Connectors for spacers of insulating glass units and spacer comprising a connector for an insulating glass unit

• US 10,000,964 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technoform Glass Insulation Holding GmbH (Technoform Caprano + Brunnhofer GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Technoform Glass Insulation Holding GmbH (Technoform Caprano + Brunnhofer GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Lenz, Joerg, Cempulik, Peter, Siodla, Thorsten, Schedukat, Nils, Bebber, Ferdinand, Orth, Thomas, Deckers, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwiecinski, Ryan D
• Application Number:
  US13/980,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20140112714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 526569, 5278613, 403292, 403297, 403298
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/667 Connectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/9681 by press fit or adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/972 by increasing the cross-section of the connecting pieces, e.g. by expanding the connecting pieces with wedges E06B3/976 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/557 Expansible section
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/559 Fluted or splined section
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7005 Lugged member, rotary engagement

Abstract

A technique for improving the retention force between a connector (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 100, 101) and a spacer (1) for insulating glass units is disclosed.

Claims

1. A connector for a spacer for insulating glass units, the spacer extending in a longitudinal direction (z) with a constant cross-section in a cutting plane (x-y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) such that the spacer encloses an interior cavity, and being formed of plastic at least on an inner side enclosing the interior cavity, the connector comprising:

a first connector section configured to be inserted into the interior cavity of the spacer along the longitudinal direction (z), and

a second connector section configured to be inserted into the interior cavity of the spacer along the longitudinal direction (z),

wherein the first connector section and the second connector section are successively disposed along a center axis (R) extending in the longitudinal direction (z),

the first connector section is configured to be held in the interior cavity of the spacer by contact with the inner side of the spacer after insertion,

first teeth are disposed on a first outer surface of the second connector section, second teeth are disposed on a second outer surface of the second connector section and the first outer surface is opposite of the second outer surface,

the first connector section includes two sub-sections that are moveable relative to each other, each of the two sub-sections of the first connector section having teeth on an outer side of the sub-sections, and

the first and second connector sections are configured such that the two sub-sections of the first connector section are capable of receiving an external force when the first connector section has been inserted into the interior cavity such that at least some of the teeth, or portions of the teeth, of the first connector section are moved away from a plane that includes the center axis (R) in response to a relative motion produced by the external force while a spacing between the first and second teeth of the second connector section does not change as the result of the application of the external force.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein:

the two sub-sections of the first connector section are rotatable relative to each other,

each of the two sub-sections of the first connector section has a dimension (b1, b2) greater than a height (h1) of the interior cavity in the cutting plane (x-y) perpendicular to the center axis (R) in at least one direction, and

the two sub-sections are lockable relative to each other in a rotated position.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the two sub-sections has an oval cross-section in the cutting plane (x-y) perpendicular to the center axis (R).

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the teeth of the first connector section are configured to form a spike connection with the inner side of the spacer upon movement of the teeth away from the plane that includes the center axis (R).

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the first and second teeth defined on the second connector section are configured to form a connection with the inner side of the spacer upon insertion.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the two sub-sections of the first connector section each have a wedge shape with a wedge surface, the two sub-sections being moveable relative to each other along the wedge surfaces and having a locking mechanism for locking with each other in a moved position.

7. The connector according to claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism includes latching means for locking the two sub-sections in the moved position.

8. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the teeth of the first connector section are configured to form a spike connection with the inner side of the spacer upon movement of the teeth away from the plane that includes the center axis (R).

9. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the first and second teeth defined on the second connector section are configured to form a connection with the inner side of the spacer upon insertion.

10. The connector according to claim 1, wherein:

the first connector section is configured to be inserted into a first longitudinal end of the spacer and the second connector section is configured to be inserted into a second longitudinal end of the spacer,

the two sub-sections of the first connector section are first and second side walls, the teeth of the first connector section being respectively defined on outer sides of the first and second side walls, and

the connector further includes an expansion device configured to move the first and second side walls of the first connector section apart from each other in opposite directions away from the center axis (R).

