AN INSULATION MEMBER

Abstract

 A roof window (1) comprising an insulation member (2) and coupling arrangement (3) for coupling the insulation member (2) to the roof window (1). The insulation member (2) having an out of use position and an in use insulating position, the insulation member (2) being capable of movement between these two positions via the coupling arrangement (3).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an insulation member for a roof window and in particular to a pre-installed or partially pre-installed insulation member for a roof window.

[0002] The thermal transmittance U - value of roof window frames and immediately surrounding spaces is currently considered to be too high and under certain conditions, the roof window frame material and these surrounding spaces acts as a thermal bridge between the inside and the outside of a building. In view of the current focus on thermal properties of all building products, this heat loss is a particular problem.

[0003] Attempts to solve this thermal loss problem and problems associated with installing the roof windows have been provided by the development of additional installation members and frames such as L-shaped wooden or foam installation frames or collars to provide support for the roof window and to provide an insulation lining for areas of thermal loss. These are generally separate components which do not come fitted on the frame of the roof window when the packaged product arrives at the site.

[0004] The installation of a roof window either retrospectively or during a new build poses significant problems in relation to the thermal insulation of the roof window frame relative to the remainder of the roof structure. It is common practice for the above mentioned insulation collars to be inserted into the framed opening cut into the roof for housing the roof window or areas around this interface which have been identified as areas of thermal leakage. A problem arises as a result of the imprecise nature of cutting and applying insulation collars or members causing gaps in the insulation. Alternatively, a problem arises with insulation that has been applied incorrectly such that it does not operate to limit thermal loss in the intended area. Traditionally, gaps are plugged with insulation by the roof window installer on site. Care is taken by the installer to block any naturally occurring gaps with insulation or place the insulation material in a relevant area of thermal loss. This reliance on the care of the installer is a weak point, especially where certain workers are not as conscientious as others.

[0005] Moreover, the effectiveness of any insulation member is often related to its dimensions. Supplying efficient insulation can therefore significantly increase the amount of space required in roof window packaging, increasing transport and packaging costs.

[0006] Even where insulation is correctly placed, certain areas still exhibit less than ideal thermal insulation properties. One such area is between the aperture formed in the roof for receiving the window and the outer aperture facing surface of the roof window frame. While this area is currently addressed by insulation members, it still remains a problem area with regards to heat loss. Providing support to any existing insulation members in this area is necessary to achieve a satisfactorily insulated installed roof window.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems of installing an insulation member on site by a roof window installer, the installation of the insulation member being guided such that the insulation properties are directed to the intended area of thermal heat loss.

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention provides a roof window comprising an insulation member and coupling means for coupling the insulation member to the roof window, the insulation member having an out of use position and an in use insulating position, the insulation member being capable of movement between these two positions via the coupling means.

[0009] Advantageously, the insulation member is pre-fitted to the roof window frame in the factory avoiding human error during installation.

[0010] Advantageously, the insulation member can be pre-fitted to the roof window frame and deployed quickly and easily by an installer as the insulation member is encouraged into the intended in use insulating position by the coupling means of the insulation member, limiting the likelihood of incorrect or inefficiently placed insulation.

[0011] Preferably, the coupling means is a means for guiding, controlling, and/or limiting the movement of the insulation member.

[0012] Ideally, the insulation means is rotatable from the out of use position to the in use insulating position via the coupling means.

[0013] Ideally, the coupling means of the insulation member is a hinge means.

[0014] Preferably, the coupling means comprises at least one portion of flexible material.

[0015] Ideally, the coupling means comprises at least one thin strip like portion of flexible material.

[0016] Ideally, the coupling means has a first elongate peripheral portion attachable to the insulation member.

[0017] Preferably, the coupling means has a second elongate peripheral portion attachable to the frame or other portion of the roof window structure distal the first elongate peripheral portion.

[0018] Ideally, the first and second elongate peripheral portions of the coupling means are locatable along opposing longitudinal portions of the strip like portion of flexible material.

[0019] Preferably, the first and second elongate peripheral portions of the coupling means are attachable to the insulation member and frame or other portion of the roof window structure respectively by adhesive means.

[0020] Ideally, the first and second elongate peripheral portions of the coupling means are attachable to the insulation member and frame or other portion of the roof window structure respectively by mechanical means such as screws, staples or other such suitable mechanical fastening means.

[0021] Preferably, the coupling means is one or more strips of adhesive tape.

[0022] Preferably, the coupling means has a predetermined widthwise dimension.

[0023] Ideally, the widthwise dimension of the coupling means is pre-determined such that the attached insulation member can only be rotated and positioned as intended.

[0024] Ideally, the coupling means is reinforced.

