DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention is generally applicable to the technical field of glazing technology and it particularly relates to an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets, as well as a door or a wall for a refrigerated display cabinet that includes such an insulated glazing.

Moreover, object of the patent is a method to manufacture the insulated glazing.

Definitions

With insulated glazing (or insulating glass or double glazing), it is meant an insulating multilayer given by a set of two or more panes of glass or other transparent material, facing each other, spaced apart and coupled along the perimeter thereof so as to define an inner sealed closed chamber filled with air, with dry air or with a dry gas heavier than air.

With resin it is meant any polymeric material being liquid or semi-liquid at the time of application as specified hereinafter and that subsequently hardens in situ.

In the present text, with the term "compatible materials" or the like it is meant materials that have chemical and / or physical compatibility, that is, materials that, once coupled, give rise to a joint susceptible to support the transfer of traction or of cutting forces through the contact surface.

In the present text, with the term "transparent" or the like referred to a material, it is meant the ability of such a material to be crossed by light without the latter being diffused or the ability of such a material to be crossed by light in a diffused way. In other words, the term "transparent" includes both the proper transparency and the translucency.

Background of the invention

It is known that in stores of perishable goods, in particular food, refrigerated display cabinets are used for the launch to the consumer of the various products. To ensure good visibility and effectiveness of display, such displays generally have both fixed walls and movable closing elements or optically transparent doors.

Generally, such walls and / or doors are made starting from insulated glazing, whereto handles, hinges or any other accessories suitable for the reciprocal assembly and / or to the refrigerated display are generally added. In order to increase the visibility of the products on display, insulated glazing with substantially transparent visible spacer elements are known.

For example, from the application WO2014 / 009244 an insulated glazing with spacer elements in PMMA or transparent polycarbonate is known.

In practice, such known insulated glazing have shown little appeal on the market, essentially due to the lack of transparency of the materials used. Moreover, such a drawback is due to the fact that the spacer elements in PMMA or polycarbonate are glued to the panes of the insulated glazing. In fact, the presence of glue worsens the aesthetic appeal of such insulated glazing.

In order to overcome such drawbacks, from the patent EP2878233 an insulated glazing is known wherein the spacer element exclusively consists of substantially transparent hardening resin, generally acrylic or polyurethane. The latter is placed liquid in a mould wherein the edges of the glass panes are subsequently immersed being spaced with the desired distance. Once the resin has hardened, the mould is removed from the insulating glazing. It is evident that in such a case the spacer element also acts as a sealant for the insulated glazing.

In spite of allowing good visibility, such insulated glazing have several drawbacks.

A first drawback is the fact that during the construction of the insulated glazing the glass panes must be kept in position at the predetermined distance until the resin thereof has completely hardened.

Another drawback is the fact that the resin adheres also to the mould, thus impeding the separation of the insulated glazing from the mould thereof after the resin has hardened.

Therefore, to the object, resins having a limited adhesion ability are used so as to allow the removal of the mould without damaging the latter or the insulated glazing.

As it is known, the adhesion force is proportional to the area wetted by the resin, therefore in this last case it is necessary to use a high amount of resin to allow a stable coupling between the glass panes with an evident increase in costs, both in terms of costs of the resin and increase of time of hardening thereof.

Moreover, the spacer-sealant element thus manufactured is bulky, in particular it has a high height, which makes the insulated glazing aesthetically unattractive. In particular, the sealant element, being bulky, introduces optical distortions that compromise the aesthetic appearance and the visual continuity effect required in displays. Then, over time, the resin loses the effectiveness thereof, with consequent danger of air infiltration and / or break of the insulated glazing.

A further drawback is the fact that, after separating the mould from the insulated glazing, an additional cleaning and reprocessing operation of the mould thereof is necessary before a new use.

Summary of the invention

Object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets of high functionality and low cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets that has high aesthetic features.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets that has a high duration over time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets that may be manufactured quickly and easily.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method to manufacture an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets of high functionality and low cost.

