GB1598549A - Glazing system - Google Patents

Description

(54) GLAZING SYSTEM (71) We, BRITISH INDUSTRIAL PLAS icS LIMITED, a British Company of 20, St. Mary'3 Parsonage, Manchester M3 2NL, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be parti- cularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to the insul ation and/or repair of glazing systems and is especially applicable to roof lights.

According to the present invention, we provide a method of insulating and/or repairing an existing glazing system comprising attaching thereto an ancillary glazing system constituted by a substantially rigid translucent plastics sheet having peripheral flanges extending therefrom to define a shallow tray.

The sheet and flanges are preferably dinmn- sioned to fit onto an existing glazing system so as to cover at least part of the system, whilst the flanges create an airspace between it and the sheet. Preferably the flanges are provided with sealing means operable to seal around the margins of the tray when it is instaled on the existing glazing system. Advantageously, the configuration and disposition of the flanges are such that the tray can be retained in place by the fastenings used to retain the existing glazing system.

Where the existing glazing system includes cracked and/or broken panes and it is not desired to repair these, the ancillary glazing system preferably includes a second plastics sheet attached to the first sheet by the peri pheral flanges to form with the first sheet a closed tray unit, the sealing means referred to earlier serving to seal the closed tjay unit to the existing glazing system.

A particularly preferred plastics sheet material is a translucent glass fibre reinforced thermoset resin sheet, for example of the kind sold under the Registered Trade Mark "FELON".

This type of material has both excellent strength and good light transmission properties.

Preferably, the first sheet referred to is stiffened by means of moulded ribs extending across it and/or adhesively-bonded stiffening members as necessary to minimize distortion under the ambient weather conditions en countered in service. Suitable configurations of stiffening member include hollow box sections formed by adhesive-bonding to the sheet Usection channels of the same material.

Where the plastics sheet material is made by a continuous process, it is preferred that the flanges and ribs extending lengthwise of the sheet are moulded into the sheet during manufacture. The flanges and/or stiffening members extending transversely to the direction of manufacture may also be produced at the same time, in the form of at least one lateral extension of the sheet, this lateral extension being subsequently cut away, profiled and/or trimmed as necessary and then attached to the main sheet by adhesive bonding to provide the requisite transverse flanges or stiffening members as appropriate.

In order that the invention be better understood a preferred embodiment of it will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional end view through a roof-light glazing system on a sloping roof fitted with an ancillary glazing system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view through the arrangement of Figure 1, taken at right angles to and in between the glazing bars of the latter Figure, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the plastics sheet used to make the ancillary glazing system of Figures 1 and 2 this view being at right angles to the direction of manufacture of the sheet.

For convenience, like reference numerals have been applied to like parts in all three Figures.

In Figure 1, conventional glazing bars 4, 5 support sheets of glass 6 in a roof light.

and margins 7 of a shallow tray 8 are engaged under the existing glazing clips 9, after applying to the margins lengths of a selfadhesive sealing tape 10. The tray itself has five stiffening ribs 11 moulded into it and extending normal to the plane of the Figure.

In Figure 2, the tray 8 has two box section stiffening members 12 attached to it by adhesive Each member 12 consists of a U-section of the same sheet material. At one end of the tray, the lowermost edge in this case, a stop end is provided. This comprises a flange portion 13 adesively bonded to the underside 14 of the tray base. At the opposite, uppermost edge a plain flange portion 15 is also attached by adhesive bonding.

Figure 3 shows a sheet of the same profile as the tray in Figure 1 but with a lateral extension 16 at one side. This extension together with the marginal portions 17 and 18 is subsequently cut away and used to provide the stop end flange portion 13 and the plain flange portion 15. Because the length of a tray will normally be greater than its width by a significant amount, one lateral extension 16 may suffice. However, if more is necessary, a further extension of suitable cross-section may be provided next to the extension 16 or at the opposite side of the sheet, for example, instead of the marginal portion 17.

In this particular example, the sheet used for the tray was a translucent glass fibre reinforced polyester resin sheet sold under the Registered Trade Mark "FILON" of thickness about 1 mm and exhibiting a typical light transmission of ~ 72%. It imparted a significant degree of thermal insulation to a conventional rooflight without greatly impairing the light transmission.

