GB2467950A

GB2467950A - Method of manufacturing a window profile

Info

Publication number: GB2467950A
Application number: GB0902934A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Lemasurier
Original assignee: Synseal Extrusions Ltd
Current assignee: Synseal Extrusions Ltd
Priority date: 2009-02-21
Filing date: 2009-02-21
Publication date: 2010-08-25
Also published as: GB0902934D0

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a length of profile having multiple internal chambers comprising the steps of extruding the length of profile 10' which has at least one internal chamber 16, inserting at least one dividing member 30b, 30c into the internal chamber to subdivide it along substantially the whole length of the profile, such that the internal chamber is subdivided into at least two sub-chambers 16a', 16b', 16c'. The profile and dividing member may be manufactured from PVCu. The dividing member 30b/c may be an elongate planar member with first and second edges, the first and second edges engaging with a pair of ridges 20a, 24a & 22a, 26a on opposite sides of the chamber. The dividing members may also be T shaped or H shaped (Fig. 3). Alternatively the dividing members could be X shaped and engage with offset ridge formations (Fig. 5). The dividing members are provided to increase the thermal insulation of the window profile.

Description

Title: Method of manufacturing a profile DescriMion of Invention The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a profile, such as a Polyvinyl Chloride un-plasticised (normally known as PVCu) window profile, e.g. a building profile such as a window frame profile, a door profile or a door frame profile.

It is well known to manufacture PVCu window frame profiles by extrusion, and it is well known to manufacture them to have three internal chambers running along the length of the extrusion, with a central chamber of a larger cross section than two outer chambers. Indeed such a structure is required in many countries in order to meet regulations, in particular with regard to thermal insulation. It is now becoming desirable to manufacture bui'ding profiles with a larger number of internal chambers, due to increasingly stringent regulations particularly with regard to thermal insulation.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a length of profile having multiple internal chambers comprising the steps of: a) extruding the length of profile having at least one internal chamber; b) inserting a dividing member into the internal chamber to subdivide the internal chamber along substantially the whole length of the profile, such that the internal chamber is subdivided into at least two sub-chambers along substantially the whole length of the profile.

The internal chamber to be subdivided is defined by a plurality of walls each with a face internal to the internal chamber and a face external to the chamber, and the internal faces may have formed thereon one or more locating formations to locate the dividing member.

Conveniently each of two opposite internal faces of the internal chamber walls has a respective locating formation for locating the dividing member, each locating formation including a pair of ridges running along the lengths of the opposite internal faces of the internal walls of the chamber wherein the dividing member is an interference fit between the ridges of each pair.

The dividing member may be an elongate planar member, having first and second edges.

The pair of ridges on one of the opposite internal faces may receive the first edge of the dividing member and the pair of ridges on the other opposite internal face receives the second edge.

The internal chamber may be divided into two along across the width of the profile.

In one alternative the dividing member may be an elongate 1-shaped member, having first, second and third arms. The internal faces of the walls of the internal chamber may provide locating formations, one for receipt of each of the first, second and third arms.

In another alternative the dividing member may be an elongate H-shaped member, having first, second, third and fourth arms. The internal faces of the walls of the internal chamber may provide locating formations, one for receipt of each of the first, second, third and fourth arms.

The internal chamber may be divided both along and across the width of the profile.

The length of profile may conveniently be extruded from PVCu. The dividing member may also conveniently be extruded from PVCu.

Advantageously the dividing member may be of a thickness less than the thickness of the internal chamber walls.

A plurality of dividing members may be inserted to subdivide the internal chamber.

The profile may have three internal chambers across the width of the profile of which the central internal chamber is subdivided into up to five sub-chambers across the width of the profile.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a length of building profile having multiple internal chambers manufactured according to the method of the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a window or door manufactured from a plurality of lengths of profile having multiple internal chambers each having been manufactured according to the method of the first aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a window frame or door frame manufactured from a plurality of lengths of profile having multiple internal chambers each having been manufactured according to the method of the first aspect of the invention.

