Window units

3,418,779

Dec. 31, 1968

J. E. JENDRISAK ETAL

WINDOW UNITS

Filed May 9, 1966

Sheet / of 4

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Dec. 31, 1968 j. e. jendrisak etal 3,418,779

WINDOW UNITS

Filed May 9, 1966 Sheet _{2 of 4}

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INVENTORS

Joseph E. .Jert-cLr-iscck ArMtaiHdo V. Siato

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Dec. 31, 1968

Filed May 9, 1966

J. E. JENDR1SAK ETAL

WINDOW UNITS

3,418,779

Sheet 3 of 4

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ATTORNEYS

3,418,779

J. E. JENDRISAK ETAL

WINDOW UNITS

Dec. 31, 1968

Filed May 9, 1966

Sheet 4 of 4

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INVENTORS

Joseph E. Je».drisak ^T“Tm,ccft.dLo V. Si-Sto

ATTORNEYS

United States Patent Office

3,418,779

Patented Dec. 31, 1968

3,418,779 WINDOW UNITS Joseph E. Jendrisak, Northville, and Armando V. Sisto, Taylor, Mich., assignors to Shatterproof Glass Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,681

Claims. (Cl. 52—616)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A window unit for oven doors comprising a clamping member comprised of no more than two essentially identical sections of unitary construction, each of which has a tongue at one end and a slot at the other end and, intermediate of those ends, is formed with a pair of spaced glass receiving channels; and a pair of glass panels held in spaced parallel relation by said two sections of said clamping member joined end to end, so that the clamping member is essentially formed of one basic element with the result that the window unit will be inexpensive to construct.

This invention relates to window units for stove doors.

Window units for stove doors are customarily comprised of at least two spaced parallel glass panels, the air space between them serving as an insulator to reduce to a minimum the escape of oven heat through the window. In the past, high quality units have been relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture.

The present invention provides a window unit for stove doors which is of high quality, is durable, attractive and has a sufficiently air-tight space between the spaced glass panels to prevent the entry of water vapor therebetween which would otherwise cause the window unit to cloud during operation. The window unit further admits of relatively low cost construction, being of a simple but functional design requiring a relatively small amount of materials and being easy and fast to assemble. 4θ

The present invention contemplates a multiple pane window unit for oven doors which is decorative and of high quality construction, and yet in which the glass panes are secured by a clamping member constructed of two essentially identical sections so that the entire clamp- 45 ing member may be formed on one set of machinery at a low cost.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a high quality window unit which may be constructed at a relatively low cost. 50

A further object of the present invention is to· provide a high quality window unit having relatively few parts, those parts being of relatively uncomplicated design whereby the parts may be produced at a low cost.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro- 55 vide a high quality window unit which may be more quickly and easily assembled at a lower cost than earlier window units.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide two similar, and preferably identical, single piece 60 units to enclose two spaced glass panels and be pressed toward each other to clamp and lock the assembly together at joints located in the straight side portions of the glass clamping members.

These and other objects and advantageous features of ⁶⁵the present invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a window unit embodying the present invention with parts broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 2—2 of FIGURE 1 and on a larger scale;

FIGURE 3 is a foreshortened fragmentary view showing one form of a clamping member constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 4—4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 5—5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 6—6 of FIGURE 3 showing the locking portion of the clamping member in assembled relation;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view of the locking portion of the clamping member shown in FIGURE 7 prior to assembly;

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the locking portion as shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view of a modified locking portion for a clamping member constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 10—10 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along the lines 11—11 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary view of the locking portion of the clamping member shown in FIGURE 9 prior to assembly;

FIGURE 13 is a side view of the locking portion as shown in FIGURE 12 with parts broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view of a modified clamping member constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 15 is a sectional view of another modified clamping member constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified vapor seal constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary sectional view of the vapor seal construction shown in FIGURE 16 prior to final assembly;

FIGURE 18 is a sectional perspective view of the rubber gasket portion of the vapor seal construction shown in FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 19 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified vapor seal constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIGURE 20 is a sectional view of the rubber gasket portion of the vapor seal construction shown in FIGURE 19.

