Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONNECTING STRUCTURE FOR FRAMABLE SECTIONS IN
PREFABRICATED UNIT TYPE CURTAIN WALL ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention:
This invention relates to a prefabricated unit type
curtain wall assembly, and more particularly to a connecting
structure for framable sections having heat transfer medium
circulation passages for providing the curtain wall assembly
with a built-in room temperature control system or air con-
ditioning system.
2. Brief description of the drawings:
Prior art and the present invention will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings.
Fig.l is a fragmentary sectional view of the prior
art connecting structure for framable sections in a prefabri-
cated unit type curtain wall assembly;
Fig.2 is a fragmentary schematic perspective view
showing a corner of a prefabricated unit type curtain wall
assembly accordinq to the present invention;
¦ Fig.3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view
taken along line III-III in Fig.2;
Fig.4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken
along line IV-IV in Fig.3;
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Fig.5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the embodiment
shown in Fig.3 showing the horizontal sec-ion of the connecting
part of the heat transfer medium communication passage;
Fig.6 is an exploded perspective view of the connec-
tion of a pair of opposed framable sections;
Fig.7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another
embodiment of the connecting portion of the heat transfer
medium communication passage; and
Fig.8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the
external appearance of the embodiment shown in Fig.7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The connecting structure for framable sections in a
prefabricated unit type curtain wall assembly ~hereinafter
called merely as a curtain wall assembly) according to the
present invention will now be described in detail hereinbelow
with reference to Figs. 2 to 8~
Fig.2 is a schematic perspective view showing a
corner of a curtain wall assembly~ A panel unit _l on one
side is connected with a panel unit A2 on the other side at
right angles to each other by means of a corner unit B.
The above-mentioned corner unit B comprises left
and right frame sections 8 and 9 formed by connecting corner
mullion 1 and left and right mullions 2 and 3 through upper
In a prefabricated unit type curtain wall assembly
wherein a plurality of framable sections constituting the
framework for the curtain wall assembly are formed with heat
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transfer medium circulation passages through which hot water,
cold water or air i5 allowed to circulate to regulate the
temperature of a room, it is also necessary to interconnect
such heat transfer medium circulation passages when the framable
sections are interconnected, and the framable sections are of
a special construction.
In British Patent Application Provisional Publication
No. 2,023,277, for example, there is d sclosed the following
connecting structure for sections.
13 Stating in brief, a connecting means as shown in
Fig. 1 is well known, in which end face b' of a first section
b having a heat transfer medium circulation passage a is
allowed to abut against one side wall d' of a second section
d having a heat transfer medium circulation passage c, said
one side wall d' of the second section d having an opening e
formed therein which opens into the heat transfer medium
circulation passage a of the first section b; a connecting
member h having a passage f and a threaded hole g formed
therein is fitted in between the heat transfer medium circu-
lation passage a of the first section b and the opening e;
and a bolt i is threadably engaged throu~h the other side wall
d" of the second section d" into a threaded hole ~ so as to
interconnect the first and second sections b and d and also
interconnect the heat trans~er medium circulation passages a
and c.
This connecting means is, however, disadvantageous
in that it is sometimes impossible to accurately connect the
first and second sections b and d due to working or machining
errors of the sections b, d, the connecting member h and the
opening e, resulting in leakage of the heat transfer medium
from the connection of the heat transfer medium circulation
passa~es a and c, and therefore, machining and conn~cting
of the component parts are troublesome and time-consuming.
Moreover, the framable sections expand and contract
by heat because hot water/cold water flow through the heat
transfer medium circulation passages. However, since the
lC first and second framable sections are connected directly so
as not to allow them to make a relative displacement, the
thermal expansion and contraction of the sections tend to
cause bending of them and fracture of the connections thereof
which result in leakage of the heat transfer medium.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the
above-mentioned circumstances, and has for its aim to provide
a connecting structure for sections wherein a pair of framable
sections having heat transfer medium circulation passages
formed therein can be interconnected without causing any
leakage of heat transfer medium through the connections of
said passages even in cases where they have machining errors.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide
a connecting structure for sections wherein a pair of framable
sections having heat transfer medium circulation passages
formed therein can be interconnected without causing any
leakage of heat transfer medium even when they expand and
contract thermally.
A further aim of the present invention is to provide
a connecting structure for sec~ions wherein a pair of framable
sections of a simple construction having heat transfer medium
circulation passages can be connected readily.
To achieve the above-mentioned aims, according to
a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
connecting structure for framable sections in a prefabricated
unit type curtain wall assembly, characterized by that it
, comprises a pair of framable sections each having a heat
transfer medium circulation passage And their respective
opposed ends being cut at a predetermined angl~ so as to be
interconnected, the ends of respective heat transfer medium
circulation passages of the pair of framable sections being
cut so as to lie short of the opposed end faces of said
framable sections; a pair of connector members adapted to be
connected to the opan ends of said heat transfer medium
circulation passages, respectively; and a member having a heat
transfer medium communication passage formed therein adapted
to connect said pair of connector members.
