GB2153891A

GB2153891A - Glazing for a curtain wall

Info

Publication number: GB2153891A
Application number: GB08432244A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shinji Tanikawa; Koichiro Nawa
Original assignee: Yoshida Kogyo KK
Current assignee: YKK Corp
Priority date: 1983-12-28
Filing date: 1984-12-20
Publication date: 1985-08-29
Also published as: JPH024176Y2; SG18389G; GB8432244D0; JPS60108613U; GB2153891B; HK39789A

Abstract

A glazing arrangement for a curtain wall comprises two glass panels (48) fixedly secured to an outside surface of a member (278, 298) by means of adhesive layers (302) having a high modulus and a small expansibility/contractibility, another adhesive layer (310) having a low modulus and a large expansibility/contractibility is filled in the space between opposed end surfaces (308) of the two glass panels (48) to form an expansion joint, and a non-adhesive back-up member (312) is disposed in the space surrounded by the first-mentioned adhesive layers (302), the second-mentioned adhesive layer (310) and the outside surface of the shaped-section (298). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION The combination of a fixing structure between a shaped-section and glass panels This invention relates to the combination of a fixing structure between a shaped-section and two glass panels. A particular application of the invention is to the fixing of edge portions of adjoining two glass panels placed in a row in series to each other in the same plane to a metallic shaped-section forming a frame member of a curtain wall unit in a unit type curtain wall assembly or the like.

Heretofore, upon fixing edge portions of adjoining two glass panels placed in a raw in series to each other in the same plane, the edge portions of the glass panels have been fitted in recessed portions of a metallic shaped-section of aluminum alloy etc., or fixedly secured to the shaped-section by means of glass panel fasteners.

In the case of the above-mentioned fixing structure in the prior art, the appearance of the fixing structure is bad because the outside wall surface of the shaped-section and the glass panel fasteners are externally viewed. In addition, since the shaped-sections themselves will expand and contract due to thermal influence, in the case of jointing the edge portions of the adjoining glass panels placed in a raw in series to each other to the same shapedsection, it is necessary to allow the edge portions of the two glass panels to make relative displacement as a result of thermal expansion and contraction of the shaped-section. Also, unless the glass panels are rigidly secured to the shaped-section, they may possibly leave and fall due to vibration, wind pressure or the like, and it is dangerous.

Especially in the case of a curtain wall unit, since the glass panels form a part of an outside wall of a building, if the glass panels should leave and fall, it would be very dangerous.

It is believed possible by means of the invention to provide a fixing structure between a shaped section and glass panels, which structure can rigidly secure edge portions of two glass panels in a butting relationship to each other to a shaped-section.

A further believed possibility of the invention is to provide a fixing structure between a shaped-section and glass panels, which structure affords excellent appearance.

A further believed possibility of the invention is to provide a fixing structure between a shaped-section and glass panels, which structure allows edge portions of two glass panels to make relative displacement as a result of thermal expansion and contraction of the shaped-section.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided the combination of a fixing structure between a shaped section and two glass panels, the fixing structure comprising first adhesive layers having a high modulus and a small expansibility/contractibility fixedly securing inside surfaces of edge portions of the two glass panels to an outside surface of the shaped-section, a second adhesive layer having a low modulus and a large expansibility/contractibility which is filled in the space between opposed end surfaces of said two glass panels, and a non-adhesive back-up member disposed in the space surrounded by said first adhesive layers, said second adhesive layer and the surface of said shapedsection.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a fixing structure between a shaped-section and glass panels, which structure comprises first adhesive layers having a high modulus and a small expansibility/contractibility for fixedly securing inside surfaces of edge portions of two glass panels to an outside surface of a shaped-section, a second adhesive layer having a low modulus and a large expansibility/contractibility which is filled in the space between opposed end surfaces of said two glass panels, and a nonadhesive back-up member disposed in the space surrounded by said first adhesive layers, said second adhesive layer and the outside surface of said shaped-section.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a unit type curtain wall to which the present invention is applicable, Figure 2 is a schematic longitudinal crosssection view of the unit type curtain wall shown in Fig. 1, Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical partly broken cross-section view taken along line Ill-Ill in Fig. 1 and showing one of the spandrel units and its joints with the overlying and underlying window units; and Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal partly broken cross-section view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1 and showing one of the spandrel units and its joints with the neighbouring spandrel units, they are shown together with the upper mounting means for mounting them to the floor structure of the building.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 which schematically illustrate a unit type curtain wall assembly 20, each of curtain wall units to be mounted for every floor is divided into a window unit W and a spandrel unit S, and the window unit W consists of a fixed sash window Wl and a sliding out window W2.

In the above-referred window unit W, an upper horizontal frame 24 of a metallic extruded-section of alminum, aluminum alloy, etc., a lower horizontal frame 26 and left and right vertical frames 28, 28 are assembled into a rectangular shape, between the left and right vertical frames 28, 28 is mounted an intermediate horizontal frame 30, an upper intermediate vertical frame 32 is mounted between the upper horizontal frame 24 and the intermediate horizontal frame 30, and a lower intermediate vertical frame 36 is mounted between the intermediate horizontal frame 30 and the lower horizontal frame 26.

In the above-referred spandrel unit S, an upper horizontal frame 40, a lower horizontal frame 42 and left and right vertical frames 44, 44 are assembled into a rectangular shape, between the upper horizontal frame 40 and the lower horizontal frame 42 is mounted an intermediate vertical frame 46, and a glass panel 48 and a refractory board 50 are mounted respectively on the outdoor side and on the indoor side of the upper horizontal frame 40, the lower horizontal frame 42 and the left and right vertical frames 44, 44.

Each of the left and right vertical frames 44, 44 is connected via a first metallic member 52 to an upper portion of a slab 22 which forms a building body, and is also connected via second metallic members 54 and an auxiliary member 56 to a lower portion of the slab 22. The upper horizontal frame 40 of the spandrel unit S and the lower horizontal frame 26 of the window unit W are connected with each other by means of third metallic members 58, likewise the lower horizontal frame 42 of the spandrel unit S and the upper horizontal frame 24 of the window unit W are connected with each other by means of fourth metallic members 60, and thereby a window unit W for each floor is fixed between a spandrel unit S for the next upper floor and a spandrel unit S for that floor.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 which illustrate the spandrel unit S in an enlarged scale, the above-described upper horizontal frame 40 is formed in a hollow tubular shape consisting of an indoor side wall 234, an outdoor side wall 236, an upper horizontal wall 238 and a lower horizontal wall 240. In the indoor side wall 234 of the upper horizontal frame 40 is formed a channel-shaped groove 252 opening towards the indoor side, the upper horizontal wall 238 has a step-like cross-section provided with a corner 246 and has an upwardly opening channel-spaped groove 242 formed therein, the lower horizontal wall 240 has a downwardly opening recess 248 formed therein, and in the above-described upwardly opening channel-spaped groove 242 is mounted an upper horizontal seal member 244.

The above-described lower horizontal frame 42 is formed in a hollow tubular shape consisting of an indoor side wall 254, an outdoor side wall 256, an upper horizontal wall 258 and a lower horizontal wall 260. At the top of the indoor side wall 254 is formed a channelshaped groove 264 opening towards the indoor side, at the bottom of the outdoor side wall 256 is integrally and continuously formed a hanging piece 268, the upper horizontal wall 258 has an upwardly opening recess 266 formed therein, on the indoor side of the lower horizontal wall 260 is formed a downwardly opening channel-shaped groove 270, a lower horizontal seal member 272 is mounted in this downwardly opening channelshaped groove 270, and at an outdoor side portion of the lower horizontal wall 260 is mounted an oudoor side seal member 274 which has a tongue shape bent outwardly at an obtuse angle.

The above-described vertical frame 44 comprises a vertical wall 280, and an indoor side wall 276 and an outdoor side wall 278 which are both bent in a hook shape. The indoor side wall 276 has a channel-shaped groove 282 opening towards the indoor side formed therein, a vertical packing 284 is mounted on the outdoor side wall 278, the vertical wall 280 has an outwardly opening channelshaped groove 288 formed therein, and a vertical seal member 290 is mounted in the channel-shaped groove 288.

