GB2470580A

GB2470580A - Window Assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2470580A
Application number: GB0909115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steve Wright
Original assignee: SPECTUS WINDOW SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: SPECTUS WINDOW SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 2009-05-28
Filing date: 2009-05-28
Publication date: 2010-12-01
Also published as: GB0909115D0

Abstract

A window assembly 110 comprises a frame 120 and a glazing unit 112. The glazing unit locates within the glazing cavity 122 of the frame so that it is spaced from a bottom 123 of the glazing cavity 122 on all sides. In addition, the window assembly 110 further comprises a dividing means 139. The dividing means 139 divides the glazing cavity 122 into two or more compartments. Thus the dividing means 139 extends across the glazing cavity 122 between the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity and the end 124 of the glazing unit. A barrier is therefore provided to prevent air flow in the direction across the glazing cavity 122 from an outside area to an inside area. The dividing means 139 runs substantially the periphery of the glazing unit. Advantageously, the dividing means 139 divides the glazing cavity 122. Consequently, convection within the glazing cavity is reduced and the thermal efficiency of the window frame improved.

Description

IMPROVED WINDOW ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to an improved window assembly.

Window assemblies are well known wherein a glazing unit, such as a double or triple glazed unit, is held within a frame. Known frames are manufactured from a variety of materials for instance they may be wooden, aluminium or extruded plastic. Figure 1 shows a cross-section through a typical window assembly 10. The glazing unit 12 shown is a double glazing unit having two glazing panes 14 separated by a thermally insulating bridge 16. The glazing unit 12 is secured within a frame 20 that runs around the periphery of the glazing unit 12. The frame 20 shown in Figure 1 is an extruded PVCU frame. The frame 20 has a glazing cavity 22, formed to receive the glazing unit 12. Other cavities 24 are formed in the frame to act as drainage channels and for other ancillary purposes. To one side of the glazing cavity 22 (shown in Figure 1 as the left hand side) is a fixed side 26 having a seal 28 secured thereto.

The other side (shown in Figure 1 as the right hand side) is a removable section 30. This section 30 clips into the frame 20 to allow the glazing unit 12 to be positioned in the frame 30.

Once the glazing unit 12 is arranged in place, the removable section is clipped to the frame 20.

Seal 32 is provided to provide pressure on the glazing unit 12 and therefore to hold it in place within the frame 20.

The size of the glazing cavity 22 can vary from an optimum size due to the manufacturing tolerances of the window frame 20 extrusion or fabrication process. Thus the glazing cavity 22 is required to be oversized such that when the manufacturing tolerances of the window frame mean that the glazing cavity 22 is smaller than optimum, the glazing unit 12 still fits within the frame 20. Moreover, some space is required around the glazing unit so that fitters can adjust the location of the glazing unit 12 within the window frame 20. Furthermore, because the seals on either side of the glazing unit are not guaranteed to be water tight, some water can work past the seals and into the glazing cavity. This poses a problem because if the glazing unit sits in water, the bridge can degrade. Therefore, in accordance with British Standards, a 5mm gap is required to allow water to be drained so that it does not affect the glazing unit.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a window assembly having improved thermal efficiency.

According to the present invention there is provided a window assembly, a window frame for use in the window assembly and a method of assembling a window assembly as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent

claims, and the description which follows.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention there is provided a window assembly comprising a frame and a glazing unit. The frame has a glazing cavity and, when assembled, the glazing unit locates within the glazing cavity. The glazing cavity is provided with a dividing means that, when the window assembly is assembled, extends at least partially between an end face of the glazing unit and an opposite bottom surface of the glazing cavity to divide the glazing cavity into at least two compartments.

Advantageously, the dividing means improves the thermal efficiency of the window assembly.

The dividing means may extend from either the end of the glazing unit or the bottom of the glazing cavity.

