Abstract
A spacer for insulating glazing units with a polymeric main body composed of a first pane contact surface and a second pane contact surface running parallel thereto, a first glazing interior surface, a second glazing interior surface, an outer surface, a first hollow chamber, and a second hollow chamber, is realized with a groove to accommodate a pane runs parallel to the first pane contact surface and second pane contact surface between the first glazing interior surface and the second glazing interior surface, the first hollow chamber being adjacent the first glazing interior surface and the second hollow chamber being adjacent the second glazing interior surface, where the lateral flanks of the groove are formed by the walls of the first hollow chamber and the second hollow chamber, and a gas-permeable insert is contained in the groove or at least two inserts are mounted at a distance of at least 1 mm from one another.
Claims
1. A spacer for insulating glazing units, the spacer comprising: a polymeric main body comprising a first pane contact surface and a second pane contact surface running parallel thereto, a first glazing interior surface, a second glazing interior surface, an outer surface, a first hollow chamber, and a second hollow chamber, wherein a groove to accommodate a pane parallel to the first pane contact surface and the second pane contact surface runs between the first glazing interior surface and the second glazing interior surface, the first hollow chamber is adjacent the first glazing interior surface and the second hollow chamber is adjacent the second glazing interior surface, the lateral flanks of the groove are formed by the walls of the first hollow chamber and of the second hollow chamber, and a gas-permeable insert is contained in the groove or at least two inserts are mounted at a distance of at least 1 mm from one another.
2. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the insert is made of a material different from a material of the polymeric main body.
3. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the insert is coextruded with the polymeric main body.
4. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the insert is slid or inserted into the groove.
5. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the insert contains a butyl sealant.
6. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the insert contains a thermoplastic elastomer.
7. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein a gas- and vapor-tight barrier is mounted on the outer surface of the polymeric main body and at least a part of the pane contact surfaces.
8. The spacer according to claim 7, wherein the gas- and vapor-tight barrier is implemented as a barrier film, which includes at least one polymeric layer as well as one metallic layer or one ceramic layer.
9. The spacer according to claim 7, wherein the gas- and vapor-tight barrier is implemented as a coating, which contains aluminum, aluminum oxides, and/or silicon oxides.
10. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein a web is mounted below the groove on the side of the spacer opposite the groove.
11. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric main body contains polyethylene (PE), polycarbonates (PC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polybutadiene, polynitriles, polyesters, polyurethanes, polymethylmethacrylates, polyacrylates, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile styrene acrylester (ASA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), PET/PC, PBT/PC, and/or copolymers or mixtures thereof.
12. An insulating glazing unit comprising: a first pane, a second pane, a third pane, a first inner interpane space between the first pane and the third pane, a second inner interpane space between the third pane and the second pane, and a circumferential spacer according to claim 1, wherein the first pane contacts the first pane contact surface, the second pane contacts the second pane contact surface, the third pane is inserted into the groove of the spacer, at least one insert is mounted in the groove such that a gas exchange between the two inner interpane spaces is possible.
13. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 12, wherein the first pane protrudes beyond the first pane contact surface and the second pane protrudes beyond the second pane contact surface and an outer interpane space delimited by the first pane, the second pane, and the outer surface of the spacer is filled with an outer seal.
14. A method for producing an insulating glazing unit according to claim 12, comprising the steps of: a) preparing the polymeric main body with insert, b) inserting the third pane into the groove of the spacer, c) mounting the first pane on the first pane contact surface of the spacer, d) mounting the second pane on the second pane contact surface of the spacer, and e) pressing together the pane arrangement comprising the panes and the spacer.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein in step a) the polymeric main body is coextruded with the insert.
16. A method of providing the spacer according claim 1 in multiple glazing units as spacers for the units.
17. The spacer according to claim 6, wherein the insert contains a urethane based thermoplastic elastomer.
18. The spacer according to claim 8, wherein the barrier film includes at least two metallic layers and/or ceramic layers, each of which are arranged alternatingly with each of the at least one polymeric layer.