Such objects, as well as others that will appear clearer hereinafter, are fulfilled by an insulated glazing to manufacture walls or doors for refrigerated display cabinets, by a wall or door for refrigerated display cabinets and / or by a method for the construction thereof according to what is herein described, shown and / or claimed.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined according to the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident by reading the detailed description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of an insulated glazing shown as a non-limitative example with the help of the annexed drawings, wherein: FIGS. 1 and 2 are partially sectioned schematic views of different embodiments of an insulated glazing 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of some details of an insulated glazing 1, wherein the resin 42 has been removed;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged schematic view of some details of FIG. 3;

FIGs. 3B to 3E are schematic views of various steps of the coupling between the plates 10, 20 and the longitudinal profile 31;

FIGs. 4 and 5 are respectively axonometric and side schematic views of an insulated glazing 1 in a particular operating step with a coupled funnel-shaped device 50;

FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned schematic view of another embodiment of an insulated glazing 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a pair of doors 101 comprising the insulated glazing 1; FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a refrigerated display cabinet 100 comprising the doors

101.

Detailed description of some preferred embodiments

With reference to the aforementioned figures, an insulated glazing 1 is described that may preferably comprise a pair of plate-shaped elements 10, 20 reciprocally facing each other and an inner chamber 2 interposed between the plate-shaped elements 10, 20 thereof.

The plate-shaped elements may be substantially transparent and / or translucent plates 10, 20. For example the plates 10, 20 may be made of glass or of a plastic material such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate or the like.

Although hereinafter for the sake of simplicity we refer to plates, it is understood that the insulated glazing 1 may comprise any plate-shaped element without departing from the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Each plate 10, 20 may define respective planes substantially parallel to each other so as the plates 10, 20 thereof have a predetermined reciprocal distance d, for example of 6 mm to 30 mm.

It is understood that the plates 10, 20 may be substantially flat or of any shape, for example curved, and they may be substantially parallel to each other or not. For example, the insulated glazing 1 may have two flat and parallel plates 10, 20 (FIG.l) or two curved and parallel plates 10, 20 (FIG 2). Each plate 10, 20 may comprise an edge area 11' and 21', that in turn may comprise respective perimetral edges 11, 21, reciprocally facing each other, and a respective pair of visible faces 12, 13 and 22, 23 substantially perpendicular respectively to the perimetral edge 11 and to the perimetral edge 21.

As particularly shown in the annexed figures, mechanical coupling means 30 of the plates 10, 20 may be provided and a sealant resin 42 to cooperate with the mechanical coupling means 30 and to seal the inner chamber 2, so as the latter remains substantially insulated.

Basically, the mechanical coupling means 30 may comprise a substantially semi-rigid or rigid longitudinal profile 31 to couple the plates 10, 20 in correspondence of the respective perimetral edge 11, 21, while the adhesive sealant resin 42 may be interposed between the visible faces 13, 23 of the edges 11, 21 of the plates 10, 20 and the profile 31, as better explained hereinafter.

More in detail, the longitudinal profile 31 may comprise a substantially planar or slightly curved main body 32 that may have a central portion 320 and two portions 33, 34 each of which may comprise a substantially longitudinal seat 33', 34' having a "U" shape extending substantially transversely or perpendicularly from the main body 32 thereof to respectively house the edge area 11' and 21' of the plates 10, 20. In particular, the longitudinal seats 33', 34' may house a respective section 14, 24 of such edge areas 11', 21'.

Suitably, the portions 33, 34 may be placed at opposite ends with respect to the central portion 320.

In particular, each of the seats 33', 34' may comprise a respective upper or lower wall 35 substantially parallel to the central portion 320 and a respective pair of side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360' reciprocally facing each other, that may extend transversely from the main body 32.

Once the plates 10, 20 are inserted in the seats 33', 34' of the longitudinal profile 31, the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360' may be faced to or in contact with the plates 10, 20, and in particular with the visible faces 12, 13, 22, 23 thereof, while the wall 35 may be faced to or in contact with the edges 11 or 21.

It is understood that the wall 35 is a lower or upper wall depending on the orientation of the profile 31. The seats 33', 34' may be substantially concave with the concavity faced towards the plates 10, 20. Furthermore, therefore, the central portion 320 of the main body 32 may have an inner surface 320' facing the working chamber 2 that may, therefore, remain interposed between the inner side walls 36', 360' of the seats 33', 34'.

In any case, the configuration of the seats 33', 34' described above should not be considered exclusive. For example, the side walls 36, 360' and 360, 360' may have different heights and / or configurations.

