GB2238821A

GB2238821A - Decorative windows and doors

Info

Publication number: GB2238821A
Application number: GB9026266A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Thomas Rogers; Colin Martin White
Original assignee: BKL Extrusions Ltd
Current assignee: BKL Extrusions Ltd
Priority date: 1989-12-06
Filing date: 1990-12-03
Publication date: 1991-06-12
Also published as: GB9026266D0; GB8927597D0

Abstract

A decorative effect is produced by mounting at least one decorative cover (21) on an edge portion of a glazing panel (10) before the glazing panel is mounted in a frame of a window or door. A supporting portion (21b) of the cover overlies an upper edge (12) of the panel (10) to support the cover, a locating portion (21c) fits against a side edge (14) of the panel to locate the cover, and a decorative portion (21a) extends across a face (26) of the panel to produce the decorative effect. A further decorative portion may extend across the opposite face (30) of the panel to enhance the decorative effect, and this may be attached to the same or different supporting and locating portions. <IMAGE>

Description

DECORATIVE WINDOWS AND DOORS This invention is concerned with a method of producing a decorative effect in a window or a door in which a glazing panel is mounted in a frame. The invention is also concerned with a decorative cover for an edge portion of a glazing panel and with a set of such covers.

Many presently manufactured windows and doors comprise a frame made of four extrusions of plastics or metal joined at the corners of the frame and a glazing panel, having one sheet of glass or two or more sheets of glass separated by spacers joined into a unit, mounted in the frame. Because extrusions are essentially straight so that only frames with straight edges can readily be made therefrom, frames with an arched appearance or, for example, a scallop effect cannot easily be manufactured by this method. However, suggestions have been made for giving a rectangular frame an arched appearance by adding decorative pieces. Great Britain Patent Specification No. 2 187 493B describes the use of pieces which clip into grooves of the frame on both sides of the panel and create an arched effect.These pieces are complex mouldings, are limited in the decorative effects that they can achieve, and obstruct the application of glazing beading which holds the panel in the frame. Great Britain Patent Specification No. 2 178 097B describes a sealed double glazing panel in which a shaped head piece is arranged in the space between the two glass panes.

This arrangement has the disadvantage that the glass is visible on both sides of the shaped head piece. There, thus, exists a demand for a method of producing a decorative effect in a window or a door which avoids the disadvantages of the suggestions mentioned above.

The invention provides a method of producing a decorative effect in a window or a door in which a glazing panel is mounted in a frame, the method comprising mounting at least one decorative cover on an edge portion of the glazing panel before the panel is mounted in the frame, the cover being mounted so that a supporting portion thereof overlies an upper edge of the panel, a locating portion thereof fits against a side edge of the panel, and at least one decorative portion thereof extends across a portion of a face of the panel.

In a method according to the last preceding paragraph, a wide range of decorative effects, e.g.

arched effects, can be produced using simple mouldings, e.g. vacuum mouldings of sheet material and without obstructing the application of glazing beading since the beading can overlie the decorative portion of the cover.

In one embodiment of the invention, two decorative covers are mounted on the panel so that the decorative portions thereof extend across portions of the same face of the panel and may, if desired, abut one another. In this way, a symmetrical and, if desired, a continuous decorative effect can be achieved, e.g. each decorative portion can form part of an arch-shape. The decorative portions may be shaped and/or decorated as mirror images of one another.

In order to enable differing widths of panel to be accommodated, decorative covers may be mounted in pairs on the panel with the decorative portions of each pair extending across opposite faces of the panel, and the supporting and locating portions of one of the pair overlying the corresponding portions of the other of the pair. The degree by which the supporting and locating portions overlie one another can be adjusted in accordance with the panel width so that the decorative portions are both in engagement with a face of the panel.

The invention also provides a decorative cover for an edge portion of a glazing panel, the cover comprising a decorative portion substantially in sheet form arranged to extend across a portion of a face of a panel, a supporting portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and arranged to overlie an upper edge of the panel, and a locating portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and the supporting portion and arranged to fit against a side edge of the panel.

A decorative cover according to the invention may comprise a further decorative portion extending parallel to the first-mentioned decorative portion, the decorative portions being arranged to extend across portions of opposite faces of the panel. Such a decorative cover may comprise a further locating portion extending parallel to the first-mentioned locating portion, the locating portions being arranged to fit against opposite side edges of the panel.

The decorative portions of decorative covers according to the invention may be curved to give arch effects and may have decorative openings therethrough.

Such covers may also have their decorative portions moulded into three-dimensional shapes, coloured or decorated in any other desired way, e.g. to match the frame in which the panel is mounted.

