DENYS, Jean-Pierre (Koestraat 84, Rumbeke, B-8800, BE)
| Claims . 1.- Method for the connection of two members (2 and 3) of a frame (1) of a window, door or similar, whereby each member (4-5) is a composite member that is made up of an outer shell (7) and inner shell (8) that are connected to each other by a thermal break (9) in the form of one or more members, characterised in that the outer and inner shell (7-8) are made from metal, that the thermal break (9) is made from polyvinylchloride (PVC) , and that the composite members (4-5) are joined together by a welded joint of the thermal break (9) . 2.- Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the connection between the composite members (4-5) only or primarily consists of the realisation of the aforementioned joint in the thermal break (9) . 3.- Method according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the welded joint is a mirror welded joint of the members in the thermal break (9) . 4. - Method according to claim 3, characterised in that a mirror welding machine is used whose welding mirror (31) is covered with a Teflon coat. 5. - Method according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that it comprises the steps of cutting the members (4-5) to be joined to size, removing material from the outer and inner shell (7-8) on the ends of the members (4-5) to be connected, such that the thermal break (9) protrudes over a certain length with respect to the metal outer and inner shell (7-8), the positioning of these worked ends to be connected opposite one another, the joining of these ends by applying a welding mirror (31) between the ends (27-28) to heat and melt the protruding parts (32-33) of the thermal break (9), the pushing of the ends (27-28) to be connected to each other until the metal inner and outer shells (7-8) of the two members (4-4) come together and allowing the molten PVC to harden. 6. - Method according to claim 5, characterised in that when cutting the composite members (4-5) to size they are sawn with a suitable mitre. 7. - Method according to claim 5 of 6, characterised in that no additional steps are required for finishing the connection. 8.- Composite member (2) that is suitable for application in a method according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the member (4-5) contains a metal outer and inner shell (7-8) that are connected to each other by a thermal break (9) in the form of one or more members (16 and 26) made from polyvinylchloride (PVC) . 9.- Composite member (2) according to claim 8, characterised in that the member (2) does not have a metal reinforcement in the thermal break (9) . 10.- Composite member (2) according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the thermal break (9) contains a multichamber member (16 and 26) . 11.- Composite member (2) according to any one of the foregoing claims 8 to 10, characterised in that the outer and inner shell (7-8) can be of a different metal and/or have a different finish. |
The present invention relates to a method for the connection of two members and a member which is suitable for application in such a method.
More specifically the invention is intended for connecting composite members in the joinery of a window, door or similar to form the frame of the window, door, glass wall or similar, and this for both a fixed frame and for a leaf that can be turned in this fixed frame. Window and door frames with aluminium inner and outer shells are already known, whereby these shells are connected to each other by a thermal insulation member.
Such aluminium frames offer many advantages for users, such as simple maintenance and a wide choice of finishes with regard to colour, form, textured coating and such.
Moreover, high-quality extruded aluminium is used for the production of such frames, in combination with the use of reinforcing corners in the inner and outer shell, which means that these frames are very sturdy and durable.
As a result, the known aluminium frames are also extremely suitable for large spans in large window and glass constructions, whereby the aluminium members look tight and slender, even in such large constructions. Traditionally the thermal insulation members in such a frame are constructed in the form of one or more glass fibre reinforced polyamide strips or other plastic strips.
A disadvantage is of course that the use of such polyamide strips results in a higher purchase price of the frame.
Generally a rectangular frame is made from four straight composites members whose free edges are brought together and joined to form the corners of the frame.
Hereby the members have to be mitred, after which, by affixing a number of reinforcing corners, the members can be brought together and connected to one another.
On account of the strength of the frame, both the inner and outer shells have to be joined by a number of reinforcing corners .
Moreover, these reinforcing corners have to be mounted in the chambers of the members, either by injecting glue, or by pressing, nailing, screwing, with studs, or by a combination of the aforementioned and/or other fastening methods.
In addition the connection must be waterproofed and windproofed, for example by injecting glue, silicones or other sealants. A disadvantage is that the assembly of such an aluminium frame requires many components and consequently also many operations that cannot all be automated, such that the assembly is relatively complex and labour intensive, and a disadvantage attached to this is that the frame is also quite expensive.
