Silicone gasket with metal insert

Abstract: The invention deals with façade structure comprising supporting profiles (1) and glass panes (2, 15) supported by said supporting profiles, said glass panes being fixed to said supporting profiles by means of connecting means, (3) wherein the connecting means comprises a connecting profile made from silicone based heat curable rubber, wherein has been embedded at least one metal insert (5) in such a way, that on opposite sides of said connecting profile parts of said metal insert protrude from said connecting profile, said protruding parts of the metal insert being accomodated in recesses (7) provided in a supporting profile.

Description: The invention relates to a façade structure comprising supporting profiles and glass panes supported by said supporting profiles, said glass panes being fixed to said supporting profiles by means of connecting means. Such façade structures, especially so-called structural glazing structures are generally known. For mounting the glass pane on metal profiles there is generally used a silicone sealant. However especially on supporting profiles of aluminium the fixing of glass panes on the aluminium profiles is very critical and depends strongly from the nature of the surface of the profile, whereby the nature of the surface of a profile can be different along the lengths of the profile. So there is a need for a solution, whereby the mounting of glass panes on metal supporting profiles can be performed in a simple and effective way without having regard to the nature of the surface of the supporting profile. DE-A-36 33 618 describes the use of a connecting profile to mount glass panes onto metallic support profiles. According to this patent the problems associated by connecting glass panes to metallic support profiles can be solved by using a connecting profile made out of a silcone rubber. To fix the silicone rubber onto the metallic support profile the rubber connecting profile has a swallow like form fitting into recesses in the metallic support profile. Such connectings are not suitable for mounting heavy glass panels on metallic support profiles. In accordance with the invention this can be obtained by a connecting means comprising a connecting profile made from silicone based heat curable rubber wherein is embedded at least one metal insert in such a way, that on opposite sides of said connecting profile parts of said metal insert protrude from said connecting profile, said protruding parts of the metal insert being accomodated in recesses provided in a supporting profile. As initially the silicone based heat curable rubber is in a easily deformable state (e.g. liquid) it will be quite easy to give said silicone based heat curable rubber the desired shape of the profile whilst embedding at the same time one or more metal inserts. Then after curing by heating there is obtained a resilient profile wherein the metal insert(s) have been anchored in a secure way. By means of said metal insert(s) the connecting profile can be easily mounted on a supporting profile, whilst the rubber part of the connecting profile can be connected with the glass pane by providing a suitable sealant between the rubber part of the profile and the glass pane. An other possibility is to clamp the glass pane against the supporting profile by means of the resilient rubber part of the connecting profile. It will be clear, that the structure according the invention can not be used only in structural glazing structures or the like, however e.g. also for mounting glass panes in window frames or the like. The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a section through a supporting profile and a connecting profile coupling a glass pane to said supporting profile. Figure 2 shows in perspective a part of the connecting profile. Figure 3 shows a cross section through a further embodiment of the construction according the present invention. Figure 1 shows in outline a supporting profile 1, which could be a part of a skeleton of the façade of a building or the like, said skeleton forming part of a structural glazing structure. Thereby the supporting profile could have any suitable desired shape and generally such supporting profiles are extruded from aluminium. In a structural glazing structure the skeleton made from supporting profiles is destined to support glass panes 2. According the invention for connecting the glass panes 2 with the supporting profiles there are used connecting profiles 3. According the invention a connecting profile comprises a part 4 made from silicone based heat curable rubber, whereby in said part there has been embedded a metal insert 5. As shown in figure 2 the metal insert 5 can extends over the whole length of the connecting profile 3 however it would also be possible to embed in the part 4 various short metal inserts which are spaced from each other when seen in the direction of lengths of the profile 3. In order to obtain a good connection between the metal insert 5 and the part 4 from heat curable rubber there have been provided holes 6 extending through the metal insert 5, only some of said holes being shown in figure 2. Initially the silicone based curable rubber is in a liquid or more of less plastic state, so that the part 4 can be easily formed in the desired shape whilst at the same time the metal insert(s) 5 is embedded in said liquid or more of less plastic heat curable rubber. Thereafter the heat curable rubber is heated in order to cure said rubber for obtaining the connecting profile from which the part 4 will be resilient. As further appears from figures 1 and 2 the arrangement is so, that on opposite sides of the part 4 parts of the insert(s) 5 extend beyond said part 4. As especially shown in figure 1 the supporting profile has been provided with recesses 7 for accomodating the protruding parts from the metal insert(s) 5 with a close fit in order to mount the connecting profile 3 on the supporting profile 1. Then the glass pane 2 can be connected with the connecting profile 3 by using a sealant 8 suitable for fixing the glass pane 2 to the rubber part 4. The connection of the connecting profile 3 to the metal supporting profile 1 by means of a metal insert(s) can be done in a simple, effective and secure way, whilst also the fixing of a glass pane 2 on a rubber part 4 by means of a sealant 8 can be done in a known, effective and secure way, so that the risks in fixing a glass pane 2 directly on a metal supporting profile are eliminated in a simple and save way. It will be clear, that within the scope of the present invention the supporting profiles as well as the connecting profiles can have other shapes and dimensions. In figure 3 there has been shown a connecting profile 9 provided with a metal insert(s) 10 for connecting the connecting profile with a supporting profile 11 in a similar way as described above with respect to the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2. As appears from figure 3 the part 12 of the connecting profile made from silicone based heat curable rubber has a bend shape with tongues 13, 14 near its free end. The edge of a glass pane 15 has been clamped between an end of the supporting profile 11 and said tongues 13, 14, whereby the glass pane 15 is held in said position by means of the resiliency of the part 12 of the connecting profile 9.

Claims: Façade structure comprising supporting profiles (1;11) and glass panes (2;15) supported by said supporting profiles (1,11), said glass panes (2;15) being fixed to said supporting profiles (1;11) by means of connecting means (3;9), characterised in that a connecting means (3;9) comprises a connecting profile (3;9) made from silicone based heat curable rubber (4;12) wherein has been embedded at least one metal insert (5;10) in such a way, that on opposite sides of said connecting profile parts of said metal insert (5;10) protrude from said connecting profile (3;9) said protruding parts of the metal insert being accomodated in recesses (7) provided in a supporting profile (1;11). Façade structure according claim 1, wherein said metal insert(s) (5;10) has been provided with holes (6) for passing heat curable rubber from one side of the metal insert(s) (5;10) to the other side.

Inventors: LAHAYE CHRISTIAN, LAHAYE, CHRISTIAN
Applicants: GEN ELECTRIC, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Application year: 1991
Main classification: E06B3
IPC codes: E06B3, C09K3, E04B1, E06B7