NZ556329A

NZ556329A - Panel mount with spaced jaws for receiving panel and threaded fasteners to hold panel between jaws

Info

Publication number: NZ556329A
Application number: NZ556329A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Warwick James Allen
Original assignee: Glass Vice Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2007-07-03
Filing date: 2007-07-03
Publication date: 2008-10-31

Abstract

A mount for non-penetrative fastening of a panel (33), such as a glass pane in a barrier or partition, is disclosed. The mount includes clamp jaws (100, 101) that define an elongate slot that receives an edge of the panel, and a foot for fastening the jaws to a structure. At least one of the jaws holds spaced apart threaded fasteners, and there is a clamp member (60, 61) located between the fasteners and the panel when it is received in the slot. The mount further includes a base member (62) that is contiguous an edge of the panel when located in the slot, to operatively act as a partial extension of the panel. At least one of the threaded fasteners acts directly or indirectly on the base member. The fasteners are used in conjunction with the jaws to clamp and hold the panel in the slot.

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 556329 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 556329/565118 Date: 3 July 2007/15 January 2008 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PANEL MOUNT 3 1 JUL 2D» We, GLASS VICE HOLDINGS LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 65 Langana Avenue, Browns Bay, North Shore City, Auckland 0630, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 10 15 20 556329 -2- FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a panel mount for mounting a panel such as a glass pane. BACKGROUND Glass panes are used in buildings for many purposes. Glass panes can offer partitions within offices, showers, as a guard rail around an edge with a drop off, as fencing for a pool and the like. Such glass panes are normally of a reinforced glass that has substantial impact or break resistance. Post production workability of such glass can be difficult. Mounting of such glass panes can be cumbersome. The glass panes are heavy. They are inflexible. They can be difficult and time consuming to drill. Means for mounting glass panes are known. By way of example US6434905, US4837993 illustrate ways in which a glass pane may be mounted. However these means for mounting do not readily lend themselves to the mounting of glass panes that may not necessarily align with the slot that is provided for receiving the glass pane. Alignment of the slot with the glass pane and/or vice versa can be a time consuming exercise. Particularly where for example such glass panes are mounted from a fixed structure of a building to which the brackets themselves need to be secured. The brackets themselves, secured to a fixed structure may not present the slot in the desired orientation to receive and hold the glass pane in its desired position. W003/091516 illustrates a device for supporting a glass pane. Such a device may be used in combination with other like devices that are for example mounted in concrete or to concrete to support the glass pane along its edge. Where multiple devices are used, alignment of each device with the glass pane as well as with each other becomes important. Use of the invention of W003/091516 requires the glass to be drilled. This means that both slot alignment between multiple devices and spacing between devices is necessary to secure a glass pane. 556329 -3- Accordingly it is an object of present invention to provide an improved panel mount which better copes with some of the limitations of the prior art or to at least provide the public with a useful choice. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect the present invention consists in a panel mount for non penetrative fastening of a panel, said panel mount comprising: clamp jaws defining an elongate slot in which an edge of a panel can be received, a foot for mounting and fastening said clamp jaws to a structure, at least one of said clamp jaws holding at least two spaced apart threaded fasteners that can be actuated by a user, at least one clamp member located intermediate of said threaded fasteners and one side of said panel (when received in said slot), at least one base member of a configuration to be contiguous an edge of the panel when located in said slot, to operatively act as a partial extension of the panel and positioned such that at least one of said threaded fasteners can act thereon (directly or indirectly), the threaded fasteners, in cooperation with the clamp jaws, capable of operatively clamping said panel to hold it in said slot. Preferably the base member is of the same width (being in a direction in which the same as force of clamping acts) as the thickness of the panel. Preferably the foot and the clamp jaws are integrally formed. Preferably the foot is engaged to the clamping jaws. In a second aspect the present invention consists in a panel mount for non penetrative fastening of a panel, said panel mount comprising. a housing that includes a slot to receive the edge of a panel, the housing defining a cavity that include at least one opening on at least one side of the slot and at the base of the slot, a base member positioned in a location to act as an extension of and to be contiguous with the panel at an edge of the panel within said cavi 