GB2327972A

GB2327972A - A seal which may be used as a glazing gasket or as a weatherstrip

Info

Publication number: GB2327972A
Application number: GB9716191A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart Barnes
Original assignee: VITAMOL Ltd
Current assignee: VITAMOL Ltd
Priority date: 1997-07-31
Filing date: 1997-07-31
Publication date: 1999-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-31
Also published as: DE29813471U1; GB2327972B; GB9716191D0

Abstract

A sealing strip is formed as a co-extrusion of substantially uniform cross-section. The extrusion comprises a base portion 110 of solid, flexible polymeric material and a sealing portion 112 of foamed compressible polymeric material. The base portion 110 and the sealing portion 112 are joined at an interface surface. A longitudinal rib 128 of the base portion 110 projects, or lies adjacent to, the sealing portion 112, such that the amount by which the sealing portion 112 may be compressed is limited by the projecting rib 128.

Description

2327972 1 GLAZ ING GA,93&ET The present invention relates to glazing

stripe such as might be used to seal a glass pane to glazing bare of 5 a window or a door frame.

In a double-glazed door or window frame, a glass panel is typically retained by a peripheral portion of it being secured within recesses in the frame's members.

Typically, the recesses are defined between a shoulder of a frame member and a separate, removable glazing bead affixed to it. In order to create a weatherproof seal, sealing gaskets are disposed within the recess to seal against opposite surfaces of the glass pane. Typically, one gasket is secured to the frame member by means of an. arrowhead formation, while the other gasket is disposed between the glass pane and the bead, and is generally wedge-shaped. These gaskets are intended to be left undisturbed following installation, and are therefore known as static gaskets.

In a door frame or in a window frame which hasan opening leaf, further gaskets must be provided to seal between a fixed surround and an opening part of the frame. These are known as weatherseals or dynamic gaskets.

Typically, the static gaskets are formed from rubber or plastic extrusions of two different profiles, and the dynamic gaskets are formed from extrusions of a further 2 different profile. This in itself is inconvenient, since a glazing installer must stock three or more different gasket profiles for each style of frame to be installed.

In conventional glazing systems as described above, where there is a corner in the frame, the gasket must be cut, and mitred to fit. This can cause problems if the gaskets are not installed correctly, and most particularly if the gaskets were stretched during installation- The gaskets may shrink over time, such that they may pull away from the corners, so creating a gap and a potential leakage point- It is an aim of the invention to provide a glazing gasket which can be used to seal a surf ace of a glass pane as a static gasket in conjunction with a glazing wedge, and which can also be used as a dynamic gasket.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a glazing gasket being a co-extrusion of substantially uniform cross- section, comprising a base portion of solid, flexible polymeric material and a sealing portion of foamed compressible polymeric material, the base portion and the sealing portion being joined at an interface surface, in which there is a longitudinal rib of the base portion which projects into the scaling portion, such that the amount by which the sealing portion may be compressed towards the base porion is limited by the projecting rib.

-5 3 This arrangement has several important advantages. Pirst, the sealing Portion can be made of a soft material which is beneficial in providing an efficient seal, but which would not be sufficiently strong to clamp a glaes pane firmly nor provide a positive abutment for the opening leaf of a widow or a door. Second, the softness of the sealing portion also allows the gasket to be fitted continuously around a corner, since it may be compressed sufficiently that it can be compressed so as not to form an obstruction at the corner. Third, in the absence of the rib, the sealing portion could possibly be compressed sufficiently to allow its removal, so permitting a burglar to remove a glass pane to gain access to a building.

is The rib may be entirely surrounded by the sealing Portion, or, alternatively, a part of it may lie adjacent to the sealing portion.

The material from which the base portion is formed may suitably be RPDM, polychloroprene rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer, or many other similar materials, in a solid, flexible elastomeric form.

The scaling portion may be formed from any of the materials set forth in the last-preceding paragraph in a foamed form.

Preferably, the sealing portion and the base portion are formed of the same material.