19. The spacer according to claim 9, wherein the coating is applied by physical vapor deposition.
20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the spacer is provided in insulating glazing units.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the spacer is provided in triple insulating glazing units.
Description
[0067] The invention is explained in detail in the following with reference to drawings. The drawings are purely schematic representations and are not true to scale. They in no way restrict the invention. They depict:
[0068] FIG. 1 a possible embodiment of the spacer according to the invention,
[0069] FIG. 2 another possible embodiment of the spacer according to the invention,
[0070] FIG. 3 several cross-sections through possible embodiments of spacers according to the invention,
[0071] FIG. 4 a cross-section of a possible embodiment of the insulating glazing unit according to the invention,
[0072] FIG. 5 a cross-section of another possible embodiment of the insulating glazing unit according to the invention, and
[0073] FIG. 6 a flowchart of a possible embodiment of the method according to the invention.
[0074] FIG. 1 depicts a cross-section of the spacer 1 according to the invention. The glass fiber reinforced polymeric main body 1 comprises a first pane contact surface 2.1, a second pane contact surface 2.2 running parallel thereto, a first glazing interior surface 3.1, a second glazing interior surface 3.2, and an outer surface 4. A first hollow chamber 5.1 is situated between the outer surface 4 and the first glazing interior surface 3.1, while a second hollow chamber 5.2 is arranged between the outer surface 4 and the second glazing interior surface 3.2. A groove 6, which runs parallel to the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2, is situated between the two hollow chambers 5.1 and 5.2. The lateral flanks 7 of the groove 6 are formed by the walls of the two hollow chambers 5.1 and 5.2, while the bottom surface of the groove 6 is adjacent the web. The lateral flanks 7 of the groove 6 are inclined inward in the direction of a pane to be accommodated in the groove 6. Thus, a tapering of the groove 6 is created at the level of the glazing interior surfaces 3.1 and 3.2, which tapering favors the fixing of a pane in the groove 6, and, at the same time, conceals the insert contained in the groove 6. An insert 9 that is installed along the entire spacer profile is introduced into the groove 6. The insert 9 fixes the panes to be inserted in the groove 6 and prevents development of noise during opening and closing of the window and compensates heat-induced thermal expansion of the pane to be inserted. The insert 9 covers the bottom surface of the groove 6 and a portion of the lateral lateral flanks 7 of the groove. The insert 9 is produced from a porous polyurethane foam and is coextruded with the polymeric main body. The use of the porous polyurethane foam ensures the connection of the inner interpane spaces in the finished insulating glazing unit. The wall thickness d of the polymeric main body is 1 mm. The outer surface 4 runs largely perpendicular to the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2 and parallel to the glazing interior surfaces 3.1 and 3.2. The sections of the outer surface 4 nearest the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2 are, however, inclined at an angle of preferably 30° to 60° relative to the outer surface 4 in the direction of the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2. This angled geometry improves the stability of the polymeric main body 1 and enables better adhesion of the spacer I according to the invention to a barrier film. The polymeric main body 1 contains styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) with roughly 35 wt.-% glass fiber. The glazing interior surfaces 3.1 and 3.2 have, at regular intervals, openings 8, which connect the hollow chambers 5.1 and 5.2 to the air space above the glazing interior surfaces 3.1 and 3.2. The spacer I has a height of 6.5 and a total width of 34 mm. The first glazing interior surface 3.1 is 16 mm wide and the second glazing interior surface 3.2 is 16 mm wide. The total width of the spacer I is the sum of the widths of the glazing interior surfaces 3.1 and 3.2 and the thickness of the third pane 15 with insert 9 to be inserted into the groove 6.
[0075] FIG. 2 depicts a cross-section of the spacer l according to the invention. The spacer depicted essentially corresponds to that depicted in FIG. 1. A plurality of inserts 9 made of EPDM are mounted in the groove 6. The inserts fix the third pane 15 without tension and, at the same time, prevent development of noise from slippage in the groove 6. The inserts 9 rest against the lateral flanks 7 and cover the bottom surface of the groove 6. The distance between the inserts 9 is roughly 2 cm. In the exposed section, pressure compensation between adjacent inner interpane spaces 17.1 and 17.2 is possible after installation of a third pane 15 to be inserted.
