Glass panel structure

Abstract

To provide a glass panel structure capable of providing a fail-safe metal fitting without impairing aesthetic appearance.SOLUTION: A glass panel structure 1 includes a glass panel 2 bonded to a support member 4 with a structural sealant 5, and a fail-safe hardware 3 that prevents the glass panel 2 from falling off in the event of poor adhesion between the glass panel 2 and the support member 4 via the structural sealant 5. The glass panel 2 includes a plurality of overlapping glass sheets 21, 21 arranged with an air gap 24 therebetween, and a sealing portion 23 provided between edges of each of the overlapping glass sheets 21, 21. The sealing portion 23 has a recess 71 that opens laterally. The fail-safe hardware 3 includes a support member mounting portion 31 attached to the support member 4 and arranged on the side of the glass panel 2, and an insertion portion 32 connected to the support member mounting portion 31 and inserted into the recess 71 from the side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass panel structure. [Background technology]

[0002] The SSG (Structural Sealant Glazing) method is known as a construction method for installing glass panels that form wall surfaces. In the SSG method, glass panels are bonded to supporting members such as mullions, crosspieces, and columns that support the glass panels using a structural sealant. In the SSG method, fail-safe hardware is provided to prevent the glass panels from falling off (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-179987 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The fail-safe hardware is designed to hold the glass panel from the outside, so it is exposed to the outside and the design is compromised. In particular, when the glass panel is double-glazed, the thickness is larger than when it is single-glazed, so the fail-safe hardware is also larger, and the exposed part of the fail-safe hardware also becomes larger, compromising the design.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a glass panel structure that can be provided with fail-safe hardware without impairing the design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the glass panel structure of the present invention comprises a glass panel adhered to a support member by a structural sealant, and a fail-safe hardware that prevents the glass panel from falling off when poor adhesion occurs between the glass panel and the support member by the structural sealant, wherein the glass panel comprises a plurality of glass sheets arranged overlapping each other with an air gap between them and a sealing portion provided between the edges of each of the overlapping glass sheets, and the sealing portion has a recess that opens to the side, and the fail-safe hardware comprises a support member mounting portion attached to the support member and arranged to the side of the glass panel, and an insertion portion connected to the support member mounting portion and inserted into the recess from the side.

[0007] In the present invention, the insertion portion of the fail-safe hardware is inserted into a recess formed on the side of the glass panel, thereby preventing the glass panel from falling off when poor adhesion occurs between the glass panel and the support member due to the structural sealant. Since the insertion portion of the fail-safe hardware is not located forward of the glass panel, the fail-safe hardware can be installed without compromising the design. Since the fail-safe hardware is not located forward of the glass panel, the design is not compromised even if the shape or number of fail-safe hardware is increased, so the fail-safe hardware can be designed without considering the design.

[0008] In the glass panel structure according to the present invention, the fail-safe hardware may have a front pressing portion connected to the support member mounting portion and pressing the front surface of the glass panel.

[0009] With this configuration, the insert portion of the fail-safe hardware is inserted into the recess formed on the side of the glass panel, and the front retaining portion presses the front surface of the glass panel, preventing the glass panel from falling off when poor adhesion occurs between the glass panel and the support member due to the structural sealant. In particular, the insert portion and front retaining portion can prevent the glass panel from falling off even when the glass panel is large or heavy, such as in a multi-layer glass panel with many overlapping glass panes. The fail-safe hardware of the present invention is configured to prevent the glass panel from falling off using an insertion portion and a front clamping portion, so that the front clamping portion can be made smaller and the design can be improved compared to conventional fail-safe hardware that is configured to hold the front of the glass panel down using only the front clamping portion.

[0010] In the glass panel structure of the present invention, the sealing portion may include a sealing material that seals between the overlapping glass plates, and a metal support that is embedded in the sealing material and forms the recess.

