Wall or window section

Abstract

 The disclosure relates to a sliding wall or window section which comprises a frame (3, 4) with an outer and an inner frame portion (7, 8; 11, 12) of metal. The frame portions (7, 8; 11, 12) are united to one another by the intermediary of spacers (9, 10; 13, 14) of a material of poor thermal conductivity, and a panel-shaped element (5, 6), for example a sealed glazing unit, which is secured in the frame (3, 4). At at least the opposing vertical side edges of the frame (3, 4), that spacer (10, 14) which is located most proximal this side edge is concealed by a covering member (15, 16). The covering member (15, 16) is manufactured from metal and is secured in the outer and inner frame portions (7, 8 and 11, 12, respectively).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding wall or window section, comprising a frame with an outer and inner frame portion of metal, the frame portions being united to one another by the intermediary of spacers of a material of poor thermal conductivity, and a panel-shaped element, for example a sealed glazing unit which is secured in the frame.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In the construction of winter gardens, glazed verandas, glazed balconies and the like, there are increasingly extensive demands on superior thermal insulation.

[0003] The wall or window sections, fixed or sliding, which are employed in the above-mentioned applications generally have frames which are produced from extruded aluminium profiles. In such cases where the demands on thermal insulation are high, single panes, plastic glass or the like are not employed, but use is instead largely made of sealed glazing units or so-called energy-saver glazing units which possess superior thermal insulating properties.

[0004] Since the frames, as was mentioned above, are manufactured from aluminium, aluminium is a material that possesses extremely good thermal conductivity, the frames have been constructed from an outer frame portion and an inner frame portion which are united to one another by the intermediary of spacers produced from a material possessing poor thermal conductivity.

[0005] The aluminium frames are often surface treated by anodizing or painting, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly in view of possible corrosion. Unfortunately, the material in the spacers does not permit surface treatment in the above-described manners.

PROBLEM STRUCTURE

[0006] the present invention has for its object to design the sliding wall or window section intimated by way of introduction so that its frame may be given a unitary surface treatment/corrosion protection, at the same time as superior thermal insulating properties are retained. The present invention further has for its object to design the subject matter of the present invention such that it may be readily and easily manufactured and mounted in place.

[0007] Finally, the present invention also has for its object to design the subject matter of the present invention such that good sealing is obtained between two adjacent wall or window sections.

SOLUTION

[0008] The objects forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the subject matter of the present invention is characterised in that, at least at the opposing vertical sides edges of the frame, the spacer located most proximal this side edge is concealed by a covering member which is manufactured from metal and which is secured in the outer and inner frame portions.

[0009] As a result of these features, the major advantage will be afforded that the frame can be given a unitary surface treatment/corrosion protection, in addition to major aesthetic advantages.

[0010] According to the present invention, it further suitably applies that the covering member, at least along its one longitudinal side, is secured in and surrounded by a profile body which is manufactured from a material possessing poor thermal conductivity and which is secured in the inner and outer frame portions, respectively.

[0011] As a result of these features, the major advantage will be afforded that, despite the presence of the covering member produced from metal, no cold bridge is formed between the outer and inner frame portions of the frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawings. In the accompanying Drawings:

Fig. 1

is a horizontal cross section through edge portions of two adjacent wall or window sections when these are in the close position; and

Fig. 2

is a corresponding section, on a larger scale, but only showing one of the edge portions of Fig. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 relates to a vertical edge portion of an outer wall or window section according to the present invention. Correspondingly, reference numeral 2 relates to an edge portion of an inner wall section. The two wall sections 1 and 2 each have a frame 3 and 4, respectively, in which is secured a sealed glazing unit 5 and 6, respectively.

[0014] The outer frame 3 has an outer frame portion 7 and an inner frame portion 8 which are both manufactured from extruded aluminium. The two frame portions 7 and 8 are united to one another by the intermediary of two spacers 9 and 10 which are both manufactured from a material of poor thermal conductivity, preferably a plastic material. The outer and the inner frame portions are thus interconnected to one another to form a rigid unit via the two spacers 9 and 10.

[0015] Correspondingly, the inner frame 4 has an outer frame portion 11 and an inner frame portion 12 which are united to one another by the intermediary of spacers 13 and 14.

[0016] It will be apparent from the foregoing that the wall or window section which is formed from the two wall sections 1 and 2 has an outside which is turned to face upwards in Fig. 1 and an inside which is turned to face downwards in the Figure.

[0017] The two frames 3 and 4 each have a covering member 15 and 16, respectively along each vertical side edge, these covering members being disposed to cover, conceal and protect the spacers 10 and 14, respectively which are located most proximal this side edge. The covering members are manufactured from metal, preferably aluminium, and thus also preferably from the same material as the frame portions 7, 8 and 11, 12. From this it naturally follows that the same surface treatment/corrosion protection can also be applied to the covering members 15 and 16 as to the rest of the frames 3 and 4.

[0018] The two covering members (reference will now be made to Fig. 2 for the continuation of this disclosure), at least along their one vertical longitudinal side, are secured in and surrounded by a profile body 17 which is manufactured from a material of poor thermal conductivity, preferably plastic and which is secured in the inner frame portion 8. It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that the covering member 15 has, at its inner, vertical longitudinal side, a longitudinal, outwardly flared flange 19 which extends into an undercut recess 20 in the profile body 17. The flange 19 is at least partly surrounded by the profile body 17 and, as a result, has no metallic contact with the inner frame portion 8.

