GB2487903A

GB2487903A - Frame assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2487903A
Application number: GB201101949A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Friedrich Hoellrigl
Original assignee: Bowater Building Products Ltd
Current assignee: Bowater Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 2011-02-04
Filing date: 2011-02-04
Publication date: 2012-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2031-02-04
Also published as: GB201101949D0; GB2487903B

Abstract

A frame assembly 1 for supporting a glazing assembly 7, the frame assembly comprising a core 3 of low thermal conductivity material and a fascia 9, 11 of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said core 3. The core has first parts 21, 23 of first and second two-part coupling mechanisms and the fascia comprising complimentary second parts 25, 27. The assembly is configured such when the first two-part coupling mechanism is engaged the core 3 and the facia 11 are able to pivot relative to one another in order to bring the second two-part coupling mechanism into engagement so as to fix the fascia 11 to the core 3. In one arrangement the fascia and the core co-operate to form a coupling mechanism to which a bead 17 for supporting a glassing assembly 7 is attached. Also claimed is a sash for a window or door characterised by a beading with a higher thermal conductivity that the core.

Description

I

FRAME ASSEMBLY

Field

Aspects of the present invention relate to a frame assembly comprising part of a window frame or a door frame. Aspects of the present invention also relate to a method of assembling such a frame assembly.

Background

Windows typically comprise an outer frame which is fitted in an opening in a wall of a building, and an inner frame (typically known as a sash) which is mounted in the outer frame. The inner frame is typically capable of holding at least one glazing unit, and it has previously been proposed for the glazing unit to be held in position by a glazing bead which clips to the sash and presses the glazing unit against an abutment of the sash.

If the window is an opening window, then the inner frame is mounted to the outer frame for movement between an open position and a closed position by any of a number of different mechanisms. In cases where the window is non-opening, the glazing unit may be fitted directly into the outer frame, or more usually the inner frame may be fixed to the outer frame so that it cannot be opened.

Both the outer frame and the inner frame can be made by coupling together separate frame members, and those frame members can be extruded from a plastics material such as PVC-U, or aluminium (or an alloy thereof). The glazing unit may be a single pane of glass, or a sealed unit comprising two or more separated panes of glass.

In some instances it may be more desirable to make the inner and outer frames of a window from aluminium because the resulting window will look more expensive than if it is made from PVC-U. However, because aluminium has a higher thermal conductivity than that of PVC-U, a window with frames made of aluminium has a higher U-value than a window with frames made of PVC-U.

This is a problem because it is becoming more and more commonplace for new developments to require that buildings meet the code for sustainable homes, and it is not unusual for at least some buildings of a development to be required to comply with level 6 of the code. To achieve this, developers must incorporate 0.7WJm2 windows within the development. It would be highly advantageous to have a window system comprising a metallic finish without having to substantially increase the level of insulation provided in the frames of the window to comply with the code for sustainable homes.

Furthermore, a problem that is likely to occur during the construction of a building is for the window frame assemblies to become damaged if they are installed prior to completion of the building structure. This is particularly a problem if the window frame assemblies are made of expensive material because their replacement greatly increases the cost of the construction process.

An aim of the present invention is to address the foregoing problems.

Summary

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a frame assembly for supporting a glazing assembly, the frame assembly comprising: a core of low thermal conductivity material, the core comprising first parts of first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; and a fascia of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said core, the fascia comprising complimentary second parts of said first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; wherein the assembly is configured such when the first and second parts of the first coupling two-part mechanism are brought into engagement with one another the core and the facia are able to be pivoted relative to one another in order to bring the first and second parts of the second two-part coupling mechanism into engagement with one another so as to fixably couple said fascia to said core.

The fascia may be configured to be hung from said core when the first and second parts of said first coupling mechanism are in engagement. The first and second parts of said second coupling mechanism may be configured to clip to one another. The first part of said first two-part coupling mechanism may be a peg extending from said core, and the second part of said first two-part coupling mechanism may be a recess comprising part of said fascia.

The facia may be configured such that it is able to pivot about the peg of said core. The first part of said second two-part coupling mechanism may be a recess comprising part of said core, and the second part of said second two-part coupling mechanism may be a peg extending from said fascia. The recess of said core may be defined in part by a step at the end of a slanted surface, the slanted surface being defined by said core.

The assembly may be configured such that pivoting the fascia towards the frame causes the peg of said fascia to ride along the slanted surface. The core may be able to deform when the peg of said facia is caused to ride along the slanted surface. The peg of said fascia may be able to clip into the recess of said core when the peg rides off the slanted surface.

The frame assembly may further comprise a bead for providing support to a glazing assembly that comprises at least one glazing unit, the frame assembly being configured such that said bead, said core and said fascia are able to be coupled together in contact with one another. The bead may comprise a first part of a third two-part coupling mechanism and the core may comprise a second part of said third two-part coupling mechanism. The first part of said third two-part coupling mechanism may be a leg comprising part of said bead.

The core and the fascia may co-operate to form said second part of said third two-part coupling mechanism. The core may comprise a chamber for receiving the leg of said bead. The chamber may be defined in part by the peg of said core. The leg of said bead may be configured to clip to a part of the chamber. The chamber may comprise a recess into which part of the leg is able to extend. The leg may comprise a peg that is able to extend into the recess of said chamber.

The peg of said leg may extend from a first side of said leg. A second opposite side of the leg may comprise both first and second surface portions. The first and second surface portions may be at a non-zero angle relative to one another. The assembly may be configured such that the second surface portion of said leg abuts the fascia when the core, the fascia and the bead are coupled to one another.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a frame assembly comprising: a core of low thermal conductivity material; and a plurality of fascias of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said frame, the frame assembly being configured such that each said fascia is able to be coupled to the core in accordance with any of the aforementioned arrangements.

The frame assembly may comprise a bead that is configured to contact one of said fascias in accordance with any of the previously mentioned arrangements. The bead, the core and one of said fascias cooperate to define a recess which is configured to receive part of a glazing assembly, the glazing assembly comprising at least one glazing unit. Any aforementioned frame assembly may comprise part of a sash for a window or a door. Alternatively however, any of the aforementioned frame assemblies may comprise part of the outer frame of a window or a door.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of assembly a frame assembly, the method comprising: providing a core of low thermal conductivity material, the core comprising first parts of first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; and providing a fascia of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said frame, the fascia comprising complimentary second parts of said first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; bringing the first and second parts of the first two-part coupling mechanism into engagement with one another; and pivoting the core and facia relative to one another so as to bring the first and second parts of the second two-part coupling mechanism into engagement with one another, thereby fixably coupling said fascia to said core.

The method may comprise the step hanging the fascia from said core. The method may further comprise the step of engaging the first and second parts of said second coupling mechanism by clipping them together. The method may also comprise the step of deforming the core using the fascia in order to clip the first and second parts of said second coupling mechanism together.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a sash for a window or door, the sash comprising: a recess for receiving a glazing unit assembly that comprises at least one glazing unit, said recess being defined in part by a core of low thermal conductivity, in part by a first fascia coupled to a first side of said core and in part by a bead assembly coupled to a second opposite side of said core, said first fascia and said bead assembly each being of higher thermal conductivity than said core.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a window that comprises a frame mountable in a building, and a sash mounted in the frame, wherein the frame and the sash each comprise a first surface visible from outside of the building and a second surface visible from inside the building, wherein said externally and internally visible surfaces are provided by fascia panels that are coupled to a frame core and a sash core respectively, said fascia panels having a higher thermal conductivity than said frame and sash cores.

The bead assembly may comprise a second fascia coupled to said second side of said core, and a bead that is also coupled to said core such that the bead bears upon the core and said second fascia.

Other features, embodiments and advantages thereof will be apparent from the

following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various aspects of the teachings of the present invention, and arrangements embodying those teachings, will hereafter be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sash and co-operating outer frame in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the sash carrying a glazing unit; Figs. 2 and 3 are schematic cross-sectional views of the fascia and the core of the sash in Fig. I prior to and after coupling to one another respectively; Figs. 4 to 6 are schematic cross-sectional views at various stages during the process of coupling a bead to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3; and Figs. 7 and 8 are schematic cross sectional views of two further envisaged window assemblies.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to a window, in particular an opening window that comprises a frame (typically known as a sash) mounted in an outer frame. However, it should be noted that this particular arrangement is merely illustrative, and that the teachings of the present invention may equally be applied to windows that do not open or to doors with glazed fascia. In the light of this, the following description should not be construed as being a limitation of the scope of the present invention, but should instead be considered to be merely illustrative of the teachings of the invention.

Is With the above proviso in mind, reference should now be made to Fig. I wherein there is depicted a cross-sectional view of a window I that comprises an inner frame 2 and an outer frame 5. In this particular example, the inner frame 2 comprises the sash of an opening window, and carries a glazing assembly 7. Such a view of a frame member is often referred to as the frame profile and different frame manufacturers manufacture frame members with different profiles.

As is known in the art, four such frame members are connected together to form a window frame having a top horizontal member, a lower horizontal member and two side frame members. The sash 2 can then be fitted to an outer frame 5 that can be formed in a similar manner and which is mounted within an opening within a wall.

The sash 2 in Fig. I comprises a core 3 which has a hollow structure. The core 3 comprises a number of internal walls that define a plurality of internal voids. The core 3 may be made of a non-metallic material such as plastic and in one envisaged implementation may be manufactured by an extrusion process. Particular examples of material which may comprise the core 3 include PVC-U or wood-plastic composite.

First and second fascias 9, 11 are able to be coupled to either side the core 3.

Such fascias may comprise a metal such as aluminium (or an alloy thereof). The manner in which the fascias 9, 11 are coupled to the core 3 will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 2 and 3. These figures schematically illustrate the parts of a core and fascia that are used to couple the two together (i.e. the coupling components).

Furthermore, the method by which a facia is coupled to a core will be described with particular reference to the second fascia 11, however by referring back to Fig. I it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that this method equally applies to the first fascia 9.

Fig. 2 shows that the core 3 comprises a second fascia receiving portion 19 protruding from one side thereof -the core 3 also comprises a first fascia receiving portion on the other side thereof (see Fig. 1). The second fascia receiving portion 19 comprises a core peg 21 and a core recess 23. Correspondingly, the second fascia 11 comprises a fascia recess 25 and a fascia peg 27.

The second fascia 11 is coupled to the core 3 by hooking the fascia 11 around the core peg 21 (either by hanging the fascia from the core or by lifting the fascia into engagement with the core). In particular the fascia recess 25 is caused to (at least partially) receive the core peg 21 as in Fig. 2. The second fascia 11 is then pivoted around the core peg 21, thereby moving the fascia peg 27 into the core recess 23 as shown in Fig. 3.

in one arrangement the core recess 23 is defined by an edge of an inclined surface 29 located on the second fascia receiving portion 19. In this arrangement the fascia peg 27 moves into contact with and slides along the inclined surface 29 when the second fascia 11 is pivoted about the core peg 21. When the fascia peg 27 is caused to slide progressively further along the inclined surface 29, the force exerted by the fascia peg 27 on the inclined surface 29 will increase. Such an increase in force causes the fascia receiving portion 19 to partially deform, thereby allowing the fascia peg 27 to be clipped into the core recess 23.

It is envisaged that the core 3 may only comprise a single fascia receiving portion 19 such that only a single fascia may be coupled to the core 3. However (as shown in Fig. 1) it is also envisaged that the core 3 may comprise a plurality of fascia receiving portions 19 such that a plurality of tascias may be mounted to the core 3. Furthermore, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that only the coupling portion of the second fascia is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A fascia embodying any shaped profile may be coupled to the core 3 in the manner previously described provided that the profile of the fascia includes at least the coupling portion illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Being able to clip fascias 9, 11 to a core 3 in the manner previously described provides two advantages. One advantage is to improve the aesthetics of a window frame without substantially reducing the U-value or increasing the price of the frame.

Furthermore, during the construction of a building, cores 3 are able to be installed in wall openings without their respective fascias 9, 11. The fascias may then be later coupled to the core 3 after the construction process is completed such that the fascias 9, 11 are not damaged during the construction process.

Referring to back to Fig. 1, a metallic bead 17 is also able to be clipped to the frame 3. In such an arrangement the core 3, the first fascia 9 and the bead 17 cooperate to define a recess for receiving a glazing unit assembly 7 (which comprises at least one glazing unit). As aforementioned, the core 3 is made of material having a low thermal conductivity such as PVC or wood-plastic composite. However, the bead 17, like the first and second fascias 9, 11, is made of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the core 3. In particular the bead 17 may also be made of aluminium (or an alloy thereof).

In one arrangement a glazing assembly 7 is held in place by a pair of abutment members 13, 15. Such abutment members 13, 15 are carried by the bead 17 and the first fascia 9 respectively. In this arrangement the bead 17 is provided with a chamber 19 that opens towards the glazing assembly 7 when the bead 17 is coupled to the core 3. A first part 13a of the abutment member 13 is received in the chamber 19 to couple the abutment member 13 to the bead 17. The first fascia 9 is also provided with a similar chamber for receiving part of abutment member 15 in a similar fashion. In another arrangement the abutment members 13, 15 may also comprise a leg that cooperates with the core 3 to define a support for supporting the glazing assembly 7.