[0025] Preferably, the coupling means is reinforced by strands of fiber or plastic.

[0026] Ideally, the coupling means reinforcement extends in a direction from the first elongate edge portion of the coupling means to the second elongate edge portion of the coupling means, spanning between the insulation means and the frame or other portion of the roof window structure.

[0027] Alternatively, the coupling means reinforcement extends longitudinally along the coupling means.

[0028] Preferably, the insulation member has an out of use configuration.

[0029] Ideally, the out of use configuration of the insulation member is a collapsed/compressed configuration.

[0030] Preferably, in the out of use position, the insulation member is compressed into a recess in the frame or other portion of the roof window structure.

[0031] Advantageously, this means that the roof window requires no additional packaging space.

[0032] Ideally, in the out of use position, the insulation member is compressed into a recess formed for receiving plasterboard.

[0033] Preferably, in the in use insulating position the insulation member is an expanded configuration.

[0034] Ideally, the insulation member is first expanded from the out of use position in the recess in frame before being moved into the in use insulating position.

[0035] Ideally, the roof has an aperture formed therein for receiving the roof window.

[0036] Preferably, the aperture has an aperture frame.

[0037] Ideally, the roof window frame and the aperture frame have surfaces which mutually oppose one another when the roof window is installed.

[0038] Preferably, the insulation member is mountable on the roof window frame.

[0039] Ideally, the insulation member is factory mounted on the roof window frame.

[0040] Ideally, in the in use insulating position, the insulation member is mountable on one or more of the surfaces of the roof window frame which mutually oppose one or more surfaces of the aperture frame.

[0041] Preferably, in the in use insulating position the insulation member extends around all or a substantial amount of the surfaces of the roof window frame which mutually oppose the aperture frame.

[0042] Ideally, in the in use insulating position the insulation member extends around all or a substantial amount of the portion of the surface of the roof window frame which mutually opposes the roof aperture frame and which portion of the surface is proximal to the internal portion of the roof window. By internal portion of the roof window we mean the part of the roof window frame which protrudes inside the building as opposed to the external portion of the roof window frame which protrudes outside of the building onto or proximal to the roof. This internal portion of the roof window frame has the least thickness of wood when a cross section is taken as it only contains the roof window frame whereas the external portion of the roof window has the thickness of both the sash and the frame when taken in cross section. Therefore, the additional insulation at this internal portion of the frame further enhances the U value of this thinner portion of the frame by providing additional insulation at a known weak spot for thermal transmittance.

[0043] Ideally, the insulation member comprises a deformable resilient body compressible into an out of use configuration under a compressive force.

[0044] Preferably, the deformable resilient body is expandable into an in use insulating configuration when the compressive force is removed.

[0045] Ideally, the means for activating the insulation member between the out of use configuration and the in use insulating configuration comprises a restrictor means for retaining the deformable resilient body in the out of use configuration.

[0046] Preferably, the restrictor means further comprises means for releasably fixing the restrictor means to the roof window.

[0047] Preferably, the restrictor means comprises a restrictor member.

[0048] Ideally, the restrictor member comprises a panel or sheet of material capable of compressing and retaining the deformable resilient body into the out of use configuration.

[0049] Preferably, the restrictor means comprises a strip of cardboard or other such material of sufficient rigidity to maintain the insulation member in the out of use configuration.

[0050] Ideally, the restrictor means compresses the insulation member against a portion of the roof window frame.

[0051] Ideally, the insulation member is compressed into a recess in the frame or other portion of the roof window structure.

[0052] Ideally, where the insulation member is compressed into a recess on the roof window frame, the restrictor means spans the recess into which the insulation member is compressed.

[0053] Preferably, the restrictor means extends a portion either side of the recess into which the insulation member is compressed.

[0054] Ideally, the restrictor means is releasably coupled to the roof window by releasable fixing means.

[0055] Preferably, the releasable fixing means comprise low strength adhesive or light gauge mechanical fixings such as staples.

[0056] Advantageously, an operator can easily pull/peel the panel or sheet away from the insulation member allowing the insulation member to expand into the in use insulating configuration and thereafter be moved into the in use insulating position for completion of the roof window installation process.

[0057] Alternatively, all or part of the restrictor means can remain attached to the insulation member when in the in use position.

[0058] Ideally, the insulation member comprises a panel of insulation material.

[0059] Ideally, the insulation member is manufactured from an insulation foam.

[0060] Preferably, the insulation member is manufactured from a low density insulation foam.

[0061] Alternatively, the insulation member is manufactured from medium to high density foam.

[0062] Preferably, the insulation member has a covering means covering at least part of the surface of the insulation member formed for engaging the roof window frame.

