WO2008114146A1

WO2008114146A1 - An attachment means intended to be fixed into a space in a corner of an insulating glass and a method for fixing said means

Info

Publication number: WO2008114146A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/001029
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Aas Kjebekk
Original assignee: Glasmagasinet As
Priority date: 2007-03-20
Filing date: 2008-03-19
Publication date: 2008-09-25
Also published as: SE0700685L; SE529959C2

Abstract

The present invention refers to an attachment means (1 ) for supporting an insulating glass (1 ) and a method for fixing said means, which is intended to be fixed into position in a space (2) between the outer and inner glasses of an insulating glass (3) in its corner or edge region (4), which is situated outside a spacing profile ( 17), which extends in its longitudinal direction (24) at the same time as it is situated between the outer and inner glass sheet (1 1,12) of the insulating glass (3), said attachment means (1 ) comprises a female portion (5) having an opening (10) intended to be turned in a direction from the spacing profile (17) in order to give room for at least one male portion for fixing said insulating glass (3) in a pre- determined position at a structure such as e.g. a facade, a vehicle, a boot, a green hose. The attachment means (1) comprises an elongated box formation (6) extending in said longitudinal direction (24) having an inside constituting said female portion (5) with the opening ( 10) and said box formation (6) comprises a number of projections (9) arranged in distances from each other and which are protruding from the same across the longitudinal direction (24) for contacting the outer and inner glass sheets (1 1, 12) in creating the determination into position and an out-distancing laterally (18) of the box formation (6) across the longitudinal direction (24) from the glass sheets (1 1, 12) and in a position vertically ( 19) in relation to the spacing profile ( 17).

Description

TRANSLATION (12.3) 19 May 2008

An attachment means intended to be fixed into a space in a corner of an insulating glass and a method for fixing said means

The present invention refers to an attachment means for supporting an insulating glass and a method for fixing said means, which is intended to be fixed into a space between the outer and inner glasses of an insulating glass in its corner or edge area, which lies outside a spacing profile extending in a longitudinal direction and a method for fixing said attachment means. The attachment means comprises a female portion having an opening, which is turnable in a direction from said spacing profile in order to give space for a male portion, which is intended to cooperate with said female portion in order to support and fix into position said insulating glass in a predetermined position in a structure, such in e.g. a facade.

Existing structures of this type on the market comprise attachment means, which consists of elongated metal profiles, preferably made by form pressed aluminium together with one or two branches, which out-distances and determines into position the attachment means in relation to the glass sheets. The problem is to fix these into position in the space by the joint mass needed, in order to glue together an actual insulating glass, since the joint mass with a great difficult can be urged into said branches, why these will be unsatisfactory fixed in the joint mass. Attachment means, which only have one elongated branch has the same adhesive problem under this branch. Besides the determination into position laterally and horizontally becomes in this case uncertain. Problems also arise in that the profile can tilt, when it does not get a support against the two glass sheets and that the determination into position only is done against the one of the glass sheets. The gables are further opened on these metal profiles, which makes that the joint mass easily flows into the female portion and because of that prevents the male portion from having place in the same. According to another type of spacing profiles the attachment means are made together with a spacing profile in an elongated profile, which leads to that these only can be used for special insulating glasses, intended to be used to be mounted in facades at so called "structural glazing". The different types of attachment means mentioned above either cannot be glued together with the spacing profiles to insulating glasses with conventional methods. Only by aid of for the object adapted special machines, tools and a special adapted method the attachment means mentioned above can be mounted in the space between the glass sheets, which is very much expensive in production and stock- keeping. These elongated metal profiles, extending around the whole edge region, do not fix the male profiles into an exact predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the spacing profile, since they are open the whole way in the longitudinal direction, why a determination into a position and a determination into a fixing in the elongated direction does not occur of the male portions. The metal portions also constitute an unnecessary cold bridge.

One object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks existing with the structures mentioned above by that the attachment means comprises an elongated box formation with a female portion, which extends in the longitudinal direction and which has a limited length comprising a number of projections pointing outwards from the same across the longitudinal direction in order to contact outer and inner glass sheets for a determination of position and out-distancing of said box formation at a distance from the glass sheets in order to create space for a fixing of position of the attachment means with joint mass around the box formation.

