GB2379228A

GB2379228A - A sealing member for use between and eaves beam and a glazed roof

Info

Publication number: GB2379228A
Application number: GB0220117A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Damer Dawson
Original assignee: Newdawn & Sun Ltd
Current assignee: Newdawn & Sun Ltd
Priority date: 2001-08-31
Filing date: 2002-08-30
Publication date: 2003-03-05
Also published as: GB0121090D0; GB2379228A8; GB0220117D0

Abstract

A sealing member comprises a first portion 5 for attachment to the eaves beam 2, a second portion for engagement with the glazed roof 3 and an intermediate portion 7 hinged to the first and second portions. The first portion is T-shaped and comprises a cross piece 10 and a foot 11 having angled teeth 13, which grip the wall of a groove 12 in the eaves beam. The second portion also has a T-shaped part, but also has an angle member 21 which acts as a hook to engage the end closure 24 of the glazed roof The sealing member can accommodate considerable variation in the parameters of the pitch r of the roof, the gap G between the eaves beam and the glazed roof and the distance O that the glazed roof projects beyond the eaves beam. The intermediate portion 7 may comprise a further hinge (34, Fig 3).

Description

SEALING MEMBERS This invention relates to a sealing member for sealing between an eaves beam and glazing material of a glazed roof. Such glazed roofs are commonly used in conservatories and the like.

Many conservatories are of standard designs, where the pitch of the roof, the gap between the eaves beam and the glazing material, and the amount that the glazing material projects beyond the eaves beam, do not vary greatly. A standard sealing member for sealing between the eaves beam and the glazing material can therefore be used.

Some conservatories are designed individually, and then there can be considerable variation in the three parameters mentioned above. One known way of sealing between the eaves beam and the glazing material in such constructions comprises a metal base screwed to the eaves beam, and a flexible sealing member held at one end by the base, and with its other end engaging the glazing material. The base and sealing member must be chosen from a range according to the dimensions involved, or may even need to be made specially. They therefore tend to be expensive, and are also time-consuming to fit.

According to the present invention, a sealing member for sealing between and eaves beam and glazing material of a glazed roof comprises a first portion for attachment to the eaves beam, a second portion for engagement with the glazing material, and an intermediate portion hinged to the first and second portions.

Providing three portions which are hinged together enables the sealing member to accommodate considerable variation in the parameters of the pitch of the roof, the gap between the eaves beam and the glazing

The second portion 6 is also substantially T-shaped, with a cross-piece 17 and a depending leg 18. A shorter inner arm 19 of the cross-piece projects inwardly, and has at its end the hinge 9, while a longer outer arm 20 projects outwardly, and is hinged to an inwardly angled member 21 which forms a hook 22.

The intermediate portion 7 is a flat member extending between the two hinges 8,9.

In use, the foot 11 is inserted in the groove 12 in the eaves beam 2, so that the cross-piece 10 engages the top of the eaves beam 2. The position of the groove 10 is determined by the pitch of the roof (angle 0), the gap G between the eaves beam 2 and the glazing panel 4, and the amount that the panel 4 projects beyond the eaves beam 2 (overhang 0). The crosspiece 17 of the second portion 6 lies along a lower surface 23 of the glazing panel 4, and is retained by an end closure 24 for the panel 4.

The end closure 24 comprises a substantially U-shaped plastics member having upper and lower arms 25,26 for respective gripping engagement with upper and lower surfaces 27,23 of the panel 4, and a closure part 28 joining the arms 25,26 and lying adjacent the end edge 29 of the panel 4.

Abutments 30 project inwardly of the closure 24 from the arms 25,26 to define an end position for the glazing panel 4. The lower arm 26 has a depending flange 31 contiguous with the closure part 28, to direct water away from the lower arm 26. At its inner end the lower arm 26 has a depending leg 32 from which an angled hook member 33 projects inwardly. The hook 22 on the second portion 6 is adapted to engage with the hook member 33 to retain the second portion 6 in position on the panel 4.

Figure 1 is a cross-section through a first embodiment of a sealing member; Figure 2 is a cross-section showing the member of Figure 1 in use; Figure 3 is a cross-section through a second embodiment of a sealing member; and Figures 4 and 5 show the member of Figure 3 in use in different situations.

Figures 1 and 2 show a sealing member 1 for sealing between an eaves beam 2 and glazing material 3 of a glazed roof. The glazing material is in the form of a multi-wall polycarbonate panel 4, which may have up to six walls. The sealing member 1 comprises a first end portion 5 for attachment to the eaves beam 2, a second end portion 6 for engagement with the panel 4, and an intermediate portion 7 attached to the first and second portions 5,6 by hinges 8,9 respectively.

