Abstract:
A corner connector for glass pane spacers includes a first and a second connecting element, on each of which a spacer can be mounted, and a corner element, which joins the two connecting elements at an angle, wherein the corner element has two lateral surfaces facing the glass panes, two end surfaces facing the respective spacer and an outer surface. The corner connector is characterized in that a metal foil is applied to the outer surface and at least partially to the lateral surfaces and the end surfaces, and butyl is provided in the area of the end surfaces, which creates a seal between the metal foil and the inserted spacer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of copending international patent application PCT/EP2007/003020 filed on Apr. 4, 2007 and designating the U.S. and published in the German language, which claims priority of German patent application DE 10 2006 017 821.1 filed on Apr. 13, 2006. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a corner connector for glass pane spacers comprising a first and a second connecting element, on each of which a spacer can be mounted, and a corner element, which joins the two connecting elements at an angle, wherein the corner element has two lateral surfaces facing the glass panes, two end surfaces facing the respective spacer and an outer surface. 
     Such corner connectors are generally known. For example, a corner connector on which spacers can be mounted is shown in the document DE 31 17 615 A1. 
     In principle, such spacers are used for keeping two glass panes, in particular insulating glass panes, at a distance and sealing the space produced between the panes from the outside. That is to say, a main function of the spacers is to create an air-impermeable, in particular water-vapor-impermeable, seal. This sealing function must also be maintained even under great temperature fluctuations. If the sealing effect is lost, moisture can get into the interior space between the insulating glass panes, which leads to fogging of the pane. 
     Apart from the solution with corner connectors that is shown in the aforementioned document, the 90° angles of the spacers are very often also achieved by the spacers being bent over. However, this may cause loss of integrity of the seal, which may later likewise lead to fogging of the pane. 
     The previously available solutions either have the disadvantage that sealing problems may occur or that they are laborious to work with—as in the aforementioned prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Against this background, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a corner connector which on the one hand is easy to work with and on the other hand achieves the required sealing effect. 
     This object is achieved in the case of the corner connector of the type mentioned at the beginning by a metal foil being applied to the outer surface and at least partially to the lateral surfaces and the end surfaces, and by butyl being provided in the area of the end surfaces, which creates a seal between the metal foil and the inserted spacer. 
     The corner connector according to the invention has the advantage that the spacer must merely be inserted, the sealing by means of the butyl that is provided taking place at the same time as the insertion. In addition, the foil that is provided achieves the effect on the one hand that the corner connector is impermeable to water vapor in the area of the corner element and on the other hand that a good connection between the corner element and the butyl is achieved. 
     In the case of a preferred embodiment, on each inner area of the end surfaces of the corner element there is provided a stop surface for the spacer, formed in such a way that a gap between the end surface and the spacer is produced in the outer area. 
     This means in other words that, in the inserted state, the spacer does not lie with its full surface area against the end surface of the corner element. Rather, the spacer only lies against the stop surface in the inner area of the corner element, so that a gap between the end surface and the spacer is produced in the outer area of the corner element, a gap in which the butyl lies. The amount of butyl is in this case chosen such that, when the spacer is inserted, the butyl is forced out via the gap, and consequently achieves a reliable seal between the end surface and the spacer. 
     In the case of a preferred embodiment, the connecting elements and the corner element are formed in one piece. The corner connector is preferably produced from plastic. 
     It goes without saying that the corner connector may also be produced from other materials. However, plastic has been found to be particularly advantageous. Should the corner connector be produced from metal, for example, it is possible to dispense with a separate metal foil, since it is, as it were, already an integral part of the corner connector. 
     In the case of a preferred embodiment, the foil is adhesively attached to the corner element. 
     This measure has the advantage that application is very simple. It goes without saying that the foil may also be fastened to the corner element in some other way. The way in which it is fastened depends primarily on the thickness of the foil that is used. In the case of foil thicknesses in the μ range, adhesive bonding has been found to be advantageous. Thicker foils on the other hand could also be applied differently. 
     In the case of a preferred embodiment, the connecting elements each have at least one holding element, in order to hold the inserted spacer. The holding elements are preferably formed as latching elements. 
     That is to say in other words that, when it reaches its end position, the spacer is locked on the connecting element, so that it can no longer be separated from the corner connector. 
     It goes without saying that releasable connections are also conceivable. 
     Further advantages and refinements of the invention emerge from the description and the accompanying drawing. 
     It will be appreciated that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or on their own without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is now explained in more detail on the basis of an embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a representation of the corner connector according to the invention from three views; 
         FIG. 2  shows a sectional representation of a spacer; 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of the corner connector according to the invention with a partially mounted spacer; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of the corner connector according to the invention with a fully mounted spacer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In  FIG. 1 , a corner connector is represented in three different views and is identified generally by the reference numeral  10 . The corner connector is produced in one piece from a plastics material, it going without saying that other materials can also be used. In addition, the corner connector could also be composed of a number of individual parts. 
     The corner connector  10  has two connecting elements  12 ,  14 , which are joined to each other at a 90° angle by means of a corner element  16 . The two connecting elements  12 ,  14  also lie in one plane. 
