STAINED GLASS ASSEMBLY FOR DOORS, WALL PARTITIONS OR THE LIKES

ENSEMBLE DE VITRAUX POUR PORTES, DIVISEURS MURAUX ET AUTRES SEMBLABLES

English Abstract

A stained glass assembly includes at least two adjacent flat pieces of
material
received on two opposite side thereof in retaining channels and a spacer
element in each retaining channel between each pair of the at least two
adjacent flat pieces of material so as to create an opened gap therebetween.
Such a stained glass assembly can be used as a decorative window in a door
or as a baffle wall for example.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A stained glass assembly comprising
at least two adjacent flat pieces of material received on two side
thereof in retaining channels; and
a spacer element in each retaining channel between each pair of
the at least two adjacent flat pieces of material so as to create an opened
gap
therebetween.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A stained glass assembly comprising
at least two adjacent flat pieces of material received on two side
thereof in retaining channels; and
a spacer element in each retaining channel between each pair of
the at least two adjacent flat pieces of material so as to create an opened
gap
therebetween.

Description

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TITLE
Stained Glass Assembly for Doors, Wall Partitions or the
Likes
BACKGROUND
[0001] The stained glass technique is well-known since hundreds of
years, wherein pieces of glass are arranged to form patterns or pictures, held
traditionally together by strips of lead and supported by a rigid frame. In
particular, it is also long been known to provide stained glass windows in
high-
end doors.
[0002] Cames are conventionally used to join the pieces of glass,
wherein H-shaped sections hold two pieces together, and U-shaped sections
are used for the borders.
[0003] However, the steps of cutting and shaping the cames and of
mounting the pieces of glasses therein has been found both material and
labour expensive.
SUMMARY
[0004] The problem of using cames for assembling stained glass
pieces into a decorative window is solved by mounting the glass pieces in
retaining channels and by using spacers in the retaining channel for
distancing
adjacent glass pieces.
[0005] According to an illustrated embodiment a stained glass
assembly comprises at least two adjacent flat pieces of material received on

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two side thereof in retaining channels and a spacer element in each retaining
channel between each pair of the at least two adjacent flat pieces of material
so
as to create an opened gap therebetween.
[0006] Other objects, advantages and features of the stained glass
assembly for doors, wall partitions or the likes will become more apparent
upon
reading the following non restrictive description of illustrated embodiments
thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] In the appended drawings:
[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective of a door provided with a stained
glass assembly according to a first illustrated embodiment;
[0009] Figures 2A and 2B are cross sections of the stained glass
assembly from Figure 1, illustrating the mounting of the decorative window
panel in one of the channels of the stained glass assembly;
[0010] Figure 3 is a partial perspective of the assembly from Figure
2B;
[0011] Figure 4A is a close up perspective illustrating the use of an
insert in the channels to force a distanced relationship between two pieces of
the glass of the stained glass assembly from Figure 1;

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[0012] Figure 4B is a close up perspective illustrating the use of
protrusions in the channels to force a distanced relationship between two
pieces of the glass of the stained glass assembly from Figure 1;
[0013] Figure 5 is a perspective of a dividing wall according to a
second illustrating embodiment; and
[0014] Figure 6 is a cut out perspective of a door provided with a
stained glass assembly according to a third illustrated embodiment, wherein
the
stained glass assembly includes two decorative window panels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] In the following description, similar features in the drawings
have been given similar reference numerals, and in order not to weigh down
the figures, some elements are not referred to in some figures if they were
already identified in a precedent figure.
[0016] The use of the word "a" or "an" when used in conjunction with
the term "comprising" in the claims and/or the specification may mean "one",
but it is also consistent with the meaning of "one or more", "at least one",
and
"one or more than one". Similarly, the word "another" may mean at least a
second or more.
[0017] As used in this specification and claim(s), the words
"comprising" (and any form of comprising, such as "comprise" and
"comprises"), "having" (and any form of having, such as "have" and "has"),
"including" (and any form of including, such as "include" and "includes") or

