A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Thomas Rogers
Original assignee: BKL Extrusions Ltd
Current assignee: BKL Extrusions Ltd
Priority date: 1987-08-26
Filing date: 1988-08-24
Publication date: 1989-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-24
Also published as: GB2209047B; GB8820064D0; GB8720081D0

Abstract

A window assembly comprising a frame member (10) and a glazing panel (12, 13, 14) held in a rebate in the frame member by a glazing bead (17), wherein a gasket (16) with an enlarged bead overlying the frame and held captive there-to by mechanical interlock or adhesive glazing panel has an adhesive to adhere to the glazing panel. Removal of the panel is thus inhibited even if the glazing bead is removed. <IMAGE>

Description

WINDOW ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a window assembly wherein a glazing panel is fitted in a rebate in a frame member and held therein by a glazing bead. It should be noted that the term "window assembly" as used herein denotes assemblies forming fixed or opening windows or doors which incorporate glazing panels.

In such a window assembly, removal of the glazing bead from each of the frame members defining the periphery of the window enables the glazing panel to be removed. If the glazing beads are fitted at the side of the window which is to the exterior of the building in which it is installed, removal of the glazing beads followed by the glazing panel can give a route for unauthorised entry to the building. Various means have been proposed to prevent or inhibit removal of either the glazing panel from the frame members, after glazing bead removal, or to prevent the glazing beads from being removed in the first place, but such schemes have usually entailed the provision of additional elements, and hence additional complications in the structure of the window assembly.

It has been proposed (see GB Patent Specification Nos. 1,150,807; 1,150,808; 1,373,264 and 1,380,369) to provide a resilient tape between the glazing panel and an abutment surface of the frame of the window assembly.

The tape is provided on both sides with adhesive so that it sticks to both the frame and the glazing panel and inhibits removal of the glazing panel. In this solution, however, the advantages to be gained by using a gasket which is extruded to a particular profile are not available, for example such a gasket can be provided with an enlarged head portion arranged to engage the glazing panel and overlie a portion of the frame thereby giving a much more acceptable appearance than can be achieved with the use of a tape. Furthermore, the greater thickness which can be provided with a profiled gasket allows greater tolerance in the manufacture of the assembly and gives greater security that a seal is formed right around the panel. Legitimate removal of a tape secured panel would also present considerable problems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the problem of inhibiting panel removal in which a conventional gasket is used between the glazing panel and the frame.

According to the invention, we provide a window assembly comprising a frame member affording a rebate; a glazing panel held in the rebate in the frame member by a glazing bead secured to the frame member, with one face of the glazing panel facing an abutment portion of the frame member and the other face of the glazing panel facing the glazing bead; and a gasket disposed between the abutment surface and said one face of the glazing panel the gasket having an enlarged head portion arranged to engage said one face of the glazing panel and to overlie an edge portion of the abutment portion of the frame member, wherein the gasket is held captive to the abutment surface and is provided with adhesive means providing an adhesive connection to said one face of the glazing panel.

By arranging for the gasket to be held captive to the frame member and adhesively secured to the glazing panel, removal of the glazing panel is inhibited even if the glazing bead can be removed, thereby considerably enhancing the security of the window assembly. No additional elements are required. The adhesive is not required to provide an unbreakable bond with the surface of the glazing panel, since adhesion all around the periphery of the glazing panel will render it very difficult to remove without breaking it. Furthermore, the usual advantages of a profiled gasket are available.

The adhesive means may comprise a double-sided adhesive tape, one side of which is adhered to the gasket and the other side is adhered to the glazing panel when installed.

The gasket may have a formation which interfits mechanically with the frame member to hold it thereto.

The formation may like the rest of the gasket be formed of a resilient material in which case it is a push-in fit into a groove in the frame. Alternatively, the formation of the gasket may be a slide-in fit into a groove in the frame in which case it is formed of a rigid or semi-rigid material. Such a slide-in fitting is advantageous as inhibiting the panel and gasket from being pulled away from the frame. In this case, the gasket may be formed as a dual-hardness extrusion, e.g. of two grades of PVC, in which two extrusions of different materials are passed through a single die to unite them.

In another alternative, the gasket may be adhesively secured to the frame, e.g. by a double-sided tape.

In order to assist removal of a glazing panel for legitimate purposes, the gasket may be formed so as to facilitate cutting thereof in a direction parallel to the surface of the glazing panel, e.g. voids may be provided therein.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a section through a frame part of a window assembly according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a gasket in the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section through an alternative form of gasket.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the illustrated assembly comprises a frame member 10 which is an extrusion of a plastics material such as UPVC or of a metal such as an aluminium alloy. The frame member 10 includes an upstanding abutment portion 11 so as to define a rebate in which is received a glazing panel which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a sealed doubleglazed unit comprising two panes of glass 12, 13 separated by a peripheral spacer 14. The glazing panel rests on a packing piece 15, and a gasket 16 is interposed between the pane of glass 12 and the abutment part 11 of the frame member.