4 The bare portion typically includes an anchoring section. The anchoring section may have an arrow-head cross-section (most suitable for use in a frame made of metal or plastic); a serrated formation (suitable for use in a frame made from wood); or a formation provided with adhesive to bond it in place on the frame- The sealing portion typically comprises a first sealing formation, directed away from the base portion, for sealing against a surface. The sealing portion may further comprise a second sealing formation directed generally towards the base portion, for forming a seal against a frame member in which the gasket is secured.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

each of Figures 1 to 7 shows a cross-sectional shApe of a respective glazing gasket embodying the invention; and Figure a show's the gasket of Figure 1 secured to a frame member and sealing against a glass pane.

Each of the embodiments of the invention is formed as an elongate extrusion of arbitrary length, and of substantially uniform cross-section. The cross-sectional shape is illustrated in the figures.

The embodiment of Figure 1 comprises a base portion 11.0 and a seal-ing portion 112. The base portion 110 and the sealing portion 112 are co-extruded to form a unitary elongate strip- The base portion 110 comprises a central shaft section 114 which has a pair of generally parallel, opposite side faces.

An anchoring section 116 of the base portion 11o adjoins the cental shaft section 114. In this embodiment, the anchoring section 116 has an arrow-head cross-section, of a substantially conventional shape, which includes diverging lead-in surfaces 120, to enable the anchoring section 116 to be urged into a groove, and locking surfaces 122, projecting normally from the 3.5 central shaft section 114, which engage retaininq surfaces of the groove. Within the base portion 110, there is formed a void 118 which permits lateral compression of the anchoring section 116 and of the shaft section 114 during its insertion into the groove.

A head section 124 projects form the central sh4ft section 114 opposite the anchoring section 116. The head section 124 has a pair of abutment surfaces 126 which project normally from the shaft section 114 to face the locking surfaces 122.

The head section 124 projects away from the shaft section 114, in a generally tapering configuration. 'Remote from the shaft section 114, the head section 124 has a projecting rib 128 which extends longitudinally of 6 the extrusion and which projects away from the shaft section 114.

The sealing portion 112 is formed surrounding the head section 124 of the base portion 110. Remote from the base portion 110, the sealing portion 112 has a semi circular outer profile at 130, dire6ted symmetrically away from the base portion. Tile semi-circular outer profile constitutes a sealing formation against which a glass pane, or another flat surface, can form a seal.

The sealing portion 112 has a parallel-sided profile at 132 where it extends generally laterally from the head portion 124.

is The sealing portion 112 has two longitudinal extending projections 134 of semi-circular croas-section which lie laterally adjacent to the abutment surfaces 126. The projections extend a short distance beyond the abutment surfaces 126 in a direction towards the locking surfaces 122. When urged against a surface, these projections are compressed to constitute second sealing formations of the gasket.

With reference to Figure 8, the above-described gasket is located on a frame member 140 formed as an extrusion of aluminium or PVC-u. Within the frame member 140 is formed a groove 142 which has an open mouth at a surface 144 of the frame member 140. Adjacent to the surface, two lateral projections project into the groove 7 142 to provide a pair of opposite, inwardly directed retaining surfaces 146.

The anchoring section 116 and the shaft section 114 of the base portion 110 of the gasket is inserted into the groove 142, such that its locking surfaces 122 of the gasket are disposed immediately adjacent to the retaining surfaces 146, thus preventing removal of the base portion 110 of the gasket from the groove 142. The shaft section io 114 is a close fit between the lateral projections of the groove 142.

The head section 124 of the base portion 110 projects from the surface 144 of the frame member, with is its abutment surfaces 126 immediately adjacent to the surface 144. The longitudinally extending projections 134 of the sealing portion 112 are urged against the surface 144, thereby causing them to compress to form a fluid-resistant seal between the surface and the gasket.

This prevents air and moisture bypassing the gasket through the groove. 142.

The gasket seals against a glass pane 150 spaced from and parallel to the surface 144. In many applications, the glass pane is one pane of a scaled multiple glazed unit. The glass pane 150 is urged towards the surface to cause compression of the sealing portion 112 in the region of the semicircular outer vrofile 130, such that the profile becomes distorted to form. a fluid resistant seal against the pane 150. In a a region (indicated approximately at 152) between the rib 124 and the pane, the material of the sealing portion 112 undergoes a significantly greater degree of compression that the surrounding material. The pane 150 can be urged towards the frame member 140 such that the compression in this region 152 approaches the maximum degree of compression that the foam material of the sealing portion 112 can accommodate. Thereafter further compression is strongly resisted.

