GB1600709A - Thermally insulated metal assemblies - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THERMALLY INSULATED METAL ASSEMBLIES (71) We, NoRcRos INVESTMENTS LIMI TED, of Reading Bridge House, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8PP, a British Company, 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:- This invention relates to metal assemblies particularly metal-framed windows which incorporate a thermal break between the inner and outer portions of the frame.

It is well known that to conserve heat double-glazing is of value, but where such double-glazing is incorporated in metalframed windows some of the advantages are lost in that the metal is an excellent conductor of heat and hence the heat flow through the frame itself can be a source of loss. Another factor is that during cold weather the metal of the frame will be at a low temperature and on the inner face may be in contact with warm air thus giving rise to condensation with its attendant problems including corrosion of aluminium-extruded frames which have not been specially treated.

To overcome this problem it has already been proposed to break up the metal of the frame into an outer portion and an inner portion and to interconnect the two portions by means of a plastics material of low thermal conductivity thus appreciably reducing the heat transfer from the inner portion to the outer portion when installed.

This so-called "thermal break" may take the form of a continuous, extruded, plastics strip of foamed or solid plastics material or alternatively the thermal break may take the form of individual members spaced along the lengths of the frame at appropriate intervals.

The latter arrangement has the advantage that less plastics material is used and special machinery is not required to extrude the plastics material directly into the space between the two portions of the frame. Use of separate, spacer members has, however, the disadvantage that the assembly operation can become quite complex since it is necessary correctly to space the members which will be engaged in a portion of re-entrant section of each portion of the frame.

According to the present invention there is provided a thermally-insulating spacer member for use in joining together two spaced portions of a metal assembly, said member comprising two opposed wedge-shaped parts, means for locking the parts together when in the assembled configuration -in said metal assembly, and means for positively engaging both spaced portions of said metal assembly.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a thermally-insulating spacer member for use in connecting two spaced portions of a metal assembly, said member comprising two parts of wedgeform with opposed mating, inclined, faces provided with serrations arranged to interlock when the member is incorporated in a said metal assembly, and projections for positively engaging the spaced portions of a said metal assembly.

A thermal break spacer member embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary section through an openable light showing the use of thermal break spacer members; Figure 2 is an end elevation of one embodiment of thermal break spacer member in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the member of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the member of Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of one half of a spacer member in accordance with the invention; and Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation, to an enlarged scale, illustrating a detail of the member of Figures 2 to 5.

Referring now to Figure 1, this shows an extruded aluminium window frame 10 of generally conventional construction but incorporating two rows of thermal break spacer members 12, 14 of conventional form. Since the frame members themselves are generally conventional they will not be described in detail but it will be noted that the spacer members 12, 14 each have two projection portions 16, 18 and 20, 22 which are engaged in opposed re-entrant channel section portions 24, 26 and 28, 30 of the opening light and of the fixed frame respectively. The opening light is mounted for pivotal movement about an extruded aluminium hinge 32 and appropriate neoprene glazing gaskets 34 are used to seal a double-glazed unit 36 and to provide a weather seal against ingress of rain and other moisture into parts of the section and into the adjacent wall of a building.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 6, a spacer member 40 in accordance with the invention includes two wedge-shaped parts 42, 44 one of which is illustrated in perspective view in Figure 5 and each part has transverse serrations 46 having a form as illustrated in Figure 6. The serrations are interrupted by a longitudinally-extending groove 48 of semi-circular section which however ceases before the narrowest end of the wedge and is replaced on the same alignment by a semi-cylindrical projection 50 the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the groove 48.

As will be apparent from Figure 2, in the assembled condition, the two parts of the spacer member together define wing-like projections 52, 54 similar to the projections 16, 18 or 20, 22 of the spacer members illustrated in Figure 1 and these serve positively to engage to extended members to be assembled. Figure 2 also illustrates the fact that in their unassembled condition the mating faces are convex in the direction of the serrations 46 to allow for differential tolerances in the material of the window frames and the parts themselves. The resilience of the material will accommodate the constraining action of the window portions in the assembled condition. The upper surface 56 of the member 44 is formed as a shallow V, again to assist in accommodating tolerances.

To assemble the two portions of the window assembly, parts 42, 44 of the spacer members are inserted at spaced locations in the reentrant channels of the window assemblv with the portions of any given pair 42, 44 slightly staggered with respect to one another. By hand or by means of an appropriate tool the parts 42, 44 are firmly wedged together thus securing the window assembly portions together.

The serrations 46 ensure that once properly installed, there can be no longitudinal slippage between the two parts of the spacer members and the semi-cylindrical projections 50 which engage in the opposed grooves 48 of the other part of the members ensure that there can be no lateral movement. If additional security is desired self-tapping screws or pins can be inserted in apertures 60, 62 (Figures 3 and 4).

It will be readily apparent that by means of the two-part spacer members the problems inherent in the insertion of a plurality of spacer members along the length of a window frame is materially decreased without adversely affecting the thermal break properties of the frame.

Although described in relation to a window frame assembly, the invention can also be applied to any other thermally-broken assembly such as ventilators, curtain walling, door frames, smoke vents and so on.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A thermally-insulating spacer member for use in joining together two spaced portions of a metal assembly, said member comprising two opposed wedge-shaped parts, means for locking the parts together when in the assembled configuration in said metal assembly, and means for positively engaging both spaced portions of a said metal assembly.

