SUNSHADE

Abstract

The sunshade comprises a first edge strip and a second edge strip, at least two conductor wires extending from the first edge strip to the second edge strip and a movable protective curtain suspended from the conductor wires. The first edge strip and/or the second edge strip have a substantially rigid gripping projection for attachment to the edge profile of the glazing. The method comprises attaching the sunshade to a glazing element having a first edge profile and a second edge profile, wherein the edge profiles have a fastening groove in the longitudinal direction of the edge profile. The method comprises providing a substantially rigid gripping projection with a tip portion on the first edge strip, placing the first edge strip in a first position alongside the first edge profile, fitting the tip portion of the gripping projection of the first edge strip into the fastening groove of the first edge profile, and rotating the first edge strip about its longitudinal axis to a second position so that at least the tip portion of the gripping projection moves into the locking groove.

Claims

1. A sunshade comprising a first edge strip (20) and a second edge strip (22), at least two conductor wires (24a, 24b) extending from the first edge strip (20) to the second edge strip (22) and a movable protective curtain (30) suspended from the conductor wires (24a, 24b), wherein the first edge strip (20) and/or the second edge strip (22) have a substantially rigid gripping projection (56) for attachment to a glazing edge profile (13, 15).

2. The sunshade of claim 1, wherein the edge strip (20, 22) has an inner edge surface (46) on the side of the protective curtain (30) and an outer edge surface (48) on the opposite side of the inner edge surface (46), as well as a first side surface (42) and a second side surface (44).

3. The sunshade of claim 2, wherein the gripping projection (56) is on the outer edge surface (48) of the edge strip.

4. The sunshade of claim 2, wherein the gripping projection (56) is on the first or second side surface (42, 44) of the edge strip.

5. The sunshade of claim 1, wherein the edge strip (20, 22) and gripping projection (56) are one integral piece.

6. The sunshade of claim 1, wherein the gripping projection (56) has a flank portion (52) and a tip portion (54), which turns at an angle from the flank portion (52).

7. The sunshade of claim 6, wherein the flank portion (52) is an extension of the second side surface (44) of the edge strip (20, 22) and the tip portion (54) turns from the flank portion (52) toward the first side surface (42).

8. The sunshade of claim 1, wherein the edge strip (20, 22) has a first end and a second end, and the gripping projection (56) extends from the first end of the edge strip (20, 22) to the second end of the edge strip.

9. A method for attaching a sunshade to a glazing element having a first edge profile (13) and a second edge profile (15), the edge profiles having a fastening groove (40) in the longitudinal direction of the edge profile, the sunshade comprising a first edge strip (20) and a second edge strip (22), at least two conductor wires (24a, 24b) extending from the first edge strip (20) to the second edge strip (22) and a movable protective curtain (30) suspended from the conductor wires (24a, 24b), comprising: providing a substantially rigid gripping projection (56) with a tip portion (54) on the first edge strip (20); placing the first edge strip (20) in a first position alongside the first edge profile (13); fitting the tip portion (54) of the gripping projection (56) of the first edge strip (20) into the fastening groove (40) of the first edge profile (13); and rotating the first edge strip (20) about its longitudinal axis to a second position so that at least the tip portion (54) of the gripping projection (56) moves deeper into the fastening groove (40).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises: providing a substantially rigid gripping projection (56) with a tip portion (54) on the second edge strip (22); placing the second edge strip (22) in a first position alongside the second edge profile (15); fitting the tip portion (54) of the gripping projection (56) of the second edge strip (22) into the fastening groove (40) of the second edge profile (15); rotating the second edge strip (22) about its longitudinal axis to a second position so that at least the tip portion (54) of the gripping projection (56) moves deeper into the fastening groove (40), and tightening the conductor wires (24a, 24b) extending from the first edge strip (20) to the second edge strip (22).