Referring in greater detail to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a window unit 1 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and mounted in a stove door 2. The window unit 1 is comprised of a pair of parallel spaced transparent glass panels 3 and a clamping member 4 enclosing the peripheral edges of the glass panels 3 to secure them in their spaced parallel positions.

The glass panels 3 shown in the drawings are generally rectangular with rounded or blunted corner portions 5 and it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates utilization of glass panels having a wide variety of different shapes. The clamping member 4 is thus designed to conform to the general rectangular perimeter of the glass panels 3 and includes two parallel continuous glass receiving channel portions 6 which are spaced by a spacer portion 7. Flanged rim portions 8 extend from the

3,418,779 ³ outer wall of each channel portion 6. At the corners of the window unit 1, the end walls 9 and portions of the side walls 10 of the glass receiving channels 6 are cut out to form notched corner apertures 11 in the clamping member 4. These notched corner apertures 11 permit bending of the clamping member 4 without undesirable crimping and wrinkling at the corners and further helps to cool the glass.

The clamping member 4 is constructed in two sections 13 for easy assembly, having a pair of transverse joints 14 along opposed straight side portions of the clamping member 4 and fastened at those joints by connecting means or a locking portion. FIGURES 5 through 8 show one form of connecting means 15 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention wherein each section 13 of the clamping member 4 has an enlarged offset end portion 16 for telescopic reception of the end 17 of another section. Transverse slots 18 are provided at the juncture, of the offset and nonoffset portions of the section 13. The opposed end 17 of each section is nonoffset and is provided with a pair of tongues 19 for insertion into the transverse slots 18 of the other section. Each tongue 19 extends from the side wall 10 of the glass receiving channel portions 6 adjacent the spacer portion 7 of the clamping member 4. The tip 20 of each tongue 19 is preferably curved slightly inward to facilitate insertion of the tongues 19 in the transverse slots 18 during assembly of the window unit. Once inserted in the transverse slots 18, the tongues 19 are bent reversely to overlap offset end portion 16 of the receiving section as best shown in FIGURE 6, thereby locking the sections 13 together. It should be noted that the curved top 20 of each tongue 19, in addition to facilitating insertion of the tongue 19 into the receiving slot 22, further serves to curve about the end of the receiving section and form a finished appearing connection.

An alternative form of connecting means 25, constructed in accordance with the present invention, is shown in FIGURES 9 through 13. Here each section 13 is provided with one enlarged offset end portion 21 having a slot 22 in the spacer portion 7 at the juncture of the offset and non-offset portions of the section 13. A tongue 23 extends from the spacer portion 7 at the opposed end of each section 13 for reception in the transverse slot 22 of the other section 13. Each tongue 23 is provided with a slightly raised or offset locking portion 24 which serves to lock the tongue 23 of one section 13 in the slot 22 of the abutting section 13 when so assembled and without additional forming operations.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention contemplates alternative connecting means similar to the type shown in FIGURES 5 through 13, but wherein the tongues may be fewer or greater in number and located on other suitable portions of the clamping member. Further, in the case of clamping member 4 having locking portions similar to connecting means 25, the offset locking portion at the base of a tongue may be a single shoulder or two or more smaller but similar shoulders. These offset portions or shoulders may be comprised of drawn metal or spaced, sheared and bulged portions of the tongue. A tongue of this sort only need be long enough to pilot itself into the receiving slot in the mating section of the clamping member.

Connecting means 15 and 25 for clamping member 4 of the present invention are preferably disposed on the side walls 10 of the glass receiving channel 6 adjacent the spacer portion 7 of the clamping member 4, or on the intermediate spacer portion 7 of the clamping member 4 where it is protected from damage during handling. Thus, the connecting means 15 and 25 are in a protected position which would not be the case if they were on the outermost surfaces.