According to a further aspect of the present inven-
tion, there is provided a connecting structure for framable
sections in a prefabricated unit type curtain wall assembly,
characterized by that said pair of connecting members are
pipe joints adapted to be threadably engaged with the open
ends of said heat transfer medium circulation passages.
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According to ~ still further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a connectin~ structure for
framable sections, characterized by that the member having
said heat transfer medium communicating passage formed therein
is made of a flexible material and is connected and fixedly
secured to the pipe joint by means of a nut threadably engaged
with the pipe joint.
According to another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a connecting structure for framable sections,
characterized by that said connector members each comprises
a pipe joint whose base end is adapted to be threadably
engaged with the open end of the heat transfer medium circula-
tion passage and which has a stepped portion formed in the
outer peripheral surface of the leading end thereof and has
also a circumferentially extending groove formed in the peri-
pheral surface of thè approximately intermediate portion
thereof in the longitudinal direction; a flexible pipe having
a large diameter stepped bore formed in the leading end thereof
and in which said stepped portion of the pipe joint is fitted;
and a connector piece whose one end is fitted to the shoulder
of the portion of said flexible pipe having large diameter
stepped bore formed therein so as to be turnable Ereely and
whose the other end is engaged with the groove of said pipe
joint.
The above and many other advantages, features and
additional objects of the present invention will become
apparent to those versed in the art upon making reference to
the following detailed description and accompanying drawings
¦ in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the
¦ principles of the present invention are shown by way of
¦ illustrative example.
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The connecting structure for framable sections in a
prefabricated unit ~ype curtain wall assembly (hereinafter
called merely as a curtain wall assembly) according to the
present in~ention will now be described in de~ail hereinbelow
with reference to Figs. 2 to ~.
Fig.2 is a schematic perspective view showing a
corner of a curtain wall assembly. A panel unit Al on one
side is connected with a panel unit ~2 on the other side at
right angles to each other by means of a corner unit ~.
The above-mentioned corner unit ~ comprises left
and right frame sections B and 9 formed by connecting corner
mullion ~ left and right mullions 2 and 3 through upper
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horizontal frame members 4l 5 and lower horizontal frame
members 6, 7. Further, left and right transoms 10 and 11 are
connected to the corner mullion 1 and the left and right
mullions 10 and 11 thereby forming first left and right frame
sections 81 and 91 and second le~t and right frame sections
82 and 92. Fitted into the first left and right ~rame
sections 81 and 91 are window portions formed by double
glazing panels 12, whilst fitted into the second left and
right frame sections 82 and 92 are a heat insulating material-
fill-in panel 13 and a glazing panel.
The corner part will be described in more detail
with reference to Fig.3. The corner mullion 1 comprises a
member 20 located on the side of the room and a member 21
located outside the member 20 connected by means of heat
insulating connectors 22. The member 20 located on the side
of the room comprises a hollow frame portion 23 located on
the side of the room and a hollow frame portion 24 located
outside the frame portion 23. The hollow frame portion 23 is
of an approximately rectangular, hollow frame configuration
formed by left and right inside walls 23a and 23b crossing
at right angles, and left and right outside walls 23c and 23d
which cross at right angles. The hollow frame portion 24
located outside the hollow frame portion 23 has left and
right outer side walls 24a and 24b to which the left and right
side walls 21a and 21b of the member 21 are connected,
respectively, through the hea-t insulating connectors 22.
Reference numeral 25 denotes a batten, 26 a vertically
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extending cover, and 27 a transversely extending cover.
Each of th~ mullions 2 and 3 comprises a main body
30 and a batten 31 interconnected by means of a bolt 33 through
a heat insulating connector 32. The main body 30 is formed,
on the side of the room, with a heat transfer medium flow
passage 34 and a transverse recess 35, and has also a hollow
intermediate portion forming an air flow passage 36 as well
as a first transverse recess or groove 37 formed in the outside
thereof. The above-mentioned batten 31 has a second transverse
recess or groove 372 formed therein. Mullions 2' and 3' of
panel units Al and A2 are of the same shape as those of the
mullions 2 and 3. The mullion 2 is connected to the mullion
2' of the panel unit Al by means o packing bands 38 and 39
located inside and outside relative to the room, whilst the
mullion 3 is connected to the mullion 3' of the panel unit A2
~y means of the inner and outer packing bands 38 and 39.
Further, the outer packing hand 39 comprises first
and second outer packing bands 391 and 392 abutted each other.
As shown in Fig.4, the aforementioned transoms 10
and 11 are identical in configuration wherein a framable
section 40 is connected by means of a bolt 43 through a heat
insulating connector 42 to a batten 41. Each of the framable
sections 40 is a long member having a hollow space 40' defined
by an upper wall 40a, a lower wall 40b, an inside wall 40c
and an outside wall 40d. Fixedly secured to the lower part
of the framable section 40 is an upwardly open U-shaped frame
member 44. The inside wall 40c has a heat transfer medium
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circulation passage 45 formed therein. Reference numeral 46
denotes a cover, and 47 a member for regulating the amount
of air to be blown offO
As shown in Fig.5, the opposite end faces C and D
of formable section members 40, 40 of the transoms 10 and ll
are cut at an angle of 45 deyrees, and the end faces E and F
directed towards outside walls 40d are cut at right angles
to each other. Each of the inside walls 40c is cut off by
a predetermined length, and the end faces G and H adapted to
abut against each inside wall 40c are located inside the
aforementioned opposite end faces C and D, respectively.
