IE56946B1

IE56946B1 - Window support and condensation drainage element

Info

Publication number: IE56946B1
Application number: IE235985A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Allport Brian
Priority date: 1985-09-24
Filing date: 1985-09-24
Publication date: 1992-02-12
Also published as: GB2180871A; GB8615584D0; GB2180871B; IE852359L

Abstract

A window support and condensation drainage element comprises member 10 having a channel 11 for accommodating the window pane, a rear channel 14 to receive condensation off the window pane, and a drainage compartment 16 with drainage apertures 17, 20. Holes 25, 26 for fixing screws are provided to the rear of the drainage compartment.

Description

Peicv Sop This invention relates to an element for supporting the lower edge of a window and which permits oon- ,. densation collecting on the inside surface of the window to be discharged to the external environment.

According to the present invention there is Q provided a window support and condensation drainage element, comprising an elongate member of rust-proof material having a front channel which opens upwardly for accommodating the lower edge of a window pane, a lo rear channel immediately behind the front channel to receive condensation running down the inside surface of the window pane, and a drainage compartment below the front channel and extending rearwardly at least partially below the rear channel, the rear channel including first aperture means to permit condensation received in the rear channel to drain into the drainage compartment and the drainage compartment including second aperture means to permit condensation entering the drainage compartment from the rear channel to drain from the front of the elongate member to the external environment, the elongate member further including holes to permit screw-fixing of the member to an underlying window frame, the holes being provided at such locations that the screws penetrate the window frame at points outside and to the rear of the drainage compartment, and wherein the drainage compartment has a downwardly and forwardly sloped base, the base being of stepped configuration to resist the tendency of condensation being driven back up the base by wind pressure ; & ο» entering the second aperture means.

Preferably the stepped configuration comprises steps having recessed front edges.

In the preferred embodiment the first aperture means comprises a first series of apertures spaced along the length of Lhe rear channel and the second aperture means comprises a second series of apertures spaced along the length of the drainage compartment, and the effect of external wind pressure is further reduced by locating the apertures of the first series in longitudinally offset relationship relative to the apertures of the second series.

The underside of the member may be serrated to facilitate its bedding in mastic to the window frame.

The member may include a further compartment to the rear of the drainage compartment and separated therefrom by an internal wall, the screw-fixing holes being provided in the second compartment.

The elongate member may be of extruded anodised aluminium and may include a pair of end caps of plastics material which closely engage in each end of the member to reduce the tendency of condensation in the rear channel or drainage channel from seeping into the window frame at each end of the member.

An embodiment of the invention will nov; be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a window support and condensation drainage element according to an embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a cross-section of the element of Figure 1 in its in use position.

Referring to the drawings, the window support and condensation drainage element comprises an elongate member 10 of substantially constant cross-section, the member 10 being formed integrally by extrusion and consisting of satin anodised aluminium or other lightweight non-rusting metal.

The member 10 has a front channel 11 which opens upwardly to accommodate the lower edge of a window pane 12, the pane 12 being bedded in mastic 13 in the channel 11. Immediately behind the front channel 11 there is a rear channel 14 to receive condensation running down the inside surface 15 of the window pane 12. The condensation received in the rear channel 14 runs into a drainage compartment 16 via a series of apertures 17 disposed at spaced-apart locations along the length of the channel 14. The compartment 16 is located below the front channel 11 and extends rearwardly partially below the rear channel 14, the apertures 17 being formed where the rear channel 14 overlies the compartment 16.

The drainage compartment 16 has a downwardly and forwardly sloped base 18, whereby condensation entering the compartment 16 from the channel 14 drains under gravity towards the front wall 19 of the compartment 16. The front wall 19 is provided with a second series of apertures 20 (only one shown) to permit the condensation in the compartment 16 to drain from the front of the member 10 to the external environment.

The base 18 is stepped at 21 as shown, the steps 21 having recessed front edges 22. This formation resists the tendency of condensation in the compartment 16 being driven back up the base 18 by the pressure of wind entering the front apertures 20. The effect of wind pressure is further reduced by locating the front apertures 20 in longitudinally offset relationship relative to the apertures 17.

The member 10 is secured in position on an underlying wooden window frame 23 by fixing screws 24.

The screws 24 are located in position by vertically aligned holes 25,26 in a further compartment 27 of the member L0 which is formed to the rear of the drainage compartment 16 and which is separated therefrom by an internal wall 28 of the member 10. The wall 28 isolates the points 29 at which the screws 24 penetrate the frame 23 from the condensation in the drainage compartment 16, so that the tendency of the frame 23 to rot at these fixing points is eliminated or substantially reduced. It will be noted that the screw holes 25 are located to the rear of the apertures 17 at the higher point of the channel 14, the apertures 17 being located at the lowest point of the channel 14. Thue condensation is unlikely to reach up as far as the heads of the screws 24 before draining through the apertures 17 into the drainage compartment 16. The path of condensation is shown by arrows in Figure 2.

The underside of the member 10 is serrated as shown at 30 to facilitate bedding of fhe member 10 in mastic 31 prior to final securement by the fixing screws 24.

To prevent or reduce the tendency of condensation in the rear channel 14 or in the drainage compartment 16 from seeping from each end of the member 10 into the adjacent window frame, the member 10 includes a pair of end caps (not shown) which closely engage in and block off each open end of the member 10. Such caps may be made of plastics mater: In an actual construction of member 10 as described above, the channels 11 and 14 each have a depth of about mm and a width also of about 10 mm. In each series of β apertures 17 and 20 the apertures are located about 300 mm apart; however, the apertures 17 are offset by ISO mm from the apertures 20 in the longitudinal direction of the member 10. The thickness of the various walls and partitions of the member 10 is about 1 mm to 1.5 mm.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A window support and condensation drainage element, comprising an elongate member of rustproof material having a front channel which opens upwardly for accommodating the lower edge of a window pane, a rear channel immediately behind the front channel to receive condensation running down the inside surface of the window pane, and a drainage compartment below the front channel and extending rearwardly at least partially below the rear channel, the rear channel including first aperture means to permit condensation received in the rear channel to drain into the drainage compartment and the drainage compartment including second aperture means to permit condensation entering the drainage compartment from the rear channel to drain from the front of the elongate member to the external environment, further including holes to of the member to an underlying window frame, the holes being provided at such locations that the screws penetrate the window frame at points outside and to the rear of the drainage compartment, and wherein the drainage compartment has a downwardly and forwardly sloped base, the base being of stepped configuration to resist the tendency of condensation being driven back up the base by wind pressure entering the second aperture means. the elongate member permit screw-fixing

2. An element as claimed in claim Ί, wherein the step configuration comprises steps having recessed front edges.

3. An element as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first aperture means comprises a first series of apertures spaced along the length of the rear channel and the second aperture means comprises a second series of apertures spaced along the length 5 of the drainage compartment.

4. An element as claimed in claim 3» wherein the apertures of the first series are longitudinally offset relative to the apertures of the second series. 10

5. An element as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the underside of the member is serrated.

6. An element as claimed in any preceding claim, further including a further compartment to the rear of the drainage compartment and separated 15 therefrom by an internal wall, the screw-fixing holes being provided in the further compartment.

7. An element as claimed in any preceding claim, further including a pair of end caps which closely engage in each end of the member. 20

8. An element as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the member is of extruded anodised aluminium.

9. An element substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings .