Abstract:
A method for securing two frame halves of a frame assembly, including providing a pair of frame halves each having an axially extending attachment rib. The frame halves are temporarily secured for storage and transport by detachably clipping the attachment ribs together with a clip. The frame halves can be disengaged, rotated, and lockingly clipped together for final installation with the same clip.

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 10/884,944, filed Jul. 7, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in this application. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a frame assembly, such as a window frame assembly, including clip(s) for temporarily securing the frames of the assembly for storage and transport and for locking the frames of the assembly upon installation. 
   Fixed frame window assemblies such as so-called door lights are typically manufactured at a manufacturing facility and then shipped for ultimate installation at another location. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a typical fixed frame window assembly  10  includes an insulated glass panel  12  and a pair of frame halves  14 ,  16  that sandwich the glass panel and support it in a corresponding opening defined e.g., through a door or wall. The glass panel is typically comprised of a pair of transparent panes sealed to a spacer frame. 
   It is desirable to secure the frame halves to capture the glass panel therebetween during transportation to protect the glass panel from damage, and to ensure that the delivered unit is complete. At the time of installation, screws  20  are threaded through aligned bosses  22 ,  24  of the frame halves to mount the frame assembly to the door with the glass panel captured therebetween. 
   Although the frame halves can be secured for transport using the mounting screws  20 , such a process would be labor intensive, requiring additional man hours to secure the frame halves with screws for transport and to detach the frame halves for assembly to the door or other structure. Also, the conventional screw boss assembly of the type illustrated in  FIG. 1  has the disadvantage that the final product has visible screw heads which may need to be capped for aesthetic reasons and which, even if capped, may detract from the aesthetics of the final product. 
   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an attachment structure in the form of one or more clips to temporarily secure the frame halves during transport and to effectively permanently secure the halves during final installation. By providing a clip for final installation, additional fasteners such as screws may be omitted, thereby simplifying and expediting the final assembly process. 
   Thus, the invention may be embodied in a frame assembly comprising: a pair of frame halves, each including an inner frame portion, an outer frame portion, and an axially extending attachment rib aligned with the attachment rib of the other frame half and terminating in a free edge remote from said inner and outer frame portions; a plurality of spaced locking ribs, each said locking rib extending along a portion of the attachment rib of one of said frame halves, substantially in parallel to said free edge of said attachment rib and remote from said inner and outer frame portions thereof; and a clip structure projecting axially from the attachment rib of the other of said frame halves and engaging one of said locking ribs of the one of said frame halves to secure said frame halves together. 
   The invention may also be embodied in a method for securing a frame assembly, comprising: providing a frame assembly comprising a pair of frame halves, each including an inner frame portion, an outer frame portion, and an axially extending attachment rib aligned with the attachment rib of the other frame half and each terminating in a free edge remote from said inner and outer frame portions; a plurality of spaced locking ribs, each said locking rib extending along a portion of the attachment rib of one of said frame halves, substantially in parallel to said free edge of said attachment rib and remote from said inner and outer frame portions thereof; providing a clip structure to project axially from the attachment rib of the other of said frame halves; and engaging said clip structure with the attachment rib of the one of said frame halves to secure said frame halves together. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects and advantages of this invention, will be more completely understood and appreciated by careful study of the following more detailed description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a prior art window frame assembly; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a frame half embodying the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of a locking clip embodying the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the clip of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of a frame assembly secured for storage and/or transport in an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic cross sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic perspective view similar to  FIG. 5  showing the frame halves axially aligned and clipped; and 
       FIG. 8  is a view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7  and also illustrating the glass panel and door slab to which the frame assembly is installed. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As mentioned above with reference to  FIG. 1 , conventionally, a fixed frame assembly is comprised of first and second frame halves that are configured to capture a glass panel therebetween. As illustrated, the frame halves may be secured by screws threaded through respectively axially aligned bosses of the frame halves. In an embodiment of the invention, to temporarily secure the frame halves for storage and transport and to effectively permanently secure the frame halves on installation, a plurality of spaced locking ribs have been provided to extend along discrete segments of the attachment rib of each frame half and clip structure(s) are provided to project from one frame half to selectively lockingly engage the locking rib of the axially opposed frame half. 