In assembling the window unit 1 according to the present invention two glass panels 3 are inserted into the ίο glass receiving channels 6 of one section 13 of the clamping member 4. The other section 13 of the clamping member 4 is fitted over the exposed edges of the glass panels 3 in such a manner that the tongues of each section are received in the transverse slots of each other section. With regard to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5 through 8, the tongues 19 are bent back over the adjacent portion of the receiving section whereupon the sections 13 will be securely locked together. In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 9 through 13, the sections 13 are locked together when the raised portions 24 of the tongues 23 are forced through the transverse slots. It should be noted that the tongue portions 19 and 23 of each section 13 of clamping member 4 are designed to track into the transverse tongue receiving slots 18 and 22 of the other section 13 during assembly, whereby the oven unit 1 may be more quickly and easily assembled.

It is highly desirable that the glass panels 3 be held tightly in the glass receiving channels 6 so that vapor does not objectionably invade the air space between the panels 3 and cloud the window unit, and so the panels 3 are firmly held in place and do not rattle when the oven door is moved. Thus, the present invention contemplates a clamping member 4 having glass receiving channels 6 which preferably fit tightly against opposite side surfaces 26 of the glass panels 3 and which are slightly deeper than necessary to receive the glass 3. Such construction results in a small air space 27 between the peripheral edge surfaces 28 of the glass panels 3 and the end walls 9 of the glass receiving channel 6 in the assembled window unit 1 as best shown in FIGURE 2. This small air space 27 serves two important functions. First, it may receive an optional strip of fire resistant tape 29 which provides an excellent vapor barrier and mitigates against rattling. Secondly, it provides for a small margin of permissible error in the relative dimensional specifications of the clamping member 4 and glass panels 3 which is especially convenient where the connecting means 25 are of the type shown in FIGURES 9 through 13, having a tongue with an offset locking portion 24. In the latter instance, during assembly, the glass panels 3 are pressed into the receiving channels 6 of the clamping member 4 only so far as necessary for the offset portion 24 of the tongue 23 to clear the edge Of the slot 22 in the opposite section and snap into locking relation therewith. This makes assembly fast and easy and reduces the necessity of a costly small tolerance in the manufacture of either the clamping member 4 or the glass panels 3 which, if not met, might cause the elements of the window unit 1 to not fit at all, or fit so loosely as to admit vapor or rattle. The glass panels 3 are held in place substantially by the pressure of the sides 10 of the glass receiving channels 6 against the opposite side surfaces 26 of the glass panels 3 and thus may leave the desired small air space 27.

The window unit 1 of the present invention is designed to be mounted in a suitably constructed oven door 2 of the type having a front wall 32 and a rear wall 33 which are spaced from each other, and have aligned apertures therein with an inwardly extending flange 45 defining each of said apertures. The window unit 1 is mounted on the inwardly extending flange 45 between the front wall 32 and the rear wall 33 so that the spaced glass panels 3 fill the apertures in the oven door walls. Suitable affixing means such as an angle bracket (not shown) serve to hold the window unit 1 in this position. As shown in FIGURE 2, the flanged rim portions 8 of the clamping member 4 fit closely within the aperture defining edges of the front and back oven door walls 32 and 33. The flanged rim portions 8 of the window unit 1 are primarily decorative. However, the flanged portion 8 adjacent the rear oven door wall 33 may serve to hold a piece of asbestos rope 30 against the juncture of the rear oven door wall 33 and the window unit 1. This forms a heat and steam barrier to prevent heat loss from the oven into the space between

3,418,779 the glass panels and assists in preventing clouding of the interior glass surfaces of the window unit.

FIGURE 14 illustrates a less expensive design constructed in accordance with the present invention, but having only one flanged rim portion 8 on the window unit 1. The window unit 1 may be mounted in the oven door with the single rim 8 adjacent either the front oven wall 32, in which case it serves merely as decoration, or adjacent the rear oven wall 33 (as shown in FIGURE 2), in which case it serves to hold the aforementioned asbestos roping 30 for insulative purposes.

