Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02332785 2000-11-20
WO 00/60206 1 PCT/EP00/03000
Title: Fitting For Holding Safety Glass Panes
Description
This invention relates to a brace to hold safety glass panels as described in
the
introduction to Claim 1. The safety glass panels thereby consist of at least
two glass
plates that are positively and non-positively connected to each other by a
separating
or connecting film. The brace is provided on one hand with a mounting device
that
can be attached to a building and on the other hand with a device that runs
through
the glass panel with flanges that simultaneously hold the glass plates.
DE 195 19 527 A1 describes a device in which a beam provided with the building-
side mounting is supported on a building-side clamp element. The support is
thereby
provided by means of a bearing head of the beam that is mounted so that it
yields
elastically in the axial direction of the beam, whereby the bearing head is
also
mounted with lateral play or clearance in a bearing compartment. Consequently,
when wind pressure is applied, it becomes possible for the beam and/or the
bearing
head to move parallel to the plane of the glass panel. The elastic flexibility
of the
bearing head is thereby created by spring washers or by a permanently elastic
material. This permanently elastic material or the spring washers apply a
continuous
restoring force to the beam or to the glass panel in the sense of
repositioning the
beam. Ultimately, this system results in the introduction of stresses in the
glass
panel, whereby greater tolerances between the borings in the glass pane and
the
connection point to the building-side mounting cannot be compensated.
DE 44 00 979 A1 also describes a device in which the mounting bearing on the
inside of the building has a spherical surface on the external surface that
faces the
mounting, and against which a compensating part with a complementary spherical
cap surface is in contract. The clamping element thereby has a boring that
runs all
the way through to hold a clamp screw that connects the claming elements and a
retaining screw that penetrates a shim part and the compensator part, and is
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inserted into the clamping element. With this device, of course, manufacturing
tolerances between the boring in the glass pane and a substructure can be
compensated, but an elastic support of the glass panes on the mounting is no
longer
possible after the glass panels have been installed.
A similar device is described in DE 44 45 724 A1, in which a clamping element
on
the inside of the building has a spherical surface on its external surface
facing the
mounting, against which spherical surface a pivot bearing of a fastening part
of a
complementary surface is in contact. The pivot bearing is held with lateral
play in a
union nut or swivel nut. Here again, after installation, no relative movement
of the
glass panel with respect to the fastening part is possible.
In the fastening of glass panels, in particular safety glass panels, one
mistake that is
made repeatedly is that the glass panels are given no ability to successfully
neutralize, after installation, the forces acting on them, such as thermal
stresses,
wind pressure etc. Of course, glass has a certain elasticity, but the limits
of this
elasticity are soon reached on account of the nature of the material glass. To
fasten
glass panels as disclosed by the prior art, above a certain degree of loading
the
inevitable result is destruction of the glass panels. This destruction results
from the
fact that there is a certain rigidity that does not allow any freedom of
adjustment. The
elasticity of a glass panel simultaneously means that there is a
neutralization of
forces. Consequently, it must be stated that freedom is the ability to adapt
or adjust.
This statement is particularly true for safety glass panels that are installed
in areas in
which there is no safety element, for example, when the glass is used in
overhead
glazing applications. In these areas, of course, compound glass panels (VSG)
are
used, which have separating or connecting films between the individual plates
of
glass. Such compound glass panels are manufactured by first providing the
individual plates of glass with the necessary borings and then, in a single
manufacturing process, introducing the separating or connecting film. In this
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case, there are unavoidable manufacturing tolerances that are also of the type
that
cause the normally overlapping holes of two neighboring plates of glass to be
misaligned.
DE 39 18 158 C1 discloses a fire-protection glass unit which has a metal frame
with
an encircling mounting groove, in which, with the interposition of a
o~mpensating
adapter, a glass panel is fastened. The compensating adapter has two glued-on
expanded metal strips, the edges of which are in the mounting groove, whereby
a
strip-shaped non-metallic spacer is located between the edges. The
compensating
adapter ensures that in the event of a fire, a destructive temperature
gradient will not
occur between the large surface of the glass panel and the edge of the glass
panel,
and also prevents any mechanical stresses caused by differential thermal
expansion
in the metal frame and in the glass panel from having negative effects.
The object of the invention is to fasten safety glass panels so that on one
hand, no
stresses occur in the glass panels during installation, and on the other hand
so that,
after installation, the safety glass panels retain a certain freedom of
movement to
adapt to their fastening point, and can also be used, for example, in overhead
glazing applications without the need for additional safety-relevant devices.
The invention teaches that this object can be accomplished as described in the
characterizing portion of Claim 1. Additional characteristics of the invention
are
disclosed in the dependent claims. The invention teaches that to secure the
glass
panels, an invisible protection against faling is provided and is accomplished
by the
separating or connecting film in connection with the punctiform braces used.
Simultaneously, there is a permanently elastic medium between the brace and
the
glass plates to guarantee stress-free installation and subsequent mobility,
and thus
the elasticity of the glass panels being held.