   Thus, referring to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , in an embodiment of the invention, a frame assembly is provided that is comprised of a pair of frame halves  114 ,  116 , each including an inner frame portion  126 ,  136  an outer frame portion  128 ,  138  and an axially extending attachment rib  130  axially aligned with the attachment rib  140  of the other frame half  116  and terminating in a free edge  132 ,  142  remote from said inner and outer frame portions. A panel  112 , such as an insulated glass panel, is supported by and between the inner frame portions  126 ,  136  of the pair of frame halves  114 ,  116 . Locking ribs  134 ,  144  are provided to extend along a portion of the attachment rib of at least one of the frame halves, substantially in parallel to the free edge  132 ,  142  of the attachment rib and remote from the inner and outer frame portions. Further, a clip structure  146  projects axially from the attachment rib of one of the frame halves to selectively engage one of the locking ribs of the other of the frame halves to secure the frame halves together with the panel therebetween. 
   Conventional screw bosses  122 ,  124  may be provided to extend in the axial direction of the attachment ribs  130 ,  140  in a conventional manner and thus are illustrated in  FIG. 5  and in phantom in  FIG. 2 . As will be appreciated, however, the snap attachment provided by the clip structure  146  of the invention may eliminate the need for screw threaded attachment of the frame halves, so that these bosses  122 ,  124  may be omitted if deemed necessary or desirable. In the alternative, a screw may be threaded through one or more of the pairs of axially aligned bosses to augment the security with which the frame assembly is mounted. 
   As mentioned above, to secure the frame halves with respect to each other, clip structure  146  is provided to project from one of the frame halves  114  and includes a receptacle  150  for engaging the attachment rib  140  of the opposing frame half  116 . In the illustrated embodiment, the clip structure is a separately formed component that is lockingly engaged with the locking rib  134  of one frame half  114  to project axially therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking clip is axially symmetrical with respect to its centerline. Thus, the locking clip includes first and second receptacles  148 ,  150  that are generally U-shaped in cross-section for respectively receiving the attachment ribs of the respective frame halves. Locking tabs  152 ,  154  are provided for lockingly engaging a locking rib of the respective attachment rib. In an exemplary embodiment, the free ends of the legs  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  of the “U-shaped” receptacles  148 ,  150  are respectively flared to facilitate alignment and mounting to the respective attachment rib, particularly during final assembly through the hole in the door slab or the like. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the locking clip is formed by stamping a metal plate, so that one of the legs  156 ,  160  of each U-shaped receptacle is effectively a frame of material surrounding an opening  159 , 161  from which the other leg  158 ,  162  has been stamped and then laterally offset by base segment  164 ,  166 , as shown and understood from  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Locking tabs  152 ,  154  are formed as well, e.g. during the stamping and forming process, and may be generally rectangular in form as illustrated or formed as spaced triangular prongs. Although the locking clip is in an exemplary embodiment formed from metal, it is to be appreciated that as an alternative, a molded, plastic clip could be provided with departing from the invention. 
