Structural glass front for residential and office buildings

Abstract

 In the structural glass front disclosed, each one of the frames (5) surrounding the single lights (1) is provided at the side farthest from the building with a peripheral apron moulding (10), isolated from the internal window pane (3), which combines with the internal pane, the external pane (4), and an annular element filled with hygroscopic material, to create a channel (C) that is packed with a silicon sealant possessing waterproof and mechanical properties such as ensure a solid bond between the external pane (4) and the apron (10). With the internal and external panes (3, 4) thus assembled, the glass front affords genuine double-glazed insulation.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a structural glass front for residential and office buildings.

[0002] Modern construction techniques for low and high rise buildings, private dwellings and business or office premises alike, embrace the use of glass fronts that consist in a plurality of single panels, some light-admitting, others blank, arranged in chequerboard fashion and extending over the entire elevation of the building.

[0003] Each light comprises internal and external windows, the panes of which are carried in a relative frame or casement and made secure with suitable adhesive, generally a silicon sealant; the single frames or casements are fixed or hinged to a main framework anchored to the permanent structure of the building.

[0004] In order to obtain as efficient a heat and sound insulation barrier as possible in such a structure, the external window will be fitted generally with a monolithic and reflective pane of glass, whilst the internal window is usually double-glazed.

[0005] Condensation forming between the double-glazed inner panes and the outer pane has the effect of impairing visibility considerably, and must be prevented; this has been achieved conventionally by ventilation of the space between the internal and external panes, adopting a variety of expedients.

[0006] Embodiments of the type in question are complex, and more important, costly to produce.

[0007] Such drawbacks have been overcome in more recent embodiments by eliminating the internal window and replacing the external monolithic pane with double-glazing, the outer pane of which is secured in place with silicon.

[0008] Both the individual double-glazed lights and the structure as a whole are rendered less costly in this type of system. Nonetheless, dependability of the glass front can be guaranteed only in the short term, inasmuch as condensation is prevented from forming between the two panes of each double-glazed window light by a hygroscopic material located in the cavity, the effectiveness of which is lost over a given period (five to ten years, depending on the degree of exposure to the environment).

[0009] The result is that a glass front of this type can be guaranteed for no more than approximately ten years (unacceptable by any standards for residential and office premises), and involves high repair costs. Accordingly, the object of the invention disclosed is to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.

[0010] The stated object is realized with a glass front as characterized by the appended claims, in which the internal and external panes of glass are monolithic, and separated by an annular element containing hygroscopic material; the internal pane is smaller than the external, moreover, and fits flush against a glazing seal offered by the relative window frame, whilst the larger external pane is bonded to the border of a peripheral apron integral with the frame utilizing a tough, waterproof silicon sealant packed into a channel encompassed by the two panes, the annular element, the glazing seal and the apron.

[0011] A first advantage afforded by the invention consists essentially in the low construction costs of the glass front disclosed, as monolithic panes of glass are used throughout.

[0012] A further advantage of the invention is that of long term dependability, ensured by the use of waterproof silicon sealant, which ensures that the hygroscopic material located between the internal and external panes does not become exposed to ambient humidity.

[0013] Another advantage of the glass front disclosed is that of the strength ensured by the sealant itself, which possesses notable mechanical and waterproof properties, and is afforded contact with a large and unbroken expanse of the components to which it is applied.

[0014] The invention will now be described in detai l, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig 1 is a cross section through the upright members of two adjacent frames surrounding window lights in a glass front according to the invention;

fig 2 is a cross section through the top and bottom rails of the frame surrounding one window light in a glass front according to the invention.

[0015] The glass front as a whole consists in a series of single lights 1 and panels arranged in chequerboard fashion and covering the entire elevation of the building; panels not admitting light are filled with boards 50 and fronted by one external monolithic pane 51 only.

[0016] The single lights 1 thus constitute windows, which are supported by a skeleton framework 2 anchored to the permanent structure of the building.

[0017] Each light 1 comprises an internal window pane 3 and an external window pane 4, both of which attached to a common frame 5.

[0018] The single frames may either be fixed, or hinged to open and close, rotating about a horizontal axis. The skeleton framework 2 affords a given number of seats in which to lodge relative seals (denoted 19 throughout, as all are conventional) against which the window frames 5 of the single lights 1 are made to locate.

[0019] According to the invention, the frame 5 surrounding each light 1 affords a central seat 8, in which to lodge a relative glazing seal 9, and a peripheral apron 10.

[0020] Viewed in section, the apron 10 exhibits an initial arched stretch 11, and terminates in a flat stretch 12 that lies parallel with the plane occupied by the window frame 5 as a whole. The concave side of the arched stretch 11 is directed inward, facing toward the middle of the relative frame 5, and presents an unbroken concave surface 17 departing from the join of the frame 5 and the seal 9 and extending to the point where it merges with the flat stretch 12. 6 and 7 denote the moulded hollow section members, incorporating the seat 8 and apron 10, from which each window frame 5 is made up.

[0021] The first such moulding 6 is used for the uprights and the bottom rail of the frame 5, and will be seen to be fashioned with the lip 23 of the peripheral apron 10 bent back double toward the building; the lip 23 exhibits substantially a T profile the flat face of which is disposed parallel to the stretch 12 of the apron from which the T issues. The T-profile lip 23 locates against one of the seals 19 offered by the skeleton framework 2, in the case of the two uprights (see fig 1), and against a seal 19a offered by the frame 5 of the panel 1b next below in the case of the bottom rail (see fig 2, where 1b denotes a non-light-admitting panel, the seal 19a of which locates against the top edge of the single external monolithic pane of glass 51).