Embodiments of profiles manufactured according to the method of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows: Figure 1 illustrates in cross section a first embodiment of a profile manufactured according to the method of the invention; Figure 2 illustrates in cross section a second embodiment of a profile manufactured according to the method of the invention; Figure 3 illustrates in cross section a third embodiment of a profile manufactured according to the method of the invention; Figure 4 illustrates in cross section a fourth embodiment of a profile manufactured according to the method of the invention; and Figure 5 illustrates in cross section a fifth embodiment of a profile manufactured according to the method of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, an extruded profile 10, in this case a building profile, has running along its length a first internal chamber 12, a second internal chamber 14 and a third, central, internal chamber 16. The first, second and third internal chambers 14, 16, 18 are arranged across the width of the profile 10. The third internal chamber 16 is approximately rectangular in cross section and is defined by first, second, third and fourth walls having internal faces 18a to 18g. The internal faces 18b and 18d of the two longer walls have provided on them, directly opposite each other and running along the entire length of the profile 10, locating formations being pairs of ridges 20 and 22. The pairs of ridges 20 and 22 each define a recess 24, 26 for receipt of a dividing member.

A desired multi chamber building profile is manufactured by taking the extruded profile 10 and inserting a dividing member 30, being an elongate planar member having first and second edges 32, 34, into the third internal chamber 16 such that the first edge 32 is received in recess 24 and second edge 34 is received in recess 26. The dividing member 30 and the recesses 24, 26 are of such relative dimensions that the dividing member 30 is an interference fit within the recesses 24, 26. The dividing member 30 is substantially the same length as the profile 10. -Inserting the dividing member 30 into the third chamber 16 divides the third chamber 16 into two sub-chambers 1 6a and I 6b side by side across the width of the profile 10, each of which runs the length of the profile 10. Thus a four chamber profile is created using a three chamber profile 10 and a dividing member 30. The method provides the benefit that more forms of profile can be manufactured without more complex and expensive tooling. Thus one set of tooling can be used to make both three and four chamber profiles when combined with the simple tooling for a planar dividing member.

The invention is not limited to the use of a single dividing member. Referring now to Figure 2, where like features are referenced as in Figure 1, an extruded building profile 10' is largely as for the profile 10, but has three pairs of ridges 20a, 22a, 20b, 22b, 20c and 22c on each of the inner faces 1 8 and 1 8 of the two longer walls defining recesses 24a, 26a, 24b, 26b, 24c and 26c respectively. Thus one, two or three dividing members could be inserted into the profile 10' to divide the central chamber 16 into two, three or four sub-chambers side by side across the width of the profile 10' as desired. In this case two dividing members 30b and 30 have been inserted in the recesses 24b and 26b, 24c and 26c respectively to create three sub-chambers 16', 16b'andl6c'.

The extruded building profile 10' offers more adaptability than the extruded building profile 10 as there is a choice of the number of dividing members to be inserted.

The invention is not limited to the use of planar dividing members, such as those previously described. Referring now to Figure 3, where like features are referenced as in Figure 2, the extruded building profile 10' is again illustrated, but this time an H-shaped dividing member 40 has been used. The H-shaped dividing member 40 has four legs, 41, 42, 43 and 44, each of which has en edge which is inserted in the recesses 24b and 26b, 24c and 26c respectively to create four sub-chambers 16a", 16b", 16c" and 16d". The use of the H-shaped dividing member 40 divides the internal chamber 16 both across and along the width of the profile 10'.

Referring now to Figure 4, where like features are referenced as in Figure 2, the extruded building profile 10' is again illustrated, but this time a complex shaped dividing member 50 has been used. The complex dividing member 50 has eight legs 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 and 58 the edges of three of which are received in recesses 24a, 24b and 24c whilst three others are received in recesses 26a, 26b and 24ç. The remaining two legs, 54 and 58, extend laterally to contact the inner faces I 8a and 18c of the shorter walls defining the chamber 16. Thus the use of dividing member 50 divides the chamber 16 into 8 sub-chambers 16a", 16b"', 16c", 16d", 16e", 16f", 16g" and 16h", arranged both across and along the width of the profile 10'.

