GB2308611A - Double glazed window having internal and external false glazing bars mimicking separately glazed units, the internal bars being spaced from the glass panes. - Google Patents

Description

DOUBLE-GLAZED WINDOW FRAME This invention relates to a double-glazed window frame which comprises a rectangular frame made of plastics material, a sealed unit of two spaced panels of glass which is mounted in the rectangular frame, and a rectangular arrangement of joining bars joining together the two panels of glass in sealed manner along the edges of the panels to form the sealed unit.

Window frames of plastics material (usually UPVC) are being made and installed to an ever increasing extent as replacements for existing timber framed windows, and also as original installations in new buildings. UPVC frames are mainly coloured white, so as to simulate white painted timber window frames, and the designs of UPVC sections are usually such that they provide a reasonable approximation to standard designs of timber sections, to meet customer requirements.

However, in addition to simulating standard i.e. nonfancy designs of timber sections, UPVC sections are being used to an increasing extent to simulate more intricate designs of timber sections normally provided in more expensive houses and mansions in the past. This use of UPVC sections is growing, as new designs of UPVC sections are better able to simulate these traditional and more intricate designs previously provided in timber.

The present invention is concerned with provision of enhanced visual appeal of plastics (and especially UPVC) designs of window frame and in particular to the provision of a double glazed window frame which simulates a so-called "georgian" effect of an assembly of separate small framed window panes, with each pane being mounted in its own rectangular timber frame.

It should be understood that an exact replication of a georgian effect, using UPVC sections and double-glazed sealed units, would require provision of separate small double-glazed units, each mounted in its own frame, and each frame then being assembled into a larger frame for the entire assembly.

However, this requires substantial costs, both in manufacture, and assembly, and there is therefore, for reasons of economics, a need to provide an effective simulation while utilising a single large double-glazed sealed unit which can be divided up into an effective simulation of separate "panes" or cells.

According to the invention there is provided a doubleglazed window frame which comprises: a rectangular frame of plastics material; a sealed unit of two spaced panels of glass, said unit being mounted in the rectangular frame; a rectangular arrangement of joining bars joining together the two panels of glass in sealed manner along the edges of the panels, at least some of the joining bars being perforated on their sides which face inwardly of the frame; a respective cruciform arrangement of external bars adhesively secured to the outer face of each of said glass panels, so as to sub-divide the panels into separately framed rectangular portions; and spacer bars arranged internally of the two panels and being perforated, or having dummy perforations, and in alignment with the external bars so that each framed rectangular portion has the simulated appearance of a separate framed double-glazed unit, each spacer bar being mounted with clearance in the space between the two panels to allow gaseous communication between adjacent simulated framed units whereby substantially uniform low humidity may prevail throughout the internal space defined between the two panels.

Therefore, a window frame according to the invention can provide an effective simulation of traditional timber designs of multi-pane window frames, while utilising the advantages of a) plastics sections to form the frame and b) a sealed doubleglazed unit formed of two panels of glass only.

In the fabrication of double-glazed units, it is usual to introduce moisture-extraction material into the joining bars which seal the edges of the glass panels of each sealed unit e.g. silica gel, and the perforations in the inwardly facing surfaces of the bars allow communication between the air trapped in the space between the glass panels and the moisture extraction material, so that the humidity of the air can be permanently lowered to an acceptable level after the completion of the formation of the sealed unit.

Therefore, by providing internal spacer bars with sufficient clearance between one or both of the inwardly facing sides of the two glass panels, gaseous communication is permitted between each simulated separate "window pane" or "cell", so that the moisture extraction material provided in the joining bars can extract moisture from all of the air trapped in the space between the two glass panels.

The apertures which are usually formed in the inwardly facing sides of the joining bars have a characteristic appearance, and usually take the form of a pair of lines of perforations, and further enhancement of the simulation of a window frame is composed of separately framed small doubleglazed units is obtained by providing on the inwardly facing sides of the spacer bars with similar surface representation of such perforations. This promotes the illusion that each cell is actually composed of two separate small panes of glass joined together to form a sealed unit, and with its own moisture extraction facility.

Each cruciform arrangement will define a minimum of four separate rectangular portions, and evidently multiple cruciform arrangements can be built up to provide any required number of separate rectangular portions.

