Procedure for fixing a window sheet, such as a glass or plastic sheet , to flexible material, and corresponding fixing arrangement

Abstract: A procedure for fixing a window sheet, such as a glass or plastic sheet, to flexible covering material (3), such as fabric or equivalent, and corresponding fixing arrangement. In the procedure, a tough plastic film (2) is laminated to the window sheet, which is so disposed that a strip (4) of said plastic film extends out beyond the margin of the window sheet, and the covering material (3) is fixed to said projecting strip (4). In the fixing arrangement, the plastic film (2) is disposed to extend as a strip (4) out beyond the margin of the window sheet (1), and the covering material (3) is fixed to the strip (4).

Description: The present invention concerns a procedure as defined in the preamble to Claim 1. The invention further concerns a fixing arrangement as defined in the preamble to Claim 5. In prior art a procedure is known for fixing a rigid and hard window sheet, such as a glass or plastic sheet, to flexible material, such as fabric or equivalent, in said prior art procedure, the window sheet is provided with a separate frame, the window sheet is mounted in this frame and the frame is fixed to the fabric by cementing or by mechanical fixing members, which involves the necessity of stitching metal eyes to the fabric and fixing these e.g. with screws to corresponding eyes on the frame. The problem embarrassing the procedures and fixing arrangements of prior art is that the fixing of the window to fabric has heretofore been exceedingly laborious and involves a plurality of work steps. The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned. The object of the invention is specifically to disclose a procedure and a fixing arrangement for fixing a window sheet to flexible material in such a way that the fixing can be accomplished simply and with few work steps. The procedure of the invention is characterized by that which is stated in Claim 1. The fixing arrangement of the invention is characterized by that which is stated in Claim 5. In the procedure of the invention for fixing a window sheet, such as a glass or plastic sheet, to flexible material, such as fabric or equivalent, a tough plastic film is laminated to the window sheet, and as taught by the invention, the plastic film that is laminated to the window sheet is so disposed that a strip of said plastic film extends out beyond the margin of the window sheet, and the flexible material is fixed to this projecting strip. Correspondingly, in the fixing arrangement, as taught by the invention the plastic film is disposed to extend as a strip beyond the margin of the window sheet and the flexible material is fixed to this strip. The advantage afforded by the invention is that when the window sheet consists e.g. of glass, the laminating foil known e.g. from conventional multi-ply glasses can be used, in addition to its laminating function, to the purpose of affixing the fabric as well, by dimensioning the foil to be somewhat larger than the glass sheet. It is then possible by means of the glazing lamination process to achieve without extra cost a finished window sheet that can be fixed to fabric. There is a multitude of applications of the present invention which can be contemplated. It concerns the fixing of a transparent window to any flexible material whatsoever, which may be fabric or plastic or equivalent soft or semi-hard material Applications that can be contemplated include the fixing of the rear window to the fabric top of an open automobile, fixing a window to tarpaulins or canopies of vehicles (a tarpaulin is understood to be any protective cover, partition, tarpaulin or equivalent intended to furnish protection against weather conditions, moisture or theft), fixing a tent window to the tent cloth, fixing the window of a tarpaulin-walled edifice stretched over a frame, fixing a window to the cover sheet, canopy, sail etc. of a boat. Fixing flexible material, such as fabric, to the window sheet with the aid of a strip projecting from the margin of the window sheet gives opportunities to use a great variety of fixing methods which have not been feasible heretofore. Thus, the flexible material may be fixed to the strip by a mechanical fixing method, such as by stitching, framing, riveting, screwing, with snaps, by Velcro, or equally by some adhesive fixing method, such as cementing, plastic casting or intermittent hot welding. If stitching is the fixing method used, a sealing compound ribbon is placed upon the plastic film strip before it is joined by stitching to the flexible material. The sealing compound ribbon contains a solid flowing compound which immediately after the needle has come out of the holes surrounds the thread and seals the hole in the fabric and that in the plastic film through which the thread passes. The window sheet may be a multi-ply structure comprising two sheets and between them a plastic film cemented to both sheets. The window sheet may equally be a single-ply structure comprising one sheet on the surface of which the plastic film has been cemented. The window sheet may consist of glass, such as silicate glass. The glass may be hardened or unhardened. The window sheet may equally consist of plastic, such as polycarbonate (PC) or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The window sheet may equally be a sandwich structure composed of a glass sheet and a plastic sheet which have been laminated together. The plastic film may be a conventional lamination plastic foil of the kind used in multi-ply safety glasses (VSG), such as a polyvinylbutyral foil (PVB). The plastic film may equally consist of polycarbonate (PC). The inherent properties of the plastic film extending over the area of the window include naturally good optic characteristics, and toughness. The window may also comprise electrical resistance heating. In that case the window sheet comprises a set of heating resistance wires, connected to the plastic film. The electrical connectors of the wire array are disposed on the strip extending out beyond the margin of the window sheet. The lamination plastic film may also be used to form a flexible and translucent hinge between adjacent window sheets in that two or more window sheets are laminated to a given plastic film or given plastic films with a certain spacing so that the intervening part of the plastic film allows the window sheets to be turned to form an angle with each other. In the following the invention is described in detail, referring to the attached drawing, wherein Fig. 1 presents schematically and sectioned in a direction at right angles against the window sheet, an embodiment of the fixing arrangement of the invention; Fig. 2 presents schematically and sectioned in a direction at right angles against the window sheet, another embodiment of the fixing arrangement of the invention; and Fig. 3 presents schematically and sectioned in a direction at right angles against the window sheet, a third embodiment of the fixing arrangement of the invention. Figs 1-3 depict a fixing arrangement by which a window sheet 1 to which has been laminated a tough plastic film 2 can be fixed to a flexible material 3, such as fabric or equivalent. Part of the plastic film 2 has been disposed to extend as a strip 4 beyond the margin of the window sheet 1. The flexible material 3 has been fixed to the strip 4. In Fig. 1 the flexible material 3 has been fixed to the strip 4 by intermittent hot welding, in which the substance of the flexible material, e.g. of a fabric 3 of synthetic material, has been fused to the substance of the plastic film 2. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 the window sheet 1 has been formed of two silicate glass sheets 7 and 8 which have been laminated to each other with an interposed plastic film 2, which is a conventional lamination plastic film of the kind used in multi-ply safety glasses (VSG), such as a polyvinylbutyral foil (PVB). Fig. 2 displays a fixing arrangement in which the window sheet 1 is a sandwich structure with one plastic sheet 9, e.g. of polycarbonate PC or polymethylmethacrylate PMMA. On the surface of the plastic sheet 9 has been cemented a clearly thinner plastic film 2. Here, the flexible fabric material 3 has been fixed to the strip 4 by suturing with stitches 5. Between the strip 4 and the fabric 3 is interposed a sealing compound ribbon 6 for sealing the stitching. In Fig. 3 the window sheet is a multi-ply structure comprising two glass sheets 7,8, between which is interposed a plastic film 2 from which a strip 4 projects to a distance from the margins of the sheets. A sandwich structure with five layers has under the upper sheet 7 a lamination plastic layer 11 1 , under which lies the above-mentioned plastic film 2, under this another lamination plastic layer 11 2 , and under this the second glass sheet 8. Since in this case the lamination plastic layers 11 are not of sufficiently durable material as regards e.g. tearing strength, weather resistance, UV resistance or any other similar consideration to enable a fabric fixing strip 4 to be formed thereof e.g. for stitching, an additional plastic film 2 has been fixed to the structure in the way as described. Here, the window sheet 1 is heatable, the window sheet 1 comprising a set of heating resistance wires 10, connected to the plastic film 11. The electric connections 12 of the heating resistance wires 10 have been carried to a part of the strip 4 extending beyond the margin of the window sheet. The invention is not delimited to concern exclusively the embodiment examples presented in the foregoing: numerous modifications are feasible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims.

