US3217454A

US3217454A - Window structure

Info

Publication number: US3217454A
Application number: US405628A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leisibach Xavier Franz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-02-07
Filing date: 1964-10-21
Publication date: 1965-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-16
Also published as: GB946888A; BE613405A

Description

Nov. 16, 1965 XAVIER FRANZ LElslBAcl-l 3,217,454

M so KNOWN As XAVER LEISIBACH WINDOW 'STRUCTURE Filed OCT.. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fim f (3U AGENT Nov. 16, 1965 XAVIER FRANZ LEISIBACH ALSO KNOWN AS XAVER LEISIBACH WINDOW STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 2l, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MQ. 12o. *l5

XAVIER FRANZ LE/S/BACH INVENTOR AGENT,

United States Patent O 3,217,454 WINDW STRUCTURE Xavier Franz Leisibach, also known as Xaver Leisibach, Lerchenhain-Meggen, Lucerne, Switzerland Filed Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,628 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 7, 1961,

1 Claim. `(Cl. 52-398) My present invention relates to window structures and, more particularly, to a window construction in which two or more panes are held in a common sash, as described in my copending application Ser. No. 171,365, filed February 6, 1962, of which my present application is a continuation-in-part.

In this copending application I have pointed out that changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity, generally accompanied by a temperature differential on both sides of the window so that the two panes are often eX- posed to different ambient conditions, subject Window structures of this type to severe tests and tax their mechanical stability and their resistance to moisture penetration. It was diflicult in the past to assemble dualor multiple-pane windows in such manner that the space between adjacent panes was sufficiently airtight to prevent the generation of convection currents` or the deposition of moisture on the inner glass surfaces. In many instances, therefore, it was necessary to dispose a drying agent, such as silica gel, in the intervening space and/ or to provide special passages for flushing that space with a dry gas such as nitrogen.

One of the principal reasons for the aforementioned difficulties derives from the fact that metallic frame elements are good thermal conductors so that, at low temperatures, the vapors unavoidably present between the panes will tend to condense, whereas nonmetallic frame members are generally composed of wood and are so highly porous that it is difficult to prevent penetration of moisture into this space.

To avoid these difficulties it has been proposed hitherto to provide double-window structures with elastomeric glazing strips which are preformed and are inserted into grooves in the sash and generally extend somewhat from these grooves to define channels receiving the panes. In one construction of this type, a tight seal is ensured by seating the panes on a ledge of the glazing strip abutting a shoulder or support ridge of the sash directly below the pane and thereafter forcing another portion of the glazing strip into a channel in the sash so that the strip bears upon a marginal portion of the pane. In other arrangements, this portion of the strip is detached from that portion upon which the pane rests and is so dimensioned that, while it is forced into the groove in the sash, if bears resiliently upon the panes. In still further known constructions of this general type, the pane does not rest upon the ledge of the glazing strip but instead is frictionally supported by two portions of the strip engaging opposite faces of each pane.

While such arrangements overcome some of the more significant disadvantages mentioned above, especially with regard to the conductivity of the sash in contact with the panes, they introduce an entirely new problem. It is well known that the elastomeric sealing strips of this nature tend to loose their resiliency at an early stage and to stilfen so that, in spite of the fact that the sealing strip may have been bearing originally upon the panes, their rigidity subsequently eliminates any such resilient cornpression and the required seal. It is, therefore, a prin- ICC cipal object of my present invention to provide an improved window structure of the type set forth in which all of the aforementioned drawbacks are avoided.

A more specic object of this invention is to provide a window structure making use of a sealing strip whereby stiffening of the strip will not impose the great diculties encountered heretofore.

In accordance with the present invention I provide, within a sash which may be of any conventional type (e.g., sliding, swinging or stationary), a spacing frame of low thermal conductivity engaged on opposite sides by a pair of spaced window panes, the frame constituting the sealing or glazing strip mentioned above and being mounted in a sash consisting of a light, nonporous material such as lightweight metal (e.g., aluminum) having means for holding both the panes and the glazing strip in close contact with one another. The invention resides in undercutting at least one of the grooves of the sash for reeciving an outer portion of the glazing strip which may be integral or formed from a plurality of separate portions, this undercut groove having a constriction past which an enlarged bead of the glazing strip can be forced.

