EP0131279A2 - Production method for a thermally insulating body - Google Patents

Abstract

The profile body, in particular for use in window or door frames, comprises two metal profile rails preferably having undercut grooves, and a bridge consisting of thermally insulating material which interconnects the latter and engages in the grooves, at least part of the thermally insulating material being activatable by the supply of heat, for the purpose of positive matching with the profile rails or formation of an adhesive bond with the profile rails. The invention also aims to reduce the amount of time and work required for the production of the profile body and to provide a connection or anchoring between the metal profile rails and the bridge which is satisfactory for the individual application. This is achieved in that aluminium profile rails (1, 2) are used and in that the thermally insulating material is inserted between the aluminium profile rails (1, 2) before these rails (1, 2) are hardened or are heated due to another production measure, for example surface coating or finishing, or before a separate heat treatment, and the heat treatment which is required for the hardening or the further production measure, or separate heat treatment, is used for the activation. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a heat-insulating profile body, in particular for use in window or door frames, in which metal profile rails provided with preferably undercut grooves are arranged at a distance from one another and are connected to one another by a bridge consisting of heat-insulating material which engages in the preferably undercut grooves , wherein at least part of the heat-insulating material can be activated by heat for the purpose of positive adaptation to the profile rails or formation of an adhesive connection with the profile rails.

A heat-insulating profile body and a method for its production are known (DE-C-20 27 937 and DE-C-21 31 721 of the applicant) in which the bridge, which is made of heat-insulating material, is formed by profiled insulating strips, which at its end regions edge folds are inserted into the undercut grooves. The insulating strips form a cavity with the metal profile rails, which is filled with a heat-insulating filling compound. In order to be able to push long profile bodies together, the edge folds in the undercut grooves should have as much play as possible. On the other hand, however, this requires stabilization of the pushed-together elements. The stabilization takes place by introducing an expanding filling compound into the cavity.

It has already been proposed to use a preliminary product for the filling compound which is activated by the supply of heat, i.e. can cause to increase volume (claim 3 of DE-C-21 31 721).

Also known is a profile body of the type described above, the cavity of which is not filled with an expanding filling compound. Instead, the stabilization should be done by gluing the edge folds of the insulating strips in the preferably undercut grooves of the metal profile rails. For this purpose, a thixotropic adhesive layer is applied to the edge folds. This layer is not sticky under normal conditions. It only becomes deformable under pressure or heat, penetrates into the remaining groove spaces and glues the edge folds to the groove walls. Accordingly, it has already been proposed for this purpose to activate the adhesive layer by applying heat (claim 5 of DE-A-30 02 693 of the applicant).

It is also notoriously known to use aluminum as the material for the metal profile rails. The aluminum profile rails are extruded in aluminum or aluminum alloy presses. Then the profiles are straightened. They will then have their final shape, but not yet their final strength. For this reason, they are placed in a hardening furnace and are hardened warm. The curing takes about 4 to 8 hours at a temperature of 180 to 220 ° (the higher the temperature, the shorter the curing time). During this time, the profiles in the stack lie on a trolley without any movement, deformation, etc. After the curing time, the trolley with the profile stack is moved out of the oven. The profiles cool down and are then ready for use. The surface treatment is then carried out by anodizing, repainting and powder coating as well as further processing.

The invention has for its object to reduce the time and effort involved in the production of heat-insulating profile bodies of the type described in the introduction and to provide a connection or anchoring between the metal profile rails and the bridge which is satisfactory for the respective intended use.

The object is solved by the features of claim 1.

The basic idea of the invention is therefore to use the already occurring hardening operation or another heat treatment to produce the profile body. In contrast to the previously known methods, the composite material should now be introduced into the aluminum profile rails, which have been pressed but not yet hardened or have not yet undergone further heat treatment. The heat is then stored in the hardening furnace or in a heating furnace. Of course, it is also possible to heat the profile body by means of a separate heat treatment. The composite material gains its final shape or final strength or final connection to the aluminum profile through the action of heat and the subsequent cooling.

The invention makes it possible, in particular, to use activatable heat-insulating material which reacts very slowly. It also makes it possible to use materials which can only be activated at relatively high temperatures, ie those which occur in the hardening furnace. The use of such materials on the other hand, especially when these materials in con _- dung be used with insulating strips, the advantage that the prepared barrier ribs can be prepared storable at room temperature and away from the aluminum production. So far, the hardened Aluminum profile rails are transported to a foaming and / or pouring station, in which the liquid foam pre-product was applied to the aluminum profile rails or the insulating strips during assembly, that is to say when pushed together. It is now possible to prepare the insulating strips separately and then to transport them to the place where the profile rails are manufactured, which means simplification for reasons of weight alone. The prepared insulating strips are inserted into the aluminum profile rails at the place of use (aluminum press unit) and the connection is made after the heat treatment has taken place. The insulating strips can be inserted either by hand or by very simple machinery, so that there is therefore no need to set up an extensive mixing and metering device in front of the profile heating furnace. In many cases, this would encounter space problems on the one hand, and organizational problems on the other hand, because a mixing and dosing system (chemistry) does not fit well with the technology of the extrusion plant (metal).

An expedient development of the method according to the invention can consist in that for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material one is used which also hardens due to the heat activation and remains dimensionally stable after further heat effects after activation.

