GB2331782A

GB2331782A - A glazing strip end cap

Info

Publication number: GB2331782A
Application number: GB9725398A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Christopher Allport; Susan Margaret Allport; Mark Charles Allport; Phillip Brian Allport; Hannah Susan Allport
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-28
Filing date: 1997-11-28
Publication date: 1999-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-28
Also published as: GB9725398D0; GB2331782B

Abstract

A glazing assembly includes a glazing strip 15 cut from a length of material having a protective surface coating such that due to the cutting the end faces of the glazing strip lack the protective coating. The glazing strip 15 extends outwardly and downwardly over the front edge 14A of the horizontal limb 14 of a window frame and has an end cap 22 fitted to each end to protect the cut ends. Each end cap has opposite sidewalls 30A, 30B defining an outwardly and downwardly extending channel receiving the respective end of the glazing strip. Each end cap further comprises a weather shield 36, which may be dome-shaped, extending away from the base of the channel, on the opposite side of the end cap to the sidewalls, laterally beyond the edge 20A of the adjacent vertical limb 20 of the window frame and substantially in abutment with the front face 20B of the vertical limb.

Description

1 A GLAZING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a glazing assembly.

2331782 United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2253001B escribes a glazing assembly of a kind comprising a window frame, a window pane within the frame, support means secured to a lower horizontal limb of the frame adjacent the window pane, a glazing strip secured to the support means by interlocking formations on the glazing strip and support means, and a gasket carried by the glazing strip and pressing on the window pane to effect a seal between the window pane and the glazing strip, the gasket serving also to bias the glazing is strip towards a position in which said formations on the glazing strip and support means are maintained in locking engagement, the glazing strip having been cut from a length of material having a protective surface coating such that due to the cutting the end faces of the glazing strip lack the protective coating, and the assembly further comprising end caps fitted to the ends of the glazing strip to protect its end faces, each end cap being located in a respective corner of the frame at a respective end of the horizontal limb. Such a glazing assembly is referred to herein as "of the kind defined".

It is an object of the present invention to provide a glazing assembly of the kind defined having an end cap pf03548 2 with improved resistance to moisture penetration in the corner of the frame between the horizontal and vertical limbs of the frame.

According to the present invention there is provided a glazing assembly of the kind defined, in which the glazing strip extends outwardly and downwardly over the front edge of the horizontal limb, and in which at least one end cap comprises opposite sidewalls defining an outwardly and downwardly extending channel receiving the respective end of the glazing strip, the end cap further comprising a weather shield which extends away from the base of the channel, on the opposite side of the end cap to the sidewalls, laterally beyond the edge is of the adjacent vertical limb of the window frame and substantially in abutment with the front face of the vertical limb.

Preferably the glazing strip is an anodised powder- coated extrusion and the end caps are moulded of a hard plastics material.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a glazing assembly according to the embodiment; pf03548 3 Fig. 2 is a side view of an end cap in the assembly; Fig. 3 is a front view of the end cap; Fig. 4 is an underneath view of the end cap; and Figs. 5 and 6 respectively are views of the and on the glazing strip and the end cap prior to and after the end cap has been fitted to the glazing strip.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a wooden window frame 11 holding a double glazing unit. Within the frame 11 polypropylene support blocks (not shown) are secured to the lower horizontal limb 14 of the is frame 11 in the manner disclosed in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2241529B. An elongate glazing strip 15, one of several produced by cutting a long length of extruded and anodised aluminium into shorter lengths, has uncoated end faces 24 (Fig. 5) resulting from the cutting. The strip 15 has a front edge 16 and a rear edge 17. Considering the direction along the exposed upper surface of the strip 15 from the rear edge 17 to the front edge 16, i.e. the direction indicated by the dashed line 15A in Fig. 1, the strip 15 first extends outwardly away from the outer pane 13 of the double glazing unit at a small downward angle to the horizontal, and then curves more steeply downwardly, turning through an angle of up to 90 degrees, to the front edge 16.

pf03548 4 The rear edge 17 of the glazing strip 15 has a downward extension 17A and carries a gasket 18 which presses on the outer surface 12 of the outer pane 13 of the double glazing unit held within the frame 11 to effect a seal between the window pane 13 and the strip 15. A leg 10 extends downwardly from the underside of the strip 15 intermediate the front and rear edges 16, 17 of the strip 15. The leg 10 and the downward extension 17A, on the one hand, and the support blocks, on the other hand, have interlocking formations (not shown), and the strip 15 is biased away from the window pane 13, by the gasket 18, into a position where these interlocking formations are maintained in locking engagement.

is The construction so far described is essentially the same as that described with reference to Fig. 1 of United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2241529B, except that in the present case the glazing strip 15 extends outwardly and downwardly over the front edge 14A of the limb 14, i.e. the front edge 16 of the strip 15 is outwardly of and below the level of the front edge 14A.

