A method of making a frame member, a frame member, a frame structure and use of a frame member

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of producing a frame member for a window or a door, the method comprising the steps of providing a sheet of metal, rollforming the sheet of metal into a frame shell having a predetermined profile, introducing a foaming material into the frame shell, and arranging the frame shell in a calibration tube until the foam material has set. The sheet of metal has a thickness of 0.25 mm or less.

The present invention further relates to a frame member, a frame structure and use of such frame member.

Claims

1. A method of producing a frame member for a window or a door, the method comprising the steps of: providing a sheet of metal, rollforming the sheet of metal into a frame shell having a predetermined profile, introducing a foaming material into the frame shell, characterized in that the sheet of metal has a thickness of 0.25 mm or less and arranging the frame shell in a calibration tube until the foam material has set.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising providing a composition for the foaming material, the composition comprising isocyanate and polyol, which upon reaction with each other creates a foam which expands within the frame shell.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising adding a reactant to the composition, such as CO.sub.2 or pentane gas.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein setting of the foam is accelerated by the addition of accelerating agents to the composition.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of pulling the frame shell through the calibration tube during a setting time during which the foam material sets.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the setting time is less than 2 minutes.

7. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of wrapping the profile with a second strength imparting layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising introducing the foam material through an opening extending along the length of the frame shell.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of introducing the foam material, closing the opening, and wherein the closing is performed by overlapping the metal ends of the frame shell, or adding a second material to close the opening, or a locking function.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frame shell is composed of two or more frame shell parts.

11. A frame member, such as a side, a top or a bottom piece for a sash or frame structure for a window or door, produced according to claim 1, said frame member comprising: a core comprising a foamed material having a thermal conductivity below 0.037 W/m K, at least one strength imparting layer covering at least a part of the core, the strength imparting layer comprises a rollformed sheet of metal formed into a frame shell having a predetermined profile, and wherein the foamed material is adapted to be injected into the metal frame shell characterized in that the at least one strength imparting layer has a thickness of 0.25 mm or less.

12. The frame member according to claim 11, wherein the foamed material is made of polyurethane.

13. The frame member according to claim 11, wherein the strength imparting layer is interrupted by at least one thermal bridge preventing gap.

14. The frame member according to claim 13, wherein the thermal bridge preventing gap is covered with a material different from the strength imparting layer.

15. The frame member according to claim 11, wherein the strength imparting layer is selected from a group consisting of aluminium, copper and a stainless steel alloy, wherein the stainless steel alloy is austenitic stainless steel, ANSI type 316 stainless steel or AISI Type 304 Stainless Steel.

16. A frame structure for a door or a window comprising at least one frame member according to claim 11.

17. Use of a frame member according to claim 11, for the production of a window or a door.

Description

[0049] In the following, the invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings in which:

[0050] FIG. 1 is a cross section of a frame shell according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0051] FIG. 2a-b is a cross section of an embodiment of a frame shell at different production stages according to the invention,

[0052] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a frame shell during a production step according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0053] FIGS. 4a-b, 5 and 6 are schematic cross section views of a frame member according to embodiments of the invention.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a frame shell 2 to be used during the production of a frame member 1. The frame shell 2 in FIG. 1 comprises of a sheet metal that has been formed to correspond to the shape of the resulting frame member. The sheet metal may be a thin foil arranged to establish a frame shell 2 which is to be filled with a foam material, as can further be seen in FIG. 2a-b. The metal frame shell may be made as an elongated continuous profile in order to allow the finished frame member 1 to be cut into any suitable length. The metal frame shell may be provided with an opening 6 which provides an entry to an internal space 21 of the metal frame shell 2.

[0055] FIG. 2a-b show a production step in which an injection nozzle 5 is inserted through the opening 6. The injection nozzle 5 provides for injection of a material 4 that will constitute the core 3. The material is a material that may expand within the frame shell 2 and assume the same shape as the frame shell 2. The material may be a foam material 4 that after injection may foam up and hence expand within the frame shell 2. In FIG. 2a, the injection is performed, preferably while the frame shell 2 moves along a production line and the injection nozzle is injecting the foam material into the moving opening that extend along the length of the frame shell. In FIG. 2b, the injection has been finalized and the foam material 4 has started to expand. In FIG. 3 there is illustrated a further step in the production in which the frame shell 2 is arranged in a calibration tube 10 during the expansion of the foam material 4. This step is performed in order to ensure that the pressure forces from the foam material 4 does not deform the frame shell 2. The calibration tube 10 comprises an internal shape 11 that corresponds to the shape of the frame shell 2. The frame shell 2 is thus arranged in or may be conveyed or pulled through the calibration tube 10 through the duration of the expansion of the foam. The expansion may be completed within 20-180 seconds depending on the formulation of the foaming material 4. Preferably the expansion is completed within 20-60 seconds. The foaming material 4 may result in a core made from polyurethane. This may be achieved by a composition comprising the components isocyanate and polyol. The components may react with each other and the humidity in the air, and thus expand. The expansion may be controlled by adding reactants to the composition. The expansion may further be controlled by injecting the internal space 21 with a gas. The gas may be for instance air, CO.sub.2 or pentane gases.

[0056] When the expansion is completed, the frame member 1 is constituted by a core 3 of polyurethane and an at least partly surrounding metal frame shell 2, as seen in FIG. 4a. In FIG. 4b, it appears that the frame shell may comprise an interruption 7. The interruption may be a thermal bridge preventing gap and may be arranged in order to prevent the cold from the outside air to travel via the metal profile to the inside of a building. The thermal bridge preventing gap 7 may in turn be covered with a sealing tape 8 or the like. The thermal bridge preventing gap 7 may also be covered only with a second strength imparting layer, which may be a decorative foil.

[0057] The frame member 1 may be provided with one or more receiving elements for receiving attachment means.

[0058] FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a frame member 2, where the profile is wrapped with a second strength imparting layer 13, for example a decorative foil.

[0059] FIG. 6 is an embodiment of a frame member 1, where the frame shell 2 is composed of two frame shell parts, with a joint 12 in the form of a welded connection or an adhesive.

[0060] The same reference numbers apply to the same features throughout the application. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms comprising or comprises do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as a or an etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. When referring to a frame member, it is to be construed as a sash member and/or a frame member. In general, the features of the embodiments shown and described may be combined freely and no feature should be seen as essential unless stated in the independent claims.