Suitably, as for example shown in FIGs. 3B to 3E, the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360', and preferably the entire profile 31, may be made of a rigid or semi-rigid polymeric material so as to elastically deform upon the insertion of the section 14, 24 of the respective edge area 11', 21' to hold the plates 10, 20. For example, such polymeric material may have a flexural modulus measured according to ISO 527-2 of 1000 MPa to 3000 MPa, preferably of 1200 MPa to 2500 Mpa.

Moreover, the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360' may further comprise one or more fastening elements 37. For example, the latter may comprise appendices or projections, preferably extending inwards, in contact with the respective edge areas 11', 21' of the plates 10, 20 so as to act by friction against them. For example, the fastening elements 37 may be a plurality of segments or a plurality of points projecting from the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360'.

Advantageously, the fastening elements 37 may be placed on both walls 36, 36' and 360, 360'.

In a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the fastening elements 37 may comprise or consist of longitudinal beads extending preferably along the entire length of the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360'.

The fastening elements 37 may be integrally coupled with the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360' or they may be monolithic therewith, for example they may be coextruded therewith. Preferably, the fastening elements 37 may be coextruded with the longitudinal profile 31.

The thrusting action of the side walls 36, 36' and 360, 360' on the fastening elements 37 against the glass of the plates 10, 20 allows to fix the plates 10, 20 with the longitudinal profile 31, thus preventing the reciprocal uncoupling thereof. Moreover, such an action prevents the passage of the polymeric resin 42 in the interspace 340 between the side walls 36, 36'; 360, 360' and the plates 10, 20, so as to further seal the inner chamber 2.

Basically, the polymeric resin 42 and the side walls 36, 36'; 360, 360' with the fastening elements 37 cooperate both for the coupling of the plates 10, 20 and to seal the inner chamber 2.

To accomplish the above mentioned function, the fastening elements 37 may be made of a substantially soft polymeric material so as to permanently deform against the plates 10, 20 under the thrust of the counteracting side walls 36, 36'; 360, 360'.

Suitably, such a substantially soft polymeric material may have a Shore A hardness measured according to ISO 48 of 40 to 80.

Preferably, both the fastening elements 37 and the longitudinal profile 31 may be made of compatible polymeric materials, preferably equal. Preferably, moreover, such materials or such a material may be substantially transparent.

Advantageously, such a material may be chosen from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, acrylates, PVC, PA, polyolefins, and polyesters.

Moreover, in a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the distance d2 between the counteracting side walls 36, 36'; 360, 360' may be slightly lower than the thickness s of the plates 10, 20, for example of 1 - 2 mm.

The adhesive sealant resin 42 may be placed in the inner chamber 2 in correspondence with the sections 14, 24 in contact with the plates 10, 20 and the longitudinal profile 31.

The adhesive sealant resin 42 may be a substantially transparent polymeric resin.

More in detail, the adhesive sealant polymeric resin 42 may completely cover the inner side walls 36', 360' of the seats 33', 34' and the inner surface 320' of the central portion 320 of the main body 32.

Suitably, thanks to the presence of the longitudinal profile 31, a reduced amount of adhesive sealant resin 42 may be used. In fact, the height H2 of the adhesive sealant resin 42 with respect to the main body 32 may be particularly reduced.

Such a feature, as well as the fact that both the adhesive sealant resin 42 and the longitudinal profile 31 are both transparent, allows a cost saving and an improvement in terms of aesthetic pleasantness with respect to the insulated glazing of the background of the invention.

For example, thanks to such a feature, once two or more insulated glazing 1 have been placed side by side, it is possible to have an effect of substantial visual continuity.

Preferably but not exclusively, the height H2 may be substantially constant for the entire adhesive sealant resin 42. In fact, it is understood that if the longitudinal profile has a slightly curved shape, the height of the adhesive sealant resin 42 may slightly vary between the central portion 320 and the portions 33, 34.

Preferably, the height of the adhesive sealant resin 42 may be considered in correspondence of the inner surface 320' of the central portion 320 of the main body 32 may be equal to such a height H2.

For example, once cross-linked, the adhesive sealant resin 42 may have a thickness substantially equal to the distance d between the plates 10, 20 and a height H2 of 5 mm to 20 mm, preferably of about 15 mm.

