Insulating spacer for double insulated glass
OwnerGerald Kesslerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved insulating spacer to reduce the heat transfer between the two panes of glass of double insulated glass comprises an extruded or roll-formed metal spacer together with plastic insulating elements which thermally isolate the metal spacer from the panes of glass while permitting conventional application of the sealant to provide reliable bonding. On one embodiment the plastic insulator comprises an extruded plastic overlay which fits tightly over part of a conventional metal spacer and has projecting contacts which abut the glass. In an alternative design the plastic insulator comprises extruded plastic strips which are attached through grooves in the metal spacer. In both designs the height of the insulating contact element can be selected to correspond to the desired gap width between the two glass plates.
Claims10
An insulating spacer for precision separation of plates in double insulated glass, comprising:
- a metal spacer for interposition between two glass panes, said metal spacer permitting conventional sealant bonding of the glass to the spacer, said metal spacer having a slot running the length thereof;
- and
- insulating means attached to said metal spacer to thermally isolate said metal spacer from the two panes of glass, thereby greatly reducing the heat transfer from one pane of glass to the other through the spacer, said insulating means comprising an elongated plastic element formed of two symmetrical sections, each fitting tightly to a portion of said metal spacer so that each is fixedly held to the metal spacer, and each correspondingly covering at least a portion of one of the two sides of the spacer which contact the glass plates, said two symmetrical sections of said insulator making minimal contact with each other, said sections being separated adjacent the slot of said metal spacer.
In double insulated glass comprising a pair of separated glass panes, an air space therebetween, a metallic separator between said glass panes about their periphery, and a plastomeric or elastomeric sealant bonding said metallic separator to said glass panes and sealing the air space therebetween, the improvement comprising:
- means to reduce heat transfer from one glass pane to the other through said metallic separator, said heat transfer reducing means comprising an elongated, self-supporting thermoplastic insulating strip interposed between said metallic separator and at least one of said glass panes to thermally isolate said metallic separator from said glass pane, said insulating strip being formed of a thermoplastic material which does not give off any volatile material, said insulating strip fitting tightly over and frictionally grasping said metallic separator so that it is fixedly held thereto and covers at least a portion of the two sides of the separator so as to lie between said glass panes and said separator walls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.