Profiled spacers for insulation glazing assembly

• US 6,339,909 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Technoform Caprano + Brunnhofer Ohg
• Original Assignee: Technoform Caprano + Brunnhofer Ohg
• Inventors: Goer, Bernhard, Regelmann, Jürgen, Brunnhofer, Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): CALLO, LAURA ANTOINETTE
• Application Number:
  US09/509,173
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34, 527/861.3, 527/881, 523/091.4, 527/304
• US Class Current: 52/786.13
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/6638 with coatings
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/66385 with special shapes
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/66395 U-shape
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66319 of rubber, plastics or similar materials
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66342 characterised by their sealed connection to the panes

Abstract

A spacer profile for a spacer frame to be mounted in an insulating window unit by forming a space between the panes, with a chamber for receiving hygroscopic materials and with at least one contact web to lie against the inner side of a pane, which is connected via a bridge section with the chamber, is characterized i that the profile corpus of the spacer profile consists of an elastically-plastically deformable material with poor heat conductivity, and that at least the contact webs are permanently materially connected with a plastically deformable reinforcement layer.

Claims

1. A spacer profile for a spacer frame to be mounted in the space between panes forming an insulating window unit, said spacer profile comprising a profile body formed with a chamber for receiving hygroscopic material and with at least one contact web for lying against the inside of one of said panes on at least one side of the chamber, said contact web being connected with the chamber via a bridge section, whereby the profile body has at least one outwardly open area with a U-shaped cross section, whose flanks are formed by the contact web and an adjacent side wall of the chamber and a base is formed by the bridge section connecting the same, the profile body of the spacer profile consists of an elastically-plastically deformable material with a heat conduction value of λ

<

0.3 W/(mK), the flanks of the area with said U-shaped cross section having a height which is at least twice the width of the base, and that at least the contact web being permanently materially connected with a deformable reinforcement layer made of a metal with a heat conduction value of λ

<

50 W/(Mk).

2. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the flanks of the U-shaped cross-sectional area have a height which is at least three times the width of the base.

3. The spacer profile according to claim 2 wherein the flanks have a height which is at least 5 times the width of the base.

4. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer is arranged on a contact surface of the contact web.

5. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer is arranged on a chamber-side surface of the contact web.

6. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the profile body is permanently materially connected with a reinforcement layer extending substantially over its entire width and length.

7. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer is diffusion-tight at least in an area of the walls of the chamber and of the bridge sections.

8. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer is arranged on the outside of the profile body or at least partially embedded close to the surface of the same.

9. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer is arranged on a chamber-side surface of the contact web, on an outside of the bridge section connected with the contact web, as well as on an outside of a side wall of the chamber adjacent to the contact web, and the reinforcement layer is diffusion-tight at least in an area of the bridge section and the side wall of the chamber.

10. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer extends continuously from a contact surface of the contact web over a chamber-side surface thereof, an outer side of the bridge section connected with the contact web, an outer side of a neighboring side wall of the chamber, as well an outer side of an outer wall of the chamber, and the reinforcement layer is diffusion-tight at least in an area of the bridge section and the side wall of the chamber.

11. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the chamber is centrally arranged and on each side of the chamber at least one contact web is provided.

12. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the chamber has a rectangular or trapezoidal cross section.

13. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the bridge section for the connection of at least one contact web is fixed in a corner area of the chamber arranged close to a space between the panes.

14. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the height of the contact web is smaller than or substantially equal to the height of an adjacent side wall of the chamber.

15. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the contact web projects beyond a wall facing towards a space between the panes of the insulating window unit, or towards an outer wall of the chamber opposite thereto.

16. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the contact web is parallel to one side wall of the chamber.

17. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer consists of tin plate or stainless steel.

18. The spacer profile according to claim 17 wherein the reinforcement layer has a thickness of at least 0.02 mm.

19. The spacer profile according to claim 17 wherein the reinforcement layer of tin plate has a thickness of at least 0.2 mm.

20. The spacer profile defined in claim 19 wherein said thickness is at most 0.13 mm.

21. The spacer profile according to claim 17 wherein the reinforcement layer of stainless steel has a thickness of less than 0.1 mm.

22. The spacer profile defined in claim 21 wherein said thickness is at most 0.05 mm.

23. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer is provided at least partially on its outside with a protective layer.

24. The spacer profile according to claim 1, wherein a path of higher heat conductivity from one pane to the other, formed by the reinforcement layer, equals at least 1.5 times.

25. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein a clear width between the contact web and the neighboring wall of the chamber equals at least 0.5 mm.

26. The spacer profile according to claim 1 where the chamber, the bridge section and the contact web have substantially the same wall thickness.

27. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the walls (12, 14, 16, 18) of the chamber have a reduced wall thickness with respect to the bridge section and the contact web.

28. The spacer profile according to claim 1 wherein the profile body is made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamides polycarbonate.

29. An insulating window unit with at least two panes facing each other at a distance and with a spacer frame made of a spacer profile according to claims 1, which together with the panes defines an intermediate pane space, the body having contact webs glued to an inner pane side facing them over substantially their entire length and height by means of a diffusion-tight adhesive and a clear space between the contact webs and the chamber, as well as at least the connection area to the neighboring inner side of the pane being filled with a mechanically stabilizing sealing material.

30. The insulating window unit according to claim 29, wherein the mechanically stabilizing sealing material (108) fills the clear space to the peripheral margins of the insulating window unit completely.

31. The insulating window unit according to claim 29 wherein the mechanically stabilizing sealing material is a sealing agent on a polysulfide, polyurethane or silicon basis.

32. The insulating window unit according claims 31, wherein the contact webs are glued together with the inner side of the panes by means of a butyl sealing material on a basis of polyisobutylene.