Frames are also known that consist entirely of PVC, which can be produced more easily in a factory and which have the advantage for the user of being maintenance-friendly, durable, corrosion-resistant and cheap.
An advantage is that PVC is a poorer heat conductor than aluminium, such that the use of PVC members in a frame results in a better insulation value, certainly when there are a number of chambers in the frame.
A disadvantage, however, is that these PVC members are less scratch resistant and offer fewer finishes than aluminium members.
A further disadvantage is that these varnished members can easily discolour under the influence of sunlight, rain and such.
An important additional disadvantage is that PVC has a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than aluminium, and is thus more susceptible to temperature fluctuations, which means that PVC frames are less resistant to extreme cold and/or heat. Another important disadvantage is that such PVC window and door members are mechanically not as strong as aluminium members . In order to somewhat accommodate these last-mentioned disadvantages, it is also known to affix strengthening members in the PVC frame, for example made of galvanised steel or similar, such that sufficient strength and durability can be obtained.
However, a disadvantage is that this necessary steel reinforcement, which is on the inside of the member, negatively affects the insulation value of the frame. Another important disadvantage is that the connection of the strengthening members in a PVC frame is rather time- consuming and expensive, and is consequently little used.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages and/or other disadvantages by providing a method for the connection of two members of a frame of a window, door or similar, whereby each member is a composite member that is made up of an inner shell and outer shell that are connected to each other by a thermal break in the form of one or more members, characterised in that the inner shell and outer shell are made from metal; that the thermal break is made from polyvinylchloride (PVC) , and that the composite members are joined together by a welded joint of the thermal break. An important advantage is that the method enables the composite members to be joined together strongly, purely and simply by joining the connecting members together by a small number of steps.
The strength of the frames does not require any metal strengthening members on the inside, as this role is now fulfilled by the metal inner and outer shells that do not have to be as thick either, as they can absorb the stresses in the frame more effectively because the stresses generally occur on the outside of the members and less in the core of the members.
Another advantage related to this is that the quantity of metal in the members can be relatively low and that the metal inner and outer shells can be at a relatively large distance from one another, which fosters the insulating properties of the members and frames. Another advantage is that the method does not require any reinforcing corners in the outer and inner shells to join the members in the corners.
An advantage attached to this is that the method requires few components, is relatively simple and not very labour intensive, and also enables a certain automation of the production process of the frame.
A further advantage is that during welding, the molten material of the weld is restricted by the metal inner and outer shell, such that no extra finish is required on the outside of the weld after it has solidified.
In the most preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of making of the members to be joined to size and sawing them with a suitable mitre, removing material from the outer and inner shell on the ends of the members to be joined, such that the thermal break protrudes over a certain length with respect to the metal outer and inner shell, the positioning of these worked ends to be joined opposite one another, the joining of these ends by applying a welding mirror between the ends by heating and melting the protruding parts of the thermal break, the pushing of the ends to be joined together until the metal inner and outer shells of the two members come together and allowing the molten PVC to harden. No additional steps are required to finish the connection.
An advantage is that the welded joint is on the inside of the joined members and the welded joint is not perceptible from the side of the inner or outer shell.
Another advantage is that any bulges as a result of the welding do not have to be removed, such that this method is of course very simple and suitable for automation.
An advantage attached to this for the user is that the joints between the members, and consequently the assembled, frame, are relatively cheap, not only due to the low cost of the required components, but also due to the cheap assembly technique. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting members are joined together by a mirror welding operation, in particular using a mirror welding machine.
An advantage is that during the mirror welding, the heat is spread evenly over the ends to be joined such that a strong connection is obtained. In the most practical embodiment of the invention, the welding mirror has a Teflon coat.
An advantage is that when the ends of the insulation members melt, no PVC remains stuck to the mirror, all such that the welding mirror can be immediately used in a subsequent welding operation without cleaning the mirror, which of course is particularly beneficial in the light of the automation of the joining process. The present invention also relates to a composite member that is suitable for application in the foregoing method, whereby the member contains a metal outer and inner shell that are connected to each other by a thermal break, and whereby this thermal break is made in the shape of one or more PVC members.
