THERMALLY INSULATED SECTION MEMBER ASSEMBLY FOR MAKING DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMES

Abstract: Fixed-frame section members and movable-frame section members cooperate to form an inward facing surface defining inner body (1) and an outward facing surface (2) defining outer body. The inner an outer bodies, in particular, are mutually coupled by thermally insulating means (3), comprising coupling portions (5) engaging in respective guide seats (6) longitudinally extending on the opposite faces of the outer body and inner body.

Description: The present invention relates to a thermally insulated section member assembly for making door and window frames. As is known, a problem related to the making of window and door frames starting from conventional aluminium or light alloy section members is that of reducing the thermal losses toward the outside environment. This problem has been partially solved by using double-glass arrangements extending through the main portion of the surface of the window or door frame and having a good thermal insulating coefficient. Another problem which, however, has not been satisfactory solved is that of the thermal conduction from the inside to the outside environment occurring at the metal portions of the window or door frames, which form a thermal bridge because of the good thermal conductivity of the metal material being used. In order to solve the latter problem, aluminium or light alloy section members have been already designed which include the so-called thermal cut-off characteristic, which provides an interruption of the metal continuity of the section member between the inside and outside environment. Known section members for solving this problem, however, does not perform satisfactorily since an interrupted or "broken" metal surface causes the made window or door frame to have a very poor mechanical strength. Other known solutions provide a good mechanical strength but, for achieving this, the section members comprise regions which couple in a continuous way the inner and outer surfaces of the door or window frames, with a consequent disadvantageous decrease of the thermal insulation properties. The document EP-A-0 262 677 discloses a thermally insulated section member assembly having substantially the features of the preamble of the main claim. Also the document DE-A-3 412 530 discloses a section member assembly having substantially the features of the pre-characterizing portion of the main claim: in this prior section member assembly, moreover, the coupling portions include a substantially flat central portion with enlarged regions at the edges thereof, the enlarged regions engaging in corresponding guide seats formed on the opposite faces of the inner and outer bodies of the section members, so that, as section members of the assembly are coupled through the mentioned coupling portions, they provide individual section members essentially comprising a box-like body including one or more shaped legs. The document DE-A-2 756 151 discloses a section member assembly which comprises movable frame section members which can be slidably coupled to fixed frame section members. The document DE-U-8 809 192 discloses a section member assembly comprising a section member including a projecting box-like portion, as well as a section member for forming covering bands, a section member provided for forming uprights and cross-members, a right angle section member, and an obtuse angle section member. The document DE-A-2 235 392 discloses a section member assembly which comprises fixed section members defining a lug for abutment with an inner projection of a movable section member, said movable section member being provided with a counter-lug which can be engaged with an outer leg of said fixed section member so as to define a tight chamber. Finally, the document DE-A-2 130 496 discloses a section member in which a fixed section member, when used as the horizontal member of the assembly, comprises a horizontal leg. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a thermally insulated section member assembly for making door and window frames which comprises thermal insulating means adapted to provide an efficient thermal cut-off between the inside and outer environments of said door or window frames. Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a section member assembly, for making door and window frames , which does not comprise any metal continuous region between the outer surface and inner surface of the door or window frame being made thereby. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a section member assembly, for making door and window frames, which affords the possibility of easily and quickly making door and window frames of very high mechanical strength and thermal insulating properties. Yet another object of the present invention, is to provide such a thermally insulated section member assembly which comprises section members which can be easily and quickly coupled to one another, even by unskilled operators, to make perfectly thermally insulated door and window frames. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a thermally insulated section member assembly the section members of which are very competitive from a mere economic standpoint. According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a thermally insulated section member assembly for making door and window frames, having the features of the characterizing portion of the main claim. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the thermally insulated section member assembly for making door and windows frames according to the present invention, will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment, of the section member assembly which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the figures of the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 shows a generic section member which can be considered a basic section member of the subject section member assembly; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of section members which define the central crossing region of two movable door or window frame wings; Figure 3 is another cross-sectional view illustrating a section member pair defining an abutment between a movable frame and a fixed frame; Figure 4 shows the same section member pair of Figure 3, which are associated with a glass restraining element and tightness gaskets; Figure 5 shows a section member of the subject section member assembly provided with a slanted surface projecting portion; Figure 6 shows a section member for making covering bands and uprights; Figure 7 shows a section member for making uprights and cross-members; Figures 8 and 9 show corresponding corner section members with different corner angles; Figures 10 and 11 partially show two English glass windows; Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing two section members defining an abutment region between a fixed frame and a movable frame; Figure 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing a movable frame section member abutting on a fixed-frame section member; Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional view like that of Figure 13 with a different fixed-frame section member; and Figure 15 shows the central crossing region of two wings. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, the thermally insulated section member assembly for making door and window frames according to the present invention comprises fixed-frame section members and movable-frame section members which comprise an inner body defining the inward facing surface indicated overally at the reference number 1 and an outer body defining the outward facing surface, indicated generally at the reference number 2. The inner body and outer body are coupled to one another by thermally insulating means comprising coupling portions 3 which are provided with a flat body 4 ending, at the edges thereof, with expanded portions 5 provided for engaging in corresponding seats 6 formed on the surfaces of the opposite faces of the two bodies. Advantageously, the outer body and inner body are mutually coupled by means of a pair of parallel adjoining coupling portions 3, one of which can be provided with a projecting lug 3′ extending nearly perpendicularly to the laying plane of said portion. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the two disclosed section members, which, as assembled through the mentioned coupling portions, provide the subject member assembly, are substantially provided with a box-like body, indicated respectively at 7 and 8, including one or more different shape legs. In particular, the subject section member assembly comprises: a section member 9 including a projecting box-like portion, a section member 10 for making covering bands, a section member 11 for making uprights and cross-members, a right-angle section member 12, and an obtuse-angle section member 13. There are moreover provided further section members 14 which, by means of a mentioned coupling portion 3, are coupled to intermediate section members 15 having a box-like body including side tooth members 16 for snap engaging with mating tooth members 17 of a covering section member 17a. The subject section member assembly comprises moreover glass-restraining elements 18 so designed as to be easily engaged in corresponding seats 19 formed on the bodies of the basic section members. With these glass-restraining elements suitable tightness gaskets 20 cooperate, while on the leg of the section member restraining the opposite face of a glass plate 21 there are affixed other gaskets 22 of any suitable types. Complex structure gaskets 23 are furthermore provided for insulating the inside and outside environments of a building, at the abutment region of the fixed frame and movable frame. As shown in figure 12, a fixed frame section member 30 is moreover provided including coupling portions 3 to which there is applied a movable frame section member 31 also provided with coupling portions 3, and adapted to allow for the movable wing to slide with respect to the fixed wing. Figure 13 is a side cross-sectional view of a door including a fixed section member 32 which defines a lug 33 for tight abutment with an inner projection 34 of a movable section member 35 in turn provided with a counterlug 36 which can be engaged with an outer leg 37 of the fixed section member 32. Thus, at the coupling region of the section members, a closed chamber will be formed adapted to improve the tightness characteristics. Figure 14 shows again the same movable section member 35, while the fixed section member, indicated at 40, has the same outer shape as an inner section member 41 with horizontal leg 42. Figure 15 shows the same movable section member 35, while the fixed section member, indicated at 50, has the same shape as the fixed section member 32, with the addition of a bottom outer leg 52. From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects. While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiments are susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims: A thermally insulated section member assembly for making door and window frames comprising fixed-frame section members and movable-frame section members, cooperating to form an inward facing surface defining inner body (1) and an outward facing surface defining outer body (2), said inner and outer bodies being intercoupled by thermally insulating means, said thermally insulating means comprising coupling portions (3) engaging in guide seats longitudinally extending on the opposite faces of said inner and outer bodies (1,2), said coupling portions including a substantially flat central portion (4) with enlarged regions (5) at the edges thereof, said enlarged regions (5) engaging in corresponding guide seats (6) formed on the opposite faces of said inner and outer bodies (1,2), characterized in that said assembly also comprises further section members (14) which, through said coupling portions, (3), can be coupled to intermediate section members (15) having a box-like body including side tooth members (16) snap engaging with mating tooth members (17) of a covering section member (17a). A section member assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that the two section members which, as assembled through said coupling portions, provide individual section members of said assembly, essentially comprise a box-like body (7,8) including one or more shaped legs. A section member assembly according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said assembly further comprises a movable frame section member (31) which can be slidingly coupled to fixed frame section members (30). A section member assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said assembly further comprises a fixed section member (32,40,50) defining a lug (33) for abutment with an inner projection (34) of a movable section member (35), said movable section member (35) being provided with a counter-lug (36) which can be engaged with an outer leg (37) of said fixed section member (32) so as to define a tight chamber. A section member assembly according to Claim 4, characterized in that said fixed section member (40) comprises a horizontal leg (42). A section member assembly according to Claim 4, characterized in that said fixed section member (50) comprises a bottom outer leg (52).

Inventors: GIACOMELLI, MARIO, METRA METALLURGICA TRAFILATI
Applicants: METRA METALLURGICA TRAFILATI ALLUMINIO S.P.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: E06B3
IPC codes: E06B3