GB2347963A

GB2347963A - Roof glazing bar with plastic connector for aluminum capping

Info

Publication number: GB2347963A
Application number: GB0003335A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Richardson
Original assignee: Ultraframe UK Ltd
Current assignee: Ultraframe UK Ltd
Priority date: 1999-03-17
Filing date: 2000-02-15
Publication date: 2000-09-20
Also published as: WO2000055451A1; CA2302145A1; AU2558000A; GB0003335D0; GB9906087D0

Abstract

In a roof glazing beam system a glazing bar 12, which may be of inverted T-shape, supports glazing panels 10. A plastics connector 34 is attached to the glazing bar 12 which allows the mounting of aluminium cappings 14. Preferably, the free end of the inverted T-shape has a channel with internal barb formations for mounting the connector and the connector has a groove for slidingly receiving a complementary rib on the capping.

Description

TITLE: Roof Construction DESCRIPTION This invention concerns roof construction, especially glazed roof construction.

Glazed roofs, particularly for conservatories are often constructed from glazing panels, which may be of glass or of plastics material, such as polycarbonate or polyvinyl chloride, supported between glazing bars of aluminium. The glazing panels are held in place by cappings that engage with the glazing bars and whose edges sit on the glazing panels with gasket material trapped therebetween.

It is known for cappings to be of plastics material typically PVCu, but for some applications aluminium cappings are desirable. There are, however, two problems with the use of aluminium cappings. The first is that their engagement or direct contact with aluminium glazing bars provides a route for cold transference from outside the roof to inside where condensation can occur. The second problem is that of fitting the aluminium capping to the glazing bar. Typically aluminium cappings are fixed onto glazing bars with screws through the cappings at spaced intervals. Firstly, the screws can be unsightly but second, and more significantly, compression onto glazing panels is unevenly distributed along the length of the cappings.

An object of this invention is to provide means whereby use of aluminium cappings in glazed roof construction may be facilitated.

According to this invention there is provided a roof beam system for use in constructing glazed roofs, the system comprising a glazing bar for supporting glazing panels on one or both sides thereof and an aluminium capping for holding down the or each glazing panel, the capping being secured to the glazing bar by a plastics connector.

The glazing bar is preferably of inverted T-section, in use, having a cross bar and an upstand. The upstand preferably has a part for engagingly receiving the connector.

The capping preferably has on its underside means for engagement with the connector.

The top of the upstand preferably has a channel with notched sides, with which depending formations of the connector can engage to a desired depth. The connector preferably has an inverted T-shaped groove in its top surface for slidingly receiving a complementary rib on the underside of the capping.

The capping preferably has co-extruded or bonded gasket material along its free edges for sealing against the glazing panels. Separate gasket strips may alternatively be provided on the capping free edges.

The connectors being of plastics material form a thermal barrier between the aluminium capping and glazing bar.

The connectors of the invention may be used as a continuous strip extending substantially the length of the capping. Alternatively spaced connectors may be used.

The plastics connector (s) may be attached to the aluminium capping, by sliding the connectors along the capping and then the capping with connector (s) pressed down onto the glazing bar to engage the glazing bar.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a section through part of a conservatory roof.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, a conservatory roof comprises glazing panel 10, typically of polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride or glass, supported between glazing bars 12. The panels 10 are held in place by top capping 14 of aluminium.

The glazing bar 12 is extruded from aluminium and is generally of T-section but inverted in use. The glazing bar has a cross bar formed by a pair of flanges 16, which are turned back on themselves at their remote ends, and an upstanding limb 18.

Each flange 16 has a first part 25 angled downwards slightly relative to the upstanding limb 18 and a second part which forms a trough 26 remote from the upstanding limb 18.

The upstanding limb 18 has a first part extending from the cross bar that has a single web 28 including a screw port 30 and a second double web ducted part 32. The webs continue above the ducted part 32 to form an upwardly open channel 20 having generally parallel sides 22. On the inside of each side is a series of notches 24.

The channel 20 provides a location for engagingly receiving a connector strip 34, which connects the top capping 14 to the glazing bar 12. The top capping 14 is generally of inverted V-section but has a flat top 36 and depending outwardly angled sides 38. Remote edges of the sides have gaskets 40 thereon formed by co-extrusion or bonding of gasket material thereon, such as of rubber or synthetic elastomeric material.

The remote edges of the sides 38 are formed with T-section channels to receive part of the gasket material to prevent stretching and shrinkage. The gaskets 40 have three spaced ribs on their glazing contacting surface that can spread to improve contact therewith and hence the seal between the capping and the glazing panels.

The connector strip 34 is made of plastics material and has a top 60 and a pair of outwardly extending resilient limbs 62 depending from the top. The top 60 has a flat top surface with an inverted T-section groove 64 formed therein. The underside of the top has-channels 66 formed therein either side of the limbs 62, which enable the connector strip to sit on the tops of the webs forming the sides of the channel 20 of the glazing bar.

Ends of the limbs 62 have ribs 70 that can engage under notches 24 to retain the connector strip in place.

On the underside of the flat top 36 of the capping is a T-section rib 50. The rib 50 slidingly engages in the correspondingly shaped groove 64 in the top of the connector strip 34.

The connector strip 34 is slid into position on the capping 14 and then the assembly pushed down into place on the glazing bar. Because the connector strip is of plastics, the limbs 62 are resiliently flexible so that as the strip is pushed down onto the glazing bar, the limbs can deform inwards as their ends pass over the notches 24 until the strip has been pushed down to a desired extent in order to press the gaskets onto the glazing panels to form a good seal therebetween.

A bottom capping 80 is shown on the glazing bar cross bar. The capping 80 is of channel section and has co-extruded or co-bonded gasket material 82, such as of rubber or synthetic elastomeric material, along each top edge. The capping is held in place by the gasket material being trapped between the glazing panels and the glazing bar.

The connector strip 34 has a number of advantages. The first is to provide a thermal break between the top capping and the glazing bar. As these are both of aluminium, direct contact between them would provide a route for cold transference from the outside to cause condensation on the inside of the roof.

Secondly, the engagement between the top capping and the connector strip is continuous, so that compression on the glazing panel is distributed substantially evenly along the length of the capping.

Thirdly, the connector strip controls the distance between the glazing bar and the aluminium top capping. Being of plastics, the connector strip can accommodate variations more easily than the relatively rigid aluminium capping and glazing bar.

Instead of using a continuous connector strip 34, it is possible to use shorter portions thereof at spaced intervals along a glazing bar to connect the capping to the glazing bar.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A roof beam system for use in constructing glazed roofs, the system comprising a glazing bar for supporting glazing panels on one or both sides thereof and an aluminium capping for holding down the or each glazing panel, the capping being secured to the glazing bar by a plastics connector.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glazing bar is of inverted T-section, in use, having a cross bar and an upstand.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upstand has a part for engagingly receiving the connector.
4. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 4, wherein the capping has on its underside means for engagement with the connector.
5. A system as claimed in claim 2,3 or 4, wherein the top of the upstand has a channel with notched sides with which depending formations of the connector engage to a desired depth.
6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connector has an inverted T-shaped groove in its top surface for slidingly receiving a complementary rib on the underside of the capping.
7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the capping has coextruded or bonded gasket material along its free edges.
8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein separate gasket strips are provided on free edges of the capping.
9. A roof beam system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.