[0011] This structure makes it easy to form a recess in the sealing portion. The edge of the glass panel is reinforced by the support metal fitting, which prevents deformation of the glass panel and suppresses deterioration of the sealing material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a fail-safe hardware can be provided without impairing the design. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a glass panel structure according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an enlarged front view of a conventional glass panel structure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a glass panel structure according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a conventional glass panel structure. [Figure 8] 1 is a table showing a comparison of dimensions of the fail-safe hardware of the present invention and the conventional fail-safe hardware. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a glass panel structure according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, a glass panel structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the glass panel structure 1 according to the first embodiment is a glass panel structure installed by the SSG construction method. The glass panel structure 1 has a glass panel 2 and a fail-safe hardware 3. As shown in Figure 3, the glass panel 2 is adhered to a support member 4 such as a mullion, a transom, or a pillar with a structural sealant 5. The fail-safe hardware 3 is provided to prevent the glass panel 2 from falling off in the event of poor adhesion between the glass panel 2 and the support member 4 due to the structural sealant 5.

[0015] In this embodiment, the multiple glass panels 2 are arranged in a horizontal direction along their surfaces. Hereinafter, the horizontal direction in which the multiple glass panels 2 are arranged will be referred to as the lateral direction. The direction perpendicular to the surfaces of the glass panels 2 will be referred to as the front-to-rear direction. In the front-to-rear direction, the side of the glass panel 2 that is bonded to the support member 4 will be referred to as the rear side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the front side. In this embodiment, the rear side is assumed to be the indoor side, and the front side is assumed to be the outdoor side. The support member 4 is disposed rearward between the two laterally arranged glass panels 2, 2. A gap 11 is provided between the two laterally arranged glass panels 2, 2. The structural sealant material 5 is disposed between the edge of the rear surface 2a of each glass panel 2, 2 and the front surface 41 of the support member 4. The structural sealant material 5 bonds the edge of the rear surface 2a of the glass panel 2 to the front surface 41 of the support member 4. In this embodiment, the structural sealant material 5 is bonded to the front surface 421 of the vertical frame 42 provided on the support member 4. The fail-safe hardware 3 is provided in the gap 11 between the two glass panels 2, 2. The fail-safe hardware 3 is attached to a support member 4. The fail-safe hardware 3 is a piece-shaped member. A waterproof seal 12 is provided in front of the fail-safe hardware 3 in the gap 11 between the two glass panels 2, 2 arranged laterally.

[0016] The glass panel 2 is a double-glazed glass panel. The glass panel 2 has two glass sheets 21, a spacer 22, and a sealing portion 23. The two glass sheets 21 are arranged overlapping each other in the front-to-rear direction with an air layer 24 interposed between them. The sealing portion 23 is provided between the edges of the two glass sheets 21. The spacer 22 is provided between the edges of the two glass sheets 21, inside the sealing portion 23. The sealing portion 23 has a sealing material 6 and a metal support 7. The sealing material 6 is provided between the edges of the two glass sheets 21. The sealing material 6 is provided over the entire outer edge of the glass panel 2. The metal support 7 is a channel material with a C-shaped cross section. The metal support 7 is embedded in the sealing material 6. A recess 71 in the metal support 7 opens toward the side of the glass sheets 21. The outer peripheral surface 72 of the receiving metal fitting 7 is bonded to the sealing material 6.

[0017] The fail-safe hardware 3 has a support member mounting portion 31 and an insertion portion 32. The support member mounting portion 31 has a substantially T-shaped horizontal cross section. The support member mounting portion 31 is flat. The support member mounting portion 31 is arranged with its plate surface facing horizontally. The rear end portion 31a of the support member mounting portion 31 is fixed to the support member 4. In this embodiment, the rear end portion 31a of the support member mounting portion 31 is fixed to the support member 4 by being inserted into a recess 43 formed in the front end portion of the support member 4. The rear end portion 31a of the support member mounting portion 31 is formed with protrusions 31c that protrude on both sides in the horizontal direction. The protrusions 31c are inserted into the recesses 43 of the support member 4.

[0018] The insertion portion 32 is flat. The insertion portion 32 is disposed with its plate surface facing the front-to-rear direction. A lateral central portion 32a of the insertion portion 32 is connected to the front end portion 31b of the support member mounting portion 31. The insertion portion 32 protrudes on both lateral sides from the front end portion 31b of the support member mounting portion 31. Of the insertion portion 32, the piece protruding on one lateral side from the support member mounting portion 31 is referred to as a first protruding piece 321, and the piece protruding on the other lateral side is referred to as a second protruding piece 322.

