NZ335465A - Window frame extrusion with channel for sealing strip, channel mouth asymmetric with respect to centre line of channel - Google Patents

Abstract

An extrusion for use in a window frame includes a sealing strip 3 which bears against window pane 1. The sealing strip is held in a channel 2 formed in the extrusion. The mouth of the channel is asymmetric with respect to the centre line of the channel, so that lips 5 and 6 are of unequal width. This enables the sealing strip to be hidden from view when the window is viewed looking towards the face of the pane that is contacted by the sealing strip.

Description

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 335465 Date: 28 April 1999 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "INTERNAL GLAZING SEAL" We, FLETCHER ALUMINIUM LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 30 Bowden Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 1 8 OCT 2001 RECEIVED The present invention relates to internal seals, eg; glazing seals, door frame seals or window sash seals.

It is common in window assemblies formed from extruded members to glaze peripheral enclosures (e.g. sashes or frames) using a glazing panel which is held by appropriate means against a flexible seal. Such flexible seals can take many different forms and one such form is that referred to as a "backing rubber".

Similarly, sealing requirements arise with door frames (eg; to seal onto door panels) and with window frames (to seal on window sashes).

The present invention is directed to features which lend themselves to the provision (eg; in a glazing system or on a door frame or on a window sash) of a backing rubber or some other flexible sealing fitment where there is a better prospect of a reduced unsightly visibility thereof.

The present invention recognises an advantage of being able to use, if desired, a backing rubber or appropriate other seal which is symmetric in form. For example, better sealing characteristics are believed possible with symmetric twin flanged forms of backing rubber over a similar form where one flange is wider than the other. Such a symmetric backing rubber form (not necessarily natural rubber but of any appropriate material) is that depicted in Figure 1 which shows a typical arrangement of a backing rubber which is visible from the glazing bead side of the (in this case) window frame. Similar considerations arise with other extruded members in a window or door system such as a mullion. The present invention (beyond even door frames and window sashes) even has application in glazed balustrading assemblies.

The present invention recognises the ability to utilise if desired symmetric flexible seal forms (whether a backing rubber or another type seal, i.e; with or without the preferred symmetric flanges of a backing rubber) reliant upon asymmetric lip forms in the supporting extrusion.

In a first aspect the present invention consists in, an extrusion to locate a flexible sealing strip, said extrusion having a channel including a mouth defined by two lips for locating said flexible sealing strip, wherein the centre line of the mouth defined between said two lips is off set from the centre line of said channel to displace said flexible sealing strip more to one side of the channel axis thereby in use, to better enable said extrusion to obscure a fitted such flexible sealing strip when said extrusion is viewed from a side opposite that to which said channel opens.

In a second aspect the present invention consists in a glazing or sealing extrusion to locate a flexible glazing or sealing strip (eg; a "backing rubber") (eg; for a window or door glazing panel, a door panel or window sash), the provision of a flexible glazing or sealing strip retention channel to open towards the plane of the glazing panel (eg; glass sheet), door panel or window sash to be positioned, said channel being at least partly closed (ie; constricted) at its mouth by a by a pair of inwardly directed integral protrusions (hereafter "lips"), with that lip (the "more distal lip") to in use be positioned more from the edge of a glazing panel, door panel or window sash to be positioned against a flexible glazing or sealing strip to be fitted providing a more constricting lip that the other lip (eg; thereby to encourage a non symmetric location of a flexible glazing or sealing strip m said channel) to thereby better enable the obscuring from view in use the flexible glazing or sealing strip.

Preferably the form of the channel and its lips is substantially hereinafter described with reference to any one of Figures 2 to Figure 5.

Preferably said glazing or sealing extrusion may be that to provide a mullion, a window frame, a hinged door rail, a hinged door stile, a door frame and a sash for awning windows. It may also be a balustrade component.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in a mullion, a window frame, a hinged door rail, a hinged door stile, a door frame or a sash for an awning window which includes a glazing or sealing extrusion as aforesaid.

Preferably said flexible glazing or sealing strip is a backing rubber and preferably said backing rubber is symmetric in its transverse section.

Preferably said glazing panel is held against said flexible glazing strip by a glazing bead or other appropriate glazing member (eg; a wedge) that bears on part(s) of the same extrusion locating said flexible glazing strip.

Preferably the arrangement is typified by those hereinafter described.

In another aspect the invention consists in an assembly comprising or including an extrusion having a channel locating a flexible glazing or sealing strip, a member having a surface against the strip and means to hold said extrusion, said strip and said member in that elationship wherein said channel includes a mouth defined by two lips for locating said flexible glazing or sealing strip wherein the centerline of said mouth defined between said two lips if offset from the centerline of said channel and wherein said extrusion, by virtue of said offset better obscures the strip from view from the extrusion side thereof than would have been the case had the channel had a symmetric mouth.

In still other a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of minimising the visibility of a flexible glazing or sealing strip which comprises or includes locating such a glazing or sealing strip in a location channel of an extrusion therefor, such channel having two hps defining a mouth which has a centerline offset from the centerline of the channel with one lip being more inwardly directed so as to be able to set in the flexible glazing or sealing strip more from a distal extremity of the extrusion.

As used herein throughout the term "sealing strip" may include one or both flexible sealing strips and brushlike (e.g. mohair) sealing strips.

Preferably in glazed assemblies of the invention a glazing bead rises sufficiently high (or inwardly) on the glazing panel on the exterior of the building envelope so as to obscure substantially from visibility the flexible glazing strip through the glazing panel.

The present invention also relates to any of the methods of assembly.

Preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a view of a typical prior art type arrangement where, from outside of the building envelope, there is the prospect of about 3 mm of a symmetric backing rubber being visible as well as providing some visibility from inside the building envelope, ie; from the left, Figure 2 is a similar arrangement to that of Figure 1, but using an extrusion in accordance with the present invention, showing a similar backing rubber to that shown in Figure 1 better obscured from visibility from outside of the building envelope by being preferably matched with the height of the glazing bead 4 (in this instance a window frame), the glazing rubber being obscured largely from view from inside the building envelope by virtue of the set back towards the periphery of the glazing panel of the backing rubber by virtue of the asymmetric lip form of the backing rubber location groove, Figure 3 shows a preferred form of the backing rubber location groove with the preferably curved wings or flanges of the backing rubber located symmetrically against a glass sheet, Figure 4 shows the extrusion suitable, for example, as a window frame embodying the asymmetric lipped location groove, Figure 5 shows the asymmetric lipped flexible seal location groove on both distal extremities of a mullion extrusion, Figure 6 shows a hinged door frame showing a sealing strip groover locating a sealing strip which seals on the door panel (open out door panel), Figure 7 shows stile pairing for doors having both the feature for glazing and mutual self sealing purposes, and INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N 2. 1 8 OCT 2001 Figure 8 shows the feature in a window sash to seal onto a window frame.

Whilst reference is made to single glazing any double, triple, etc. glazing panel structures can similarly be accommodated.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3 a glass sheet, by way of example, is sealed from the weather by a backing rubber 2 or other appropriate preferably symmetric seal. To set down the upper extremity 3 in the arrangement as shown in Figure 3 (but equally to set up or set out a similar such extremity in other applications around the perimeter of a glazing panel) the locating region 4 of the extrusion has the channel thereof lipped by asymmetric lips 5 and 6. That lip 5 which is the more distal in the extrusion is directed inwardly towards the other a greater distance (ie; is wider) so as to provide the asymmetric channel opening and thus the appropriate set down, set up or set out referred to and which is demonstrated in Figures 2 and 3.

As indicated previously the feature lends itself for use in the mitred perimeter structures to be glazed such as frames, opening window sashes, etc.. It equally can be used in butt joined structures, eg; hinged door panels, transoms to frames, sliding door panel. It can be used also with balustrading.

The present invention therefore includes not only any extrusion with such an asymmetric lip feature providing for such set downs, set up or set outs but also any assembly incorporating such features whether in conjunction with the flexible seal or not or the flexible seal and glazing panel or not. As stated visibility of the sealing strip also results from its use with, eg; hinged door frames and, eg; awning or casement window sashes.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF NZ. 1 8 OCT 2001 RECEIVED

Claims (10)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An extrusion to locate a flexible sealing strip, said extrusion having a channel including a mouth defined by two lips for locating said flexible sealing strip, wherein the centre line of the mouth defined between said two lips is off set from the centre line of said channel to displace said flexible sealing stop more to one side of the channel axis thereby in use, to better enable said extrusion to obscure a fitted such flexible sealing strip when said extrusion is viewed from a side opposite that to which said channel opens.

2. In a glazing or sealing extrusion to locate a flexible glazing or sealing strip for a glazing panel, door panel or window sash, the provision of a flexible glazing or sealing strip retention channel to open towards a surface of the glazing panel, door panel or window sash to be positioned, said channel being at least partly closed (ie; constricted) at its mouth by a by a pair of inwardly directed integral protrusions (hereafter "lips"), with that lip (the "more distal lip") to in use be positioned more from the edge of a glazing panel, door panel or window sash to be positioned against said flexible glazing or sealing strip to be fitted providing a more constricting lip that the other lip (ie; thereby to encourage a non symmetric location of a flexible glazing or sealing strip in said channel) to thereby better enable the obscuring from view in use the flexible glazing or sealing strip.

3. An extrusion of claim 1 or 2 wherein the form of the channel and its lips is substantially hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 2 to Figure 5.

4. An extrusion of claim 2 or 3 wherein said glazing or sealing extrusion may be that to provide a mullion, a window frame, a hinged door rail, a hinged door stile, a door frame, a sash for awning windows.

5. A mullion, a window frame, a hinged door rail, a hinged door stile, a door frame or a sash for an awning window which includes a glazing or sealing extrusion with asymmetry substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings in its flexible glazing strip location channel.

6. An assembly of apparatus of claim 5 and a flexible glazing or sealing strip located in the channel of said extrusion.

7. An assembly of claim 6 wherein said strip is a backing rubber symmetric in its transverse section.

8. An assembly comprising or including an extrusion having a channel locating a flexible glazing or sealing strip, a member having a surface against the strip and means to hold said extrusion, said strip and said member in that relationship wherein said channel includes a mouth defined by two lips for locating said flexible glazing or sealing strip INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 1 8 OCT 2001 d r r> c 11/ c n -7- wherein the centerline of said mouth defined between said two lips if offset from the centerline of said channel and wherein said extrusion, by virtue of said offset better obscures the strip from view from the extrusion side thereof than would have been the case had the channel had a symmetric mouth.

9. An assembly of claim 8 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of minimising the visibility of a flexible glazing or sealing strip which composes or includes locating such a glazing or sealing strip in a location channel of an extrusion therefor, such channel having two lips defining a mouth which has a centerline offset from the centerline of the channel with one lip being more inwardly directed so as to be able to set m the flexible glazing or sealing strip more from a distal extremity of the extrusion. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF NZ. 1 8 OCT 2001 RECEIVED dated THIS /& DAY OF OcM*r h \hbrary\patents\djj\specs\397872 djj