Claims: A procedure for fixing a window sheet, such as a glass or plastic sheet, to flexible material, such as fabric or equivalent, a tough plastic film being laminated to said window sheet, characterized in that the plastic film laminated to the window sheet is so disposed that a strip of the plastic film extends out beyond the margin of the window sheet and the flexible material is fixed to said projecting strip. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible material is fixed to the strip by a mechanical fixing method, such as by stitching, framing, riveting, screwing, with snaps, with Velcro. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible material is fixed to the strip by an adhesive fixing method, such as by cementing, plastic casting or intermittent hot welding. Procedure according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that before the flexible material is stitched to the plastic film a sealing compound ribbon is cemented between them for sealing the stitches. A fixing arrangement for fixing a window sheet (1) to which a tough plastic film (2) has been laminated, to a flexible material (3), such as fabric or equivalent, characterized in that part of the plastic film (2) has been disposed to extend as a strip (4) out beyond the margin of the window sheet (1), and that the flexible material (3) is fixed to the strip (4). Fixing arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the flexible material (3) is fixed to the strip (4) by means of mechanical fixing members (5), such as stitches, a frame, rivets, screws, snaps, Velcro. Fixing arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the flexible material (3) is fixed to the strip (4) by an adhesive fixing method, such as cementing, plastic casting or intermittent hot welding. Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that the fixing arrangement comprises a sealing compound ribbon (6), placed between the flexible material (3) and the strip (4). Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-8, characterized in that the window sheet (1) is a multi-ply structure comprising two sheets (7,8) with an interposed plastic film (2) cemented to both sheets. Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-8, characterized in that the window sheet (1) is a single-ply structure comprising one sheet (9) on the surface of which a plastic film (2) has been cemented. Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-10, characterized in that the window sheet (1) consists of glass, such as silicate glass. Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-11, characterized in that the window sheet (1) consists of plastic, such as polycarbonate (PC) or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-12, characterized in that the plastic film (2) is a conventional lamination plastic foil used in multiply safety glasses (VSG), such as a polyvinylbutyral foil (PVB). Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-12, characterized in that the plastic film (2) consists of polycarbonate (PC). Fixing arrangement according to any one of claims 5-14, characterized in that the window sheet is heatable, the window sheet (1) comprising a set of heating resistance wires (10), connected to a plastic film (2; 11), and that the electrical connectors (12) of the heating resistance wires (10) are disposed on a strip (4) extending out beyond the margin of the window sheet.

Inventors: KINNANEN MATTI, KINNANEN, MATTI
Applicants: VALMET AUTOMOTIVE OY
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B60J1
IPC codes: B60J1