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"containing" (and any form of containing, such as "contain" and "contains"),
are
inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements.
[0018] An exterior door 10 provided with a stained glass
assembly 11 according to a first illustrated embodiment will now be described
with reference to Figures 1-4A.
[0019] The door 10 includes a decorative window 12 therein.
According to the first illustrated embodiment, the stained glass assembly 11
is
includes in the decorative window and is sandwiched between two glass
pieces 14. The two glass pieces 14 are conventionally secured to the door 12.
[0020] The stained glass assembly 11 comprises three pieces of
glass 16, 18 and 20 that are received in retaining channels 22 and that are
distanced using spacers 24. The pieces of glass 16-20 can be transparent,
frosted, colored and/or provided with patterns or marks.
[0021] The retaining channels 22 are made of aluminum and each
includes two lateral tubular sections 26 distanced by a flat bridge portion
28.
The channel 30 defined by the bridge portion 28 and the two tubular sections
26 therebetween defined a receiving portion for the side edge of the glass
pieces 16-20. The retaining channels 22 are mounted in a rectangular opening
of the door 10.
[0022] As can be better seen in Figure 2A, the lateral tubular
portions 26 are convex on the side of the bridge portion 28. It results that
the
channel 30 has a gradually decreasing width from the opening side thereof to
about half its depth. The pieces of glass 16, 18 or 20 having a thickness
generally corresponding to the widest section of the channel 30 and the
tubular

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sections 26 being so shaped as to allow deformation thereof, the edge 32 of
the piece of glass is squeezed in the channel 30. This squeezing effect
contributes to securing the stained glass pieces 16, 18 and 20 therein. Also,
each pieces of glass 16, 18 and 20 has their two opposite sides secured in a
retaining channel 22, which further contributes to immobilizing the pieces of
glass 16, 18 and 20 therein. As can be seen in Figure 4A, the spacer elements
24 are inserted in the channels 22 between two adjacent glass pieces 16-20,
yielding open gaps 34 and 36 which call to mind soldering in conventional
stained glass.
[0023] According to the first illustrated embodiment, the spacer
elements 24 are in the form of metal pieces having a width generally
corresponding to the depth of the channels 30 and a thickness generally
corresponding to the thickness of the pieces of glass 16-20. According to
another embodiment, the spacer elements 24 have a width that is smaller or
greater than the depth of the channels 30. According to still another
embodiment, the spacer is made from a rigid non-metallic material, including
glass, wood, plastic, etc.
[0024] As can be seen in Figure 4B, the spacer elements can be in
the form of a pair or protrusions 25 in the bridge portion 28. Such
protrusions 25 can be achieved by punching onto the bridge portion 28 on the
backside thereof relative to the glass pieces 16-20. The protrusions 25 are
longitudinally positioned relative to the glass pieces 16-20 so as to prevent
movements thereof within the channel 30.
[0025] A stained glass assembly such as the one described
hereinabove is not limited to decorative windows for an exterior door. It can
also be mounted to an interior door, wherein the two glass pieces 14 can be
omitted.

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[0026] Also, as can be seen in Figure 5, a stained glass
assembly 40 according to a second illustrative embodiment is used as a
dividing or baffle wall.
[0027] Also, embodiments of a stained glass assembly are not
limited to include pieces of glass. Indeed, pieces of metal, wood, plastic,
ceramic, or any combination thereof can also be used.
[0028] With reference to Figure 6, a stained glass assembly 50
according to a third illustrative embodiment will now be described. Since the
assembly 40 is similar to the assembly 11, only the differences therebetween
will be described herein for concision purposes.
[0029] The assembly 50 includes two adjacent pieces of glass sub-
assemblies 52-52' sandwiched between two full size pieces of glass 14. Each
of the sub-assemblies 52-52' includes two or more pieces of glass or of other
materials and define a decorative pattern. The superposition of the two sub-
assemblies 52 and 52' results in a further decorative pattern. According to
this
embodiment, both sub-assemblies are received, at least on two opposite sides
thereof, in a same channel 30 of a single retaining channel 22. As mentioned
hereinabove, the two full size pieces of glass 14 can be omitted.
[0030] According to another embodiment (not shown), the retaining
channel elements 22 include two (2) glass pieces receiving channels 30,
defined by three (3) tubular sections 26.
[0031] According to still another embodiment, the stained glass
assembly includes three or more sub-assemblies of glass pieces (not shown).

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[0032] It is to be
understood that embodiments of the stained glass
assembly are not limited in their applications to the details of construction
and
parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove.
Other embodiments can be foreseen and practiced in various ways. It is also
to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the
purpose of description and not limitation.

Representative Drawing