Low cost storm window

Claim 2

A storm window adapted for mounting in the window frame of a house interiorly of the existing window closure, comprising: a general planar marginal framework of sealed flexible tubing having a planform corresponding in size and shape to the size and shape of the window frame and provided with at least one inflation port to supply air under pressure to its interior to yieldingly enlarge its periphery and cause it to grip opposing areas of the window frame and retain it in predetermined position; and closure means of thin flexible material extending across the framework at each side thereof and connected to it to form a hollow panel having a thickness substantially corresponding to the diameter of the tubing with substantially planar faces, and cooperating with the framework to define and enclose at least one substantially sealed dead air space to serve as insulation between the inner and outer walls of the panel; the closure means being substantially transparent to facilitate vision and light transmission through the panel.

Claim 3

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which the closure means is in the form of a bag dimensioned to snugly receive the framework and having a length sufficiently greater than the corresponding length of the framework to provide excess material for closing the open end of the bag.

Claim 4

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which the closure means is in the form of individual sheets bonded to the tubing at opposite sides of the framework around the periphery to seal the dead air space between the sheets and the framework.

Claim 5

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which an inflation port is provided in the closure means to supply air under pressure to the interior of the panel.

Claim 6

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which the framework is elongate with straight sides and rounded ends; and corner filler blocks are provided to be mounted in the corners of a rectangular window frame to cause its periphery to correspond to the planform of the framework.

Claim 7

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which a plurality of extensible rods are provided to engage opposite parallel sides of a window frame and overlie portions of the panel to assist in retaining the panel in mounted position.

Claim 8

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which the framework is generally rectangular in planform and its length is considerably greater than its width; and at least one inflatable mullion extends across the width of an intermediate portion of the framework and pressurally contacts the two side marginal elements of the framework to reinforce them against buckling.

Claim 9

A window as claimed in claim 1; in which the framework is generally rectangular in planform and comprises a plurality of elongate tubing components constituting the margins of the rectangle; extraneous securing means is provided to retain them in assembled relation with their confronting ends in adjacency; and each tubing component is provided with an inflation port.

Claim 10

A window as claimed in claim 8; in which the securing means comprises gussets of thin flexible material extending across the ends of adjacent tubing components and bonded to each component.

Claim 11

A window as claimed in claim 8; in which the securing means comprises a sleeve of thin flexible material having a length substantially equal to the combined lengths of all of the components and of substantially the same diameter; and all of the components are inserted within the sleeve in end to end relation.

Claim 12

A window as claimed in claim 8; in which the securing means comprises a plurality of short sleeves of thin flexible material of substantially the same diameter as the tubing components; and each pair of adjacent component ends are inserted within one of the sleeves substantially in contact with one another.

Claim 13

An interior storm window construction comprising: a generally rectangular window frame in a house wall extending between the inner and outer margins of the wall; a window closure extending across the window frame in a general plane located between the inner and outer margins; and a hollow structure including a plurality of components of thin flexible material connected together to form a generally planar panel of substantial thickness presenting inner and outer walls which define and enclose a substantially sealed dead air space between them to serve as insulation between the inner and outer panel walls; the structure including a marginal framework of substantially transparent sealed thin flexible tubing corresponding in size and shape to the size and shape of the window frame interiorly of the window closure and a layer of substantially transparent thin flexible material overlying the framework at each side to define the composite hollow panel; the tubing being provided with an inflation port to supply air under pressure to its interior to yieldingly enlarge the periphery of the framework and cause it to frictionally grip opposing areas of the window frame and retain the structure in predetermined position; the panel being mounted in the window frame in such position that its outer confronting face is spaced from at least the major portion of the area of the window closure by a substantial distance to produce a second dead air insulating space between them.

Claim 14

An interior storm window construction comprising: a generally rectangular window frame in a house wall extending between the inner and outer margins of the wall; a window closure extending across the window frame in a general plane located between the inner and outer margins; and a hollow structure including a plurality of components of thin flexible material connected together to form a generally planar panel of substantial thickness presenting inner and outer walls which define and enclose a substantially sealed dead air space between them to serve as insulation between the inner and outer panel walls; the structure including a marginal framework of substantially transparent sealed thin flexible tubing corresponding in size and shape to the size and shape of the window frame interiorly of the window closure and a layer of substantially transparent thin flexible material overlying the framework at each side to define the composite hollow panel; the tubing being provided with an inflation port to supply air under pressure to its interior to yieldingly enlarge the periphery of the framework and cause it to frictionally grip opposing areas of the window frame and retain the structure in predetermined position; the panel being mounted in the window frame in such position that its outer confronting face is spaced from at least the major portion of the area of the window closure by a substantial distance to produce a second dead air insulating space between them.