[0022] The side of the frame moulding 6 directed toward the building locates against a further seal 19 offered by the skeleton framework 2, in the case of the two uprights (see fig 1), and against a seal 19b offered by the frame of the panel 1b next below in the case of the bottom rail (see fig 2).

[0023] The apron 10 of the second frame moulding 7, which provides the top rail, extends beyond the point at which the projecting lip 23 would occur, to form an additional hollow section 20 having one longitudinal side in common with the essential frame moulding 7. The additional hollow section 20 affords seats in which to lodge two relative seals 21 and 22, both of which face away from the building and locate against the frame 5 and the external pane 51, respectively, of the panel 1a next above.

[0024] In the event that the single windows of the glass front are to open and shut, with the frame 5 of each light 1 rotatable about a horizontal axis 18, the additional hollow section 20 serves to accommodate the hinge components permitting such rotation.

[0025] The internal and external panes of glass 3 and 4 are monolithic; in a preferred embodim ent, moreover, the external pane 4 will be reflective, and thicker than the internal pane 3.

[0026] The periphery of the internal pane 3 will be seen to overlap the peripheral outline of the glazing seal 9 by a small margin.

[0027] The peripheral dimensions of the external pane 4, on the other hand, are somewhat greater than those of the internal pane 3, and substantially match the peripheral dimensions presented by the apron 10 that borders the frame 5 on all sides.

[0028] The frames 5 can be prepared either at the factory or on site. First, the four mouldings 6 and 7 are joined together and the glazing seals 9 fitted into their relative seats 8; the assembled frame 5 is then laid down flat with the seals 9 facing upwards, so that the internal pane 3 can be offered to them flush. The next step is to position a conventional annular element 14 filled with hygroscopic material 15 on top of the internal pane 3, whereupon the external pane 4 is added.

[0029] This accomplished, sealant 16 is injected from all sides between the two panes 3 and 4 so as to fill the space encompassed by the annular element 14, the glazing seal 9, the apron 10 and the periphery of the external pane 4, which is thus bonded firmly to the flat stretch 12 of the apron 10, and a genuine double glaze is duly achieved.

[0030] The sealant 16 utilized will be a silicon compound possessing the requisite waterproof and mechanical properties for building/glazing applications.

[0031] It will be clearly discernable from the drawings that the waterproof silicon sealant 16 occupies a channel C formed by the external pane 4, the annular element 14, the internal pane 3, the glazing seal 9 and the peripheral apron 10. Thus, the sealant 16 bridges the gap between the internal pane 3 and the external pane 4 and shields the annular element 14 completely from the surrounding external or internal environment.

Claims

1) Structural glass front for residential and office buildings, of the type consisting in a plurality of single lights (1) and panels (1a, 1b) supported by a skeleton framework (2) anchored to the permanent structure of the building,
characterized
-in that each single light (1) consists in a first, internal monolithic pane of glass (3) and a second, external monolithic pane of glass (4) greater in area than the first, which are isolated from one another, separated by an annular element (14) filled with hygroscopic material (15), and carried by a frame (5) associated with the skeleton framework (2)
-in that the frame (5) surrounding each light (1) exhibits a peripheral apron (10) issuing from the side farthest from the building and isolated from the internal pane (3), which combines with the annular element (14), the internal pane (3) and the external pane (4) to create a channel (C) for the accommodation of a silicon sealant (16) possessing waterproof and mechanical properties to a degree such as will create a firm bond between the apron (10) and the external pane (4); and
-in that, when assembled, the internal and external monolithic panes of glass (3, 4) constitute a double glazed window light.

2) Structural glass front as in claim 1, wherein the frame (5) surrounding each light (1) is provided on the side farthest from the building with a seat (8) in which to lodge a seal (9) offered flush to the internal surface of the first, internal pane (3).

3) Structural glass front as in claim 1, wherein the apron (10) of the frame (5) is substantially arched, comprising a concave stretch directed inward toward the middle of the light, and projects outward from the frame to terminate in a flat stretch (12).

4) Structural glass front as in claims 1 and 2, wherein the frame (5) surrounding each light (1) presents a surface, directed away from the building, that is unbroken from the point of its junction with the seal (9) through to the flat terminal stretch (12) of the peripheral apron (10).

5) Structural glass front as in claim 1, wherein the frame (5) surrounding each light (1) comprises:
-a first hollow section moulding (6) utilized for the uprights and the bottom rail and incorporating the seat (8) and the peripheral apron (10) at the side directed away from the building, in which the terminal lip (23) of the peripheral apron (10) is T-shaped, bent back double toward the building, and offers a flat face that is disposed parallel with the flat stretch (12) from which the lip issues and locates against seals (19) offered by the skeleton framework (2) and by the panel (1b) next below;
-a second hollow section moulding (7) utilized for the top rail, incorporating the seat (8) and the peripheral apron (10) at the side directed away from the building, in which the peripheral apron (10) extends beyond the point occupied by the terminal lip (23) in the first moulding (6) such that an additional hollow section (20) is created, affording two seats in which to lodge respective seals (21, 22) that locate against the light or panel (1a) next above.

Drawing