[0019] When the fail-safe hardware 3 is fixed to the support member 4, the support member mounting portion 31 is positioned between the two laterally adjacent glass panels 2, 2 and between the structural sealants 5, 5 that bond these glass panels 2, 2 to the support member 4. The insert portion 32 is positioned between and laterally adjacent to the two glass sheets 21, 21. The first protruding piece 321 of the insert portion 32 is inserted into the recess 71 of the receiving metal piece 7 of the glass panel 2 located on one lateral side of the two laterally adjacent glass panels 2, 2. The second protruding piece 322 of the insert portion 32 is inserted into the recess 71 of the receiving metal piece 7 of the glass panel 2 located on the other lateral side of the two laterally adjacent glass panels 2, 2. The waterproof seal 12 is located in front of the insert portion 32 and is provided between the front glass sheets 21 of each of the two laterally adjacent glass panels 2, 2. As a result, the insertion portion 32 of the fail-safe hardware 3 is not exposed on the front side of the glass panels 2,2.

[0020] Next, the functions and effects of the glass panel structure according to this embodiment will be described. In the glass panel structure 1 according to this embodiment, the insertion portion 32 of the fail-safe hardware 3 is inserted into a recess 71 formed on the side of the glass panel 2, thereby preventing the glass panel 2 from falling off when poor adhesion occurs between the glass panel 2 and the support member 4 by the structural sealant 5. Because the insertion portion 32 of the fail-safe hardware 3 is not positioned forward of the glass panel 2, the fail-safe hardware 3 can be installed without impairing the design. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , a conventional fail-safe hardware 103 is provided with a front pressing portion 133 at the front end of the support member mounting portion 131, in front of the glass panel 102, that presses against the front surface 102b of the glass panel 102. The front pressing portion 133 is positioned forward of the waterproof seal 12. The support member mounting portion 131 penetrates the waterproof seal 12. In this embodiment, the fail-safe hardware 3 is not positioned in front of the glass panel 2, so that the design is not impaired even if the shape is enlarged or the number is increased, and therefore the fail-safe hardware 3 can be designed without considering the design. Also, by enlarging the shape of the fail-safe hardware 3 or increasing the number, the plate thickness of the fail-safe hardware 3 can be reduced. Since the support member mounting portion 31 does not penetrate the waterproof seal 12, waterproofing can be improved.

[0021] In the glass panel structure 1 according to this embodiment, the sealing portion 23 includes a sealant 6 and a metal support 7 that is embedded in the sealant 6 and forms a recess 71. This configuration makes it easy to form the recess 71 in the sealing portion 23. The metal support 7 reinforces the edge of the glass panel 2, preventing deformation of the glass panel 2 and suppressing deterioration of the sealant 6.

[0022] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The same or similar members and parts as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted. Only the configurations different from the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6 , in a glass panel structure 1B according to the second embodiment, a glass panel 2B is a triple-insulating glass having three glass sheets 21. The three glass sheets 21 are designated, from rear to front, as a first glass sheet 211, a second glass sheet 212, and a third glass sheet 213. A spacer 22 and a sealant 6 are provided between the edge of the first glass sheet 211 and the edge of the second glass sheet 212, and no metal support 7 is provided. As in the first embodiment, a spacer 22 and a sealing portion 23 are provided between the edge of the second glass sheet 212 and the edge of the third glass sheet 213. The sealing portion 23 is provided with a sealant 6 and a metal support 7.

[0023] In the fail-safe hardware 3B of the second embodiment, the dimension in the front-to-rear direction of the support member mounting portion 31B is longer than the dimension in the front-to-rear direction of the support member mounting portion 31 of the first embodiment. In the fail-safe hardware 3B of the second embodiment, the first protruding piece 321 and the second protruding piece 322 of the insertion portion 32 are arranged at the front end of the support member mounting portion 31, on the side between the second glass sheet 212 and the third glass sheet 213. The first protruding piece 321 and the second protruding piece 322 of the insertion portion 32 are each inserted into the recessed portion 71 of the receiving hardware 7 between the second glass sheet 212 and the third glass sheet 213.

[0024] The glass panel structure according to the second embodiment provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment even when the glass panel 2B is triple-insulating glass.

