GB2515515A

GB2515515A - Joint unit

Info

Publication number: GB2515515A
Application number: GB1311321.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Bonwell
Original assignee: Fusion Partitions Ltd
Current assignee: Fusion Partitions Ltd
Priority date: 2013-06-26
Filing date: 2013-06-26
Publication date: 2014-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2033-06-26
Also published as: GB201311321D0; GB2515515B

Abstract

A joint unit 1 for connecting two pieces of glass comprises male 2 and female 3 sections attached to the edge of a piece of glass partition. Relative movement of the male and female sections is permitted when they are in engagement. The sections may slide past one another in a longitudinal direction. The sections may be attached to the glass by adhesive tape 4 provided along their entire length. One or more bevelled edges 9 may be provided on an attachment surface 8 of the sections in order to guide their attachment to the edge of the glass. The female section may be U-shaped and the male section may be rectangular. The male section may include one or more lateral protrusions 10 for abutment with the female section. A gap may be formed between the male and female sections which may be provided with an adhesive.

Description

]OINT UNIT The present invention relates to joint units for use in joining together partitions, in particular glass partitions.

Glass partitions are an extremely popular choice in the office environment because they allow light to flow through an office whilst at the same time being able to provide privacy both visually and aurally.

However, the installation of glass partitions is not straightforward, particularly due to the manufacturing tolerances associated with glass.

Interior glass is currently joined together by a number of methods including mechanical bolts, silicone mastic joints and a range of dry joint designs. Due to the manufacturing tolerances within glass manufacturing, using dry joints can prove problematic. This is due to the need for getting the tape of the dry joint to come into contact with the edges of the glass along the full edge on both sheets of glass. But also provide a method of taking up any deviations between the glass edges when the glass is in its final installed position.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to seek to alleviate the above identified problems.

SLJMIV1ARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a joint unit for joining together two pieces of glass, the joint unit comprising a male section and a female section, each of said male and female sections comprising a mating portion and an attachment means, wherein the male section and female section are moveable into engagement with one another via said mating portions, wherein the attachment means of each of said male and female sections is for securing the male or female section to the edge of a piece of glass, and wherein when the male and female sections are in engagement with one another relative movement of each with respect to the other is permitted.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a joint unit which allows the manufacturing tolerances within glass to be taken up within the joint unit rather than at the point where the joint unit is secured to the glass. This allows each section of the joint unit to be securely attached to the glass along its full length without any areas of weakness, as happens in current systems due to the deviations between glass edges when the glass is in its final installed position.

Preferably, when in engagement with one another, the male and female sections are moveable in a direction towards and away from each other.

Preferably, when in engagement with one another, the male and female sections are permitted to slide past each another in a longitudinal direction.

Preferably, when in engagement with one another, lateral movement of the male and female sections with respect to each other is not permitted.

Preferably, the attachment means comprises an adhesive tape, for example double-sided tape, for securing the section to a piece of glass.

Preferably, the adhesive tape is provided along substantially the entire length of the male or female section.

Preferably, the adhesive tape is provided with a removable protective cover.

Preferably, each attachment means is provided on an attachment surface.

Preferably, the attachment surface is provided on the opposite side to the mating portion of each male and female section.

Preferably, the attachment surface is provided with guide means for guiding attachment of the male or female section to the edge of a glass partition.

Preferably, the guide means comprises one or more bevelled edges.

Preferably, the one or more bevelled edges are provided at an angle of between about 5 degrees and about 90 degrees to the attachment surface, preferably between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees to the attachment surface, preferably, between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees, most preferably about 45 degrees.

Preferably, the guide means comprises one or more protrusions extending from the attachment surface.

Preferably, the one or more protrusions are provided at an angle of between about 5 degrees and about 90 degrees to the attachment surface, preferably between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees to the attachment surface, preferably, between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees, most preferably about 45 degrees.

Preferably, the female section has a substantially U-shaped cross section.

Preferably, the male section has a substantially rectangular cross section.

Preferably, the male section comprises one or more lateral protrusions for abutment with the female section.

Preferably, wherein when the one or more lateral protrusions are in abutment with the female section, a gap is formed between a leading edge of the male mating portion and the female section.

Preferably, an adhesive is provided on a leading edge of the male mating portion and/or on a surface of the female section to which said leading edge engages for securing the male mating portion to the female section.

Preferably, an adhesive is provided on the one or more lateral protrusions for securing said one or more lateral protrusions to the female section.

Preferably, the adhesive is adhesive tape, for example double-sided tape.

Preferably, the adhesive tape is provided with a removable protective cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:-Figure 1 shows a cross-section taken across the length of a joint unit according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-section taken across the length of a joint unit according to the present invention wherein the male and female sections are not in engagement with each other; and Figure 3 shows a cross-section taken across the length of a joint unit shown in Figure 2 wherein the male and female sections are in engagement with each other.

The present invention relates to joint units, also referred to as joints and joining members, for use in the installation of glass partitions.

Within this specification embodiments have been described in a way which enables a clear and concise specification to be written, but it is intended and will be appreciated that embodiments may be variously combined or separated without parting from the invention.

Within this specification, the term "about" means plus or minus 20%, more preferably plus or minus lO%, even more preferably plus or minus 5%, most preferably plus or minus 2%.

