AU756098B2 - Joinery construction - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant/s: Actual Inventor7s: Address of Service: Invention Title: Architectural Profiles Limited Ian Paul BAINES and Michael Frederick GLOVER BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 "JOINERY CONSTRUCTION" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing.it known to us:- (File: 21273.00) This invention relates to joinery, more particularly to building joinery, including windows, doors, vents and similar constructions arranged to provide closures for openings of buildings.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The present invention, whilst not limited thereto, has particular application to joinery intended for buildings where relative high temperature differences can exist between an Interior and exterior of a building, such as in colder climates, particularly in colder relatively humid colder climates.

The invention also has special application to joinery requiring a high level of aesthetic character, for example as often required in higher quality buildings, certain commercial applications and according to architectural specification.

Traditionally, joinery and joinery componentry for buildings has been formed in a variety of materials including timber, metals (particularly steel Sand aluminium), together with certain plastics. Each of these materials incorporate certain inherent advantages, unfortunately also coupled with inherent disadvantages, typical to the materials involved; for example timber, whilst having usually highly desirable aesthetic properties, particularly on an interior of a building carries with it the disadvantages of manufacturing cost, high maintenance costs and in some instances a lack of weatherliness/durability.

The more commonly used aluminium joinery, whilst often able to technically provide the appropriate performance aspects desired and meet cost criteria, is often regarded as lacking in the desired aesthetic properties. Furthermore such joinery is often associated with problems connected with heat conduction and related heating and condensation control difficulties.

Plastics, for example extruded PVC section manufactured joinery, whilst providing intrinsic insulation and moderate cost advantages, is often associated with compromised mechanical (particularly rigidity) properties, together with some perceived durability and aesthetic disadvantages.

Logically, attempts have been made to ameliorate these problems by providing joinery which includes combinations of the best features of known joinery constructions and materials however, such combination or "composite" joinery designs and constructions have often been found to be in themselves compromised, for example in cost; in view of the fact that often joinery manufacturers and fabricators are primarily set up and have 10 staff skill sets predominantly for one material type form of joinery and do not readily adapt to composite manufacture, resulting in cost and quality problems.

Further, the performance of composite joinery is often compromised, particularly at an interface between the combined joinery construction materials, for example in condensation entrapment and the downstream deleterious effects on exposed joinery portions.

Composite joinery, by its very nature involves the interconnection of differing materials, with differing performance characteristics, such as thermal co-efficients of expansion and the like. These differences have led to difficulties in secure attachment of the differing components and a potential exposure to customer claims, ongoing maintenance costs and other market difficulties, to say nothing of customer satisfaction.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to come some way in overcoming the abovementioned problems, or at least provide the public with a useful choice. Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

-4- BROAD DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to a further aspect of this invention, there is provided a joinery construction incorporating an outer portion capable of building exterior exposure, an inner portion capable of inner building exposure, wherein at least a majority of said outer portion is formed in a material type having a thermal conductivity higher than material from which the inner portion is formed, interengaging means provided to juxtapose with, space apart, but mechanically engage substantially parallely aligned parts of said inner and outer portions, at least one parallely aligned part of said outer portion and/or said inner portion overlapped with ajuxtaposed portion of said interengaging means to maintain said engagement.

Other aspects of this invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of reference to the preferred embodiment.

oooDESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT V.ooo o .o o o o Reference is made to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a substantially diagrammatic cross-sectional side elevation through a 20 typical joinery head frame and opening sash combination in the preferred embodiment ooo* where the composite joinery is formed in a combination of aluminium alloy extrusions to ooo.

an intended building exterior, and timber to an intended building interior.

•go* Figure 2 is a similar view to that of Figure 1 with the exception that the alternative embodiment is shown as a cross-section through a sill and with fixed glazing.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figure 1, the joinery as generally indicated by arrow 1 in the preferred form, but not exclusively, includes a frame portion as generally indicated by arrow 2 and a sash portion as generally indicated by arrow 3.

The frame portion 2 is suitable for mounting within a rough opening RO of a building suitably supported by packing or wedging W material.

Facing portions 4 of said frame 2 are in the preferred embodiment arranged to overlap building cladding C in the traditional manner for securement of frame 2 in the rough opening RO of a building. Building inner lining (not shown) is arranged to trim the interior of the building and engage in a recess provided either by an interaction of a jamb liner/architrave combination or alternatively a longitudinal recess provided in the jamb liner (not shown).

The sash 3 Is preferably moveable relative to the frame 2 to enable opening and closing of the sash 3 relative to a rebate 7 provided In the frame 2, sealing being provided via appropriate gaskets 8 between the sash C. 3 and opposing frame portions 2 as is shown in Figure 1.