11. The connector according to claim 10, wherein the expansion device includes an integral expansion tree or an expansion wedge configured to press apart the first and second side walls.

12. The connector according to claim 11, wherein the teeth of the first connector section are configured to form a spike connection with the inner side of the spacer upon expansion.

13. The connector according to claim 12, wherein the first and second teeth defined on the second connector section are configured to form a connection with the inner side of the spacer upon insertion.

14. The connector according to claim 10, wherein the expansion device includes:

an integral expansion tree located in the first connector section and comprising a central stem extending along the center axis and a plurality of struts respectively connecting the center stem to the first and second side walls, and

an integral expansion wedge connected to a body of the second connector section via a hinge, the expansion wedge being configured to be pressed by the inner side of the spacer upon insertion of the second connector section into the interior cavity of the spacer into contact with the central stem to thereby push the plurality of struts and cause the first side wall to move away from the second side wall.

15. The connector according to claim 14, wherein the teeth of the first connector section are configured to form a spike connection with the inner side of the spacer upon expansion.

16. The connector according to claim 15, wherein the first and second teeth defined on the second connector section are configured to form a connection with the inner side of the spacer upon insertion.

17. The connector according to claim 10, wherein the expansion device includes an expansion mandrel configured to press apart the first and second side walls.

18. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first and second connector sections are configured such that, when the two sub-sections have been moved to a moved position away from the plane that includes the center axis by the corresponding relative movement, at least some of the teeth of the two sub-sections wedge into the inner side of the spacer in the moved position while full insertion of the first and second teeth of the second connector section into the spacer still remains possible in the moved position of the two sub-sections of the first connection section.

19. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the external force includes a linear component that is not perpendicular to the plane.

20. An assembly comprising:

a spacer for insulating glass units, said spacer extending in a longitudinal direction (z) with a constant cross-section in a cutting plane (x-y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) such that the spacer encloses an interior cavity, and being formed of plastic at least on the inner side enclosing the interior cavity and including a metal diffusion barrier layer outward of the interior cavity, and

a connector inserted into the interior cavity at an open end of the spacer, the connector comprising;

a first connector section inserted into the interior cavity of the spacer along the longitudinal direction (z), and

a second connector section configured to be inserted into the interior cavity of the spacer along the longitudinal direction (z),

wherein the first connector section and the second connector section are successively disposed along a center axis (R) extending in the longitudinal direction (z),

the first connector section is held in the interior cavity of the spacer by contact with the inner side of the spacer after insertion,

the first connector section includes two sub-sections that are moveable relative to each other, each of the two sub-sections having teeth on an outer side of the sub-section, and

the two sub-sections are capable of receiving an external force when the first connector section has been inserted into the interior cavity such that at least some of the teeth are moved away from a plane that includes the center axis (R) in response to a relative motion produced by the external force.

21. A connector for a spacer for insulating glass units, the spacer extending in a longitudinal direction (z) with a constant cross-section in a transverse plane (x-y) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) such that an interior cavity is defined within spacer, wherein at least an inner side of the spacer facing the interior cavity is composed of plastic, the connector comprising:

a first connector section configured to be inserted into the interior cavity of a first longitudinal end of the spacer along the longitudinal direction (z), and

a second connector section configured to be inserted into the interior cavity of a second longitudinal end of the spacer along the longitudinal direction (z),

wherein the first connector section and the second connector section are successively disposed along a center axis (R) extending in the longitudinal direction (z),

first teeth are disposed on a first outer surface of the second connector section, second teeth are disposed on a second outer surface of the second connector section and the first outer surface is opposite of the second outer surface,

the first connector section includes first and second sub-sections, each having teeth on their respective outer sides that are configured to contact and wedge into the inner side of the spacer, and

the first and second sub-sections are configured to move away from each other, while the first connector section is located within the interior cavity of the spacer, such that at least some of the teeth, or portions of the teeth, of the first connector section move away from a plane that intersects the center axis (R) as the result of the application of a linear external force in the longitudinal direction (z) that is applied to the second connector section and that acts within the plane while a spacing between the first and second teeth of the second connector section does not change as the result of the application of the linear external force.