SE2050498A1 - Windowsill assembly comprising two connectable elements, a prefabricated wall element comprising the windowsill assembly and a method for mounting the windowsill assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A windowsill assembly (30) for mounting on a wall element is provided. The windowsill assembly (30) comprises a first windowsill segment (10) and a second windowsill segment (15), each comprising an attachment portion (11, 16) and a connection portion (12, 17). The attachment portion (11) of the first windowsill segment (10) is configured to be attachable to an inner wall portion of the wall element, the attachment portion (16) of the second windowsill segment (15) is configured to be attachable to a window of the wall element. The connection portion (12) of the first windowsill segment (10) is engageable with the connection portion (17) of the second windowsill segment (15), and the connection portions (12, 17) of the first (10) and second (15) windowsill segments are configured to be arranged substantially flush with an outer surface of the wall element in a mounted state.

Description

WINDOW SILL ASSEMBLY TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a windowsill assembly, a prefabricated wall ele-ment and a method for mounting a windowsill assembly.

BACKGROUND Building houses with pre-fabricated building blocks is a technic that has beenused for a long time. However, this way of constructing buildings have been furtherdeveloped in recent years and now it is common to produce whole wall segments ina factory, and to transport them to the building site where they are assembled into abuilding.

Large transports are required when the prefabricated wall segments are trans-ported to the building site. This causes COz-emissions and increased noise. ln urbanareas it is desired to keep transports to a minimum.

Thus, it is desirable to transport as many prefabricated wall segments as possibleon a single transport. This will be elaborated on in the present application.

SUMMARY The invention is defined by the appended independent claims. Additional featuresand advantages of the concepts disclosed herein are set forth in the descriptionwhich follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned bypractice of the described technologies. The features and advantages of the conceptsmay be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations partic-ularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the describedtechnologies will become more fully apparent from the following description and ap-pended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosed concepts as setforth herein.

When working with prefabricated wall segments, it is desirable to make the wallsegments as complete as possible in the production factory, also referred to as off-site. Especially, it is hard to accomplish the assembly and sealing of windowsills onsite where the assembly may be performed by different craftsmen every time, andthe controller must transport him-/herself between the different buildings. Therefore,it is desired to perform this in the prefabrication factory (off-site) as this is a con-trolled environment where it is possible to ensure the quality of the sealing.

A problem with traditional windowsills is that a mounted windowsill comprises asheet metal portion which extends from the wall surface by approximately 60 mm.This sheet metal portion must be handled With great care during transport such thatit does not become deformed or bent, or becomes detached from the wall elementsuch that the sealing is broken. ln order to care for the fragile sheet metal portions ofthe windowsills, the transports have not been able to load more than two wall ele-ments per side in the transport, making a total of four wall elements per transport.Without the additional dimension of the protruding windowsills, each transport wouldbe able to carry a total of six wall elements. Due to increased COz-emissions andnoise resulting from an increase in number of transports required, the windowsillsare not mounted off-site, even though the end results are better in a controlled, off-site environment.

Therefore, a new windowsill assembly has been developed, which will be de-scribed in the following. ln a first aspect, a windowsill assembly for mounting on a wall element is pro-vided. The windowsill assembly comprises a first windowsill segment and a secondwindowsill segment, each comprising an attachment portion and a connection por-tion. The attachment portion of the first windowsill segment is configured to be at-tachable to an inner wall portion of the wall element and the attachment portion ofthe second windowsill segment is configured to be attachable to a window of thewall element. The connection portion of the first windowsill segment is engageablewith the connection portion of the second windowsill segment. The connection por-tions of the first and second windowsill segments are configured to be arranged sub-stantially flush with an outer surface of the Wall element in a mounted state. This isan advantageous construction, which is configured and designed to be mounted tothe wall element on a fabrication site. Since the windowsill assembly is configured tobe substantially aligned with an outer surface of the wall element, it is not exposed tobending forces or loads. Therefore, this windowsill assembly is favorable for beingtransported, since it is protected against damages, by not protruding substantiallybeyond the outer surface of the wall element. ln one embodiment, the connection portion of the first windowsill segment com-prises an outwards folded edge and the connection portion of the second windowsillsegment comprises an inwards folded edge. The outwards folded edge and the in-wards folded edge are configured to be engageable with each other. This is favora-ble in that no other connection means are required to engage the first and secondwindowsill segments with each other. This engagement method requires less mate-rial and tools, and is non-invasive to the wall element to which the windowsill assem-bly is configured to be mounted. ln one embodiment, the Windowsill assembly further comprises a third Windowsillsegment configured to be engageable with the second Windowsill segment. A win-dowsill assembly which is mountable in different stages is advantageous since thethird segment, which will protrude beyond the outer surface of the wall element onwhich the assembly is mountable, may be mounted at a suitable point of time, whenno outer forces or stresses are expected, e.g. when the wall element is assembledinto a house or building, i.e. on a building site.

The third Windowsill segment may have a shape conformed to the shape of thesecond Windowsill segment. This is favorable considering the strength of the win-dowsill assembly and facilitates the mounting of the third Windowsill segment. ln one embodiment, each Windowsill segment comprises an approximately rec-tangular sheet with two longer sides and two shorter sides. The sheets are pro-cessed such that a first bent portion extend along a first of the longer sides, a sec-ond bent portion extends along the other of the longer sides, and an intermediateportion connects the first and second bent portions of each Windowsill segment. ln one embodiment, the first bent portion and the second bent portion of eachWindowsill segment are bent in opposite directions in relation to the intermediateportion of each Windowsill segment. This is a favorable design considering the as-sembly of the windowsill assembly and considering moisture protection due to nest-ing of the segments.

Preferably, the first bent portions form the attachment portions of the respectiveWindowsill segment. Further, the second bent portions form the connection portionsof the respective first and second Windowsill segments. This configuration is advan-tageous considering the mounting of the Windowsill segments. ln a second aspect, a prefabricated wall element is provided. The wall elementcomprises a Windowsill assembly comprising a first Windowsill segment and a sec-ond Windowsill segment. Each Windowsill segment comprises an attachment portionand a connection portion. The attachment portion of the first Windowsill segment isattached to an inner wall portion of the wall element, and the attachment portion ofthe second Windowsill segment is attached to a window of the wall element. Theconnection portion of the first Windowsill segment is engaged with the connectionportion of the second Windowsill segment. ln one embodiment, the connection portions of the first and second Windowsillsegments are arranged substantially flush with an outer wall portion of the wall ele-ment, forming a substantially flat outer surface of the wall element. ln a third aspect, a method for mounting a Windowsill assembly comprising a firstWindowsill segment and a second Windowsill segment, each comprising an attach-ment portion and a connection portion, to a prefabricated wall element is provided.

The method comprises the steps of attaching the first windowsill segment to an innerwall portion of the wall element and attaching the second windowsill segment to thefirst windowsill segment. ln one embodiment, the step of attaching the second windowsill segment to thefirst windowsill segment comprises engaging the connection portion of the first win-dowsill segment with the connection portion of the second windowsill segment. Thisis an efficient and easy way of connecting the two windowsill segments. lt may bedone without the use of tools.

The step of attaching the second windowsill segment to the first windowsill seg-ment may comprise attachment by means of one or more of a silicone string, glue,screws, nails and clamping. Advantages with a silicone string and glue is that theyare easy, efficient, and water and moisture resistant ways of attaching the segments.Advantages of nails and screws are that they are reliable fastening means which donot come loose easily. Advantages with clamping is that no tools are required andthat no impact is made to the windowsill segments, to the window or to any wall seg-ment. ln one embodiment, the method further comprises a step of inserting a third win-dowsill segment on top of the second windowsill segment. This windowsill segmentis configured to cooperate with the first and second windowsill and it is advanta-geous in that it provides a primary means for draining of water from the window. ln one embodiment, the method further comprises a step of attaching the thirdwindowsill segment to a window of the wall element. This provides for a robust con-struction and a proper attachment.

Preferably, the attachment of the third windowsill segment is performed on abuilding site. This is advantageous in that the third segment is not at risk of beingdamaged when the wall element is being transported from the prefabrication area tothe building site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ln order to best describe the manner in which the above-described embodimentsare implemented, as well as define other advantages and features of the disclosure,a more particular description is provided below and is illustrated in the appendeddrawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only exemplary embodiments ofthe invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting in scope, the ex-amples will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail throughthe use of the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a first, second and third windowsill segment; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first, second and third windowsill segments inFig. 1, in relation to a window; Fig. 3 is a perspective section view along line AA in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the first windowsill segment mounted in relation toa window opening in a prefabricated wall element; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the second windowsill segment mounted on top ofthe first windowsill segment in the window opening of the prefabricatedwall element; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the first and second windowsill segments mountedin the window opening of the prefabricated wall element; Fig. 7 is a side section view of the prefabricated wall element in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the third windowsill segment to be mounted ontop of the first and second windowsill segments; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the third windowsill segment mounted on top ofthe first and second windowsill segments in the window opening of theprefabricated wall element; Fig. 10 is a side section view of the first, second and third windowsill segments ina mounted state; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the first, second and third windowsill segments ina mounted state, with the wall removed for visibility; and Fig. 12 is a section side view of the finished wall element with all windowsill seg- ments mounted.Further, in the figures like reference characters designate like or correspondingparts throughout the several figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Various embodiments of the disclosed methods and arrangements are discussedin detail below. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be under-stood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevantart will recognize that other components, configurations, and steps may be usedwithout parting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. ln the description and claims the word “comprise” and variations of the word,such as “comprising” and “comprises”, does not exclude other elements or steps.

Hereinafter, certain embodiments will be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings. lt will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made without departing from the inventive con-cept. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from considera-tion of the specification and practice disclosed herein. The embodiments herein areprovided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept, and that the claims be con-strued as encompassing all equivalents of the present inventive concept which areapparent to those skilled in the art to which the inventive concept pertains. lf nothingelse is stated, different embodiments may be combined with each other.

All directional wording such as horizontal, vertical, upwards, downwards etc., areto be interpreted from the state in which the windowsill is intended to be mounted.

Fig. 1 shows a side section view of a first 10, a second 15, and a third 22 window-sill segment. Fig. 2 shows the same segments 10, 15, 22 in a perspective view. Saidsegments are configured to be assembled into a windowsill assembly 30, forming acomplete windowsill. The first 10, second 15 and third 22 windowsill segments eachcomprises a sheet, preferably of metal, plastic, composite or any other durable,weather resistant material. Each sheet is approximately rectangular, with two longersides and two shorter sides, when seen from above. The sheets are bent, molded,extruded or in any other suitable way processed to achieve the shapes and featuresdescribed below.

The first windowsill segment 10 comprises a first attachment portion 11 extendingalong a first of the longer sides, a connection portion 12 extending along the other ofthe longer sides, and an intermediate portion 13 connecting the attachment portion11 and the connection portion 12. The attachment portion 11 is bent to extenddownwards, and the connection portion 12 is bent to extend upwards in relation tothe intermediate portion 13. The connection portion 12 is, along its edge distal fromthe intermediate portion 13, bent over and fon/vard towards itself to form an out-wards folded edge 14. The folded edge 14 is thus facing away from the intermediateportion 13. The connection portion 12 is provided with drainage openings 28 ar-ranged along a bottom portion of the connection portion 12, proximal the intermedi-ate portion 13, see Fig. 4.

The second windowsill segment 15 comprises an attachment portion 16 extend-ing along a first of the longer sides of the second windowsill segment 15, a connec-tion portion 17 extending along the second of the longer sides, and an intermediateportion 18 connecting the attachment portion 16 and the connection portion 17. Theattachment portion 16 is bent to extend downwards, and the connection portion 17is bent to extend upwards in relation to the intermediate portion 18. The connectionportion 17 is bent over and backwards towards itself to form an inwards folded edge19. The folded edge 19 is thus facing towards the intermediate portion 18.

The second windowsill segment 15 also comprises two side surfaces 20, extend-ing upwards from the intermediate portion 18, along the two shorter sides. The sec-ond windowsill segment 15 further comprises top surfaces 21 extending in a hori-zontal plane above the intermediate portion 18. The top surfaces 21 are locatedalong the shorter sides, above the side surfaces 20 and along one of the longer sides, above the attachment portion 16, forming a horizontally flat upper surface ofthe second windowsill segment 15.

The third windowsill segment 22 comprises an attachment portion 23 extendingalong a first of the longer sides, an inwards folded edge portion 24 extending along asecond of the longer sides, and an intermediate portion 25 connecting the attach-ment portion 23 and the inwards folded edge portion 24. The attachment portion 23is bent to extend upwards in relation to the intermediate portion 25, and the inwardsfolded edge portion 24 is bent to extend downwards and inwards towards the inter-mediate portion 25. The third windowsill segment 22 further comprises two side sur-faces 26, extending upwards from the intermediate portion 25, along the two shortersides. ln one embodiment, upper edges 27 of the side surfaces 26 are curved.

The visual shape and appearance of the third windowsill segment 22 may be de-veloped in collaboration with e.g. the architect or designer of the house/building tobe built. This is the portion which is visible to an end user and anyone viewing thefinished house/building. lt may thus be shaped and/or colored to fit with and matchthe overall appearance of the building, without departing from the features de-scribed above. The third windowsill segment 22 is delivered to the building sitewhere it is mounted after the assembly of the prefabricated wall elements 31.

The intermediate portions 13, 18, 25 of the first 10, second 15 and third 22 win-dowsill segments are sloping, such that the segment 10, 15, 22 have a Z-shape insection view.

Referring to Figs 4-7, the process of assembling a windowsill assembly 30 of thefirst 10, second 15 and third 22 windowsill segments on a wall element 31 will nowbe described in more detail. ln Fig. 4, the first windowsill segment 10 is mounted on an inner wall portion 32 ofa wall element 31 which is being prepared as a prefabricated wall element. The at-tachment portion 11 of the first windowsill segment 10 is attached against the innerwall portion 32 below a window 33. The attachment of the first windowsill segment10 may be accomplished in any suitable way, e.g. by screwing.

Thereafter, the second windowsill segment 15 is mounted, see Fig. 5. The in-wards folded edge 19 of the second windowsill segment 15 is configured to engagewith the outwards folded edge 14 of the first windowsill segment 10, which is bestseen in Fig. 7. The attachment portion 16 of the second windowsill segment 15 is at-tached against the window 33 by means of a string of silicone 34. The silicone string34 is e.g. provided along the whole length of or sequentially along the attachmentportion 16. Alternatively, the silicone string 34 is provided along the whole length ofor sequentially along a bottom area of the window 33, where the second windowsillsegment 15 is intended to be mounted. No screwing in the window 33 is thus re-quired. As an alternative option, the second windowsill segment 15 is attachedagainst the window 33 by means of glue, nails, screws, clamping or any other suitable fastening means. lt may also be attached by a combination of one or moreof any of the above mentioned fastening methods. ln a mounted state, a cavity 37 is formed between the intermediate portions 13,18 of the first 10 and second 15 windowsill segments. This cavity 37 is provided as asecurity means if a leakage would occur, e.g. in the window 33. This will be furtherexplained below.

After the second windowsill segment 15 has been mounted, the assembly of thewall element 31 continues by adding one or more layers of insulation 35, and possi-bly other layers of material as well, such as nets, films, foils etc. Thereafter, an outerwall portion 36 is provided such that the insulation 35 etc. is enclosed between theinner 32 and outer 36 wall portions, see Fig. 7.

The top surfaces 21 of the second windowsill segment 15 are configured to abutthe outer wall portion 36. Further, the first windowsill segment 10 is configured suchthat the outer wall portion 36 abuts the bottom or underside of the intermediate por-tion 13 of the first windowsill segment 10, proximal to the connection portion 12. Thewall element 31 is thus sealed in order to prevent water and/or moisture to penetrateit and reach the framework of the wall element 31, especially in order to prevent wa-ter and/or moisture from entering behind the inner wall portion 32.

As shown in Figs 6-7, the outer surface of the wall element 31 is substantially flat,no fragile sheets are protruding from the surface of the outer wall portion 36. The in-wards folded edge 19 of the second windowsill segment 15 may protrude one or afew millimeters but it is not fragile in the same way as a traditional windowsill, whichprotrudes approximately 60 mm, and which is sensitive to external stresses andforces.

The prefabricated wall element 31 is now ready for transport to a building site.Since the wall elements 31 have two substantially flat surfaces, with no fragile, pro-truding portions, three wall elements 31 are loadable on each side of the transport,thus each transport is able to be loaded with a total of six wall elements 31, com-pared to a total of four wall element provided with traditional windowsills.

Now referring to Figs 8-12, a prefabricated wall element 31 is on-site and ready tobe provided with the third windowsill segment 22. The third windowsill segment 22 isinserted on top of and into the second windowsill segment 15. The third windowsillsegment 22 is attached to the window 33 e.g. by means of screws, or any other suit-able attachment means.

The attachment portion 23 of the third windowsill segment 22 abuts the attach-ment portion 16 of the second windowsill segment 15. The intermediate portion 25of the third windowsill segment 22 abuts the entire intermediate portion 18 of thesecond windowsill segment 15, and protrudes, or extends, a distance X beyond thesecond windowsill segment 15, and the outer wall portion 36. The length of the distance X is e.g. designed in a conventional manner, according to the design of tra-ditional windowsills, e.g. approximately 60 mm.

The mounted windowsill assembly 30 is configured to drain water away from thewindow and from the outer wall portion 36. The assembly 30 is configured such thatwater primarily drains by means of the third windowsill segment 22. Rainwater hittingthe window 33 flows onto the sloping intermediate portion 25 of the third windowsillsegment 22 and falls down towards the ground beneath. lf a leakage would occur, e.g. in the window 33, water may enter the cavity 37formed between the intermediate portions 13, 18 of the first 10 and second 15 win-dowsill segments in a mounted state. The assembly is configured such that the leak-age water flows on top of the sloping intermediate portion 13 of the first windowsillsegment 10. The leakage water then passes through the drainage openings 28 onthe outside of the wall element 31.

The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustrationonly and should not be construed to limit the invention. For example, the principlesherein may be applied to any remotely controlled device. Those skilled in the art willreadily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made to the pre-sent invention without following the example embodiments and applications illus-trated and described herein, and without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Claims (16)

1. A windowsill assembly (30) for mounting on a wall element (31), thewindowsill assembly (30) comprising a first windowsill segment (10) and a secondwindowsill segment (15), each comprising an attachment portion (11, 16) and a con-nection portion (12, 17), the attachment portion (11) of the first windowsill segment(10) being configured to be attachable to an inner wall portion (32) of the wall ele-ment (31), the attachment portion (16) of the second windowsill segment (15) beingconfigured to be attachable to a window (33) of the wall element (31), the connec-tion portion (12) of the first windowsill segment (10) being engageable With the con-nection portion (17) of the second Windowsill segment (15), and the connection por-tions (12, 17) of the first (10) and second (15) windowsill segments being configuredto be arranged substantially flush with an outer surface of the wall element (31) in amounted state.

