FR3075852A1 - SPACER FOR INSULATING GLAZING - Google Patents

Abstract

An insulating glazing spacer extends in a longitudinal direction and includes a first and a second main fastening portion, metal, facing each other in a lateral direction and respectively defining a first and a second second main fixing faces. The first and second main attachment portions are structurally interconnected by a main connecting portion extending in said lateral direction and substantially made of plastics material. The spacer comprises at least two mounting grooves for holding the lateral ends of the main connecting part, said grooves being arranged to keep free at least one intermediate zone of the main connecting part.

Description

SPACER FOR INSULATING GLASS

The present disclosure relates to a spacer for insulating glazing, as well as an insulating glazing comprising a spacer frame formed by at least one such spacer.

In known manner, an insulating glazing can be obtained by securing a rigid spacer frame at the periphery of two sheets of glass using sealing beads and by applying an external sealing barrier on the outer periphery of the spacer frame between the glass sheets.

The spacer frame delimits an internal cavity between the glass sheets, said cavity forming an insulating plate of air or a gas less conductive of heat than air, for example argon, which makes it possible to limit losses. due to conduction or convection.

The spacer frame is conventionally manufactured either by successive folding of a straight spacer, or by angular assembly at their ends of straight spacers, so as to obtain for example a rectangular frame.

Metal has long been favored in the manufacture of spacers. Its coefficient of thermal expansion being close to that of glass, the stresses applied to the sealing cords in the event of thermal variations inside and / or outside the building are limited, so that the adhesion of the glass spacer remains assured. The thermal insulation properties of the glazing are thus preserved over time. A disadvantage of the metal, however, remains its high thermal conductivity, which leads to heat and energy losses, as well as aesthetic problems linked to condensation, for example when the outside temperatures are low and the inner glass sheet is cooled to neighborhood of the spacer.

To make the spacers more thermally insulating, it has been envisaged to manufacture them from plastic. But since all plastic is inherently permeable, it was necessary to provide these spacers with a sealing sheet of metal, PET or ceramic, etc. Furthermore, the plastics used, typically styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), are fragile, and tend to break when they are very stressed, for example during the clamping step of the spacer between the two sheets of glass.

To solve this problem, it has been envisaged to reinforce the plastic material with glass fibers, while affixing an insulating sheet containing at least one thickness of metal on the lower surface of the spacer, to guarantee sealing. Patent application WO2013 / 104507 discloses, for example, a spacer, known commercially under the name of "swisspacer Ultimate", formed of a main body of reinforced polymer material, and of a sheet with insulating properties, comprising a metallic layer of thickness between 10 nm and 1500 nm protected by at least two layers of polymer material, covering the lower wall of the body. Application WO 2016/046081, known commercially under the name of "swisspacer Advance", describes a spacer formed from a main body of reinforced polymer material, and from a sheet with insulating properties covering the bottom wall of the body, wherein the insulating sheet comprises a first metallic layer of micrometric thickness, a thin metallic film of nanometric thickness, and a layer of polymeric material. However, the mechanical strength of these spacers remains limited, due to the fragility of the plastic used.

From document US Pat. No. 5,630,306, a hybrid spacer is also known, formed by two lateral metal branches and at least one main connection part made of synthetic resin connecting said branches at their upper end. However, the manufacture of the spacer here requires heating the metal branches until the melting temperature of the resin is reached, then depositing the resin on the heated branches in the form of an extruded strip. This technique requires the use of a large thickness of resin, greater than 1 mm, which does not make it possible to obtain satisfactory thermal insulation. To improve the thermal properties of the spacer, it is proposed to truncate the main connecting part at its lateral ends, but this solution remains too complex to implement. According to an easier manufacturing variant, the main connecting part can also be glued to the metal branches. But in this case the risk of detachment, too important, makes the system unsustainable.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a spacer giving the glazing good thermal performance, in a lasting manner, while remaining easy to manufacture.

This object is achieved with a spacer for insulating glazing extending in a longitudinal direction and comprising a first and a second main fixing part, metallic, facing each other in a lateral direction and defining respectively a first and a second main fixing face intended each to be secured to a glass sheet of the insulating glazing by means of fixing by gluing, the first and second main fixing parts being structurally linked together by at least one part main connecting link extending in said lateral direction and essentially made of plastic, the spacer comprising at least two mounting grooves for holding the lateral ends of said at least one main connecting part, said grooves being arranged so as to keep at least one infill zone of the main part of link. Note that by "connecting part" means, in the present application, a structural element, which gives the spacer a substantial part of its rigidity.

Throughout the present application and unless otherwise indicated, the upper and lower adjectives are defined with respect to a transverse direction, orthogonal to the longitudinal and lateral directions. The upper elements are those oriented towards or closer to the internal cavity of the glazing, in the mounted position of the spacer. The lower elements are further from the internal cavity of the glazing, in the mounted position of the spacer.

Furthermore, and unless otherwise specified, a width is defined in the lateral direction, a length in the longitudinal direction, and a thickness in the transverse direction.

