WO2009095945A1

WO2009095945A1 - Curtain wall

Info

Publication number: WO2009095945A1
Application number: PCT/IT2009/000023
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ugo Avvanzini
Original assignee: Erreti S.R.L.
Priority date: 2008-02-01
Filing date: 2009-01-28
Publication date: 2009-08-06
Also published as: EP2250337A1; ITRA20080006A1

Abstract

Curtain wall (1) suitable to delimit a lateral portion (L) of a building with a plurality of substantially rectangular panels (10); the curtain wall (1) being provided with a plurality of coupling units (20) stably connectable to the lateral portion (L) of the building to support each said panel (10); each coupling unit (20) comprising a plurality of bearing members (22), each of which presenting a first central support portion (26) shaped in a given manner, wherefrom extends at least one arm (260) designed to support at least one panel (10).

Description

CURTAIN WALL

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building. In particular, the present invention relates to a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building and provided with a plurality of panels carried by at least one upright. More in detail, the present invention relates to a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building and provided with a plurality of panels carried by at least one upright through at least one bearing member comprising at least one arm, each said arm being designed to support at least one said panel. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In the sector of curtain walls, and i.e. of structures comprising a metal frame solidly connectable to a lateral portion of a building and suitable to support a plurality of panels substantially positioned in a grid pattern through a plurality of bearing members of these panels, the load model having the most influence on the activity to design the structure comprises the actions exerted on the panels by gravity and by the action of the currents that impact the panels according to substantially orthogonal directions.

Each bearing member, normally called spider, is stressed by these actions at the respective support arms, each of which presents a fixing point for a panel. In particular, each spider presents a central body coupled to an upright through the interposition of a bearing member wherefrom extend peripherally up to 4 arms, to present 4 fixing points, although the number of arms can be fewer based on the number of panels that must be supported in a given area of the curtain wall. For example, in the corner area it could be sufficient to position only one arm, in the base and apical position only two arms and in the case of ducts three arms could be necessary for fixing points, each of which suitable to house a screw of a threaded connection normally indicated with the term "ball joint".

Among prior art known spiders, some manufactured in a single piece are known, such as the case of spiders of the series Air System produced in stainless steel by the Italian company Faraone, which present arms positioned in an X or which define an H together with an intermediate element which can be oriented vertically or horizontally.

Otherwise, other spiders are produced by assembling several elements manufactured in aluminium alloy, such as in the case of Polyedra Glass 130/180 by the Italian company Metra, in which a square central body of considerable thickness laterally presents vertical seats for fork elements connected to the central body through threaded connections; each fork element can comprise up to one pair of arms, each of which is provided with a seat for a ball joint for fixing a panel.

For various reasons curtain wall systems which are based on the bearing members/spiders mentioned above present characteristics that can cause drawbacks worthy of discussion. In the first place, both the spiders by Faraone and the spiders by Metra present three-dimensional structures that can be produced by forging or by stamping and subsequent assembly of constructional elements, and therefore through particularly costly production processes, as is well known to those skilled in the art. This contributes toward making curtain walls constructed with these spiders particularly costly besides being particularly characterized from an aesthetic point of view, and therefore reserved to a limited public whose orientation is consistent with specific stylistic dictates. Therefore, these spiders can only represent an important source of income for the respective manufacturing companies if the sales mark-up is considerable, a factor that also contributes toward further limiting expansion' of the potential market of this type of architectural construction.

With particular reference to the Polyedra Glass

130/180 spiders, these are manufactured in type UNI 6005 aluminium alloy. The need to couple the arms to the central body through threaded connections has led to the introduction of points in which rupture could occur, the probability of which is reduced by limiting the extension of the arms and maximising the dimensions of the central portion, to allow to provide reliable bearing members from the aspect of load capacity. However, besides complicating the respective production process, this has also penalised the aesthetic appearance of the product, with the result that the potential market is limited. Moreover, the construction material chosen, which requires to be subjected to surface treatments for chemical stabilisation, presents poor ability to be anodised using colours definable at will, and this contributes toward restricting the choices of the architectural planner that comprise these spiders, and therefore toward limiting the work of the designer of the building in which they are installed. In view of the above description, the problem of providing spiders with simple geometry, with one or more arms, which can be produced at a limited cost, which can be produced in a construction material that is easily machinable and has high load capacity, susceptible of being easily attuned with the architectural context is currently unsolved, and represents an interesting challenge for the applicant in order to facilitate the diffusion of curtain walls provided with a plurality of panels positioned substantially in a grid pattern for delimitation of lateral portions of buildings.