2. The windowsill assembly (30) according to claim 1, wherein the con-nection portion (12) of the first windowsill segment (1 O) comprises an outwardsfolded edge (14) and the connection portion (17) of the second windowsill segment(15) comprises an inwards folded edge (19), and wherein the outwards folded edge(14) and the inwards folded edge (19) are configured to be engageable with eachother.

3. The windowsill assembly (30) according to claim 1, further comprisinga third windowsill segment (22), configured to be engageable with the second win-dowsill segment (15).

4. The windowsill assembly (30) according to claim 2, wherein the thirdwindowsill segment (22) has a shape conformed to the shape of the second window-sill segment (15).

5. The windowsill assembly according to any one of claims 1-3, whereineach windowsill segment (10, 15, 22) comprises an approximately rectangular sheetwith two longer sides and two shorter sides, said sheets being processed such that afirst bent portion (11, 16, 23) extend along a first of the longer sides, a second bentportion (12, 17, 24) extends along the other of the longer sides, and an intermediate portion (13, 18, 25) connects the first (11, 16, 23) and second (12, 17, 24) bent por-tions of each Windowsill segment (10, 15, 22).

6. The Windowsill assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first bentportion (11, 16, 23) and the second bent portion (12, 17, 24) of each Windowsill seg-ment (10, 15, 22) are bent in opposite directions in relation to the intermediate por-tion (13, 18, 25) of each Windowsill segment (10, 15,22).

7. The Windowsill assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first bentportions form the attachment portions (11, 16, 23) of the respective Windowsill seg-ments (10, 15,22).

8. The Windowsill assembly according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the secondbent portions form the connection portions (14, 19) of the respective first (10) andsecond (15) Windowsill segments.

9. A prefabricated wall element (31) comprising a Windowsill assembly(30) comprising a first Windowsill segment (10) and a second Windowsill segment(15), each comprising an attachment portion (11, 16) and a connection portion (12,17), the attachment portion (11) of the first Windowsill segment (10) being attachedto an inner wall portion (32) of the wall element (31), the attachment portion (16) ofthe second Windowsill segment (15) being attached to a window (33) of the wall ele-ment (31), and the connection portion (12) of the first Windowsill segment (10) beingengaged with the connection portion (17) of the second Windowsill segment (15).

10. The prefabricated wall element (31) according to claim 9, wherein theconnection portions (12, 17) of the first (10) and second (15) Windowsill segmentsare arranged substantially flush with an outer wall portion (36) of the wall element(31 ), forming a substantially flat outer surface of the wall element (31).

11. A method for mounting a Windowsill assembly (30) comprising a firstWindowsill segment (10) and a second Windowsill segment (15), each comprising anattachment portion (11, 16) and a connection portion (12, 17), on a prefabricatedwall element (31), the method comprising the steps of - attaching the first Windowsill segment (10) to an inner wall portion (32)of the wall element (31); and - attaching the second Windowsill segment (15) to the first Windowsillsegment (10).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of attaching thesecond windowsill segment (15) to the first windowsill segment (10) comprises en-gaging the connection portion (12) of the first windowsill segment (10) with the con-nection portion (17) of the second windowsill segment (15).

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the step of attachingthe second windowsill segment (15) to the first windowsill segment (10) comprisesattachment by means of one or more of a silicone string (34), glue, screws, nails andclamping.

14. The method according to any one of the claims 11-13, further compris-ing a step of inserting a third windowsill segment (22) on top of the second Window-si|| segment (15).

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of attach-ing the third windowsill segment (22) to a window (33) of the wall element (31).

16. The method according to any one of the claims 14-15, wherein the at-tachment of the third windowsill segment (22) is performed on a building site.