GB2330857A - A secondary glazing system comprising a plurality of panels where one panel is releasably fixed to the existing frame - Google Patents

Abstract

A glazing system comprising a primary frame 10 having attached thereto a secondary glazing panel 13 made of plastics or glass, the panel being attached to the primary frame by releasable means 17, 18, such as fabric hook and loop fastening strips. The glazing panel comprises two or more separate glazing portions 14, 15 which overlap or are flexibly hinged together along one of their respective edges, whereby one of the portions may be disengaged from the primary frame to allow access to the primary glazing.

Description

DOUBLE GLAZING This invention relates to double glazing. Known systems for double glazing fall into two basic types, primary double glazing comprising a sealed unit having two or more spaced panes and secondary glazing in which a secondary frame carrying a pane is fitted to the frame of an existing window. The present invention relates to secondary glazing.

There have been numerous prior proposals for secondary glazing systems.

Essentially the system must provide a means of attaching the secondary frame to the existing frame. Usually the secondary frame is removable and it may be openable when fixed to the outer frame so as to allow access to the glazing in the existing frame for cleaning and ventilation purposes.

Prior proposals for opening secondary glazing systems typically have a hinge arrangement comprising the hinge attachment at one side (stile) of the frames or at the top or bottom (rails) of the frames. Thus when it is desired to open or to clean a window, the secondary frame is released at one stile or rail and hinges at the other stile or rail whereby the entire secondary window projects into the room. This can be inconvenient and potentially dangerous.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved secondary glazing system which is relatively inexpensive, easy to fit and avoids the aforesaid disadvantage.

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a glazing system comprising a primary frame having attached thereto a secondary glazing panel, the secondary glazing panel being attached to the primary frame by releasable fastening means, the glazing panel comprising two separate glazing portions, the portions overlapping or being flexibly hinged together along one of their respective edges, whereby one of the portions may be disengaged from the primary frame to allow access to the primary glazing.

In a second aspect the invention provides a secondary glazing panel for use in the system of the immediately preceding paragraph, the secondary glazing panel comprising two separate glazing portions, each glazing portion having releasable means whereby it can be releasably attached to a portion of a primary glazed frame, the portions being overlappable or hinged together along one of their respective edges to provide the panel of the required size to fit over the primary frame.

Conveniently the panel will have only two glazing portions and the invention will be described more specifically below with reference to that embodiment.

However, it will be appreciated that, if required, the panel may be made up of three or more glazing portions.

The glazing portions may be substantially rigid, preferably lightweight sheets of plastics material, examples being acrylic, polycarbonates, polyvinylchloride and like UV stable sheets. In another variation the glazing portions are made of rigid natural glass or a synthetic equivalent.

The releasable attachment means may be strips of, e.g. a hook and eye type fastener, such as Velcro (registered trademark), one of the hook or eye portions being attached along the faces of the primary frame to receive the panel and the other portion being attached to the perimeter of each panel portion.

The two panel portions may be arranged to lie side by side with overlapping or hinged vertical edges or one above the other with overlapping or hinged horizontal edges, i.e. the invention is suitable for both sash and casement type windows.

Where an overlapping relationship is present; the portions may be held together in the overlapped region by releasable attachment means, but this is not essential.

The glazing panel may be fitted to the outside of an existing glazed frame but will normally be fitted to the inside (room side).

When it is desired to open a window or to clean inside the double glazed system, it is only necessary to release the attachment of a first glazing portion and the primary frame. If that portion was overlapped with its second portion, the first portion may be removed completely or, very conveniently, attached to the second portion, e.g. using the releasable attachment means. Thus a window may be opened in the primary frame without the secondary glazing intruding into the room. Similarly if the two glazing portions are hinged together, the first portion may be rotated after its release from the primary frame to fold over the second portion where it may be held in place.

The glazing portions making up the panel may be fitted, as desired, with other fixing means, e.g. angle or flat strips of plastics material which may be used as a grip to pull away from the Velcro or the like.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one form of glazing system according to the invention in a closed configuration; Figure 2 shows the system of Figure 1 in an open configuration; Figure 3 is an elevation corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side view of a portion of a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is an elevation corresponding to Figure 4; Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 4 of a further embodiment; and Figure 7 is a similar view of Figure 6 of a yet further embodiment.

In Figure 1 a primary glazing frame 10 carries sash-type window panes 11, 12.

A secondary glazing panel 13 comprises two separate glazing portions 14, 15 in the form of substantially rigid rectangular sheets of acrylic plastics material.

Sheets 14 and 15 overlap at their edges 14A, 15A to provide an overlap region 16. Releasable attachment means are provided between portions 14 and 15 in region 16 and between the frame 10 and the upper and lower ends of panel 13.