In view of the situation described above it would be desirable to have available a curtain wall which, in addition to enabling to limit and possibly overcome the typical drawbacks of the prior art illustrated above, could define a new standard for these types of architectural solutions and facilitate diffusion thereof, above all using bearing members which can be produced economically and which are particularly versatile from the point of view of aesthetic characterization.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building. In particular, the present invention relates to a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building and provided with a plurality of panels carried by at least one upright. More in detail, the present invention relates to a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building and provided with a plurality of panels carried by at least one upright through at least one bearing member comprising at least one arm, each said arm being designed to support at least one said panel.

The object of the present invention is to provide a curtain wall that allows the drawbacks described above to be solved, and which is suitable to satisfy a plurality of requirements that to date have still not been addressed, and therefore, suitable to represent a new and original source of economic interest, capable of modifying the current market of curtain walls. According to the present invention a curtain wall is provided, suitable to delimit a lateral portion of a building with panels, and whose main characteristics are described in at least one of the appended claims.

Moreover, the present invention relates to a bearing member usable in a curtain wall to support the panels of this curtain wall and which is shaped to withstand the forces acting thereon, to facilitate operations to adjust the relative positioning of these panels, to allow easy adaptation to the aesthetic reguirements of the designers and to be mass produced at minimum costs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing bearing members for curtain walls . According to the present invention, a method for producing bearing members for curtain walls is also provided, whose main characteristics are described in at least one of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Further characteristics and advantages of the curtain wall, of the bearing member and of the method for respective production according to the present invention will be more apparent from the description below, set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some non-limiting examples of embodiment, in which identical or corresponding parts of this device are identified by the same reference numbers. In particular:

- figure 1 is a schematic front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; - figure 2 shows a schematic front view, in enlarged scale and with parts removed for the sake of clarity, of a first detail of figure 1;

- figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of figure 2, with parts removed for the sake of clarity; - figure 4 is a side elevation view of figure 3, with sectional parts and parts removed for the sake of clarity;

- figure 5 is a bottom view in enlarged scale and with parts removed for the sake of clarity of figure 2;

- figure 6 is a front view of figure 5 in enlarged scale and with parts removed for the sake of clarity; and

- figures 7-9 are front views in reduced scale and with parts removed for the sake of clarity of figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION In figure 1, number 1 indicates, in its entirety, a curtain wall usable to delimit a lateral portion L of a building with a plurality of panels 10 delimited by a substantially rectangular edge. This curtain wall 1 is provided with a plurality of coupling units 20, each of which is coupled stably to the lateral portion L of the building to support each panel 10. It should be specified that the curtain walls must present the panels 10 positioned at a substantially constant vertical distance H, as can be seen in figure 2, which in practice normally assumes the value of 10 mm.

With particular reference to figures 2 and 3, the coupling members 20 comprise a plurality of bearing members 22, each of which presents a first central support portion 26 shaped in a given manner, wherefrom extends at least one arm 260, designed to support at least one panel 10. Each arm 260 is delimited by two first faces 264 substantially identical to each other and reciprocally connected by a first substantially band- shaped surface 266, in such a way that the two first faces 264 are separated from each other by a substantially constant length S.

As is apparent from figures 2, 7, 8 and 9, each bearing member 22 can present from one to four arms 260, based on the position in which it must be installed and in particular, on how many panels 10 it must carry. For example, each member 22 disposed in central position presents four arms, as is even more apparent from figure 3, and in this case can be properly called spider, as its geometrical shape at the front reproduces a cross. Furthermore, by extension, here and hereafter the term spider can be used to indicate indifferently a bearing member 22 that presents four or even a lesser number of arms 260. Therefore, based on the intended requirements, it is possible to produce bearing members 22 presenting a pair of adjacent arms 260, a pair of arms 260 that extend from opposite sides of the corresponding first central portion 26, three arms 260 distributed with an angular pitch of approximately 90° or, four arms 260 distributed with an angular pitch of approximately 90° to define a complete spider 22.