Thanks to the invention an attachment means has now been provided which is fixable into a space in the corner or the edge region of an insulating glass, which lies outside a spacing profile extending in its longitudinal direction between the outer and inner glass sheets of the insulating glass, where the inner glass sheet is turned towards a supporting structure. The attachment means comprises a female portion having an opening with an opening intended to be turned into a direction from said spacing profile in order to create a space for a male portion to be pressed inwards from the outside into the male portion and to fix the insulating glass into a predetermined position at the structure such as e.g. in a facade, a vehicle, a boot, a greenhouse. According to the invention the attachment means comprises an elongated box formation having a limited length, which extends in the longitudinal direction, the inside of which constitutes the female portion. The box formation comprises a number of projections arranged at a distance from each other pointing outwards from the same, across the longitudinal direction for contacting the outer and inner glass sheets in order to determinate the position of and out-distance the female portion into a position laterally and across the longitudinal direction from the glass sheets and into a position vertically in relation to the position of the spacing profile and for giving space to the joint mass for gluing around the box formation for fixing the same. The box formation comprises surrounding walls around the female portion comprising two elongated sides, two gables, one bottom and which opening consists of an elongated slot having an extension, which mainly corresponds to the extension of the bottom. The elongated sides and the slot extend in parallel to the extension surfaces of the glass sheets. According to a preferred embodiment example of the invention the projections determine the position of the slot, said slot being situated in the middle between the glass sheets in height with the ends of the glass sheets. Two projections then contact the outer edge of the outer glass sheet, which is turned towards the space. These projections then constitute a part of the two gables, which extend outside the width of the box formation across the longitudinal direction in the same height as the opening. The gables then are tapered in to a direction downwards towards the bottom with a growing distance form the extending surface of the outer glass sheet in a mainly straight line, which bevels outwards for connecting against the bottom. The edge region of the outer glass sheet is transparent. In this way none of these projections are visible from the gable, which is a great aesthetical advantage. Five other projections are contacting the extending surface of the inner glass sheet turned towards the space, where the projections consist of elongated flanges provided at a distance from each other and which extend in parallel to each other from the opening and downwards to the bottom along the elongated sides across the longitudinal direction like at the gables. These take up wind load from the contacting surface of the inner glass sheet and transfer the same to the male portion and then to the structure and determinate the position of the female portion laterally in the space. Further four other projections contact the ends of the outer and inner glass sheets. These four projections are firmly provided in the two gables in height with the opening starting from the gables and are pointing in 90° towards the walls of the elongated sides, which are in parallel with the limiting surfaces of the outer and inner glass sheets. These projections consist of protruding elements such as e.g. tongues, pegs, legs, which have a length not extending outside the thickness of the insulating glass. The length of the projections is essentially bigger than its width and thickness and prevents in this way the attachment means to be pressed downwards to the spacing profile a longer distance than that the opening formed like a slot for the male portions is positioned in a height mainly to a level of the ends of the glass sheets. The attachment means is jet moulded in plastic, where the box formation has a length of about 100 mm, a width of about 10 mm and a height of about 12 mm, the walls have a thickness of about 1 -3 mm. The two projections which contact the inner corner edge of the glass sheet in the region of the gables protrude about 5 mm and are further prolonged with about 3-5 mm for contacting the upper end of the outer glass sheet. The projections protruding towards the extension surface of the glass sheet have a length of about 5 mm. The two projections at the gables, which contact the inner end of the inner glass sheet have a length of about 3-5 mm. The elongated slot is about 5 x 93 mm. The distance between the contacting surfaces of the outer and inner glass sheets, which are turned towards said space has a length of about 20 mm.

The most important advantages of the invention are that a simple attachment means has been provided made by plastic, which does not constitute a cold bridge and which is easy and cheap to fix into a position by aid of conventional tools and machines. A number of projections are placed at a distance from each other in order to make room for the joint mass to urge into around the walls, the gables, the projections, the attachment means being fixable effectively in its intended space. The walls and the bottom are keeping the joint mass totally outside the female portion and delimit movement in the longitudinal direction of the male portion. The female portion neither can tilt and achieve an oblique angle of action.

The invention is described closer below by aid of a preferred embodiment example with reference to the drawings enclosed, in which

Fig. 1 shows a translucent perspective view of an attachment means fixed into position in its space between glass sheets, and

Fig.2 shows a translucent perspective view of an attachment means.