Each external bar is adhesively secured to the respective outer face of one of the two glass panels, and the adhesive securement may be achieved by any suitable means. However, one particularly preferred arrangement is use of double-sided adhesive tape, which is placed between the facing surfaces of each external bar and the glass panel. To conceal this means of adhesive securement from view, and / or to shield the adhesive securement from the effects of weather, (in the case of the outer panel of glass), preferably each bar defines a shallow trough into which the tape can be accommodated.

In a preferred arrangement, each external bar is generally A-shaped, comprising a base, and a pair of flanks extending away from opposite ends of the base to meet at an apex of the A-shaped design, and with each flank having short legs projecting in the opposite direction a short distance from the base so as to define the trough in which the tape can be received.

The flanks of the generally A-shape of each bar can be formed in any required profile, to simulate any desired traditional timber design of framing used to mount separate panes of glass in traditional timber designs of window.

A preferred embodiment of double-glazed window frame according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the exterior of part of a double-glazed window frame according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of an external bar which can be assembled into cruciform shape for application to the external glass panel of a double-glazed unit provided in the frame shown in Figure 1; Figure 2a is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing an alternative profile of an external cruciform bar assembly; Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figures 2 and 2a, of an internal bar of a cruciform assembly for application to the exposed surface of the inner of the two glass panels of the double glazed unit; ; Figure 4 is an end view of an internal spacer bar to be provided internally of the space between the two panels of the double glazed unit, and in alignment with the cruciform external bar; Figure 5 is a perspective illustration of a decorative feature applied to the visible faces of the spacer bar shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the spacer bar with a mounting element press-fitted into one end thereof; and Figures 7 and 8 are side and end views of the mounting element.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of double-glazed window frame according to the invention is designated generally by reference 10, and comprises a rectangular frame of plastics material, which is built up from vertical and horizontal extruded UPVC sections 11 and 12, which can be of any suitable profile. A sealed unit, designates generally by reference 13, is mounted in the rectangular frame, and is composed of two spaced panels of glass, namely external glass panel 14 and internal glass panel is.

It should be understood that Figure 1 is a detail illustration of part of the rectangular frame, and that the two glass panels 14 and 15 extend throughout the space between the frame sections 11 and 12, and which are sealed together by a rectangular arrangement of joining bars which join the two panels 14 and 15 together in sealed manner along the adjacent edges thereof. Only two.of these joining bars can be seen in Figure 1, namely bottom horizontal joining bar 16 and vertical joining bar 17, and the construction and arrangement of these joining bars will be well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art.These joining bars will usually be provided with apertures in their inwardly facing surfaces, and generally take the form of a pair of spaced lines of perforations or indentations, and this allows communication between the air trapped between the panels 14 and 15, and with the interior of the joining bars 16 and 17, into which there is usually provided suitable moisture extraction material e.g. silica gel, and which allows the humidity of the air trapped between the two panels of glass during formation of the sealed unit to be brought down to an acceptable level permanently.

In order to simulate any desired traditional design of multi-pane window with timber framing, a respective cruciform arrangement of external bars is provided on the (exposed) outwardly facing surfaces of panels 14 and 15. The cruciform arrangement applied to outer panel 14 is designated generally by reference 18, and the matching cruciform arrangement applied to the exposed face of internal panel 15 is designated generally by reference 19. Each cruciform arrangement will define at least four separate rectangular portions or "cells", and evidently the assemblies of external bars can be built up to provide any required number of separately framed rectangular portions. Evidently, the cruciform arrangements give the appearance of sub-dividing the panels 14 and 15 into separately framed rectangular portions.

Spacer bars 20 are arranged internally of the two panels 14 and 15, and in alignment with the external bars of the arrangements 18 and 19, so that each framed rectangular portion has the simulated appearance of a separate framed double-glazed unit, even although only two separate panels of glass 14 and 15 are provided. However, each internal spacer bar 20 is mounted with clearance in the space defined between the panels 14 and 15, to allow gaseous communication between adjacent simulated framed units or "cells", so that substantially uniform low humidity may prevail throughout the internal space defined between the two panels 14 and 15.