With reference to figures 3 and 5, it must be noted that each member 22 is delimited by two second faces 224 substantially identical to each other, which are connected by a second substantially band-shaped surface 226. The second faces 224 and the second surface 226 are visible only in figures 3, 5 and 6. In view of the above description, this second surface 226 comprises each first surface 266, so that the two second faces 224 comprise the first faces 264 which delimit at the front and at the rear the bearing members 22, and therefore also the two second faces 224 are mutually separated by the same length S as the first faces 264.

With particular reference to figure 6, each first surface 266 presents two segments 268 mutually parallel and inclined according to given angles with respect to the sides of the respective panels 10, so that each arm 260 presents a second substantially parallelepiped central portion 270, between the first central portion 26 and an end portion 272 of the corresponding arm 260. This end portion 272 presents a slot-shaped housing 273, suitable to house a threaded connection member 30, known with the term "ball joint", shown in figures 5 and 6. As it is well known, each ball joint 30 comprises a screw 32, nuts 34 and centring members 36 shaped to couple with a panel 10 in a manner substantially matching the arms 260. Each screw 32 presents a diameter M, which normally approximates a value of 14 mm.

Each second central portion 270 of each arm 260 presents a slit 276 of a given extension, delimited by flanks 278 parallel to the segments 268 of the corresponding first surface 266.

The parallel segments 268 of each first surface 266 are, in use, inclined with respect to the first central portion 26 by an angle approximating 45° or a multiple thereof with respect to adjacent sides of the corresponding panel 10, so that each arm 260 is substantially radial with respect to the corresponding first central portion 26 and each bearing member 22 presents its arms 260 mutually inclined by angles with an amplitude substantially identical or multiple of a right angle.

Naturally, the wall 1 comprises a plurality of uprights 40, each of which has the purpose of acting as connection member between the spiders 22 and the lateral portion L of the building. For the sake of simplicity, the appended tables show only one upright 40, of which a front portion can be seen in figure 2, an axial portion in figure 3, and the trace of the longitudinal front section in figure 4. Each coupling unit 20 comprises a support member 24 carried by a respective upright 40, which is stably connected to the lateral portion L of the building. Each support member 24 is suitable carry at least one bearing member 22 and presents a respective central body 242 shaped to retain in sandwich fashion the first central portion 26 of the corresponding bearing member 22 and to connect it stably to the upright 40. This central body 242 is provided with a saddle 243 positioned at the bottom for shape coupling with a seat 262 obtained at the bottom in the same bearing member 22 and presenting in negative a substantially parallelepiped shape, as illustrated in the patent application EP 06122685 by the applicant, which should be referred to for the sake of brevity and clarity. An adjusting screw 263 corresponds to each seat 262, coupled helically to the saddle 243 and whose free portion is suitable to act as support of a respective bearing member 22 through contact with a bottom 265 of the seat 262 that delimits it at the top in figure 2.

With particular reference to figures 2, 3 and 4, coupling between each support member 24 and the respective upright 40 takes place through a pair of screws 44 and 46 of different length, which pass through the central body 242 along the centre line until they engage a plate 42 housed inside a longitudinal recess carried frontally by the upright 40 in figure 3. It should be noted that the screw 44 presents a smaller longitudinal extension than the screw 46, to avoid engaging the corresponding bearing member 22 and thus cause interference with the body of the screw 263 that engages the saddle 243, and prevent stable connection between the support member 24 and the upright 40. The upper screw 46 passes through the bearing member 22 in a substantially U-shaped central recess.