The way in which the bead 17 is coupled to the core 3 will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 4 to 6. Looking specifically at Fig. 4 the bead 17 comprises a bend portion 30 from which a leg 31 extends. To couple the bead 17 to the core 3 the leg 31 is clipped into a chamber 33 comprising part of the core 3.

In one arrangement a fascia such as the second fascia 11 extends partially into the chamber 33 (see Fig. 6) after being coupled to the core 3 in the manner previously described. In this arrangement, the bead 17 cooperates with both the wall of the chamber 33 and the second tascia 11 when the leg 31 is inserted into the chamber 33, thereby clipping the bead 17 to the core 3.

The leg 31 comprises first and second surface potions 35, 37 at a non-zero angle relative to one another on one side of the leg. The leg 31 also comprises a bead peg 39 located on the other (opposite) side of the leg.

When the leg 31 is inserted into the chamber 33 the first surface portion 35 and the bead peg 39 are brought into contact with opposing sides of the chamber 33. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 however, because the second fascia 11 partially extends into the chamber 33 when the leg 31 is inserted into the chamber 33 the first surface portion 35 is brought into contact with the second fascia 11.

As the leg 31 is then forced further into the chamber 33 the chamber wall (or alternatively the second fasda 11 as in Fig. 5) rides up the first surface 35. This increases the force exerted by the bead peg 39 on the core 3 and causes the core 3 to deform as shown in Fig. 5. Such deformation allows the leg 31 to be forced further into the chamber 33 such that the bead peg 39 clips into a chamber recess 41 within the chamber 33.

In one envisaged arrangement, when the bead peg 39 is clipped in the chamber recess 41 the bend portion 30 of the bead 17 substantially cooperates with the major outer surface 43 of the second fascia 11 as shown in Fig. 6 (and in one implementation the bend portion 30 lies substantially flush with the major outer surface 43 of the second fascia 11).

It is envisaged that beads 17 having different lengths may be used to provide support to glazing assemblies 7 of different thicknesses. For example a window comprising a single unit glazing assembly may be required to be upgraded to comprise a thicker multi-unit glazing assembly. Such an upgrade requires implementation of the steps: i) removing the bead 17 having a first (long) length; ii) replacing the existing glazing assembly with the replacement (thicker) glazing assembly; and iii) replacing the original bead with a bead having a second (shorter) length. The skilled person will appreciate however that the upgrade process may be carried out in reverse if a window is required to be down graded for whatever reason.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, the teachings of the present invention are readily combinable with the arrangements disclosed in our co-pending UK Patent Application No. 1002008.9 (published as GB2467649), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. By virtue of this arrangement, it is possible to provide a window that can be upgraded (throughout its life) to improve its u-value and which has the appearance of an aluminium window.

It will also be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have heretofore been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein and instead extends to encompass all arrangements, and modifications and alterations thereto, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, the core peg 21, the core recess 23, the fascia recess 25 and the fascia peg 27 need not extend continuously along the length of the core 3 or the fascia 11 as the case may be. Such components may instead extend into, or protrude from, the core or the fascia as the case may be at different locations along their respective lengths. However, a disadvantage a core or a fascia embodying such an arrangement is that they will probably be more difficult to manufacture using an extrusion process.

It will also be appreciated that where mention is made herein of a peg on one component that fits within a recess on another, this arrangement may be reversed so that a recess is provided on said one component for coupling to a peg on the other component.