Because the separating or connecting film is used as a load-bearing element,
there
is simultaneously an invisible protection of the safety glass panels against
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destruction and thus falling out. For this purpose, the punctiform braces are
designed so that in their center clamping area they firmly clamp the
separating or
connecting film, and simultaneously, as a result of the use of the permanently
elastic
medium, do not reduce the freedom of movement of the safety glass panel.
For this purpose, on the highly-sensitive glass sheets in the vicinity of the
borings, a
reinforced separating or connecting film is used. For example, the film can
also
contain a network of appropriate materials, such as Keflar or carbon fibers,
for
example, which also spread out in a sunburst pattern around a punctiform
brace. To
be able to clamp the separating or connecting film, rather large borings must
be
introduced inside the safety glass panels. As noted above, these borings are
introduced before the process of connecting the individual glass sheets by
means of
the separating or connecting film. Thus the separating or connecting film must
project into the area of the boring. This can be accomplished on one hand by
using a
continuous film, in which case a small-diameter boring can be punched out
later after
the glass sheets have been connected to each other. It is also possible to
punch
borings in the films before the process of connecting the glass sheets to each
other.
The above-mentioned materials can also be used to provide reinforcement in the
vicinity of the clamping. It is also possible, in the vicinity of the punched-
out portions
of the separating and connecting film, to introduced flat lugs, for example,
that are
connected positively and non-positively with the connecting film. This measure
improves the transmission of forces between the film and the brace.
Therefore on one hand, the film can be clamped directly by the brace, and on
the
other hand, the lug that has been introduced is clamped by the brace.
The braces are preferably realized in the form of punctiform braces, so that
they
consist at least of two simple rotating parts that can be screwed into each
other. The
two rotating parts, after they have been screwed into each other, have a
clamping
area that is formed by clamp surfaces that are flat. Between these clamping
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surfaces, the projecting separating or connecting film or lug is then
connected
positively and non-positively with the brace.
This system can also be used, for example, on multiple-plate or laminated
safety
glass panels. In such a case, for example on a safety glass panel that
consists of
three plates, spacer rings are used for the center sheet, whereby the height
of these
spacer rings is equal to the thickness of the middle glass plate. In this
case, two films
project into the area of the boring, which on one hand are kept apart by the
spacer
ring and on the other hand, as a result of the screwing together of the two
brace
parts, positively and non-positively clamp the spacer ring on one hand and the
separating and connecting film on the other hand.
The above mentioned lugs can also be used on multiple-plate safety glass
panels,
These lugs would then simultaneously surround the spacer ring.
The two brace parts which are screwed into each other each have flanges which
extend beyond the edge of the boring inside the safety glass panels. In this
case, a
dimensional coordination between the brace and the borings inside the safety
glass
panels is necessary to guarantee the elastic clamping of the glass panel. This
clamping is achieved because a permanently elastic medium is introduced
between
the flanges of the brace parts and the edges of the glass panels and the
boring. This
permanently elastic medium can consist of rubber, silicon, etc. for example.
As a
result of this solid yet elastic mounting, a neutralization of forces on the
safety glass
panels is achieved, which in particular enormously reduces the danger of
breakage
of such safety glass panels, and simultaneously, when there is a break in
these
safety glass panels, provides protection against them falling out, which
protection is
invisible from the outside. Such braces can be mounted on any type of
substructure
and can also be made without additional effort from stainless steel or light
alloy.
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The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to a number
of
different exemplary embodiments that are illustrated schematically in the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1: is a sectional view of a portion of a fastening of a safety glass
panel
that consists of two plates of glass in an overhead mounting.
Figure 2: shows a safety glass panel that consists of three individual plates
with
a punctiform holder or mounting or brace.
Figure 3: shows a detail of the vicinity of the boring of a safety glass panel
into
which a lug has been introduced.
Figure 4 is the same as Figure 3, but with a safety glass panel that consists
of
three individual plates.
The safety glass panel, a portion of which is illustrated in Figure 1,
consists of glass
plates 2 and 3 which have been connected to each other by a separating or
connecting film designated 1. The separating or connecting film 1 thereby
projects
into a glass boring 30.
The punctiform brace and thus the glass panel are mounted on a ceiling
fastening 11
by means of a fastening screw 5 and a thread 12. The punctiform brace thereby
consists of a front brace part 13 and an inside brace part 14. The brace parts
13 and
14 are screwed to each other by means of a thread 7. The fastening screw 5
runs all
the way through both parts.
When the brace parts 13 and 14 are screwed together, clamping surfaces 22, 24
come together, whereby they simultaneously clamp between them the separating
or
connecting film 1 that extends in this area. The glass plates 2 and 3 are
prevented
from falling out by the clamping of the separating or connecting film 1
between the
brace parts 13 and 14.
