EP0001530B1 - Device for affixing connecting tabs on panels such as glass panes - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for laying on the edge of a panel, such as glazing, a U-shaped jumper provided with a self-adhesive semi-rigid envelope, and preformed with an opening such that it s 'engages freely on the edge of the panel.

In a previous French patent application FR-A-2 355 986 filed on June 24, 1976, and published on January 20, 1978, that is to say after the priority date of October 10, 1977, claimed by this application European patent, the Applicant has described leaves comprising a glazed part formed by a single or multiple glazing bearing, fixed immovably on its edges, thin preformed parts with U profile, called "jumpers", arranged astride its edge, the wings of which, projecting from the external faces of the glazing, are glued to the latter, and the base of which, which bears against the edge of the glazing, carries removable fixing means, this glazed part being susceptible to receive, for example, a light frame.

To make the most of these jumpers, according to said patent application, it is recommended to use for their fixing to the glazing, flexible, elastic adhesives, of the polysulfide type, injected between jumper and glazing, below one at least the rider's wings. To facilitate the injection of the flexible glue, said request has proposed to coat the rider with a semi-rigid envelope conforming to its external surface and extending considerably over its periphery: thus, the assembly formed by the rider coated with the envelope being placed on the edge of the glazing, one can, by sticking the projecting part of the envelope on the external faces and the edge of the glazing, constitute between the rider and the glazing a sealed space into which the glue is injected under pressure.

Envelopes advantageously used for the implementation of this process, which for simplification will be designated below by the term of labels, consist of a preformed sheet of plastic material and carry a layer of adhesive making them self - tights to facilitate their installation on the rider.

One of the problems posed by this process however lies in obtaining, in a manner that is simple, rapid and precise, the positioning of the jumper and its envelope on the panels, according to a predetermined arrangement. Responding to this objective, the invention proposes a device which is simple to design and easy to use, even on a site, and of low cost price.

We already know, from DE-B-2,241,545 and its Figures 2 to 5, a device for placing on the edges of a double glazing strip of section somewhat similar to that of the jumpers of the request, the fixing said strips being simply obtained by the pinching exerted by their wings on the outer faces of the glazing, in the manner of a crimper. The device described by this patent essentially comprises spacer wedges capable of moving away from one another to open the wings of the strip, while applying it against a stop, until the glazing can be introduced. between the said wings and that its song is supported on the bottom of the strip and thus maintains the latter against the stop. A backward movement of the corners relative to the stopper and to the strip itself, makes it possible to release the wings which thus pinch the glazing in their final position.

The use of such a device proves to be impossible for the installation of the jumpers to which the present invention applies, in particular for the reason that these jumpers are preformed to an opening greater than the thickness of the panel that they are intended for. to equip. Therefore, in fact, the maintenance in position of the rider on the edge of the panel cannot be guaranteed nor during the recoil movement of the corners, which it is necessary to have completely cleared outside the area of influence of the part of the envelope projecting from the rider's wings in order to be able to bond said part to the external faces of the panel, or especially during the operation aimed at obtaining said bonding.

To solve this problem, the device according to the invention comprises a fixed frame, a clamp secured to said frame and capable, by tightening, of holding it in position relative to the panel by means of a deformable double parallelogram mechanism ensuring its leveling with respect to the thickness of the panel, a support for the rider carrying his envelope, provided with displacement means bringing it on the edge of the panel with reference to the fixed frame and means for pressing the envelope acting in cooperation with the support.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the positioning tool defined above, said displacement means and said pressing means are linked together by coupling means allowing a single motor member, during a continuous movement, to cause the successive exercise of their two functions.

According to a characteristic of this invention, the clamping of the clamp is ensured by a control system actuated by a handle or the like, and which comprises upper and lower lateral beams carrying at one of their respective ends the jaws of said clamp and , between these lower and upper beams, a deformable double parallelogram produced by an assembly of inverted coupled rods transmitting the movement from one parallelogram to the other, in order to bring the jaws closer to each other, a tension spring ensuring the return of the system to the open position of the clamp jaws. Preferably, the movement of the gripper jaws is controlled by the handle or the like, using eccentrics acting on the upper side members by means of leaf springs mounted on these side members.