Suitably, therefore, the adhesive sealant resin 42 may be in an amount such as to adhere to the inner side walls 36', 360' and to the plates 10, 20 for a short section 15, 25 overlying them so as the height H2 reached by the adhesive sealant polymeric resin 42 with respect to the main body 32 is slightly higher than the height HI of the inner side walls 36', 360' with respect to the main body 32 thereof.

For example, the inner side walls 36', 360' may have a height HI of 3 mm to 12 mm, preferably of 3 mm to 8 mm.

In particular, the section 15, 25 may have a height H3 lower than 10 mm, preferably lower than 8 mm and even more preferably lower than 5 mm.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, the height H2 may be substantially equal to the sum of the height HI and the height H3. For example, the inner side walls 36', 360' may have a height HI of about 10 mm, while the section 15, 25 may have a height H3 of about 5 mm so as the adhesive sealant polymeric resin 42, once hardened, has a height H2 of about 15 mm.

The substantially transparent adhesive sealant polymeric resin 42 may be any resin or mixture of hardening resins known to the person skilled in the field, for example a thermoplastic resin that hardens by cooling, a resin that hardens by vulcanization, a resin or more resins that harden by cross-linking or a mixture thereof. Preferably, the resin may harden by cross-linking. For example, a single or multi- component resin may be used, introduced liquid or semi-liquid at room temperature, that hardens by cross-linking, for example by thermal activation or by UV activation or simply after an incubation time after the components have been mixed.

Examples of such resins are acrylic, polyurethane, polyester resins or a mixture of one or more thereof.

Suitably, the resin may have a high adhesion power to the glass, preferably the adhesion of the adhesive sealant resin 42 to the faces 13, 23 and to the profile 31 may be substantially irreversible.

To the object, the resin may be a modified resin to increase the adhesion to the glass, as known to the person skilled in the field.

For example, the resin may be modified by introducing groups of high compatibility with the glass and with the material of the profile 31 so as to increase the adhesion of the adhesive sealant resin 42 with the plates 10, 20 and with the longitudinal profile 31.

A non-exhaustive example of such a resin modification is the silanization.

Operatively, at first the plates 10, 20 may be provided and mechanically coupled by means of the mechanical coupling means 30, as described above.

Therefore, the plates 10, 20 may be placed vertically while the longitudinal profile 31 may be placed downwardly so as the former define the side walls of the inner chamber 2 and the latter defines the base wall of the inner chamber 2 thereof.

Once the plates 10, 20 have been coupled with the profile 31, the inner surface 320' of the main body 32, the inner side walls 36', 360' and the sections 15, 25 of the inner faces 13, 23 of the plates 10, 20 thereof may define a working compartment 2' to house the adhesive sealant resin 42.

Suitably, the adhesive sealant resin 42 may be inserted in the working compartment

2' in liquid or semi-liquid form to subsequently harden, as better explained hereinafter.

In particular, the working compartment 2' may be laterally limited by the inner side walls 36', 360', by the inner faces 13, 23 of the plates 10, 20 and by plugs 5, downwardly by the inner surface 320' of the main body 32, while it may be opened at the top, that is, towards the inner chamber 2.

In this way, the increase in amount of adhesive sealant resin 42 may correspond to the increase of the height H2 thereof, and vice versa. Possibly, during the step of insertion of the adhesive sealant resin 42, the longitudinal profile 31 may be substantially horizontal or slightly inclined so as the sealant resin 42 thereof has the height H2 substantially constant along the entire development thereof and so as the upper surface 41 of the sealant element 42 thereof is substantially flat. In other words, due to gravity, such a surface 41 facing the inner chamber 2 may be substantially flat and orthogonal to the faces 13, 23 of the plates 10, 20.

Once the adhesive sealant resin 42 has hardened, the plugs 5 may be removed so as not to alter the aesthetic appearance of the insulated glazing 1.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, the insertion or pouring of the adhesive sealant resin 42 may be accomplished by means of a funnel-shaped device 50 that, therefore, may be fluidly connected to the working compartment 2' by means of a fluidic connecting line 3.

The longitudinal profile 31 may have a longitudinal section 38 coupled with the plates 10, 20 and a section 39 protruding therefrom to define the fluidic connecting line 3. In other words, the longitudinal profile 31 may have a substantially greater length than the section 14, 24.

In particular, the longitudinal section 38 of the longitudinal profile 31 may comprise an end 38' opposite to the section 39. Suitably, the plug 5 may be placed at the end 38' of the longitudinal profile 31, while the funnel-shaped device 50 may be placed in correspondence of the section 39.