The invention also provides a set of decorative covers for an edge portion of a glazing panel, the set comprising two covers each of which comprises a decorative portion arranged to extend across a portion of a face of the panel, a supporting portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and arranged to overlie an upper edge of the panel, and a locating portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and the supporting portion and arranged to fit against a side edge of the panel, wherein the decorative portions of the two covers are formed as mirror images of one another.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of two methods in accordance with the invention of producing a decorative effect in a window or a door in which a glazing panel is mounted and of two sets of decorative covers in accordance with the invention, the sets of covers being for use in said methods.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the first set of decorative covers in accordance with the invention showing their application to a glazing panel; and Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but of the second set of decorative covers.

The first set of decorative covers, shown in Figure 1, are for use in producing a decorative effect in a window or door in which a rectangular glazing panel 10 is mounted in a frame (not shown). The panel 10 is shown diagrammatically but comprises two sheets of glass separated by spacers extending around the edge of the panel 10. These spacers and the edges of the glass sheets form four edges, viz an upper edge 12, a first side edge 14, a second side edge 16, and a bottom edge (not shown). The panel 10 is to be mounted in a frame so that it abuts a rebate and is held in the frame against the rebate by glazing beading which is mounted on the frame.

The first set of decorative covers comprises four covers designated 21, 22, 23 and 24. The covers 21 and 22 form a pair associated with the corner between the edges 12 and 14 and the covers 23 and 24 form a pair associated with the corner between the edges 12 and 16.

The covers 21 to 24 are formed by vacuum moulding from UPVC and each comprises a decorative portion 21a, 22a, 23a or 24a substantially in sheet form arranged to extend across a face 26 or 30 of the panel 10. Considering the cover 21, the decorative portion 21a is in the shape of half of an arch and has a decorative hole 28 cut therethrough. The hole 28 is cut so that only edge portions of the portion 21a are left, these edge portions being two rectangular portions at right angles to one another which are arranged to be hidden by glazing beading, and a curved portion interconnecting the rectangular portions and arranged to be visible in the window or door and give the effect of half of an arch.

The cover 21 also comprises a supporting portion 21b which is integral with the portion 21a and extends substantially normally thereto. The supporting portion 21b is substantially in sheet form, is rectangular, and is arranged to overlie the upper edge 12 of the panel 10 to support the cover 21. The width of the supporting portion 21b is less than that of the edge 12 and its length is, in this particular case, half that of the edge 12, although it is not necessary for the cover 21 to extend half the width of the panel.

The cover 21 also comprises a locating portion 21c which is integral with the portions 21a and 21b and extends substantially normally to both the decorative portion 21a and the supporting portion 21b. The locating portion 21c is substantially in sheet form, is rectangular, and is arranged to fit against the side edge 14 to locate the cover 21. The width of the portion 21c is, in this particular case, equal to that of the portion 21b.

The first stage of the method of producing a decorative effect in a window or door using the decorative covers 21 to 24 is to mount the cover 21 on the panel 10 before the panel 10 is mounted in the frame of the window or door. The cover 21 is mounted so that the supporting portion 21b overlies the edge 12 thereby supporting the cover 21, the locating portion 21c fits against the edge 14 thereby locating the cover 21 correctly widthwise of the panel 10, and the decorative portion 21a extends across and engages a portion of the face 26.

The next stage of the method is to mount the cover 23 on the panel 10. The cover 23 is a mirror-image of the cover 21 about a plane parallel to the edges 14 and 16. The cover 23 is mounted so that a supporting portion 23b thereof overlies the edge 12 and abuts the portion 21b at the centre of the edge 12, a locating portion 23c fits against the edge 16, and a decorative portion 23a extends across and engages a portion of the face 26. The portion 23a abuts the portion 21a, is formed as a mirror image thereof and cooperates therewith in giving an arched effect.

The next stage of the method is to mount the cover 22 on the panel 10. The cover 22 is a mirror-image of the cover 21 about a plane parallel to the face 26. The cover 22 is mounted so that a supporting portion 22b overlies the portion 21b of the cover 21 which in turn overlies the edge 14, a locating portion 22c fits against the portion 21c of the cover 21 which in turn fits against the edge 14, and a decorative portion 22a extends across and engages the opposite face 30 of the panel 10 to the face 26. It will be noted that the amount by which the portions 22b and 22c overlie the portions 21b and 21c depends on the thickness of the panel 10 and can be adjusted to ensure that the decorative portions 21a and 22a closely engage the faces 26 and 30.

The next stage of the method is to mount the cover 24 on the panel 10. The cover 24 is a mirror-image of the cover 23 about a plane parallel to the face 26. The cover 24 has a decorative portion 24a, a supporting portion 24b, and a locating portion 24c and is mounted in the same relationship to the cover 23 as the cover 22 is to the cover 21.