According to the invention, the rider support consists of a plate provided with centering pins for the rider and its envelope, this plate provided with magnets to hold the rider being mounted at the end of rods, recalled by springs, sliding inside bearings integral with the frame of the installation tool, under the action of a pusher, for example with manual control, to bring the rider provided with its self-adhesive envelope on the edge of the panel.

According to another characteristic of this invention, the bonding of the projecting part of the envelope on the external faces and the edge of the panel is carried out using pressure rollers, secured to articulated rods relative to a movable bearing sliding on the rods of the means ensuring the displacement of the rider support, mounted on the pusher, the latter comprising a return spring which is calibrated harder than the return springs of the rider support rods, so that the pressure rollers are actuated only after positioning the rider and his envelope on the edge of the panel.

According to the invention, retractable centering means are provided, making it possible to position the positioning tool, relative to one or the other of the lateral edges of the panel. These means may consist of two spring stops, mounted at the end of fixed arms provided on either side of the frame, these spring stops coming to bear on the side edges of the panel.

According to the invention, this lateral positioning of the tool can also be obtained using a centering template, consisting of a bench, held on the panel by means of adjustable stops, and a certain number of centering nuts displaceable along said bench, these nuts being provided with means making it possible to fix them along the bench at any predetermined location. To cooperate with this template, the fitting tool includes a spring stop mounted on a fixed cross member, at the front of the frame, this stop being fitted into a housing provided for this purpose on the centering nuts of the template .

• - la Figure 1 est une vue en élévation d'une partie du l'outil de pose représenté après serrage de la pince sur le panneau et après mise en place du cavalier et collage de l'enveloppe de ce dernier,
• .- la Figure 2 est une vue en élévation et coupe partielle selon 2-2 de la Figure 3, représentant l'outil de pose après serrage de la pince sur le panneau, mais avant mise en place du cavalier et son enveloppe sur son chant,
• - la Figure 3 est une coupe partielle de la Figure 2,
• - la Figure 4 est une vue partielle, en coupe selon 4-4 de la Figure 3, d'un détail du dispositif, et,
• - la Figure 5 représente, en perspective, le gabarit de centrage du dispositif en place sur un panneau.

Other characteristics and advantages of this invention will emerge from the description below, which relates to an exemplary embodiment given without limitation. In the course of this description, reference is made to the appended drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 is an elevation view of part of the installation tool shown after tightening the clamp on the panel and after placing the jumper and gluing the latter's envelope,
• .- Figure 2 is an elevational view and partial section on 2-2 of Figure 3, representing the installation tool after tightening the clamp on the panel, but before placing the rider and his envelope on its edge ,
• - Figure 3 is a partial section of Figure 2,
• FIG. 4 is a partial view, in section along 4-4 of FIG. 3, of a detail of the device, and,
• - Figure 5 shows, in perspective, the centering template of the device in place on a panel.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 to 3, it can be seen that the device according to the invention is in the form of a tool comprising a frame 10 which can be held firmly in the hand by a handle 12. We have shown in 14 the panel to be provided with jumpers 16, previously provided with envelopes 18. With regard to the design of these jumpers and their envelopes, reference will be made to French patent FR-A-2,355,986 mentioned above. It will simply be noted that the rider 16 has a U-shaped profile, and that its envelope 18, which is semi-rigid, must, after positioning the rider on the edge of the panel, marry the outer surface of the rider and notably extend beyond its periphery. Before this installation, the envelope has the shape shown in Figure 2, that is to say that its wings are not folded against the corresponding wings of the rider.

The tool thus represented is designed to be applied on the edge of the panel 14. For this purpose, it comprises a double clamp 20-20 ′, each elementary clamp of which comprises a lower jaw 22 and an upper jaw 24, between which the edge of the panel is clamped, as can be seen in Figure 2. To prevent damage to the panel surfaces, each jaw is lined with a flexible material, such as an elastomer. To obtain a precise positioning of the tool relative to the edge of the panel, one of the jaws of each clamp - in this example, the jaw 24 - has a stop 26, on which the edge of the panel comes to bear when the installation of the tool. This stop 26 is also provided with a lining of the same kind as the lining of the jaws 22 and 24.

