Corner key for window spacer element

• US 4,513,546 A
• Filed: 03/12/1980
• Issued: 04/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glass Equipment Development Incorporated 1943 Midway Drive Twinsburg Oh
• Original Assignee: Norton Company (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Gow, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDGILL JR, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US06/129,568
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 52/656-658, 52/172, 52/788-790, 403/231, 403/401, 403/402
• US Class Current: 52/172
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/667 Connectors therefor

Abstract

A corner key device is shown for use in a glass thermal pane structure assembly, the key device is used with longitudinally extending spacer means that may be formed into a rectangular spacing frame to hold the several sheets of glass forming the pane separated. The corner key means is made in the shape of a straight channel adapted to be telescopically interfitted with the spacer means and this straight lineup of channel shaped corner and spacer elements may then be coated on the outside of their walls with a layer of a hot melt sealant. Then the corner key devices are then bent at right angles to produce the rectangular frame adapted to engage the glass sheets around their perimeter to produce a seal between the glass sheets and spacer means and bind them together to form the finished thermal pane. The corner key is initially formed as a straight channel element having notched side walls at about its midpoint so that after the spacers, keys and sealant are assembled and the keys are bent, the sealant applied to the sides of the assembled channel elements will flow together at the corners to complete a closed circle of sealant around both sides of the entire frame for sealing against the perimeter of the respective glass sheets.

Claims

1. A corner key means for use with hollow elongated spacer elements and a hot melt sealant to form a frame adapted to be used in the assembly of sheets of glass to form a thermal pane, each key comprising an enlarged body member of fixed length having a bottom and oppositely disposed side walls, a V-shaped notch extending from one side to the other through the body, said notch being positioned about midway of the length of said key with a line connecting the bottom of the V on each side wall lying over the bottom wall of said body member, leg members of a size slightly smaller than said body member integral with said body member, said slightly smaller sized leg members each extending outwardly from the opposite ends of the body and having a crossectional shape to telescopically interfit in the ends of the hollow elongated spacer elements, and a layer of hot melt sealant applied to at least two of the side walls of said key and the spacer elements with which it is assembled, whereby when a plurality of said key means and spacer elements are assembled and coated with sealant, the assembly can then be bent on each of said lines across the bottom of said body members to close said V slots to produce a closed frame with a ring of sealant on at least two sides thereof for assembly with sheets of glass to be sealed thereto to form a thermal pane.

2. A structure as in claim 1 wherein said body member and its integral leg members are of channel crossectional shape.

3. A structure as in claims 1 or 2 wherein the sloping sides of said V-shaped notch are disposed at a 90°

angle with respect to each other.

4. A structure as in claims 1 or 2 wherein locking means are provided to interact between said legs and said spacer elements to hold the assembly together.

5. A structure as in claims 1 or 2 wherein a hot melt sealant is used that flows across from one sloping wall of said V slot to the other of such sloping walls when the body member is bent to close said V.

6. A corner key means for use with hollow elongated spacer elements of rectangular crossection and a hot melt sealant to form a frame adapted to be used in the assembly of sheets of glass to form a thermal pane for use in a window, each key comprising a channel shaped key member of fixed length from end to end, said key having an enlarged body portion with integral leg means, said channel shape having a floor surface and two integral side walls, a V-shaped notch in each of the side walls of the body portion of said key member, said notches being positioned approximately midway of the length of said key member with the bottom of the V'"'"'s disposed at the ends of a line over the floor of said channel shape, said leg means being disposed at the opposite ends of said key member and having a crossection shape of a size to telescopically fit snugly within one end each of a pair of spacer elements, locking means to fixedly secure each of said leg means of the key means in the respective ends of said spacer means into which it is telescopically fitted, and a layer of hot melt sealant applied to the outside walls of said assembled corner key and spacer elements whereby when a plurality of said key means and spacer elements are assembled and coated with sealant, the assembly can be bent on said lines that lie over the floor of said channel shape to form a closed frame with a ring of sealant on each side for assembly with sheets of glass to fit entirely around the periphery of said glass sheets to be bonded thereto to hold the sheets in spaced relation with the space between said sheets hermetically sealed to form a thermal pane, and wherein said spacer elements contain a dessicant.

7. A method of preparing a spacer frame for assembly with sheets of glass to form a thermal pane comprising assembling a plurality of straight channel shaped corner key means and spacer bars to form an elongated straight intermediate assembly of elements, applying hot melt sealant to at least two of the side walls of said intermediate assembly, bending said corner keys to form the spacer bars and corner keys into a closed frame, and then assembling the frame and sheets of glass and activating the sealant to form a thermal pane.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein said sealant is permitted to flow on the side wall surfaces of said frame after the key means are bent and the bars and corner keys are formed into a closed frame to form an integrated band of sealant on the side walls thereof.