GB2273309A

GB2273309A - A grille for use in a multi-glazed window

Info

Publication number: GB2273309A
Application number: GB9225930A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antonius Johannus Jose Horsten
Original assignee: Hunter Douglas Industries BV
Current assignee: Hunter Douglas Industries BV
Priority date: 1992-12-11
Filing date: 1992-12-11
Publication date: 1994-06-15
Also published as: GB9225930D0

Abstract

A grille for positioning between adjacent sheets of glass of a multi-glazed window for simulating the dividers between the individual panes of a conventional window, the grille consisting of a plurality of elongate support members 14 in the form of a body including a central tubular member 18 and wings 20, 22 having longitudinal marginal rims 24 to 30 and a crowned slat 32, 34 having edges engaged in the rims on one or both sides of the support. A connector 16 has arms 42 to 46 for engagement in the central tubular members 18. <IMAGE>

Description

A GRILLE FOR USE IN A MULTI-GLAZED WINDOW The present invention relates a grille for positioning between adjacent sheets of glass of a multiglazed window simulating the dividers between the individual panes of a conventional window.

In recent years it has been a practice to form windows of a double-glazed or triple-glazed type, herein referred to as a multi-glazed windows, and in certain circumstances, to give an interesting aesthetic effect, a grille has been positioned between adjacent sheets of glass of a multi-glazed unit to simulate the dividers between the individual panes of a convention window. Unfortunately such grilles have been relatively expensive to make and instal.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide a grille for positioning between adjacent sheets of glass of a multi-glazed window for simulating the dividers between the individual panes of a conventional window, said grille comprising a plurality of elongate support members, each comprising a body having a pair of marginal longitudinal rims on at least one side and a crowned slat having edges engaged in said rims and a plurality of connectors connecting said support members to form said grille.

Such a structure can be made relatively inexpensively and can readily be fixed to the frame of the window between the adjacent sheets of the multi-glazed window, usually between the two sheets of a double-glazed window. The body of the grille is advantageously formed from a plastic material, and can be formed as a molding, or more usually as an extrusion. The body may comprise a central tubular member and two wings extending on opposite sides thereof, the longitudinal rims being formed at the free edges of the wings. In a preferred construction the longitudinal rims are provided on both sides of the body and a crowned slat is engaged with the rims on each side of the body. Preferably, in order to ensure that the slat material is adequately retained, the rims are angled inwardly towards the longitudinal centre of the body.

The slat material used in the grille of the present invention is preferably the same material which can be used in a venetian blind. This material comes in a number of different colours and surface decorations and these can be employed to give a desired visual effect to the window.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a portion of one embodiment of grille according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one form of support member with two slat material elements fitted therein; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a second embodiment; Figure 4 is a front elevation showing the junction between two support members together with the connector and slat material according to one arrangement; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing an alternative arrangement.

If reference is first made to Figure 1, there is shown therein a portion 10 of a frame of a window to opposite and front and rear faces of which are mounted sheets of glass of a double-glazing arrangement. A part 12 of a grille is mounted on the frame 10 and comprises a support member 14 and a connector 16 for securing to three generally similar support members. The support member comprises a central tubular member 18, a body having said tubular member 18 and two wings 20,22, having at their edges, on both sides in this instance, marginal longitudinal rims 24,26 and 28,30 respectively, these rims being angled inwardly towards the longitudinal centre of the support member 14.

Clipped under the rims 24,28 is a first crowned slat 32 and under the rims 26,30 a second crowned slat 34, these slats being formed essentially of the same sort of material as is used to provide the slats for a venetian blind. The way in which these slats are mounted is shown more clearly in Figure 2.

Figure 3 illustrates a slightly modified arrangement in which the longitudinal rims 24,26,28,30 are connected to the wings 20,22 by flanges 25,27,29,31 respectively. This arrangement spaces the slats 32,34 further apart.

In order to connect the support members together, the connectors 16 are provided, and in the embodiment illustrated comprise a cruciform structure having four limbs in the form of arms 40,42 extending in opposite directions and 44,46 extending in opposite directions extending perpendicular to the direction of arms 40,42. Webs 48,50,52,54 connect the arms 40 to 46 as illustrated, these webs being generally triangular in shape.

As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the arms 40 to 46 are engaged in the ends of the central tubular members 18 of the support members 14 and the ends of the wings 20,22 thereof engage the webs 40 to 52. As illustrated in Figure 4, the slats 34 associated with the horizontally extending supports are continuous and extend right over the cruciform connecting member and in fact can extend right across the width of the window. The slats 34A are shown as being discontinuous and the ends 34B are shaped closely to abut the horizontal slats 34. In this structure the shape of the webs 48 to 52 is chosen to space the horizontally extending support members 14 by a distance slightly greater than the spacing between the vertically extending support members 14, the difference in the spacing being equal to the thickness of the slat material.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 5, but here instead of the horizontally extending slats passing right across the cruciform connector, the ends of each of the slat portions meeting at this connector are mitred as shown. With this structure the connector can be made exactly symmetrical.

If reference is again made to Figure 1, it can be seen that the support member 14 can be connected to the frame 10 by means of a self-tapping screw 60 which is screwed through the frame 10 and into the tubular member 18.

While the tubular member can be formed of a metal, such as extruded aluminium, it is preferred that it should be formed from an extruded plastics material.

Claims

1. A grille for positioning between adjacent sheets of glass of a multi-glazed window for simulating the dividers between the individual panes of a conventional window, said grille comprising a plurality of elongate support members, each comprising a body having a pair of marginal longitudinal rims on at least one side and a crowned slat having edges engaged in said rims and a plurality of connectors connecting said support members to form said grille.

2. A grille according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises a central tubular member and two wings extending on opposite sides thereof, the longitudinal rims being formed at the free edges of the wings.

3. A grille according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connectors are of cruciform shape, having four limbs each of which is engageable with the end of a support member.

4. A grille according to claim 3 when appendant to claim 2, wherein the connectors comprise four arms and four webs extending between the arms, the portions of the arms projecting beyond the webs engaging in the ends of the tubular members.

5. A grille according to claim 4, wherein the webs are dimensioned to space the ends of one pair of two opposite tubular members, whereby the rims of those members fit between the rims of the two support members associated with the other pair of two opposite tubular members, the crowned slat material associated with said first pair extending completely through the connector and the crowned slat material of the other pair being shaped to abut the slat material associated with the first pair.

6. A grille according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the ends of the slat material meeting as a connector are mitred to interfit with one another.

7. A grille according to any preceding claim, wherein said rims are angled inwardly towards the longitudinal centre body.

8. A grille according to any preceding claim, wherein longitudinal rims are provided on both sides of the body and wherein a crowned slat is engaged with the rims on each side of the body.

9. A window comprising a frame, at least two sheets of glass mounted in said frame and a grille according to any preceding claim fitted between two adjacent ones of said sheets of glass.

10. A window according to claim 9, wherein said grille is according to claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon, and wherein the grille is secured to said frame by screws passing through the frame and engaging in the ends of said central tubular members.