We will now describe the mechanism for controlling the double clamp 20-20 ', to ensure the clamping of the jaws 22-24 on the panel 14.

For this purpose, reference is made to FIG. 1, which is a partial view of the tool representing the mechanism for controlling the jaws.

Each jaw 22-24 is mounted at the end of a beam, respectively upper spar 28 and lower 30. Between these spars is mounted a deformable double parallelogram, constituted by inverted links 32-32 ', 34-34' and 36-36 ', transmitting the movements from one parallelogram to the other. On each side of the frame, there is therefore an identical double parallelogram, simultaneously actuating the elements 20-20 'of the double clamp (Figure 3).

As can be seen in Figure 1, the links 32-32 'are articulated, on the one hand one on the other, by an axis 33 journalling in a fixed block 42 of the frame, and, on the other hand , on the side rails, respectively 28 and 30. The rods 34-34 'are articulated in the same way, that is to say, on the one hand to one another by an axis 35 journalling in the block fixed 42, and, on the other hand, on the longitudinal members 28 and 30. Finally, the links 36-36 'are articulated, at one end, on the respective ends of the longitudinal members 28, 30, opposite the jaws 22-24 and they are articulated, at their other end, on a common axis 38, not rigidly connected to the frame, but, preferably, guided in a groove located in the same plane as the axes 33 and 35. Thanks to this mechanism, it is understood that any movement from the upper beam 28 is transmitted to the lower beam 30 by the various rods, constantly imposing on it a symmetrical position relative to the plane containing the axes 33, 3 5 and 38.

On each side of the tool, a tension spring 40 is provided, between the joints 33 and 38, ensuring the return of the mechanism described above. The latter, in the embodiment chosen here, is actuated by eccentrics 44 rotating around an axis 46, which pivots at the upper part of the fixed block 42 under the control of a lever 48 provided with a handle. The eccentrics 44 act on the upper longitudinal members 28 by means of leaf springs such as 50, mounted respectively on each of these longitudinal members. The use of such leaf springs makes it possible to compensate for the thickness tolerances of the panel 14 and of the operation of the clamps 20-20 '.

Before describing the operation of this first part of the device of the invention, the means provided for precisely positioning the positioning tool relative to the edge of the panel will be described. This precise lateral positioning is of great importance, given that the riders, provided with their self-adhesive envelopes, to fulfill their subsequent role, must be placed in a rigorous arrangement, previously determined.

As indicated above, this lateral positioning is carried out using a centering template. The latter has been represented in FIG. 5. It essentially consists of a bench constituted by a rigid rod 52 held on the panel 14, on the one hand by a fize stop 54 bearing on an edge of the panel (14) and by movable stops 56 bearing all along the edge of the panel (14) to be fitted with a jumper (16), and, on the other hand, by a suction plate 58 coming to be fixed on the surface of the panel. This bench 52 also comprises a certain number of centering nuts such as 60, which can be moved along the bench 52, and which are provided with means ensuring their fixing in any desired location along the rod 52. Each nut 60 has a housing 62 in the form of a slot. In this housing is embedded a stop 66 (Figure 3), provided on a fixed crosspiece 64 integral with the frame.

• L'utilisateur commence par mettre en place les noix de centrage 60 sur le gabarit de centrage, en tenant compte de l'emplacement devant être assigné aux cavaliers à fixer. Ensuite, pour la pose de chaque cavalier, il lui suffit d'engager la butée à ressort 66 dans le logement 62 de la noix 60 correspondant à l'emplacement du cavalier à poser, et de l'y maintenir fermement pendant l'opération de mise en place de l'outil sur la tranche du panneau 14. On décrira maintenant cette opération en regard de la Figure 1.

