IE83738B1 - Glass packer - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a glass packer for use in locating the glass of a window or door within a frame. The invention is suitable for use with both fixed windows and with moveable window vents or doors. The invention is particularly suitable for use with sealed double glazed units.

Sealed double glazed units are typically secured within window or door frames using glazing tape. The glazing tape takes the form of a length of a foam material to two opposing surfaces of which an adhesive is applied. The glazing tape is typically mounted upon the window or door frame and then the double glazed unit is positioned against the tape. In order to ensure that the double glazed unit is correctly positioned, packers are usually located between the unit and the frame. In order to hold the packers in place during transport and fitting a quantity of silicon sealant material may be applied to each packer prior to location of the packer.

Afler securing the unit in position, glazing beads of extruded form are secured to the frame, the flame and beads together defining a channel within which the edges of the unit are located. The beads may be located either on the inner side of the window or on the outer side.

There is some concern that, where the beads are externally located, unauthorised access to a building may be achieved by removing the beads and levering the double glazed unit from the frame, applying a sufficiently large load to cause the glazing tape to fail or become detached from either the unit or the frame. Where the beads are located internally, unauthorised access could be gained by forcing the unit inwards, causing the beads to become detached from the frame and the glazing tape to fail or become released to allow removal of the unit. In order to avoid such release, the surface areas of the glazing tape to which adhesive is applied may be increased, thus requiring an increased load to be applied to cause failure or release of the tape. Alternatively or additionally, mechanical glass locks may be used to secure the unit against removal from the flame. The use of tape of a larger area increases the production costs. The use of glass locks requires the glass locks to be secured, for example using screws, to the frame and this is time consuming.

It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative technique for securing a sealed double glazed unit to a frame.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a glass packer comprising a body having first and second opposing surfaces each being provided with a plurality of adhesive flow channels, the body further having an edge shaped to define a first inlet port communicating with at least some of the adhesive flow channels.

Such a glass packer is advantageous in that, once positioned between a sealed double glazed unit and a frame, a suitable adhesive can be supplied to the first inlet port, the adhesive flowing through the adhesive flow channels, the adhesive contacting parts of the sealed double glazed unit, the glass packer and the frame.

At least one further inlet port may be provided, if desired.

The glass packer may include one or more chamfered edge regions, such chamfering assisting in the process of introducing the glass packer between the unit and the frame.

At least one of the adhesive flow channels conveniently extends to an edge of the body opposite that defining the first inlet port.

The flow channels on each surface are conveniently interconnected. The flow channels on the first surface may communicate with those on the second surface.

The flow channels on the first surface may be aligned with those on the second surface. Alternatively, the flow charmels on the first and second surfaces may be interlaced, allowing either the flow channels to be of increased depth or the body to be of a reduced thickness.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of mounting a sealed double glazed unit within a frame comprising using glazing tape to secure the unit within the frame, locating glass packers of the type defined hereinbefore between the frame and the unit, and supplying an adhesive to the first inlet port of each glass packer.

The step of supplying the adhesive conveniently comprises supplying a predetermined quantity of adhesive to the first inlet port. The quantity is preferably chosen to ensure that adhesive fills all parts of the flow charmels, and some adhesive escapes from the open ends of the flow channels.

The adhesive used is conveniently of a type that will readily bond to the glass packer, glass, the material located between and sealing the panes of the unit to one another, and the fi'ame material, typically a plastics material or aluminium.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating a window assembly; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a window illustrating typical locations for glass packers; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the glass packer used in the assembly of Figure 1.

The window illustrated, diagrammancally, in Figure 2 comprises a window flame 10 constructed from extruded: lengths of PVC-U or aluminium, the frame 10 defining a: pair of openings receiving sealed. double glazedunits 12- In order to ensure that the units 12 are correctly orientated relative to the frame , glass packers 14 are located between the frame 10 and the units 12.

As illustrated in Figure 1, each sealed unit 12 comprises a pair of panes 16 of glass spaced apart from one another by a spacer 18. The edges of the panes 16 are sealed to one another using a suitable sealant material. As shown in Figure 1, the unit 12 is secured to the fi'ame 10 using glazing tape 22 of conventional form.

The glass packer 14 used in the arrangement of Figure 1 is shown more clearly in Figure 3. As illustrated in Figure 3, the glass packer 14 comprises a moulded plastics body having first and second opposing surfaces 24, 26 in which are provided a plurality of adhesive flow channels 28. The adhesive flow channels 28 are shaped so as to extend over a significant proportion of each of the surfaces 24, 26, the various flow channels 28 provided on each surface of the body communicating with one another to define a network.

The body of the glass packer 14 is shaped to define a pair of inlet ports provided along one edge thereof, each of the inlet ports 30 communicating with a plurality of the adhesive flow channels 28.

As shown in Figure 3, the edge of the body opposite that provided with the inlet ports 30 is shaped to define, at the comers thereof, chamfered regions intendedto assist’ in assembly of a‘ window using the glass packer as described hereafter.

In order to assemble a window using the glass packer illustrated in Figure 3, a frame constructed from lengths of extruded material is assembled.

