[0001] The invention relates to a window frame panel assembly for arrangement in an inclined
roof surface, comprising opposed parallel side plates for arrangement in vertical
planes at right angles to said roof surface and top and bottom members formed of plate
material for arrangement between the side plates at right angles to said vertical
planes.
[0002] When mounting roof windows in inclined roof surfaces, it has hitherto been necessary
to adapt the frame or panel assembly individually by handycraft production dependent
on the dimensions of the actual roof construction.
[0003] It is the object of the invention to provide a panel frame assembly, which is suitable
for prefabrication and may be supplied with side plates and top and bottom members
in a kit, which can easily be assembled in situ and can be quickly mounted by offering
a simple possibility for adaption to usual roof thicknesses and inclinations.
[0004] According to the invention, this is accomplished in that each plate has parallel
first and second longitudinal side edges to be positioned outwardly and inwardly,
respectively, when mounting the frame assembly in said roof surface, whereas opposite
end edges of each side plate each comprise a first part at right angles to said first
side edge and on the remainder of the width of the side plate a second part inclined
with respect to said second side edge, said second parts of the end edges of each
side plate diverging against said second side edge to form an angle therewith corresponding
to the inclination of said roof surface, said top and bottom members being formed
as curved or bent plate profiles of a cross-sectional shape corresponding to respective
ones of said opposed end edges of the side plates.
[0005] With this design, adaption to the actual roof thichness may be performed after assembly
of the side plates and top and bottom members of the assembly to a mainly rectangular
frame by cutting-off from said plates and members from the side to be positioned outwardly
when subsequently mounting the assembly within the part of the width of the frame
assembly, in which the surfaces of the top and bottom members facing each other are
parallel.
[0006] In order to obtain an optimum light area, a preferred embodiment of the frame panel
assembly is designed so that said second parts of the opposed end edges of each side
plate form an angle of substantially 90° with each other. Thereby, when mounting the
frame panel assembly, the aesthetically attractive effect is additionally obtained
that the underside of the internal part of the top member facing the roof room in
question extends substantially horizontal, whereas the internal part of the bottom
member extends substantially vertical.
[0007] In a symmetric design of the side plates, by which said second parts of the opposed
end edges of each side plate form equal angles with said second side edge, the frame
panel assembly according to the invention will be suitable for roof inclinations between
approximately 40° and 50°.
[0008] As another possibility, the side plates may be designed asymmetrically in that said
second parts of the opposed end edges of each side plate form angles of different
size with said second side edge. Thereby, the same design of the frame panel assembly
may be used for two mutually complementary roof inclinations, such as 30° and 60°.
[0009] In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a window frame panel assembly according to the invention
prior to assembling;
Fig. 2 illustrates adaption of the frame panel assembly to an actual roof thickness;
and
Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the side plates of the frame panel assembly.
[0010] As shown in Fig. 1, a frame panel assembly according to the invention comprises two
opposed parallel side plates 1 and 2 for arrangement in vertical planes at right angles
to an inclined roof surface, as well as a top member 3 and a bottom member 4. In order
to obtain an aesthetically attractive effect, these panel members are preferably made
of wood plate.
[0011] Each of the side plates 1 and 2 has a first longitudinal side edge la and a second
longitudinal side edge lb, which are parallel and adapted for arrangement outwardly
and inwardly, respectively, when mounting the panel assembly in a roof surface, as
well as opposed end edges lc and ld. At the longitudinal side edge la, the end edges
lc and ld are formed with first parts 5 and 6 extending at right angles to the longitudinal
side edge la through, for instance, a portion of 1/3 to 1/2 of the total width of
the side plate 1.
[0012] On the remainer of the width of the side plate 1, the end edges lc and ld have inclined
parts 7 and 8, respectively, diverging against the other longitudinal side edge ld
and forming angles therewith corresponding to the inclination of the roof surface.
[0013] Corresponding to these contours of the end edges of the side plates, the top member
3 and the bottom member 4 are formed as curved or bent plate profiles, the cross-sectional
shape of which comprises two parts as shown at 9 and 10, forming an angle with each
other corresponding to the angle between the two parts of the opposed end edges of
the side plates 1 and 2. The top member 3 and the bottom member 4 may, as desired,
be formed either with sharp edges or with a more or less curved transition between
the parts 9 and 10.