Thus, the formable sections 40 and 40 of the left
and right transoms lO and ll can be connected as mentioned
hereinbelow.
Stating in brief, the end faces E and F formed to
cross at right angles are brought into contact with the left
and right inside walls 23a and 23b, respectively, of the
corner mullion 1 and then fastened thereto by means of screws
48. Then, the opposite end faces C and D cut at an angle of
45 are spaced apart with a predetermined clearance there-
between in which a caulking member 49 is fitted. An L-shaped
outer connector member 50 is fixedly secured at both ends
thereof to the inner surfaces of the outside walls 40d, 40d
and the lower walls 40b, 40b. Whilst, L-shaped brackets 52,
52 are fixedly secured by means of screws to mounting portions
50a, 50a, respectively, of an outer connector member 50. A
connection plate 53 extends between the brackets 52, 52 and
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is fixedly secured thereto. Further, a connection plate 54
extends along the inner connector member 51 and is fixedly
secured thereto.
A connector member 60 is threadahly engaged with
and fixedly secured to one end of each of the members having
heat transfer medium circulation passages 45 formed therein.
A member made of a flexible r.late.rial such as rubber or a
flexible synthetic resin which se~ves as a heat transfer mediurn
communication passage 70 is connected between the connector
members 60, 60 of the left and right transoms 10 and 11 so
as to allow the heat transfer medium circulation passages 45,
45 of the left and right sections 40, 40 to communicate with
each other.
Stating in more detail, as shown in Fig.5, threaded
end portions 61a of pipe joints 61 are threadably engaged
with the respective ends of the heat trans~er mediurn circula-
tion passages 45, 45 so that the respective flanges 61b of
the pipe joints 61 may be thrusted against end faces G and H,
respectively through "O" rings. A union nut 63 is thr~adably
engaged with the other threaded end 61c of each of the pipe
joints 61, while each end of the rubber hose 70 which serves
as heat transfer mediurn communication passage is thrusted
against and fixedly secured to the other engaging end portion
61d of each of the pipe joints 61.
Thus, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the pair of framable
sections 40, 40 each having the heat transfer medium circula-
tion passage 45 can be connected to the left and right inside
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walls 23a and 23b of the corner mullion 1 by means of the
inner and outer connector members 51 and 52 etc.
Further, since the inside walls 40c which form the
heat transfer medium circulation passages 45 are cut so as
to allow the end faces G and H lie short of -the end faces C
and D, respectively, of the framable sections 40, 40, a space
required for connecting the pipe joints 61, 61 and the rubber
hose 70 can be secured, and aLso the opposed heat transfer
medium circulation passages 45, 45 can be connected by means
of the pair of pipe joints 61, 61 and the rubber hose 70.
Therefore, even if the framable sections 40 have
working errors, they can be compensated or absorbed by the
elastic deformation of the rubber hose 70 thereby preventing
the possible leakage of the heat transfer medium from the
connection between the opposed heat transfer medium circulation
passages 45, 45.
Further, the elastic deformation of the rubber hose
70 accommodates or absorbs the possible expansion and con-
traction of the framable sections 40, 40 thereby preventing
the leakage of the heat transfer medium through the connection.
Moreover, since the pair of framable sections 40, 40
are connected by the inside and outside connector members 51
and 50 etc., and the opposed heat transfer medium circulation
passages 45, 45 are connected by the pair of pipe joints 61,
61 and the rubber hose 70, the construction of the connecting
part can be simplified, and also connecting operation can be
made readily and simply.
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Fuxther, since the rubber hose 70 can be deformed
elastically in accordance with the angle of connection between
the pair of framably sections 40, 40, the latter can be con-
nected at any desired angle.
S In the aforementioned embodiment, there is described
the connection of the framable sections forming the transoms,
the present invention is not to be limited to it, but is also
applicable to connections of all framable sections having
heat transfer medium circulation passages which form a curtain
wall assembly.
Further, a variant of connector member ~0 and heat
transfer medium communication passage 70 as shown in Figs. 7
and 8 can also be used wherein the pipe joint 61 has a stepped
portion 64 formed at the other end thereof; the flange 61b
has an engaging groove 65 formed therein; the flexible pipe
70 has a large stepped bore 71 ~ormed at the end thereof and
in which the stepped portion 64 is fitted; a pair of connector
pieces 72 made of spring plate are attached to the shoulder -
on the large diameter portion of the pipe 70 so as to be
turned freely and an engaging portion 72a of the pin 70 is
detachably engaged with the groove 65~
It is to be understood tha-t the foregoing description
is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the
invention, and that the invention is no-t to be limited thereto,
but is to be determined by the scope of the appended claims.
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