Once the four covers 21 to 24 have been mounted on the panel 10, the panel is mounted in the frame of the window or door. The rectangular edge strips of the decorative portions 22a and 24a are hidden by the rebate of the frame and the glazing beading, applied to retain the panel in the frame, hides the rectangular edge strips of the decorative portions 21a and 23a. The curved arch strips of the portions 21a, 22a, 23a and 24a are, however, visible in the completed assembly and provide a decorative arched effect.

In variations of this first method, the covers 21 to 24 can be mounted on the panel 10 in a different order to the one mentioned above and the covers 21 and 23 may be integral with one another as may the covers 22 and 24.

It is also possible to dispense with the holes 28 or replace them with a plurality of holes arranged in any desired pattern. In other possibilities, the decorative portions 21a, 22a, 23a and 24a are moulded into a three-dimensional shape to create further decorative effects and/or to blend into the rebate and glazing beading. Another possibility is that the covers 21 to 24 extend less than half of the length of the edge 12 so that decorative effects are produced only at the corners of the panel. If desired, one or more central covers can be mounted on the edge 12 between the covers 21 and 22 and the covers 23 and 24. Such central covers may abut the covers 21 to 24 and enable additional decorative effects to be created.

The second set of covers shown in Figure 2 comprises two covers 41 and 42 which are arranged to be mounted on the panel 10 as an alternative to the covers 21 to 24.

The cover 41 comprises a decorative portion 41a similar to the portion 21a but omitting the hole 28, a supporting portion 41b similar to the portion 21b but extending the entire width of the edge 12, a locating portion 41c similar to the portion 21c but extending the entire width of the edge 14, and a further decorative portion 41d similar to and extending parallel to the decorative portion 41a. The decorative portions 41a and 41d are arranged to extend across portions of the opposite faces 26 and 30 of the panel 10.

The cover 42 is a mirror-image of the cover 41 about a plane parallel to the edges 14 and 16 having decorative portions 42a and 42d arranged to abut the portions 41a and 41d, a supporting portion 42b arranged to abut the portion 41b, and a locating portion 42c arranged to fit against the edge 16. In a method of producing a decorative effect using the covers 41 and 42, the covers are mounted in turn on the panel 10 so that the supporting portions 41b and 42b overlie the upper edge 12, the locating portions 41c and 42c fit against the side edges 14 and 16, and the decorative portions 41a, 41d, 42a and 42d extend across portions of the faces 26 and 30. Since the covers 41 and 42 embrace the corners of the panel 10, they are mounted more securely on the panel 10 before the panel is mounted in its frame than are the covers 21 to 24 but are not adjustable to panels of various width.

In an alternative construction, the covers 41 and 42 are integral so that there is only one cover which has parallel decorative portions and parallel locating portions arranged to fit against opposite side edges of the panel.

Claims

1. A method of producing a decorative effect in a window or a door in which a glazing panel is mounted in a frame, the method comprising mounting at least one decorative cover on an edge portion of the glazing panel before the panel is mounted in the frame, the cover being mounted so that a supporting portion thereof overlies an upper edge of the panel, a locating portion thereof fits against a side edge of the #anel, and at least one decorative portion thereof extends across a portion of a face of the panel.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein two decorative covers are mounted on the panel so that decorative portions thereof extend across portions of the same face of the panel.

3. A method according to either one of Claims 1 and 2, wherein decorative covers are mounted in pairs on the.

panel with the decorative portions of each pair extending across opposite faces of the panel, and the supporting and locating portions of one of the pair overlying the corresponding portions of the other of the pair.

4. A method of producing a decorative effect substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to: i) Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings; or ii) Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A decorative cover for an edge portion of a glazing panel, the cover comprising a decorative portion substantially in sheet form arranged to extend across a portion of a face of the panel, a supporting portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and arranged to overlie an upper edge of the panel, and a locating portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and the supporting portion and arranged to fit against a side edge of the panel.

6. A decorative cover according to Claim 5, wherein the cover comprises a further decorative portion extending parallel to the first-mentioned decorative portion, the decorative portions being arranged to extend across portions of opposite faces of the panel.

7. A decorative cover according to either one of Claims 5 and 6, wherein the cover comprises a further locating portion extending parallel to the first-mentioned locating portion, the locating portions being arranged to fit against opposite side edges of the panel.

8. A decorative cover according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the decorative cover is made by a vacuum moulding process.

9. A decorative cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in: i) Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings; or ii) Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A set of decorative covers for an edge portion of a glazing panel, the set comprising two covers each of which comprises a decorative portion arranged to extend across a portion of a face of the panel, a supporting portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and arranged to overlie an upper edge of the panel, and a locating portion extending substantially normally to the decorative portion and the supporting portion and arranged to fit against a side edge of the panel, wherein the decorative portions of the two covers are formed as mirror images of one another.

11. A set of decorative covers, according to Claim 10, wherein the set comprises a cover according to any one of Claims 5 to 9.