GB2356215A

GB2356215A - Plant-on window bar

Info

Publication number: GB2356215A
Application number: GB9926520A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Christopher Webster
Original assignee: Anglian Windows Ltd
Current assignee: Anglian Windows Ltd
Priority date: 1999-11-10
Filing date: 1999-11-10
Publication date: 2001-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2019-11-10
Also published as: GB9926520D0; GB2368089B; GB2356215B; GB0127773D0; GB2368089A

Abstract

A plant-on bar for window or door glazing is formed from two bars (10A, 12A) extending at an angle to one another. They are inter-engaged by a rigid joint (14A, 16A) by pressing together respective formations on the bars (10A, 12A), making use of the resilience of the material from which the bars (10A, 12A) are constructed. The joint can be a dovetail or crosshalving joint to form a Georgain style arrangement or diamond shape. The bars (10A, 12A) can be made from UPVC or aluminium and to facilitate engagement of the formations the bars (10A, 12A) can be resiliently bent into a curved shape to open the aperture in the dovetail slot. The bars (10A, 12A) may also have nibs or lips (24, 24A, fig 11) at their ends for locating between the glazing bead (30) or frame (32) to fix the bars in position.

Description

2356215 Plant-on Dividing Bar Arrangement for Window o Door Glazing This

invention relates to a plant-on dividing bar arrangement for window or door glazing.

Hitherto, in the manufacture of windows and doors having glazing bearing planton dividing bars, such for example as imitation Georgian windows and doors, the usual practice, at least in the case of UPVC windows and doors, has been to interengage the bars by means of cruciform shaped joining elements at the intersections of the bars. The manufacturing procedure involved is relatively time-consuming and expensive, and the result can be regarded as aesthetically unattractive.

An aim of the present invention is to provide an improved plant-on dividing bar arrangement for window and door glazing which is simpler and less expensive to produce, whilst achieving what may generally be considered to be an aesthetically more pleasing result.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a plant-on dividing bar arrangement for window or door glazing wherein at least two bars extending at an angle to one another are interengaged with a rigid joint achieved by pressing into engagement with one another respective formations on the two bars by relative movement of the bars in a direction generally normal to their lengths, making use of the resilience of the material of which the bars are made.

A preferred joint is a dovetailed joint, most preferably a dovetailed crosshalving joint.

In one arrangement, each bar has a dovetail slot and a tail portion of reduced depth beyond the slot, and the bars are interengaged by flexing one bar into a slightly curved shape to open the aperture of its dovetail slot, entering the tail portion of the dovetail slot of the other bar into the opened dovetail slot of the first bar, and releasing the first bar so that it recovers its shape to grip the tail portion of the other bar.

In the case of a dovetailed crosshalving joint, the depth of the dovetail slots is substantially one half the depth of the bars.

In order to aid the step of interengagement, the base of the dovetail slot in the said other bar may be cut away on at least one side with a chamfer, so that by tilting this bar about its longitudinal axis at the same time as flexing the first bar, the necessary amount of flexing of the first bar and the presure required to interengage the bars are reduced.

The invention is especially applicable to plant-on bars of aluminium or UPVC, especially the latter, and typically these bars are formed hollow in order to save material. It is therefore alternatively possible, in some cases at least, to interengage the two bars simply by directly pressing the dovetail slot of the first bar over the tail portion of the dovetail slot of the other bar, temporarily and resiliently slightly compressing the two side walls of said tail portion towards one another during the interengagement step.

Whether or not the alternative method of interengagement is possible depends, at least to some extent, on the transverse cross-sectional shape of the plant-on bars. The invention is generally applicable to all profiles which may be desired for plant-on bars, including all typical Georgian profiles.

In the case of plant-on bars for an imitation Georgian window or door, the bars Will extend horizontally and vertically in the final product. When the bars extend normally to one another, the dovetail slots or other formations are formed across the bars in a direction at right angle to the lengths of the bars. However, the invention is equally applicable to a plant-on bar arrangement having, for example, a diamond pattern. In this case the dovetail slots or other formations may be formed across the bars at an angle other than a right angle to the length of the bars.

Another aspect of the invention concerns a possible method of the fitting of the plant-on dividing bar arrangement, typically with the individual bars interengaged as hereinbefore described, to the window or door.

According to this aspect of the invention, the glazing bars are formed with projecting nibs or lips at their respective opposite ends so that by flexing the bars into a slightly curved shape, the nibs or lips can be located between the glazing and the glazing bead or frame on all sides of the frame of the window or door, whereby to fix the plant-on dividing bar arrangement in position.

in practice, with a multiple bar arrangement, it is preferable to spring the bars into position individually, locating one end of a single bar in position at one side of the frame and then flexing the bar to spring the other end of the bar into position at the other side of the frame. All the bars of the plant-on bar arrangement extending in one direction are preferably first located in place one at a time, followed one at a time by the bars extending in the other direction.

This second aspect of the invention implies that the plant-on dividing bar arrangement is fitted externally in the case of a double glazed unit, on the outside glass pane. Although preferred in practice, this is not a limiting feature of the invention.