Alternatively, fixed glazing as shown in Figure 2 may be provided for the frame 2 by mounting a fixed adaptor 5 in the frame rebate 7 or alternatively dispensing with sash/adaptor assemblies altogether and providing direct glazing into the rebate 7 of the frame 2 (not shown), according to known techniques.

Throughout this specification, references are made to "inner" and "outer". These are to be interpreted in accordance with a general orientation where "outer" means toward a normally intended exterior of the building with which the joinery is intended to be used and "inner", being in the direction of the Intended interior of the building.

Further, where reference is made to the terms "upper" and "lower", these are taken to be relative to the orientation of the drawings of Figure 1 and Figure 2, where the structure depicted is intended to show a crosssection through a head (Figure 1) and a sill (Figure 2) of a joinery construction. It is to be appreciated that in accordance with normal joinery construction techniques, the similar structure can also be used in jamb and head configurations.

8 Referring particularly to Figure 1, the joinery construction incorporates both frame 2 and sash 3 portions of a composite configuration where portions normally in use exposed to an outer portion of the joinery construction including, but not essentially, both the frame 2 and sash 3 directly or indirectly, are formed in aluminium alloy extrusion, whereas, inner portions of said joinery construction 1 are formed in a material having a higher inaulative property than aluminium alloy and preferably timber.

With reference to Figure 1, frame 2 and sash 3 outer portions generally indicated by arrow 10 and include portions of the sash 3 directly exposed to the exterior in use in a building, those portions which are indirectly exposed (for example by heat conduction and the like including the frame recess 7 abutment 9 and further portions 12 of the sash forming part of the general sash "extrusion" as depicted).

Outer portions also include frame 2 portions directly or indirectly exposed to the exterior of the building, including the facing portion 4, rebate forming portions 7 and for example, flange portions 13 provided for securement of the frame 2 or within the building rough opening RO.

Inner portions 11 of the joinery construction are in the embodiment depicted in Figure 1 provided as portions of timber 14 applied to the sash 3 to provide the inner exposed surface of the sash 3 and the jamb liner 6 for the frame 2.

"Indirectly interior facing" parts 16 of the outer portions 10 of the sash 3 and frame 2 (in the case of the embodiment of Figure 2 the adaptor incorporate an abutment face against which the inner portions 11 may abut. The sash portion 3 preferably includes inwardly directed elongate rib 11 which assists securement of the inner portions 11 thereto.

An inner edge portion 17a of the rib 17 is preferably orthogonally flanged so as to provide a recess generally indicated by arrow 18 into which correspondingly shaped portions of an interengaging member or gasket 9 engage in a longitudinally overlapped assembly. Furthermore, adjacent edge portions of the timber inner portions 11 applied to the sash 3 are correspondingly shaped and grooved so as to fit in an overlapping relationship with the interengaging member 19 with parallely aligned parts thereof each longitudinally overlapped. The adjacent outer frame portions 10 with the interengaging member 19 and the inner frame portions 11 with the interengaging member 19. In this way it will be appreciated that the longitudinally overlapped assembly assists to securely connect those portions together as effectively one composite building element.

Suitable fixing means, for example screws 20 and the like are 10 provided at regular intervals through the sash 3 outer portion 10 into the sash inner portion 11 to cooperatively maintain a secured attached relationship composite sash 3 element.

o In the preferred form of the Invention the interengaging means 19 or gasketing means is preferably provided as an elongate strip of thermally 15 insulative material, for example plastics, such as PVC and the like which preferably incorporates substantially moisture transmittal resistance properties. In the preferred form of the invention, preferably the gasket 19 is arranged of a shape length and size so as to correspond with the elongate portions of the sash 3 and frame 2 so that the gasket 19 can be positioned between the inner and outer portions of the sash 3 and frame 2; in this embodiment, between the timber and metal of the inner and outer portions 11 and It will be appreciated that the interengaging means or gasket 19 in providing a substantially moisture resistant barrier will effectively control the passage of any moisture through condensation and the like which forms on the inner face of the sash 3 and frame 2 outer portion 10 and will prevent such moisture contacting directly the timber inner portions 13 thus resisting an otherwise tendency for such moisture to cause damage, for example rotting and the like in that area.

Whilst described with reference to the sill configuration of Figure 2, it will be appreciated that in the sill assembly of both embodiments described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, a recess 21 is provided between opposed portions of the interengaging means 19 and adjacent portions of the flange 17 so that when the whole section is positioned in the sill orientation as is shown by Figure 2, it will be appreciated that the recess 21 enclosed by opposing portions of the interengaging member 19 and the flange portion 17 is provided to collect any liquid resulting from condensation which may occur on the surface of the outer frame portion opposing the interengaging member 19 or gasket.

In the preferred form of the invention, suitable ports 22 are provided 10 at intervals through the wall of the outer frame portion 10 (for example through the adaptor 6 as shown in Figure such that any condensation created will drain to the exterior.