2. A thermally-insulating spacer member for use in connecting two spaced portions of a metal assembly, said member comprising two parts of wedge-form with opposed mating, inclined, faces provided with serrations arranged to interlock when the member is incorporated in a said metal assembly, and projections for positively engaging the spaced portions of a said metal assembly.

3. A member according to claim 2, wherein the serrations take the form of teeth which co-operate to prevent the wedge parts from unlocking once positively engaged between the two portions of the metal assembly.

4. A member according to claim 1 wherein the means for positively engaging the spaced portions includes two opposed longitudinally-extending wing-portions arranged to engage in respective re-entrant channel section parts of adjacent portions of a said metal assembly, each wing portion being formed by both wedge-shaped parts of the spacer member.

5. A member according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the faces carrying the serrations are convex when considered in the direction along the serrations and with the faces in a relaxed condition.

6. A member according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein one said serrated face includes a longitudinal groove and a projection and the other serrated face includes a groove, the projection of one part of the spacer member serving to engage in the groove of the other in the assembled condition

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. extruded aluminium window frame 10 of generally conventional construction but incorporating two rows of thermal break spacer members 12, 14 of conventional form. Since the frame members themselves are generally conventional they will not be described in detail but it will be noted that the spacer members 12, 14 each have two projection portions 16, 18 and 20, 22 which are engaged in opposed re-entrant channel section portions 24, 26 and 28, 30 of the opening light and of the fixed frame respectively. The opening light is mounted for pivotal movement about an extruded aluminium hinge 32 and appropriate neoprene glazing gaskets 34 are used to seal a double-glazed unit 36 and to provide a weather seal against ingress of rain and other moisture into parts of the section and into the adjacent wall of a building. Referring now to Figures 2 to 6, a spacer member 40 in accordance with the invention includes two wedge-shaped parts 42, 44 one of which is illustrated in perspective view in Figure 5 and each part has transverse serrations 46 having a form as illustrated in Figure 6. The serrations are interrupted by a longitudinally-extending groove 48 of semi-circular section which however ceases before the narrowest end of the wedge and is replaced on the same alignment by a semi-cylindrical projection 50 the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the groove 48. As will be apparent from Figure 2, in the assembled condition, the two parts of the spacer member together define wing-like projections 52, 54 similar to the projections 16, 18 or 20, 22 of the spacer members illustrated in Figure 1 and these serve positively to engage to extended members to be assembled. Figure 2 also illustrates the fact that in their unassembled condition the mating faces are convex in the direction of the serrations 46 to allow for differential tolerances in the material of the window frames and the parts themselves. The resilience of the material will accommodate the constraining action of the window portions in the assembled condition. The upper surface 56 of the member 44 is formed as a shallow V, again to assist in accommodating tolerances. To assemble the two portions of the window assembly, parts 42, 44 of the spacer members are inserted at spaced locations in the reentrant channels of the window assemblv with the portions of any given pair 42, 44 slightly staggered with respect to one another. By hand or by means of an appropriate tool the parts 42, 44 are firmly wedged together thus securing the window assembly portions together. The serrations 46 ensure that once properly installed, there can be no longitudinal slippage between the two parts of the spacer members and the semi-cylindrical projections 50 which engage in the opposed grooves 48 of the other part of the members ensure that there can be no lateral movement. If additional security is desired self-tapping screws or pins can be inserted in apertures 60, 62 (Figures 3 and 4). It will be readily apparent that by means of the two-part spacer members the problems inherent in the insertion of a plurality of spacer members along the length of a window frame is materially decreased without adversely affecting the thermal break properties of the frame. Although described in relation to a window frame assembly, the invention can also be applied to any other thermally-broken assembly such as ventilators, curtain walling, door frames, smoke vents and so on. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A thermally-insulating spacer member for use in joining together two spaced portions of a metal assembly, said member comprising two opposed wedge-shaped parts, means for locking the parts together when in the assembled configuration in said metal assembly, and means for positively engaging both spaced portions of a said metal assembly.

2. A thermally-insulating spacer member for use in connecting two spaced portions of a metal assembly, said member comprising two parts of wedge-form with opposed mating, inclined, faces provided with serrations arranged to interlock when the member is incorporated in a said metal assembly, and projections for positively engaging the spaced portions of a said metal assembly.

3. A member according to claim 2, wherein the serrations take the form of teeth which co-operate to prevent the wedge parts from unlocking once positively engaged between the two portions of the metal assembly.

4. A member according to claim 1 wherein the means for positively engaging the spaced portions includes two opposed longitudinally-extending wing-portions arranged to engage in respective re-entrant channel section parts of adjacent portions of a said metal assembly, each wing portion being formed by both wedge-shaped parts of the spacer member.

5. A member according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the faces carrying the serrations are convex when considered in the direction along the serrations and with the faces in a relaxed condition.

6. A member according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein one said serrated face includes a longitudinal groove and a projection and the other serrated face includes a groove, the projection of one part of the spacer member serving to engage in the groove of the other in the assembled condition

whereby to prevent lateral relative displacement of the two parts.

7. A member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said locking means further comprise self-tapping screws arranged to pass through both parts in the assembled condition.

8. A member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the member is generally rectangular in plan view.

9. A thermally insulating member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A metal assembly comprising two portions interconnected by a plurality of members in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.