The main connecting part is generally located on the lower side of the spacer, that is to say on its side intended to be opposite to the internal cavity of the insulating glazing. It generally forms a lower wall of the spacer. Mainly made of plastic, it plays an insulating role, limiting the heat exchange between the outer glass sheet and the inner glass sheet. Note that by essentially plastic, is meant here that at least 99% of the total thickness of the main connecting part is made of plastic. The spacer according to the invention makes it possible to permanently maintain the sealing of the glazing:

Since the main fixing faces are formed by the main metal fixing parts, the coefficient of thermal expansion of which is close to that of glass, the means of fixing by bonding between the spacer and the glass sheets are not very stressed in the event of variations. of temperature.

The main connecting part also has a certain flexibility which allows it to absorb a part of the deformations of the spacer linked to climatic loads and wind loads. The risks of separation of the spacer and loss of tightness are therefore reduced, and the energy performance of the glazing is guaranteed for longer.

The mounting grooves also make it possible, by a mechanically simple system, to avoid the detachment of the main connecting part in the event of deformation of the spacer.

Maintaining the main connecting part by the mounting grooves also makes it possible to freely choose the thickness of this part. Advantageously, it results from a compromise between the thermal conductivity of the spacer, the higher the lower the main connecting part, and sufficient rigidity of the spacer, depending in particular on the thickness and the length of the main connecting part and the width of its intermediate zone.

The main connection part typically has a thermal conductivity of between 0.1 and 0.5 W.m_1.K_1.

The plastic chosen to constitute the main connecting part preferably has a tensile modulus comprised between 500 and 5000 MPa and a flexural strength comprised between 50 and 120 MPa.

Another advantage of the spacer according to the present invention is that it can be folded cold, due to the flexibility of the main connecting part, making the manufacture of the spacer frame easier.

In general, the first and second main fixing parts are linked only by one or more element (s) each comprising at least one intermediate zone forming a thermal insulation barrier. The first and second main fixing parts are thus thermally insulated from one another.

The one or more element (s) comprise at least one main connecting part as defined above.

However, the one or more element (s) may also include at least one complementary connection part and / or at least one cover, as will be explained below.

The first and second main fixing parts are for example obtained by profiling.

According to one example, the mounting grooves are formed by folds, and each lateral end of the main connecting part is held between the thicknesses of a fold.

According to an example, the first and second main fixing parts each have a mounting groove.

According to an example, each mounting groove is open in the direction of the intermediate zone of the main connecting part (i.e. inwards). The main connecting part can then take the form of a flat sheet, the ends of which are simply housed in the two mounting plies facing each other.

According to another example, each mounting groove is open in a direction opposite to the intermediate zone of the main connecting part (ie towards the outside), and each groove receives, between its thicknesses, a flap resulting from the folding of a lateral portion of the main connecting part.

According to one example, at least one seal, in particular a butyl bead, is provided inside each mounting groove, for sealing between a wall of the mounting groove and the main connecting part.

According to a possible arrangement, the first and second main fixing parts each comprise at least one longitudinal groove and said at least one seal is mounted projecting inside said longitudinal groove and in contact with the main connecting part.

According to one example, the main connecting part is also held in said mounting grooves by bonding means.

According to an arrangement of the invention, the mounting grooves are formed on support parts extending laterally, between which the at least one main connecting part extends.

These laterally extending support parts are formed by the first and second main fixing parts and are therefore metallic.

They may include, in addition, one or more intermediate elements, also generally metallic, disposed between said first and second main fixing parts, as described below.

Advantageously, the total distance, measured laterally, between these support parts extending laterally, is between 10 and 80% of the total width of the spacer.

By total distance between the lateral parts is meant here - Either the distance between the respective support parts of the first and second main fixing parts, in the case of a single main connecting part - Either the sum of the distances between the different support parts opposite, in the case of a plurality of main connecting parts.

Likewise, the total width of the at least one intermediate zone will generally be between 10 and 80% of the total width of the spacer. To improve the rigidity of the spacer, the total width of the at least one intermediate zone may advantageously represent less than 50%, preferably less than 70%, of the total width of the spacer. In practice, the smaller the total width of the intermediate zone, the more rigid the spacer. By total width of the at least one intermediate zone is meant, if applicable, the sum of the widths of the intermediate zones of all the main connecting parts located in the same plane or substantially in the same plane.

The total width of the spacer is generally between 6 and 40mm, preferably between 6 and 30mm.

The minimum total width of the at least one intermediate zone is preferably equal to the total width of the spacer minus 2 mm.

According to one example, the total thickness of the main connecting part is between 0.1 and 5 mm.

According to one example, the main connecting part comprises at least one layer of plastic material and a coating forming a moisture barrier, in particular an aluminum-based coating. The coating preferably forms a surface layer of the main connecting part. Its ends are in contact with metal fixing parts, so as to ensure the continuity of the seal, on either side of the spacer, between the first and second main fixing parts.

According to one example, the thickness of the coating is between 0.001 and 2 micrometers.

Preferably, to preserve the coating which is fragile, it forms a surface layer of the main connecting part oriented towards the interior of the spacer.