The frame defines a wall or surface which extends parallel to one of the surfaces of a double glazed unit to be installed within the frame, and this wall or surface of the firame has secured thereto a length of glazing tape 22 as illustrated in Figure 1. After installation of the glazing tape 22, the unit 12 is positioned within the frame such that one surface of one of the panes 16 of glass of the unit 12 adheres to the glazing tape 22. Next, appropriately sized glass packers 14 are introduced between the unit 12 and the frame 10 at desired locations for example the positions illustrated in Figure 2. Although Figure 2 illustrates some suitable positions for locating glass packers, it will be appreciated that the glass packers may be introduced in a range of positions other than those illustrated in Figure 2, and fewer or a greater number of glass packers 14 may be used, if desired. The chamfered regions 32 of the glass packer 14 may be used to assist in introduction of the glass packers 14 between the unit 12 and the frame 10, the chamfers 32 being introduced first, the ramped surfaces of the charnfered regions 32 forcing the unit 12 and frame 10 apart from one another, if necessary, to permit the glass packer 14 to be received in substantially the position illustrated in Figure 1.

Once the glass packer 14 has been located in the desired position, a suitable adhesive dispenser having an appropriately shaped nozzle is located such that the nozzle is located within the inlet ports 30, in turn, and a quantity of adhesive is dispensed by the adhesive dispenser, the adhesive flowing along the adhesive flow channels 28 provided on both the first and second surfaces 24, 26 of the glass packer 14, some of the adhesive flowing completely through the flow channels 28, exiting from the open ends of the flow channels 28, the adhesive substantially filling all regions of the flow channels 28.

The adhesive used with the glass packer 14 is one having suitable properties to ensure that it will adhere to the glass of the panes 16, the material of the seal 20, the material of the glass packer l4 and the material of the frame 10.

Where the frame 10 is of extruded PVC—U form, then it is thought that an adhesive sold by 3M under the trade name Jet—Weld adhesive will be suitable. It will be appreciated, however, that other adhesives may well be suitable for use with the invention, and the invention is not restricted to the use of the particular adhesive mentioned.

After applying the adhesive, a glazing bead 34, conveniently of extruded form, is snap—fitted or otherwise mounted in position.

It will be appreciated that the invention has a number of advantages over the existing techniques for securing a double glazed sealed unit to a frame of a window or door. For example, the use of the invention permits a glazing tape 22 of relatively low surface area to be used, as the invention does not require the glazing tape to absorb the same loading as is required where conventional techniques are used to secure a sealed unit in position. Further, the assembly technique using the glass packer of the invention is relatively swifi, not requiring glass locks or similar devices to be secured to the frame, for example using screws. The technique simply replaces the use of existing glass packers with glass packers designed in accordance with the invention and including the additional step of applying the adhesive thereto rather than using a silicon sealant material to hold the glass packers in position as is commonly used in the art.

Although in the embodiment illustrated, the flow channels provided on the first and second surfaces 24, 26 are aligned with one another, it will be appreciated that the flow channels 28 need not be aligned with one another and indeed it may be advantageous to have the flow charmels out of alignment with one another as this may permit the packer to be of reduced thickness or may permit the use of flow channels of increased depth to be used. Further, in the arrangement illustrated, the flow channels on the surface 24 are connected with one another, and the flow channels on the surface 26 are connected to one another, but there is no direct communication between the flow channels on the surface 24 and those on the surface 26. Such communication could be provided if desired Obviously, the design of the packer may be modified to incorporate alternative patterns of flow channels, and the number of inlet ports may be modified, if desired. Further, separate inlet ports could be provided to permit the adhesive to be applied to one surface independently of the supply of adhesive to the other surface, if desired.

Claims (15)

1. A glass packer comprising a body having first and second opposing surfaces each being provided with a plurality of adhesive flow channels, the body further having an edge shaped to define a first inlet inlet port communicating with at least some of the adhesive flow channels.

2. A glass packer as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising at least one further inlet port.

3. A glass packer as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein at least one of the adhesive flow charmels extends to an edge of the body opposite that defining the first inlet port.

4. A glass packer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein on each surface the flow channels are interconnected.

5. A glass packer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flow charmels on one surface communicate with those on the opposing surface.

6. A glass packer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flow chaimels on the first and second surfaces are aligned with one another.

7. A glass packer as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the flow channels on the first and second surfaces are not aligned with one another.

8. A glass packer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including one or more clramferededge-regions, such chamfering assisting in the process of introducing the glass packer between the unit and the frame.

9. A method of mounting a sealed double glazing unit within a frame comprising using glazing tape to secure the unit within the frame, locating glass packers of the type claimed in any one of the preceding claims between the frame and the unit, and supplying an adhesive to the first inlet port of each glass packer.

10. A method as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the step of supplying the adhesive comprises supplying a predetermined quantity of adhesive to the first inlet port.

11. A method as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the quantity is chosen to ensure that adhesive fills all parts of the flow channels, and some adhesive escapes from the open ends of the flow charmels.

12. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 11, wherein the adhesive used is of a type that will readily bond the glass packer, glass, the material located between and sealing panes of the unit to one another, and the frame material.

13. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 12, wherein the frame is of PVC-U construction.

14. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 12

15. A glass packer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.