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a joint unit 1 comprising male 2 and female 3 sections, each provided with an attachment means 4. The attachment means 4 is an adhesive tape provided with a removable protective cover (not shown). The adhesive tape is provided along substantially the entire length of the outer long edges of the male and female sections. Before attachment to the edge of a piece of glass 7, the protective cover is removed from the adhesive tape and the adhesive tape is then pressed against the edge of the glass 7.

An adhesive tape, for example double-sided tape, may also be provided on the leading edge of the male mating portion and/or on the surface of the female section to which said leading edge engages. This enables the male mating portion to be secured to the female section.

The female section 3 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section which forms a mating portion 5 shaped to accommodate a mating portion 6 of the male section 2.

The cross-section of the male section 2 comprises a substantially rectangular mating portion 6 and lateral protrusions 10. Each lateral protrusion 10 comprises a substantially flat surface 11 for abutment with the ends 12 of the U-shaped female section 3. When the lateral protrusions 11 are in abutment with the female section 3, a gap 13 is formed between a leading edge 14 of the male mating section and the female section 3.

An adhesive tape may be provided on the one or more lateral protrusions for securing said one or more lateral protrusions to the female section.

The male 2 and female 3 sections can be made of any suitable material. For example, they can be made from a plastics material or a metal.

When the male 2 and female 3 sections are in engagement with one another, relative movement of each with respect to the other is permitted. In particular, the male and female sections of the joint unit are moveable in a direction towards and away from each other whilst remaining in engagement with one another. In addition, the male and female sections are permitted to slide past each another in a longitudinal direction whilst remaining in engagement.

However, lateral movement of the male and female sections with respect to each other is not permitted. In this respect, as shown in Figure 3, movement is not permitted in the lateral direction shown by the arrow A. This allows tolerances in the glass manufacturing process to be taken up by the joint unit but prevents glass partitions from tilting when in situ.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the male 2 and female 3 sections of the joint unit are secured to the edge of glass partitions by attachment means 4.

With reference to Figure 1, each attachment means 4 is provided on an attachment surface 8 being on the opposite side to the mating portion of each male 2 and female 3 section.

Each attachment surface 8 is provided with bevelled edges 9. The bevelled edges mirror the bevelled edge of glass to which the joint unit is to be attached, thus creating a clean joint without sharp edges. In a situation where the joint unit is for joining together two partition panels not provided with bevelled edges, the bevelled edges of each attachment surface provide a guide for securing each section of the joint unit to the edge of the partition.

As described above, interior glass is currently joined together by a number of methods including mechanical bolts, silicone mastic joints and a range of dry joint designs. Due to the manufacturing tolerances within glass manufacturing, using dry joints can prove problematic. This is due to the need for getting the tape of the dry joint to come into contact with the edges of the glass along the full edge on both sheets of glass. But also provide a method of taking up any deviations between the glass edges when the glass is in its final installed position.

The joint unit of the present invention overcomes these problems. Firstly because it is a two part section, each glass edge has its relevant glazing joint section (male or female) applied to the glass in a separated form (as shown in Figure 2). This operation ensures maximum pressure is applied between the glass and the tape. Secondly the glass edges are then brought together with the attached sections of the glazing joint, and the male and female sections engaged (as shown in Figure 3).

The tolerances of the glass are then taken up within the male/female engagement, allowing the glass to be levelled while the gasket closes or opens as required.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modilications are covered by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A joint unit for joining together two pieces of glass, the joint unit comprising a male section and a female section, each of said male and female sections comprising a mating portion and an attachment means, wherein the male section and female section are moveable into engagement with one another via said mating portions, wherein the attachment means of each of said male and female sections is for securing the male or female section to the edge of a piece of glass, and wherein when the male and female sections are in engagement with one another relative movement of each with respect to the other is permitted.
2. A joint unit according to claim 1, wherein when in engagement with one another, the male and female sections are moveable in a direction towards and away from each other.
3. A joint unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when in engagement with one another, the male and female sections are permitted to slide past each another in a longitudinal direction.
4. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein when in engagement with one another, lateral movement of the male and female sections with respect to each other is not permitted.
5. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the attachment means comprises an adhesive tape for securing the section to a piece of glass.
6. A joint unit according to claim 5, wherein the adhesive tape is provided along substantially the entire length of the male or female section.
7. A joint unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the adhesive tape is provided with a removable protective cover.
8. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein each attachment means is provided on an attachment surface.
9. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the attachment surface is provided on the opposite side to the mating portion of each male and female section.
10. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the attachment surface is provided with guide means for guiding attachment of the male or female section to the edge of a glass partition.
11. A joint unit according to claim 10, wherein the guide means comprise one or more bevelled edges.
12. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the female section has a substantially U-shaped cross section.
13. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the male section has a substantially rectangular cross section.
14. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the male section comprises one or more lateral protrusions for abutment with the female section.
15. A joint unit according to claim 14, wherein when the one or more lateral protrusions are in abutment with the female section, a gap is formed between a leading edge of the male mating section and the female section.
16. A joint unit according to any preceding claim, wherein an adhesive is provided on a leading edge of the male mating portion and/or on a surface of the female section to which said leading edge engages for securing the male mating portion to the female section.
17. A joint unit substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures.