GB2172043A - Glazing - Google Patents

Abstract

In a glazing assembly, in which a glazing panel 16 is held to a frame member 10 of plastics material by a removable interengaging glazing bead member 15, also of plastics material, a security element 22 is provided to engage the glazing bead and frame members to take up clearances therebetween and inhibit unauthorised removal of the glazing bead member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Glazing assemblies This invention relates to a glazing assembly wherein a glazing panel is held to a frame member by a removable glazing bead member, said frame member and glazing bead member having parts which interfit to hold the frame member and glazing bead member together and which permit assembly thereof, possibly by resilient deformation of such parts on the glazing bead member and/or the frame member. More particularly, the invention relates to such a glazing assembly of the kind, hereafter referred to as the kind specified, wherein the glazing bead member and frame member are of a plastics material, e.g. UPVC.

In a glazing assembly of the kind specified, it is usual to design the glazing bead member and frame member such that the interfitting formations thereof do not interfit in such a manner as positively to prevent all relative movement thereabetween. This facilitates assembly, and in the finished assembly the general tightness and security thereof is dependent on the presence of resilient wedge gaskets between the glazing panel and the frame member and glazing bead member. A force is exerted on the glazing bead member such that it is positively positioned relative to the frame member, with clearances taken up in one direction therebetween.In some circumstances, however, if the glazing assembly is installed in a building such that the glazing bead is at the exterior of the building, it is possible to lever the glazing bead out of engagement with the frame member, to gain unauthorised access to the building. It is the object of the present invention to overcome or reduce this problem.

According to the invention, we provide a glazing assembly of the kind specified wherein a security element is provided, engaging said glazing bead member and frame member so as to take up clearances therebetween and inhibit removal of the glazing bead member from the frame member.

When such a security element is included in a glazing assembly, as hereafter described, it will not, owing to the nature of the plastics material used for such purposes, positively prevent removal of the glazing bead member, but will make if sufficiently difficult and, more importantly, time consuming, to provide a deterrent to such removal as a means of gaining unauthorised access to a building.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a transverse cross-section through a glazing assembly according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the security element of the assembly.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the glazing assembly there illustrated comprises a frame member 10 which is an extrusion of a plastics material such as UPVC. The frame member includes an upstanding rear portion 11, and a front portion 12 including a projection 13 and an upstanding lip 14 which together define an undercut groove. A glazing bead member 15 engages with the front portion 12 of the frame member 10, and a glazing panel 16, in this example a sealed double glazed panel, is held between the glazing bead member 15 and the portion 11 of the frame member, with resilient wedge gaskets 17, 18 interposed therebetween in known manner.

The cross-sectional shape of the glazing bead member 15 includes a foot 19 which, when assembled, engages under the rearwardly facing lip 14 of the frame member 10.

The glazing bead further includes a leg 20 terminating in a rearwardly extending portion which engages under the projection 13 of the frame member 10. The nature of the plastics material of the glazing bead member is such that the leg 20 can be resiliently deflected during assembly. Such assembly is carried out by firstly engaging the foot 19 of the glazing bead member with the lip 14 of the frame member, and pivoting the glazing bead member clockwise thereabout until the end of leg 20 snaps into engagement behind projection 13.

It will be appreciated that, in the absence of any means to prevent it, it is possible to insert an implement such as a screwdriver in the accessible interface between the glazing bead member and frame member, to lever the glazing bead member out of engagement with the frame member. This is facilitated by the clearances necessary in the assembly to ensure that it can be easily put together, together with the resilience of the materials thereof.

According to the present invention, security elements such as that shown in Fig. 2 are applied at spaced intervals along the assembly. The security element is of sheet metal, e.g. stainless steel, and comprises a flat base 21 with an upwardly turned flange 22 along one side. The angle of flange 22 relative to the base 21 is such that the flange lies against leg 20 of the glazing bead member, in the finished assembly as shown in Fig.

1. Along its opposite side, the security element has two spaced upwardly turned flanges or tabs 23 whose end surfaces abut the foot 19 on the glazing bead member.

When the glazing assembly is being put together, the rearwardly facing portion of lip 14 at the front of the frame member has to be removed, for a distance equal to the length of end surface 24 of the security element between tabs 23 thereof, adjacent the position where the or each security element is fitted.

The security element is then fitted to the glazing bead member, where it will remain by the friction of its engagement with the glazing bead member. Glazing panel 16 is positioned in frame, but gasket 18 is not fitted and without such gasket there is sufficient clearance in the assembly for the glazing bead member 15, with gasket 17 fitted thereto, to be inclined so that the rearwardly extending portion of leg 20 thereof can be engaged beneath projection 13. The security element can be pivoted downwardly about flange 22 so that its end surface passes through the removed part of lip 14, and then moved along the groove in the frame member to its required position.

The glazing bead member is then pivoted downwardly about its leg 20 to engage foot 19 behind and under lip 14 as illustrated, there being sufficient clearance and flexibility in the assembly to permit this. Assembly is completed by fitting gasket 18 between the frame member and glazing member and glazing panel, and this operation takes up all clearances between the glazing bead member, security element, and front portion 12 of the frame member 10. The end surface 24 of the security element, opposite the flange 22, abuts the upstanding wall of lip 14 on the frame member.

When so assembled, the security element resists local displacement of the glazing bead member relative to the frame member, at and adjacent the position where each security element is fitted. Thus, it is much more difficult and time consuming to remove the glazing bead member by levering with a screwdriver or the like, compared with the position if no security element were present. The security element does not, of course, prevent such levering at other positions along the length of the glazing bead, but the overall effect is to inhibit removal of the latter by unauthorised persons.

Claims (4)

1. A glazing assembly of the kind specified wherein a security element is provided, engaging said glazing bead member and frame member so as to take up clearances therebetween and inhibit removal of the glazing bead member.

2. A glazing assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said frame member defines an undercut groove in which formations of said glazing bead member engage, said security element including portions engaging said formations.

3. A glazing assembly according to Claim 2 wherein said security element comprises an element of sheet metal, including flange portions engaging said formations of the glazing bead member.

4. A glazing assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.