Each central body 242 presents a given extension along the directions identified by the arms 260 of the corresponding bearing member 22 and presents a pair of interfaces 244 geometrically designed to couple at the front and at the rear with the bearing member 22 in a stable manner. Each interface 244 presents a given geometric element 246 which, in the case in question is an edge transverse to the corresponding face 224 of the corresponding bearing member 22, the radial distance of which from a centre C of the spider 22 is maximum. Experimental evaluations have shown that the area of maximum concentration of stresses given by the resultant of the pressure exerted by the wind on each arm 260 is located at the edge 246, and thus on a base 261 of each arm 260. Therefore, the radial distance of the innermost portion of each slit 276 from a centre of the spider 22 is greater than that of the edge 246, so as to be totally external with respect to the central body 242 of the corresponding bearing member 22 when, in use, said bearing member is stably coupled to the respective support member 24. It is thus possible to avoid overlapping of the lower portion of the slit 276 with a substantially radial portion of the corresponding support member 24, to avoid a local reduction of the part corresponding to the slit 276 of the transverse extension of the part of each arm 260 with the greatest load, and to avoid a decrease of the capacity of the base 261 of each arm 260 to withstand actions exerted by the wind, and acting transversely to the faces 264. It should be noted that this fact would cause an accentuated deformability of the arms 260 under the loads described, compromising the load capacity of the entire curtain wall 1. Therefore, to maximize the ability of the curtain wall 1 to withstand frontal actions each slit 276 extends to such a degree as to remain external to the base 261 of the corresponding arm 260.

With particular reference to figure 6, each housing 273 is delimited by a profile comprising two rectilinear segments 274 of a given extension mutually connected, and by two semi-cylindrical lateral segments 275 of given diameter, each of which approximates in excess a diameter of the screw 32, and in particular by a clearance whose value is indicated with the letter E. In view of the above description, it is practical to consider that each housing presents a centre that is indicated with the letter O.

Each bearing member 22 which is provided with at least two arms 260 presents the respective housings 273 with the respective centres O mutually separated by a first length Ll horizontally and/or by a second length L2 vertically. As is readily apparent, Ll is different to L2 and in particular L2 is smaller than Ll. In particular, the first length Ll presents a greater extension than the second length L2 and the value L1-L2 approximates half of the value E to facilitate installation operations and ensures, in use, compliance with a given vertical distance between panels . In practice, the horizontal centre line Ll has been defined in 210 mm, while the vertical centre line L2 has been defined in 207 mm. According to safety regulations, the holes obtained in the panels 10 must be at a given distance from the respective lateral edges, and this distance must be greater than or equal to 100 mm. Each panel 10 is supported by the ball joints 30 which are coupled to the housings 273 of the lower arms 260 of the spider 22. The ball joints 30 coupled to the upper arms 260 of the spider 22, where present, have the function of stabilizing the corresponding panels 10, but are left slack during the steps to install/adjust the height of each panel 10 with respect to the uprights carried by the lower arms 260.

For greater clarity, installation of the panels 10 always starts from a position in which the screw 32 of each ball joint 30 carried by a lower arm 260 is resting against the rectilinear segment 274 that delimits the bottom of the housing 273, while each ball joint 30 coupled to the upper arm/arms 260 is substantially concentric with the centre 0 of the respective housing 273. Therefore, this choice makes it possible to vertically adjust the position of the panels 10 by a value that approximates E/2 upward and downward. Adjustment is carried out on the spider 22 by acting on the corresponding screw 263 but only after having stably connected the bottom panels 10 to the lower arms. In view of the above description, it is possible to correct errors made drilling the holes in the panels 10 and comply with the restriction of the vertical distance D between mutually opposite horizontal edges of adjacent panels 10 by acting on the screws 263.

In view of the above description, it is clear that each bearing member 22, delimited externally by flat and mutually parallel faces 224 and by band-shaped surfaces 266/226 transverse to these faces 224, and presenting recesses corresponding to the slits 276 and housings 273, can be produced by stepped transverse cutting of a longitudinal bar that can be produced in a well-known manner, which presents in cross section the front template of the bearing member 22 visible in figure 2, and is therefore obtainable by projecting this template according to a direction orthogonal thereto. In this manner, the external shape and the cavities of the bearing member 22 will be produced through one machining operation, eliminating the need for machining operations for chip removal. Naturally, each bearing member 22 will be more able to withstand high stresses if obtained through cutting of an extruded bar made of metal. In the case in which this metal material comprises an aluminium alloy it will be more economical to produce each single bearing member 22. In the case in which it is desirable to combine mechanical strength and capacity to assume colours definable at will through anodizing treatments, then the choice of metal material should fall on type UNI 6063 or type UNI 25 6060 aluminium alloy.