An advantage is that the composite member, and thus also a frame built up from such members, has very good insulation properties and presents no thermal leakage as a result of the corner connections. Another advantage is that the frame presents the advantages of the known aluminium frames without the disadvantageous insulation value and the high cost price. Indeed in a frame according to the invention, the inner and outer shells can have different finishes and the inner and outer shells are highly scratch resistance, more resistant to extreme weather conditions and less sensitive to discolouring or weakening.
Another advantage is that the inner and outer shell can be of a different metal or in a different colour, with a different textured coating or a different finishing coating, which of course benefits the aesthetic character.
In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the composite member does not have a metal reinforcement in the thermal break, as the metal inner and outer shell provide the required strength to the member.
An advantage is that the composite members are suitable for the realisation of large spans.
An additional advantage of the composite members is that they enable the production of a frame that is more waterproof and windproof, and this without having to take additional measures as is the case with conventional aluminium frames. It is then also clear that the composite member according to the invention has the advantages of the known aluminium and PVC members . With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention for the connection of two composite members and of a composite member which is suitable for the application in such a method is described hereinafter by way of an example, without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 schematically shows a window made according to the invention.
figure 2 shows a cross-section according to line II-II of figure 2.
figure 3 shows in perspective a view of two members to be connected.
figures 4 to 7 show successive steps during the implementation of a method according to the invention for the connection of the members used in figures 1 to 3.
Figure 1 schematically shows a window 1, with a fixed frame 2 and a turnable frame 3 in it for a leaf with a sheet of glass.
The fixed frame 2 and the frame 3 of the leaf in this case are made from four composite members, respectively members 4 for the fixed frame and members 5 for the leaf, and which members are joined together at the level of the corners 6. Each aforementioned member 4 and 5 is thereby a composite member, and as is clearly shown in the cross-section of figure 2, is made from an outer shell 7 and an inner shell 8 and a thermal break 9 between the outer shell and inner shell 7-8.
According to the invention the aforementioned outer and inner shell 7-8 are made of metal, preferably aluminium.
The outer and inner shell 7-8 do not necessarily have to be made from the same metal, and can have a different finish, a different colour, different textured coating or such. In the drawings shown, the outer and inner shell 7-8 are shown in their simplest embodiment, in particular primarily as two metal plates 10.
Nevertheless it is also possible for the outer and/or inner shell 7-8 to contain a hollow cylindrical member, whereby if necessary this cylindrical member is subdivided by one or more partitions into a number of outer and/or inner chambers respectively. The aforementioned outer and inner shell 7-8 preferably have a number of raised ribs 13 on their walls 11-12 aligned to one another, which are parallel from the point of view of the longitudinal direction, all such that the raised ribs 13 mark out one or more grooves 14 in which the thermal break 9 can be fitted. In the embodiment of figure 2 three raised ribs 13 are applied to that end on the aforementioned walls 11-12 that define two grooves 14. In the example shown in figure 2, the thermal break 9 has two protruding ribs 15, the dimensions of which are chosen as a function of the aforementioned grooves 14, all such that when the composite member 2 is assembled, the ribs 15 are gripped in the grooves 14 by rolling in to form a strong connection.
According to the invention, the thermal break 9 of the composite member is constructed in the form of one or more members 16 of polyvinylchloride or PVC.
In the example shown, the thermal break 9 of the fixed frame 17 is constructed as an insulating member 16 with two parallel transverse walls 18-19 that are joined together by two connecting walls 20-21 perpendicular to them.
In the insulating member 16 of the fixed frame 17, there are further supplementary walls 22 that run parallel to the aforementioned connecting walls 20-21 and which thus define five chambers 23 in the thermal break 9, whereby both the strength and insulating capacity of this insulating member 16 are strongly improved.
Although the use of such a multichamber member 16 in the thermal break 9 has important advantages, it is not excluded that the hollow space of the insulating member 16 is not subdivided. In contrast to the known PVC frames, the composite member 2 in the example shown only contains metal in the form of the aforementioned metal inner and outer shell 7-8, which ensures sufficient strength and consequently no metal reinforcements have to be provided in the thermal break 9.