Therefore, window frame 10 can provide an effective simulation of traditional timber designs of multi-pane window frames, while utilising the advantages of a) plastics sections to form the frame and b) a sealed double-glazed unit formed of two panels of glass only, extending throughout the rectangular space defined between the four components of the external frame (11, 12) Referring now to Figure 2, this shows the cross-section or profile of one of the bars of the external cruciform arrangement 18, and which is designated generally by reference 21. Bar 21 is hollow, and made of window grade UPVC, and is generally A-shaped. Thus, bar 21 comprises a base 22, and a pair of side flanks 23 upstanding from opposite ends of base 22, and meeting at an apex 24.The flanks 23 project a small distance in the opposite direction, to form short legs 23a, and which define, with the base 22, a shallow trough 25 into which can be accommodated double-sided adhesive tape, in order to secure the bar 21 adhesively to the surface of the panel 14.

The trough 25 can shield or mask the means of adhesive securement from view, and also provides protection from the weather.

The profile of the bar 21 can be shaped to any required simulation of traditional timber designs, and a further example is shown in Figure 2a, in which the flanks of the profile each include three successive reverse curved portions as illustrated.

Figure 3 shows an interior sash bar, designated generally by reference 26, and which can be assembled to form the internal cruciform arrangement 19, also adhesively secured via double-sided tape.

Finally, referring now to Figures 4 and 5, this shows in more detail the cross-sectional shape of the internal spacer bars 20. These bars may be fabricated from aluminium, with separate cladding if required. Decorative cladding is shown in dotted outline by reference 27 in Figure 4, and in more detail in Figure 5. The cladding 27 is illustrated being provided with dummy rows of perforations or indentations 28 on both visible faces, and this is intended to simulate the perforations which are usually provided on the joining bars 16 and 17 which form the sealed unit. Thus, the frame 10 will present the appearance of separate double-glazed units, each mounted in its own frame, and each provided with its own moisture-extraction facility. This is an illusion, but is believed will have customer appeal.

Figure 6 illustrates a mounting element or "key", designated by reference 29, which is press-fitted into one end of the spacer bar 20, and which serves to mount the spacer bar in the space between the glass panels 14 and 15, in such a way as to avoid application of twist to the spacer bar. Figures 7 and 8 are side and end views of the locating element 29.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS:

1. A double-glazed window frame (10) which comprises: a rectangular frame (11, 12) of plastics material; a sealed unit of two spaced panels of glass (14, 15), said unit being mounted in the rectangular frame; a rectangular arrangement of joining bars (16, 17) joining together the two panels of glass (14, 15) in sealed manner along the edges of the panels, at least some of the joining bars being perforated on their sides which face inwardly of the frame; a respective cruciform arrangement (18, 19) of external bars adhesively secured to the outer face of each of said glass panels (14, 15), so as tosub-divide the panels into separately framed rectangular portions; and spacer bars (20) arranged internally of the two panel (14, 15) and being perforated, or having dummy perforations, and in alignment with the external bars so that each framed rectangular portion has the simulated appearance of a separate framed double-glazed unit, each spacer bar (20) being mounted with clearance in the space between the two panels (14, 15) to allow gaseous communication between adjacent simulated framed units whereby substantially uniform low humidity may prevail throughout the internal space defined between the two panels.

2. A window frame according to claim 1, including moisture-extraction material introduced into the joining bars (16, 17), and apertures formed in the inwardly facing surfaces of the bars (16, 17) to allow communication between the air trapped in the space between the glass panels (14, 15) and the moisture-extraction material.

3. A window frame according to claim 2, in which dummy apertures (28) are formed in the inwardly facing sides of the spacer bars (20).

4. A window frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which each cruciform arrangement (18, 19) defines a minimum of four separate rectangular portions.

5. A window frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the bars of the cruciform arrangements (18, 19) are adhesively secured by means of double-sided adhesive tape.

6. A window frame according to claim 5, in which the double-sided adhesive tape is housed within a shallow trough (25) provided in each bar (21), which conceals the tape from view.

7. A window frame according to claim 6, in which each external bar (21) is hollow and generally A-shaped, comprising a base (22), and a pair of flanks (23) extending away from opposite ends of the base (22) to meet at an apex (24) of the A-shaped design, and with each flank having short legs (23a) projecting in the opposite direction a short distance from the base (22) so as to define said trough (25) in which the tape is received.

8. A window frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which at least some of the spacer bars (20) have locating elements (29) press-fitted into one end thereof to assist the location of the spacer bar in the frame.