Furthermore, taking into account that the shape given to the bearing members 22 also influences the resistance capacity, it must be specified that it would be advisable for each arm 260 to have an adequate thickness S, which should be between 15 and 50 mm. Following load tests it was possible to verify that the optimized thickness will be between 19 and 21 mm. Each arm 260 presents, at the respective base 261, a width that in use will be occupied by the edge 246 and, if measured at the trace of this edge 246, is between 30 and 50 mm. Furthermore, through refinement of the load tests, it was possible to verify that the best results are obtained when each arm 260 presents a width of the respective base approximating 40 mm. Moreover, each arm 260 will preferably present an extension between 70 and 100 mm measuring longitudinally starting from the respective base 261 and therefore, in use, from the trace of the edge 246. In particular, the best results in terms of the resistance of each arm 260 are obtained when this presents an extension between 89 and 93 mm starting from the trace which, in use, leaves the edge 246 on the respective arm 260.

Use of the curtain wall described above and of the respective bearing members/spiders 22 is described clearly above and requires no further explanations.

Nonetheless, it should be specified that each bearing member 22 can be produced through a method that comprises a first step of producing a longitudinal bar, preferably, but not limitedly made of metal material; each bar can selectively present a cross section delimited peripherally by the trace of the second surface 226 (any one of figures 2 and 7-9) and therefore provided with a central portion inscribable inside a rectangular polygon, wherefrom extends peripherally at least one arm provided with a cross section presenting an opening replicating the slits 276, and provided with a seat that replicates the housing 273 for a threaded connection obtained in a respective end portion that replicates a free end 272 of an arm 260. The method can be completed by a second step of stepped transverse cutting of the bar to produce each bearing member 22, and can selectively comprise a milling or broaching or electrical discharge machining operation to produce a seat for coupling with the interface of the corresponding bearing member; the seat reproducing in negative a parallelepiped.

As already specified, the best results to obtain the combination of high resistance to the acting loads with the geometry shown in figures 2 and 7-9 is obtained with UNI 6063 or UNI 6060 aluminium alloy bars, whose material is able to assume colours definable at will through anodising treatments, which can form the final step of the production method.

Lastly, it is apparent that modifications and variants can be made to the curtain wall 1 described and illustrated herein without however departing from the protective scope of the present invention.

In view of the above description, the problem of having available spiders with simple geometry, with one or more arms, which can be mass produced through technologies with minimum cost, in an easily machinable construction material with limited cost and with a high load capacity, susceptible to be easily attuned with the architectural context is easily solved using bearing members/spiders 22 as described above to construct curtain walls 1. Therefore, the shape of each single bearing member/spider 22 allows to benefit both from the low costs of the material, and from the low cost of the production technology on large productive volumes without forgoing high load capacities and very appreciable architectural results.

Naturally, the spiders of figures 7-9 can also be produced by chip removal starting from a spider shown in figure 2 and thus through a methodology that differs from the method described above due to the fact that the anodising step must comprise the steps of milling to remove the arms 260 which, in use, would have no panels 10 attached. In this case it should be noted, as shown in the examples represented in figures 7-9, that removal of the arms 260 according to horizontal and vertical directions in the various figures 2 and 7-9, produces lateral edges that are free of residual traces of the arms 260 removed, for example of the portions of the slots 276.

Claims

1. Curtain wall (1) suitable to delimit a lateral portion (L) of a building with a plurality of substantially rectangular panels (10); said curtain wall (1) being provided with a plurality of coupling means (20) stably connectable to said lateral portion (L) of said building to support each said panel (10); said coupling means (20) comprising a plurality of bearing members (22), each of which presenting a first central support portion (26) shaped in a given manner, wherefrom extends at least one arm (260) designed to support at least one said panel (10); characterised in that each said arm (260) is delimited by two first faces (264) substantially identical to each other and reciprocally connected by a first substantially band- shaped surface (266) , in such a way that said two faces (264) are separated from each other by a substantially constant length (S) .

2. A curtain wall according to claim 1, characterised in that each said bearing member (22) is delimited by two second faces (224) substantially identical to each other and reciprocally connected by a second substantially band- shaped surface (226) ; this said second surface (226) comprising each said first surface (266) , in such a way that said two second faces (224) are separated from each other by a substantially constant length (S) .

3. A curtain wall according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that each said first surface (266) presents two parallel segments (268) inclined according to given angles with respect to the sides of the respective said panels (10) so that each said arm (260) presents a second substantially parallelepiped central portion (270) .

