GB2413585A - Glazing frames - Google Patents

Abstract

A glazing units comprises a thermally broken mullion <B>10</B> having a glazing pocket <B>22, 24</B> along each of its lateral sides for retaining glazing panels <B>6, 8</B> in edge to edge relationship. Back plate elements <B>2, 4</B> are mounted adjacent to the interior and exterior sides of a first marginal edge portion of a glazing panel and the opposed marginal edge portion of the glazing panel is received in one of the glazing pockets <B>22</B> of the thermally broken mullion. Adjacent glazing panels <B>6, 8</B> are connected edge to edge by engagement of the back plates <B>2, 4</B> of a first one of the glazing panels <B>6</B> with the mullion <B>10</B> of a second one of the glazing panels <B>8</B> such that the edge of the first glazing panel sits in the glazing pocket <B>24</B> of the mullion.

Description

Glazing Frames This invention relates to frames particularly for

fabricating shop display windows and similar glazing.

Shop display windows and similar glazing comprise a plurality of framed glazing panel units mounted in edge-to- edge relationship, adjacent panel units being connected in use by a substantially vertical mullion secured along one side of a glazed panel unit the mullion being inter- engageable with a backplane secured along the adjacent side of an adjacent panel unit said mullion and backplane being fixed to head and cill members provided along the respective upper and lower edges of the glazed panel.

Shop display windows and similar glazing as defined in the preceding paragraph may be referred to herein after as "glazing units of the type referred to" Each glazing unit comprises a glazing panel such as a sealed double-glazing panel provided with head and cill members, the opposed side edges, which are substantially vertical in use, being provided respectively with a mullion and a backplate each of which is securely attached to the head and cill members. The mullion provided along the side of one panel unit is inter- engageable with adjacent backplate of an adjacent panel unit whereby a plurality of S panel units may be sequentially mounted and secured edge- to edge within the window reveal.

Aluminium alloy frame members in the form of mullions Gills and backplanes are used for glazing of the type referred to but suffer from the disadvantage of relatively high conductive heat loss compared with either pvcU frames, which are not acceptable in this application, or with thermally broken aluminium frames.

The principle of incorporating parallel, spaced apart, thermally insulating strips between interior and exterior sections of an aluminium frame member Lthe thermal break" system] is well known. However, the application of such a system to a conventional mullion and backplate for glazing systems of the type referred to is not satisfactory.

Generally, sight lines are required to be minimized but the introduction of a thermal break system into the mullion and the backplane would typically increase the depth of the mullion-backplate assembly by more than 40% and cause undesirable visual obstruction.

This invention consists in a frame for fabricating glazing units of the type referred to comprising backplane elements mountable, respectively, adjacent to the interior and exterior sides of a first marginal edge portion of a glazing panel and a thermally broken mullion having a glazing pocket disposed along each of the lateral sides thereof for retaining glazing panels in edge to edge relationship the mullion being mountable along the opposed marginal edge portion of the glazing panel to form a glazed panel unit.

Preferably a backplane element is inter-engageable with the mullion disposed along the adjacent edge of the adjacent glazed panel unit to retain the panel units in edge-to-edge relationship.

A backplane element preferably has a wall portion and leg means extending from the wall portion towards the adjacent mullion the leg means being adapted to engage retaining means provided on the edge of the adjacent mullion.

Advantageously the retaining means are disposed within the adjacent mullion.

More preferably, the backplate element has a wall portion and spaced apart legs extending towards the adjacent mullion the legs having detent means to engage a formation disposed within an open channel section provided in the adjacent mullion.

Preferably the wall portion is a flush fit with the mouth of the channel section when the legs are engaged within the channel to secure adjacent glazing panel units in edge-to- edge relationship.

By these means conductive heat loss through the backplane is eliminated and the conductive heat loss through the mullion may be minimised while minimizing the increase in visual obstruction caused by deploying a thermal break within the mullion.

In a further aspect, this inventions consists in shop display windows and similar glazing comprise a plurality of glazed panel units interengageable in edge-to-edge relationship, adjacent panel units being connected ln use by a thermally broken mullion secured along one side of a glazed panel unit the mullion being inter-engageable with a pair of backplate elements mounted in spaced apart relation along the adjacent side of an adjacent panel unit, said mullion and backplate elements being fixed to head and cill members provided along the respective upper and lower edges of the associated glazing panel units.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a cross section of a mullion and two -part backplate assembly supporting sealed double glazing panels.