[0076] FIG. 3 depicts several cross-sections through possible embodiments of spacers according to the invention. The polymeric main body 1 is implemented as in FIG. 1. Different profiles of the insert 9 are depicted in the detail figures a) to d). In FIG. 3a), the insert 9 is installed as two bulges on the lateral flanks 7. The insert 9 does not cover the bottom surface of the groove. Thus, the middle pane to be inserted is stabilized on the sides and rattling in the groove 6 is prevented. With this solution, material is saved on the bottom surface.
[0077] In FIG. 3b), in addition to the bulges on the lateral flanks 7 depicted in FIG. 3a), an insert 9 is installed on the bottom surface. Thus, the third pane is additionally stabilized and squeaking or rattling is even better prevented. The variants depicted in FIGS. 3a) and 3b) can, for example, be produced by coextrusion of the insert and the polymeric main body.
[0078] FIG. 3c) depicts an insert that covers the bottom surface of the groove and the adjacent region of the lateral flanks 7 of the groove. This shape of the insert 9 is particularly easy to manufacture since it comprises one piece. The insert 9 depicted in FIG. 3c) fits flush into the groove 6. The dimensions of the insert 9 depicted in FIG. 3d) are somewhat smaller than those of the groove 6. This embodiment is particularly suitable to be slid into the previously manufactured polymeric main body 1. After insertion of the middle pane 15, a stable tension-free fixing is achieved.
[0079] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-section of an insulating glazing unit according to the invention with a spacer I according to the invention. The interspace between the first pane 13 and the third pane 15 delimited by the first glazing interior surface 3.1 is defined here as the first inner interpane space 17.1 and the space between the third pane 15 and the second pane 14 delimited by the second glazing interior surface 3.2 is defined as the second inner interpane space 17.2. Via the openings 8 in the glazing interior surfaces 3.1 and 3.2, the inner interpane spaces 17.1 and 17.2 are connected to the respective underlying hollow chamber 5.1 or 5.2. A desiccant 11 made of a molecular sieve is situated in the hollow chambers 5.1 and 5.2. Through the openings 8, a gas exchange occurs between the hollow chambers 5.1, 5.2 and the interpane spaces 17.1, 17.2, wherein the desiccant 11 extracts the atmospheric humidity from the interpane spaces 17.1 and 17.2. Here, the first pane 13 of the triple insulating glazing unit is connected by a seal 10 to the first pane contact surface 2.1 of the spacer I, while the second pane 14 is connected by a seal 10 to the second pane contact surface 2.2. The seal 10 is made of a cross-linking polyisobutylene. A third pane 15 is inserted into the groove 6 of the spacer via an insert 9. The insert 9 encloses the edge of the third pane 15 and fits flush into the groove 6. The insert 9 is made of butyl rubber. The insert 9 fixes the third pane 15 tension-free and compensates thermal expansion of the pane. Furthermore, the insert 9 prevents the development of noise from slippage of the third pane 15. In order that a gas exchange and, hence, a pressure equalization between the two inner interpane spaces 17.1, 17.2 can occur, a plurality of inserts 9 with spaces between them are introduced into the groove 6, as depicted in FIG. 2. The lateral flanks 7 of the groove 6 run, in this case, parallel to the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2. The insert 9 extends over the entire width of the bottom surface but only partially covers the lateral flanks 7 of the groove 6, by which means material is saved. The polymeric main body 1 is made of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) with roughly 35% glass fiber. A barrier 12 that reduces the thermal transfer through the polymeric main body 1 into the interpane spaces 17 is applied on the outer surface 4 and a part of the pane contact surfaces 2.1, 2.2. The barrier 12 is implemented as a barrier film 12 and can, for example, be fastened with a polyurethane hot melt adhesive on the polymeric main body 1. The barrier film 12 comprises four polymeric layers of polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 12 μm and three metallic layers made of aluminum with a thickness of 50 nm. The metallic layers and the polymeric layers are alternatingly applied in each case, with the two outer layers being formed by polymeric layers. The first pane 13 and the second pane 14 protrude beyond the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2 such that an outer interpane space 24, which is filled with an outer seal 16, is created. The first pane 13 and the second pane 14 are made of soda lime glass with a thickness of 3 mm, while the third pane 15 is formed from soda lime glass with a thickness of 2 mm.