[0025] The dimensions of the fail-safe hardware 3B used in the glass panel structure 1B according to the second embodiment were compared with the dimensions of the fail-safe hardware 103B used in the general conventional glass panel structure 101B shown in Figure 7 under the following conditions. (conditions) The glass panel 2 is a triple-layered glass panel having a height dimension GH of 4500 mm and a width dimension GW of 2000 mm. As described above, the fail-safe hardware prevents the glass panel 2 from falling off when the structural sealant 5 fails to adhere properly to the support member 4, and is designed to be strong enough to temporarily hold the glass panel in place even when a strong gust of wind, such as the first spring wind, acts on it if all of the structural sealant 5 is damaged. A fail-safe hardware 103B used in a typical conventional glass panel structure 101B has a front pressing portion 133B that presses the front surface 102b of the glass panel 102B.

[0026] The dimensions of the fail-safe hardware 3B of the second embodiment and the conventional fail-safe hardware 103B required under the above conditions are shown in Figure 8. The dimensions of the compared fail-safe hardware 3B and 103B are the width dimension (horizontal dimension) W of the insertion portion 32B or front retaining portion 133B and the length dimension (vertical dimension) L of the insertion portion 32B or front retaining portion 133B. The width dimension W of the insertion portion 32B or front retaining portion 133B and the length dimension L of the insertion portion 32B or front retaining portion 133B correspond to the width dimension W and length dimension L of Figures 2 and 3. The plate thickness t of the insertion portion 32B or front retaining portion 133B is 4.0 mm in both cases. 8, the fail-safe hardware 3B according to this embodiment can reduce both the width dimension W and the length dimension L of the insertion portion 32B or the front clamping portion 133B compared to a general conventional fail-safe hardware 103B having the same strength. In particular, the fail-safe hardware 3B according to this embodiment can reduce the length dimension L to about half that of a general conventional fail-safe hardware 103B having the same strength.

[0027] (Second embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 9, in a glass panel structure 1C according to the third embodiment, a glass panel 2C is a triple-layered glass having three glass sheets 21. The glass panel 2C of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the glass panel 2B of the second embodiment.

[0028] The fail-safe hardware 3C of the third embodiment has a front pressing portion 33 in addition to a support member mounting portion 31C and an insertion portion 32C. The front-rear dimension of the support member mounting portion 31C is shorter than the front-rear dimension of the support member mounting portion 31B of the second embodiment. The insertion portion 32C has a first inclined piece 323, a second inclined piece 324, a first protruding piece 321C, and a second protruding piece 322C. The first inclined piece 323 extends gradually toward one side in the lateral direction from the front end portion 31b of the support member mounting portion 31C toward the front side. The second inclined piece 324 extends gradually toward the other side in the lateral direction from the front end portion 31b of the support member mounting portion 31C toward the front side. The first protruding piece 321C protrudes toward one side in the lateral direction from the front end portion of the first inclined piece 323. The second protruding piece 322C protrudes toward the other side in the lateral direction from the front end portion of the second inclined piece 324. The first protruding piece 321C and the second protruding piece 322C are inserted into the recesses 71 of the metal receiving member 7 between the second glass sheet 212 and the third glass sheet 213, respectively.

[0029] The front and rear ends of the first inclined piece 323 are formed with claw portions 323a, 323a that protrude to the other side in the horizontal direction, and the front and rear ends of the second inclined piece 324 are formed with claw portions 324a, 324a that protrude to one side in the horizontal direction.

[0030] The front surface pressing portion 33 is connected to the front end of the insertion portion 32B and presses the front surface 2b of the glass panel 2C, i.e., the front surface of the third glass sheet 213, from the front side. The front surface pressing portion 33 has a first connecting portion 331, a second connecting portion 332, a first front surface pressing protrusion 333, and a second front surface pressing protrusion 334. The first connecting portion 331 and the second connecting portion 332 are each flat. The first connecting portion 331 and the second connecting portion 332 are each positioned so that their plate surfaces face horizontally. A rear end 331a of the first connecting portion 331 is fixed to the claws 323a, 323a of the first inclined piece 323. A rear end 332a of the second connecting portion 332 is fixed to the claws 324a, 324a of the second inclined piece 324. The first front surface pressing protrusion 333 protrudes laterally to one side from the front end of the first connecting portion 331. The second front surface pressing protrusion 334 protrudes laterally to the other side from the front end of the second connecting portion 332. The front surface pressing portion 33 may be formed integrally with the support member mounting portion 31B and the insertion portion 32B. The insertion portion 32B may not be provided with the first inclined piece 323 and the second inclined piece 324, and the first protrusion 321C and the second protrusion 322C may protrude laterally from the front end 31b of the support member mounting portion 31C.

