GB2233697A

GB2233697A - Glazing retainer

Info

Publication number: GB2233697A
Application number: GB8914826A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Hardy
Original assignee: LB Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: LB Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 1989-06-28
Filing date: 1989-06-28
Publication date: 1991-01-16
Also published as: GB8914826D0

Abstract

A component for use in retaining a glazing unit in a window frame comprises a seating adapted to engage an edge of the glazing unit and a resilient base member engageable in a recess in the frame and operable to urge the seating into engagement with the edge of the glazing unit to retain same in position within the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

Glazing Retainer This invention relates to retaining members and is especially, but not exclusively applicable to retaining members for securing glass or glazing units in a frame.

In the construction of windows and doors the glazing unit or units (which may be a single pane of glass or a double or multiple glazed unit) are commonly retained in place in the frame by preformed glazing strips or beads, generally of plastic construction, which are arranged to clip into position to hold the unit or units in place in the frame. Such glazing beads present a security risk in that once removed by a thief the glazing unit can be lifted out of the frame to gain access to premises. Glazing beads for external glazing are generally so constructed as to render removal difficult, but unless additional retaining means is provided the glazing unit can simply be lifted out if a thief manages to dislodge the glazing beads.

Various forms of additional securing device have previously been proposed, but hitherto these have comprised separable components one of which is attached to the window frame and the other of which is placed in position and connected to the first component, usually by screwing, after the glazing unit has been placed in position. Such arrangements are time consuming and he@r@ expensive to install since several such clips are required for each unit and each clip requires two separate fixing operations, one to secure part of the clip to the frame and the other to secure the two parts of the clip to one another.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of retaining clip by means of which some or all the above disadvantages may be obviated or mitigated.

The invention provides a component for retaining a sheet-like member in a frame, the component comprising a seating adapted to engage an edge of the sheet-like member and a resilient base member engageable with formations on the frame and operable to urge the seating into engagement with said edge.

Preferably said seating and base member are formed integrally from spring steel. The base member is preferably dimensioned to engage in and extend across the full width of a recess or channel formed in the frame.

Advantageously said base member is provided with means to facilitate bending of same during fitting.

Said means may comprise an upstanding projection formed on the base and directed towards said seating.

Advantagcot#sj y lhc free edge of said base member is provided with tooth-like projections adapted to bite into a side wall of said recess or channel when the component is in position.

In a preferred embodiment formed from spring steel strip the component is provided with an upstanding projection to facilitate bending of said base member, said projection being formed from the metal of the base member and set back from and located between spaced tooth-like projections forming a free extremity of the component.

As applied to a retaining member for a glazing unit, said seating is preferably dimensioned to extend along the edge of the unit and over one face thereof.

Generally said recess will be defined by a fixed abutment forming one wall thereof and a separate glazing bead and locating formation therefor forming the opposite wall.

Adavantageously portions of said glazing bead may be adapted to extend dowllwilrdly into said recess to locate over the free end of the component.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of retaining a sheet-like member in a recess in a frame, the method comprising locating said scheet-like member in position in the frame, deforming a resilient retaining component in a manner permitting its insertion into said recess with portions thereof engaging said member and said recess, and fitting a retaining member to close off said recess and clamp the sheet-like member in position.

As applied to insertion of a glazing unit into a frame the method comprises introducing the unit into the frame in a fitting direction, inserting a deformable retaining component into said recess in engagement with an edge region of said unit, and fitting a glazing bead to the frame to retain the unit against movement in a direction opposite to said fitting direction.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a retaining member according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the component; Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section through a portion of a window showing the component in position.

Referring to Fig. 4 there is shown a portion of a window comprising a frame 5 of hollow extruded plastics construction the upper surface of which defines a main channel 6 and a secondary channel 7. The main channel 6 is defined between a fixed abutment member 8 and an upstanding rib 9 of T-shaped cross-section and the secondary channel is defined between the rib 9 and an inwardly directed lip 10 at the opposite edge of the frame from the abutment member 8. A separate glazing bead 11 of hollow extruded plastics construction is adapted to be engaged with the rib 9 and lip 10 to locate a double glazing unit 12 in position in the main channel 6 between the abutment 8 and an opposed face 13 of the glazing bead 11.The abutment member 8 and the face 13 of the glazing bead are provided with recesses 8A and 13A respectively adapted in use to accommodate elongated sealing members of resilient material engaging against opposite faces of the glazing unit 12 to hold same firmly in position and seal against ingress of dirt and moisture.

The glazing bead 11 is provided with a pair of downwardly directed ribs 14 having inwardly directed formations 15 adapted to engage with opposite sides of the T-shaped rib 9. The outer edge of the glazing bead 11 is provided with a longitudinal recess 16 which engages over the lip 10. In this way the glazing bead is firmly secured in position in a manner such that attempts to move it upwards are resisted by the formations 15 engaging the rib 9 and attempts to move it either towards or away from the glazing unit 12 result in disengagement of certain retaining components but more firm engagement of others. The glazing bead is therefore extremely difficult to remove with the unit 12 in place.

In order to provide still further security against removal of the glazing unit, retaining members of the kind shown in Figs. 1 to 3 are fitted at predetermined spaced locations around the unit 12. Each retaining member comprises a clip. 20 formed from spring steel and having a seating 21, a base portion 21A of which locates against the edge of the unit 12 and an upstanding portion 21B of which engages over the outer face of the unit. The remainder of the retaining member comprises a resilient base portion 22 provided with an upstanding projection 23 cut from the material of the base and terminating in spaced tooth like members 24 extending to either side of and beyond the projection 23.The base member 22 extends beyond the upstanding portion 21B of the seating and is dimensioned such that when located in position as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings it extends over the full width of the base of the main channel 6.