The first and second main fixing parts and the at least one main connecting part define at least one housing housing a desiccant material. This desiccant material is advantageously integrated in an assembly shaped as a bead, in particular a bead of glue or mastic.

According to one example, the spacer further comprises at least one cover on its side intended to be oriented towards the internal cavity of the insulating glazing. The cover forms an upper wall of the spacer, and therefore generally constitutes the only visible part of the spacer once the glazing has been mounted. It generally fulfills an essentially aesthetic function.

The cover is generally fixed to tabs or folds of the main fixing parts and / or of fixing intermediate pieces, metallic.

It can be fixed by gluing means and / or by simple elastic fitting and / or by any other suitable fixing means. It can also be attached only to the first or second main attachment part, to give the spacer greater flexibility in its upper part.

The cover may be made of any suitable material, preferably a weakly conductive material, in particular of thermal conductivity between 0.1 and 0.5 W.m_1.K_1.

The cover may in particular be in the form of a sheet, possibly printed, of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyimide (PI), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or alternatively wood, leather, a plastic / wood composite material, or any other suitable material, in particular incapable of causing the formation of undesirable particles inside the internal cavity of the glazing and preferably UV resistant.

According to a particular arrangement, the spacer can also comprise at least one complementary connection part, essentially made of plastic material, extending parallel to the main connection part.

It is generally arranged at a distance from the main connecting part on the one hand and from the upper end of the spacer on the other hand (and therefore from the cover, if applicable), in the transverse direction.

The complementary connecting part is fixed to the first and second main fixing parts, and forms an active structural element of the spacer, giving it part of its strength and rigidity. The association of at least two parallel connecting parts makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the spacer, and can be implemented in particular for facade glazing, the mechanical strength of which must be excellent.

According to an example, the spacer comprises at least one through notch extending in the lateral direction, said notch having a V-shaped profile the point of which is defined in a plane intersecting the main connecting part.

According to one example, the spacer further comprises at least one receiving part of an additional glass sheet, disposed between the first and the second main fixing parts.

According to one example, the reception part is formed by a metal profile defining a reception groove, in particular of U or V section, extending in the longitudinal direction.

According to one example, the first and second main fixing parts are structurally linked together by a succession of at least two main connecting parts extending in the lateral direction, essentially made of plastic, and connected together by at minus an intermediate element, in particular metallic.

According to an example, each intermediate element has at least two mounting grooves, each mounting groove holding, between its thicknesses, the lateral end of a main connecting part.

The present disclosure also relates to a spacer frame for insulating glazing, characterized in that it is formed by at least one spacer as defined above.

The present disclosure also relates to an insulating glazing comprising at least two substantially parallel sheets of glass, spaced apart by at least one air or gas layer forming an internal cavity of the glazing, and a spacer frame as defined above, arranged at the periphery. sheets of glass and now spaced the two sheets of glass, fixing means by bonding fixing the spacer frame to each sheet of glass.

The at least one main connecting part of the spacer is then located on the side of the spacer opposite to the internal cavity of the glazing.

Several embodiments or examples of embodiment are described in the present description. Unless otherwise specified, the characteristics described in relation to any mode or example of embodiment can be applied to another mode or example of embodiment. The invention in its details will be better understood on reading the following description of several embodiments. In the context of the present invention, other embodiments are of course possible, the following description being provided solely by way of illustration and should not be considered as limiting in any of its described aspects. - Figure 1 illustrates a spacer according to a first embodiment, mounted between two sheets of glass of insulating glazing; - Figure 2 illustrates a folding notch of a spacer according to Figure 1; - Figures 3 and 4 shows the shaping of a spacer frame, by folding the spacer of Figure 2; - Figure 5 illustrates a spacer according to a second embodiment; - Figure 6 illustrates a spacer according to a third embodiment; - Figure 7 illustrates a spacer according to a fourth embodiment, particularly suitable for facade glazing; - Figure 8 illustrates a spacer according to a fifth embodiment, adapted to be mounted in a triple insulating glazing; - Figure 9 illustrates a spacer according to a sixth embodiment; - Figure 10 illustrates a sample used during thermal conductivity tests.

Figure 1 shows a section of the periphery of an insulating glazing 1 according to the invention, here a double glazing, comprising an outer glass sheet 2a, intended for example to be turned towards the outside of a building, a sheet of inner glass 2b, parallel to the outer glass sheet 2a, and a spacer frame 3 extending continuously along the edge of the first and second glass sheets 2a, 2b, a sealed internal cavity 4 being delimited by the spacer frame between the two glass sheets 2a, 2b.

As explained above, the spacer frame 3 can be manufactured by successive folding of a straight spacer, or by angular assembly at their ends of straight spacers, so as to obtain a typically rectangular frame. The spacer extends, at least in pieces, in a longitudinal direction parallel to an edge of the glazing. In FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction is represented by the X axis. The spacer 110 of FIG. 1 comprises first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b facing each other in a direction Y called lateral direction of the spacer 110. These two main fixing parts 112a, 112b are for example produced by profiling using rollers (rollforming, in English) metal strips, in particular aluminum or more preferably in steel. Their thickness el is typically between 0.15 and 1 mm.