As can be seen from fig. 1 and partly from fig. 2, an attachment means 1 is illustrated, which is intended to be fixed into position in a space 2 in the corner or edge region 4 of an insulating glass 3, which is situated outside a spacing profile 17 extending in its longitudinal direction 24 and which is arranged between the extension surfaces 15, 16 of the outer and inner glass sheets 1 1 , 12 of the insulating glass 3, having outer and inner corner edges 25,26, turned towards said space 2. The attachments means 1 , which is provided with a female portion 5 having an opening 10 comprises an elongated box formation 6, the inner side of which constitutes said female portion 5 having said opening 10. Two projections 9 start from the gables 8 of the box formation 6 and which are contacting the outer corner edge 25 of the outer glass sheet 1 1 , which is turned towards the space 2 at the same time as the position of the attachment means 1 is determined laterally 18. Further there are five other projections 9 in the form of elongated flanges 22, which are contacting the extension surface 16 of the inner glass sheet 12, said extension surface 16 is turned towards the space 2. Further four other projections 9 starts from the gables 8 in a direction towards the outer and inner glass sheets 1 1 , 12 in height with the opening 10 in a direction, which is about 90° against walls 29, which by their elongated sides 7 delimit the opening 10, said walls 29 are in parallel to the extension surfaces 15, 16. These projections 9 have a length, which does not protrude outside the thickness 27 of the insulating glass 3 and each of them is resting on the ends 13, 14 of the outer and inner glass sheet 1 1 , 12 for determining of the position vertically 19 of the attachment means 1. The box formation 6 has a width 21 across the longitudinal direction 24 between its two elongated sides 7, which is smaller than the distance 30 of the extension surfaces 15, 16 from each other, so that joint mass can be filled between the outer and inner glass sheets 1 1 , 12 and the elongated sides 7.

As is closer illustrated in fig. 2 the female portion 5 comprises said opening 10 in the form of an elongated slot 23, which is delimited by those walls 29 which constitute the elongated sides 7, the two gables 8 and a bottom 20 and said opening 10 is intended to cooperate with those male portions which are intended to support the insulating glass in a predetermined position in e.g. a facade.

A method for fixing an attachment means 1 according to the invention into position in a space 2 between two insulating glasses can be accomplished in the following way. In a step 1 the glass sheets 1 1 , 12 to the spacing profile 17 in a conventional way by aid of for the purpose adaptable spray nozzles, tools and machines of standard type, at the same time as the spacing profile 17 extends in the longitudinal direction 24, displaced inwards in the edge region 4 by about 10- 15 mm, counted from the ends 13, 14 of the glass sheets 1 1 , 12 to the spacing profile 17 in a direction inwards to the centre of the insulating glass 3 in creating said space 2, which mainly is filled by joint mass 28 up to the ends 13, 14. In a step 2, a number of attachment means 1 are pressed into the joint mass 28 at predetermined places in the space 2 having the bottom 20 directed towards the spacing profile 17 until the projections 9 receive the ends of the glass sheets 1 1 , 12. In a step 3 joint mass 28 is pressed around all projections 9 and the walls 29, and finally in a step 4 pressed out joint mass 28 is further filled around the box formation 6 and the opening 10, so that the slot 23 and the upper part of the walls 29 are visible to point through the joint mass 28, whereby when the same has grown stiff, said insulating glass 3 is ready to be delivered.

Claims

1. An attachment means for supporting an insulating glass, which is intended to be fixed into a position in a space (2) in the corners or the edge region (4) of an insulating glass (3), which is situated outside a spacing profile (17), and which extends in its longitudinal direction (24) at the same time as it is situated between the outer and inner glass sheet (1 1 , 12) of the insulating glass (3) and comprises a female portion (5) having an opening (10) intended to be turned in a direction from the spacing profile (17) in order to give room for at least one male portion for fixing of said insulating glass (3) in a predetermined position at a structure such as e.g. a facade, a vehicle, a boot , a green hose, characterized in that the attachment means (1 ) comprises an elongated box formation (6) extending in said longitudinal direction (24) having an inside constituting said female portion (5) with the opening (10) and said box formation (6) comprises a number of projections (9) arranged in distances from each other and which are protruding from the same across the longitudinal direction (24) for contacting the outer and inner glass sheets (1 1 ,12) in creating the determination into position and an out-distancing laterally (18) of the box formation (6), across the longitudinal direction (24), from the glass sheets (1 1 , 12) and in a position vertically (19) in relation to the spacing profile (17).