[0019] In its turn, the profile body 17 is secured in an undercut space 21 in the inner frame portion 12.

[0020] The profile body 17 has a carrier member 22 and a resilient portion 23 which are both produced from a relatively soft and yieldable plastic material which is extruded to one continuous, integral unit with the rest of the profile body 17 which consists, in remaining parts, of a relatively rigid and configurationally stable plastic material.

[0021] A counterpart to the carrier member 22 is per se previously known and has for its purpose to engage with a corresponding carrier member on an adjacent wall or window section and entrain it when closing of the wall or window sections is to take place. In addition, the carrier members fulfil a sealing or at least draught-reducing function with the wall or window sections in the closed state.

[0022] The inwardly directed flange 19 has, at its inner end, a catch projection 24 which is in engagement with a counter-directed catch projection 25 on the part of the profile body 17 produced from rigid material. As a result of the presence of the resilient portion 23, it is possible to press in the outwardly directed flange 19 into the undercut space 20 of the profile body so that the covering member 15 is thereby snapped into the space 20 in the profile body 17 along its inner side edge.

[0023] Along its outer, vertical side edge, the covering member 15 has a longitudinally directed groove 26 into which extends a bead portion 27 on the outer frame portion 7. Mounting of the covering member 15 is realised in that it is quite simply displaced in the direction of the arrow 32 until its bead portion 27 is accommodated in the groove 26 and the two catch-shaped projections 24 and 25 have snapped past one another, in which event the resilient portion 23 has moved aside in a direction to the left in Fig. 2. After the snap-in of the flange 19, the resilient portion 23 returns to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and thereby holds the catch projections 24 and 25 in reliable engagement with each other.

[0024] As was mentioned above, the profile body 17 is secured in the inner frame portion 8 in an undercut space 21 therein. Since those parts of the profile body 17 which are located in the undercut space 21 consist of a relatively hard and configurationally stable material, the profile body must be mounted by being displaced in its longitudinal direction into the space 21. The undercutting of this space is realised by the presence of the two projecting locking beads 28 and 29.

[0025] The profile member 17 is of one piece manufacture and is produced by co-extrusion of two plastic materials, the one resiliently yieldable in the carrier member 22 and in the resilient portion 23, and the other considerably harder and less resiliently yieldable in the remaining parts of the profile member.

[0026] For sealing the interspace between two adjacent wall or window sections when these are in the closed state (in the state according to Fig. 1), each profile member has anchorage devices 30 in which a sealing strip 31 is disposed. The sealing strip 31 is located on that side of the carrier member 22 which is turned to face towards the covering member 15.

[0027] The sealing strip 31 is suitably designed as a so-called brush strip, where the brush strip on the inner wall section 2 abuts against the inside of the inner profile of the outer wall section. Correspondingly, the brush strip on the outer wall section 1 abuts against the outside of the outer profile 11 of the inner wall section 2. It will further be apparent from Fig. 1 that both of the brush strips are located on both sides of the mutually co-operating carrier members so that, as a result, draught between the wall sections is prevented, on the one hand by the cooperation of the carrier members and, on the other hand, by the two sealing strips.

Claims

1. A sliding wall or window section, comprising a frame (3, 4) with an outer and inner frame portion (7, 8; 11, 12) of metal, the frame portions being united to one another by the intermediary of spacers (9, 10; 13, 14) of a material of poor thermal conductivity, and a panel-shaped element (5, 6), for example a sealed glazing unit which is secured in the frame, characterised in that, at least at the opposing vertical side edges of the frame (3, 4), the spacer (10, 14) located most proximal this side edge is concealed by a covering member (15, 16) which is manufactured from metal and which is secured in the outer and inner frame portions (7, 8 and 11, 12, respectively).

2. The sliding wall or window section as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the covering member (15, 16) is, at least along its one longitudinal side, secured in and at least partly surrounded by a profile body (17) which is manufactured from a material of poor thermal conductivity and which is secured in the inner and the outer fame portions, respectively (8, 11, respectively).

3. The sliding wall or window section as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the profile body (17) has a carrier member (22) which is turned to face towards an adjacent wall or window section and which is designed for engagement with a corresponding carrier member on the adjacent wall or window section.

4. The sliding wall or window section as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the profile body (17) has, on a side facing towards an adjacent wall or window section (1, 2), an anchorage device (30) for a sealing strip (31), preferably a so-called brush strip, which is disposed to abut against the adjacent wall or window section.

5. The sliding wall or window section as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the anchorage device (30) is located more proximal the covering member (15, 16) than the carrier member (20).

6. The sliding wall or window section as claimed in any of Claim 2 to 5, characterised in that the profile body (17) has a portion of a relatively hard plastic material, the inner portion being insertible in an undercut space (21) in the inner (8) and outer (11) portions of the frame, respectively.

7. The sliding wall or window section as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 6, characterised in that the profile body (17) has an outer portion (23) produced from resilient plastic material and which partly defines an undercut space (20) in the profile body, into which space an edge portion (19) of the covering member (15, 16) is snap-catchable.

Drawing