GB2365451A

GB2365451A - Bracket for attaching a sun shade to a building

Info

Publication number: GB2365451A
Application number: GB0018090A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew John Haughton
Original assignee: MERLIN SUNSCREENING SYSTEMS
Current assignee: MERLIN SUNSCREENING SYSTEMS
Priority date: 2000-07-25
Filing date: 2000-07-25
Publication date: 2002-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-25
Also published as: GB2365451B; GB0018090D0

Abstract

A bracket for attaching a sun shade to a building is formed with a number of hooks (25, 26), by which it can be connected to slots (27, fig 5) in a wall mullion (28). Additional attachment can be present in the form of through holes (35) and rebated portions (36, 37). The mullion (28) may have a nose portion (15, fig 3) in which a number of slots (27) may be formed to receive the hooks (25, 26) on the bracket.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> SUN SCREENING APPARATUS FOR BUILDINGS This invention relates to sun screening apparatus for buildings. In particular, it relates to a bracket for affixing sun screens to buildings and to a method of affixing sun screens to buildings.

There is often a requirement to provide screening for the occupants of buildings against sunlight. VVhilst this screening may be achieved by internal means such as curtains or blinds, these types of screens still allow sunlight and therefore heat to penetrate into a building. They screen the occupants from sunlight but the building can still be heated and this can be uncomfortable or require additional energy to be used for air conditioning or other cooling systems.

External sun screens or blinds are therefore often used and these may be specified when a building is constructed. As shown in Figure 1, external solar shading may be provided by a louvered structure I which extends generally horizontally out from a building and is secured by a bracket 2 to an external part of the building structure 3. A hanger rod system 4 is generally also used and each hanger rod 4 extends at an angle to the wall of the building and is secured to the louvered structure I and to an hanger rod fixing bracket 5. Each fixing bracket generally uses means such bolts or screws 6 attached directly to the wall or other surface of a building. Generally, the bracket 2 has a spigot panel 7 to which adjacent louvered structures such as I are bolted, one on either side by bolts 8.

Figure 2 shows a louvered panel in little more detail showing the structure of louvers and a bracket 2. The individual louvers 10 are shown. The panels are generally made from extruded aluminium sections are fitted to projecting spigot bracket such as 2 which in turn are fitted to curtain walling or fagade of a building.

The louvered panel may be installed directly to concrete, brickwork or steelwork or may be fixed to curtain walling mullion sections. A curtain mullion is shown schematically in Figure 3. This is an extruded section, typically of aluminium, and includes a rectangular section body portion I I which is affixed in a wall. A nose portion 12 extends from this and includes a longitudinal hollowed part 13 and two parallel protruding portions 14, 15 which are internally serrated 16. These are generally used to mount windows or other glass panes to a structure, the window being mounted generally perpendicular to the mullion, as shown by dashed lines 17 and then a capping piece is applied over the nosing section to hold each window pane in place. The serrations 16 enable screws or other threaded members to hold the clamping plate in place.

Other wall fittings or ftuniture, such as solar shading panels, may be attached to curtain walling mullion extrusions by using a bracket having a spigoted portion for attaching to the solar shading panel and a nose portion which fits inside the channel 17 defined by members 14 and 15, with threaded bolts or screws applied inwardly into the channel to mate with serrations 16.

However, such systems are difficult to accurately and repeatably position vertically and also are not especially strong since they rely on the strength of the connecting bolts or screws.

The present invention arose in attempt to provide an improved method of connecting solar shading panels to building fagades.

According to the present invention in a first aspect there is provided a bracket for attaching solar shading structures to building facades, the bracket comprising at least one hook portion for hooking into slots formed in a wall mullion.

According to the present invention in a second aspect there is provided apparatus for attaching solar shading structures to building facades, comprising a bracket as described above, and a curtain walling mullion extrusion adapted to receive the or each hook portion to support the bracket.

Preferably, each mullion has a nose portion, whereby one or more slots are formed in the nose portion to receive the or each hook of the bracket.

By providing a hook locking mechanism on a bracket for slotting into a slot formed at a predetermined place on curtain walling, the bracket can engage and lock into position. The hook arrangement prevents the bracket sliding down the curtain walling mullion under load and therefore provides a positive fixing method which firstly allows brackets to be

fitted accurately and quickly at a constant horizontal level along the fagade, and secondly considerably increases the load bearing capacity of the bracket as opposed to the use of threaded bolts or screws for example.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I shows schematically solar shading apparatus; Figure 2 shows solar shading apparatus; Figure 3 shows part of a curtain walling mullion extrusion; Figure 4 shows a bracket; Figure 5 shows a front view of a mullion extrusion adapted according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 shows a side view of a bracket located within a mullion; Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a bracket located within a mullion; Figure 8 is an exparatory view; and Figure 9 shows a solar shading panel mounted to the fagade of a building. Referring now to Figure 4a and b, in embodiments of the invention, a mounting bracket 20 for locating solar shading panels comprising a body part 21 and an integral outwardly projecting spigot part 22. The spigot is the part to which solar shading panels may be bolted or otherwise attached. Extending on the other side of the body part is a reduced section affixing or nose portion 23. Shoulders 24 are formed between the attaching portion and body part 21. In practice the bracket will be moulded or extruded or otherwise

formed as a single piece, generally of aluminium or other strong metal.

