IE80571B1 - An extruded member and an assembly of an extruded member and a bar - Google Patents

Abstract

An extruded member (10) for use in a door or window assembly has a cross-section including first and second opposite short walls (12,14) respectively and third and fourth opposite longer walls (16,18) respectively which form with the short walls a generally rectangular hollow structure (20). First and second webs (22,24) forming substantially co-planar extensions of the second wall (14) extend substantially beyond the third and fourth walls (16,18) on each side of the hollow structure (20). Third and fourth webs (26,28) extend substantially perpendicularly from the first and second webs (22,24) respectively on the opposite side of the latter to the hollow structure (20) to form a shallow channel (30) facing away from the hollow structure and having the second wall (14) and a minor portion (22a,24a) of each of the first and second webs (22,24) as its base. First and second out-turned nibs (32,34) are formed at the free ends of the third and fourth webs (26,28) respectively.

Description

AN EXTRUDED MEMBER AND AN ASSEMBLY OF AN EXTRUDED MEMBER AND A BAR This invention relates to an extruded member and an assembly of an extruded member and a bar to form a mullion or transom of a window, for example a casement window, a sidelight window in a door system or a window in a glazed door frame.

Patent Specification GB 2,277,346 discloses an extruded member and an assembly of an extruded member and a bar for use in door and window frames. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved extruded member and assembly.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an extruded member having a cross-section including first and second opposite short walls, third and fourth opposite longer walls which form with the short walls a generally rectangular hollow structure, first and second webs forming substantially co-planar extensions of the second wall which webs extend substantially beyond the third and fourth walls on each side of the hollow structure, third and fourth webs extending substantially perpendicularly from the first and second webs respectively on the opposite side of the latter to the hollow structure to form a shallow channel facing away from the hollow structure and having the second wall and a minor portion of each of the first and second webs as its base, and first and second out-turned nibs at the free ends of the third and fourth webs respectively. 8057' According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly comprising an extruded member as specified above and a bar having a substantially flat surface with a channel formed therein with opposite substantially parallel sides each having a respective out-turned groove at the base of the channel, the third and fourth webs of the extruded member being accommodated in the channel in the bar with the opposite sides of the channel in the bar engaging the outside surfaces of the third and fourth webs and the nibs engaging in the respective grooves, and the flat surface of the bar engaging the portions of the first and second webs which laterally extend beyond the third and fourth webs, the assembly further including an expanded foam plastics material filling the channel in the bar between the third and fourth webs of the extruded member and holding the bar and extruded member together.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section of an assembly of an extruded member and a bar, Figure 2 illustrates a door system with sidelights, and Figure 3 is a cross-section on the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the assembly of Figure 1 in use as a transom in the door system.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the assembly comprises an extruded member 10, preferably made of aluminium, having a cross-section including first and second opposite short walls 12, 14 respectively and third and fourth opposite longer walls 16, 18 respectively which form with the short walls a generally rectangular hollow structure 20. The longer walls 16, 18 have respective shallow channels 16a, 18a respectively to accommodate glazing beads as will be described.

The member 10 also includes first and second webs 22, 24 which form substantially co-planar extensions of the second wall 14 and extend substantially beyond the third and fourth walls 16, 18 on each side of the hollow structure 20. A respective shallow recess 22a, 24a is formed alongside the free edge 22b, 24b of each of the first and second webs 22, 24 respectively on the same side thereof as the hollow structure 20, for a purpose to be described.

Third and fourth webs 26, 28 extend substantially perpendicularly from the first and second webs 22, 24 respectively on the opposite side of the latter to the hollow structure 20 to form a shallow channel 30 facing away from the hollow structure and having the second wall 14 and a minor portion of each of the first and second webs 22, 24 as its base. Finally, first and second out-turned nibs 32, 34 are formed at the free ends of the third and fourth webs 26, 28 respectively.

The assembly also comprises a wooden bar 36 having a substantially flat surface 38 whose width is substantially the same as or only slightly greater than the distance apart of the free edges 22b, 24b of the first and second webs 22, 24 respectively. The bar 36 has a channel 40 formed therein, the channel 40 having opposite substantially parallel sides 42 each having a respective out-turned groove 44 at the base of the channel.

