US3918231A

US3918231A - Frost resistant window sash

Info

Publication number: US3918231A
Application number: US415135A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerald Kessler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-02-15
Filing date: 1973-11-12
Publication date: 1975-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-11

Abstract

Modern double-pane window sash is a good thermal insulator, but is commonly set into a metal frame which conducts heat readily and causes frost formation in cold weather. Various forms of extruded plastic covering for such metal frames are described, which can be attached to the metal frames very easily and with a minimum of labor.

Description

7 United States atet 1191 1111 3,918,231 Kessler Nov. 11, 1975 [541 FROST RESISTANT WINDOW SASH 3,411,247 11/1968 Fleming 52/616 3,418,755 12/1968 Di Chiaro 49/501 [76] Inventor Gerald Kessle" 388 Qmnberry 3,455,080 7/1969 Meadows 52/628 Road, Boardman/ Ohio 44512 3,527,011 9/1970 Bloom et al. 49/504 3,732,659 5/1973 LaBarge 52/400 [22] 1973 3,798,869 3/1974 Nipp 52/743 [21] Appl' 41545" FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Related U121 Applicafifln Data 1,040,221 2/1958 Germany 52/402 [63] Continuation of Se lio. 226,581, Feb. 15, 1972,

abandoned Primary E.\'aminerJames L. Ridgill, Jr. [5'2] U S C 52/628 52/308 52/476 Attorney, Agent, or FirmMax L. Libman 527398; 52/501; 52/616; 49/501 5 A TRA T [51] Int. C1.2 E04C 2/00; E068 l/32 7] B S C [58] Field Of Search 49/501; 52/398, 400, 628, Modem dubleipane a good thermal 52/616 307 308 402 501 476 insulator, but is commonly set into a metal frame which conducts heat readily and causes frost forma- [56] References Cited tion in cold weather. Various forms of extruded plastic covering for such met'al frames are described, which UNITED STATES PATENTS can be attached to the metal frames very easily and 2.228.358 1/1941 Lowry.... 52/398 f] b I 2,701,041 2/1955 T6111 52/398 W1 a mmlmum a or 2,928.144 3/1960 Persson 52/398 1 Drawlng gur s I K 4 I g///// /////'L/ 30 Z 52 posite sides of the door or window, such as home use in cold climates during the winter time, or in show-case type refrigerators such as are used in stores forfrozen foodproducts, the glassportion is oftencomprised of a doublepane structure for insulatingpurposes, but the aluminum frame conducts heat very readily, and tends to defeat the desired insulating qualities of the door by conducting an excessive amount of heat from the warm side to the cold side, also, in most situations frost tends to form on the warm side of the glass due to condensation of moisture coming in contact with the cold metal member. Attempts have been made,to overcome this drawback by providing a combination of metal and plastic frame, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,305,999 to Bohn, and US. Pat. No. 3,302,354 to Mermell. However, these structures are either relatively complicated and expensive to fabricate, or else require a considerable amount of labor to assemble, both of which add greatly to the cost of the final product. The present invention solves this problem by providing a simple extruded plastic covering for the aluminum frame, and particularly for application to the interior side of the frame, which can be readily assembled without tools by unskilled labor, at a great saving in cost. In accordance with the invention, the aluminum channel into which the glass window pane is set, is provided with a fairly deep longitudinally extending slot, at least one interior surface of which is roughened or grooved so as to retain a barb which is an integral part of an extruded plastic covering for the frame, so that the barbed portion need only to be inserted into the slot in order to fix the insulating plastic frame-covering extrusion onto the window.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a window embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3-6 inclusive shown views similar to FIG. 2, of different modifications of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a window sash 2, although it will be apparent that the same construction may be employed in house doors of the sliding type, refrigerator display windows or doors, and so forth. The window sash glass 4 is mounted in frame 6, the outer portion of which, 8, is made of aluminum in order to provide the necessary strength and rigidity to the assembly. As best seen in FIG. 2, the inner portion of the window frame is a plastic extrusion, which is made by the usual process of extruding a suitable grade of plastic material through a die, and cutting it into suitable lengths. The plastic extrusion is preferably placed on the near side of the window, in the case of a house window, or it would be placed on the outer side of a refrigerator show case window, since it should be on the warm side in order to act effectively as a thermal barrier. The plastic extrusion is made, 'as shown in FIG. 2, in the form of a L (shown inverted in FIG. 2 because of the direction from which itis viewed) having a long leg 12 and a short bottom leg 14, which could be omitted as far as the structural or mechanical aspect of the frame is concerned, but which is preferably added because it serves as a thermal break between the bottom of the aluminum frame 8 and the metal channel into which such windows are usually inserted. The glass pane 16 is shown as a conventionaldouble-pane glass window.

, In assembling the sash, the aluminum extrusion 8 is applied to the win dow as shown in FIG. 2, with a layer of suitable adhesive or sealer 18 to prevent moisture from .creeping iritothe interior between the aluminum and the glass. This is done (man four sides, and the corners are, suitably securedin any desired known fashion, such as by screws, or corner fasteners of any known type. It will be noted that ,the aluminum extrusion is provided with a deep slot 20 provided with longitudinally extending corrugations 22, and the plastic extrusion is provided with an inwardly extending leg 24 having at its end a ridge or barb 26 dimensioned to enter into one of the corrugations 22. The leg 24 is preferably slightly biased toward the bottom leg 14 so that when the plastic extrusion is fitted to the frame, the aluminum and plastic members are held firmly together, with the glass 16 retained between their upper portions as best shown in FIG. 2. The elements are dimensioned and fitted so that a fair amount of force is required to engage them, and also therefore to disengage them if it becomes necessary to replace the glass due to breakage.

FIG. 3 shows a modification generally similar to that shown in FIG. 2, but with the additional feature of a ridge of soft plastic material 24 provided at the top of element 12 corresponding to element 12 of FIG. 2. This is formed by dual extrusion, which is well known per se, and is added in order to improve the seal between the plastic portion and the glass pane, and also to minimize the possibility of moisture entering into the frame, such as could occur from condensation under exceptionally severe temperature conditions.

FIG. 4 shows still another modification in which the interlock between the aluminum and plastic members is provided by a bottom slot 30 in the outermost side of the edge-engaging metal frame member into which the barbed member 32 extends from the corresponding edge portion of the plastic member. This has the advantage that lateral force on the window is not resisted solely by the engagement of the barb with the ridges, but is resisted by the structure of the leg 32 itself. In this case, instead of a barb and ridges, it would be possible to use merely somewhat roughened surfaces which would provide adequate engagement. This assembly would also be easier to remove when necessary by merely sliding the plastic member in the plane of the glass but away from the frame. The same is also true of the construction shown in FIG. 6, where the extrusion is simply in the form of a U-shaped channel member covering the entire bottom of the frame, and provides thermal protection on both sides of the window. In this case, the retaining force can be provided simply by two matching roughened or linearly corrugated sections as shown at 34.

FIG. 5 shows a modification in which there is added to essentially the structure of FIG. 2, an outer cover plate 36 of plastic also fitting into a second slot 38 in the aluminum by means of a leg and barb arrangement 40. It will be noted that the arrangements of FIGS. 5 and 6 scrve also to provide a decorative function since the plastic may be in any color, and obviates the need for painting the aluminum portion if desired.

I claim:

1. A frame construction for insulating and holding double-pane glass panels used as insulation between a cold space and a warm space, said frame construction comprising b. a unitary, extruded metal frame member having a glass engaging strip portion shaped to extend against and in contact with a substantial area of the cold side of an enclosed double-glass pane adjacent an edge thereof, and an edge-retaining frame element extending generally at right angles to said strip portion for engaging the edge of such glass pane,

c. a unitary extruded rigid plastic frame member having a glass-engaging strip portion for extending against the warm side of an enclosed glass pane opposite to the side engaged by said metal frame member so that a double-pane glass panel will be held between said members near the edge thereof, said plastic member having an edge portion extending at right angles to said strip portion and overlying the outermost portion of the edge-engaging metal frame member,

(1. means for fastening said metal frame member and said plastic frame member together comprising a bottom slot extending from the outermost side of the edge-engaging element of the metal member perpendicular to the plane of the edge of the glass pane, and a mating locking strip integral with said plastic member and engaged in said slot, said locking strip having a barb at one end thereof, and said slot having a ridged surface engagable by said barb to retain the locking strip in the slot, with a portion of the said metal frame element engaged between said locking strip and the glass-engaging strip portion of the plastic frame member to thereby hold said plastic frame member and said metal frame member together.

Claims

1. A frame construction for insulating and holding double-pane glass panels used as insulation between a cold space and a warm space, said frame construction comprising b. a unitary, extruded metal frame member having a glass engaging strip portion shaped to extend against and in contact with a substantial area of the cold side of an enclosed doubleglass pane adjacent an edge thereof, and an edge-retaining frame element extending generally at right angles to said strip portion for engaging the edge of such glass pane, c. a unitary extruded rigid plastic frame member having a glassengaging strip portion for extending against the warm side of an enclosed glass pane opposite to the side engaged by said metal frame member so that a double-pane glass panel will be held between said members near the edge thereof, said plastic member having an edge portion extending at right angles to said strip portion and overlying the outermost portion of the edgeengaging metal frame member, d. means for fastening said metal frame member and said plastic frame member together comprising a bottom slot extending from the outermost side of the edge-engaging element of the metal member perpendicular to the plane of the edge of the glass pane, and a mating locking strip integral with said plastic member and engaged in said slot, said locking strip having a barb at one end thereof, and said slot having a ridged surface engagable by said barb to retain the locking strip in the slot, with a portion of the said metal frame element engaged between said locking strip and the glass-engaging strip portion of the plastic frame member to thereby hold said plastic frame member and said metal frame member together.