초록 ▼

A grid simulating muntins for a multi-sheet unit includes a plurality of interconnected vertical and horizontal elongated members. The ends of the elongated members are shaped to engage interior surface of a spacer frame to position the grid within the spacer frame. Shaping the ends of the elongated

A grid simulating muntins for a multi-sheet unit includes a plurality of interconnected vertical and horizontal elongated members. The ends of the elongated members are shaped to engage interior surface of a spacer frame to position the grid within the spacer frame. Shaping the ends of the elongated members eliminates the need for muntin clips.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A grid simulating muntins, the grid comprising a first plurality of spaced elongated members connected to a second plurality of spaced elongated members, wherein one of the elongated members of the first plurality of spaced elongated members defined as the first elongated mem

What is claimed is: 1. A grid simulating muntins, the grid comprising a first plurality of spaced elongated members connected to a second plurality of spaced elongated members, wherein one of the elongated members of the first plurality of spaced elongated members defined as the first elongated member comprises: a first side having a length, an outer surface, a first end and an opposite second end, the first side continuous along its length from the first end to the second end of the first side; a second side having a length, an outer surface, a first end and an opposite second end, the second side continuous along its length from the first end to the second end of the second side; a third side having a length and connected to the first and the second sides; a fourth side opposite the third side, the fourth side having a length and connected to the first and the second sides, wherein the length of the first side and the length of the second side are each greater than the length of the third side and the length of the fourth side; the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side are connected such that connected portions of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side of the first elongated member (1) have the second side opposite to the first side; (2) have the outer surface of the second side facing away from the outer surface of the first side, and (3) have the first end of the first side and the first end of the second side adjacent to one another; the first side having a first end portion, the first end portion attached directly to the first end of the first side, and the second side having a second end portion, the second end portion attached directly to the first end of the second side, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are spaced from one another, such that (a) the first end portion is movable in a first direction to position the first end portion over the outer surface of the first side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the first side, (b) the second end portion is moveable in a first direction over the outer surface of the second side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the second side, and (c) the first end portion and the second end portion are simultaneously moveable in their respective first direction; the first end portion and the second end portion each have a ledge, each said ledge having a first end connected to said first and second end portions, respectively, and a second end distal to said first end, said second end defining a groove configured to receive an extension that is substantially perpendicular to the first and second sides of said first elongated member, said distal end of said groove having a first member configured to rest on an upper surface of said extension, and a second member configured to abut a groove in said extension resulting in restricted movement of the first elongated member in the longitudinal direction of said extension. 2. The grid according to claim 1 wherein the connected portions of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side of the first elongated member form a hollow, open-ended, continuous, passageway. 3. The grid according to claim 1, wherein the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side are connected such that connected portions of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side of the first elongated member has a four sided cross-section. 4. The grid according to claim 1, wherein the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side are connected such that connected portions of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side of the first elongated member have the second end of the first side and the second end of the second side adjacent to one another; the first side having a third end portion, the third end portion opposite to the first end portion and attached directly to the second end of the first side, and the second side having a fourth end portion, the fourth end portion is opposite to the second end portion and attached directly to the second end of the second side, wherein the third end portion and the fourth end portion are spaced from one another, such that (a) the third end portion is movable in a first direction to position the third end portion over the outer surface of the first side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the first side, (b) the fourth end portion is moveable in a first direction over the outer surface of the second side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the second side, and (c) the third end portion and the fourth end portion are simultaneously moveable in their respective first direction, and the third end portion and the fourth end portion each have a ledge, each said ledge having a first end connected to said third and fourth end portions, respectively, and a second end distal to said first end, said second end defining a groove configured to receive an extension that is substantially perpendicular to the first and second sides of said first elongated member, said distal end of said groove having a first member configured to rest on an upper surface of said extension, and a second member configured to abut a groove in said extension resulting in restricted movement of the first elongated member in the longitudinal direction of said extension. 5. The grid according to claim 4, wherein each of the remaining ones of the elongated members of the first plurality of elongated members and each of the second plurality of elongated members have first, second, third and fourth end portions corresponding in shape to the first, second, third, and fourth end portions of the first elongated member. 