It should also be noted that a dividing member of the form of that referenced could be inserted into the chamber 16 and remain firmly in place without the presence of locating formations as it is a firm fit against the inner faces of each of the walls which define the chamber 16.

As can be seen the possibilities with a building profile such as that described here and a combination of different simple and more complex dividing members, all of which are much simpler to extrude than the building profiles themselves, are many.

Further variations are also possible, and referring now to Figure 5 another embodiment is described. A profile 10" is largely as for the profile 10, and like features are referenced as in Figure 1. The internal faces 18b and 18 of the two longer walls which define the third internal chamber 16 have provided on them, locating formations 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f, 60g and 60k. The locating formations 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f, 60g and 60h comprise pairs of protrusions which define angled recesses 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, 62e, 621, 62g and 62h for receipt of one or more dividing members, such as the X-shaped dividing members 70a and 70b. Thus it can be seen that the dividing members need not have portions which are parallel or perpendicular to the walls that define the third internal chamber 16, and that the sub-chambers thus created need not be quadrilateral in cross section.

The dividing members may be the same material as the building profiles into which they are inserted, or a different material. Typically the profile 10, 10 will be extruded from PVCu, and the dividing members 30, 30b, 30c, 40, 50 may be also. In that case it is beneficial to extrude the dividing members 30, 30b, 30c, 40, 50 with a thickness less than the thickness of the walls defining the internal chamber.

Building profiles made using the method described above may be used in the known way to manufacture for example windows, window frames, doors and door frames.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method of manufacturing a length of profile having multiple internal chambers comprising the steps of: a) extruding the length of profile having at least one internal chamber; b) inserting a dividing member into the internal chamber to subdivide the internal chamber along substantially the whole length of the profile, such that the internal chamber is subdivided into at least two sub-chambers along substantially the whole length of the profile.
2. A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the internal chamber to be subdivided is defined by a plurality of walls each with a face internal to the internal chamber and a face external to the chamber, and the internal faces have formed thereon one or more locating formations to locate the dividing member.
3. A method according to claim 2 characterised in that each of two opposite internal faces of the internal chamber walls has a respective locating formation for locating the dividing member, each locating formation including a pair of ridges running along the lengths of the opposite internal faces of the internal walls of the chamber wherein the dividing member is an interference fit between the ridges of each pair.
4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the dividing member is an elongate planar member, having first and second edges.
5. A method according to claim 4 where dependent upon claim 3 characterised in that the pair of ridges on one of the opposite internal faces receive the first edge of the dividing member and the pair of ridges on the other opposite internal face receives the second edge.
6. A method according to claim 4 or 5 characterised in that the internal chamber is divided into two along across the width of the profile.
7. A method according to any one of claims I to 3 characterised in that the dividing member is an elongate T-shaped member, having first, second and third arms.
8. A method according to claim 6 characterised in that the internal faces of the walls of the internal chamber provide locating formations, one for receipt of each of the first, second and third arms.
9. A method according to any one of claims I to 3 characterised in that the dividing member is an elongate H-shaped member, having first, second, third and fourth arms.
10. A method according to claim 8 characterised in that the internal faces of the walls of the internal chamber provide locating formations, one for receipt of each of the first, second, third and fourth arms.
11. A method according to any one of claims 7 to 10 characterised in that the internal chamber is divided both along and across the width of the profile.
12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the length of profile is extruded from PVCu.
13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the dividing member is extruded from PVCu.
14. A method according to claim 13 characterised in that the dividing member is of a thickness less than the thickness of the internal chamber walls.
15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that a plurality of dividing members is inserted to subdivide the internal chamber.
16. A method according to claim 15 characterised in that the profile has three internal chambers across the width of the profile of which the central internal chamber is subdivided into up to five sub-chambers across the width of the profile.
17. A length of building profile having multiple internal chambers manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 16.
18. A window or door manufactured from a plurality of lengths of profile having multiple internal chambers each having been manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 16.
19. A window frame or door frame manufactured from a plurality of lengths of profile having multiple internal chambers each having been manufactured according to the method of any one of claims I to 16.
20. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
21. A length of building profile having multiple internal chambers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
22. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.