[0063] Ideally, the covering means is a covering sheet.

[0064] Preferably, the sheet is formed from a tough foil or tape. Advantageously, the sheet is resistant to tearing or puncturing during activation of the insulation member from the out of use configuration to the in use insulating configuration. The tough sheet of covering material prevents tearing or crumbling of the foam of the insulation member during activation or rough handling during packaging, transport, storage or unpacking.

[0065] Preferably, the covering means is a covering foil having a corresponding size to all or part of the main longitudinal exposed surface of the insulation member.

[0066] Advantageously, the covering foil is a metal or metal alloy sheet.

[0067] Accordingly, the present invention provides an insulation collar comprising at least four elongate insulation members as defined above adjoinable about their ends when in the in use insulating position, forming a quadrangular shaped insulation collar defining a central aperture having the roof window therein.

[0068] Preferably, the insulation collar has mitre joints at the corners of the roof window frame.

[0069] Preferably, the insulation member has a generally uniform cross section along the length of the member.

[0070] Ideally, the insulation member is provided by one of or any combination of polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate or polyethylene.

[0071] Ideally, the insulation member is factory fitted to a roof window frame.

[0072] Preferably, the insulation member has frame adhesion means.

[0073] Ideally, the frame adhesion means adheres the insulation member to the frame once the insulation member is in the in use insulating position.

[0074] Preferably, the adhesion means is a peel and stick adhesion means.

[0075] Alternatively, the coupling means has an adhesive surface or an adhesive applied to its surface on both its frame facing surface and its face opposing the frame facing surface.

[0076] Advantageously, the adhesive properties of the surfaces of the coupling means secures the coupling means to the frame and secures the insulation means to the coupling means when in the in use insulating position.

[0077] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only one embodiment of an insulation member for a roof window frame in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the roof window having the insulation member in the out of use configuration;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the upper portion of the frame of the roof window showing the insulation member in the out of use configuration;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the entire roof window showing the insulation member in the out of use configuration;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the roof window having the insulation member in an expanded state;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through the upper portion of the frame of the roof window showing the insulation member in an expanded state;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the entire roof window showing the insulation member in an expanded state;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the roof window having the insulation member rotated into the in use insulating position;

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view through the upper portion of the frame of the roof window showing the insulation member rotated into the in use insulating position; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the entire roof window showing the insulation member rotated into the in use insulating position.

[0078] Referring to the drawings generally, there is shown a roof window indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 comprising four insulation members 2 and coupling members 3 for coupling the insulation members 2 to the roof window 1. The insulation members 2 having an out of use position (see Figures 1 to 3) and an in use insulating position (see figures 7 and 8) and being capable of movement between these two positions via the coupling member 3. The insulation members 2 are pre-fitted to the roof window frame 4 and deployed quickly and easily by an installer as the insulation members 2 are encouraged into the intended in use insulating position by the coupling member 3, limiting the likelihood of incorrect or inefficiently placed insulation.

[0079] The coupling members 3 guide, controls, and/or limits the movement of the insulation members 2, which are rotatable from the out of use position to the in use insulating position via the coupling members 3. The coupling members 3 comprise thin strip like portions of flexible material having first elongate peripheral portions attached to the insulation members 2 and second elongate peripheral portions attached to the frame 4 of the roof window structure distal the first elongate peripheral portions. The first and second elongate peripheral portions of the coupling members 3 are located along opposing longitudinal portions of the strip like portions of flexible material 3 and are attached to the insulation members 2 and frame 4 of the roof window structure respectively by adhesive present on the thin strip like portions of flexible material 3. The coupling members 3 have a predetermined widthwise dimension such that the attached insulation members 2 can only be rotated and positioned as intended namely into the in use insulating positon.

[0080] The coupling members 3 are reinforced by strands of fiber or plastic, the reinforcement extending in a direction from the first elongate edge portions of the coupling members 3 to the second elongate edge portions of the coupling members 3, spanning between the insulation members 2 and the frame 4 of the roof window structure.

[0081] The insulation members 2 have an out of use configuration wherein the insulation members 2 are in a compressed configuration (see figures 1 and 2), the compression occurring into recesses 5 in the frame 4 such as that formed for receiving plasterboard. Advantageously, this means that the roof window 1 requires no additional packaging space.

[0082] In the in use insulating position the insulation members 2 are in an expanded configuration, being first expanded from the out of use configuration (see figures 1 and 2) in the recesses 5 in the frame before being moved into the in use insulating position (see figures 7 and 8). The coupling member 3 is folded over onto itself, see Figure 8.

