GB2374353A

GB2374353A - Ventilation and drainage of glazed roof, e.g. of conservatory

Info

Publication number: GB2374353A
Application number: GB0105200A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Glynn Peter Marston
Original assignee: Marston & Langinger Ltd
Current assignee: Marston & Langinger Ltd
Priority date: 2001-03-02
Filing date: 2001-03-02
Publication date: 2002-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-02
Also published as: GB0105200D0; GB2374353B

Abstract

A structure has a glazed roof 35,37, supported on a wall by means 45 which retain the glazing unit and space it from the wall to allow both ventilation, and drainage of condensation water from the interior. Retaining means 45 may be in two parts: part 47 has lower flange 47A which can be screwed to the wall at 57 and has drainage holes 51, and an upstanding leg 47B, whilst part 49 has flange 49A which overlies upper glazing sheet 37, and depending leg 49B, a screw 65 joining the two parts together. Arrow "A" shows the ventilation path created between lower glazing sheet 35 and flange 47A by discrete spacer blocks 77, whilst "B" shows the drainage path for water of condensation.

Description

GLAZED ROOFING SYSTEMS Field of the invention This invention relates to glazed roofing systems which may form parts of conservatories or other building structures.

Background to the invention In a conservatory or other building structure having a roof which is at least partially glazed, sloping glazing units may be supported at their lower end on the upper edge of a support wall, typically an external wall. The glazing units may be double glazing systems or other multiple glazing systems such as treble glazing units.

Reference will be made hereinafter to either glazing units or double glazing units but it should be understood that other glazing systems are included.

Typically, in such known structures, the glazing unit is secured directly to the top of the support wall, the unit including an upper glass leaf which overhangs the bottom of the unit and the support wall to allow water falling or collecting on the upper surface of the unit to drain from the unit into guttering secured to the support wall and located beneath the overhanging leaf. Such an arrangement does not allow for drainage from the underside of the glazing unit, due to condensation on the lower leaf of the unit, to the exterior.

Ventilation of the interior of the conservatories is achieved by the provision of passages through the support wall located, typically, at or below the level of the exterior guttering.

Accordingly, the above described known arrangement provides separate and incomplete drainage and ventilation systems and there is a need for an improved and more efficient arrangement providing both appropriate drainage and also ventilation.

Statements of the invention According to the present invention there is provided a conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall, the structure comprising a sloping, sealed glazing unit supported at its lower end by said wall, and means for retaining said glazing unit relative to said wall, said retaining means spacing the lower edge of the glazing unit from the wall and being perforated to allow water to drain to the exterior of the structure and air to pass between the exterior and the interior of the structure.

Preferably said retaining means includes a first element for securing to said support wall and a second element for securing to said first element with said glazing unit held between said first and second elements. More preferably, said retaining means includes a third element spacing said glazing unit from said first element to provide a fluid flow path therebetween.

Preferably said first and second element and the glazing unit define a fluid flow path from the upper to the lower face of the glazing unit, which flow path extends downwardly adjacent the lower edge of the glazing unit to perforations located in said first element.

Preferably said first element includes a first, perforated web extending between said glazing unit and said support wall and, extending at an angle to said first wall, a second integral web extending upwardly from said first web adjacent the end of the glazing unit.

Preferably the second element includes a first web extending over a lower portion of the upper face of said glazing unit and, at an angle to said first web, a second integral web extending downwardly from said first web and adjacent the second web of the first element on that side remote from the glazing unit.

It is preferred that the angle between the webs of the first and second elements is about 90 .

More preferably the second element includes an integral flange extending downwardly from the first web of the second element and between said second web of the first element and said glazing unit.

The present invention also provides a kit for retaining relative to a support wall the lower end of a glazing unit forming part of the roof of a conservatory or other structure, the kit comprising a perforated first element for securing to said support wall and a second element for securing to said first element with said glazing unit held between said first and second elements, and means spacing said glazing unit from said first element whereby, in use, a fluid flow path is provided between said glazing unit and said first element.

Brief description of the drawings The accompanying drawings are as follows :- Figure 1 illustrates part of a known conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof; and Figure 2 illustrates part of a conservatory or other structure in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention The present invention will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a known arrangement for supporting a glazing unit 1 on an exterior support wall 3. The glazing unit 1 is a double glazing unit having lower and upper glass leaves 5 and 7. Upper leaf 7

extends downwardly beyond the end of lower leaf 5 providing an overhang 9 which, as will be appreciated, forms an undesirable area of weakness due to the unsupported nature of this overhang 9. The glazing unit I is provided with spaces 11 separating the two panes 5 and 7. A self-adhesive UV barrier strip 13 is located on the top surface of leaf 7 and protects the spacer from UV light which would otherwise impinge upon and damage or discolour the spacers 11.

The unit 1 is secured to an upper sloping surface 15 of wall 3 by means of an adhesive strip 17.

Attached to the exterior of wall 3 is guttering 19 which is positioned just below the overhang 9 of the unit I so that water running downwardly off the end of overhang 9 will fall into guttering 19.

Extending through wall 3 at a position just below the bottom of guttering 19 are one or more channels 21 which allow air to pass from the exterior of the structure to the interior (in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 1) or, if appropriate, in the opposite direction.