According to a principal feature of this invention, the undercut portion of the groove is of generally circular cross-section with a surface of the sash underlying the pane being substantially tangential to the cylindrical surface forming the interior wall of the undercut region. The corresponding portion of the glazing strip is complementarily shaped so that its bead has a generally cylindrical configuration. These features of the invention afford two main advantages over prior-art structures utilizing glazing strips received within a groove in the sash: On the one hand, the undercut nature of the groove and enlarged bead adapted to be forced through the constricted opening in to the groove precludes undesirable and spontaneous movement of the glazing strip out of the sash upon thermal contraction and expansion of the latter as frequently occurs with conventional glazing strips. It may be noted, parenthetically, that it has been proposed hitherto to provide at least the outer portions of such glazing strips with a multiplicity of formations for increasing the frictional interengagement between juxtaposed surfaces of the sash and glazing strip; these have not been successful, however. On the other hand, even stiffening or some degree of shrinking of the glazing strip cannot decrease the sealing pressure with which the strip bears against the pane; the sealing strip has a pane-engaging edge which, in effect, constitutes the load element of a lever fulcrumed about the axis of the cylindrical groove and the bead.

According to a more specific feature of the present invention, the glazing strip is provided with an abutment laterally spaced from the cylindrical groove away from the pane and engageable by the sash for preventing it from swivelling about the aforementioned axis away from the pane. Moreover, the glazing strip is, according to the invention, provided with a lever arm underlying the pane and tending to swivel the glazing strip about the axis so that its sealing edge engages a marginal portion of the pane with a force determined by the weight of the pane. Thus, even after some stilfening of the glazing strip, the weight of the pane upon the lever arm of the lower glazing strip will maintain a sealing engagement; the abutment serves to main-tain the remaining strips about the periphery of the pane in engagement therewith.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an intermediate portion of the glazingstrip means disposed between the panes and which, in

tionally used as heat insulators.

profile, converges'toward the periphery thereof; the intermediate glazing portion has a relatively wide head whose edges bear upon relatively narrow marginal portions of the pane. This intermediate portion of the glazing-strip means is supported at its nar-row shank outwardly from this head so that the head is, to some degree, shiftable laterally of the panes during thermal changes of the div'mensions of the window structure.

Still another feature of the instant invention resides in the provision of at least one inner ridge on the sash between the panes and extending inwardly beyond the periphery of the panes while being straddled by the frame 'or glazing strip. The shank of the intermediate portion of the glazing strip can then `be mounted upon this ridge in such manner as to be defiectable laterally thereof. The interengagement of the glazing strip with the sash may be supplemented by the provision of an adhesive, preferably of elastomeric material, which can be introduced between the engaging edges of the head of the `intermediate portion and the periphery of the panes along ythe shank.

Suitable strip materials of low thermal conductivity include synthetic and natural rubbers, e.g., porous or microporous rubber, along `with other substances conven- The sash, in turn, may be composed of extruded profiles of metal, preferably aluminum, integrally formed with the necessary ridges or grooves to accommodate the panes and the sealing strip. It will be understood that, even with strips of relatively high porosity, the penetration of moisture into the space between the panes will be prevented by the intervening layer of adhesive.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily aplparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. l is a front-elevational view of a window strucrune1 of the type to which the present invention is applica e;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c are fragmentary sectional views drawn to the scale of FIG. 2, representing different modiiications of that part of FIG. 2 encompassed within the area III thereof.

The window shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of

slidable sashes

2, 2, within an outer frame 1 which is representative of any conventional embrasure or other support for such, sashes. The two

sashes

2, 2 are identical except for a conventional Outrigger strip 20 on the former for preventing the flow of airhetween the sashes. Only t-he sash 2 and its associated elements will be described in detail with the identical parts having primed reference numerals in sash 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sash 2 carries a pair of panes 3 spaced apart by a glazing-strip means 4, 5 of rubber or similar, preferably elastomeric, thermally insulating material. The glazing strip means thus includes an intermediate portion or inner frame 4 and a pair of outer portions S, 5a. The latter are provided with respective beads 1'2, 12a of generally cylindrical configuration which are received in the complementary (i.e., cylindrical) undercut grooves y13, extending all around the inner periphery of the sash on either side of the pair of panes 3. These grooves open via the constrictions 113 at the surfaces 213 of the sash underlying pane 3, the constrictions having a width less than the diameter of the beads 112, 12a.