This further process step is therefore to be evaluated in combination with the method according to the invention described above and is particularly useful because the freshly pressed aluminum profile rails are exposed to a temperature treatment for the first time during hardening. It is desirable that the Activate _- bare part of the heat insulating material at other thermal effects, such as in the powder- layering of form stability remains. This is also because the aluminum profile rails are then already hardened and accordingly no longer have to be supported over their entire length - as is the case with hardening - in order to avoid permanent deformation due to sagging. The aluminum profile rails are only partially supported during powder coating and therefore sag. Sagging would not result in permanent deformation for aluminum profile rails without the heat-insulating material that can be activated. if they are all provided with the activatable heat-insulating composite material, this can lead to permanent deformations through softening and subsequent re-hardening. It is therefore particularly advantageous that the activatable, heat-insulating material is connected to the aluminum profile rails before they are hardened, and it is desirable that the material remains dimensionally stable in the hardening furnace after the heat activation.

It is advisable, according to claim 2, for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material a resin, a hardener and preferably also a blowing agent, e.g. Azodicarbonamide, in particular in a proportion of 0.3 to 8, preferably 1 to 5 percent by weight. Due to the expansion, these materials lead to a good form-fitting adaptation to the profile rails, whereby a good connection and strength can also be achieved. In principle, it is possible to use these substances in both liquid and solid form at room temperature. The latter simplifies the handling of the fabrics. Preferably, a thixotropic agent, e.g. finely dispersed silica, in particular with a proportion of 0.5 to 10, preferably 1 to 5 percent by weight, and / or chalk to 3% can be used to improve the introduction behavior.

Furthermore, it is recommended to use the substances contained in claims 3 to 6, which have been determined in tests.

Instead of the substances listed, it is possible and advantageous to use other substances for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material which, under the specified conditions, form plastics with a cellular structure, such substances being phenoplasts (phenol-formaldehyde resins), aminoplasts (urea-formaldehyde) and melamine-formaldehyde resins), natural rubber and synthetic rubber. These substances can be adjusted in such a way that they harden or vulcanize under the specified conditions, have at least sufficient adhesion to aluminum and can form a cell structure under the action of a blowing agent.

It is also possible and advantageous to use pre-formulated, self-crosslinking resins, e.g. Use Beckopox EM 504 for the activatable part of the heat insulating material. These substances harden when heat is applied and can therefore be used in the sense of a one-component system.

In the context of the invention, it is also possible to use all customary chemical blowing agents. In addition to azo compounds, e.g. Azodicarbonamide and sulfonyl hydrozides are N-nitroso and thiatriazo compounds.

In the context of the invention, it is advantageous to add at least Tullstoff, preferably as granules, to the adhesive, which is intended for foaming the profile cavity, which preferably consists of non-melting porous parts. eg temperature-resistant rigid foam, foam glass, expanded clay, chalk, light spar and other minor substances. This measure leads to the pre Share that the total filling is cheaper and / or more temperature-resistant and that the mixture in the melting phase does not flow as easily as the adhesive without the addition or additions described above. Therefore, the expanding material does not come out or does not come out so easily from open areas of the adhesive connections or from the open cavity.

The proportion of the filler or fillers is 1 to 20%, preferably 1 to 8%.

The method according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously for producing the profile bodies known per se, which are described in claims 7 to 9.

The method can also be used for the production of a profile body known per se (DE-A-30 16 076 of the applicant), the bridge of which has at least one profiled insulating strip engaging behind the undercut grooves, which is poured into the undercut grooves by pouring a liquid pre-product curable by the supply of heat is formed.

The invention further relates to a profiled insulating strip according to claim 10. The preparation of the insulating strip contained therein not only facilitates the provision, in particular, of the activatable part of the heat-insulating material, but also the handling when assembling the profile body. If activatable material is used in liquid form, it can advantageously be provided by strips, e.g. self-adhesive strips to be closed in the recording room. In contrast, material that can be activated at room temperature does not require a closure, which simplifies preparation.

The features contained in claim 11 lead to a high-strength connection because the hot-melt mass as a non-expanding material has a high strength due to its structure.

The embodiment according to claim 12 enables the insulating strip to be spread at least over part of its cross section.

The profiled insulating strip according to the invention can have an H-profile shape or an X-profile shape and can be provided with edge folds directed outwards on both sides at both end regions. The edge folds serve to engage in the undercut grooves of the aluminum profile rails. If the bar has an H profile, it can be shaped so that its legs converge towards the two end regions. An insulating strip shaped in this way can, on the one hand, be introduced more easily into the undercut grooves of the aluminum profile rails; on the other hand, the gap through which the activatable part of the heat-insulating material could escape becomes very small in this way. When the activatable material expands, the legs are spread apart. The converging legs can also have a "frozen" outward stress that relaxes during heat treatment by bending the legs outward. The gap is widened and the activatable mass can escape.

The spreading or outward bending should preferably take place to such an extent that the legs produce a seal on the longitudinal edges of the groove receiving them.

Another development of the profiled insulating strip with H-profile without converging legs can consist in that at the ends of all four legs inward edge folds are also provided, which also lead to a gap reduction and prevent the activatable mass from escaping.

The profiled insulating strip according to the invention can also have a double-T shape and be completely divided between its two end regions (claim 14).

Another variant can consist in that the profiled insulating strip according to the invention has an I-profile shape and is continuously divided between the two end regions. The activatable mass located in the intermediate space must then be expandable in any case, so that the end regions of the insulating strip are bent apart during activation and engage the undercuts of the grooves in the aluminum profile rails.

According to a further variant, the two parts of the profiled insulating strip can be completely separated from one another and have a greater distance in the middle between the two end regions in order to form an enlarged receiving space for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material than at the end regions.

Another possibility for designing the profiled insulating strip according to the invention can consist in that the dividing gaps at the two end regions are covered with a cover plate or the like, which melts when exposed to heat. The cover plate prevents the activatable mass from escaping from the receiving space, in particular when the activatable mass is liquid.

It is also possible according to claim 16 to apply the activatable material in the form of a coating to the insulating strip, which melts and / or expands during the heat treatment and / or forms a hot-melt adhesive. For this purpose, the insulating strip can be placed in an immersion bath in which the liquid coating composition is located, which then hardens.

The embodiment according to claims 17 and 18 relate to holding the activatable material on the insulating strip and pushing it together into the profile body, so that no subsequent introduction of the activatable material is required. The activatable material in the form of a strip, a strand or a cord can be glued to the insulating strip or melted on the surface by briefly heating the profile surface. In the embodiment according to claim 16, the activatable material can be secured by a cover plate which can be clipped on. This cover plate not only has a holding function, but also a sealing function on the longitudinal edges of the groove receiving the insulating strip and, if appropriate, also the cover plate.

According to claim 19, the cover plate has a permanent or heat-activated voltage, which at least one longitudinal edge tries to bend or curve against the longitudinal edge of the groove. This leads to an improved seal on the longitudinal edge of the groove. If the cover plate is not supported on the insulating strip, for example by a central clip-on device or by a central longitudinal web, which advantageously divides the receiving space for the activatable material, the middle part of the cover plate is pressed against the insulating strip at the same time, so that as a result a warm liquid, activate material is pressed into the grooves. This configuration thus makes it possible to use an activatable material that does not expand or increases to a lesser extent. In any case, the material flow is activated even when using an expanding material.

• Der Isoliersteg wird in H-Profilform oder dergleichen hergestellt. Sodann wird Klebstoff zwischen die Schenkel eingebracht und die Schenkel werden innerhalb der Elastizitätsgrenze zusammengedrückt. Der bei Raumtemperatur feste Klebstoff hält die Teile solange in dieser Stellung, bis er durch Wärmeeinwirkung flüssig wird, so daß die Schenkel ihre ursprüngliche Form einnehmen können.

For an embodiment according to claim 19, there are, for example, the following options:

• The insulating web is produced in an H-profile shape or the like. Then glue is introduced between the legs and the legs are pressed together within the elastic limit. The adhesive, which is solid at room temperature, holds the parts in this position until it becomes liquid when exposed to heat, so that the legs can assume their original shape.

An insulating strip of the corresponding profile is produced in its desired final shape and then the legs are deformed accordingly, with a bending stress being "frozen". When heated, the frozen tension is released and the legs reset.

The insulating strip or the cover plate is covered with a so-called shrink film on the side that will later become concave. This shortens when heated and creates the desired curvature. The shrink film must of course be stretched so that it is shortened in the transverse direction.

The insulating strip or the cover plate is covered at least in places with a transversely extending material with different coefficients of expansion. When heated, the insulating web or the cover plate bends due to the known bi-metal effect.

In an embodiment according to claim 18, a sealing of the groove in the region of its longitudinal edges can also be achieved. Here, however, the cover plate is not curved or bent, but is lifted off the insulating strip.

Through the training according to claims 20 and 22 not only can be achieved enlarged adhesive surfaces, so that a stronger connection can be achieved in this way, but it can also achieve a positive connection when the corrugation or grooving of the opposing surfaces transverse to Longitudinal direction of the insulating strip Profile body is directed. This positive connection contributes to a significant increase in the strength of the connection against longitudinal forces.

The corrugation or grooving, in particular in the insulating strip, can advantageously be used to accommodate the activatable material. A correspondingly prepared insulating strip can be easily manufactured and stored. When using liquid activatable material, this can be closed in the corrugation or in the grooves, e.g. thanks to a warm melting foil. It is advisable to carry out the corrugation or the grooving transversely continuously (continuous grooves), which on the one hand enlarges the receiving spaces and on the other hand promotes the flow of expansion of the activatable material.

The invention further relates to preliminary products for the production of a profile body using the method according to the invention. According to claims 24 and 25, it is the ready-to-use, ready-to-use form containing the activatable material, which is easily attached to the insulating web, eg glued and can be inserted into the profile body with it. When using a material that can be activated at room temperature, the preliminary product can also be inserted independently into the profile body or between the parts to be connected due to the strand shape. Due to the fiber content in the activatable material, not only the consistency and strength of the primary product is increased, but also the strength of the finished profile body.

An advantageous variant can consist in that the part of the heat-insulating material located in the receiving space contains reinforcing and / or absorbent additives such as glass fibers. The glass fibers can be present as a web or strand in the receiving space and can be impregnated with the activatable part of the heat-insulating material which is in liquid form.

The part of the activatable heat-insulating material located in the receiving space can be viscous pasty, powdery or solid. It is also possible that the mass mentioned is liquid, but is microencapsulated in beads which melt under the action of heat. The beads then form a pourable mass.

The method contained in claim 26 is advantageous not only because of its simplicity, but also because of its independence from the shape of the preliminary product.

Further features of the invention will be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing.

• Figur 1 einen Schnitt durch eine erste Ausführungsform eines wärmeisolierenden Profilkörpers mit ausgeschäumten Hohlraum;
• Figur 2 den Profilkörper nach Figur 1 mit in den Hohlraum eingeführten Vorprodukten zum Ausschäumen des Hohlraumes;
• Figuren 3 bis 17 verschiedene Ausführungsformen von Isolierleisten in Verbindung mit einer wärmeaktivierbaren Masse.