4. A curtain wall according to claim 3, characterised in that each said central portion (270) of each said arm (260) presents a slit (276) of a given extension delimited by flanks (278) parallel to said segments (268) of the corresponding first surface (266) .

5. A curtain wall according to claim 4, characterised in that said parallel segments (268) of each said first surface (266) are, in use, inclined with respect to said first central portion (26) by an angle approximating 45° or a multiple thereof with respect to adjacent sides of the corresponding said panel (10), so that each said arm (260) is substantially radial with respect to the corresponding first central portion (26) and each bearing member (22) provided with multiple arms (260) presents its arms (260) mutually inclined by angles with an amplitude substantially identical or multiple of a right angle.

6. A curtain wall according to claim 5, characterised in that said coupling means (20) comprise a support member (24) for each bearing member (22) and suitable to connect this bearing member (22) stably to said lateral portion (L) of said building; each said support member (24) presenting a central body (242) of a given shape which presents a given extension along the directions identified by the arms (260) of the corresponding said bearing member (22) and at least one interface (244) geometrically designed to stably couple with said bearing member (22); each said slit (276) of each said arm (260) extending longitudinally in such a way as to be totally external with respect to said central body (242) of the corresponding support member (24) when, in use, said bearing member (22) is stably coupled to the respective said support member (24), in such a way as to maximize the capacity of each single said arm (260) to withstand actions acting transversely to said first faces (264) delimiting each said arm (260) , and thus to minimize the deformability under these loads.

7. A curtain wall according to claim 6, characterised in that each said arm (260) is delimited by an end portion (272) presenting a housing (273) for a threaded connection member (30) suitable to stably couple this arm (260) with the respective said panel (10).

8. A curtain wall according to claim 7, characterised in that the threaded connection member (30) comprises a screw

(32); each said housing (273) presenting a respective centre (O) and extending, in use, horizontally, and being delimited by a profile comprising two rectilinear upper segments (274) of a given extension mutually connected, and by two semi-cylindrical lateral segments (275) of given diameter; each said screw (32) being housed inside said housing with a given clearance (E) .

9. A curtain wall according to claim 8, characterised in that each said bearing member (22) provided with at least two arms (260) presents the respective housings (273) with the respective centres (0) mutually separated by a first length (Ll) horizontally and/or by a second length (L2) vertically to facilitate operations to install and adjust the distance between adjacent panels (10) and to ensure, in use, compliance with a given vertical distance between said panels (10) .

10. A curtain wall according to claim 9, characterised in that said first length (Ll) presents a greater extension than said second length (L2) and the difference between said first and said second lengths (Ll) (L2) approximates half of said value (E) to facilitate installation operations and ensure, in use, compliance with a given distance between said mutually vertically adjacent panels (10) .

11. A curtain wall according to claim 10, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents a thickness (S) between 15 and 50 mm.

12. A curtain wall according to claim 11, characterised in that that each said arm (260) presents a thickness (S) between 19 and 21 mm.

13. A curtain wall according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that each said first central portion (26) of said support member (24) is delimited peripherally by at least one given geometric element (246); each said arm (260) presenting a width between 30 and 50 mm at said given geometric element (246) transversely to a longitudinal direction of said arm (260).

14. A curtain wall according to claim 13, characterised in that each said given geometric element (246) comprises an edge (246) transverse to each said second face (224) of the corresponding said bearing member (22); each said arm (260) presenting a width approximating 40 mm measured transversely to a longitudinal direction of said arm (260) at said edge (246) .

15. A curtain wall according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents an extension between 70 and 100 mm measured longitudinally starting, in use, from said given geometric element (246) .

16. A curtain wall according to any one of claims 13-15, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents an extension between 89 and 93 mm measured longitudinally starting, in use, from said given geometric element (246) .

17. A curtain wall according to any one of claims 1-16, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents a single said arm (260) .

18. A curtain wall according to any one of claims 1-16, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents a pair of adjacent arms (260).

19. A curtain wall according to any one of claims 1-16, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents a pair of arms (260) that extend from opposite sides of the corresponding said first central portion (26) .

