Spacing profile for double-glazing unit

• US 6,250,045 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pilkington Deutschland AG (Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flachglas AG
• Inventors: Goer, Bernhard, Regelmann, Juergen, Rotmann, Franz-Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Kent, Christopher T.
• Application Number:
  US09/300,103
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 521/72, 527/861.3, 527/861
• US Class Current: 52/786.13
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/6638 with coatings
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/66395 U-shape
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66314 of tubular shape E06B3/66323 and E06B3/66333 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66319 of rubber, plastics or similar materials
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66328 of rubber, plastics or similar materials E06B3/66314, E06B3/66323 and E06B3/66342 take precedence; transparent materials E06B3/66333
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66361 with special structural provisions for holding drying agents, e.g. packed in special containers

Abstract

A spacing profile for a spacing frame, which is to be fitted in the edge area of a double-glazing unit, forming an interspace, with a profile body of a material possessing low thermal conductivity. The spacing profile additionally comprises a desiccant cavity, and further a metal foil, which extends essentially over the entire width of the spacing profile. Only the metal foil together with a center piece of the connecting flanges forms the walls of the desiccant cavity.

Claims

1. A spacing profile for a spacing frame, which is to be fitted in the edge area of a double-glazing unit, forming an interspace, with a profile body of a material possessing low thermal conductivity, which incorporates contact flanges for contact with the insides of the panes of the double-glazing unit and a connecting flange bridging the interspace in installed state, by means of which at least two contact flanges are joined to one another, where the spacing profile additionally comprises a desiccant cavity, and further a metal foil, which extends essentially over the entire width of the spacing profile, where the metal foil is bonded to establish a material fit to cavity-side surfaces of the contact flanges, as well as to adjacent end sections of the connecting flange, characterized in that only the metal foil together with a center piece of the connecting flange forms the walls of the desiccant cavity.

2. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the desiccant cavity possesses two side walls, each of which is essentially parallel to an adjacent contact flange, and an outer wall facing away from the interspace in installed state, running essentially parallel to the connecting flange.

3. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the connecting flange is between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

4. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the metal foil is additionally arranged on the contact surfaces of the contact flanges.

5. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the metal foil consists of a metal with an elongation at break of more than 15%.

6. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the metal foil consists of stainless steal or sheet iron.

7. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the thickness of metal foil is between 0.02 mm and 0.3 mm.

8. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the metal foil is between 0.1 mm and 0.15 mm.

9. The spacing profile of claim 1, wherein at least for parts of the profile body adjoining the metal foil, a plastic material with a bending modulus of elasticity of less than 1,900 N/mm² is used.

10. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein for the contact flanges a plastic material with a bending modulus of elasticity of less than 1,900 N/mm² is used.

11. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the profile body consists entirely of a plastic material with a bending modulus of elasticity of less than 1,900 N/mm².

12. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material possesses a bending modulus of elasticity of less than 1,500 N/mm².

13. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material possesses a bending modulus of elasticity of at least 900 N/mm².

14. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material possesses a tensile strength at yield of less than 38 N/mm², and an elongation at yield of more than 7%.

15. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material possesses an elongation at break of at least 100%.

16. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material possesses a tensile strength at yield of a maximum of 30 N/mm², and elongation at yield of at least 8%.

17. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material possess an elongation at break of at least 500%.

18. The spacing profile of claim 9, wherein the plastic material comprises polypropylene as principal constituent.

19. The spacing profile of claim 18, wherein the plastic material comprises a polypropylene block co-polymer wherein said polypropylene block copolymer has grafted polypropylene or polyethylene, as its principal constituent.

20. A spacing profile for a spacing frame, which is to be fitted in the edge area of a double-glazing unit, forming an interspace, with a profile body of a material possessing low thermal conductivity, which incorporates contact flanges for contact with the insides of the panes of the double-glazing unit and a connecting flange bridging the interspace in installed state, by means of which at least two contact flanges are joined to one another, where the spacing profile additionally comprises a desiccant cavity arranged between the contact flanges, and further a metal foil, which extends essentially over the entire width of the spacing profile, where the metal foil is bonded to establish a material fit to cavity-side surfaces of the contact flanges, as well as to adjacent end sections of the connecting flange, characterized in that the metal foil together with a center piece of the connecting flange forms the walls of the desiccant cavity, where at least one of the walls of the desiccant cavity formed by the metal foil is provided with a reinforcing layer of a material possessing low thermal conductivity, whose thickness is a maximum of 50% of the thickness of the connecting flange.

21. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the desiccant cavity, possesses two side walls, each of which is essentially parallel to an adjacent contact flange, and an outer wall facing away from the interspace in installed state, running essentially parallel to the connecting flange.

22. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the side walls of the desiccant cavity are provided with a reinforcing layer of material possessing low thermal conductivity.

23. The spacing profile of claim 22, wherein the thickness of the reinforcing layer of the side walls is less than one quarter of the thickness of the connecting flange.

24. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the thickness of the reinforcing layer of the side walls is less than one third of the thickness of the connecting flange.

25. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the outer wall of the desiccant cavity facing away from the interspace in installed state is provided with a reinforcing layer of material possessing low thermal conductivity.

26. The spacing profile of claim 25, wherein the thickness of the reinforcing layer of the outer wall is less than one quarter of the thickness of the connecting flange.

27. The spacing profile of claim 25, wherein the thickness of the reinforcing layer of the outer wall is less than one third of the thickness of the connecting flange.

28. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the reinforcing layer is arranged at least partially on the inside of the walls of the desiccant cavity formed by the metal foil.

29. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the reinforcing layer consists of the same material as the connecting flange.

30. The spacing profile of claim 20, wherein the reinforcing layer covers the metal foil at least partially on both surfaces.

31. A spacing profile for a spacing frame which is to be fitted in the edge area of a double-glazing unit, forming an interspace, with a profile body of a plastic material possessing low thermal conductivity and with a diffusion-impermeable metal foil which is bonded to the profile body so as to establish a material fit, characterized in that at least for parts of the profile body adjoining the metal foil, a plastic material with a bending modulus of elasticity of less than 1,900 N/mm², and of at least 900 N/mm² is used.

32. The spacing profile of claim 31, wherein the profile body comprises contact flanges, having contact surfaces, for contact with the inside of a pane, which are joined by means of bridge sections to a desiccant cavity, wherein the metal foil is joined so as to establish a material fit to the contact surfaces of the contact flanges, the surfaces of the bridge sections facing away from the interspace and the outer surfaces of the walls of the desiccant cavity.

33. The spacing profile of claim 31 wherein the bending modulus of elasticity is less than 1,500 N/mm², but is at least 900 N/mm².