The first main fixing part 112a defines a first main fixing face 114a, of height hl typically between 5 and 30 mm, intended to be fixed to the outer glass sheet 2a, and the second main fixing part 112b defines a second main fixing face 114b, of similar dimensions, intended to be secured to the inner glass sheet 2b.

The connection is made, in a manner known per se, by at least one sealing bead respectively 5a, 5b forming bonding means, for example based on butyl.

For the whole of the present application, a transverse direction Z of the spacer is defined as a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal X and lateral Y directions mentioned above. The transverse direction Z is generally parallel to the main fixing faces 114a, 114b of the spacer 110.

As explained above and unless otherwise indicated, the upper and lower adjectives used in the following are defined with respect to this transverse direction Z. The upper elements are those oriented towards or closer to the internal cavity 4 of the glazing, in the mounted position of the 'spacer 110. The lower elements are further from the internal cavity 4 of the glazing, in the mounted position of the spacer.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b are structurally linked together by a main connecting part 120 extending in the lateral direction Y. In the example, this main connecting part 120 forms a lower wall of the spacer 110.

It further defines, with the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b, an internal housing 130 of the spacer 110, intended to house a moisture-absorbing or desiccant material 132. As it is well known, the desiccant material 132 has the function of absorbing the moisture which could be inside the glazing, in particular just after the mounting of said glazing. It can for example be in the form of a silica gel.

According to an advantageous arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, the desiccant material can be packaged in the form of a structure (that is to say a self-supporting element), of finite dimensions. For example, the desiccant material 132 is mixed with a binder to form an agglomerated assembly in the form of a bead 134, adhering to the inner face of one of the main fixing parts 112a, 112b (the second, in FIG. 1), for example by gluing.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the structure 134 is not in contact with the other main fixing part, so that it therefore does not influence the thermal conductivity of the spacer. The thermal performance of the spacer is thus improved. Furthermore, the spacer 110 does not need to be closed at its upper end to contain the desiccant material, the installation of the desiccant material can be done before mounting the spacer 110 on the glass sheets 2a, 2b, and the manufacture of glazing is thereby greatly facilitated.

The main connecting part 120, located on the lower side of the spacer, must ensure a good seal with the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b, to prevent air from entering the interior of the glazing. . For this, it is held at its ends 121, 122 in mounting grooves, here in the form of folds, formed on the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b respectively.

Advantageously, it is also bonded to the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b, inside each mounting ply.

These arrangements will be described in more detail below.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first main fixing part 112 comprises: a transverse part 141a forming the first main fixing face 114a a lower support part 142a, extending laterally, folded in accordion fashion so as to form at least one mounting fold, here open inwards in the example, and as explained in more detail below, an upper support part, in the form of a tongue 143a, also directed laterally towards the inside of the spacer , of width 110 typically between 2 and 7 mm, preferably between 2 and 5mm, in particular equal to 2.3 mm.

In the example of FIG. 1, the lower support part 142a more particularly comprises: o a first thickness 144a extending laterally towards the inside of the spacer 110 (in the direction of the main fixing part 112b situated opposite ) over a width 11, o a second thickness 145a (so-called fixed mounting thickness, hereinafter) of width 12 equal to 11, folded against the first thickness 144a and thus parallel to the latter, forming with the first thickness 144a a first fold 150a open towards the outside, then o a third thickness 146a (called mobile mounting thickness, in the following) of width 13 equal to 11 and 12, forming with the second thickness 145a a second fold 152a - called mounting fold- open inwards and adapted to pass from a separated position where it forms a non-zero angle with the second thickness 145a to a folded position in which it is substantially parallel to the second th thickness 145a.

Likewise, the second main fixing part 112b comprises a transverse part 141b forming the second main fixing face 114b, a lower support part 142b, adjoining said transverse part 141b, and defining an open mounting fold 152b towards the interior, and an upper support portion 143b also directed inward.

The two mounting plies 152a, 152b are therefore open towards one another, and placed opposite one another in the lateral direction Y, so as to receive the lateral edges 121, 122 of the main connecting part 120, here in the form of a flat sheet.

In practice, the main connecting part is held by a mounting fold 152a, 152b, at each of its two ends, over a width 14 of at least 3mm and at most 15mm.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the spacing 16 between the mounting plies 152a, 152b makes it possible to leave an intermediate zone 123 of the main connecting part, here of width 15, free.

The intermediate zone 123 forms a thermal insulation barrier between the first and the second main fixing parts 112a, 112b. For this purpose, the main connecting part 120 is made of a thermal insulating material. According to the invention, it is essentially made of plastic.

In the example of FIG. 1, the main connecting part 120 is formed of two superposed layers of PET 125, 126, coated with a coating 127 forming a moisture barrier, based on aluminum (in the figure, the proportions are not respected for the sake of clarity).

This example is not, however, limiting, and the main connecting part 120 may comprise a different number of plastic layers, for example a single layer, or more than two layers, or layers of different thicknesses and / or in different materials. The total thickness e2 of the main connecting part 120 is typically between 0.1 and 5 mm.