556329 -4- an elongate clamp member located in said cavity in a manner to allow it to move in a direction normal to the panel and, via said at least one opening, can effect a clamping force onto the panel in conjunction with resistance to movement of the panel offered by the housing from the other side of the slot, housing, a first fastener that acts to apply a force in a direction normal to the panel onto the elongate clamp member and a second fastener that acts to apply a force in a direction normal to the panel and onto the base member. Preferably there are two clamp members that each extend on a separate side of 10 the panel (when located in the slot) and that each extend on a separate side of the base member. Preferably there are two pairs of fasteners each having one fastener on each side of the panel and each fastener of a said pair located to act in opposite directions. 15 Preferably the panel is retained between the two clamp members upon a tightening of the fasteners. Preferably a first of the pair of fasteners is located to apply a force acting through the base member. Preferably a second of the pair of fasteners is located to apply a force acting 20 through the panel and adjacent the edge of the panel when located in the slot. Preferably a second of the pair of fasteners is located to apply a force onto said clamp members and acting through and normal to the panel and adjacent the edge of the panel when located in the slot. Preferably a third pair of fasteners is provided that is located to act on the 25 clamp members at a location proximate to the mouth of the slot. Preferably the cavity includes an opening at the base of the housing to allow the at least one clamp member and base member to be inserted in to the housing. Preferably said at least one opening of the cavity is an elongate slot. Preferably said at least one opening of the cavity is at least one hole. 5 the clamping force being effected by at least two fasteners carried by the 556329 - 5 - Preferably there is one of said at least one openings for each of the clamping members. Preferably the base member is substantially of the same thickness as the panel. Preferably a packer is located between each clamp member and the panel. 5 Preferably the packer is also located between each clamp member and the base member. Preferably the fasteners are threaded fasteners. Preferably the housing includes apertures to receive the fasteners the apertures including an opening to the cavity to allow the fasteners to act (directly or indirectly) 10 onto a respective the clamp member and said base member. Preferably the slot is a U-shaped slot. In a further aspect the present invention consists in a panel mount for non penetrative fastening of a panel, said panel mount comprising: a housing that includes a slot to receive the edge of a panel, the housing also 15 including at least one cavity defining an elongate opening to and on each side of the slot, for each side of the panel, an elongate clamp member located at least in part within said cavity in a manner to allow it to operatively move in a direction parallel to the normal to the panel to effect a clamping force in conjunction with resistance 20 to movement of the panel offered from the other side of the slot by the other elongate clamp member onto the panel a base member located between the two clamp members and adjacent an edge of the panel and of a configuration to allow the clamp members to also effect a clamping force onto the base member, 25 the clamping force being effected by at least two pairs of fasteners carried by the housing, each fastener of a pair to apply a clamping force in opposite directions, the first of a pair of fasteners acting to apply a clamping force passing through the base member and a second of a pair of fasteners to apply a clamping force passing through the panel adjacent an edge of the panel when located within the slot. 556329 -6- In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of mounting a panel (such as a glass pane) relative a fixed structure, comprising: securing, in a spaced apart configuration to a fixed structure, at least two panel mounts as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in a condition wherein their 5 slots are substantially in alignment, inserting a panel into the slot of each panel mount, holding the panel in the desired position, adjusting the threaded fasteners to clamp said panel in place in said desired position. 10 In a further aspect the present invention consists in a panel defined wall, partition or fence or panel including balustrade system wherein a panel is edge supported by at least one panel mount as herein before described. In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a panel mount as herein described with reference to any one of the drawings. 15 To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. 