     The two connecting elements  12 ,  14  are preferably identically formed and have a cross-sectional form that is adapted to the form of the spacer, as it is shown for example in  FIG. 2 . In particular, the cross section of the connecting elements  12 ,  14  is formed in such a way that the spacer identified in  FIG. 2  by the reference numeral  40  can be mounted. The connecting elements  12 ,  14  then respectively protrude into a hollow space  44  of the spacer  40 . 
     The corner element  16  of the corner connector  10  has an arcuate outer surface  20 , which extends from a first end surface  22  through 90° to a second end surface  22  of the corner element. In the example shown, the outer surface  20  lies perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. 
     The corner element  16  has two lateral surfaces  18 , which extend inward from the outer surface  20 . In the representation on the right in  FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the lateral surfaces  18  comprise two portions, the outer portion running obliquely in relation to the outer surface  20  and the inner portion running perpendicularly in relation to the outer surface  20 . 
     Finally, the corner element  16  has two end surfaces  22 , which each extend perpendicularly from the outer surface  16  inward and face the connecting elements  12  and  14 , respectively. 
     In  FIG. 1 , two further stop surfaces  24  can be seen in the area of the corner element  16 , lying in the inner area of the corner element and each likewise facing the connecting elements  12  and  14 , respectively. That is to say in other words that the stop surfaces  24  are parallel to the respective end surface  22 . However, the stop surfaces  24  are each at a distance from the end surface  22 , so that, when the spacer  40  is pushed onto the respective connecting element  12 ,  14 , an end surface  46  of the spacer first butts against the stop surface  24 , so that the end surface  46  of the spacer is at a certain distance from the end surface  22 . The function of this distance will be further explained later with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     Finally, it can also be seen in  FIG. 1  that, in the area of the end surfaces  22 , a groove  26  is in each case provided in the respective connecting element  12  or  14 . This groove  26  extends from one side of the connecting element  12 ,  14  over its outer side to the opposite side. It can be seen in the plan view of the corner connector that the groove  26  extends inward in the direction of the stop surface  24  and goes almost up to the middle of the connecting element  12  (i.e. almost up to the longitudinal axis). With respect to the respective connecting element  12 ,  14 , the groove  26  extends in the longitudinal direction almost up to the stop surface  24 . 
     Finally, in the representation of the corner connector  16  on the right in  FIG. 1  there can also be seen latching elements  38 , which interact in a latching manner with the spacer  40  by means of a wire  37 , the wire  37  being led around the connecting element  12 ,  14  and taken along when a spacer is inserted. For example, depressions in which these latching elements  38  can engage when the spacer has reached its end position may be provided in a wall  42  of the spacer  40 . 
     Altogether, the corner element  16  is formed in such a way that it achieves an esthetic transition from one spacer  40  to the other spacer. This means that, in the area of the end surfaces  22 , the outer surface  20  of the corner element  16  lies approximately in a plane with the respective outer surface of the spacer  40 , so that a good transition is achieved. The same also applies, moreover, to the lateral surfaces  18  of the corner element  16 , which are adapted approximately to the lateral surfaces of the spacer  40 , as can be seen from the representation on the right in  FIG. 1 . In addition, the end surface  22  is consequently also adapted approximately to the end surface  46  of the spacer. 
     Now reference is made to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , which illustrate side views of the corner connector. In order to seal the corner connector in the area of the corner element  16 , a foil of metal is adhesively attached to the lateral surface  18 , the outer surface  20  and the end surface  22 . In  FIG. 3 , this foil is represented by shading and is identified by the reference numeral  32 . In the representation on the right in  FIG. 1 , the foil  32  is likewise represented by shading in the area of the end surface  22 . The foil therefore does not extend over the entire lateral surface. However, it is quite conceivable to provide a larger or smaller area of the lateral surface  18  with the metal foil  32 . 
     A sealing material, which in the present case is butyl, is provided in the two grooves  26 . This sealing material is identified in  FIG. 3  by the reference numeral  30 . It lies in the groove  26  and extends up to the upper edge of the respective end surface  22 . 
     The butyl  30  is intended to achieve a seal between the end surface  22  and the inserted spacer  40 . 
     As revealed by  FIG. 4 , when it is mounted on the connecting element  12 , the end surface  46  of the spacer  40  butts against the stop surface  24 , the end surface  46  then still being at a distance from the end surface  22  of the corner element. The butyl  30  lying in this gap is squeezed together when the spacer  40  is inserted, and is forced outward, which is identified by the reference numeral  34 . This squeezing together of the butyl  30  on the one hand has the advantage that an extremely good inward seal is achieved in the critical area between the corner element  16  and the spacer  40 . On the other hand, this seal is also not lost under changing temperatures, since an adequate amount of butyl material is present. Even if the gap between the end surface  22  and the end surface  46  should become slightly larger for temperature-related reasons, the seal does not deteriorate, since the butyl  30  compensates for this. 
     It should finally also be pointed out that, in an outer area, the spacer  40  also has a foil of metal, which is identified in  FIG. 4  by the reference numeral  48 . This foil  48  likewise serves for inward sealing. 
     As already mentioned at the beginning, spacers  40  serve the purpose of keeping two insulating glass panes at a distance and sealing the hollow space produced in between against penetration of air or moisture. In the case of the corner connector shown in  FIG. 4 , the two insulating glass panes would be arranged parallel to the plane of the drawing in front of and behind the corner connector, parallel to the lateral surface  18 .