The attachment part is formed with at least one hook portion 25, and preferably two hooks 25 and 26. These are formed so as to locate in co-operating slots 27 milled in the nosing portion of a mullion 28 (shown in Figure 5). Although each bracket may only have one hook part, it is preferred for rigidity, strength and accuracy of positioning, to include two or more hooks. The hooks may be otherwise shaped than shown in Figure 4a (which is shown schematically only and does not include other features which would usually be present on a bracket, such as through holes and rebated portions for receiving bolts or screws for further security). The milled out slots 27 in the mullion are milled out of the connecting wall 28 (Figure 3) between the nosing portion and the central hollow elongate portion 13. The slots are of sufficient length and width that each hook portion 25, 26 can pass into each slot and then the bracket can be pushed downwardly, thus securing the hooked portion within the slot to engage and lock the bracket into position. This hook arrangement prevents the bracket sliding down the curtain walling mullion under load and provides a positive fixing method. The hooks can be accurately formed on the brackets and the slots can be accurately formed and positioned in the mullion. Thus, brackets can be fitted on site accurately and quickly and at an accurately determined height (eg a constant horizontal level).

Figure 6 shows a bracket 22 positioned and engaged within a mullion 28. Figure 7 is a cross sectional view through Figure 6. The views also include doubled-glazed window panels 31, 32 mounted conventionally to the mullion by a mullion capping piece (clamp)

33. As shown more clearly in Figure 7, the mullion capping piece includes a longitudinal slot 34 which allows the spigot of the bracket 22 to pass through. The hook portions 25, 26 of the bracket 22 are shown mounted through the slots (which are not clearly shown in the figures) of the mullion and the bracket has subsequently been pushed down so that the bracket is securely located and engaged within the mullion. The dashed parts of the figure are of course those parts of the bracket which are obscured by other features in the diagram of Figure 6.

Figure 6 also shows that the bracket is preferably provided with a plurality (in this case four) of through-holes 35 and, preferably, associated rebated portions 36, 37 on both sides of the through holes. These through-holes enable connecting bolts, screws, or other means to be attached through the bracket and into the nosing portion 40 of the mullion which may be desired for additional securing and engaging strength, or perhaps for regulatory purposes and so on.

Figure 8 shows in cross section one of the slots 27 milled in the nosing portion of the mullion for receiving a hook.

Solar shade apparatus, or support or struts therefore, can be connected by suitable means using through holes 38 on the spigot part of the bracket. One completed assembly is shown in Figure 9. A standard louvered solar shade panel 1 is attached to one side of a bracket 22 with suitable fittings, which may of stainless steel for example. Note that usually a fin-ther shade will be connected to the other side of the bracket. The panels are

bolted between protruding brackets with appropriate fixings. A hanger rod 4, which may be adjustable in length, is mounted between a distal end of the solar shading panel and to a ftuther bracket 22a mounted higher up the mullion 11. The figure shows that the second bracket 22a also has appropriate hook portions which fit into co-operating slots in the mullion (not clearly shown in the figure) and the hanger rod is connected at an appropriate pivot point 40 to the bracket.

Solar shading panels are sometimes known as brise soleil.

In addition to allowing accurate and consistent positioning, the hook portions also provide considerably enhanced load-bearing capacity, since the method of the bracket itself is supporting a load.

Claims

CLAEMS 1. A bracket for attaching solar shading structures to building facades, the bracket comprising at least one hook portion for hooking into slots formed in a wall mullion.
2. A bracket as claimed in Claim 1, formed as a single structure, the or each hook portion being an integral part.
3. A bracket as claimed in Claiml or Claim 2, including means for receiving additional attachment means.
4. A bracket as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said means comprise through-holes and rebated portions.
5. Apparatus for attaching solar shading structures to buildings, comprising a bracket as claimed in any of Claims I to 4, and a curtain walling mullion extrusion adapted to receive the or each hook portion to support the bracket.
6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein each mullion has a nose portion, whereby one or more slots are formed in the nose portion to receive the or each hook of the bracket.
7. A method of affixing solar shading apparatus to a building comprising forming one

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or more slots in a curtain walling mullion extrusion, providing a bracket having a hook portion, affixing the bracket to the mullion extrusion, at least partly by inserting the hook portion into the slot and supporting the bracket by the hook portion, and affixing a solar shading structure, or a support or hanger rod therefor, to the bracket.
8. A bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, any of Figures 4 to
9 of the accompanying drawings. 9. Apparatus for supporting a solar shade structure, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, any of Figures 4 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
10. A method for affixing solar shading apparatus to a building, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, any of Figures 4 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.