20 This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements and features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents 25 are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth. As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both. As used herein "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun. The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least 30 in part of'. When interpreting statements in this specification which include that 556329 -7- term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in the same manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 5 A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the figures in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the panel mount with the housing and the clamping members, Figure 2 shows a front view of the panel mount illustrating the movement of 10 the clamping members into the opening of the housing, Figure 3 illustrates the panel mount of the present invention, Figure 4 illustrates the clamping members and the base members, Figure 5 shows the front view of the panel mount together with the bracket, Figure 6 illustrates the bracket mounted on a fixed structure, 15 Figures 7a - d show other variations, Figure 8 is a front view of a pane supported by a plurality of panel mounts, and Figure 9 shows a variation of the foot shape of the mount. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 20 Figures 1 -4 show a panel mount of the present invention. The panel mount comprises a housing 50 which is or can be affixed to a fixed structure such as a deck or any other suitable structure. Whilst in this form the panel mount as herein described is designed for use with a glass pane, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that other 25 forms of building panels may be used in combination with panel mounts of the present invention. The present invention lends itself particularly suitable for use with a glass pane since the invention does not require for holes to be drilled through the glass pane for the purposes of mounting of the glass pane by the panel mount. The housing 50 is preferably of a unitary construction and includes a slot 71 30 between two clamp jaws 100 and 101, to receive a pane 33. When a pane 33 is 3 1 JUL 2008 556329 - 8 - 10 15 20 inserted into the slot 71, the edge of the pane may rest on the base of the slot 70. As shown in figure 1, the slot may not extend to the base end of the housing. The housing 50 includes a cavity 65 extending from the underside of the housing 50 to or towards the top of the housing 50. The cavity is of a shape to receive intermediate members 30. The housing is preferably made of stainless steel. Alternatively, other metals with similar mechanical properties may be used. The intermediate members preferably comprise two side clamp members 60, 61 and a base member 62 in between the side clamp members 60, 61. The height of the base member 62 may be smaller than the clamp members 60, 61. When inserted in the cavity 65 of the housing, it may be contiguous the underside of the base of the slot 70 of the housing. The thickness of the base member "X" is preferably equal to the thickness of the pane "T". This is to ensure that the side clamp members 60, 61 will provide an even distribution of clamping force on the pane 33 prior to being set. The side clamp members can move laterally relative the pane 33 within the cavity 65. The width "W" of the slot of the housing is preferably greater than the thickness "X" of the base member to accommodate panes of various thickness. The side clamp members 60, 61 are preferably equal in size and dimensions, although different dimensions may be used. The side clamp members 60, 61 should preferably fit the cavity 65 with a sufficient allowance that enables the side clamp members 60, 61 to move laterally in the direction towards and away from the pane Since the side clamping members are separate members, this allows panes of various nominal thickness (but limited by the width ££W" of the slot) to be accommodated by simply varying (for example by substitution) the thickness "X" of the base member without changing the dimensions of the side clamp members to, The side clamp members 60, 61, and base member 62 are instrumental in providing the clamping forces on the pane. 33. 61. 556329 -9- The two side clamp members 60, 61, and base member 62 ate preferably made of stainless steel. Alternatively, other types of metal for example aluminium or other materials providing a similar amount of strength may be used. They are substantially rigid. apertures is threaded to receive a threaded fastener. The apertures extend substantially through the side walls (e.g. the clamp jaws 100 and 101) of the housing to the cavity of the housing. In the most preferred embodiment, the housing includes three pairs of apertures, each pair of aperture on the opposite sides of the 10 housing. In the most preferred embodiment, one pair of apertures located to allow fasteners to act at the base member 62, one pair just above and acting on the side clamp members 60, 61, and preferably one pair at or towards the upper end of the housing also acting on the side clamp member 60, 61. Each pair of apertures are preferably aligned to evenly distribute the clamping force provided by the threaded 15 fasteners on the intermediate members. More than 3 pairs of apertures may be used to provide more rigidity. The threaded fasteners are actuated by a user for example using a tool such as a screwdriver or alien key and provide the clamping force required to clamp the panel. The threaded fasteners are preferably grub screws, but other fastening 20 devices may alternatively be employed. As shown in Figure 1, packers 30, are preferably interposed between the intermediate members 60, 61, 62 and the panel. The packers may be inserted between the opposite sides of the base member 62 adjacent to the side clamp members 60, 61. The packer 30 serves to adequately grip the panel 33 and provides 25 protection for the hard or abrasive side clamp members. Preferably, packers may be made of cork-rubber composite, neoprene, synthetic based rubber of polypropylene. They may be made of material which has a high coefficient of friction with the material of the panel to adequately grip the panel. They are preferably elastic to accommodate any warping and uneven surfaces of the panel. Alternatively, no 30 packer may be interposed. 