[0014] As apparent from Fig. 1, the frame panel assembly may be supplied with the side plates
1 and 2, the top member 3 and the bottom member 4 in a kit so as to allow assembling
in situ of the parts. In order to facilitate assembling, the end portions of the side
plates and the ends of the top and bottom members abutting thereagainst may be designed
with pre-drilled bores, as shown at 11, for receiving screws 12.
[0015] In the mounting of the frame panel assembly, the side plates 1 and 2 and the top
and bottom members 3 and 4 are initially assembled into a mainly rectangular frame
structure. As shown in Fig. 2, such a frame structure 13 may be adapted to the actual
roof thickness by cutting-off from the side, at which the surfaces of the top and
bottom members 3 and 4 facing each other, i.e the parts 9, are substantially parallel.
Subsequently, the frame structure 13 may be in a simple way inserted into a pre-formed
window opening, since the members of the frame panel assembly are dimensioned according
to usual standard sizes of roof windows. After mounting, the frame panel assembly
is finished by affixing frame strips as shown at 14 in Fig. 1. Since the side plates
1 and 2 are designed so that the inclined parts 7 and 8 of their end edges lc and
ld form an angle of substantially 90° with each other, a great light area towards
the interior of the roof room will be obtained in the symmetrical embodiment shown
in Fig. 1, in which the inclined parts 7 and 8 each form an angle of 45° with the
inward longitudinal side edge lb of the side plate. Moreover, at a usually occurring
roof inclination between 40° and 50°, it is obtained that the internal part of the
top member 3 will extend substantially horizontal, whereas the internal part 10 of
the bottom member 4 will extend substantially vertical.
[0016] In the modified embodiment in Fig. 3, the side plate 15 is designed asymmetrically,
so that the inclined parts 16 and 17 of the end edges 18 and 19 form angles of different
size with the internal longitudinal side edge 20. Also in this embodiment, the angle
between the inclined parts 16 and 17 is 90°.
[0017] With this design, the same frame panel assembly may be used for roffs having complementary
inclinations by turning the side plates 15 upside down and interchanging the top and
bottom members, which are not illustrated, but may be designed in the same way as
in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 as curved or bent plate profiles having a cross-sectional
shape corresponding to the contours of the respective end edges 18 and 19.
[0018] The angles of different size between the parts 16 and 17, respectively, and the longitudinal
side edge 20 are preferably in the ranges 20-45° and 45-70°, respectively, so that
one angle may, for instance, be approximately 30° and the other angle approximately
60°, as illustrated.
[0019] Thus, also in this embodiment, the above mentioned orientation of the internal parts
of the top and bottom members may be achieved.
1. A window frame panel assembly for arrangement in an inclined roof surface, comprising
opposed parallel side plates (1, 2; 15) for arrangement in vertical planes at right
angles to said roof surface and top and bottom members(3, 4) formed of plate material
for arrangement between the side plates (1, 2; 15) at right angles to said vertical
planes, characterized in that each side plate (1, 2; 15) has parallel first and second
longitudinal side edges (la, lb; 20) to be positioned outwardly and inwardly, respectively,
when mounting the frame assembly in said roof surface, whereas opposite end edges
(lc, ld; 18, 19) of each side plate (1, 2; 15) each comprise a first part (5, 6) at
right angles to said first side edge (la) and on the remainder of the width of the
side plate (1, 2; 15) a second part (7, 8; 16, 17) inclined with respect to said second
side edge (lb; 20), said second parts (7, 8; 16, 17) of the end edges (lc, ld; 18,
19) of each side plate (1, 2; 15) diverging against said second side edge (lb; 20)
to form an angle therewith corresponding to the inclination of said roof surface,
said top and bottom members (3, 4) being formed as curved or bent plate profiles of
a cross-sectional shape corresponding to respective ones of said opposed end edges
(lc, ld; 18, 19) of the side plates (1, 2; 15).
2. A window frame panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said
second parts (7, 8; 16, 17) of the opposed end edges (lc, ld; 18, 19) of each side
plate (1, 2; 15) form an angle of substantially 90° with each other.
3. A window frame panel assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
said second parts (7, 8) of the opposed end edges (lc, ld) of each side plate (1,
2) form equal angles with said second side edge (lb).
4. A window frame panel assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said
second parts (16, 17; 7, 8) of the opposed end edges (18, 19) of each side plate (15)
form angles of different size with said second side edge (20).
5. A window frame panel assembly as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said
different angles are in the ranges 20-45° and 45-70°, respectively.