20. A curtain wall according to any one of claims 1-16, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents three arms (260) distributed with an angular pitch of approximately 90°.

21. A curtain wall according to any one of claims 1-16, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents four arms (260) distributed with an angular pitch of approximately 90° to define a spider (22).

22. A curtain wall according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that each said first central portion (26) of each bearing member (22) presents a seat (262) for coupling with said interface (244) of the corresponding said support member (24); said seat (262) reproducing in negative a parallelepiped shape.

23. A curtain wall according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that each said bearing member (22) can be produced by stepped transverse cutting of a longitudinal bar delimited externally by said second surface (226) provided with at least one cavity obtainable projecting transversely to said second faces (224) said slots and said housings (273) of each said arm (260).

24. A curtain wall according to claim 23, characterised in that each said bar can be produced in metal material.

25. A curtain wall according to claim 22, characterised in that said metal material comprises an aluminium alloy.

26. A curtain wall according to claim 25, characterised in that said aluminium alloy is of type UNI 6063 or type UNI 6060 to combine mechanical strength and capacity to assume colours definable at will through anodising treatments.

27. Method for the manufacture of bearing members (22) for a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion (L) of a building as described in the previous claims; characterized in that said method comprises a first step of producing a longitudinal bar presenting a cross section delimited peripherally by a band-shaped surface (226) and provided with a third central portion (26) wherefrom extends peripherally at least one arm (260) provided with a fourth transverse portion (270) presenting a slit (276) and in that each said arm (260) is provided with a housing (273) for a threaded connection obtained in a respective free end (272) ; a second step of stepped transverse cutting of said longitudinal bar to produce each said bearing member (22) .

28. Method according to claim 27, characterised by presenting a third step of removing material from each said bearing member (22) through a milling or broaching or electrical discharge machining operation to produce a seat for coupling with said interface (244) of the corresponding said bearing member (22); said seat (262) reproducing in negative a parallelepiped.

29. Method according to claim 28, characterised in that each said bar can be produced in metal material.

30. Method according to claim 29, characterised in that said metal material comprises an aluminium alloy.

31. Method according to claim 30, characterised in that said aluminium alloy is of type UNI 6063 or type UNI 6060 to combine mechanical strength and capacity to assume colours definable at will through anodising treatments.

32. Method according to claim 31, characterised by presenting a fourth step of subjecting at least one said bearing member (22) to an anodising treatment.

33. Bearing member (22) for a curtain wall suitable to delimit a lateral portion (L) of a building with a plurality of substantially rectangular panels (10); said curtain wall being provided with a plurality of coupling means (20) stably connectable to said lateral portion (L) of said building to support each said panel (10); each said bearing member (22) presenting a first central support portion (26) shaped in a given manner wherefrom extends at least one arm (260) designed to support at least one said panel (10); characterised in that each said arm (260) is delimited by two third faces (264) substantially identical to each other and reciprocally connected by a first substantially band-shaped surface (266) , in such a way that said two third faces (264) are separated from each other by a substantially constant length.

34. Member according to claim 33, characterised by being delimited by two fourth faces (224) substantially identical to each other and reciprocally connected by a second substantially band-shaped surface (266) ; said second surface (226) comprising each said first surface (266) , in such a way that said two fourth faces (224) are separated from each other by a substantially constant length.

35. Member according to any one of claims 33-34, characterised in that each said first surface (266) presents two parallel segments (268) inclined according to given angles with respect to the sides of the respective said panels (10) so that each said arm (260) presents a second substantially parallelepiped central portion (270).

36. Member according to claim 35, characterised in that each said second central portion (270) of each said arm

(260) presents a slit (276) of a given extension delimited by flanks (278) parallel to said segments (268) of the corresponding first surface (266) .

37. Member according to claim 36, characterised in that said parallel segments (268) of each said first surface

(266) are, in use, inclined with respect to said first central portion (26) by an angle approximating 45° or a multiple thereof with respect to adjacent sides of the corresponding said panel (10), so that each said arm (260) is substantially radial with respect to the corresponding first central portion (26) and each bearing member (22) provided with multiple arms (260) presents its arms (260) mutually inclined by angles with an amplitude substantially identical or multiple of a right angle.