The releasable attachment means comprises Velcro (trade mark) as follows.

Two Velcro strips 17a and 18a are attached to respective ones of the frame 10 and the top edge of sheet 14, two more Velcro strips 17b and 18b are attached to the respective overlapping edges of sheets 14 and 15, and again, two Velcro strips 17c and 18c are attached to respective ones of the frame 10 and the lower edge of sheet 15. Each strip 17 is the counterpart to a strip 18, i.e. one strip is of'hook'structure and the other comprises 'eyes'.

As shown in Figure 3, the Velcro strips extend across the width of frame 10. If desired, further strips (not shown) may be provided along the vertical frame members and the side edges of sheets 14 and 15.

In Figure 2 panel 13 has been opened by releasing the attachment of portion 15 to frame 10 at its lower end and repositioning the portion 15 by attaching it to the exposed face of portion 14. Releasable attachment means (the Velcro strips) on portion 15 are now used to attach that portion to portion 14, this portion having an additional releasable attachment means 19 (Velcro strip) fixed to the face of the portion near its upper edge.

Access to the primary panes 11 and 12 is now possible and one or the other may be opened, if desired, without any inconvenient protrusion of panel 13 into the room.

In Figures 4 and 5 panel portions 24 and 25 are joined by a hinge strip 26. As shown in Figure 4, hinge 26 is in the form of two U-clips 27, 28 which receive an edge of panel portion 24, 25 respectively, and an intervening flexible plastics bridge 29 to which the U-clips are attached and about which they can rotate.

Panel portions 24 and 25 may be glued and/or screwed into the U-clips, screw means 30 being shown for panel 25.

Alternative hinge forms are shown in Figures 6 and 7. In Figure 6, a cruciform hinge 3 has arms 31A that fit into corresponding recesses 24A, 25A in panel portions 24, 25 respectively.

In Figure 7 hinge 32 has a central body portion 33 and two T-shaped projections 34, 35 that fit into corresponding recesses 24B, 25B in panel portions 24, 25 respectively.

In the hinged embodiments shown, the panel portions 24, 25 are attached to a primary frame by releasable attachment means as for the embodiments of Figures 1 to 3. One portion, say 25, can be released from frame 10 as before but is then rotated around the hinge to move out of the way and to allow access to the panes of the primary frame. It can then be similarly temporarily attached to the exposed face of the other portion 24.

The panel portions may readily be removed for storage, e.g. if not required during the summer season. The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. The glazing portions may be of glass and the invention is equally applicable to a casement window and any other window or window aperture.

Where the glazing portion is made of plastic there is a risk that the engagement of the releasable attachment means may be too strong for easy separation and easy union of the glazing portions. In such a case the attachment means may be shaped or arranged to make an easy low pressure engagement, for example, it may be of a V form or just one side of a Velcro strip. A rebate may be present which has the additional advantage of creating a discontinuous fluid path which will cut down on draughts.

Claims (12)

1. CLAIMS 1. A glazing system comprising a primary frame having attached thereto secondary glazing panel, the secondary glazing panel being attached tc the primary frame by releasable attachment means, the glazing pane comprising two separate glazing portions, the portions overlapping o : being flexibly hinged together along one of their respective edges and one of the portions being movable relative to the other, whereby said one o the portions may be disengaged from the primary frame to allow access to the primary glazing.
2. 2. A secondary glazing panel for use in the system of Claim 1, the secondary glazing panel comprising two separate glazing portions, each glazing portion having releasable attachment means whereby it can b releasably attached to a portion of a primary glazed frame, the portions being overlappable or hinged together along one of their respective edged to provide the panel of the required size for the primary frame.
3. 3. A panel according to Claim 2, wherein the panel has only two glazing portions.
4. 4. A panel according to Claim 2, wherein the panel has three or mor glazing portions.
5. 5. A panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the glazing portion. are substantially rigid sheets of plastics material, preferably lightweigh UV stable material, for example, acrylic, polycarbonate or polyvinylchloride.
6. 6. A panel according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the glazing portions are made of glass.
7. 7. A system or panel according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the releasable attachment means comprises strips of hook and eye type fastener, such as Velcro (registered trademark), one of the hook and eye portions being attached along faces of the primary frame to receive the panel and the other portion being attached to the panel.
8. 8. A system or panel according to any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the two panel portions are arranged to lie side by side with overlapping or hinged vertical edges.
9. 9. A system or panel according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein two panel portions are arranged to lie one above the other with overlapping or hinged horizontal edges.
10. 10. A system or panel according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein two overlapping panel portions are held together in the overlapped region by releasable attachment means.
11. 11. A system or panel according to any preceding claim, including griping members secured to said glazing portions and operable to facilitate release of a panel or panel portion from said frame.
12. 12. A system or panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.