5 The housing 50 includes apertures to receive threaded fasteners. Each of the 556329 -10- The mechanics of clamping of the panel will now be explained. As shown in Figure 1, the slot of the housing 50 receives the panel by passing the pane through the mouth of the slot 71 to eventually rest on the upper side of the base of the slot 70 of the housing (or on the base member 62). The side clamp members 60, 61, and 5 base member 62, preferably inserted into the cavity 65 from the underside of the housing can be manually put and/or kept in place. The side clamp members 60, 61 may abut against the top end of the cavity wall and the base member 62 may abut the underside of the base of the slot 70 of the housing. Clamping forces on the panel are generated by the tightening of the threaded 10 fasteners. The ends of the fasteners cause the side clamp members 60, 61 to move laterally (as shown in the direction of the arrow in Figure 11) in the direction of the panel thereby making direct or indirect contact with the panel. This is shown in Figure 1 where the threaded fasteners are screwed in the direction of the arrow shown. The clamp members 60, 61 also enable the panel to be easily aligned to a 15 desired position by adjusting of the threaded fasteners. Alternatively, the side clamp members 60, 61 can be moved comply with the position of the panel. Preferably, the width "W" of the slot of the housing 50 is greater than the thickness "X" of the base member 62 (which corresponds to the thickness of the panel). This can then allow for misalignment of the panel with the elongated 20 direction of the slot 70 of the housing to be accommodated. This also allows the panel to be adjusted or aligned to a desired position. It also allows panels of various nominal thickness to be used by simply changing the thickness of the base member 62. In a preferred form, the positioning of the apertures allows the lower two pairs 25 of threaded fasteners, when tightened, to provide most of the clamping forces on the panel. This allows the upper pair of threaded fasteners to be tightened less than the lower two pairs of threaded fasteners or alternatively to be sufficiently tightened without the use of a tool. Since the upper pair of threaded fasteners provides less clamping forces on the panel, the lateral stresses on the panel near the mouth of the 556329 -11 - slot of the housing are reduced. Also, the lateral stress on the housing at its upper region is reduced meaning that less deformation of the housing will occur. The panel mount may also be mounted on a bracket 80. This is shown in Figures 5 and 6. The housing 50 may be affixed to the bracket 80 by directly engaging the underside of the housing 50 with one end of bracket 80. Conventional means for affixing the housing 50 to the bracket 80 may be used such as for example a threaded fastener. The bracket 80 may be mounted on a fixed structure 7 5 for example a deck. The bracket 80 includes at least an opening 81 to receive at least one fastener 84 to enable the bracket 80 to be mounted to a fixed structure 75. Preferably, the opening 81 is an elongate slot to receive fasteners to secure the bracket to the structure in a direction perpendicular to the panel. Alternatively, the opening 81 may be at least one aperture to receive a fastener. Figures 7a — d show other variations. The bracket or foot 12 can mount the panel mount to a fixed structure 36. The clamp jaws are preferably directly engaged and supported by the foot 12. The panel mount may be made as a unitary member or alternatively may be fabricated from several members. Where it is fabricated, the jaws may for example be welded to the foot 12. The bracket or foot 12 includes means, for fastening the foot to a fixed structure of a building. The means in the preferred form are apertures through which a penetrative fastener can extend for securing the foot to the fixed structure. Such penetrative fasteners may be screws, dyna bolts, or other, selected for suitable use with the materials of the fixed structure to which the panel mount is to be mounted. Alternative means to fasten the foot 12 to the fixed structure may be provided. The foot 12 may include rods to be cast into a suitable material such as concrete or resin. The foot may be a stud or footing as shown in figure 9 to be set into concrete or resin. The fasteners may extend into the slot to operatively engage with a pane that is 556329 -12 intermediate member that engages directly against the pane. However it may be that the threaded fasteners may make direct contact with the pane, of each may have a shoe to contact the panel. In use, the panel mount is firstly mounted to a fixed structure in a position 5 that is, as best as possible, provided to present the slot in alignment with the desired position of the pane 33. A pane is then inserted into the slot and held in its desired position. A person can then actuate the threaded fasteners so as to clamp the pane 33 and hold it in the slot. 10 556329 -13- </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> CLAIMS:

1. A panel mount for non penetrative fastening of a panel, said panel mount comprising; clamp jaws defining an elongate slot in which an edge of a panel can be 5 received, a foot for mounting and fastening said clamp jaws to a structure, at least one of said clamp jaws holding at least two spaced apart threaded fasteners that can be actuated by a user, at least one clamp member located intermediate of said threaded fasteners and 10 one side of said panel (when received in said slot), at least one base member of a configuration to be contiguous an edge of the panel when located in said slot, to operatively act as a partial extension of the panel and positioned such that at least one of said threaded fasteners can act thereon (directly or indirectly), 15 the threaded fasteners, in cooperation with the clamp jaws, capable of operatively clamping said panel to hold it in said slot.

2. The panel mount of claim 1 wherein the base member is of the same width (being in a direction in which the same as force of clamping acts) as the thickness of the panel. 20

3. The panel mount of claim 1 or 2 wherein the foot and the clamp jaws are integrally formed.

4. The panel mount of claim 1 or 2 wherein the foot is engaged to the clamping jaws.

5. A panel mount for non penetrative fastening of a panel, said panel mount 25 comprising. a housing that includes a slot to receive the edge of a panel, the housing defining a cavity that include at least one opening on at least one side of the slot and at the base of the slot, a base member positioned in a location to act as an extension of and to be 30 contiguous with the panel at an edge of the panel within said cavity, # 3 I JUL 2008 556329 - 14- an elongate clamp member located in said cavity in a manner to allow it to move in a direction normal to the panel and, via said at least one opening, can effect a clamping force onto the panel in conjunction with resistance to movement of the panel offered by the housing from the other side of the slot, 5 the clamping force being effected by at least two fasteners carried by the housing, a first fastener that acts to apply a force in a direction normal to the panel onto the elongate clamp member and a second fastener that acts to apply a force in a direction normal to the panel and onto the base member.

6. The panel mount of claim 5 wherein there are two clamp members that each 10 extend on a separate side of the panel (when located in the slot) and that each extend on a separate side of the base member.

7. The panel mount of claim 5 or 6 wherein there are two pairs of fasteners each having one fastener on each side of the panel and each fastener of a said pair located to act in opposite directions. 15

8. The panel mount of claim 6 or 7 wherein the panel is retained between the two clamp members upon a tightening of the fasteners.

9. The panel mount of claim 7 or B wherein a first of the pair of fasteners is located to apply a force acting through the base member.

10. The panel mount of any of claims 7 to 9 wherein a second of the pair of 20 fasteners is located to apply a force acting through the panel and adjacent the edge of the panel when located in the slot.

11. The panel mount of any of claims 7 to 10 wherein a second of the pair of fasteners is located to apply a force onto said clamp members and acting through and normal to the panel and adjacent the edge of the panel when located in the slot. 25

12. The panel mount of any of claims 7 to 11 wherein a third pair of fasteners is provided that is located to act on the clamp members at a location proximate to the mouth of the slot.

13. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 12 wherein the cavity includes an opening at the base of the housing to allow the at least one clamp member and base 30 member to be inserted in to the housing. 556329 -15 10 15 20

14. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 13 wherein said at least one opening of the cavity is an elongate slot.

15. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 14 wherein said at least one opening of the cavity is at least one hole.

16. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 15 wherein there is one of said at least one openings for each of the clamping members.

17. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 16 wherein the base member is substantially of the same thickness as the panel.

18. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 17 wherein a packer is located between each clamp member and the panel.

19. The panel mount of claim 17 wherein the packer is also located between each clamp member and the base member.

20. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 19 wherein the fasteners are threaded fasteners.

21. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 20 wherein the housing includes apertures to receive the fasteners the apertures including an opening to the cavity to allow the fasteners to act (directly or indirectly) onto a respective the clamp member and said base member.

22. The panel mount of any of claims 5 to 21 wherein the slot is a U-shaped slot.

23. A panel mount for non penetrative fastening of a panel, said panel mount comprising: a housing that includes a slot to receive the edge of a panel, the housing also including at least one cavity defining an elongate opening to and on each side of the slot, for each side of the panel, an elongate clamp member located at least in part within said cavity in a manner to allow it to operatively move in a direction parallel to the normal to the panel to effect a clamping force in conjunction with resistance to movement of the panel offered from the other side of the slot by the other elongate clamp member onto the panel 556329 -16 - a base member located between the two clamp members and adjacent an edge of the panel and of a configuration to allow the clamp members to also effect a clamping force onto the base member, the clamping force being effected by at least two pairs of fasteners carried by 5 the housing, each fastener of a pair to apply a clamping force in opposite directions, the first of a pair of fasteners acting to apply a clamping force passing through the base member and a second of a pair of fasteners to apply a clamping force passing through the panel adjacent an edge of the panel when located within the slot.

24. A method of mounting a panel relative a fixed structure, comprising: 10 securing, in a spaced apart configuration to a fixed structure, at least two panel mounts as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in a condition wherein their slots are substantially in alignment, inserting a panel into the slot of each panel mount, holding the panel in the desired position, 15 adjusting the threaded fasteners to clamp said panel in place in said desired position.

25. A panel defined wall, partition or fence or panel including balustrade system wherein a panel is edge supported by at least one panel mount as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 23. 20

26. A panel mount as herein described with reference to any one of the drawings. DATED THIS 31 ^ DAY OF JU LN 200£ AJ Park PER AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT </div>