38. Member according to claim 37, characterised in that said coupling means (20) comprise a support member (24) for each bearing member (22) and suitable to connect this bearing member (22) stably to said lateral portion (L) of said building; each said support member (24) presenting a central body (242) of a given shape which presents a given extension along the directions identified by the arms (260) of the corresponding said bearing member (22) and at least one interface (244) geometrically designed to stably couple with said bearing member (22); each said slit (276) of each said arm (260) extending longitudinally in such a way that said slit (276) is totally external with respect to said central body (242) of the corresponding support member (24) when, in use, said bearing member (22) is stably coupled to the respective said support member (24), in such a way as to maximize the capacity of each single said arm (260) to withstand actions acting transversely to said third faces

(264) delimiting each said arm (260), and thus to minimize the deformability under these loads.

39. Member according to claim 38, characterised in that each said arm (260) is delimited by an end portion (272) presenting a housing (273) for a screw connection member

(30) suitable to define a stable coupling of this arm (260) with the respective said panel (10).

40. Member according to claim 39, characterised in that each said housing (273) presents a respective centre and extends, in use, horizontally, and is delimited by a profile comprising two rectilinear upper segments of a given extension mutually connected, and by two semi- cylindrical lateral segments of a given diameter to house, with a given clearance (E) a screw (32) of said connection member (30) .

41. Member according to claim 40, characterised in that each said bearing member (22) provided with at least two arms (260) presents the respective housings (273) with the respective centres mutually separated by a first length (Ll) horizontally and/or by a second length (L2) vertically to facilitate operations to install and adjust the distance between adjacent panels (10) and to ensure, in use, compliance with a given vertical distance between said panels (10) .

42. Member according to claim 41, characterised in that said first length Ll presents a greater extension than said second length L2 and the value L1-L2 approximates half of said value E to facilitate installation operations and ensure, in use, compliance with a given vertical distance between said panels (10).

43. Member according to claim 42, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents a thickness between 15 and 50 mm.

44. Member according to claim 43, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents a thickness between 19 and 21 mm.

45. Member according to any one of claims 33-44, characterised in that each said first central portion (26) of said support member (24) is delimited peripherally by at least one given geometric element (246); each said arm (260) presenting a width between 30 and 50 mm at said given geometric element (246) transversely to a longitudinal direction of said arm (260) .

46. Member according to claim 45, characterised in that each said given geometric element (246) comprises an edge (246) transverse to each said fourth face (224) of the corresponding said bearing member (22); each said arm (260) presenting a width approximating 40 mm measured transversely to a longitudinal direction of said arm (260) at said edge (246) .

47. Member according to claim 45 o 46, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents an extension between 70 and 100 mm measured longitudinally starting, in use, from said given geometric element (246).

48. Member according to any one of claims 45-47, characterised in that each said arm (260) presents an extension between 89 and 93 mm measured longitudinally starting, in use, from said given geometric element (246) .

49. Member according to any one of claims 33-48, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents a single said arm (260) .

50. Member according to any one of claims 33-48, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents a pair of adjacent arms (260).

51. Member according to any one of claims 33-48, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents a pair of arms (260) that extend from opposite sides of the corresponding said first central portion (26) .

52. Member according to any one of claims 33-48, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents three arms (260) distributed with an angular pitch of approximately 90°.

53. Member according to any one of claims 33-48, characterised in that at least one said bearing member (22) presents four arms (260) distributed with an angular pitch of approximately 90° to define a spider.

54. Member according to any one of claims 33-53, characterised in that each said first central portion (26) of each bearing member (22) presents a seat for coupling with said interface (244) of the corresponding said support member (24); said seat reproducing in negative a parallelepiped.

55. Member according to any one of claims 33-54, characterised in that each said bearing member (22) can be produced by stepped transverse cutting of a longitudinal bar delimited externally by said second surface (226) and provided with at least one cavity obtainable projecting transversely to said fourth faces (224) said slots and said housings (273) of each said arm (260) .

56. Member according to claim 55, characterised in that each said bar can be produced in metal material.

57. Member according to claim 56, characterised in that said metal material comprises an aluminium alloy.

58. Member according to claim 57, characterised in that said aluminium alloy is of type UNI 6030 or type UNI 6060 to combine mechanical strength and capacity to assume colours definable at will through anodising treatments.