The covering 127 forms a surface layer of the connecting part, which has the function of creating a seal with the first and second main fixing parts, metallic, with which it is in contact.

The coating 127 preferably constitutes the upper face of the main connecting part 120 (i.e. that it is directed towards the interior of the spacer 110), so as to avoid its deterioration due to external aggressions. On the other hand, since the plastic is very wet when the glazing is mounted, the desiccant material 132 generally has the function of absorbing, as a priority, the moisture coming from the plastic forming the spacer. The coating, oriented towards the interior of the housing 130, reduces the humidity to be absorbed by the desiccant immediately after assembly, and thus increases the duration of absorption of the desiccant material in use of the glazing. The thickness e3 of the moisture barrier coating is between 0.001 and 2 micrometers. This thickness makes the influence of the metal which constitutes it on the thermal conductivity of the main connecting part 120 negligible.

During assembly, the main connecting part 120 is positioned between the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b, with each of its lateral edges 121, 122 positioned against a fixed thickness 145a, 145b of a mounting ply 152a , 152b respectively. At this instant, the fixed and mobile thicknesses of each mounting ply 152a, 152b are spaced from one another. Then each movable thickness 146a, 146b is folded down towards the fixed thickness 145a, 145b of the same fold. The fixed and mobile thicknesses of each mounting ply 152a, 152b are finally substantially parallel, clamping between them the lateral edge 121, 122 corresponding to the main connecting part 120.

Advantageously, and as indicated above, each lateral edge 121, 122 of the main connecting part can also be fixed to a thickness of the mounting ply 152a, 152b by gluing, here to the mobile thickness 146a, 146b.

To improve adhesion, the main fixing part advantageously has surface irregularities (not shown) on the fold portion intended to receive the glue. These surface irregularities are for example produced by scraping the sheet, before or after profiling.

In the example, the spacer further comprises a cover 160, parallel to the main connecting part 120, and forming an upper wall of the spacer 110.

In particular when the desiccant material 132 is integrated into a self-supporting assembly 134 as defined above, the cover 160 has an essentially aesthetic function. It constitutes the only visible part of the spacer 110 once the glazing has been mounted.

In the example, the cover 160 consists of a PET sheet, of thickness e4 equal to 0.2mm, glued by one of its lateral ends 161 to an upper tab (for example 143a) of one among the first and the second main fixing part 112a, 112b. Preferably, we avoid sticking the two ends 161, 162 of the cover 160, so as to maintain good flexibility of the spacer, useful in the event of deformations related to external thermal variations.

According to an alternative embodiment, the cover can also be firmly fixed on either side to the first and second fixing parts, in particular by gluing. In this case, in particular if the cover is not made of plastic which is inherently permeable to water vapor, it may be provided with one or more openings allowing the migration of water vapor to the moisture absorbing structure 134.

As an alternative, the cover could also be made of any material other than PET, the thermal conductivity of which is sufficiently low (for example between 0.1 and 0.5 W.m_1.K_1). It can thus be produced, in particular in the form of an optionally printed sheet, of polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyimide (PI), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or also of wood, leather, in a material plastic / wood composite, or any other suitable material, preferably UV resistant.

The mounting of the spacer frame 3, then of the glazing of FIG. 1, will be described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 to 4.

As explained above, a spacer frame 3 is advantageously manufactured by successive folding of a straight spacer 110. This technique is preferred to a production by abutment of several straight spacers using connectors, because it limits the number of pieces put in artwork.

To allow folding at a right angle, the spacer 110 is provided with at least one through notch 170, with a constant V-shaped profile, the two opposite edges 171, 172 of which form an angle of 90 °. It is understood that for the manufacture of a rectangular glazing, the spacer will have three grooves 170, each intended to form a corner of the spacer frame 3. The two ends of the spacer 110 will be joined, at the fourth corner, by a connector of known type (not shown).

To preserve the metal at the time of folding, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the point of the V of the notch 170 is advantageously defined in a plane intersecting the main connecting part 120. In other words, at the hollow 173 of the 'notch 170, the main connecting part 120 is stripped on its upper part: the main fixing parts are cut out, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The folding operation is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The spacer 110 is folded so that the edges 171, 172 of the notch come together until they come into contact with one another. Folding can be done cold.

A weld line 174 is made, at the junction of the edges 171, 172 of the notch 170, to restore the sealing of the first and second main fixing parts 112a, 112b.

FIG. 1 illustrates the spacer 110 in the mounted position. As explained above, the spacer 110 is secured to the two glass sheets by its main fixing faces, using sealing cords 5a, 5b, in particular based on butyl. An outer sealing barrier is further applied to the outer periphery of the spacer frame, between the glass sheets 2a, 2b.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the sealing barrier may not be continuous over the entire width of the spacer: it then has at least one interruption zone in the lateral direction Y. It may therefore be sufficient that, on each side , the sealing barrier is deposited in the form of a strip respectively 6a, 6b connecting the glass sheet 2a, 2b and the intermediate zone 123 of the main connecting part 120, so as to ensure sealing at the points of possible leakage, that is to say: between the main fixing part 112a, respectively 112b and the glass sheet 2a, respectively 2b and between the main connecting part 120 and the main fixing part 112a, respectively 112b. Since the material forming the sealing barrier is conductive, this arrangement further limits the thermal conductivity of the spacer.