Although drainage of water can occur into guttering 19 from the exterior upper surface of the glazing unit, as described above, this known arrangement does not allow for drainage from the interior lower surface of glazing unit 1 of water which is condensed on leaf 5. Furthermore, ventilation is provided quite separately from the drainage through the use of the channels 21 located in wall 3, thereby rendering the provision of ventilation and less than complete drainage relatively expensive and inefficient.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings there is illustrated part of a conservatory or other structure which incorporates the present invention. As before, a glazing unit 31 is supported on an exterior wall 33, the glazing unit 31 having lower and upper glass leaves 35 and 37. Guttering 39 is located below the overhanging end

41 of glazing unit 31. In this case, the overhanging portion 41 of the unit 31 is not provided by a single leaf of the glazing unit but rather by the extension of the glazing unit as a whole, as well as the retaining device (to be described below) and is therefore of a much more robust nature than the arrangement of Figure 1.

Located between leaves 35 and 37 of the glazing unit 31 are spacers 43.

The glazing unit 31 is secured to wall 33 by means of a retaining device 45 which spaces the lower edge of the glazing unit 31 from wall 33 and is perforated to allow water to drain to the exterior of the structure and air to pass between the exterior and the interior of the structure.

The retaining device 45 comprises two metal or plastics strips 47 and 49, each strip having two integral webs 47A, 47B and 49A, 49B arranged with a right-angle therebetween.

Web 47A of strip 47 is provided with perforations 51 extending along the length of web 47A and between the position of web 47B and a position about half-way towards the free edge 53 of web 47A. Located between perforations 51 and free edge 53 are a series of screw holes 55 enabling retaining device 47 to be secured to wall 33 by means of screws 57.

Extending outwardly (in a direction away from glazing unit 31) from web 47B are upper and lower integral spacers 59 and 61. Upper spacer 59 is in the form of an Lshaped flange extending from web 47B, through which extend a series of screw holes 63 by which screws 65 may be used to secure the two retaining devices 47,49 together. Accordingly, spacer 59 has both a leg portion 67, through which the screw holes 63 pass and a foot portion 69 providing an outer surface against which the inner surface of web 49B of retaining device 49 abuts.

Similarly spacer 61 includes a leg portion 71 and a foot portion 73 extending both upwardly and downwardly from leg portion 71 and providing an outer surface against which the inner surface of web 49B of retaining device 49 abuts.

Located between retaining device 47 and glazing unit 31 are end spacers 75 and, adjacent thereto, lower spacers 77, the latter being arranged in a spaced apart manner along the length of strip 47.

Retaining device 49 has its upper web 49A providing a pressure plate when screwed into engagement with retaining device 47 by means of screws 65. As illustrated in Figure 2 web 49A extends, over more than half its width where it is of diminishing thickness towards its free edge, over leaf 37 of glazing unit 1. Over the remainder of its width it is of uniform thickness and is provided with an integral flange 79 which extends parallel to web 49B and, over about the lower two-thirds of its length, between web 47B of retaining device 47, against which it abuts, and the edge of glazing unit 31 from which it is spaced.

Accordingly, the retaining element 49 of retaining device 41 firmly secures lower edge of glazing unit 31 to retaining element 47 and also provides a protective cover preventing UV light from impinging on spacers 43. Furthermore, the retaining device 41 provides a gap, typically of the order of 5mm or 6mm between the lower leaf 31 and the upper surface of web 47, as well as between the edge of unit 31 and web 47B. A somewhat smaller gap is provided between the edge of glazing 31 and flange 79 of element 49. These gaps form part of flow paths of air and water allowing both ventilation and drainage to be provided by the one retaining device.

Air flow may take place between the interior of the structure and the exterior as indicated by flow path AA. Drainage of water from the underside of lower leaf 35 of glazing unit 31 to the exterior is indicated by flow path BB. Drainage from the upper surface of leaf 37 of glazing unit 31 is indicated by flow path CC. Thus it can be seen that both drainage and ventilation can be achieved through the retaining device

which secures the glazing unit to the support wall. There is no need for a separate ventilation system by means of channels through the wall and, in addition, the present invention allows drainage to be effected not only from the upper surfaces of glazing unit 31 but also from its lower surface where condensation occurs.

Claims

1. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall, the structure comprising a sloping, sealed glazing unit supported at its lower end by said wall, and means for retaining said glazing unit relative to said wall, said retaining means spacing the lower edge of the glazing unit from the wall and being perforated to allow water to drain to the exterior of the structure and air to pass between the exterior and the interior of the structure.

2. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to Claim 1, wherein said retaining means includes a first element for securing to said support wall and a second element for securing to said first element with said glazing unit held between said first and second elements.

3. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to Claim 2, wherein said retaining means includes a third element spacing said'glazing unit from said first element to provide a fluid flow path therebetween.

4. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said first and second element and the glazing unit define a fluid flow path from the upper to the lower face of the glazing unit, which flow path extends downwardly adjacent the lower edge of the glazing unit to perforations located in said first element.

5. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein said first element includes a first, perforated web extending between said glazing unit and said support wall and, extending at an angle to said first wall, a second integral web extending upwardly from said first web adjacent the end of the glazing unit.

6. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein said second element includes a first web extending over a lower portion of the upper face of said glazing unit and, at an angle to said first web, a second integral web extending downwardly from said first web and adjacent the second web of the first element on that side remote from the glazing unit.

7. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to Claim 6, wherein the angle between the webs of the first and second elements is at about 90 .

8. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall according to Claim 7, wherein the second element includes an integral flange extending downwardly from the first web of the second element and between said second web of the first element and said glazing unit.

9. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall substantially as described herein.

10. A conservatory or other structure having a glazed roof and a support wall substantially as described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A kit for retaining relative to a support wall the lower end of a glazing unit forming part of the roof of a conservatory or other structure, the kit comprising a perforated first element for securing to said support wall and a second element for securing to said first element with said glazing unit held between said first and second elements, and means spacing said glazing unit from said first element whereby, in use, a fluid flow path is provided between said glazing unit and said first element.