In one exemplary embodiment, the dividing means comprises a flexible member. Suitably, the flexible member is elongate. The flexible member ensures contact with the opposed sides by being oversized. Consequently, the flexible member flexes as the glazing unit is assembled.

The flexible member may comprise one or more flexible fingers. Where two or more flexible fingers are provided, each flexible finger may be separately assembled or may be conjoined so as to be assembled as one piece.

In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the dividing means may comprise an expanding member.

The dividing means may include a plurality of dividers connected together which may be integrally formed.

The dividing means may be attached to a support member that is located within the glazing cavity.

The dividing means may be arranged to be fitted after the glazing unit has been positioned relative to the majority of the window frame and the dividing means may be connected to an attachable part of the window frame. The attachable part may include a seal arranged to seal with a side surface of the glazing unit upon attachment.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through a prior art window assembly.

Figure 2 is a cross section through a first embodiment of a window assembly of the present invention.

Figures 3 to 6 are cross sections through a second to fifth embodiment respectively of a window assembly according to the present invention.

Figure 7 is a cross section through the second embodiment before the window assembly is assembled.

Figure 8 is a cross section through a sixth embodiment of a window assembly according to the present invention.

Figures 9 and 10 are cross sections through a seventh embodiment of a window assembly according to the present invention.

Figures 11 to 16 are cross sectional views through an eighth to thirteenth embodiments of a window assembly according to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2, a window assembly 110 is shown as described previously. A glazing unit 112 sits within a glazing cavity 122 of a window frame 120. The window frame 120 has a fixed side 126 and a removable section 130. Seals 128 and 132, fixed to the side 126 and removable sections 130 abut the glazing unit 112 and hold it in place. The glazing unit locates within the frame so that it is spaced from a bottom 123 of the glazing cavity 122 on all sides.

In addition, the window assembly 110 further comprises a dividing means 139. The dividing means 139 divides the glazing cavity 122 into two or more compartments. Thus the dividing means 139 extends across the glazing cavity 122 between the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity and end 124 of the glazing unit. Here the bottom of the glazing cavity 122 is shown as a flat surface. However, it will be appreciated that the surface that the dividing means contacts on the glazing cavity may be raised or lowered to the surrounding area. Thus a barrier is provided to prevent air flow in the direction across the glazing cavity 122 from an outside area to an inside area. The dividing means 139 runs substantially the periphery of the glazing unit.

The dividing means is shown in Figure 2 as a flexible member such as a flexible finger 140.

The flexible finger 140 is attached to the bottom 1 23 of the glazing cavity 122. For instance, a base 142 of the flexible finger 140 is provided. The base 140 is enlarged in order to aid the connection to the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity. The base 142 of the finger 140 may include self adhesive such that the base can be easily attached to the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity 122. Alternatively, the flexible finger 140 may be attached using separate adhesive or by locating the base 142 within a channel that is fabricated in the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity. The flexible finger 140 comprises an elongate fin or blade that runs along the centre of the window assembly. The flexible finger is elongate, such that the elongate axis extends away from the bottom 123 of the cavity. Suitably, the flexible finger 140 is manufactured from a rubber or other suitable material so that the finger 140 deforms in a direction that, in use, the glazing unit 112 is moved during assembly. Here the direction is shown as being across the elongate axis of the finger. The flexible finger is sized to have a suitable height such that, when the glazing unit is not in place, the flexible finger extends into an area that the glazing unit would otherwise occupy. Consequently, when the glazing unit is moved in to place, the flexible finger 140 deforms and wipes across the end of the glazing unit, therefore ensuring contact with the end face of the glazing unit. Suitably therefore the flexible member may extend in to the area by more than 5% or more than 10% or more than 20% of it's elongate length.

It is advantageous that the flexible member deforms during the assembly process as this ensures contact between both the end face of the glazing unit and the opposed spaced bottom of the glazing cavity. Moreover, the deformation allows variation in manufacturing tolerances to be corrected. Suitably the flexible finger is sized so as to deform in the direction, across its elongate length. Thus a tip of the flexible finger wipes across the end face of the glazing unit.

