Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ll(~S324
FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES
This invention relates to an improved novel window
system which is intended to virtually eliminate most of the
heat loss that occurs through conventional window systems. -~
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Window systems of various types have been utilized
in residential homes and business buildings for over many
years for the purpose of transmitting light to the interior of
the building and to permit persons to in effect "see through"
walls. The window art has progressed substantially since the
first window was invented. One long standing problem has been
that conventional windows transmit heat, which is particularly
troublesome in areas that have cold climates. Improvements in
heat loss have been made, such as the use of double and triple
glass panes, but even with such improvements, still 15~ to 20%
of the heat loss from homes and business buildings occurs
through such windows. This heat loss is largely due to the
two piece construction of most windows, each window comprising
an upper and a lower pane or a left hand and right hand pane.
This two piece construction permits heat loss through the
opening which exists between the two panes once the panes are
mounted in the window. Even though this opening is usually
filled with a strip of insulation of some type, considerable
heat loss still occurs through such openings.
SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
I have invented a thermal insulating structure for a
building window that is intended to eliminate a considerable
amount of the heat loss that occurs through conventional
window systems.
-- 1 --
'~
. . ~
5324
My thermal insulating structure is intended to be
incorporated in a building window, which window comprises a
generally rectangular window frame and one or more
conventional window panes mounted in the window frame. My
insulating structure comprises the combination of:
(a) a pair of opposed parallel grooves
respectively located on opposed parallel interior edges of the
window frame, the grooves being spaced from the one or more
conventional window panes;
(b) a unitary transparent pane slidably mounted in
the grooves, this pane being of such dimensions that it is
operable to occlude the entire window aperture defined by the
window frame; and
(c) a slot through one edge of the window frame,
which edge is perpendicular to the edges whereon the grooves
are located, this slot being in alignment with the grooves and
of dimensions suitable to allow passage of the unitary
transparent pane through the slot. r
The unitary transparent pane is slidably movable
between a closed position in which it occludes the window
aperture, and an open position in which it projects exteriorly
of the window frame from the slot.
The grooves may be in the vertical sides of the
frame, in which case the slot is in the top or bottom of the
frame; alternatively, the grooves may be on the top and bottom
of the frame, with the slot in one of the sides.
When a window including the insulating structure of
my invention is installed in the wall of a building, the
structure may additionally comprise a space in the wall
adjacent to the window frame, and in communication with the
11CI 5324
slot, this space being of dimensions suitable to accommodate
the unitary pane when it is in its open position. If the
building wall is a conventional frame wall, this space may be
formed by constructing a portion of the framing of the wall
from framing members narrower than those used elsewhere in the
wall.
Preferably, the grooves, slot, and unitary pane of
my thermal insulating structure are located on the side of the
conventional window pane or panes which is proximate to the
interior of a building.
The unitary pane may preferably be formed from
acrylic plastic sheet material or laminated plastic material.
My thermal insulating structure preferably includes
co-operating latching means located on the unitary pane and on
the window frame for releasably latching the unitary pane in
its closed position. Magnetic latching means may be used for
this purpose.
In cold weather, the unitary transparent pane can be
slid upwardly, downwardly, or sideways, depending on the
particular construction, to occlude the entire area of the
window frame, thereby eliminating the draft or heat loss which
customarily escapes through the conventional window. Because
my in~ention uses a pane of one-piece construction, it is not
vulnerable to the heat loss from conventional windows, that
occurs due to the two-piece construction of conventional
windows.
My structure also has the effect of adding more
insulation value to the window because it adds a further
unitary pane to the overall window, thereby increasing the
dead air space between the panes which proportionately raises
the insulation value.
-- 3 --
~..
11(~532g~
Contrary to the normal construction of conventional
storm or double windows, where an extra window is positioned
on the exterior of the window frame, i.e. that portion of the
window frame closest to the outside, my unitary transparent
pane is preferably mounted on the interior side of the frame,
i.e. that portion of the frame closest to the inside of the
building. The interior mounting of the unitary pane makes it
convenient for home and building owners to eliminate drafts or
prevent heat loss on cold days. The unitary pane can be
easily slidably withdrawn from within the wall interior and
latched in place in the window frame when heat loss is to be
reduced. The unitary pane can just as easily be unlatched and
stored within the wall interior when its use is unnecessary.
The grooves in which the unitary pane is mounted,
may either be formed in the window frame during manufacture, ;
or may take the form of tracks or channels, made for example
of plastic, affixed to the interior edges of the window
frame.
Once the unitary pane of my invention has been slid
out from within the wall, it can be easily latched into place.