6. A multi-sheet unit comprising: a spacer frame having a base, a pair of legs extending from the base toward an interior of the spacer frame, and an interior side facing the interior of the spacer frame; a first sheet mounted on an outer surface of one of the legs of the pair of legs and a second sheet mounted on an outer surface of the other one of the pair of legs; a grid simulating muntins in the interior of the spacer frame between the sheets, the grid comprising a first plurality of spaced elongated members, and a second plurality of spaced elongated members, wherein each of the first plurality of elongated members and each of second plurality of elongated members comprises: a first side having a length, an outer surface, a first end and an opposite second end, the first side continuous along its length from the first end to the second end of the first side; a second side having a length, an outer surface, a first end and an opposite second end, the second side continuous along its length from the first end to the second end of the second side; a third side having a length and connected to the first and the second sides; a fourth side opposite the third side, the fourth side having a length and connected to the first and the second sides, wherein the length of the first side and the length of the second side are each greater than the length of the third side and the length of the fourth side; the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side are connected such that connected portions of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side of the first elongated member (1) have the second side opposite to the first side; (2) have the outer surface of the second side facing away from the outer surface of the first side, (3) have the first end of the first side, and the first end of the second side adjacent to one another and (4) have the second end of the first side, and the second end of the second side adjacent to one another; the first side having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion attaching directly to the first end of the first side and the second end portion attaching directly to the second end of the first side, and the second side having a third end portion and a fourth end portion, the third end portion attaching directly to the first end of the second side and the fourth end portion attaching directly to the second end of the second side, wherein the first end portion and the third end portion are spaced from one another, such that (a) the first end portion is movable in a first direction to position the first end portion over the outer surface of the first side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the first side, (b) the third end portion is moveable in a first direction over the outer surface of the second side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the second side, and (c) the first end portion and the third end portion are simultaneously moveable in their respective second direction, and the second end portion and the fourth end portion are spaced from one another, such that (d) the second end portion is movable in a first direction to position the second end portion over the outer surface of the first side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the first side, (e) the fourth end portion is moveable in a first direction over the outer surface of the second side and in an opposite second direction away from the outer surface of the second side, and (f) the third end portion and the fourth end portion are simultaneously moveable in their respective first direction; the first end portion, the second end portion, the third end portion and the fourth end portion each have a ledge, wherein the ledge of the first end portion and the ledge of the third end portion of each of the first plurality of elongated members engages a first length of the interior side of the spacer frame; the ledge of the second end portion and the ledge of the fourth end portion of each of the first plurality of elongated members engages a second length of the interior side of the spacer frame, the second length of the interior side of the spacer frame opposite to the first length of the interior side of the spacer frame, and wherein the ledge of the first end portion and the ledge of the third end portion of each of the second plurality of the elongated members engages a third length of the interior side of the spacer frame, wherein the third length of the interior side of the spacer frame is between the first length, and the second length, of the interior side of the spacer frame, and the second end portion and the fourth end portion of each of the second plurality of elongated members engages a fourth length of the interior side of the spacer frame, the fourth length of the interior side of the spacer frame between the first and the second lengths of the interior sides of the spacer frame and opposite to the third length of the interior side of the spacer frame. 7. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 6 wherein the sheets are selected from the group of glass sheets, plastic sheets, coated sheets, laminated sheets and opaque sheets. 8. The multi-sheet unit grid according to claim 6, wherein the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side are connected such that connected portions of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side of the first elongated member has a four sided cross-section. 9. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 6 wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth end portions of each of the first and the second plurality of elongated members has a groove and each of the grooves has an opening; the first end portion of each of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members is over the outer surface of the first side of its respective one of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members, the second end portion of each of the first and the second plurality of elongated members is over the outer surface of the first side of its respective one of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members, the third end portion of each of the first and the second plurality of elongated members is over the outer surface of the second side of its respective one of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members, and the fourth end portion of each of the first and the second plurality of elongated members is over the outer surface of the second side of its respective one of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members, and a portion of the first length of the interior side of the spacer frame is in the groove of the first end portion and the third end portion of the first plurality of elongated members, a portion of the second length of the interior side of the spacer frame is in the groove of the second end portion and the fourth end portion of the first plurality of elongated members, a portion of the third length of the interior side of the spacer frame is in the groove of the first end portion and the third end portion of the second plurality of elongated members, and a portion of the fourth length of the interior side of the spacer frame is in the groove of the second end portion and the fourth end portion of the second plurality of elongated members. 10. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 6 wherein one of the pair of legs of the spacer frame is a first leg and the other one of the pair of legs of the spacer frame is a second leg, and the interior side of the spacer frame comprises a first extension connected to the first leg and a second extension connected to the second leg, wherein the first and second extensions extend over the inner surface of the base toward one another and terminate short of one another, and wherein the ledges of the first end portions of the first plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the first extension of the first length of the spacer frame; the ledges of the third end portions of the first plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the second extension of the first length of the spacer frame; the ledges of the second end portions of the first plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the first extension of the second length of the spacer frame; and the ledges of the fourth end portions of the first plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the second extension of the second length of the spacer frame, and wherein the ledges of the first end portions of the second plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the first extension of the third length of the spacer frame; the ledges of the third end portions of the second plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the second extension of the third length of the spacer frame; the ledges of the second end segments of the second plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the first extension of the fourth length of the spacer frame; and the ledges of the fourth end portions of the second plurality of elongated members contact an outer surface of the second extension of the fourth length of the spacer frame. 11. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 10, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth end portions of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members has a groove with opening of the grooves of the first and the second end portions of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members facing away from the outer surface of the first side of its respective elongated member and the opening of the grooves of the third and fourth end portions facing away from the outer surface of the second side of its respective elongated member; portions of the first extension of the first length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the first end portions of the first plurality of elongated members, portions of the second extension of the first length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the third end portions of the first plurality of elongated members, portions of the first extension of the second length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the second end portions of the first plurality of elongated members, and portions of the second extension of the second length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the fourth end portions of the first plurality of elongated members, and portions of the first extension of the third length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the first end portions of the second plurality of elongated members; portions of the second extension of the third length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the third end portions of the second plurality of elongated members, portions of the first extension of the fourth length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the second end portions of the second plurality of elongated members, and portions of the second extension of the fourth length of the spacer frame extend into the grooves of the fourth end portions of the second plurality of elongated members. 12. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 11 wherein the first extensions of the first length, the second length, the third length and the fourth length of the spacer frame have a first plurality of spaced set of notches and the second extensions of the first length, second length, third length and fourth length of the spacer frame have a second plurality of spaced set of notches, and each one of the first end portions, the second end portions, the third end portions and the fourth end portions of the first and second plurality of elongated members has a portion of the ledge bent over their respective groove defined as a bent portion, and selected ones of the bent portions of the first end portions of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members are in selected ones of first plurality of spaced set of notches in the first extension of the first length and of the third length of the spacer frame; selected ones of the bent portions of the second end portions of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members are in selected ones of the first plurality of spaced set of notches in the first extension of the second length and the fourth length of the spacer frame; selected ones of the bent portions of the third end portions of the first plurality and second plurality of elongated members are in selected ones of the spaced second set of notches in the second extension of the first length and the second length of the spacer frame, and selected ones of the bent portions of the fourth end portions of the first plurality and the second plurality of elongated members are in selected ones of the spaced second set of notches in the second extension of the second and fourth lengths of the spacer frame. 13. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 12 wherein the spacer frame has four sides, the first length of the spacer frame is at a first side of the spacer frame, the second length is at a second side of the spacer frame, the third length is at a third side of the spacer frame and the fourth length is at a fourth side of the spacer frame and the first plurality of elongated members extend from the first side of the spacer frame to the opposite second side of the spacer frame, and the second plurality of elongated members extend from the third side of the spacer frame to the opposite fourth side of the spacer frame. 14. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 13 wherein a first portion of the outer surface of the first side and a first portion of the outer surface of the second side of the first plurality of elongated members is between the extensions of the first side of the spacer frame and the inner surface of the base of the first side of the spacer frame; a second portion of the outer surface of the first side and a second portion of the outer surface of the second side of the first plurality of elongated members is between the extensions of the second side of the spacer frame and the inner surface of the base of the second side of the spacer frame; a first portion of the outer surface of the first side and a first portion of the outer surface of the second side of the second plurality of elongated members is between the extensions of the third side of the spacer frame and the inner surface of the base of the third side of the spacer frame; a first portion of the outer surface of the first side and a first portion of the outer surface of the second side of the second plurality of elongated members is between the extensions of the fourth side of the spacer frame and the inner surface of the base of the fourth side of the spacer frame.