Suitably therefore, the flexible finger is substantially longer than wide. For instance the flexible finger may be more than 10, or more than 15 or more than 30, or more than 50 times taller than wide.

Whilst it has been shown that the deformation of the flexible member is advantageous it has been found that even when a gap is left between an end of the flexible member and end face of the glazing unit of up to 2mm, improvements in the thermal efficiency are still shown. Thus, as shown in Figure 12, the dividing means may comprise one or more rigid protrusions 340 that extend up from the bottom of the glazing cavity 323. Here, the rigid protrusions 340 are formed similar to the flexible fingers described elsewhere in this application, however, rather than being flexible, they are a substantially rigid insert 341. Since the rigid insert 341 is separate to the window frame, the rigid insert 341 may be retro-fitted to existing window frames. However, the rigid protrusions 340 may be formed integrally to the window frame or may be flexible. Importantly, each rigid protrusion 340 extends to within 2mm of the end face of the glazing unit and bottom 323 of the glazing cavity.

Advantageously, the flexible member 139 divides the glazing cavity 122. Consequently, convection within the glazing cavity is reduced and the thermal efficiency of the window frame improved.

Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment wherein a window frame is provided with a dividing means comprising two flexible fingers. Advantageously, providing two flexible fingers divides the glazing cavity in to three compartments thereby further improving the thermal efficiency. In Figure 3, each flexible finger is substantially as herein described. The two flexible fingers are arranged parallel to each other in order to divide the glazing cavity into two equal compartments. In contrast, in Figure 4, the two flexible fingers 140 are conjoined and provided as one piece. Here the flexible fingers are still arranged in parallel in order to divide the glazing cavity into two equal compartments but both flexible fingers are joined at the base portion thereby providing a single piece having a large base member. This improves the connection of the flexible member to the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity 122.

Figures 5 and 6 show a further embodiment whereby three flexible fingers are provided. It will be appreciated that any number of flexible fingers can be provided in order to suit the given application. Again, the number of flexible fingers can be provided separately (See figure 5), though joining them at the base (see Figure 6) is advantageous as it improves the assembly.

Figure 7 shows a cross section through a window frame prior to assembly of the glazing unit and removable section. As shown, the flexible member is resilient such that it stands straight and extends into the area that the glazing unit is to occupy when installed. The glazing unit can then be assembled as herein described. As discussed, during assembly the flexible member deforms thereby ensuring contact with the end face of the glazing unit. The removable section 130 can then be clipped on to the frame 120 in order to hold the glazing unit in place. Because the flexible member is still deformable, fitters may still adjust the fit of the glazing unit within the frame before securing it in place using the removable section.

Figure 8 is an alternative embodiment. Here the dividing means (which in Figure 8 comprises two conjoined flexible fingers but it will be appreciated that it could be any of the dividing means herein discussed) is attached to the glazing unit rather than the bottom of the glazing cavity as previously described.

Figures 9 to 11 show an alternative dividing means to the flexible member herein described.

Here, an expanding member 240 is used to divide the glazing cavity 222 into one or more compartments. Suitably the expanding member may be an acrylic impregnated open cell flexible polyurethane foam sealant strip similar to that used in the civil engineering industry to fill brick to brick joints. Here a strip of the expanding member in a compressed state is applied to the bottom of the cavity (see Figure 9) or the bottom of the glazing unit (see Figure 11).

Before the expanding member has fully expanded, the glazing unit is assembled to the frame as before. The expanding member expands to abut the opposite surface and thereby form a division across the frame as shown in Figure 10. The expanding member may be resilient when expanded in order to exert a pressure between the bottom of the cavity and the end face of the glazing unit whereby the seal is maintained should there be a slight movement of the bottom and end face away from or towards each other.

Figures 13 and 14 show alternative embodiments. In both embodiments, the flexible member comprises one or more flexible members such as flexible fingers as herein described.