The sealing member 1 is extruded as a single member from a relatively rigid plastics material, such as UPVC, with the hinges 8,9 formed as portions of reduced thickness, of a plastics material such as Hytrel (RN The first portion 5 is substantially T-shaped, with a cross-piece 10 and a depending foot 11. The foot 11 is adapted for insertion in a longitudinal groove 12 in the eaves beam 2. The foot 11 has a pair of angled teeth 13 on its inner surface 14, which act to retain the foot 11 in the groove 12.

The cross-piece 10 has a shorter arm 15 projecting outwardly (i. e. away from the second portion 6) and a longer arm 16 projecting inwardly, (towards the second portion 6) and having at its end the hinge 8.

length of the arm 16 is reduced, while in the second portion 6 the length of the arm 19 is increased. The member 1 of Figure 3 is therefore considerably longer than that of Figure 1, but it is correspondingly better able to accommodate variations in the parameters 0, G and O. Otherwise, the construction of the embodiment of Figure 3 is the same as that of Figure 1.

The member 1 of Figure 3 is shown in use in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4 the pitch 8 of the roof is small, as is the gap G, but the overhang 0 is relatively large. Here the angle between the intermediate parts 7', 7"is relatively small.

Figure 5 shows an installation where the pitch 6 is larger, as is the gap G, but the overhang 0 is smaller. Here the angle between the intermediate parts 7', 7"is larger.

The member 1 of Figure 3 is installed in the same way as the member 1 of Figure 1, although it must be ensured that the extra hinge 34 is angled correctly, to be directed inwardly rather than outwardly. This ensures that the intermediate portion 7 seals against the rafters at each end, thus draughtproofing the gap properly.

It will be appreciated that the two embodiments can accommodate a wide range of variations in the three parameters 0, G and O. It will also be appreciated that the members 1 are relatively inexpensive to make, being extruded from plastics material, and are easy to install.

To install the member 1, it is first cut to the appropriate length, to ft between two adjacent rafters (not shown) between which a glazing panel 4 is mounted. The groove 12 is cut in the eaves beam 2, and the end closure 24 placed on the glazing panel 4. The foot 11 is then knocked into the groove 12, and the second portion 6 placed in engagement with the lower surface 23 of the glazing panel 4, but inwardly of the hook member 33. The second portion 6 is then moved towards the end closure 24 by the installer manually squeezing together the leg 18 (on the second portion 6) and the leg 32 (on the closure 24). This will cause the hook 22 to snap into engagement with the hook member 33, retaining the second portion 6 in position. The sealing member 1 then acts to seal and draughtproof the gap between the eaves beam 2 and the glazing panel 4.

Although the sealing member 1 of Figure 1 can accommodate considerable variation in each of the three parameters 0, G, 0, there are still some situations where it may not draughtproof the gap fully. For example, if the glazing panel 4 in Figure 2 is shorter, it is not possible for the end closure 24 to move up with it, as it is constrained by the position of the second portion 6. Further, each end of the sealing member 1 abuts the adjacent rafter. If the rafter extends to the outer edge of the glazing panel 4 the member 1 of Figure 2 seals properly against draughts, but if the rafter ends at the outer edge of the eaves beam 2 there will be a gap between the intermediate portion 7 and the glazing panel 4 which will allow a draught.

In order to overcome these problems, the embodiment of Figure 3 can be used. This is a modification of the embodiment of Figure 1, and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts. In Figure 3 the main difference is that the intermediate portion 7 is itself formed as a hinged member, so that it has two substantially equal parts 7', 7"joined'by an integral hinge 34. On the first portion 6 the

9. A sealing member for sealing between an eaves beam and glazing material substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A sealing member for sealing between an eaves beam and glazing material of a glazed roof comprises a first portion for attachment to the eaves beam, a second portion for engagement with the glazing material, and an intermediate portion hinged to the first and second portions.
2. A sealing member according to claim 1, in which the intermediate portion comprises two parts hinged together.
3. A sealing member according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the first portion is located in a groove in the top surface of the eaves beam.
4. A sealing member according to claim 3, in which the first portion has teeth which retain it in the groove.
5. A sealing member according to any preceding claim, in which the second portion lies along the glazing material, and is retained by engagement with an end closure on the glazing material.
6. A sealing member according to claim 5, in which the second portion of the sealing member has a hook which engages a complementary hook in a lower arm of the end closure.
7. A sealing member according to claim 6, in which the two hooks of the second portion and end closure have a snap-in connection.
8. A sealing member according to any preceding claim, in which the sealing member is formed integrally, being extruded from plastics material.

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