The bar 36 is slid onto the extruded member 10 so that the third and fourth webs 26, 28 of the member 10 are accommodated in the channel 40 in the bar with the opposite sides 42 of the channel 40 engaging the outside surfaces of the webs 26, 28 and the nibs 32, 34 engaging in respective grooves 44. To stabilise the assembly the flat surface 38 of the bar engages the portions of the first and second webs 22, 24 which laterally extend beyond the third and fourth webs 26, 28.

The assembly further comprises an expanded foam plastics material 46 which is introduced into the channel 40 in the bar 36 between the third and fourth webs 26, 28. When the foam 46 expands and hardens it holds the bar 36 and extruded member 10 together.

Figure 2 illustrates a typical situation where the assembly of Figure 1 may be used, and shows a door system comprising a pair of hinged, centre opening glazed doors 50 with a system of sidelight windows 52. Figure 3 is a cross-section on the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the assembly of Figure 1 in use as a transom in the sidelights of the door system.

In Figure 3, a pair of glazing beads 54 are located in the shallow grooves 16a, 18a respectively of the hollow structure 20. Each glazing bead 54 has an outwardly extending arm 56 inclined towards a respective web 22, 24, and the free end of each arm carries a respective resilient sealing member 58. Also, a pair of further, generally wedge-shaped, resilient sealing members 60 are located at the free edges 22b, 24b of the webs 22, 24 respectively. The members 60 locate in the shallow recesses 22a, 24a and extend around the free edges 22b, 24b to engage and seal against the edges of the bar 36.

Double glazing panels 62 are disposed with their edges adjacent the longer walls 16, 18 of the hollow structure 20 between a respective pair of the resilient sealing members 58, 60. The latter exert resilient pressure on the opposite surfaces of each glazing panel which both holds the edge of the panel in position and seals the member 10 against the ingress of moisture.

Although Figures 2 and 3 have shown a particular application for the assembly of the member 10 and the bar 36 as the transom of a sidelight of a door system, the assembly is capable of use generally as a mullion or transom of any suitable window, for example a casement window, a sidelight window in a door system as described or a window in a glazed door frame.

The advantage of the assembly described herein compared to the design described in Patent Specification GB 2,277,346 is that the webs 22, 24 substantially mask the timber bar 36 and are provided with recesses 22a, 22b to locate the sealing wedges 60. This dispenses with the need to provide weather strip grooves in the wooden bar, as was necessary in the previous design (see grooves 28, 29 in Figure 1 of GB 2,277,346), and relegates the wooden bar to a non-functional role. The machining of the wooden bar is thus simplified, and the variable tolerances which invariably occur when machining timber do not affect the performance of the assembly as the position of the seals 60 is defined by the webs 22, 24 rather than the surface of the bar.

Claims (8)

1. An extruded member having a cross-section including first and second opposite short walls, third and fourth opposite longer walls which form with the short walls a generally rectangular hollow structure, first and second webs forming substantially co-planar extensions of the second wall which webs extend substantially beyond the third and fourth walls on each side of the hollow structure, third and fourth webs extending substantially perpendicularly from the first and second webs respectively on the opposite side of the latter to the hollow structure to form a shallow channel facing away from the hollow structure and having the second wall and a minor portion of each of the first and second webs as its base, and first and second out-turned nibs at the free ends of the third and fourth webs respectively.

2. An extruded member as claimed in claim 1, further including a respective shallow recess formed alongside the free edge of each of the first and second webs respectively on the same side thereof as the hollow structure.

3. An assembly comprising an extruded member as claimed in claim 1 or 2 and a bar having a substantially flat surface with a channel formed therein with opposite substantially parallel sides each having a respective out-turned groove at the base of the channel, the third and fourth webs of the extruded member being accommodated in the channel in the bar with the opposite sides of the channel in the bar engaging the outside surfaces of the third and fourth webs and the nibs engaging in the respective grooves, and the flat surface of the bar engaging the portions of the first and second webs which laterally extend beyond the third and fourth webs, the assembly further including an expanded foam plastics material filling the channel in the bar between the third and fourth webs of the extruded member and holding the bar and extruded member together.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the width of the flat surface of the bar is substantially the same as or only slightly greater than the distance apart of the free edges of the first and second webs.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bar is made of wood.

6. An extruded member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

7. An assembly of an extruded member and a bar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. A window or door frame including an extruded member or an assembly according to any preceding claim.