In the embodiment shown, the transverse walls 20-21 of the connecting member have one or more mushroom-shaped projections 24, with which extra facilities can be fitted in the fixed frame 17, but these forms are not required for the application of the invention.
Analogously the thermal break 9 of the leaf 25 is built up from an insulating member 26, that is also subdivided into a number of intermediate ^ chambers 23.
The method according to the invention for the connection of composite members 4 and 5 is very simple and is illustrated in figures 3 to 7 for connecting two members 4 of the fixed frame 2 at a right angle.
In a first step the members 4 to be joined can be cut to size and sawn with a suitable mitre, as shown in figures 3 and 4.
In practice, for the realisation of an L-shaped corner connection in a frame 1, the ends 27-28 of the members 4 are sawn at an angle of 45°. Then on the ends 27-28 of the members to be joined material can be removed from the outer and inner shell 7-8, such that the thermal break 9 protrudes over a certain length L with respect to the edges 29-30 of the metal outer and inner shell 7-8.
In the most practical embodiment, the thermal break 9 has to project over a length L of around 3 millimetres with respect to the edge 29-30 of the outer and inner shell 7-8 and the material is removed by means of a milling operation.
In a subsequent step the ends to be joined 27-28 are positioned opposite one another, as shown in figure 4.
According to the invention the connection between the composite members 4 is realised by means of a welded joint in the thermal break 9. In the most practical embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned connection between the composite members 4 only consists of the welded joint in the thermal break 9 and the outer and inner shell 7-8 do not have to be joined together in any way.
In a practical embodiment of the invention, a mirror welded joint is applied in the thermal break 9, preferably by means of a mirror welding machine, as is known, for example for welding PVC members . Hereby, the ends 27-28 to be connected can be clamped in this machine, after which to join these ends 27-28 a welding mirror 31 can be fitted between the ends 27-28 that heats and melts . the projecting parts 32-33 of the thermal break 9.
Preferably the welding mirror 31 is heated to a temperature of about 230° Celsius. Once the PVC in the ends 27-28 to be joined has melted sufficiently, the welding mirror 31 can be removed, after which the ends 27-28 to be joined are pushed together until the edges 29-30 of the metal outer and inner shells 7-8 of both members 4-4 come together, after which the molten PVC can be allowed to harden.
For the realisation of the welded joint, it is advantageous to use a mirror welding machine in which the welding mirror 31 has a Teflon coat, so that the molten PVC cannot stick to the welding mirror 31 and the machine is available again for a subsequent welding operation without extra maintenance .
In the most practical embodiment of the invention no additional steps are required to finish the member, which also means that the connection between the members 4 only consists of the aforementioned mirror welded joint in the thermal break 9, all such that the milled edges 29-30 of the metal outer and inner shells 7-8 fit together. Although in the embodiment of the invention described as an example, the thermal break 9 consists of one insulating member, it is of course not excluded that a number of insulating members are used.
For example, it is possible to replace the insulating member shown with two I-shaped members, the ends of which are clasped in the grooves 14 of the outer and inner shell 7-8. It is thereby not excluded to put transverse ribs on these I-shaped members in order to restrict the heat transfer between the outer and inner shell 7-8.
Although only an L-shaped corner connection was shown between the members 2-3 in the foregoing description and drawings, the invention is also suitable for the realisation of other corner connections between members at an arbitrary angle between 0° and 360°.
A man skilled in the art will also understand that the aforementioned composite members are not only limited to application in the joinery with a fixed frame with a turnable leaf, but that they can also be applied in sliding windows, sliding doors or similar. It is also clear that the welded joint does not necessarily have to be realised by mirror welding, but that alternative welding machines and welding methods, such as electrowelding, can also be used. In other variants of the method according to the invention, depending on the dimensions of the member, it is possible for an additional extra clamping piece or gluing piece to be fitted after the welded joint has been realised. The provision of a supplementary clamping piece or supplementary gluing piece is however incidental with respect to the welded joint described earlier, and does not have any effect on the waterproofing and/or windproofing and/or insulation of the joint.
The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments, described as an example and illustrated in the drawings, but such a method for the connection of members can be realised in different variants, without departing from the scope of the invention.