Joints and connections – Rod side to plate or side – Traversed by connector
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-19
2004-04-06
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Rod side to plate or side
Traversed by connector
C052S204593, C052S204591, C403S384000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715955
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an attachment device for mounting a glass pane fixedly at a structure, such as a building.
The invention also relates to a facade with attachment devices for mounting glass panes fixedly to a structure, such as a building.
This invention further relates to a punctiform holder (a holder having the form of a point), or an attachment device, to connect insulating glass panels that is used to connect at least two glass plates that are separated from each other by an air gap that is preferably filled with a gaseous medium, whereby the punctiform holder is detachably or non-detachably connected to a substructure.
2. Background of the Invention
A holder of this type that can be used as a punctiform holder that is free of bending moments for multiple-pane insulating glass panels is disclosed in German Utility Model 93 18 862. In that case, the punctiform holder is penetrated by borings that are inside the separated glass plates. For this purpose it is necessary, in the vicinity of the borings inside the separated glass plates, to hermetically seal the glass plates with respect to the closed air space that surrounds them. Simultaneously, these separating devices between the two glass plates are also required to withstand or provide the force of the connection of the insulating glass plates by the punctiform holder. Thus, on the one hand, one contact plate is in contact with the outer area of the separated glass plates, and, on the other hand, another contact plate is in contact with the inner area of the separated glass plates, which are pulled toward each other by means of a screw element. In the vicinity of the connection of the punctiform holder, the holder is equipped with a ball and thus is movable within the complementary surfaces of the inner plate such that a rotation of the holder unit with respect to the substructure is possible. It is thereby possible to partly compensate for corresponding construction tolerances. Because this punctiform holder, on otherwise conventional single-pane glass panels, extends through the separated glass plates, it is very complex, expensive and critical to ensure the long-term stability of the connection. In addition to the borings that have to be introduced, it is also important to permanently and securely seal the air gap between the separated plates.
German Patent 44 00 979 A1 also discloses a similar device on which the clamp element or locating bearing on the inside of the building has, on its shell surface facing the holder, a crown-shaped surface, against which a compensating part with a complementary universal ball joint with a crown-shaped surface is in contact. The clamping element has a boring that runs all the way through the clamping element to hold the clamp bolt that connects the clamp elements, and a retaining bolt that runs through a spacer washer and the compensating part and is screwed into the clamp element. With the device of the prior art, construction tolerances between the boring in the glass panel and the substructure (holder) can be compensated, but there is no flexible elastic support of the plate on the holder after the glass plate has been installed.
German Patent 44 45 724 A1 describes a similar device in which the clamp element on the inside of the building has, on its shell surface facing the mounting, a crowned surface, with which the complementary surface of a pivot bearing of a fastening part is in contact, whereby the pivot bearing is held with some lateral play in a cap nut. Here, too, after installation, no relative movement between the plate and the fastening part is possible.
European Patent 0 784 129 A1 further describes a support of a fastening bolt on a holder on which a plate of the holder is fixed between two plano-convex lenses that are in indirect contact, via their plane surfaces, with the plate, whereby one lens is in contact with its convex surface on a clamp element on the inside of the building and the other lens is in indirect contact with a nut that receives the fastening bolt.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to simplify the prior art as described above to create a punctiform holder that can be manufactured economically for insulating glass panels. At the same time, the punctiform holder has a mounting that is essentially free of bending moments with a simultaneous compensation of tolerances with respect to the substructure.
Another object of the invention is to create a punctiform holder that can be manufactured economically for insulating glass panels, for example, glass panels to be utilized in a glass facade of a building.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention teaches that this object can be accomplished by a punctiform holder to connect insulating glass panels with at least two glass plates separated by an air gap that is preferably filled with a gaseous medium, and whereby the punctiform holder is also detachably or non-detachably connected to a substructure, characterized by the fact that the punctiform holder has a mounting element with a flat mounting surface which is detachably or non-detachably connected with an outside surface of the glass plates by adhesive and, in the air gap, in the vicinity of the punctiform holder, a spacer piece between the glass plates is also detachably or non-detachably connected with the glass plates by an adhesive. Further features of the invention are described herein.
The invention teaches that the borings that are conventionally present in the glass plates are omitted, and the detachable or non-detachable connection of the punctiform holder, which has a flat mounting surface, to one of the separated insulating glass plates, is formed by means of an adhesive. So that the weight of the insulating glass panel can also be supported securely by the punctiform holder even when there are two separated glass plates, in the air gap between the separated glass plates there is a spacer piece which is also detachably or non-detachably connected with the glass plates by an adhesive. This spacer piece can thereby be made of glass or metal. The adhesive used must be essentially UV-stable and preferably transparent. It must also have long-term creep stability with regard to the load-bearing characteristics. The proposed holder is also constructed so that it mounts the glass plates on a substructure in a manner that is free of bending moments. This concept also applies to the adhesive connection between the proposed holder and the insulating glass panel. The holder is therefore constructed so that it has an inside clamp element on its mounting surface that faces away from the glass plate in the form of a crown-shaped or curved surface formed by a permanently elastic flexible element, against which a complementary surface of an inner shell surface of a cap bell or coupling bell and a fastening bolt or attachment bolt can be placed in contact with an adjustable bias, whereby between the cap bell and the fastening bolt on one hand and the fastening bolt and the mounting on the other hand there are respective three-dimensional articulations that can be made rigid.
The invention teaches that wind pressure and thermal stresses are absorbed by the elastic support of the cap bell on the inside clamp element so that, even after installation, a relative movement of the two parts with respect to each other is possible without the introduction of restoring forces in the separated glass plates.
This capability is virtually guaranteed by the adjustable bias between the clamp element and the cap bell. As a result of the multiple subdivision of the fastening device by means of at least two additional three-dimensional articulations, not only is there an ability to compensate for rather large construction tolerances, but the individual articulation points of the three-dimensional articulations also form, even when they are rigidly clamped in place after installation, to a certain extent, junction points with a certain inherent elasticity which also contribute to the stress-free moun
Browne Lynne H.
Dorma GmbH + Co. KG
Flandro Ryan M.
Nils H. Ljungman & Associates
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