It is to be appreciated that any liquid of condensation will be relatively minimal as a result of the substantially enclosed nature of the inner 15 surfaces of the outer frame portion 10 normally liable to condensation.

Furthermore, the flanged nature of the engagement of the flange 17 and interengaging member 19 in the overlapping relationship further serves to reduce the opportunity for moisture in the recess draining other than as described hereinbefore. In this way it will be seen that the normally less durable inner frame portions 11 are reduced in their exposure to moisture of condensation, are secretly secured and are arranged in a manner which also restricts the exposure of the inner surfaces of the outer frame 10 to exposure to damp air, thus reducing the opportunities for condensation and heat conduction to occur, all whilst providing beneficial aesthetics.

Referring to both Figures 1 and 2, it will be appreciated that the configuration of the frame 2 rebate 7 and in particular, the height of an upper portion 7a of an upstand forming portion 9 of the rebate 7 Is positioned sufficiently out of register with the timber inner portion 14 of the sash 3 or adaptor 5 such that a seal 8 may readily position therein, thus effectively separating the portions of the frame 2 and sash outer portions from the interior of the joinery when it is in a closed condition.

9 It will be appreciated that the assemblies of both Figures 1 and 2 in providing the aforementioned separation, more effectively enable control of heat conduction through the joinery and therefore, the creation of condensation and "chilling", through the joinery.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment incorporating double glazing, the invention is not limited thereto, and In alternative embodiments of the invention, single, or alternative multiple glazing arrangements may be provided.

will appreciated that in assembly of both the preferred the joinery manufacturer provides elongate elements for the joinery 1 of the required length and configuration for normal jointing techniques, for example butt and mitre joints. During assembly, inter engagement of the inner and outer frame portions with one another is attended to such that the joinery can be readily and simply constructed into the composite form and configuration as described with reference to the drawings.

In particular, it will be appreciated that convenient assembly of the S'.inner and outer portions, particularly the inner portion 11 with the outer sash or adaptor portions can be achieved by readily sliding preformed and precut inner portions 11 into assembly with final adjustments being carried 20 out after assembly and securement of the outer frame portions with one another, so as to achieve a high level of joint accuracy and other quality control.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that the assembly provides simple and secure attachment of the inner frame portions with the outer frame portions however in a manner which facilitates removal of the inner frame portions from the outer frame portions without necessarily requiring disassembly of joints formed in the outer frame portion, for example, should any remedial maintenance or other work be required, given that timber is generally less durable than other commonly used joinery materials.

Overall, it will be appreciated that the joinery configurations as described hereinbefore with reference to Figures,1 and 2 facilitate the convenient and efficient construction of composite joinery incorporating perceived advantages of the materials used and in particular, facilitating preferred aesthetic properties often thought to be achieved in some joinery configurations, whilst maintaining other performance attributes required.

Whilst the invention has been described by way of example and with reference to typical "window" configurations, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto and is applicable to all forms of joinery including doors, windows, vents and the like.

Claims (9)

1. A joinery construction incorporating an outer portion capable of building exterior exposure, an inner portion capable of inner building exposure, wherein at least a majority of said outer portion is formed in a material type having a thermal conductivity higher than material from which the inner portion is formed, interengaging means provided to juxtapose with, space apart, but mechanically engage substantially parallely aligned parts of said inner and outer portions, at least one parallely aligned part of said outer portion and/or said inner portion overlapped with a juxtaposed portion of said interengaging means to maintain said engagement.

2. A joinery construction as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the overlapping juxtaposed portions of said inner portion and said outer portion are each provided to cooperate with the interengaging means substantially internally of a composite member formed by said o o 15 interengaged inner and outer portions, and interengaging means.

3. A joinery construction as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the interengaging means is provided as a gasket positioned between said inner and outer portions where they substantially align, said interengaging means formed in a substantially water vapour •oo 20 resistant material capable of providing an at least partial water vapour barrier between ego* said parallely aligned parts of said inner and outer portions. eeo. 00•

4. A joinery construction as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner and outer portions and said interengaging means are each formed as elongate members.

A joinery construction as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein surfaces of the outer portion of the joinery normally visible on an inside of the joinery construction are formed with or are sheathed in at least one of timber or plastics material.

6. A joinery construction as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the interengaging means is engaged with the outer portion to cooperatively define a recess between cooperatively opposing faces thereof separated from the inner portions, said recess at least partially in communication with portions of said outer portion exposed to exterior portions of the joinery construction in use.

7. A joinery construction as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said recess communicates with exterior portions of said outer portion via a drainage pathway adapted to drain liquid forming between adjacent portions of said interengaging means and said outer portion.

8. A joinery construction as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A joinery constructions as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 11th Day of October, 2000 ARCHITECTUAL PROFILES LIMITED Attorney: STUART M SMITH Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia DATED this llth Day of October, 2000