This latching can be done by the use of a permanent magnet
which can form the latching means for the invention. The use
of a magnetic latching means again increases the ease by which
my invention can be utilized by the home owner to eliminate
draft or prevent heat loss on cold days.
As for the materials from which my invention may be
constructed, the unitary transparent pane can be made out of
glass, or of an acrylic plastic sheet material, such as
plexiglass*, or of transparent laminated plastics. Since my
one-piece pane would be rnore susceptible to breakage than
*trade mark - 4 -
.,
i!L. ~J
S~
normal window panes, due to the fact that the pane isapproximately twice the size of conventional window panes, the
pane can advantageously be constructed of suitably durable
material. For this reason, either an acrylic plastic sheet
material, such as plexiglass*, or transparent laminated
plastics can advantageously be used to construct the unitary
pane.
The installation of windows incorporating my thermal
insulating structure system in conventional frame homes during
construction is no more difficult than the installation of
conventional windows. The only deviation from normal
construction practices is that instead of utilizing for
example, two inch by four inch studding around the window
frame, the contractor can use two inch by three inch studding,
thus leaving a one inch space behind the drywall in which the
sliding unitary pane can be positioned when the pane is not in
use.
While a normal window sill is solid in construction, `
my invention necessitates the leaving of a slot in the window
sill within which my slidable window pane can be free to
slidably move up from within the wall to latch into place in
the frame. If the particular construction of the building
necessitates the storing of the slidable window pane above the
window frame itself, the slot can be located at the top of the
frame. If the particular building design necessitates the
pane being slid into the wall beside the window, the slot can
be located in the side of the frame. An upwardly sliding
pane, with the slot in the window sill or frame itself, is
probably the most common construction, but my invention can be
designed to facilitate a downwardly or a sideways sliding
pane.
*trade mark - 5 -
.,
~, ". ~
; .
. . .
111~5;~2~
While the invention is directed basically to the
construction of new homes, where the studding can be easily
modified, my invention can also be utilized in existing
buildings containing conventional window systems. To modify a
conventional window system to install a unitary transparent
pane, according to my invention, would probably require the
removal of the present window system and alteration of some
existing interior studdings, but over the long term the cost
of such remodelling would most likely be recovered by the home
owner in reduced electric and fuel bills.
SUMMARY OF THE DRAWING5
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the window system.
Figure 2 is a view of the window system taken along
section line A-A of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a suitable building
construction for installation of my window system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the window system
1. This system is built into the wall of a home or building.
This particular embodiment of my invention shows two
conventional window panes lla and llb mounted within window
frame 10, with a unitary pane 12 movably mounted within said
window frame 10. Panes lla and llb can slide horizontally
across the frame 10 as in conventional windows. Unitary pane
12 is guided within frame 10 by grooves 15 and can be latched
so that the pane 12 occludes the area enclosed by frame 10 by
a female latching member 13a and male latching member 13b.
Male latching member 13b can be a permanent magnet while
female latching member 13a can be a metal plate embedded in
the top of frame 10. In Figure 1, movable pane 12 can slide
upwardly or downwardly within grooves 15. The pane 12 slides
- 5a -
-
ll¢S324
through a slot found in the bottom of the window frame 10.
Figure 2, which is a section view of the window system
taken along section line A-A of Figure 1, shows two conventional
windown panes lla and llb movably mounted within frame 10, so as
to be able to slide back and forth horizontally, with window
pane 12 also movably mounted within frame 10 to slide upwardly
and downwardly. Window pane 12 is slidably mounted within frame
10 within vertical grooves 15. When pane 12 is not needed to
prevent drafts or eliminate heat loss, it can be slid downwardly
through a one inch slot in sill 14 to be stored in the open
cavity within the wall 16. If pane 12 is needed to prevent a
draft from the outside or eliminate heat loss on a particularly
cold night, it can be slid upwardly and latched into place
by latching member 13a and 13b.
In other embodiments of my invention, slidable pane 12
c~n be stored within the wall cavity above the frame 10, or beside
the frame 10.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a suitable construction
for installation of my window system 1 in a conventional wall
of a house. While normal studding 20 in the interior wall of
a house usually has the dimensions two inches by four inches,
or two inches by six inches, the studding 21 enclosing the window
will have the dimensions two inches by three inches, thus leaving
at least a one inch space between the wallboard and the studs
within the wall in which my unitary or composite windcw pane 12 shcwn
in Figures land 2 can be stored when not in use. Sub-sill
22 also has the dimensions two inches by three inches, again
leaving a one inch space to allow pane 12 to be moved into and
out of the wall.
5;~24
. While particular embodiments of my invention have been
described and shown, it will be understood that many design
modifications may be made without departure from the spirit
thereof, and it is contemplated by the appended claims to cover
any such modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope
of the invention.