Show it:

• Figure 1 shows a section through a first embodiment of a heat-insulating profile body with foamed cavity;
• Figure 2 shows the profile body of Figure 1 with pre-products inserted into the cavity for foaming the cavity;
• Figures 3 to 17 different embodiments of insulating strips in connection with a heat-activated mass.

The heat-insulating profile body shown in FIG. 1 consists of two spaced-apart aluminum profile rails 1, 2, which are provided with undercut grooves 7 on their mutually facing sides. Insulating strips 3, which are preferably made of plastic, engage in the undercut grooves at their end regions with edge folds. The aluminum profile rails 1, 2 and the insulating strips 3 enclose a cavity 5 which is filled with an expanded foam mass 6. The foam mass has also penetrated into the remaining groove spaces. Aluminum bridges 8 are also indicated in dashed lines, with which the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 are initially connected to one another as a preliminary product. These bridges are then removed after the cavity 5 has been filled with foam. The left bridge 8 can be removed, for example, by cutting off or milling off the protruding bumps 10 in the plane 11. The right aluminum bridge 8, which is also removed by milling must have, directed against the insulating strip 3 lugs 12, which are intended to prevent the insulating strip 3 from being excessively bulged by the pressure of the foam filling 6 during the heat treatment. Instead of the lugs 12, a lug 4 can also be provided on the insulating strip, which is directed against the aluminum bridge 8. In the course of the milling of the aluminum bridge 8, the nose 4 can be removed in whole or in part.

The decisive idea of the invention is that the preassembly of the profile body, as shown in FIG. 1, takes place before the hardening of the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 and likewise before the hardening into the cavity 5 a preliminary product that can be activated by supplying heat for the foam filling 6 is introduced. The heat already present when the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 are hardened is then used to activate the preliminary product.

FIG. 2 shows a first possibility for producing the foam filling in the above sense. The two insulating strips 3 are covered here with a felt strip 20 which is impregnated with the foam intermediate and the surface of which is covered by a film 21, e.g. is covered from polyethylene. This cover serves to improve the shelf life. When exposed to heat during the hardening process of the aluminum profile rails, the polyethylene melts (approximately at 100-120 ° C) and the foam can develop and fill the cavity 5 between the two aluminum profile rails 1, 2.

It is also possible to enclose an activatable preliminary product in one or more strips or strands of another cross-sectional shape, for example circular, for which purpose a jacket-like casing likewise made of, for example, polyethylene can serve. The strips or strands can be inserted with the insulating strip (s) 3, to which they can be attached, for example by gluing, or as loose strips or strands.

Figure 3 shows a divided insulating strip 23, the two halves of which are connected to one another by a central web. The insulating strip 23 is H-shaped. The leg ends are provided with outwardly directed edge bends 28 which engage behind the undercuts of the groove 7 on the aluminum profile rails 1, 2. The space between the two halves is filled with an expandable mass 24 next to the central web and with a hot-melt mass 25 next to the end regions. The latter becomes liquid or flowable due to the heat occurring during the hardening of the aluminum profile rails 1, 2, while at the same time the expandable mass 24 increases its volume and thus presses the adhesive into the joints of the undercut grooves 7, where a pressure bond between the insulating strip 23 and the aluminum profile rails takes place. .

Expandable and adhesive mass can possibly also be one and the same, e.g. an epoxy resin that foams in the heat and then hardens.

The central web can be omitted from the profiled insulating strip 23. In this case, the expandable and / or adhesive mass simultaneously creates the connection between the two halves, both before the heat treatment (for inserting the insulating strip into the undercut grooves) and after the heat treatment (to stabilize the shape of the entire profile body).

In order to be able to insert the insulating strip 23 into the undercut grooves 7, the dimension between the hook-shaped groove webs must be larger than that Dimension of the insulating strip. In other words, there must be sufficient tolerance for insertion.

If the two aluminum profile rails 1, 2 are not connected by an aluminum bridge 8 to be milled later, this tolerance can remain. As soon as the expanding mass has expanded, the aluminum profile rails are pressed apart and struck against the groove undercuts, so that there is a seal against the running out of the expandable mass.

• Entweder sind die beiden Teile der Isolierleiste nicht durch einen Mittelsteg bzw. durch X-Form (welche zu der H-Form äquivalent ist) miteinander verbunden. Die expandierende Masse wird dann die beiden Teile auseinanderdrücken und an den gegeneinandergerichteten Enden der hakenförmigen Nutenstege zum Anschlag bringen, wodurch für eine Abdichtung gesorgt ist; oder die vier Schenkel der einstückigen Isolierleiste sind in ihrer Festigkeit bzw. Elastizität auf die Expansionskraft der expandierenden Masse so abgestimmt, daß deren Druck die Schenkel auseinanderbiegt und zum Anschlag an den erwähnten gegeneinander gerichteten Endbereichen der hakenförmigen Nutenstege bringt; oder die Schenkel der Isolierleiste sind zum Einschieben zueinander gebogen und öffnen sich erst unter Wärmebehandlung, wodurch der dichtende Anschlag an den erwähnten Stellung hergestellt wird.

However, if the two aluminum profile rails 1, 2 are connected by an aluminum bridge, that is, the entire aluminum profile is in one piece, there must also be a sufficient tolerance at the groove undercuts for insertion. This would allow the expandable mass to escape during the heat treatment. In order to prevent this, sealing must be provided on the mutually directed edge regions of the hook-shaped groove webs. The following options are available:

• Either the two parts of the insulating strip are not connected to one another by a central web or by an X-shape (which is equivalent to the H-shape). The expanding mass will then press the two parts apart and bring them to a stop at the opposite ends of the hook-shaped groove webs, thereby ensuring a seal; or the four legs of the one-piece insulating strip are matched in their strength or elasticity to the expansion force of the expanding mass in such a way that their pressure bends the legs apart and causes them to stop at the abovementioned end regions of the hook-shaped groove webs; or the legs of the insulating strip are bent towards each other for insertion and only open under heat treatment, as a result of which the sealing stop is produced at the position mentioned.