It should also be mentioned that it is possible so to form the dovetail slots that the assembled bar arrangement automatically assumes a hollow dish shape, convex to the side to lie against the glazing, whereby the fitting of the nibs or lips under the glazing bead or frame ensures tight abutment of the bar arrangement against the glazing. In practice, however, whether or not the above-described method of fitting is employed, the plant-on dividing bar arrangement may be bonded to the glazing, typically by use of double-sided adhesive tape.

It will also be clear that, during manufacture of the plant-on dividing bar arrangement, the dovetail slots or other formations are formed at predetermined positions along the lengths of the bars, appropriate to the final design of the window or door to be produced.

The invention also extends to a window or door carrying a plant-on dividing bar arrangement as hereiribefore described with reference to the first and/or second aspects of the invention.

The plant-on dividing bar arrangement in accordance with the invention is ftirther described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 shows a typical Georgian window; Figure 2 shows a plant-on dividing bar arrangement for a Georgian window; Figure 3 shows a typical Georgian bar profile; Figures 4 to 6 show stages in the process of interengaging two dividing bars; Figure 7 shows a different Georgian bar profile; Figures 8 to 10 show stages in the process of interengaging two dividing bars having the alternative profile; Figures 11 to 13 show stages in the process of planting the bar arrangement on to the glazing; and Figure 14 shows a dished dividing bar arrangement after assembly.

A typical Georgian window is shown in Figure 1. This has one vertical bar and two horizontal bars dividing the glazing. It is common current practice to simulate such a window by means of a plant-on dividing bar arrangement or bar matrix. Such a plant-on bar arrangement, for the window of Figure 1, is shown in Figure 2. The present invention is especially concerned with the manner in which the respective bars of the plant-on bar arrangement are interengaged.

Figure 3 shows one typical bar profile for a Georgian window.

As shown in Figure 4, two such bars 10, 12 (e.g. of UPVC) to be interengaged are formed at predetermined positions along their lengths with dovetail slots 14, 16 of a depth one half that of the bars. Beyond each slot 14, 16 the remaining depth of the bars is referred to as a tail portion 18, 20. Such slots 14, 16 are referred to as dovetail slots as, when the bars are interengaged at such slots, a rigid dovetail crosshalving joint is produced.

For convenience only, bar 10 is referred to as the lower bar and bar 12 as the upper bar. By flexing or springing the lower bar 10 to open the aperture of its dovetail slot 14, the tail portion 20 of the upper bar 12 can be pressed into it.

When the lower bar 10 is released, it recovers its shape tightly to grip the tail portion 20, resulting in the dovetail crosshalving joint. Two bars interconnected by such a joint are shown in Figure 5.

In practice, as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to charnfer one side edge of the base of the slot 16 in the upper bar 12, as indicated at 22, to assist the interengagement step. By slightly twisting the upper bar 12 at the &line time as slightly springing the lower bar 10, the tail portion 20 of the upper bar can be readily entered into the opened-up aperture of the slot 14 of the lower bar 10 with reduced flexing of the lower bar and a minimal requirement for application of pressure in a direction normal to the lengths of the two bars.

Figure 7 shows another typical Georgian bar profile and Figures 8 to 10 show the manner of interengagement of two such bars, similar reference numerals to Figures 4 to 6 being employed, but with the letter A suffix.

It will readily be understood that the plant-on bar arrangement of Figure 2 can be built up by interengaging: two upper (horizontal) bars with one lower (vertical) bar.

The invention can equally be applied to form a diamond plant-on bar matrix simply by appropriately cutting the dovetail slots so that they extend across the bars at an angle other than a right angle to the lengths of the bars.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, Figures 11 to 13 show a possible method of application of the plant-on dividing bar arrangement of Figure 2 to the glazing, in order to simulate a Georgian window of the pattern shown in Figure 1.

For enabling this method of fitting the bar matrix, each bar is formed at each end with a nib or lip 24, 24A. Figure 11 shows the lip 24 at one end of one horizontal bar 26 of the bar matrix 28 inserted under the glazing bead 30 or frame at one side of the window frame 32. Figure 12 shows the bar 26 flexed or sprung to enable location of the lip 24A at the other end of the bar 26 beneath the glazing bead or frame at the other side of the frame. Figure 13 shows the final position of the bar matrix 28 when planted, after all the bars have been sprung into position, one at a time.

It is also possible, by appropriate cutting of the dovetail slots, to achieve a slight dishing of the assembled bar arrangement 28, as shown in Figure 14. This automatically ensures that the bars are held tightly against the glass when the lipped ends of the bars are engaged under the window frame or glazing beads.

In Figures 11 to 13, the plant-on dividing bar arrangement is applied to the exterior face of the outside pane of a double glazed unit, but this is not essential to the invention. For example, a second bar matrix could be applied to the interior face of the outside pane, the internal spacers 34 of the double glazed unit being adapted to locate the lips of the bars of the matrix in position against the glass.