   In the illustrated embodiment the clip is provided as a separate component that receives and engages the attachment rib of each frame half in a respective receptacle. However, as an alternative, a clip structure may be provided to integrally project from the attachment rib of one of the frame halves to define a receptacle for receiving the other of the frame halves. It is also to be appreciated that although the clip structure is illustrated as defining a locking tab for engaging a locking rib on an attachment rib of the frame half, the so-called locking rib may be configured as a cavity having a surface for the tab of the clip to engage. Accordingly, locking rib as used herein may be construed as a protrusion on the attachment rib or a recess or cavity on the attachment rib. Similarly, the so-called locking tab(s) of the clip structure may be defined as a protrusion or a recess or cavity, provided that the locking rib and locking tab are configured in a complementary manner so that the locking tab of the clip can slide to or past the locking rib and the locking tab and locking rib can engage to lock the clip structure to the attachment rib. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in an exemplary embodiment, the frame assembly  110  is shaped as a polygon having a plurality of diametrically opposed straight sides. For ease of illustration, a particularly small frame is shown. It is to be appreciated, however, that the panel and frame assembly may be substantially larger than the illustrated structure and/or may have a shape differing from that shown. To provide for a temporary attachment of the frame halves during storage and transport and an effectively permanent attachment on installation, in an embodiment of the invention the locking ribs are disposed asymmetrically with respect to one another on the diametrically opposite straight sides of each frame half and the two frame halves are substantially identical. Thus, as will be appreciated from  FIG. 5 , in the storage/transport orientation of the frame halves, each discrete locking rib  134 , 144  is disposed so as to correspond to a locking rib-free portion  234 , 244  of the axially facing frame half. In this configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the locking clip  146  is lockingly engaged with the locking rib  134  of one frame half  114  but receives a locking rib-free portion  244  of the axially aligned attachment rib  140  of the other frame half  116 . As such, the locking clip  146  is locked to one frame half  114  and secured, but not locked, to the other frame half  116 . 
   At the time of final installation, when it is desired to effectively permanently attach the frame halves, the detachably secured frame half  116  is axially shifted to disengage from the clip  146  and is rotated, e.g., by 180 degrees to the position shown in  FIG. 7 , so that the diametrically opposite side thereof is now aligned with the respective side of the first frame. Because the diametrically opposite side of the second frame  116  has locking ribs  144  that axially align with the locking ribs  134  of the first frame  114 , if the second frame half is then axially displaced towards the first frame half, the attachment rib  144  will be received in the receptacle  150  of the clip and the clip will lockingly engage the locking rib as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . To effectively and securely hold the frame halves together, a plurality of clips  146  are provided about the periphery of the frame assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, each locking rib has an inclined surface and a straight locking surface to effectively displace the resilient locking tab(s)  152 , 154  of the clip on insertion and to lockingly engage with the locking tab following insertion. It is to be understood that as an alternative, the locking ribs may be rectangular in cross-section, or may define a recess or cavity as mentioned above. Moreover, although the locking tabs are characterized as resilient hereinabove, as an alternative, the respective leg of the clip may deflect on engagement of the locking tab with a protruding locking rib, so that the tab can pass and engage the locking surface of the locking rib. 
   As can be seen and as will be understood, with the structure of the invention, respective halves  114 ,  116  of a fixed frame assembly  110  may be temporarily secured for storage and transport ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) and by detaching, rotating, e.g., 180 degrees, and re-engaging ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) can be permanently secured to support the glass panel or other central panel  112  in a hole defined through a structural slab  118 , such as a door in the case of a door light or a wall or ceiling in the case of a window or sky-light. It will be appreciated that the frame rotation required between the transport and installation configurations will depend on the shape of the frame assembly and the symmetrical locking rib pattern provided. Thus, where the frame assembly has more than two axes of symmetry, e.g. if it is circular, hexagonal, or square, then the rotation angle can be 90 degrees or less, whereas if the frame assembly has only two axes of symmetry, e.g. if it is an oblong rectangle or elliptical, then the rotation angle will be 180 degrees. 
   In an exemplary embodiment, each locking rib has a dimension in the axial direction of the frame assembly of about 2 mm and is disposed so that the locking surface thereof is approximately 6.5 mm from the free edge of the attachment rib. Moreover, in an exemplary embodiment, the locking rib has a transverse height of approximately 1 mm. Finally, in an exemplary embodiment, each discrete locking rib has a length in a direction transverse to the axial direction of the frame of about 35 mm. It is to be appreciated that the dimensions given are by way of example only and are not to be considered limiting with respect to the disclosed invention. 
   While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.