The latter possibility is shown in FIG. 4. In order to bend the legs of the insulating strip towards one another so that they converge towards the end regions, there is the possibility of insulating strip 33 immediately after the extrusion process, e.g. before finally cooling, to deform accordingly. This gives it so-called frozen stresses, which are released during heat treatment, whereby the insulating strip resumes its original H-shape, i.e. the legs move apart. Another possibility is to glue the legs with a hot glue. When cold, it holds the legs together so that the insulating strip can be easily inserted into the undercut grooves. The hot-melt adhesive melts under heat treatment, the legs can open and strike the opposite ends of the hook-shaped groove webs. At the same time, the hot-melt adhesive is pressed into the grooves and, after it has solidified again, glues the insulating strip 33 to the aluminum profile rails 1, 2. It is also possible to cover the insulating strip 33 at the points which come into contact with the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 in a manner known per se with a hot-melt adhesive which is activated by the action of heat and thus produces pressure bonding at the relevant points.

In some circumstances, a combination of this hotmelt adhesive coating with the frozen voltage is sufficient to establish a usable connection between the insulating strip 33 and the aluminum profile rails 1, 2, that is to say without the use of an expanding filling compound.

However, if an expanding and / or adhesive filling compound is used, it is particularly advantageous not to use it as a liquid, but as a paste, powder, solid substance or in microencapsulated form, so that the space between the two halves of the insulating strip is filled up in stock can be and the insulating strip has a certain shelf life in this state. The insulating strips filled with expanding / adhesive mass can then be produced centrally in a suitable system and brought to the place of use (aluminum press) as a ready-to-use, storable product. If necessary, they are inserted into the aluminum profile rails and the connection is made by the subsequent heat treatment as part of the hardening process. The insulating strips can be inserted either by hand or using a very simple machine.

As already mentioned, the converging legs in the insulating strip 33 according to FIG. 7 ensure that the filling compound 26 is largely prevented from escaping. Such insulating strips 33 can therefore be stored well.

According to FIG. 5, which shows an insulating strip 43 with completely separated halves, there is still another possibility for the gaps to be closed at the end regions by a cover 27. The lid 27 is made of a material that peels off or melts when exposed to heat and thus opens the way for the filling compound 26 to the outside. When using expandable mass (26) which is solid at room temperature, a cover 27 is not absolutely necessary, at least not on both sides of the insulating strip 43. Such a cover could also be formed by a film.

If the expandable / adhesive mass is not available as a solid body or paste, but only as a liquid, it can be made thixotropic by adding suitable agents, so that a paste is formed which only flows under pressure or heat. Another possibility is to mix the liquid with additives, such as glass fibers, which also increase the toughness and at the same time improve the strength of the curable foam compound. Finally, there is the possibility of introducing a filling or a strand of glass fibers, other fibers or another absorbent material into the cavity 5 of the profile body, which is or is soaked with the liquid, so that the liquid is leakproof in the cavity 5 is held until expansion begins later when exposed to heat.

A further embodiment for a heat-insulating profile body is shown in FIG. 7. This is described in more detail in the applicant's DE-A30 02 693. The special thing here is that the cavity 5 is not filled with foam. The edge folds 28 of the insulating strips 143 used here are provided with an adhesive layer 38 which can be activated by heat treatment. When the preassembled profile body slides through the hardening furnace, the adhesive layer 38 is activated and establishes an adhesive connection between the insulating strips 143 and the wall of the undercut grooves 7 in the aluminum profile rails 1, 2.

FIG. 8 shows an insulating web 3 which is covered with a foamable plastic compound 20 on its broad side facing away from its V-webs. A metal bridge 8 between the aluminum profile rails 1 and 2 is formed like a hump to give space for the insertion of the insulating web 3 covered with the plastic compound 20. When exposed to heat, the mass 20 expands and fills the hump cavity and the tolerances of the grooves and solidifies. The latter is shown in FIG. 9, where the foamed mass is designated by 6. The metal bridge 8 is cut or milled off at the parting plane 11, a part of the foam filling also being removed. This results in a clean, flush insulation zone view between the two aluminum profile rails 1 and 2.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment for a heat-insulating profile body, which can also be produced by the method according to the invention. This heat-insulating profile body is described in DE-A-31 02 616 by the applicant. The insulating strip 153 used here is shown in perspective in FIG. The insulating strip 153 consists of a plastic center strip 43 and ribbed crosspieces 40 made of metal, which leave gaps 41 at intervals. The central web is provided with through holes 44. The entire insulating strip 153 is wrapped with heat-resistant glass fiber or carbon fiber bundles, which give the insulating strip 153 tensile strength even under extreme heat and under the effect of the foam pressure.

The gaps 41 allow the foam 6 developing in the cavity 5 from the preliminary product during the heat treatment as part of the hardening of the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 also to penetrate into the groove space 7 and also through the hole 44 into the space between the central web 43 and an end plate 39.