[0080] FIG. 5 depicts a cross-section of another insulating glazing unit according to the invention with a spacer I according to the invention. The insulating glazing unit essentially corresponds to the insulating glazing unit depicted in FIG. 4. The lateral flanks 7 of the groove 6 are inclined inward in the direction of the third pane 15. A web 20 is installed below the groove 6. The web 20 serves, among other things, for stabilization of the spacer with an integrated third pane during the production of the insulating glazing unit. The height b of the web is 4.5 and the width a of the web is 3 mm. The polymeric main body 1 and the web 20 are implemented in one piece. Thus, a particularly stable connection between the web 20 and the polymeric main body 1 is created. The web 20 divides the outer interpane space into a first outer interpane space 24.1 and a second outer interpane space 24.2. The edge of the first pane 21, the edge of the second pane 22, and the edge of the web 23 are arranged at one height. The outer interpane spaces 24.1 and 24.2 are filled with an organic polysulfide 16. The web 20 divides the outer seal 16 into two parts. Since the thermal conductivity of the outer seal 16 is higher than that of the web 20, a thermal decoupling occurs, resulting in an improvement of the thermal insulating properties of the edge bond. A gas- and vapor-tight barrier 12 is applied on the outer surface 4, which, in this one-piece embodiment of the main body 1 and the web 20, also includes the side surfaces 25 and the edge 23 of the web.
[0081] FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of a possible embodiment of the method according to the invention. First, the polymeric main body 1 with the insert 9 is coextruded. Then, the third pane 15 is prepared and washed. The third pane 15 is now slid into the groove 6 of the spacer I according to the invention. Here, three spacers I can, for example, be preshaped to form a rectangle open on one side, wherein the third pane 15 is slid into the groove 6 via the open side. Then, the fourth pane edge is closed with a spacer I. The corners of the spacer are either welded or linked to one another via corner connectors. These first three process steps serve to prepare a pane 15 with a spacer I according to the invention. Such a preassembled component can then be further processed in a conventional double glazing system. The assembly of the first pane 13 and the second pane 14 on the pane contact surfaces 2.1 and 2.2 via a seal 10 in each case is done in the double glazing system. Optionally, a protective gas can be introduced into the interpane spaces 17.1 and 17.2. Then, the insulating glazing unit is pressed. In the last step, an outer seal 16 is filled into the outer interpane spaces 24.1 and 24.2, and the finished insulating glazing unit is placed on a rack to dry.
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
[0082] I spacer [0083] 1 polymeric main body [0084] 2 pane contact surfaces [0085] 2.1 first pane contact surface [0086] 2.2 second pane contact surface [0087] 3 glazing interior surfaces [0088] 3.1 first glazing interior surface [0089] 3.2 second glazing interior surface [0090] 4 outer surface [0091] 5 hollow chambers [0092] 5.1 first hollow chamber [0093] 5.2 second hollow chamber [0094] 6 groove [0095] 7 lateral flanks [0096] 8 openings [0097] 9 insert [0098] 10 seal [0099] 11 desiccant [0100] 12 barrier/barrier film/barrier coating [0101] 13 first pane [0102] 14 second pane [0103] 15 third pane [0104] 16 outer seal [0105] 17 inner interpane spaces [0106] 17.1 first inner interpane space [0107] 17.2 second inner interpane space [0108] 20 web [0109] 21 edge of the first pane [0110] 22 edge of the second pane [0111] 23 edge of the web [0112] 24 outer interpane spaces [0113] 24.1 first outer interpane space [0114] 24.2 second outer interpane space [0115] 25 lateral surfaces of the web [0116] a width of the web [0117] b height of the web [0118] d wall thickness of the polymeric main body