Therefore, the adhesive sealant resin 42 may be inserted by means of the funnel- shaped device 50 that, therefore, may have an inlet 51 and an outlet 52 for the liquid resin.

On the other hand, the device 50 may comprise a lower portion 53 that is counter- shaped with respect to the longitudinal profile 31 so as to couple thereto and to prevent the leakage of liquid resin and an opposite lower portion that may define the outlet 52 for the liquid resin.

Suitably, therefore, the device 50 may be coupled with the portion 39 so as the outlet 52 thereof is fluidly connected to the working compartment 2' so as the liquid resin flows therein 2' flowing along the longitudinal profile 31, and in particular along the inner surface 320' thereof.

In this way, the liquid resin may wet the inner faces 13, 23 only near the edge areas 11', 21' so as to avoid the risk of dirtying the plates 10, 20. Possibly, the device 50 may be removably coupled with the longitudinal profile 31 so as to remove the former once the insertion of the adhesive sealant resin 42 into the compartment 2' has ended and / or once the hardening step thereof has ended.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, the section 39 may be removed from the section 38, for example by cutting the longitudinal profile 31 in correspondence of the end of the section 14, 24 of the plates 10, 20.

In this way, the device 50 may be removed upon the removal of the section 39 from the section 38 of the longitudinal profile 31. Thanks to such a feature, the manufacturing times of the insulated glazing 1 may be particularly reduced.

The hardening may be realized by cross-linking in situ and / or in a different processing environment.

Thanks to the above mentioned features, it is possible to use a reduced amount of hardening resin 42 with a considerable saving in the manufacturing times of the insulated glazing 1. In fact, the time required to harden the hardening sealant resin 42 increases with the increasing amount thereof.

Moreover, thanks to the presence of the longitudinal profile 31, it is possible to move and / or rotate the insulated glazing without having to wait for the hardening sealant resin 42 to be completely hardened, thus reducing the manufacturing times of the insulated glazing 1.

In the present text the coupling for the section 14, 24 of the edges 11, 21 of the plates 10, 20 has been described, that is, for one side of the insulated glazing 1. It is understood that what has been described may be realised for one or more sides of the insulated glazing thereof, possibly on all sides thereof.

Operatively, after the total or partial hardening of the adhesive sealant resin 42 realized on the section 14, 24 of the edges 11, 21 of the plates 10, 20, the insulated glazing 1 may be rotated in the plane defined by the plates 10, 20 and similarly to what has been described above, other sections of the edges 11, 21 of the plates 10, 20 may be coupled.

It is understood that such an embodiment is not limitative, in fact it is possible to manufacture an insulated glazing 1 having any shape not necessarily rectangular, or comprising several glass panes, glass panes and plates in plastic material, plates in polymeric material. Moreover, the plates 10, 20 may not be flat, for example they may be curved and / or rounded. Furthermore, it is understood that the insulated glazing 1 may have the plates 10, 20 coupled with the profile 31 and the adhesive sealant resin 42 along the entire perimetral edge 11, 21 or along one or more sections 14, 24 thereof.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the insulated glazing 1 may have some sections 14, 24 of the perimetral edges 11, 21, for example a pair of opposite sides, coupled by means of the profile 31 and the adhesive sealant resin 42, while the remaining sections of the perimetral edges 11, 21, that is, the other two opposite sides, may be coupled with a metallic spacer element S possibly filled with salts, in a per se known manner.

In any case, the insulated glazing 1 may be particularly useful to manufacture walls or doors 101 for a refrigerated display cabinet or a display 100.

To manufacture the wall or door 101, it may be sufficient to couple one or more accessories, for example handles or hinges, with the insulated glazing 1.

In particular, a refrigerated display cabinet 100 may comprise one or more doors or shutters 101 adjacent therebetween realized starting from the insulated glazing 1, so as each door or shutter 101 has the side edges in contact with the side edges of the adjacent doors or shutters.

Thanks to the particular configuration of the insulated glazing 1, the visible surface of the refrigerated display cabinet may be substantially transparent, preferably totally transparent, without interruption of visual continuity between a door or shutter 101 and the next adjacent one.

From what has been described above, it is evident that the invention fulfils the intended objects.

The invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the appended claims. All the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention defined by the appended claims.