The embodiment of Figure 2 is substantially similar to that of Figure 1, and its features will be indicated by reference numerals corresponding to those used in Figure 1, to which 100 is added. Accordingly, the 15 following description will be restricted to the differences between the embodiments.

In this embodiment, the sealing porion 212 of has a parabolic outer profile, an extremity 230 of which 20 constitutes a sealing formation of the sealing portion 212. The head section 224 of the base portion forms a continuous profile to constitute a rib 228 projecting into the sealing portion 212.

There are some applications of a sealing gasket in which lateral stability of the gasket within the groove is of prime importance. A gasket particularly suited to such applications is illustrated in Figure 3. In this embodiment, the base portion 310 has abutment surfaces 326 which extend laterally to substantially the sae 1 9 extent as the sealing portion 312. This embodiment does not, therefore, have any feature corresponding to the longitudinally extending projections 134 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the base portion 310 is thus supported across its full width in contact with a member on which it is mounted, thereby maximising its stability.

In the embodiment illustrated with reference to Figure 4, the body portion is formed with an alternative arrowhead configuration to for application to a suitably shaped groove in a PVC-u or extruded aluminium frame member. in this embodiment, the sealing portion 412 is asymmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the gasket.

is The asymmetrical forces caused by compression of the sealing portion 412 are supported by abutment surfaces 426 which extend across the full width of the sealing portion, in a similar manner to the embodiment of Figure 3.

The embodiment of Figure 5 is similar to that of Figure 4. However, in this embodiment, the sealing portion 512 is disposed laterally to one side of the base portion 510 such that the rib 528 extends partially within the sealing portion 512, and is partially exposed, adjacent to it.

The embodiment of Figure 6 is similar to that of Figure 3, but it is adapted for use or, a wooden frame member. in this embodiment, the base portion 610 does not have an arrowhead formation. Instead, the base portion has a central shaft section 614 on parallel lateral sides of which there is formed a plurality of longitudinal barb formations 620. The barb formations 620 permit the shaft section 614 to be readily inserted into a groove in a wooden f rame member, but resist its removal therefrom.

in the embodiment of Figure 7, the base potion 710 does not have an attachment formation which corresponds to those of any of the above-described embodiments. In this case, an adhesive pad 750 is provided on a flat surface of the body portion 710. This can be used to secure the gasket to a flat surface of a frame member- is The above described embodiments are merely examples of a small number of possible embodiments of glazing gaskets embodying the invention.

1 11

Claims

1. A glazing gasket being a co-extrusion of substantially uniform crosssection, comprising a base portion of solid, flexible polymeric material and a sealing portion of foamed compressible polymeric material, the base portion and the sealing portion being joined at an interface surface, in which there is a longitudinal rib of the base portion which projects into the sealing portion, such that the amount by which the sealing portion may be compressed towards the base porion is limited by the projecting rib.

2. A glazing gasket according to claim 1 in which the rib is entirely surrounded by the sealing portion.

3. A glazing gasket according to claim 1 in which a part of the rib lies adjacent to the sealing portion.

4. A glazing gasket according to any preceding claim in which the material from which the base portion is formed is one of the following: EPM, polychloroprene rubber, or a thermoplastic elastomer.

5. A glazing gasket according to claim 4 in which the material of the sealing portion is in a foamed form.

6. A glazing gasket according to any preceding claim in which the sealing portion and the base portion are formed of the same material.

7. A glazing gasket according to any preceding claim in which the base portion includes an anchoring section.

i --

8. A glazing gasket according to claim 7 in which the anchoring section has an arrow-head crosssection; a serrated formation; or a formation provided with adhesive to bond it in place on a frame.

9. A glazing gasket according to any preceding claim in which the sealing portion comprises a first sealing formation, directed away from the base portion, for sealing against a surface.

10. A glazing gasket according to claim 9 in which The sealing portion further comprises a second sealing formation directed generally towards the base portion, for forming a seal against a frame member in which the gasket is secured.

11. A glazing gasket substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A glazing gasket substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.