FIGURE 15 illustrates a further modification of the window unit 1 constructed in accordance with the present invention having no flanged rim portion 8 whatsoever. This alternate construction while less attractive and having no provision for holding insulation will be less expensive than the previously disclosed constructions and entirely satisfactory for Certain purposes.

It should be noted that the three alternate constructions of the clamping member 4 shown above, having two, one or no flanged rims, may be formed from the same die and thus enable the manufacturer to produce three different quality grades at a minimal variation in cost. In each case, the number of flanged rims 8 to be formed on a clamping member 4 may be determined by selecting different width metal strips and placing them centrally or at the edge of the die in which case the die will only strike so much of the blank as is necessary to form the desired style.

Further, it is an important feature of the present invention that each section of a particular clamping member 4 is preferably formed from the same set of dies. Each section 13 of a particular clamping member 4 may be substantially identical with its companion section 13 having a tongue (or tongues) at one end and a slotted offset enlarged portion at its other end. Thus, construction costs are minimized in comparison with window units comprising several differently constructed individual elements requiring several different dies or molds for their production.

FIGURES 16 to 18 illustrate a modified window unit construction employing a rubber (preferably silicone rubber) gasket 34, having a longitudinal central groove 35 defined by a short lip portion 36 and a longer lip portion 37 which curves up and over the shorter lip 36, and having a flat flanged base 38. The side wall portion 10 at the rear side of an oven door unit 1 employing the gasket 34 is abbreviated, and has no decorative flanged rim corresponding to the flanged rim 8 at the front of the oven window unit 1. The gasket receiving side wall portion 10 of the clamping member 4 is angled slightly away from the inner adjacent side wall portion 10, as shown in FIGURE 17. When the oven window unit 1 is assembled, as shown in FIGURE 16, the central groove 35 of the gasket 34 receives the edge of the outwardly angled rear side wall 10 whereupon that wall 10 is bent toward the adjacent glass panel 3, clamping the short lip portion 36 therebetween and forming a vapor-tight seal between the glass 3 and the rear side wall 10. The longer curved lip portion 37 of the gasket 34 curves over the outer surface of the rear side wall 10 of the clamping member 4 and forms a vapor-tight cushion between the rear wall 33 of the oven door 2 and the window unit 1 in final assembly. The adjacent flange of the flat flanged base portion 38 of the gasket 34 is drawn downwardly into contact with the inwardly extending flange 45 of the rear wall of the oven door 2 and acts as a third vapor-tight seal at that point, the latter two seal points mitigating against vapor entering the area between the front and rear walls of the oven door 2, and the first seal point acting to prevent vapor from creeping between the glass panels 3 of the window unit 1.

A modified window unit construction employing a different rubber gasket in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGURES 19 and 20. In this embodiment, the gasket 39, in cross section, has a flat hori zontal base 40 with a thickened portion 41 at one end and a vertical portion 42 at the other end defining a vertical groove 43 opening from said base 40. The channel portion 6 of a clamping member 4 for use with the gasket 39 has no decorative flanged rim adjacent the rear wall 33 of the oven door 2 corresponding to the flanged rim 8 at the front of the oven window unit 1. Instead, the rear side wall portion 10 has a short rim 44 protruding at right angles. In assembled relation as shown in FIGURE 19, the groove 43 of the gasket 39 receives the rim 44 and the flat base portion 40 of the gasket 39 lies against the adjacent surface of the glass panel 3. When such window unit 1 is placed in the oven door 2, the inwardly extending flange 45 of the rear wall 33 of the oven door is cushioned against the base portion 40 of the gasket 39 between the thick end portion 41 and the vertical grooved portion 42. Here, as in the modification shown in FIGURES 16-18, the gasket 39 mitigates against vapor escaping from the oven into the air space between the walls 32 and 33 of the oven door 2 or between the glass panels 3 of the window unit 1.