The above-described intermediate vertical frame 46 comprises an indoor side wall 292, an intermediate wall 296 and an outdoor side hollow frame portion 294, and a pair of vertical packings 300, 300 are mounted on an outdoor side wall 298 of the outdoor side hollow frame portion 294.

The upper and lower edge portions of the glass panels 48, 48 on the left and right sides, respectively, are fitted in the downwardly opening recess 248 of the upper horizontal frame 40 and in the upwardly opening recess 266 of the lower horizontal frame 42, and the inside surfaces of the left and right edge portions of each glass panel 48 butt against the vertical packings 284 and 300.

The portions of the inside surface of the glass panel 48 which extend beyond the vertical packing 284 or 300 are fixedly secured to the outdoor side wall 278 of the vertical frame 44 and the outdoor side wall 298 of the intermediate vertical frame 46, respectively, with adhesive layers 302 having a high modulus and a small expansibility/contractibility made of, for example, structural silicone sealant or the like. Outside end surfaces 304, 304 of a pair of left and right glass panels 48, 48 are flush with outside surfaces 286 of the vertical frame 44, while the opposed end surfaces 308, 308 of the pair of left and right glass panels 48, 48 are flush with the outside surfaces of the above-described adhesive layers 302 with a gap space retained there between, and in this gap space is filled an adhesive layer 310 having a low modulus and a large expansibility/contractibility to connect the opposed end surfaces 308, 308 of the left and right glass panels 48, 48 with each other.

A non-adhesive back-up member 312 which would not adhere to the adhesive layers 302, 302 and 310 is disposed in the space surrounded by the adhesive layer 310, the outside surfaces of the adhesive layers 302, 302 and the outdoor side wall 298 of the intermediate vertical frame 46 so that the adhesive layer 310 may not adhere to the left and right adhesive layer 302, 302 and also filling of the adhesive layer 310 may be facilitated.

In this way, the inside surfaces of the edge portions of the left and right glass panels 48, 48 are fixedly secured to the outdoor side wall 298 of the intermediate vertical frame 46 by the intermediary of the left and right adhesive layers 302, 302 having a high modulus and a small expansibility/contractibility, and therefore, the left and right glass panels 48, 48 can be rigidly fixed in a butting relationship to each other to the intermediate vertical frame 46, so that even if vibration and wind pressure should act upon the glass panels 48, 48, they would not leave and fall, and thus safety can be secured.

In addition, since the outdoor side wall 298 of the intermediate vertical frame 46 is covered by the opposed edge portions of the left and right glass panels 48, 48, it cannot be viewed externally, and hence the appearance of the unit type curtain wall assembly is excellent.

Moreover, since the opposed end surfaces 308, 308 of the left and right glass panels 48, 48 are fixedly secured to each other by means of the adhesive layer 310 having a low modulus and a large expansibility/contractibility and a non-adhesive back-up member 312 is disposed between the outside surfaces of the left and right adhesive layers 302, 302, it would never occur that the adhesive layers 302, 302 adhere to the adhesive layer 310, the left and right adhesive layers 302, 302 would not adhesively connect with eacbh other, the edge portions of the left and right glass panels 48, 48 are allowed to make relative displacement due to thermal expansion and contraction of the shaped-sections, and also the filling operation for the adhesive layer 310 is facilitated.

Claims

1. The combination of a fixing structure between a shaped section and two glass panels, the fixing structure comprising first adhesive layers having a high modulus and a small expansibility/contractibility fixedly securing inside surfaces of edge portions of the two glass panels to an outside surface of the shaped-portion, a second adhesive layer having a low modulus and a large expansibility/ contractibility which is filled in the space between opposed end surfaces of said two glass panels, and a non-adhesive back-up member disposed in the space surrounded by said first adhesive layers, and second adhesive layer and the outside surface of said shapedsection.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein respective outside surfaces of said first adhesive layers are flush with respective end surfaces of the pair of glass panels.

3. The combination of a fixing structure between a shaped-section and two glass panels substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.