In order to prevent the presence of gaps 41, Fig. 11, that the filling compound 6 emerges from the groove 7 over a short distance without filling the groove 7, it is advantageous, as shown in FIG. 11, to fill the gaps 41 on the inside, for example represented by a hint Cover plate 46, which could also be part of the insulating web 153 or the transverse web 40. This configuration makes it possible to use viscous or pasty filling materials 6, which can advantageously be accommodated in the gaps 41 before they are activated. In this exemplary embodiment, the cross section of the insulating web 153 encompassing the groove 7 is approximately 75% of the clear cross section of the groove 7. If 50% of the volume of the insulating web 153 encompassing the groove 7 is then removed by gaps 41 and these gaps 41 are filled with an adhesive are, which expands by at least 50% when heated, the volume increase of the adhesive is sufficient to fill the remaining space of the groove 7.

FIGS. 12 to 17 show further possibilities for sealing the edge area of the groove receiving the insulating web. According to FIGS. 12, 13, 14 and 16, special cover plates are used for this.

The insulating strip designated by 163 in FIG. 12 carries on one broad side a cover plate 51 which can be clipped on by a latching connection 52 and is held at a distance from the broad side of the insulating strip 163. The cover plate 51 is dimensioned so wide that its longitudinal edge 54 can closely cooperate with the longitudinal edge 55 of the relevant grooved leg 56. Between the cover plate 51 and the broad side of the insulating strip 163 there is a strand of expandable plastic material in the form of a glued or loosely inserted on the broad side Contact strip 57. The insulating strip 163, together with the cover plate 51 and the contact strip, thus forms a component which can be pushed into the groove 7 before the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 harden. When the parts are heated to the hardening temperature, the plastic compound expands, causing the cover plate 51 to bend and with its outside is pressed sealingly against the longitudinal edge 55 of the groove leg 56. The expanding plastic flows in the direction of arrows 58 through gaps 41 in the base of the insulating strip 163 into the groove 7, filling both this and the distance between the cover plate 51 and the insulating strip. It also appears to be expedient to provide at least one hint indicated and designated 59 with a hinge axis directed parallel to the groove 7 in the cover plate 51 in order to enable its pivoting movement against the groove web 56 for the purpose of sealing. The hinge 59 can be formed in a simple manner by weakening the material thickness. The latching connection 52 consists of a strip or head extending from the insulating strip 163 which is overlapped by claw-shaped molded parts of the cover plate 51. A bridge 60, which is indicated as an indication, may be present.

In the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 13 and 16, the cover plate, respectively designated 61 and 93, cannot be clipped onto the insulating strip 173 or 203. The cover plates 61 and 93 therefore lift off altogether when the filling compound expands due to the action of heat. The filling compound can advantageously be accommodated in transverse grooves 62.90, which extend in the webs of the insulating strips 173, 203 and can continue into the heads 94 of the insulating strips to allow an unimpeded flow of the expanding filling compound. In the U-shaped insulating strip according to FIG. 13, the transverse grooves 62 in the narrow side of the insulating strip 173 serve this purpose; 16, gaps or transverse grooves 41 in the head 94 of the insulating strip 203 serve for this purpose in the T-shaped insulating strip 203.

The cover plate 93 in FIG. 16 has teeth 95 on the inside, which preferably enclose the transverse grooves 90 in a closing manner and thus subdivide the expansion space.

It is also possible to hold the expandable filling compound on the cover plates 51, 61, 93, e.g. by gluing.

The wall of the groove 7 opposite the broad side of the insulating strip 173 (FIG. 13) is corrugated lengthwise, which is denoted by 63. Regardless of the shape of the insulating strip 173 and the presence of the cover plate 61, the corrugation 63 and the transverse grooves 62 have the purpose, on the one hand, of increasing the adhesive areas and thus of strengthening the bond or the longitudinal shear strength of the composite. On the other hand, due to the corrugation in mutually transverse directions, there is an improved anchoring against forces directed in the longitudinal direction of the aluminum profiled rails 1, it being taken into account in the selection of the corrugation directions that the adhesion of the plastic compound 26 to the aluminum is generally much better than on Material of the insulating strip 173. The corrugation 63 can also be formed by deeper grooves and arranged transversely.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 14, the expandable plastic mass 26 is arranged between the halves of an insulating strip 183 and is accommodated in a stiffened contact strip 71 made of hard plastic or hard paper. This has a corrugated strip 73. Because of this design, channels 74 extending transversely to the insulating strip 183 are formed, into which the expandable plastic mass 26 is filled. The contact strip 71 can be glued to one component with one or with both halves of the insulating strip 183. In both cases it serves as a spacer for the two halves, which is particularly noticeable in the first case when the halves are inserted into the groove 7. The arrows 75 indicate the flow path of the plastic compound 26 when it is heated to the hardening temperature. The transverse alignment of the channels 74 has the advantage that the plastic mass 26 is passed directly to the groove 7 without flowing axially within the contact strip 71 and being able to exit from the end face thereof. The plastic compound 26 connects the two insulating strip halves not only to the aluminum profile rail 1, which is indicated, but also to one another to form a stable double web.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 15, a contact strip 81 is used, which has a cover strip 82 and transverse web strips 83, which likewise form transverse channels 84. The channels 84 are divided by a central longitudinal strip 85 with the advantage that the expanding plastic mass 26 does not predominantly flow downward due to gravity. Because of its one-sided cover, the contact strip 81 is intended in particular for use with a one-piece insulating strip 193. After hardening, the cover strip 82 forms the one broad side of the insulating strip 193. The contact strip 81 likewise seals the groove 7.