However, rather than being fixed directly to the bottom 123 of the glazing cavity, the flexible member comprises an insert having a extended base 442 that is attached to a side of the glazing cavity. Thus, although the flexible member extends from within 2mm of the bottom surface 123 of the glazing cavity it is not directly attached thereto. In Figure 13 the extended base 442 is shown as being attached to the fixed side 126 of the glazing cavity. In Figure 14 the extended base is shown as being integrally formed with the removable section 130.

Figures 15 and 16 show how the dividing means may be applied to an alternative window frame design wherein a removable side is not provided. Here window frame members are fitted to the boundary of the glazing unit and fixed at the joints once in place. In Figure 15, the flexible fingers 140 are provided on the bottom of the glazing cavity as previously described.

Insertion of the glazing unit into the glazing cavity causes the ends of the flexible fingers to abut the end face of the glazing unit. In figure 16, the flexible fingers 540 are formed integrally with a seal 539. The seal 539 locates around the end of the glazing unit and provides the seal between the sides of the glazing cavity and the glazing unit. Each flexible finger 540 is formed integrally to the seal 539 and extends from an outer bottom surface.

Although preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

C'aims 1. A window assembly comprising a window frame and a glazing unit wherein the window frame includes a glazing cavity and, when assembled, the glazing unit locates within the glazing cavity such that an end face of the glazing unit is spaced from a bottom surface of the glazing cavity; characterised in that a dividing means extends between the end face of the glazing unit and bottom surface of the glazing cavity in order to divide the glazing cavity in to at least two compartments, the dividing means extending to within 2mm or less of the end face and bottom surface.
2. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dividing means extends to contact one or both of the end face and bottom surface.
3. The window assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dividing means extends to contact both the end face and bottom surface, and the dividing means is deformable in order to ensure the contact
4. The window assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dividing means comprises an expandable member that expands once the window assembly is assembled in order to divide the glazing cavity in to two or more compartments.
5. The window assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dividing means comprises at least one flexible member.
6. The window assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein each flexible member is sized so as to deform when the glazing unit is assembled.
7. A window frame suitable for use in the window assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the window frame comprises at least one window frame member having a glazing cavity sized so as to receive a glazing unit that, when assembled, locates within the glazing cavity such that an end face of the glazing unit is spaced from a bottom surface of the glazing cavity; characterised in that the glazing cavity includes a dividing means that, when assembled, extends between the end face of the glazing unit and bottom surface of the glazing cavity in order to divide the glazing cavity in to at least two compartments, the dividing means extending to within 2mm of the end face and bottom surface.
8. The window frame as claimed in claim 7, wherein the dividing means is sized so as to contact one or both of the end face and bottom surface when the glazing unit is assembled.
9. The window frame as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dividing means is sized to contact both the end face and bottom surface, and the dividing means is deformable in use when the glazing unit is assembled in order to ensure the contact
10. The window frame as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the dividing means comprises an expandable member that is expandable once the window assembly is assembled in order to divide the glazing cavity in to two or more compartments.
11. The window frame as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the dividing means comprises at least one flexible member.
12. The window frame as claimed in claim 11 wherein each flexible member is sized so as to deform when the glazing unit is assembled.
13. A seal for sealing about a periphery of a glazing unit wherein the seal comprises a dividing means that extends from an outer end face, the seal being suitable for use in a window assembly or window frame as claimed in any preceding claim.
14. A method of assembling a window assembly comprising installing a glazing unit within a glazing cavity of a window frame such that an end face of the glazing unit is spaced from a bottom surface of the glazing cavity; characterised in that the method comprises causing a dividing means to deform when the glazing unit is installed, wherein the deformation ensures contact between the end face and bottom surface in order to divide the glazing cavity in to one or more compartments.
15. The method of assembling a window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the method comprises fitting a seal that includes the dividing means about the periphery of the glazing unit wherein the seal is as claimed in claim 13.