The operation is therefore as follows:

• The user begins by installing the centering nuts 60 on the centering template, taking into account the location to be assigned to the jumpers to be fixed. Then, for the installation of each jumper, it suffices to engage the spring stop 66 in the housing 62 of the nut 60 corresponding to the location of the jumper to be placed, and to hold it firmly there during the operation of placing the tool on the edge of the panel 14. We will now describe this operation with reference to Figure 1.

While maintaining, using the handle 12, the setting tool in the position assigned by the centering template, the user operates the lever 48 in the direction of the arrow f. During this movement, the eccentrics 44, by rotating around the axis 46, compress the springs 50, which tends to move the upper side members 28. As seen above, the double mechanism deformable parallelogram constituted 'by the rods 32-32', 34-34 'and 36-36' causes a symmetrical movement of the lower beams 30. This results in a reconciliation of the jaws 22-24, which come tighten on the edge of the panel 14, the leaf springs 50 ensuring compensation for the thickness tolerances of the panel.

At this stage of operation of the tool, the latter is therefore held by the double clamp 20-20 ', at a determined location on the panel. The following operation will consist in placing the jumper 16, provided with its self-adhesive envelope 18. We will now describe the means provided by the invention for carrying out this operation.

It was specified above, that these means are designed and produced with a view to carrying out, as a first step, the laying, on the edge of the panel, of the rider provided with its envelope, then, in a second step, the bonding of the projecting part of this envelope on the external faces and on the edge of the panel.

The rider and its envelope are placed on a support, produced here in the form of a plate 68 provided with one or more centering pins, such as 70, and magnets, such as 72, holding the rider 16 on its support (Figure 3). The support plate 68 is mounted at the end of rods 74-74 ', which can slide inside the housings in the fixed block 42 under the action of a pusher, designated as a whole by the reference 76. This pusher, which constitutes a coupling means between the means for placing the jumper and the means for bonding the envelope , as it ensures the succession, according to the chronology indicated above, of the realization of the two functions aimed by these means, comprises, in the embodiment described, a movable block 78, on which the ends are fixed rods 74-74, return springs 80-80 ', interposed between the movable block 78 and the fixed block 42, a rod 82 capable of sliding in the movable block 78 by action on the button 84, a compression spring 86 mounted between the base of a cover 88, integral with the movable block 78, and an adjustment ring 90, held by a pin or the like on the rod 82. A knurled nut 92 makes it possible to adjust the setting of the spring 86. According to the invention, the latter is tared harder than the springs 80-80 'of the rods 74-74', so that q u 'during the first stage of operation described below, the movable block 78, the spring 86 and the rod 82 cooperating in the pusher 76 behave like a one-piece element.

At the end of the rod 82 of the pusher 76 is mounted a movable bearing 94, which can slide on the rods 74-74 '. On this movable bearing 94 are articulated rods 96-98, subjected to the action of the pressure means, produced here in the form of a spring 102. At the ends of these rods opposite the articulations on the movable bearing 94, are mounted pressure rollers 100-100 ', provided with a coating of a flexible and elastic material, such as rubber for example. As will be seen below, these pressure rollers are actuated by the rod 82 of the pusher and the spring 102.

• Après mise en place de l'outil sur la tranche du panneau et le serrage de la double pince 20-20', comme décrit plus haut, l'utilisateur appuie sur le bouton 84 du poussoir 76. Le ressort 86 ayant été préalablement taré plus dur que les ressorts de rappel 80-80', en un premier temps, il ne va pas subir de comression et la partie du poussoir 76 constituée par la tige 82 et le bloc mobile 78 va se comporter comme une pièce monobloc dont les composants ne subissent aucun mouvement relatif les uns par rapport aux autres. Il en résulte qu'en repoussant le bouton 84, on commence par déplacer le bloc mobile 78 et à faire coulisser dans le bloc fixe 42 les tiges 74 et 74', tout en comprimant les ressorts de rappel 80-80'. Au cours de ce mouvement, les tiges 74-74' viennent appliquer le cavalier 16, portant son enveloppe 18, en place sur le support 68, sur le chant du panneau (14), ce qui assure la mise en place du cavalier à l'emplacement précédemment déterminé. On notera qu'au cours du déplacement des tiges 74-74' et de la plaque support 68, les rouleaux presseurs 100-100' se sont également déplacés de la même quantité, en raison de la présence de bagues d'arrêt 104-104' goupillées sur les tiges 74 et 74' et entrainant avec celles-ci le palier mobile 94, portant les biellettes d'articulation des rouleaux presseurs.