[0031] The first front surface pressing protrusion 333 and the second front surface pressing protrusion 334 are positioned forward of the front surface 2b of the glass panel 2C. The first front surface pressing protrusion 333 and the second front surface pressing protrusion 334 are positioned so that at least their tip ends in the protruding direction overlap the front side of the glass panel 2C. The first connecting portion 331 and the second connecting portion 332 penetrate in the front-rear direction through the waterproof seal 12 between the third glass sheet 213 of the glass panel 2C on one lateral side and the third glass sheet 213 of the glass panel 2C on the other lateral side.

[0032] In the glass panel structure 1C according to the third embodiment, the insertion portion 32C of the fail-safe hardware 3C is inserted into the recess 71 formed on the side of the glass panel 2, and the front retaining portion 33 retains the front surface 2b of the glass panel 2, thereby preventing the glass panel 2 from falling off when poor adhesion occurs between the glass panel 2 and the support member 4 due to the structural sealant 5. In particular, even when the glass panel 2 is large or heavy, such as when it is a multi-layer glass panel with many overlapping glass panes 21, the insertion portion 32C and the front retaining portion 33 can prevent the glass panel 2 from falling off. The fail-safe hardware 3C according to the third embodiment is configured to prevent the glass panel 2 from falling off by using the insertion portion 32B and the front clamping portion 33, and therefore, compared to conventional fail-safe hardware that is configured to hold down the front of the glass panel only with the front clamping portion, the front clamping portion 33 can be made smaller, thereby improving the design.

[0033] Although the embodiments of the glass panel structure according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention. For example, the glass panels 2, 2B, and 2C in the above-described embodiment are double-glazed glass panels each having two or three glass sheets 21, but may also be double-glazed glass panels each having four or more glass sheets. The glass sheets 21 may be flat or curved. The shape and size of the glass sheets 21 may be set as appropriate. The fail-safe hardware 3 is provided on the side of the glass panel 2, but may also be provided above or below the glass panel 2. In the above embodiment, a recess 71 is formed on the side of the glass panel 2 by providing a receiving hardware 7 at the sealing portion 23, but a recess for inserting the insertion portion 32 of the fail-safe hardware 3 may also be formed on the side of the glass panel 2 by a method other than providing a receiving hardware 7.

[0034] The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 international goals adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015. The glass panel structure according to this embodiment can contribute to achieving one of the 17 SDGs, for example goal 9, "Create indispensable infrastructure for industry, innovation and sustainable development." [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1, 1B, 1C glass panel structure 2, 2B, 2C glass panels 2b Front 3, 3B, 3C Fail-safe hardware 4 Support member 5. Structural sealants 6 Sealing material (sealing material) 7 Support hardware 21 Plate Glass 23 Sealing part 24 Air Layer 31, 31B, 31C Support member mounting portion 32, 32B, 32C insertion section 33 Front clamp 71 Recess

Claims

1. a glass panel adhered to a support member by a structural sealant material; a fail-safe metal fitting that prevents the glass panel from falling off when adhesion failure occurs between the glass panel and the support member due to the structural sealant material, The glass panel is A plurality of glass plates arranged to overlap with each other with an air layer interposed therebetween; a sealing portion provided between the edges of the overlapping glass sheets, The sealing portion has a recessed portion that opens laterally, The fail-safe hardware is a support member mounting portion attached to the support member and disposed on a side of the glass panel; an insertion portion connected to the support member mounting portion and inserted into the recess from the side;

2. The fail-safe hardware is 2. The glass panel structure according to claim 1, further comprising a front pressing portion connected to the support member mounting portion and pressing the front surface of the glass panel.

3. The sealing portion is a sealing material that seals the overlapping glass plates; 3. The glass panel structure according to claim 1, further comprising a metal support embedded in the sealing material to form the recess.

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