End caps 22 of relatively hard plastics material are push-fitted on the ends 24 of the glazing strip 15, each end cap being being located in a respective corner of the frame at a respective end of the horizontal limb 14 and abutting against a respective vertical limb 20.

pf03548 It will be understood that although only one end cap 22 is shown in Fig. 1, another end cap, being a mirror image of the end cap 22, is provided at the other end of the glazing strip 15.

Each end cap 22 comprises an outwardly and downwardly extending channel 30, defined by opposite sidewalls 30A and 30B upstanding from a base 32, into which the respective end 24 of the glazing strip 15 is a push fit. The inner sidewall 30A is higher than the outer sidewall 30B so as to extend further into the interior of the glazing strip than the sidewall 30B extends over the outer surface of the glazing strip, but terminates short of the front end 34 of the end cap to make room for the dependent leg 10. Each end cap 22 also includes a weather shield 36 which extends away from the base 32 of the channel 30, on the opposite side of the end cap to the sidewalls 30A and 30B, laterally beyond the edge 20A of the adjacent vertical limb 20 of the window frame.

The weather shield 36 has a first edge 38 which curves outwardly and downwardly from adjacent the top end of the channel 30 and is in abutment with the front face 20B of the vertical limb 20, and a second edge 40 which curves laterally and rearwardly from adjacent the bottom end of the channel 30 to meet the first edge 38, at the point 42, at the front face 20B of the vertical limb. Thus the weather shield 36 is, in this pf03548 6 embodiment, generally in the form of 1/4 of a dome (hemisphere).

Preferably, as seen in Fig. 4, the thickness of the weather shield tapers towards the first edge 38 for sealing deformation against the front face 20B of the vertical limb 20. This also allows the end cap 22 to accommodate varying depths of rebate.

A wooden beading strip 44 is secured to the vertical limb 20 of the window frame adjacent the window pane 13. The beading strip 44 carries a gasket 46 which presses on the window pane 13 to provide a further seal. A lug 48 on each end cap 22 projects upwardly to prevent the lower end of the wooden beading strip 44 touching the strip 15, which would cause water retention and eventual deterioration. The front face 34 of the lug 48 is upwardly and rearwardly inclined to accommodate the similarly inclined upper surface of the 20 gasket 18.

The advantages of the present end cap 22 over those shown in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2253001B are:

a) It deflects moisture away from the vertical joint of the window frame.

pf03548 7 b) Its closure of the end of the glazing strip 15 stops wind-driven rain from moistening the rebate over which the glazing strip is fitted, an area which cannot be reached for re-coating maintenance.

c) Its smooth radius assures that no injury can occur.

d) The face of the lug 48 which abuts the vertical limb of the frame protects the inner rebate surface from moisture and supports the side beads.

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Claims

CLAIMS:

8 1. A glazing assembly of the kind defined, in which the glazing strip extends outwardly and downwardly over the front edge of the horizontal limb, and in which at least one end cap comprises opposite sidewalls defining an outwardly and downwardly extending channel receiving the respective end of the glazing strip, the end cap further comprising a weather shield which extends away from the base of the channel, on the opposite side of the end cap to the sidewalls, laterally beyond the edge of the adjacent vertical limb of the window frame and substantially in abutment with the front face of the vertical limb.
2. A glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weather shield has a first edge which extends outwardly and downwardly from adjacent the top end of the channel substantially in abutment with the front face of the vertical limb and a second edge which extends laterally and rearwardly from adjacent the bottom end of the channel to meet the first edge.
3. A glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the weather shield tapers towards the said first edge for sealing deformation against the front face of the vertical limb.

pf03548 9
4. A glazing assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein both the f irst and second edges of the weather shield are curved such that the weather shield is generally in the form of 1/4 of a dome.
5. A glazing assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a beading strip is secured to the vertical limb of the window frame adjacent the window pane and the lower end of the beading strip is spaced from the glazing strip by an upwardly extending lug on the end cap.
6. A glazing assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

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