Before installation, the existing glazing system was thoroughly washed down to minimize the eventual light loss. Had any panes been found to be cracked or broken, these would have been replaced before installing the ancillary glazing system, although in many cases such attempt at repair lead to further breakage especially where the glazing system is old and the fastenings are corroded or weathered.

Where panes are damaged it is preferred to leave them in place and to install a closed tray unit, as described earlier so as to make good the damage without risk of making it more extensive.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of insulating and/or repairing an existing glazing system comprising attaching thereto an ancillary glazing system constituted by a substantially rigid translucent plastics sheet having peripheral flanges extending therefrom to define a shallow tray.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the flanges are provided with sealing means to effect a seal between the said flanges and a surface onto which the tray is placed.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the translucent plastics sheet is a sheet of glass fibre-reinforced thermoset resin.

4. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the sheet is stiffened by reinforcing ribs integrally moulded with it or adhesivel: attached to it.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the sheet is stiffened by adhesively bonding U-section channels, of the same material as that forming the sheet, to the sheet.

6. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5 wherein a second plastics sheet is attached to the said peripheral flanges.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein ancillary glazing system is made by continuously forming a sheet of substantially rigid translucent plastics material having longitudinal flanges attached to lateral extensions thereof; cutting the continuously formed sheet into sheets of finite length; removing therefrom the lateral extensions; and attaching the lateral extensions, or parts thereof, to the sheets of finite length as transverse flanges.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

9. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the ancillary glazing system is retained in place by the fasteners for the existing glazing system.

10. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the existing glazing system comprises a rooflight.

11. A method of improving the thermal insulation performance of an existing glazing system comprising attaching thereto an ancillary glazing system constituted by a substantially rigid translucent plastics sheet having peripheral flanges extending therefrom to define a shallow tray.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (11)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. tray base. At the opposite, uppermost edge a plain flange portion 15 is also attached by adhesive bonding. Figure 3 shows a sheet of the same profile as the tray in Figure 1 but with a lateral extension 16 at one side. This extension together with the marginal portions 17 and 18 is subsequently cut away and used to provide the stop end flange portion 13 and the plain flange portion 15. Because the length of a tray will normally be greater than its width by a significant amount, one lateral extension 16 may suffice. However, if more is necessary, a further extension of suitable cross-section may be provided next to the extension 16 or at the opposite side of the sheet, for example, instead of the marginal portion 17. In this particular example, the sheet used for the tray was a translucent glass fibre reinforced polyester resin sheet sold under the Registered Trade Mark "FILON" of thickness about 1 mm and exhibiting a typical light transmission of ~ 72%. It imparted a significant degree of thermal insulation to a conventional rooflight without greatly impairing the light transmission. Before installation, the existing glazing system was thoroughly washed down to minimize the eventual light loss. Had any panes been found to be cracked or broken, these would have been replaced before installing the ancillary glazing system, although in many cases such attempt at repair lead to further breakage especially where the glazing system is old and the fastenings are corroded or weathered. Where panes are damaged it is preferred to leave them in place and to install a closed tray unit, as described earlier so as to make good the damage without risk of making it more extensive. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of insulating and/or repairing an existing glazing system comprising attaching thereto an ancillary glazing system constituted by a substantially rigid translucent plastics sheet having peripheral flanges extending therefrom to define a shallow tray.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the flanges are provided with sealing means to effect a seal between the said flanges and a surface onto which the tray is placed.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the translucent plastics sheet is a sheet of glass fibre-reinforced thermoset resin.

4. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the sheet is stiffened by reinforcing ribs integrally moulded with it or adhesivel: attached to it.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the sheet is stiffened by adhesively bonding U-section channels, of the same material as that forming the sheet, to the sheet.

6. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5 wherein a second plastics sheet is attached to the said peripheral flanges.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein ancillary glazing system is made by continuously forming a sheet of substantially rigid translucent plastics material having longitudinal flanges attached to lateral extensions thereof; cutting the continuously formed sheet into sheets of finite length; removing therefrom the lateral extensions; and attaching the lateral extensions, or parts thereof, to the sheets of finite length as transverse flanges.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

9. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the ancillary glazing system is retained in place by the fasteners for the existing glazing system.

10. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the existing glazing system comprises a rooflight.

11. A method of improving the thermal insulation performance of an existing glazing system comprising attaching thereto an ancillary glazing system constituted by a substantially rigid translucent plastics sheet having peripheral flanges extending therefrom to define a shallow tray.