In the example of FIG. 1, the distance 16, measured laterally, between the two lateral parts 142a, 142b of the first and second main connecting parts is at least equal to 70% of the total width 17 of the spacer. This distance here corresponds to the width 15 of the intermediate zone 123. According to a variant, this distance can be reduced, so as to increase the rigidity of the spacer. FIG. 5 illustrates such a spacer 210, particularly suitable for facade glazing.

As illustrated in the figure, the first and second main fixing parts 212a, 212b have a structure similar to those 112a, 112b of FIG. 1 and each have a lower support part 242a, 242b, extending laterally, and folded in accordion. They thus form two mounting grooves in the form of mounting folds 252a, 252b, open inwards, towards one another.

The folded lower support portions 242a, 242b are here arranged so that their spacing 16 ', measured in the lateral direction Y, is less than 60% of the total width 17' of the spacer.

The width 15 ′ of the intermediate zone 223 of the main connecting part 220, equal to the above-mentioned distance 16 ′, is therefore also reduced.

In addition, the mounting plies are here set back, inwards, relative to the main fixing faces 214a, 214b. More particularly, the bottom of the mounting plies are offset towards the inside of the spacer 210, with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1. The total width 18 ′ of the connecting part 220 is therefore also reduced relative to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

According to another advantageous arrangement of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 5, each mounting ply 252a, 252b can be provided with seals 247a, 247b between the moisture barrier coating 227 and the ply thickness located opposite 245a, 245b. In the example, each fixed ply thickness 245a, 245b is provided with longitudinal grooves (here two) 248a, 248b, in which are protruding butyl cords forming seals 247a, 247b.

FIG. 5 also illustrates an alternative method of holding the cover 260 on the upper tabs 243a, 243b of the first and second main connecting parts, by elastic fitting. For this, the cover 260 is folded in accordion at its lateral ends so as to form, at each end, at least one fold 263a, 263b open towards the outside. The cover 260 is deformed, during assembly, so as to cause each upper tongue 243a, 243b to penetrate into such a fold 263a, 263b. The cover 260 is held more securely than by simple bonding, in particular in the event of large deformations of the spacer due to thermal variations or wind loads.

FIG. 6 illustrates a spacer 310 according to a third embodiment, in which the mounting grooves 352a, 352b are open in a direction opposite to the intermediate zone 323 of the main connecting part 320, in other words towards the outside.

Here, each main fixing part 312a, 312b comprises a lower support part, 342a, 342b, extending laterally, and forming a mounting groove in the form of a fold.

Each support part 342a, 342b comprises a first thickness 345a, 345b (so-called fixed mounting thickness, hereinafter) extending laterally towards the interior of the spacer 310 over a width of 11 '', and a second thickness 346a , 346b (so-called mobile mounting thickness, hereinafter) 12 '' wide (here less than 11 ''), forming with the first thickness a mounting ply 352a, 352b open towards the outside, and suitable for passing through 'a separated position where it forms, for mounting, a non-zero angle with the first thickness 345a, 345b, in a folded position (illustrated in Figure 6) in which it is substantially parallel to the first thickness 345a, 345b.

The main connecting part 320 has folded lateral portions, forming two flaps 325, 326 directed inward on the one hand, and one towards the other on the other hand.

Each fold 352a, 352b receives, between its fixed and mobile thicknesses, a flap 325, 326 of the main connecting part 320.

Such an arrangement makes it possible to effectively avoid the disengagement of the main connecting part 320, in the event of deformation of the spacer 310.

According to an arrangement illustrated in FIG. 6, the second thickness 346a, 346b can advantageously be extended by a return 349a, 349b, extending inwards. These returns 349a, 349b form curved support surfaces for the folded lateral portions of the main connecting part 320, thereby reducing the radius of curvature and limiting the stresses on the curved portion of these lateral portions.

FIG. 7 illustrates a spacer 410 according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. The spacer 410 here comprises a complementary connection part 480, extending parallel to the main connection part 420.

In the example illustrated, and in a nonlimiting manner, the complementary connection part 480 partitions the interior housing of the spacer into two subspaces 430a, 430b, each housing a bead of desiccant material 434a, 434b.

The complementary connecting part 480 is essentially made of plastic, preferably entirely of plastic. It is for example formed of a layer of PET, in particular of thickness e5 between 0.1 and 5 mm.

Each main fixing part 412a, 412b is further provided with a support part 482a, 482b of said complementary connection part 480.

In the example illustrated, and advantageously, these support parts 482a, 482b form intermediate support parts, folded, spaced from the lower support parts 442a, 442b in the transverse direction Z.

In the example, the intermediate support zone 482a, 482b extends generally towards the inside of the spacer in the lateral direction Y. It comprises a fold formed by a first thickness 483a, 483b extending laterally towards the inside from the transverse part 441a, 441b, and a second thickness 484a, 484b, extending laterally outward, here in contact with the first thickness 483a, 483b.