The retaining member is fitted after the glazing unit has been located in position in the frame and before the glazing bead 11 is fitted. The glazing unit is supported in the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings by means of packing pieces (not shown) inserted in the channel 6 at spaced intervals. The packing pieces are adjusted to centralise the unit in the frame and retaining clips 20 are then fitted by deforming the base portion 22 to enable insertion between the lower outer edge of the unit 12 and the upper edge of the rib 9.Deformation of the clip may be effected by applying a screwdriver or similar implement to the upstanding projection 23 in order to bow the clip into the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, following which it is released and springs into the t100 pus it ion shown in Fig. 4 of llle drawings.

In this position the clip is firmly located in the main channel 6 between the abutment member 8 and the rib 9. By fitting a number of such clips around the unit 12, the unit is firmly retained in position and would be extemely difficult to remove even without fitting of the glazing beads 11. The tooth like members 24 bite into the plastic material of the rib 9 and the T-shaped form of the latter renders deformation and removal of the retaining member 20 extremely difficult.The projection 23 serves both to limit the extent to which the base member. can be levered upwardly tswardsthe seating and to prevent downward movement of the seating to an extent which would bring the upstanding portion 21B clear of the glazing unit, thereby further increasing the difficulty of removal.

Installation is completed by fitting the glazing bead 11 into position. This is effected by first engaging the recess 16 with the lip 10 of the frame then rotating the glazing bead downwardly and towards the glazing unit 12 to engage the formations 15 over the rib 9. The glazing unit 12 is then firmly clamped between the fixed abutment member 8 and the glazing bead 11, which latter effectively increases the depth of the main channel 6 and hides the retaining members 20 from view.

The arrangement described provides a particularly secure glazing system. Not only are the glazing beads 11 extremely difficult to remove in themselves but even if removed the glazing unit is retained in position by means of the retaining members 20. As there are a number of these located around the unit, all of which are extremely difficul@ to remove, a considerably increased degree of security is afforded compared with use of glazing beads alone. Moreover the retaining members described have considerable advantages compared with other retaining members proposed previously in that they are fitted in a single operation without requiring screwing or other fixing, thereby considerably simplifying and reducing the cost of installation.

Moreover the clip consists of a single unitary component rather than separable parts which may become detached and lost. A further advantage arises from the fact that the clip may be simply and easily formed by bending and punching from a single strip of spring steel or similar suitable material.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the shape and dimensions of the clip may be altered substantially, it need not be constructed from a single length of spring steel, and alternative means for deforming the clip during engagement may be incorporated. The dimensions of the clip may also be altered to suit different applications, for example to retain single panes of glass @@ triple or other multiple glazed units.

Moreover while reference has been made herein primarily to use of the retaining member in installation of glazing units, similar retaining members could be employed to secure other sheet-like or panel-like members in place in a surrounding frame or like structure.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A component for retaining a sheet-like member in a frame, the component comprising a seating adapted to engage an edge of the sheet-like member and a resilient base member engageable with formations on the frame. and operable to urge the seating into engagement with said edge.

2. A component according to claim 1 wherein said seating and base member are formed integrally from spring steel.

3. A component according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said base member is dimensioned to engage in and extend across the full width of a channel or recess formed in said frame.

4. A component according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said base member is provided with means to facilitate bending thereof during fitting to said frame.

5. A component according to claim 4 wherein said means to facilitate bending comprises an upstanding projection formed on said base and directed towards said seating.

6. A component according to any preceding claim wherein said base member is provided with tooth-like projections adapted to bite into a side wall of said recess or channel when the component is in position.

7. A component according to claims 2, 5 and 6 wherein said upstanding projection is formed from the metal of said base member and is set back from and located between said spaced tooth-like projections.

8. A component for retaining a sheet-like member in a frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A window assembly comprising a frame and a glazing unit at least partly retained therein by a plurality of components according to any preceding claim.

10. A window assembly according to claim 9 wherein the seating of each component extends across the edge of said glazing unit and into engagement with one face thereof.

11. A window assembly according to claim 9 or 10 wherein said glazing unit is retained in a recess in said frame defined between a fixed abutment on the frame defining one wall of said recess and a separate glazing bead defining the opposite wall thereof.

12. A window assembly according to claim 11 wherein a portion of said glazing bead is adapted to locate over the adjacent free end of said base member of the component.

13. A window assembly according to any of claims 9 to 12 wherein said seating includes a projecting flange portion which extends over the face of said glazing unit to an extent greater than the distance between the base of said seating and the upper edge of the upstanding projection on said component.

14. A window assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A method of retaining a sheet-like member in a recess in a frame, the method comprising locating said sheet-like member in position in the frame, deforming a resilient retaining component in a manner permitting its insertion into said recess with portions thereof engaging said member and said recess, and fitting a retaining member to close off said recess and clamp the sheet-like member in position.

16. A method according to claim 15 applied to the insertion of a glazing unit into a window frame, the method comprising introducing the glazing unit into the frame in a fitting direction, inserting a deformable retaining component into said recess in engagement with an edge region of said unit, and fitting a glazing bead to the frame to retain the unit against movement in a direction opposite to said fitting direction.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein said retaining component comprises a component according to any of claims 1 to 8.

18. A method of inserting a glazing unit in a window frame substantially as hereinbefore described.

19. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.