2. An attachment means according to claim 1 , characterized in that a part of the projections (9) contacts at least one of the outer and inner extension surfaces (15, 16) of the outer and inner glass sheets ( 1 1 , 12), said extension surfaces (15, 16) are turned towards the space (2) and towards at least one of the outer and inner corner edges (25,26) of the ends (13, 14) of the outer and inner glass sheets (1 1, 12), said corner edges (25,26) are turned towards said space (2) for the determination of position of the female portion (5) laterally (18) and that further other projections (9) contact the ends (13, 14) of the two glass sheets ( 1 1 , 12) in determination into position of the female portion (5) vertically (19).

3. An attachment means according to claim 1 , characterized in that the box formation (6) comprises around the female portion (5) surrounding walls (29) constituting two elongated sides (7), two gables (8), one bottom (20) and that the opening (10) consists of an elongated slot (23) having an extension, which mainly corresponds to the extension of the bottom (20) at the same time as the elongated sides (7) and the slot (23) extend in parallel to the extension surfaces (15, 16), the elongated slot (23) being extended in the longitudinal direction (24) mainly in the middle between the glass sheets ( 1 1 , 12).

4. An attachment means according to claim 2, characterized in that the projections (9) contacting the corner edges (25, 26) is doing that only against the outer corner edge (25) turned towards the space (2), where the projections (9) consist of a part of the two gables (8), which extend outside the width (21 ) of the box formation (6) in the height with the opening (10), so that the gables (8) are tapered in a direction downwards to the bottom (20).

5. An attachment means according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that the projections (9), which contact the extension surfaces (15, 16) of the inner and outer glass sheets (12, 13) make that only towards the extension surface (16) of the inner glass sheet (12) in the form of elongated flanges (22), which extend from the opening (10) downwards to the bottom (20), are provided at a distance from each other and extend mainly in parallel to each other at the same time as two of these (9) are situated at the gables (8).

6. An attachment means according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the projections (9), which contact the ends (13, 14), start from the two elongated sides (7) near the opening (10) preferable from places on the two gables (8) in mainly a direction, which is about 90° towards the walls (29) of the elongated sides (7), said projections (9) have the form of protruding elements such as e.g. tongues, pegs, legs, which have a length not extending outside the thickness (27) of the insulating glass (3), said length of the projections is essentially bigger than its width and thickness and said projections (9) vertically (19) prevent the attachment means (1 ) to be pressed downwards to the spacing profile (17) a longer distance than that the opening (10) is positioned mainly vertically (19) in a height with the ends (13, 14).

7. An attachment means according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that said attachments means (1 ) is fixed into position in the space (2), whereby the box formation (6) has a width (21 ) across the longitudinal direction (24) between the elongated sides (7), which is smaller than a distance (30) between the extension surfaces (15, 16) of the outer and inner glass sheets (1 1 , 12), whereby joint mass (28) has a space along the elongated sides (7) around the projections (9), gables (8) and along the bottom (20).

8. A method for fixing an attachment means (1) in a space (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the glass sheets (1 1 , 12) in a first step is glued to the spacing profile (17) in a conventional way by aid of for the purpose adaptable spray nozzles, tools and machines of standard type, at the same time as the spacing profile (17) extends in the longitudinal direction (24), displaced inwards in the edge region (4) by about 10- 15 mm, counted from the two ends (13, 14) of the glass sheets (1 1 , 12) to the spacing profile ( 17) in a direction inwards to the centre of the insulating glass (3) in creating said space (2), which mainly is filled by joint mass (28) up to the ends (13, 14), in a second step a number of attachment means (1 ) are pressed into the joint mass (28) at predetermined places in the space (2) having the bottom (20) directed towards the spacing profile (17) until the projections (9) receive the glass sheets (1 1 , 12), in a third step the joint mass (28) is pressed around all projections (9) and the walls (29), and finally in a fourth step pressed out joint mass (28) is further filled around the box formation (6) and the opening (10), so that the slot (23) and the upper part of the walls (29) are visible to point through the joint mass (28), whereby when the same has grown stiff, said insulating glass (3) is ready to be delivered.