A support surface is formed by the upper face of the first thickness 483a, of width 19 typically between 3mm and 15mm, on which the complementary connecting part 480 is glued.

According to another variant, the spacer 430 could comprise several complementary connecting parts 480, arranged parallel to each other, to further increase the rigidity of the spacer.

A spacer 510 according to a fifth embodiment, suitable for implementation in triple glazing, is illustrated in FIG. 8. The spacer 510 comprises, as in the embodiments described above, a first main fixing part 512a , intended to be secured to a first glass sheet 2a, and a second main fixing part 512b, intended to be secured to a second glass sheet 2b.

The first and second main fixing parts 512a, 512b are here structurally linked not by one, but by two main connecting parts 520a, 520b, connected together by an intermediate element 590.

According to the invention, the two main connecting parts 520a, 520b extend in the lateral direction Y, in the extension of one another, and are essentially made of plastic. Their characteristics, similar to those described in connection with the previous embodiments, will not be described in more detail below. The intermediate element 590 serves to secure the two main connecting parts 520a, 520b, and gives the assembly a certain rigidity.

Each main connecting part 520a, 520b is fixed to one of the main fixing parts 512a, 512b on the one hand, and to the intermediate element 590 on the other hand. The intermediate element 590 is therefore provided with mounting grooves 591a, 591b, intended to receive the lateral ends 522a, 521b of the main connecting parts.

In the example, the intermediate element 590 consists of a metal strip shaped by folding so as to comprise, at its two lateral ends, mounting pleats forming grooves 591a, 591b.

In the example, like those of the first and second main fixing parts, each mounting ply is open in the direction of the main connecting part 520a, 520b which it is intended to maintain.

This example is not, however, limiting, and the mounting plies of the intermediate element and / or of the first and second main fixing parts could also be opened in a direction opposite to the main connecting part to be maintained. FIG. 9 illustrates a spacer 610 configured in this direction. As already explained in connection with FIG. 6, each main connecting part 620a, 620b is folded at its lateral end (s), the flap (s) thus formed 625a, 626a; 625b, 626b which is received in the mounting folds 691a, 691b of the intermediate element 690 and / or of the first and second main fixing parts 612a, 612b.

In the examples of FIGS. 8 and 9, the intermediate element 590, 690 also constitutes a support for a reception part 592, 692 formed by a metal profile defining a reception groove 593, 693 for a third sheet of glass 2c, in particular with a U or V section.

The receiving groove 593, 693 is obviously open towards the internal cavity 4 of the glazing, to accommodate said additional sheet of glass 2c.

As described below in more detail in connection with FIG. 8, each reception part 592, 692 has a bottom wall 594, advantageously connected to the intermediate element 590, for example by a weld, and two side walls 595 , 596 extending in a plane substantially orthogonal to the lateral direction and each defining a complementary fixing face intended to be secured by bonding means 5c to a face of the third sheet of glass 2c.

The reception part 592 also includes tongues 597, 598, extending respectively from the free end of each side wall 595, 596, and intended for holding covers 560a, 560b arranged on either side of the third glass sheet 2c.

It is understood that the tongues 597, 598 of the receiving part 592 are arranged opposite and in the same plane as the tongues 543a, 543b of the first and second main fixing parts 512a, 512b.

Obviously, the spacer 510 or 610 could comprise at least three main connecting parts, connected to each other by intermediate elements. The spacer 510 or 610 could also comprise at least two reception parts, in particular in the case of a quadruple glazing.

In addition, the intermediate element or elements could be made of any other suitable material, in particular plastic. In this case, the attachment of each intermediate element to the corresponding metal reception part can be done by clipping.

Comparative tests were carried out in order to compare the thermal conductivity of a spacer according to the invention, with those of three spacers of known type.

For each type of spacer, a sample was made, comprising two glass sheets 2a, 2b of dimensions 270 x 270 mm and thickness 3.8 mm, connected by 40 spacers 10 superimposed as illustrated in FIG. 10 , each 6.5 mm high, 15.5 mm wide and 270 mm long. As illustrated in FIG. 10, no spacer 10 used during the tests contained desiccant material and the spacers 10 were all fixed to the glass sheets by butyl cords 5a, 5b.

Each test was carried out using a thermal flow meter. In known manner, this type of device makes it possible to measure the thermal conductivity of a component placed between a cold plate and a hot plate, the temperature difference of which is known. In this case, each sample was placed with a glass sheet in contact with the cold sheet at 5 ° C, and the other glass sheet in contact with the hot sheet at 15 ° C. Test No. 1 was carried out with spacers according to the invention. Test No. 2 was carried out with spacers known commercially under the name of "swisspacer Ultimate", and described in patent application WO2013 / 104507 cited above. Test No. 3 was carried out with spacers known commercially under the name of "swisspacer Advance", and described in patent application WO 2016/046081 cited above. Test No. 4 was carried out with spacers of the conventional type, formed from an aluminum body. All the results are reported in Table 1.