For the avoidance of doubt references to aluminium and extruded aluminium include aluminium alloys and extruded aluminium alloys. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed arrangements but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Lastly, it should be noted that whilst the accompanying claims set out particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereafter claimed, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features herein disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A frame assembly for supporting a glazing assembly, the frame assembly comprising: a core of low thermal conductivity material, the core comprising first parts of first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; and a fascia of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said core, the fascia comprising complimentary second parts of said first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; wherein the assembly is configured such when the first and second parts of the first two-part coupling mechanism are brought into engagement with one another the core and the facia are able to be pivoted relative to one another in order to bring the first and second parts of the second two-part coupling mechanism into engagement with one another so as to fixably couple said fascia to said core.
2. The assembly of Claim 1, wherein the fascia is configured to be hung from said core when the first and second parts of said first coupling mechanism are in engagement.
3. The assembly of Claim I or 2, wherein the first and second parts of said second coupling mechanism are configured to clip to one another.
4. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the first part of said first two-part coupling mechanism is a peg extending from said core, and the second part of said first two-part coupling mechanism is a recess comprising part of said fascia.
5. The assembly of Claim 4, wherein the facia is configured such that it is able to pivot aboutthe peg of said core.
6. The assembly of Claim 5, wherein the first part of said second two-part coupling mechanism is a recess comprising part of said core, and the second part of said second two-part coupling mechanism is a peg extending from said fascia.
7. The assembly of Claim 6, wherein the recess of said core is defined in part by a step at the end of a slanted surface, the slanted surface being defined by said core.
8. The assembly of Claim 7, wherein the assembly is configured such that pivoting the fascia towards the frame causes the peg of said fascia to ride along the slanted surface.
9. The assembly of Claim 8, wherein the core is able to deform when the peg of said facia is caused to ride along the slanted surface.
10. The assembly of Claim 9, wherein the peg of said fascia is able to clip into the recess of said core when the peg rides off the slanted surface.
11. The assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising a bead for providing support to a glazing assembly that comprises at least one glazing unit, the frame assembly being configured such that said bead, said core and said fascia are able to be coupled together in contact with one another.
12. The assembly of Claim 11, wherein the bead comprises a first part of a third two-part coupling mechanism and the core comprises a second part of said third two-part coupling mechanism.
13. The assembly of Claim 12, wherein the first part of said third two-part coupling mechanism is a leg comprising part of said bead.
14. The assembly of Claim 12 or 13, wherein the core and the fascia co-operate to form said second part of said third two-part coupling mechanism.
15. The assembly of Claim 13 or 14, wherein the core comprises a chamber for receiving the leg of said bead.
16. The assembly of Claim 15, wherein the chamber is defined in part by the peg of said core.
17. The assembly of Claim 16, wherein the leg of said bead is configured to clip to a part of the chamber.
18. The assembly of Claim 17, wherein the chamber comprises a recess into which part of the leg is able to extend.
19. The assembly of Claim 18, wherein the leg comprises a peg that is able to extend into the recess of said chamber.
20. The assembly of Claim 19, wherein the peg of said leg extends from a first side of said leg.
21. The assembly of Claim 20, wherein a second opposite side of the leg comprises both first and second surface portions.
22. The assembly of Claim 21, wherein said first and second surface portions are at a non-zero angle relative to one another.
23. The assembly of Claim 22, wherein the assembly is configured such that the second surface portion of said leg abuts the fascia when the core, the fascia and the bead are coupled to one another.
24. A frame assembly comprising: a core of low thermal conductivity material; and a plurality of fascias of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said frame, the frame assembly being configured such that each said fascia is able to be coupled to the core in accordance with any of Claims Ito 10.
25. The frame assembly of Claim 24, further comprising a bead configured to contact one of said fascias in accordance with any of Claims II to 23.
26. The frame assembly of Claim 25, wherein the bead, the core and one of said fascias cooperate to define a recess which is configured to receive part of a glazing assembly, the glazing assembly comprising at least one glazing unit.
27. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the assembly comprises part of a sash for a window or a door.
28. The assembly of any of Claims I to 26, wherein the assembly comprises part of the outer frame of a window or a door.
29. A frame assembly substantially as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in any of Figures 1 to 8.
30. A method of assembly a frame assembly, the method comprising: providing a core of low thermal conductivity material, the core comprising first parts of first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; and providing a fascia of material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of said frame, the fascia comprising complimentary second parts of said first and second two-part coupling mechanisms; bringing the first and second parts of the first two-part coupling mechanism into engagement with one another; and pivoting the core and facia relative to one another so as to bring the first and second parts of the second two-part coupling mechanism into engagement with one another, thereby fixably coupling said fascia to said core.
31. The method of Claim 30, wherein the first and second parts of said first coupling mechanism are engaged with one another by hanging the fascia from said core.
32. The method of Claim 30 or 31, wherein the first and second parts of said second coupling mechanism are engaged with one another by clipping them together.
33. The method of any of Claim 32, wherein the fascia is configured to deform the core as the first and second parts of said second coupling mechanism are clipped together.
34. A sash for a window or door, the sash comprising: a recess for receiving a glazing unit assembly that comprises at least one glazing unit, said recess being defined in part by a core of low thermal conductivity, in part by a first fascia coupled to a first side of said core and in part by a bead assembly coupled to a second opposite side of said core, said first fascia and said bead assembly each being of higher thermal conductivity than said core.
35. The sash of Claim 33, wherein said bead assembly comprises a second fascia coupled to said second side of said core, and a bead that is also coupled to said core such that the bead bears upon the core and said second fascia.
36. A sash substantially as herein before described and/or as shown in Fig. I or 8.