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sunshade is attached to the edge profiles (13, 15) of the glazing element, which are in a substantially horizontal position.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the sunshade is attached to the edge profiles (13, 15) of the glazing element, which are in a substantially vertical position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The invention is described in detail below. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows by way of example a front view of a sunshade according to the invention,

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a part of the sunshade shown in FIG. 1 in cross-section, and

[0021] FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c show by way of example a method of attaching a sunshade according to the invention by means of a series of images.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] FIG. 1 shows by way of example a front view of a glazing element of a balcony glazing on which a sunshade according to the invention is installed. The glazing element comprises a rectangular light-transmitting panel 10 having two parallel side edges, i.e. a first side edge 16 and a second side edge 18, and two mutually parallel end edges, i.e. a first end edge 12 and a second end edge 14. Typically, light-transmitting panels used in balcony glazing comprise 4-6 mm thick tempered glass, but other materials and panel thicknesses are also possible. The first end edge of the light-transmitting panel has a first edge profile 13 and the second end edge has a second edge profile 15. The edge profiles are aluminum profiles with a glazing groove 38 (FIG. 2) into which the end edge of the light-transmitting panel 10 is fitted. At the ends of the edge profiles there are plastic end pieces. The side edges 16, 18 of the light-transmitting panel are free edges, i.e. edges without an edge profile.

[0023] In the method according to the invention, a sunshade according to the invention is attached to the glazing element, having a first edge strip 20 and a second edge strip 22 and two conductor wires 24a, 24b extending from the first edge strip to the second edge strip. The first edge strip is attached to the first edge profile and the second edge strip is attached to the second edge profile as described below. The first conductor wire 24a is attached at its first end close to the first end of the first edge strip 20 and at its second end close to the first end of the second edge strip. Similarly, the second conductor wire 24b is attached at its first end close to the second end of the first edge strip and at its second end close to the second end of the second edge strip. The length of the conductor wires is such that they are tense in the installed sunshade.

[0024] Suspended on the conductor wires is a curtain element which shields against solar radiation and is movable along the conductor wires, comprising an upper rail 26, a lower rail 28 and a protective curtain 30 between them. The protective curtain is attached at its upper edge to the upper rail and at its lower edge to the lower rail. The sunshade shown is a so-called pleated blind, in which the protective curtain is a curtain made of a rigid fabric that folds into a zig-zag shape. The upper and lower rails can be moved independently of each other on the conductor wires in the up/down direction so that the area covered by the protective curtain changes. The construction of the upper rail, lower rail and protective curtain is known in the art, and will not be described in more detail here.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows, in cross-section, the first edge profile 13 of the glazing element shown in FIG. 1 and the first edge strip 20 of the sunshade attached thereto. The first edge profile is a substantially hollow metal profile made of aluminum with an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 34 and an inner edge 36 extending from the inner surface to the outer surface. The inner edge has a glazing groove 38 into which the first end edge 12 of the light-transmitting panel 10 is fitted and secured in place. The glazing element is designed to be installed on the edge of the balcony so that the inner surface of the first edge profile is on the balcony side of the glazing element. At the inner edge of the first edge profile, between the glazing groove 38 and the inner surface 32, there is a fastening groove 40 along the direction of the glazing groove, which extends from the first end of the first edge profile to the second end of the edge profile. The fastening groove has a vertical portion that opens to the inner edge, and a horizontal portion turning at an angle from the bottom of the vertical portion and extending toward the inner surface 32. The vertical portion is substantially parallel to the plane of the light-transmitting panel 10 and the horizontal portion is substantially parallel to the inner edge surface.

[0026] The first edge strip 20 is a substantially hollow metal profile made of aluminum having a first side surface 42, a second side surface 44, a substantially convex inner edge surface 46 and a substantially concave outer edge surface 48. The first and second side surfaces are substantially flat surfaces. On the outer edge surface of the first edge strip, at the junction of the second side surface and the outer edge surface, there is a gripping projection 56 in the longitudinal direction of the edge strip. The gripping projection has a flank portion 52 and a tip portion 54, which turns at an angle from the plane of flank portion in the direction of the first side surface. The gripping projection is formed as an extension of the second side surface of the first edge strip so that the surface of the flank portion of the gripping part and the second side surface are substantially in the same plane. The first edge strip 20 and the gripping projection are of the same integral metal profile. In the proximity of each end of the first edge strip there is a hole 50 extending from the outer edge surface to the inner edge surface, through which a conductor wire 24a passes. At the end of the conductor wire there is a knot or a separate locking part, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the hole and which prevents the end of the conductor wire from leaving the hole.

[0027] The first edge strip 20 is attached to the first edge profile 13 by fitting the gripping projection 56 inside the fastening groove 40 so that the tip portion 54 of the gripping projection extends into the horizontal portion of the fastener. The first edge strip settles in the fastening position according to FIG. 2 alongside the first edge profile so that the imaginary plane defined by the edges of the outer edge surface of the edge profile is perpendicular to the plane of the light-transmitting panel. In the fastening position, the tip of the gripping projection presses against the bottom of the horizontal portion of the locking groove and the flank portion of the gripping projection presses against the wall of the vertical portion of the locking groove on the glazing groove 38 side, which prevents the first edge strip from rotating about an imaginary longitudinal axis beyond the fastening position shown in FIG. 2.

