Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Window or window sash – sill – mullion – or glazing – U-shaped channel formed of separate strips overlapping pane...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-06
2003-12-30
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3637)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Window or window sash, sill, mullion, or glazing
U-shaped channel formed of separate strips overlapping pane...
C052S204620, C052S208000, C052S204600, C049S504000, C049S505000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668500
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a device for retaining a glass fenestration composed of separate glass structural-section components, especially glass U-section components, or of other longitudinal, especially insulating, glass components. The invention also concerns a retaining rail that can be employed in such a retaining device.
Glass fenestrations composed of longitudinal glass components, glass structural-section components for example, are often employed for the large-area glazing of such buildings as gymnasiums, factories, free-standing staircases, houses, and commercial structures. The fenestrations are often secured by metal structural section in the opening that is to be fenestrated. Especially when a fenestration is insulating, as in the case of a hollow glass structural-section brick for example, water will at the current state of the art occasionally condense inside it and be almost impossible to remove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to effectively prevent such condensation within a glass fenestration.
The device for retaining a glass fenestration composed of separate glass structural-section components, especially glass U-section components, or of other longitudinal, especially insulating, glass components is accordingly characterized by at least one retaining rail for retaining and bearing and for the lateral guidance and support of the individual longitudinal glass component, glass structural-section component, or glass fenestration, whereby the retaining rail is provided on the one hand with a retaining length of structural section of metal for retaining or supporting a face-side area or part of a face side area of the glass fenestration or one, more, or all of its glass components or glass structural-section components and on the other hand with at least one length of metal flange for the lateral guidance and support of the glass fenestration and/or of one, more or all of its individual glass components or glass structural-section components. Since the length of flange and the retaining section are fastened together by a heat-insulating and/or thermally separating connecting fixture, not only will a reliable bearing or retaining of the glass fenestration be ensured, but the lengths themselves, which are to individually retained, will be thermally separated. The face side areas, which the retaining rails comprise, will not be subject to the undesirable climatological effects of heat bridge-over. Surprisingly, this feature will in turn not only effectively prevent the accumulation of condensed water inside the glass fenestration and the penetration of water thereinto, but the retaining rail will also contribute to the fenestration's insulating effect due to the absence of heat bridging at its retainer.
Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are addressed in the subsidiary claims.
Glass fenestrations of glass structural-section components, especially glass U-section components, are known from Europe Patent 0742324A1, which specific reference will be made to in its entirety for further details as to the design of glass fenestrations. The glass structural U-section components of the glass fenestration known therefrom, however, are to be oriented vertical rather than horizontal. There are accordingly no problems with statics or with installation in a building. Problems do occur, however, when glass structural-section components are to be installed horizontal in that the lowermost component must support the weight of the ones above it.
A retaining device of the aforesaid genus is accordingly of advantage in horizontal glass fenestrations of horizontal glass structural-section components to secure each glass structural-section component individually and ensure that the lower components will need to support no more weight than the upper components do.
Another retaining device for retaining glass structural-components is known from German 29809177 U1, FIG.
4
. This device features horizontal retainers mounted against a wall on bases. This device is accordingly appropriate only for fastening cladding in the form of glass structural-section components, components with L-shaped cross-sections, that is, to a wall, and not for retaining a glass fenestration in an opening in a building.
To ensure that the retaining device in accordance with the present invention provides simple means of securing the glass structural-section components at any desired height when fenestrating an opening in a building, the retaining device in one preferred embodiment is composed of glass structural-section components, especially glass U-section components, to be installed horizontal, whereby at least one retaining rail is installed vertical and designed to secure by tension and/or compression the glass structural-section component s that the glass structural-section components are retained by or rest against. This embodiment features a retaining section for securing by tension and/or compression, especially by way of hammerhead screws or of similar threaded fasteners, a metal structural-section securing section and at least one metal flat section for the lateral guidance or support of the glass structural-section components and/or the glass fenestration. The flat section and the securing section are fastened together by way of the heat-insulating and/or thermally separating connecting fixture.
The vertical and appropriately cross-sectioned retaining rail allows the height of the glass structural-section component holder to be continuously varied. The same retaining device can accordingly retain various glass fenestrations with glass structural-section components of different heights. It is also possible to construct the particular glass fenestration being retained out of glass structural-section components of different widths, of different heights, that is, as installed. The securing section and the flange section are metal for reasons of appearance and/or stability. In particular when closing off openings in a building and in the case of parallel spaces created by glass structural-section components, such metal rails could lead to misting up of the glass structural-section components due to the condensation of water on the inner surfaces of the components. It has, surprisingly, been demonstrated that fabricating the metal sections and thermally insulating them will at least extensively eliminate such misting. Thermal insulation will also of course lead to better k's in the glass fenestration retained by the retaining device.
Further advantageous embodiments of the present invention are addressed in the subsidiary claims. A retaining rail for use in a retaining device in accordance with the present invention is the subject of the ancillary claim.
Since the connecting fixture is intended for thermally separating the securing section from the flange section, all metal heat bridging should be avoided. The connecting fixture should accordingly be of a poorly heat-conducting material. The retaining section or securing section must on the other hand be able to withstand to some extent considerable forces, necessitating a very strong connecting between the flange section and the retaining or securing section. The connecting fixture in one advantageous embodiment of the present invention accordingly comprises a double or triple web or at least two connecting webs of a poorly heat-conducting material, especially plastics-based, extending along the length of the retaining rail and separated from each other at a right angle to that length. The connecting fixture and preferably the double web or connecting webs will also preferably be of polyamide or with a core of polyamide. The advantage of polyamide is that it can be coated subsequently along with the metal sections in accordance with the desired surface of the overall retaining rail. The retaining rail, comprising the retaining section and at least one and preferably two flange sections can accordingly be fabricated and subsequently coated in accordance with the desired
Dorsey Dennis L.
Fogiel Max
Glasfabrik Lamberts GmbH & Co. KG
Mai Lanna
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