An insulating strip 213 is shown in FIG. 17, the heads 101, 102 of which have 100 transverse grooves 104, 105 of different depths on their narrow sides. These are two different exemplary embodiments. In contrast to the head 102, webs 106 remain on the head 101, which prevent the expanding plastic mass 26 accommodated in the transverse grooves from being able to emerge from the groove 7 at the groove edge 55 over a short distance. Depending on the type of plastic mass 26, e.g. if this is cold-flowing, the transverse grooves - as already described in other exemplary embodiments - can be covered by a hot-melt film or the like. At least one bridge 60 can also be present here.

A method for producing a ready-to-install insulating strip 3, 173, 183 can advantageously result from the following method steps exist. The contact strip 71.81 is filled with hot-flowing adhesive (melted powder or mixture of powder / paste). After solidification and cooling, the contact strip 71, 81 is stored, for example wound on rolls. The contact strip 71.81 is sent to the manufacturer of the insulating strip if necessary. There it is glued to the insulating strip in the course of the production of the insulating strip, for example by superficial heating of the adhesive filling. This creates a complete insulating strip 71, 81 covered with plastic compound 26, which can be sent to the aluminum press. The advantage is that several insulating strip production plants can be supplied with a single mixing and pouring system for the plastic mass and these do not have to additionally deal with the processing of new materials.

In particular, the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 14 and 15 show that the plastic mass 26 does not necessarily have to be in the form of a strand, but can also be provided as bodies or accumulations which are preferably arranged at intervals from one another on the insulating strip.

An advantageous method for producing the material that can be activated by supplying heat or a preliminary product consisting of this material consists in the following method steps. Resin and hardener are melted separately, if necessary with the addition of the other components such as blowing agents and tixothropating agents, and then quickly and intensively stirred in the liquid state and immediately cooled, so that the resin-hardener reaction cannot or only very slightly start . Materials are used which give a solid mixture at room temperature. After cooling, the mixture can be ground or granulated and either in powder form or by melting it again on a carrier, for example an insulating strip. a cover plate or a carrier film which can be removed later can be applied, for example in the form of a bead.

In particular, it is possible to apply the mixture directly from the mixing nozzle to the carrier in the still liquid state.

It is also possible, by means of a suitable cross-sectional design of the nozzle located behind the mixing chamber, to apply the mixture in the form of cords or tapes, to let it run through a cooling belt and then to wind the cords or tapes on supply rolls. The cords or tapes can, if required, be applied to the carrier and there, for example, pressed into existing grooves or glued to the surface or melted by briefly heating the surface.

In particular, it is possible to add a proportion (preferably 10 to 25%) of a resin which is liquid or pasty at room temperature to the resin used to prepare the mixture, which is solid at room temperature, in order to give the finished mixture a certain softness or flexibility confer, which facilitates the production of the cords and tapes mentioned and their connection to the carriers.

It can be advantageous for various reasons to partially prevent the adhesive bond. An example of this are constructions according to FIGS. 1 and 8 or 9, in which the aluminum profile rails 1, 2 as a preliminary product are initially connected to one another by bridges 8, which are removed, for example milled, after foaming. The parting planes are designated by 11 in FIGS. 1 and 9. An adhesive connection between the adhesive filling compound 6 and the bridge 8 is undesirable, to make it easier, for example, to detach the adhesive from the metal.

To solve this problem, it is proposed to provide a separating layer at the locations of the undesired adhesive connection, which can be attached to one of the surfaces to be bonded. Such a separating layer can be a film designated by 110 in FIG. 9, which is inserted between the adhesive surfaces or on one of the adhesive surfaces e.g. can be attached by gluing. A preferred embodiment consists in providing the contact strip 20 containing the activatable material with the separating layer. 8, the contact strip 20 can be covered on one of the insulating strips 3 and / or on its side facing the bridge 8 with a film 111, the width of which corresponds to the size of the area on which no adhesive connection is to take place. 9 shows the situation after the heating. If the separating cut is then made in the area of the plane 112, the separating cut is only required at the points designated by 113. The separating layer between the contact strips 20 and the insulating strip 3 enables easy removal of the filling compound still remaining after the separating cut in plane 11 or 112 between the profiled rails 1, 2, if this is desired. Within the scope of the invention it is also possible to apply a separating layer in another way, e.g. by spraying. It should also be emphasized that a separation layer results in a clean surface after the filling compound has been removed.

Claims (26)