[0028] The second edge strip 22, not shown in FIG. 2, is mounted in place on the second edge profile 15 in a manner similar to the first edge strip mounted on the first edge profile. After the installation of the edge strips, the conductor wires connecting them are tightened, whereby the tension of the conductor wires prevents the edge strips from rotating about their longitudinal axis.

[0029] FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c show, by means of a series of images, the attachment of a sunshade according to the invention to an edge profile by the method according to the invention. The method comprises placing the first edge strip 20 next to the first edge profile 13 in a position where the tip 54 of the gripping projection is located next to the fastening groove 40 opening into the inner edge of the edge profile (FIG. 3a). The first edge strip is then moved relative to the first edge profile so that the tip of the gripping projection rests inside the vertical part of the fastening groove (FIG. 3b). Next, the first edge strip 20 is rotated about its imaginary longitudinal axis so that the imaginary plane defined by the edges of the outer edge surface 38 of the edge strip is perpendicular to the plane of the light-transmitting panel 10 (FIG. 3c). This concludes the attachment of the first edge strip to the first edge profile. Next, the second edge strip of the sunshade is attached to the second edge profile of the same glazing element in a corresponding manner. Finally, the first conductor wire 24a and the second conductor wire, which connect the first and second edge strips, are tightened. This concludes the installation of the sunshade to the glazing element. The tense conductor wires and the pulling force applied by them to the edge strips prevent the edge strips from rotating about their longitudinal axis, so that the edge strips cannot become detached from the fastening groove.

[0030] The best way to attach the sunshade to the glazing element according to FIG. 1 is to first attach the first edge profile to the first edge profile at the top of the glazing element, whereby the gravitational pull acting on the first edge strip automatically turns the edge strip into the fastening position according to FIG. 2 and keeps the edge strip in this position. The second edge strip is then easy to attach to the second edge profile at the lower edge of the glazing element. Of course, it is also possible to first attach the first edge strip to the lower edge profile of the glazing element and then attach the second edge strip to the upper edge profile of the glazing element.

[0031] The glazing element shown by way of example in FIG. 1 is a part of a balcony glazing with edge profiles only at the top and bottom edges of the light-transmitting panel. The glazing element may also have edge profiles with locking grooves on both vertical edges of the light-transmitting panel. In this case, the sunshade according to the invention can be attached to the glazing element by the method described above so that the first edge strip is attached to the edge profile on a first vertical edge of the light-transmitting panel and the second edge strip is attached to the second edge profile on a second vertical edge of the light-transmitting panel. The glazing element does not have to be part of balcony glazing, but can be, for example, a window or a door with a glass panel.

[0032] The conductor wires can be attached to the edge strips and tightened to a suitable tension when installing the edge strips. Alternatively, elastic cords can be used as conductor wires, pre-dimensioned to a suitable length and fastened at their ends to the edge strips. The elasticity of the conductor wires makes it possible to fit the gripping projection of the subsequently fastened second edge strip in the fastening groove of the second edge profile when the first edge strip has already been fastened in place to the first edge profile.

[0033] Some preferred embodiments of the sunshade and the method for attaching the sunshade according to the invention have been described above. The invention is not limited to the solutions described above, but the invention can be implemented in various ways within the scope defined by the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0034] 10 panel

[0035] 12 first end edge

[0036] 13 first edge profile

[0037] 14 second end edge

[0038] 15 second edge profile

[0039] 16 first side edge

[0040] 18 second side edge

[0041] 20 first edge strip

[0042] 22 second edge strip

[0043] 24a first conductor wire

[0044] 24b second conductor wire

[0045] 26 upper rail

[0046] 28 lower rail

[0047] 30 protective curtain

[0048] 32 inner surface

[0049] 34 outer surface

[0050] 36 inner edge

[0051] 38 glazing groove

[0052] 40 fastening groove

[0053] 42 first side surface

[0054] 44 second side surface

[0055] 46 inner edge surface

[0056] 48 outer edge surface

[0057] 50 hole

[0058] 52 flank portion

[0059] 54 tip portion

[0060] 56 gripping projection