Insulatable, insulative framework apparatus and methods of making and using same
View Patent ↗A building framework is disclosed herein comprising a first structural member, a second structural member, and a third structural member disposed between the first and second structural members, a first web member connecting the first and third structural members in a spaced apart relationship, and a second web member connecting the second and third structural members in a spaced apart relationship. The first web member is positioned relative to the second web member such that the shortest distance between the first web member and second web member is greater than or equal to 5 times the thickness of the third structural member. Additional products, systems, and methods also are disclosed.
1 . An insulative window sash comprising: an insulative window sash frame including at least a first sub-frame and a second sub-frame connected in a spaced apart relationship by a web, the web comprising at least two web members, the web members being longitudinally spaced and positioned along a perimeter of the insulative window sash, and insulating material placed between the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame in contact with the web members, the insulative window sash frame supporting at least two sheets of transparent material.
2 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein the window sash is included in an operable window.
3 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein each of the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame is a collection of at least two pairs of elongated sub-members including first, second, third, and fourth sub-members, wherein:
the first and third elongated sub-members are parallel,
the second and fourth elongated sub-members are parallel, and
each pair of sub-members is perpendicular to the other.
4 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame are positioned parallel to each other.
5 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame are connected by at least two diagonal web members.
6 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame are connected by at least two straight web members oriented perpendicular to the sub-frames.
7 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame are connected by at least two straight web members oriented parallel to the sub-frames.
8 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein the transparent material is placed between at least a portion of the first sub frame and at least a portion of the second sub-frame.
9 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein each adjacent pair of the at least two sheets of transparent material is connected by at least one web member.
10 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 comprising at least one additional web to form a plurality of webs and comprising at least one additional sub-frame between the first and second sub-frames to form a plurality of adjacent sub-frame pairs wherein each adjacent sub-frame pair is connected by one of the plurality of webs.
11 . The insulative window sash of claim 1 wherein each of the web members has a structural strength per unit area greater than or equal to about 10% of a minimum structural strength per unit area of the weakest of the sub-frames.
12 . The insulative window sash of claim 11 , wherein the structural strength comprises at least one of shear strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength.
13 . An insulative window sash, comprising: a frame, further comprising at least a first sub-frame and a second sub-frame connected by at least one web member, creating a metric path between the two sub-frames through the at least one web member, and at least two sheets of transparent material supported by the frame, the transparent material being placed between at least a portion of the first sub-frame and at least a portion of the second sub-frame, the insulative window sash having a length and a width, wherein a first extent, of the metric path, along a first direction parallel to one of the length and the width of the window sash is longer than a second extent, of the metric path, in a direction perpendicular to the first extent and parallel to the other of the length and the width of the window sash.
14 . The insulative window sash of claim 13 wherein the web further comprises at least one additional sub-frame between the first and second sub-frames to form a plurality of adjacent sub-frame pairs wherein each adjacent sub-frame pair is connected by at least one web member.
15 . The insulative window sash of claim 13 wherein the at least two sheets of transparent material are connected by at least one web member.
16 . The insulative window sash of claim 13 wherein each sub-frame is a collection of at least two pairs of elongated sub-members including first, second, third, and fourth sub-members, wherein:
the first and third elongated sub-members are parallel,
the second and fourth elongated sub-members are parallel, and
each pair of sub-members is perpendicular to the other and
any portion of the insulative window sash frame is integrally formed.
17 . The insulative window sash of claim 13 wherein the web has a structural strength per unit area greater than or equal to about 10% of a minimum structural strength per unit area of the weakest of the adjacent elongated sub-members.
18 . The insulative window sash of claim 17 wherein the structural strength comprises at least one of shear strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength.
19 . An insulative window sash comprising: an insulative window sash frame including at least a first sub-frame and a second sub-frame connected in a spaced apart relationship by a web, the web comprising at least two web members, the web members being longitudinally spaced and positioned along a perimeter of the insulative window sash, the insulative window sash frame supporting at least two sheets of transparent material, wherein the transparent material is placed between at least a portion of the first sub-frame and at least a portion of the second sub-frame-.
20 . The insulative window sash of claim 19 , wherein each adjacent pair of the at least two sheets of transparent material is connected by at least one web member.