Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Composite prefabricated panel including adjunctive means – Sandwich or hollow with sheet-like facing members
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-13
2001-04-17
Callo, Laura A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Composite prefabricated panel including adjunctive means
Sandwich or hollow with sheet-like facing members
C052S786130, C052S788100, C052S800140, C052S208000, C428S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216417
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a glazed element having a high insulating power provided with a plastic profile, especially intended to be fastened to a bearing structure.
It relates more particularly to the fastening of a glazed element having a high insulating power to a bearing structure by means of a technique consisting of fastening the glazed elements via its perimeter using a peripheral plastic frame.
2. Discussion of the Background
The description will be given with reference to the process for depositing a peripheral plastic frame using the techniques of deposition by injection molding, but the invention is not limited to this type of deposition.
In general, the glazed elements thus fastened are monolithic glazing assemblies or laminated glazing assemblies. In fact, such glazing assemblies, because of their structure and their mechanical behavior, may easily be provided with profiles around their periphery. The usual techniques of depositing a plastic profile on monolithic or laminated glazing assemblies by injection molding have been extensively described in many documents. These techniques form the subject of a great deal of research and of many improvements. At the present time, they are well controlled and widely used. However, these types of glazing assemblies do not meet the criteria of acoustic and thermal comfort which are desired in recent constructions.
In order to achieve thermal and/or acoustic insulation, it is usual to produce insulating glazing assemblies consisting of two substrates separated from each other by a relatively large air cavity, the sealing of which is provided in a known manner by a peripheral seal, and are supported by a frame which will be called hereinafter the supporting frame.
Each of the substrates may be a single plate of glass or may have a laminated structure. However, it should be noted that the usual techniques for depositing a peripheral plastic frame cause certain problems. This is because such insulating glazing assemblies have not been designed to withstand high peripheral pressures, because of the nature of the peripheral seals. The application of high pressures such as, for example, those necessary in the thermoplastic injection molding technique, would cause the peripheral seal to be crushed and, as a consequence, would therefore cause peripheral deformation of the glass sheets making up the insulating glazing panel. This deformation embrittling the insulating glazing panel and possibly even causing it to shatter.
Techniques for depositing a peripheral frame on insulating glazing assemblies are known. European patent EP-B-236,211 describes a glazing assembly consisting of two glass sheets separated by a dehydrated air cavity. The peripheral seal is obtained by in situ reactive injection molding under high pressure. A device which includes traction means has been proposed for producing this glazing assembly. These means pressing each glass sheet of the glazing assembly against a wall of the mold during the molding operation. In this way, the peripheral seal is prevented from being crushed.
It is, therefore, necessary to adapt the usual deposition techniques when these are applied to insulating glazing assemblies, thereby, considerably, increasing the cost of the glazing assembly.
Moreover, the usual insulating glazing assemblies provide a level of thermal insulation which is deemed to be unsatisfactory for some applications. In order to remedy this, it is known to produce glazing assemblies which comprise three sheets of glass and in which one of the air cavities can be replaced by a cavity filled with a gas such as krypton. These glazing assemblies have markedly improved insulation properties, but their structure and mechanical behavior are such that it is not easy for them to be used, in particular, in arrangements of the structural glazing type.
The aim of the invention is to produce an insulating glazing assembly provided with a peripheral plastic frame which obviates the various drawbacks mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject of the invention is thus a glazed element having a high insulating power, composed of at least two glass sheets between which a vacuum has been created. The glass sheets being separated from each other by mounts distributed over the entire surface and being joined together around their periphery by an inorganic seal. The glazed element being such that at least part of its external surface is covered by at least one plastic profile and, preferably, at least part of its periphery is likewise covered on at least one of its faces.
Patent Application EP-A-0,645,516 describes an insulating glazing assembly composed of two glass sheets separated from each other by a small gap in which a vacuum has been created. The glass sheets are separated from each other by mounts distributed over the entire surface and are joined together around their peripheries by an inorganic seal. The structure of such a glazing assembly has the advantage of giving it rigidity and strength, which are equivalent to those of a monolithic glazing assembly having a thickness equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the glass sheets, i.e. the glass sheets behave as a single sheet whose thickness is the sum of the two. Advantageously, this type of glazing assembly has a small thickness for markedly improved thermal insulation properties. In this way, the glazed element having a high insulating power, because of its mechanical behavior, does not require supporting frames, unlike the usual insulating glazing assemblies. Thus, the fastening of such glazed elements may be carried out by means of plastic profiles positioned around the periphery on at least one face of the glazed element, without any risk of damaging the glazed element, in particular the peripheral seal.
According to variants of the invention, the plastic profile also covers the thin edge and/or both faces of the glazed element. In this way, the contact area between the glazed element and the plastic profile is greater and the glazed element can be held in place mechanically and/or by adhesive bonding.
According to another embodiment, the plastic profile covers the entire periphery of the element. Advantageously, this arrangement of the plastic profile makes it much easier to perform the on-site handling, transporting and fitting operations. This is because this arrangement provides better protection of the glazing assembly and more particularly of its edges, and, in particular, allows the possibility of stacking the glazing assemblies one on top of the other without having to insert spacers, the glazed surfaces not being in contact with one another because of the extra thickness of the profiles.
To this protective aspect may be added an aesthetic aspect. The external part of the plastic profile masking its own internal part and the peripheral seal of the glazed element and possibly being either colored or painted in order to match it to the bearing structure to which the glazed element is intended to be fastened.
According to one variant of the invention, the plastic profile is an overmolded profile obtained by thermoplastic injection molding or by reactive injection molding. The technique of injection overmolding a surround on the perimeter of a monolithic or laminated glazing assembly has been described in many documents, for instance in Patents EP-B-127,546 and EP-B-145,443. The inventors have demonstrated that the application of such injection overmolding techniques on glazed elements according to the invention makes it possible to produce plastic profiles without any risk of damaging or shattering the glazed element. Since the mechanical strength of these glazed elements is equivalent to that of monolithic elements, it is possible to apply high pressures to the edges of the glazed element, unlike the usual insulating glazing assemblies. Advantageously, this injection overmolding technique is employed when the plastic profile covers at least one face and the thin edge of the glazed element.
According to ano
Demars Yves M.
Morin Claude M.
Callo Laura A.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Saint-Gobain Vitrage
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