The method of interengaging the bars described with reference to Figures 3 to 10 is not the only possible way of interengaging the bars within the scope of the invention.

For example, especially with some hollow bar profiles, it is possible to form a rigid joint between two bars simply by pressing the bars into engagement at their preformed slots, relying on the resilience of the material of which the bars are made to enable the side walls of the tail portion of the lower bar to be temporarily squeezed towards one another when the slot of the upper bar is pressed over said tail portion.

17 C95 I /A

Claims

1 A plant-on dividing bar arrangement for window or door glazing wherein at least two bars extending at an angle to one another are interengaged with a rigid joint achieved by pressing into engagement with one another respective formations on the two bars by relative movement of the bars in a direction generally normal to their lengths, making use of the resilience of the material of which the bars are made.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the joint is a dovetailed joint.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim I wherein the joint is a dovetailed crosshalving joint.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each bar has a dovetail slot and a tail portion of reduced depth beyond the slot, and the bars are interengaged by flexing one bar into a slightly curved shape to open the aperture of its dovetail slot, entering the tail portion of the dovetail slot of the other bar into the opened dovetail slot of the first bar, and releasing the first bar so that it recovers its shape to grip the tail portion of the other bar.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the joint is a dovetailed crosshalving joint and the depth of the dovetail slots is substantially one half the depth of the bars.

6. An arrangement as claimed in either of claims 4 and 5 wherein the step of interengagement is assisted by cutting away the base of the dovetail slot in the said other bar on at least one side with a chamfer, so that by tilting this bar about its longitudinal axis at the same time as flexing the first bar, the amount of flexing of the first bar and the pressure required to interengage the bars, are reduced.

O

7. An arrangement as claimed in any of claims I to 6 wherein the bars are formed from UPVC.

8. An arrangement as claimed in any of claims I to 6 wherein the bars are formed from aluminium.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein the bars are formed hollow.

10. A method of engaging dividing bars as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein two bars are interengaged by directly pressing the dovetail slot of one bar over the tail portion of the dovetail slot of the other bar while temporarily and resiliently slightly compressing the two side walls of said tail portion towards one another during the interengagement step.

11. Bars as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the cross sectional shape of each of the bars is chosen to permit the method of interengagement as claimed in claim 10.

12. Bars as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 or 11 having a Georgian profile.

13. Bar as claimed in claim 12 for forming an imitation Georgian window or door wherein the dovetail slots or other formations are formed across the bars in a direction at right angles to the lengths of the bars to enable the bars to extend orthogonally within the window or door frame..

14. Bars as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 or 11 in which dovetail slots or other formations are formed across the bars at an angle other than a right angle to the length of the bars to enable the assembly of interengaging bars to form a diamond pattern.

15. Glazing bars as claimed in any of claims I to 9 and 11 to 14 which are formed with projecting nibs or lips at their respective opposite ends so that by flexing the bars L 0 into a slightly curved shape the nibs or lips can be located in use between the glazing and the glazing bead or frame of the window or door, whereby to fix the plant-on dividing bar arrangement in position.

16. An arrangement of bars as claimed in claim 15 in which the nibs or lips engage the glazing bead or frame on all sides of the opening in the window or door.

17. A method of fixing a multiple bar arrangement to a glazed opening in a door or window in which the bars are sprung into position individually, locating one end of each bar in position at one side of the frame and flexing the bar to spring the other end of the bar into position at the other side of the frame.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein bars are to extend in two different directions across the glazed opening and all the bars of the plant-on bar arrangement which are to extend in one direction are first located in place one at a time, followed one at a time by the bars which are to extend in the other direction.

19. An arrangement as claimed in any of claims I to 9 and 11 to 16 which is fitted externally to the outside glass pane of a double glazed unit.

20. An arrangement of bars as claimed in claim 15 wherein the dovetail slots are constructed so that the assembled bar arrangement assumes a hollow dish shape, convex on the side which is to lie against the glazing, whereby the fitting of the nibs or lips under the glazing bead or frame ensures tight abutment of the bar arrangement against the glazing.

21. An arrangement of bars as claimed in any of claims I to 9, or 11 to 16, or 19 or 20 which is bonded to the glazing.

22. An arrangement as claimed in claim 21 wherein the bonding is achieved using double sided adhesive tape.

23. Bars for arrangements as claimed herein in which dovetail slots or other formations are formed during manufacture at predetermined positions along the lengths of the bars, appropriate to the final design of the window or door to be produced.

24. A window or door carrying a plant-on dividing bar arrangement as claimed in any of claims I to 9, or 11 to 16, or 19 to 23.

25. A method of joining two plant-on window bars formed from naturally resilient material of hollow cross section to form a rigid joint therebetween by locating one bar over the other and pressing the bars into engagement at preformed slots, while temporarily squeezing the side walls of a tail portion of the lower bar towards one another when the slot of the upper bar is pressed over said tail portion.

26. A plant- on dividing bar arrangement constructed arranged and adapted to be fitted to a glazed opening in a window or door substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.