The operation of this device is as follows:

• After placing the tool on the edge of the panel and tightening the double clamp 20-20 ', as described above, the user presses the button 84 of the push button 76. The spring 86 having been previously calibrated more hard as the return springs 80-80 ', at first, it will not undergo compression and the part of the pusher 76 formed by the rod 82 and the movable block 78 will behave like a single piece whose components do not undergo no relative movement with respect to each other. It follows that by pushing the button 84, we start by moving the movable block 78 and sliding in the fixed block 42 the rods 74 and 74 ', while compressing the return springs 80-80'. During this movement, the rods 74-74 'apply the rider 16, carrying its casing 18, in place on the support 68, on the edge of the panel (14), which ensures the establishment of the rider to the previously determined location. Note that during the displacement of the rods 74-74 'and the support plate 68, the pressure rollers 100-100' also moved by the same amount, due to the presence of stop rings 104-104 'pinned on the rods 74 and 74' and driving with them the movable bearing 94, carrying the articulation rods of the pressure rollers.

When the jumper (16) is in place on the edge of the panel (14), the rods 74-74 'can no longer move in the fixed guide block 42. The user, continuing to press the button 84 of the push, force, against the spring 86, the rod 82 to move in the movable block 78. This results in a translation of the movable bearing 94 along the rods 74-74 ', which are fixed at this time. During this translation, the pressure rollers 100-100 ', integral with the rods 96-98, respectively, are applied to the edges of the envelope 18 of the rider, and, continuing to move, relative to this rider ( 16), along the edges of its envelope, they bond the projecting part of this envelope on the external faces and on the edge of the panel 14 (Figure 1).

It only remains for the user to release his pressure on the button 84 so that successively, and in reverse order, each moving part returns to its initial position, then to operate the lever 48 to loosen the double clamp 20- 20 ′, in order to release the spring stop 86 from the housing 62 of the nut 60, and to repeat the entire sequence of these operations by referring to the nut corresponding to the next jumper.

In some cases, it may be necessary to position the installation tool relative to the side edges of the panel, that is to say the edges perpendicular to the edge of the panel to receive the jumper. For this purpose, we use (Figures 3 and 4) retractable stops 105-105 'springs placed on each side of the tool, and which include shims 106-106' coming to bear on the edges of the panel. These stops can be retracted, by simple rotation of 180 °, from their support rod (Figure 4). They are held in position by a pin such as 108, which fits into a slot in their support 110. The wedges 106-106 'will preferably be made of a flexible and elastic material, such as rubber for example. .

• - une mise en place rapide de l'outil de pose sur la tranche du panneau,
• - une très bonne précision du positionnement latéral et du centrage par rapport à l'épaisseur du panneau,
• - une très bonne régularité de l'étanchéité du collage de l'enveloppe du cavalier sur toute sa périphérie,
• - une bonne maniabilité permettant même sur le chantier une pose aisée des cavaliers et de leurs enveloppes.

Among the advantages provided by the device of the invention, there may be mentioned in particular:

• - rapid installation of the installation tool on the edge of the panel,
• - very good accuracy in lateral positioning and centering in relation to the thickness of the panel,
• - very good regularity of the sealing of the bonding of the rider's envelope over its entire periphery,
• - good maneuverability allowing even on site easy installation of riders and their envelopes.

It remains to be understood that this invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown here, but that it encompasses all the variants defined by the content of the claims determining the scope of protection. Similarly, the application given here is only a non-limiting example.