1) Method for producing a heat-insulating profile body, in particular for use in window or door frames, in which metal profile rails provided with preferably undercut grooves are arranged at a distance from one another and are connected to one another by a bridge consisting of heat-insulating material which engages in the grooves, at least part of the heat-insulating material can be activated by heat supply for the purpose of positive adaptation to the profile rails or formation of an adhesive connection with the profile rails, characterized in that aluminum profile rails (1,2) are used, and that the heat-insulating material before the aluminum profile rails (1,2 ) or before they are heated due to another manufacturing measure, e.g. Surface coating or finishing, or before a separate heat treatment between the aluminum profile rails (1, 2) and the heat treatment required or necessary for the hardening or the further production measure is used for the activation. 2) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material, a mixture of resin, which is preferably solid at room temperature and melts when heated, and a hardener, which is preferably solid at room temperature or mixed with the aforementioned resin Room temperature is preferably solid, and preferably a blowing agent which reacts at or above the melting temperature of the resin-hardener mixture is used. 3) Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material, a mixture of epoxy resin with a curing agent reacting above 40 ° C and a conventional blowing agent, such as the azo compounds (azodicarbonamide), sulfonylhydrozides, N- Nitroso compounds or thiatriazo compounds, in particular a high-boiling blowing agent, for example Frigen 113 with the formula CFC ₁₂ -CF ₂ Cl, which is used only at about 47 ° C. 4) Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that for the activatable part of the heat insulating material, a hot-flowing hot melt adhesive forming polyamides are used. 5) Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that slowly reacting polyurethane resins or epoxy resins or polyester resins are used for the activatable part of the heat insulating material. 6) Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a mixture of expandable material, such as expandable polystyrene, and heat-curable liquid resin, such as polyester resin or epoxy resin, is used for the activatable part of the heat insulating material. 7) Application of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6 for the production of a known profile body, the bridge of which engages in the preferably undercut grooves (7) engaging profiled insulating strips (3) with the metal profile rails (1, 2) one of enclose an insulating filling compound (6) filled space, the filling compound (6) consisting of a pre-foamable material by the supply of heat. (Fig. 1). 8) Application of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6, for the production of a profile body known per se, the bridge of which has at least one profiled insulating strip (143) engaging behind the preferably undercut grooves, preferably with its end regions engaging in the grooves (7) an adhesive (38) which can be activated by the supply of heat is provided (FIG. 7). 9) Application of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6, for producing a profile body known per se, the bridge of which is formed by insulating strips (153) engaging in the preferably undercut grooves, which preferably consist of a e.g. by glass fiber reinforcement (42) even in heat-resistant scaffolding and enclose with the aluminum profile rails (1, 2) a space (5) filled with an insulating filling compound (6), the space being connected to the grooves (7) and also with the insulating filling compound (6) is filled, and wherein the filling compound (6) consists of a pre-product that can be foamed by supplying heat, which, when foamed, soaks the insulating strips (153) at least on their side facing the room (5) and in the grooves (7) or includes (Fig. 10,11) 10) Profiled insulating strip which is intended for engaging in preferably undercut grooves on the aluminum profiled rails of a profiled body produced by the method according to claims 1 to 6 for the purpose of forming at least part of the heat-insulating bridge, characterized in that the activatable part (6, 26) of the heat-insulating material is arranged in receiving spaces arranged on the broad sides and / or on the narrow sides of the insulating strip (23, 33, 63, 173, 203, 213), in particular longitudinally or transversely continuous recesses (29, 62, 90, 101, 102) (FIGS. 3,4,5,6, 10,11,13,14,15,16,17). 11. Profiled insulating strip according to claim 10, characterized in that the part of the activatable heat-insulating material located in the receiving space is next to the end regions filled with a hot-melt compound (25) and in the inner central region (24) with an expanding compound (Fig. 3). 12) Profiled insulating strip according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the insulating strip (23,33,43,53,63, 73,83,93,103,113) at least in their end areas located next to the two aluminum profile rails (1,2) in the longitudinal direction of the profile for the purpose Formation of the receiving space for the activatable part of the heat-insulating material (24, 25, 26) and, in order to achieve a spreading effect, is divided by an expansion of this material caused as a result of the activation (FIGS. 5 and 14). 13) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that it (23, 33, 73) has an H-profile shape or an X-profile shape with edge folds (28) directed outwards on both sides at both end regions (Fig. 3,4 ). 14) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that it has a double _- T shape and is completely divided between its two end regions (Fig. 5 and 14). 15) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the dividing gaps at the two end regions are covered with a cover plate (27) or film, which preferably melts when exposed to heat (Fig. 5). 16) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that the activatable material is a coating applied by dipping on the insulating strip. 17) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that the activatable material in the form of a strip (20,57,81) or a strand or a cord is attached to the insulating strip (3,163,193). 18) Insulated profile strip according to one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that the activatable material (26,57) is arranged on the broad side of the insulating strip (3,163,173,193,203) and by a cover plate (8,51,61, which can optionally be clipped onto the center of the insulating strip) 81,93) is provided, the at least one longitudinal edge of which cooperates in a sealing manner with the longitudinal edge (55) of the facing groove leg (56) forming the groove. 19) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 18, characterized in that the cover plate or the insulating strip or a leg of it has a permanent or heat-activated voltage, which at least bend one longitudinal edge against the longitudinal edge (55) or tries to bend. 20) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 10 to 19, characterized in that at least a part of its surface to be connected to the heat-insulating material (26) is corrugated longitudinally and / or transversely (41, 62, 90, 101) (Fig 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). 21) Profiled insulating strip according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the cover plate (71, 81) consists of a stiffened textile, paper or plastic strip. (Fig. 14,15) 22) Profile body according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that at least part of the surface of the grooves (7) is corrugated or grooved longitudinally (63, Fig. 13) and / or transversely. 23) Profiled insulating strip according to claim 20 or 22, characterized in that the activatable material is received in the corrugation (63) or in the grooves. (Fig. 3,4,6,13,16,17) 24) Pre-product for the production of a profile body using the method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bridge of the profile body is formed by profiled insulating strips engaging in preferably undercut grooves of the metal profile rails, which enclose a space with the metal rails, which by heat activation of the preliminary product to be introduced into this space can be foamed or filled, characterized in that the preliminary product is formed by a fibrous strand (12) impregnated with a foamable or expandable liquid, preferably one made of felt, which is made from a film which melts slightly during heat activation (14), for example one made of polyethylene. (Fig. 3,4) 25) pre-product according to the preamble of claim 24 or according to claim 24, characterized in that the pre-product is an optionally coated rod, strand or cord which is / is reinforced by fibers, wires or the like, in particular glass fibers. 26) Process for producing a preliminary product, characterized in that heat-flowing, activatable heat-insulating material is poured into molds to form the utility articles, in particular into casings formed by contact strips (film 21, corrugated strips 73, web strips 83).

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