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The brace parts 13 and 14 thereby have flanges 9 arcl 4 that partly overlap
the
outside surfaces 15 and 16 of the outer glass plates. The flanges 4 and 9 on
one
hand overlap the area of the boring 30 inside the glass plates 2, 3, and on
the other
hand the flanges 4, 9 project beyond the glass plates 2, 3. Between the outer
sides
15, 16 of the glass plates and the flanges 4, 9 with contact surfaces 17, 18,
a
permanently elastic medium in the form of an insert 6, 8 is inserted, which
thus fills
up the open space inside the boring 30 of the glass plates 2, 3 arid the brace
parts
13, 14. The size of this space can be designed as a function of the loads that
such
safety glass panels are required to withstand. It is clear, however, that as a
result of
the clamping of the separating and connecting film 1, the brace parts 13, 14
have
achieved an invisible protection against the safety glass panel falling out,
and a
clamping of the safety glass panel is simultaneously achieved to a certain
degree as
a result of the fact that the safety glass panel can be adjusted as a function
of
outside factors, and there is a neutralization of force in the event of the
application of
external loads.
This situation is also explained with reference to the exemplary embodiment
illustrated in Figure 2, in which, analogous to Figure 1, twobrace parts 20,
26 are
connected to each other by means of a thread 25. The brace part 20 thereby has
a
boring 28 which runs through the center of the brace part 20. A fastening
screw 29 is
inserted into the boring 28, whereby the head of the screw disappears into a
blind
hole. By means of a connecting surface 19, in connection with the fastening
screw
29, this brace can be fastened to a substructure after the brace part 26 has
been
screwed onto the thread 25. The brace parts 20, 26, analogous to the brace
parts
13, 14, have corresponding clamping surfaces 22 and 24. Because this exemplary
embodiment illustrates a safety glass panel which consists of the glass plates
2, 3
and 21, in this case there are two separating and connecting films. This
separating
and connecting film 1 also projects into the vicinity of the boring 30 inside
the safety
glass panel and can thus be clamped between the clamping surfaces 22, 24. In
this
case, to bridge the thickness that equals the distance of the glass plate 3, a
spacer
ring 23 is required, which is inserted between the two films. Then the two
brace parts
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20, 26 can be connected to each other via the thread 25, and then the two
separating and connecting films 1 with the spacer ring 26 located between them
can
be positively and non-positively connected to each other.
In this exemplary embodiment, too, the contact surfaces 17, 18 are on the
brace
parts 20, 26, as a result of which it is ensured that there is an overhanging
part that
projects beyond the outside surfaces of the glass plates 2 and 21. In this
region of
the contact surfaces 17, 18 and of the boring 30, a insert 6, 8 made of
permanently
elastic material is also inserted. Therefore this type of fastening a safety
glass panel
can provide protection against falling out and can also serve as a device to
guarantee the neutralization of forces when loads are applied.
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, only the portion of the
glass
plates 2, 3 with the separating or connecting film in between is shown. The
separating or connecting film 1 thereby has a reinforcement 34 in its
peripheral
portion, which can, for example, be in the form of a network or sunburst
pattern,
using a tear-resistant material. This tear-resistant material can be Keflar,
for
example, or it can consist of or contain glass fibers or carbon. The end of
the
separating and connecting film 1 that projects into this area of the boring 30
and its
reinforcement 34 is also provided with a lug 35. This arrangement creates
better
adherence and a better seating, and thus better clamping of the separating and
connecting film 1 between the above mentioned brace parts.
The exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 4 is analogous to the exemplary
embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, except that in his case, there are once
again
three glass plates 2, 3, 21, which are connected positively and non-positively
by
separating and connecting films 1. Especially with multiple-pane safety glass
panels,
it is difficult to guarantee that the borings 30, 31, 32 introduced into the
individual
glass plates will be properly aligned after the glass plates have been
connected to
one another in the fabrication process. Therefore it is technically necessary,
for
reasons related to the fabrication process, to make the borings 31, 32, 33
large
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enough to ensure a secure bracing and thus clamping of the separating and
connecting films 1 with the brace parts 13, 14, 20, 26. In this exemplary
embodiment,
too, the distance of the thickness of the glass plate 3 is bridged by a lacer
ring 23,
whereby simultaneously a lug 33 bridges the separating and connecting films 1
with
the spacer ring 23 between them.
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Nomenclature
1 Separating and connecting film
2 Glass plate
3 Glass plate
4 Flange
Fastening screw
6 Insert
7 Thread
8 Insert
9 Flange
11 Ceiling fastener
12 Thread
13 Brace part
14 Brace part
Glass outside
16 Glass outside
17 Contact surface
18 Contact surface
19 Connecting surface
Brace part
21 Glass plate
22 Clamping surface
23 Spacer ring
24 Clamping surface
Thread
26 Brace part
27 Blind hole
28 Boring
29 Fastening screw
Glass boring
31 Glass boring
32 Glass boring
33 Lug
34 Reinforcement
Lug