The thermal conductivity of the spacer according to the invention is much lower than that of the spacers made of reinforced plastic or entirely of metal.

Claims (23)

1. Spacer (110, 610) for insulating glazing (1) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) and comprising first and second main fixing parts (112a, 112b; ...; 612a, 612b), metallic , facing each other in a lateral direction (Y) and respectively defining a first and a second main fixing face (114a, 114b) each intended to be secured to a sheet of glass (2a , 2b) of the insulating glazing by means of fixing by gluing (5a, 5b), the first and second main fixing parts (112a, 112b; ...; 612a, 612b) being structurally linked together by at least one main connecting part (120, ..., 420, 520a, 520b, 620a, 620b) extending in said lateral direction and essentially made of plastic, the spacer comprising at least two mounting grooves for holding the ends lateral of said at least a main part of connection, said grooves being arranged so as to keep free at least one intermediate zone of the main connection part. 2. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to claim 1, in which the mounting grooves (152a, 152b) are formed by folds, and each lateral end of the main connecting part (120, ... , 420, 520a, 520b, 620a, 620b) is maintained between the thicknesses of a ply. 3. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second main fixing parts (112a, 112b; ...; 612a, 612b) each have a mounting grooves (152a , 152b). 4. A spacer (110, 510) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which each mounting groove (152a, 152b) is open in the direction of the intermediate zone (123) of the main connecting part. 5. A spacer (210, 310, 410) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which each mounting groove (252a, 252b; 352a, 352b) is open in a direction opposite to the intermediate zone of (223, 323) the main connecting part (220, 320), and each groove receives, between its thicknesses, a flap resulting from the folding of a lateral portion of the main connecting part. 6. A spacer (210) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which at least one seal (247a, 247b), in particular a butyl bead, is provided inside each mounting groove (252a, 252b ), to seal between a wall of the mounting groove and the main connecting part (220). 7. A spacer (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the main connecting part (120) is also held in said mounting grooves (152a, 152b) by adhesive means. 8. A spacer (210) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the mounting grooves are formed on support parts extending laterally, at least certain support parts being formed on the first and second main fixing parts. , and the total distance, measured laterally, between said support parts, is between 10 and 80%, of the total width of the spacer. 9. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the total thickness of the main connecting part (120, 420, 520a, 520b, 620a, 620b) is between 0.1 and 5 mm. 10. A spacer (110, 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in which the main connecting part (120, 420, 520a, 520b, 620a, 620b) comprises at least one layer of plastic material (125 , 126) and a coating (127) forming a moisture barrier, in particular an aluminum-based coating. 11. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to claim 10, in which the thickness of the coating (127) is between 0.001 and 2 micrometers. 12. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the coating (127) forms a surface layer of the main connecting part (120, ..., 420, 520a, 520b, 620a , 620b) oriented towards the interior of the spacer. 13. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the first and second main fixing parts and the main connecting part define at least one housing (130) housing a desiccant material (132). 14. A spacer (110, 610) according to claim 13, in which the desiccant material (132) is integrated in an assembly shaped as a bead (134), in particular a bead of glue or mastic. 15. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising at least one cover (160, 560a, 560b) on its side intended to be oriented towards the internal cavity (4 ) insulating glass (1), 16. A spacer (410) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising at least one complementary connecting part (480), essentially made of plastic, extending parallel to the main connecting part (42 0 ). 17. A spacer (110, ..., 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising at least one notch (170) passing through extending in the lateral direction (Y), said notch (170) having a V profile whose tip (173) is defined in a plane intersecting the main connecting part (120). 18. A spacer (510, 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising at least one receiving part (592, 692) of an additional glass sheet (2c), disposed between the first and the second main fixing parts (512a, 512b; 612a, 612b). 19. A spacer (510, 610) according to claim 18, in which the receiving part (592, 692) is formed by a metal profile defining a receiving groove (593, 693), in particular with a U section or in V, extending in the longitudinal direction (X). 20. A spacer (510, 610) according to claim 18 or 19, in which the first and second main fixing parts (512a, 512b; 612a, 612b) are structurally linked together by a succession of at least two main parts connecting (520a, 520b; 620a, 620b) extending in the lateral direction (Y), essentially made of plastic, and connected to each other by at least one intermediate element (590, 690), in particular metallic. 21. A spacer (510, 610) according to claim 20, in which each intermediate element (590, 690) comprises at least two mounting grooves (591a, 591b), each mounting groove (591a, 591b) now, between its thicknesses , the lateral end of a main connecting part (520a, 520b; 620a, 620b). 22. Spacer frame (3) for insulating glazing (1), characterized in that it is formed by at least one spacer (110, ..., 610) according to any one of claims 1 to 21. 23. Insulating glazing (1) comprising at least two substantially parallel sheets of glass (2a, 2b), spaced apart by at least one air or gas layer forming an internal cavity (4) of the glazing, and a spacer frame (3 ) according to claim 22, arranged at the periphery of the glass sheets (2a, 2b) and now spaced the two glass sheets (2a, 2b), and fixing means by gluing (5a, 5b) fixing the spacer frame ( 3) to each glass sheet (2a, 2b).