The space -6 between the panes 3 is shielded against the atmosphere by adhesive layers 15 (e.g., of rubber cement) which likewise extend along the entire inner periphery of the sash and help secure it to the intermediate portion 4 of the glazing-strip means and the panes.

As previously indicated, the intermediate portion 4 has an enlarged head 104 and converges outwardly in the direction of the peripheries of the panes to form a shank 204 which is received between a pair of Iridges 10 integrally formed on the sash and extending inwardly therebeyond. The head 104 is thus resiliently deectable upon thermal alteration of the dimensions of the sash. A packing strip 14a, independent of strip 5a, underlies the right-hand pane 3 (FIG. 2) to support the latter while the other pane is carried by a lever arm 14 integral with glazing strip portion 5 whose load arm includes an edge 105 urged into contact with a marginal portion of the respective pane by t-he weight thereof, strip 5 being fulcrumed upon the axis of the cylinders 112, 13. Abutment ledges 205, v20551, outwardly of the panes, are provided on the outer portions `5, 5a flanking the vbeads y12, 12a for engagement with the surface 213 to prevent the

glazing strip portions

5 and 5a from being deflected outwardly about their Vrespective axes.

The sash 2 is provided with several rollers 8 (only one shown) which ride in a horizontal groove of a flange 7 on the bottom of frame 1 whereby he sashes 2 and 2 may be rolled back and forth in the conventional manner. Packing strips 9 of felt or the like are interposed between the inner faces of the U-proiile of the sash and the T-shaped flange 7. This construction, known per se, is shown merely for the sake of completeness and is representative of any conventional sash mounting.

In FIG. 3a I show a construction otherwise `identical with that described in connection wit-h FIG. 2 except that the sash 2a has a single ridge 10a matingly received within a peripheral groove 304a in the shank 204a of the intermediate portion or inner frame 4a whose head 10i4a has edges bearing upon the marginal portions of the panes. Again, -this enlarged head is deflectable, as indicated above, the adhesive layers 15 not materially impeding such deflection.

In a further .rnodicatiom` shown in FIG. 3b, the sash I2b has a relatively wide ridge or rib 10b overlain by the intermediate portion 4b. Studs 17 (only one shown) rise from the rib 10b at spaced locations therealong and are imbedded in the shank of the intermediate portion or inner frame 4b to lock it into position with its enlarged head bearing against the panes.

In, FIG. 3c, I have shown the sash 2c formed wit-h an inner peripheral groove 11 accommodating the outer edge of the shank of intermediate portion or inne-r frame 4c, which is here illustrated to be of T-shaped profile.

Structural modifications of the space arrangements described and illustrated are, of course, possible without departing from the spirit and scope of my linvention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a window, in combination, a profiled metallic sash formed with at least one inner ridge extending over its entire circumference, an inner frame of atleast partly complementary profile matingly engaging said sash, said frame consisting of a material of low thermal conductivity, a pa-ir of panes held in said sash and contacting said frame from opposite sides, and a pair of sealing strips independent of said frame anchored in said sash, said strips resiliently bearing upon the outer surfaces of said panes over a marginal zone extending all around their circumference whereby said panes are urged toward said frame; said ridge projecting into the space between said panes and being received in a mating groove of said frame; said frame registering with substantially all of said marginal zone and constituting the only structural member bridging said panes, at least one of said strips having a generally cylindrical foot received within a complementary recess in said sash, said one of said strips having an integral lateral flange intermediate said marginal zone and said sash while underlying the corresponding pane .for urging the respective strip against the pane.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited by the Examiner 3,026,582

UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1940 Axe 20-565 X 5/ 1941 *Hunter 189-78 5 6/,1942 Axe 189-64 .653,714 3/1959 Haas 20-565 3/1962 Haas ,20-56.5 X

6 y3/1962 Bayer 20-565 6/'1962 Fengler 20--56.4 X 1/1963 Gall 189- 76 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1951 Great Britain.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.