The Figure shows a two-part backplate 2, 4 mounted in spaced apart relationship along one edge of a glazing unit 6, the first backplate element 2 being mountable in spaced apart relationship from the interior surface of glazing unit 6 the second backplate element 4 being mountable in spaced relationship from the exterior surface of the glazing unit 6, the first and second backplate elements 2, 4 being engageable with a thermally broken mullion lO mounted along the adjacent edge of an adjacent glazing panel 8. The glazing panel unit 8 is provided with head and cill members, not shown, which are in the same form as the mullion lo, which has an inner section lO(a) and an outer section lO(b) connected together by polyamide insulating strips 20, 21 forming a thermal break between sections lO(a) and lO(b). A first glazing pocket 22 is formed between sections lO(a), lO(b) and the edge polyamide strip to receive an edge portion of the glazing panel 8. The S mouth of the glazing pocket 20 retains opposed gaskets 23, 23' to sealingly engage the edge portion of the glazing panel 8. The upper and lower edge portions of the glazing panel unit 8 are similarly retained in the glazing pockets provided in the head and cill members. The mullion 10 is secured to the head and cill members by screws 18 locating in screw ports provided for the purpose. The side of the glazing unit 8 opposed to the mullion 10 is provided with a two part backplane secured to the head and cill members and is identical to the two part backplane mounted on the edge of adjacent glazing unit 6, as illustrated in the Figure.

Each of the backplane elements 2, 4 has a wall portion 2 (a), 4(a) and projecting legs 2 (b), 4(b) profile adapted to be received and retained within complimentarily shaped channel formations 12, 14 the edges of which have inwardly turned lips 16, 16' carrying detente means for retaining clip formations on the legs 2 (b), 4 (b). When backplate elements 2, 4 are fully engaged with mullion 10 the wall portions 2 (a), 4 (a) are flush fitting with the mouths of channels 12, 14 respectively. To facilitate flush fitting the distal edges 2(c), 4(c) of wall portions 2 (a), 4 (a) are chamfered to match the angle of lip 16 to provide parallel abutment surfaces.

A second glazing pocket 24 is provided in the mullion defined between opposed walls of the channel portions 12 and 14, and polyamide strip 21. The mouth of glazing pocket 24 retains opposed gaskets 25, 25' to sealingly engage the edge portion of glazing panel 6. The backplate elements 2 and 4 are fixed to need and cill members of the panel 6, not shown, by screws 18 engaging screw ports provided for the purpose. The head and cill profiles used to produce each of the glazed panel units are the same as mullion 10.

A plurality of glazing panel units each consisting of a glazing panel with a mullion and two part backplate mounted on respective opposed sides and head and cill members, mounted on respective upper and lower edges may be sequentially mounted in a window reveal to form a substantially continuously glazed area.

The glazing unit incorporating glazing panel 6 may be mounted and secured within a reveal the associated mullion, not shown, forming the jamb disposed against the vertical edge of the reveal. The next glazing unit incorporating glazing panel 8 and mullion 10 is offered up so that the back plate elements 2, 4 are urged into engagement with the mullion and the edge portion of glazing panel 6 enters the second glazing pocket 24. The unit may be secured to the head and cill of the reveal and the process repeated until the reveal is fully glazed.

Claims (8)

1. Claims 1. A frame for fabricating glazing units of the type referred to

   comprising backplate elements mountable, respectively, adjacent to the interior and exterior sides of a first marginal edge portion of a glazing panel and a thermally broken mullion having a glazing pocket disposed along each of the lateral sides thereof for retaining glazing panels in edge to edge relationship the mullion being mountable along the opposed marginal edge portion of the glazing panel to form a glazed panel unit.
2. 2. A frame as claimed in Claim 1 in which a backplate element is interengageable with the mullion disposed along the adjacent edge of the adjacent glazed panel unit to retain the panel units in edge-to-edge relationship.
3. 3. A frame as claimed in Claim 2 in which a backplate element has a wall portion and leg means extending from the wall portion towards the adjacent mullion the leg means being adapted to engage retaining means provided on the edge of the adjacent mullion.
4. 4. A frame as claimed in Claims 3 in which the retaining means are disposed within the adjacent mullion.
5. 5. A frame as claimed in Claim 4 in which the backplate element has a wall portion and spaced apart legs extending towards the adjacent mullion the legs having detent means to engage a formation disposed within an open channel section provided in the adjacent mullion.
6. 6. A frame as claimed in Claim 5 in which the wall portion is a flush fit with the mouth of the channel section when the legs are engaged within the channel to secure adjacent glazing panel units in edge-to-edge relationship.
7. 7. A frame as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the mullion comprises first and second sections connected together by spaced apart thermally insulating strips to reduce conductive heat loss from the interior to the exterior sides and glazing pockets disposed on the opposed lateral sides the glazing pockets being defined between said first and second sections and an insulating strip the first and second sections each being provided with an open channel having an interior lip to engage clip means formed on the adjacent backplate element whereby adjacent glazing panel elements may joined in edge to edge relationship.
8. 8. A frame substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.