[0083] The roof has an aperture frame (not shown) formed therein for receiving the roof window 1, the roof window frame 4 and the aperture frame having surfaces which mutually oppose one another when the roof window 1 is installed. The insulation members 2 are factory mounted on the roof window frame 4 and, in the in use insulating position, the insulation member 2 extends around all or a substantial amount of the surfaces 6 of the roof window frame which mutually oppose the aperture frame.

[0084] The insulation members 2 have a deformable resilient body 7 compressible into an out of use configuration under a compressive force and expandable into an in use insulating configuration when the compressive force is removed. The insulation members 2 are activated between the out of use configuration and the in use insulating configuration by restrictor sheets/panels 8 which retain the deformable resilient body 7 in the out of use configuration. The restrictor sheets/panels 8 are capable of compressing and retaining the deformable resilient body 7 into the out of use configuration and extend a portion either side of the recesses 5 into which the insulation members 2 are compressed. The restrictor sheets/panels 8 are releasably coupled to the roof window 1 by low strength adhesive or light gauge mechanical fixings such as staples. An operator can easily pull/peel the sheets/panels 8 away from the insulation members 2 allowing the insulation members 2 to expand into the expanded configuration shown in Figure 4 and 5 and thereafter be moved into the in use insulating position for completion of the roof window 1 installation process. All or part of the sheets/panels 8 can remain attached to the insulation members 2 when in the in use position.

[0085] The insulation members 2 comprise a panel of insulation material manufactured from an insulation foam such as one of or any combination of polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate or polyethylene.

[0086] In the in use insulating position, the insulation members 2 form an insulation collar 9 comprising four elongate insulation members 10, 11, 12, 13, forming an open cornered quadrangular shaped insulation collar 9 defining a central aperture having the roof window therein (see figure 9).

[0087] The insulation members 2 are secured to the frame or other component of the roof window such as an expandable insulation collar in the in use insulating position by peel and stick adhesion members located on the insulation members 2, or alternatively by an adhesive surface located on the coupling members 3 on both their frame facing surface and their face opposing the frame facing surface. The adhesive properties of the surfaces of the coupling members 3 secure the coupling members 3 to the frame and secures the insulation members 2 to the coupling members 3 when in the in use insulating position.

[0088] In relation to the detailed description of the different embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that one or more technical features of one embodiment can be used in combination with one or more technical features of any other embodiment where the transferred use of the one or more technical features would be immediately apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art to carry out a similar function in a similar way on the other embodiment.

[0089] In the preceding discussion of the invention, unless stated to the contrary, the disclosure of alternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter, coupled with an indication that one of the said values is more highly preferred than the other, is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter, lying between the more preferred and the less preferred of said alternatives, is itself preferred to said less preferred value and also to each value lying between said less preferred value and said intermediate value.

[0090] The features disclosed in the foregoing description or the following drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing a disclosed function, or a method or a process of 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 as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A roof window (1) comprising an insulation member (2) and coupling means (3) for coupling the insulation member (2) to the roof window (1), the insulation member (2) having an out of use position and an in use insulating position, the insulation member (2) being capable of movement between these two positions via the coupling means (3).

2. A roof window (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulation member (2) is pre-fitted to a roof window frame (4).

3. A roof window (1) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coupling means (3) is a means for guiding, controlling, and/or limiting the movement of the insulation member (2).

4. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulation member (2) is rotatable from the out of use position to the in use insulating position via the coupling means (3).

5. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means (3) of the insulation member (2) is a hinge means (3).

6. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means (3) comprises at least one portion of flexible material.

7. A roof window (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the coupling means (3) comprises at least one thin strip like portion of flexible material.

8. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means (3) has a first elongate peripheral portion attachable to the insulation member (2) and a second elongate peripheral portion attachable to the frame or other portion of the roof window structure distal the first elongate peripheral portion.

9. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means (3) is one or more strips of adhesive tape.

10. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means (3) has a predetermined widthwise dimension such that the attached insulation member (2) can only be rotated and positioned as intended.

11. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means is reinforced.

12. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, whereby in the in use insulating position, the insulation member (2) is mountable on one or more of the surfaces of the roof window frame which mutually oppose one or more surfaces of a roof aperture frame.

13. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulation member comprises a deformable resilient body compressible into an out of use configuration under a compressive force, the deformable resilient body being expandable into an in use insulating configuration when the compressive force is removed, the means for activating the insulation member between the out of use configuration and the in use insulating configuration comprises a restrictor means for retaining the deformable resilient body in the out of use configuration.

14. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulation member is compressed into a recess in the frame or other portion of the roof window structure.

15. A roof window (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulation member has a covering means covering at least part of the surface of the insulation member formed for engaging the roof window frame.

Drawing