The glazing panel is held to the frame member by a glazing bead 17, which has a resilient leg 18 and a foot 19 which engage an undercut groove 20 in the frame member to hold it to the frame member. The glazing bead carries a gasket 21 which contacts the glass pane 13, so that the glazing panel is held firmly to the frame member and the assembly is weatherproof.

The form of the gasket 16 is shown in detail in Figure 2. It is an extrusion of a suitable flexible plastics or elastomeric material, and comprises a body 22 having a rearwardly projecting arrowhead formation 23 which engages in an undercut groove in the upstanding part 11 of the frame member 10, so that the gasket is held captive to the frame member. The front surface of the gasket opposite the formation 23 is substantially flat, and is provided with an adhesive layer 24. The gasket further comprises an enlarged head portion 25 to provide a neat inclined bridging surface between an edge portion of the abutment portion 11 of the frame member which it overlies and the glazing panel which it engages.

The adhesive layer 24 is conveniently a double-sided adhesive tape, of which the adhesive on one side secures it to the gasket whilst the adhesive on the other side adheres to the glazing panel when installed. For convenience in handling during manufacture and assembly, a backing sheet would be provided to prevent the tape from adhering to anything before the glazing panel is to be fitted, e.g. while the gasket is being secured to the frame member. Such a backing sheet would, of course, be removed immediately before fitting the glazing panel.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of gasket.

In this embodiment, instead of having the arrowhead formation 23 for a mechanical interlock with the frame member, the gasket has a further flat surface provided with an adhesive layer 26 which also is conveniently a double-sided adhesive tape. This enables the gasket adhesively to be secured to a suitable surface on the frame member.

When the window assembly is put together with a gasket as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, it will be appreciated that even if the glazing bead 17 should be removed, the glazing panel will be held to the frame member. Because the gasket extends around the entire periphery of the window, the force required to remove the glazing panel would be such that breakage of the panel would be necessary, or at least likely to ensue from the application of sufficient force thereto. Therefore, security is enhanced. It is contemplated that to remove the glazing panel, cutting the gasket, vertically on the line indicated at 27 in Figure 3, would be used, and such cutting is facilitated by the provision of voids 28 in the gasket extrusion. The gasket is, of course, inaccessible from outside the building for such cutting.

In addition to the improved security obtainable by use of a gasket as above described, several other advantages result. In particular, weatherproof sealing is improved, without the gasket requiring to be compressed between the frame member and glazing panel to the extent that would be necessary if there were no adhesive. The gasket becomes water resistant as soon as contact is made. The gasket will have less tendency to shrink or become displaced in service. The gasket facilitates the application of additional trim elements to frames, and is generally neat and convenient to use.

Claims

1. A window assembly comprising a frame member affording a rebate; a glazing panel held in the rebate in the frame member by a glazing bead secured to the frame member, with one face of the glazing panel facing an abutment portion of the frame member and the other face of the glazing panel facing the glazing bead; and a gasket disposed between the abutment surface and said one face of the glazing panel the gasket having an enlarged head portion arranged to engage said one face of the glazing panel and to overlie an edge portion of the abutment portion of the frame member, wherein the gasket is held captive to the abutment surface and is provided with adhesive means providing an adhesive connection to said one face of the glazing panel.

2. A window assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said adhesive means comprises a double-sided adhesive tape.

3. A window assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the gasket has a formation which interfits mechanically with the frame member to hold it thereto.

4. A window assembly according to Claim 3, wherein the gasket comprises a body portion formed of resilient material and said formation which is formed of rigid or semi-rigid material.

5. A window assembly according to Claim 4, wherein the gasket is formed as a dual hardness extrusion.

6. A window assembly according to Claim 5, wherein the gasket is formed of two grades of PVC.

7. A window assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the gasket is adhesively secured to the frame member.

8. A window assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gasket has a formation for facilitating cutting thereof in a direction parallel to the surface of the glazing panel.

9. A gasket suitable for use in a window assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, the gasket comprising an enlarged head portion adapted to engage a face of a glazing panel and to overlie an edge portion of the abutment surface of a frame member of a window assembly, means for holding the gasket to the frame member, and adhesive means for adhesively connecting the gasket to the glazing panel.

10. A window assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A gasket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.