Claims (13)

1. Device for mounting on the edge of a panel (14), such as a window pane, a rider (16), provided with a semi-rigid self-adhesive envelope (18) extending especially on its periphery and preformed with an opening such that it freely engages the edge of the panel (14), characterised in that it comprises: a) a body (10), b) a clamp (20-20') integral with the said body (10) and capable, by tightening, of holding it in position relative to the panel ( 14), by means of a mechanism comprising a deformable double parallelogram (28, 30, 32, 32', 34, 34', 36, 36', 33, 35, 38) effecting its levelling with respect to the thickness of the panel, c) a support (68, 70, 72) for the rider carrying its envelope, provided with displacement means (74-74', 78) leading it onto the edge of the panel (14) relative to the body (10) and d) means for pressing the envelope (100-100', 102, 96-98, 94, 74-74') acting in cooperation with the support (68, 70, 72).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that said displacement means and said means for pressing are connected to each other by coupling means (80-80', 86, 78, 90, 92) allowing a single motor member (82, 84) in continuous movement to cause successive exercise of their two functions.

3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the tightening of said clamp (20-20') is carried out by a drive system activated by a handle (48) or like device, and which comprises upper (28) and lower (30) lateral members carrying at one of their respective ends, jaws (22, 24) of said clamp, and, between these upper and lower members, said deformable double parallelogram formed by an assembly of inversely coupled rods (32, 32', 34, 34', 36, 36') transmitting movement from one parallelogram to the other in order to cause the jaws to approach each other, a traction spring (40) ensuring return of the system towards the open position of the jaws.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that the driving of the movement of the jaws (22, 24) of said clamp (20, 20') by said handle (48) or similar member is carried out by means of eccentrics (44) acting on the upper members (28) by means of leaf springs (50). mounted on these members (28).

5. Device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterised in that at least one of said jaws (22, 24) of the clamp (20, 20') comprises an abutment (26) on which abuts the edge of the panel during positioning of the body (10) with respect to the panel (14).

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the support for the rider is formed of a plate (68) provided with centering pins (70) for the rider and its envelope, this plate being provided with magnets (72) to hold the rider in position.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the support for the rider is mounted at the end of rods (74-74') subject to return action by springs (80-80') and sliding inside bearings provided in a fixed block (42) integral with the body (10) under the action of a push member (76) in order to bring the rider (16), provided with its self-adhesive envelope (18) onto the edge of the panel (14).

8. Device according to Claim 7, characterised in that the adhesion of the part of the envelope extending over the external surfaces and the edge of the panel (14) is effected by means of press rollers (100-100'), integral with rods (96-98) articulated with respect to a moveable bearing (94) sliding on the rods (74-74') of the means effecting displacement of the support of the rider, this moveable bearing being mounted on the push member (76) which comprises an adjustable return spring (86) which is set stronger than the return springs (80-80') of the support rods of the rider, so that the press rollers are only activated after positioning of the rider (16) and its envelope on the edge of the panel (14).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that said rollers (100-100') are provided with a flexible elastic covering, such as rubber.

10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that it comprises in addition retractable centering means cooperating with the body (10) allowing the latter to be positioned with respect to one or the other of the lateral edges of the panel (14).

11. Device according to claim 10, characterised in that said retractable centering means consist of two abutments (105-105') having springs, mounted at the end of fixed arms provided on either side of the body (10), these spring abutments coming to make contact with the lateral edges of the panel (14).

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that it comprises further a centering jig formed of a bed (52) maintained on the panel (14) parallel to that of its edges to be provided with riders (16), provided with moveable abutments (56) and a certain number of centering blocks (60) displaceable along said bed (52), these blocks (60) being provided with means allowing them to be fixed along the bed (52) at any predetermined position, conjugate means being provided on the body (10) and on the centering block (60) for the lateral positioning of the body (10) with respect to said centering jig.

13. Device according to claim 12, characterised in that the conjugate means provided for the lateral positioning of the body (10) with respect to the centering jig are formed on the one hand of a spring abutment (66) mounted on a fixed traverse member (64), at the front of the body (10), and on the other hand of a mounting (62) in the shape of a slot provided on each of the centering blocks (60) of said jig, said abutment (66) being capable of being mounted in said mounting (62).

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