Credit to: SUPERWINDOWS
SUPERFRAME | Idea

SUPERFRAME © SUPERWINDOS

In order to achieve a significant improvement in the heat insulation of windows, the insulated glass units of our design should be fitted in window frames of generally similar thermal transmission parameters. As frames constitute one of the main routes of heat loss in insulated glazing due to the traditional window design, the problem of finding the right window frame still seems unresolved.

The unsatisfactory thermal insulation parameters of window frames are due, among other reasons, to heat leakage bridges, which, in turn, result from the thermally flawed design of door and window joinery and the incorrect fitting of window frames in reveals. Further progress in the technology of extremely heat insulated glass units would make no sense if the weakest link in the shell of a building (particularly a passive one) were not eliminated, and at the present stage of development of energy saving technologies, sash frames, window frames and insulated glass unit edges represent this weakest link.

The company proposes the dual-layer SUPERFrame as the perfect solution for extremely heat insulated glass units. It is distinguished from traditional frames by its structure, composed of two independent components/layers: the external layer encompassing the external window frame and the external sash, and the internal layer made up of the internal window frame and the internal part of the sash. These two layers are separated with thermal superinsulation (preferably a vacuum panel or a profile of air gel), which eliminates linear heat leakage bridges along the circumference of the entire window joinery. The window operates in two modes, i.e. it has a different thermal and mechanical structure when closed and when open. The sash frame is made up of two independent layers, and when the window is open, they are held together by metal connectors which ensure the mechanical integrity of the sash. However, when the frame is closed, the movement of the handle retracts these connectors and the two parts of the sash are not in mechanical or thermal contact.

In this new technology, the frames can be designed as turn sash casement, parallel opening, hung-sash, sliding sash, horizontal pivot sash casement, vertical pivot sash casement and fixed windows.

Hinges form another important element in a turn sash casement window built using our technology. They are slightly modified compared to traditional windows and constitute two coordinated, independent pairs. There is a pair of covered hinges with slide strips and an offset virtual axis of rotation, and a pair of traditional hinges with a physical axis of rotation. The covered hinge with sliding strips connects the external parts of the window frame and the sash, while the traditional hinge connects the internal window frame with the internal sash. As a result of using these two types of hinges, the rotation of both layers of the sash is fully coordinated in space, but there are no heat leakage bridges when the window is in its closed position.

The thermal parameters of our frame are determined by the quality of insulation, regardless of its mechanical properties. On the contrary, the mechanical properties of the frame, particularly in the open position, depend on the connectors, the hinges and all the hardware on the frame. The advantage of the frame “split” is that it can be made of almost any material, including materials rarely used to produce frames before, e.g. of steel. As heat leakage bridges have been eliminated and the entire thermal resistance is provided by the thermal insulation spacer, the material of which the frame is made has no significance for the thermal parameters of the window. Usually the above thermal insulation parameters are in conflict, so the design of the window has always represented a compromise between the thermal and the mechanical requirements.

As a result of the innovative solutions applied, the thermal transmission coefficient U_f of our frame is equal to approx. 0,3 W/m²K. If the insulated glass units proposed by us are used, it is possible to build a complete window with the U_w of just 0,2 W/m²K, a value never seen before.