Freestanding glass fence

Abstract

To provide a self-supporting glass fence that allows for easy correction of the position of the glass plate relative to the support structure. [Solution] The system includes a glass plate 10 and a support part 20 that supports the lower part of the glass plate 10 so that the glass plate 10 is self-supporting. The support part 20 has a correction mechanism 40 that allows the position of the glass plate 10 relative to the support part 20 to be corrected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-standing glass fence.

Background Art

[0002] [[ID=I2]]As a conventional self-standing glass fence, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is one that supports the lower portion of a glass plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a self-standing glass fence, there is one in which the lower portion of the glass plate is supported by a support portion (referred to as a "base member" in Patent Document 1) via a resin (referred to as a "resin adhesive" in Patent Document 1).

[0005] Generally, such a self-standing glass fence may be used outdoors for purposes such as ultraviolet protection. The self-standing glass fence may also be used in places with high wind loads. When a load is applied to the surface of the glass plate, the resin between the glass plate and the support portion is pressed so as to be crushed by the glass plate and the support portion. In addition to the wind load, when a person leans against the glass plate, a load is applied to the surface of the glass plate. If such a situation continues, the resin may deform, and gaps may occur between the resin and the glass plate and between the resin and the support portion.

[0006] Gaps between the resin and the glass plate, and between the resin and the support structure, could cause the position and orientation of the glass plate relative to the support structure to change. In conventional freestanding glass fences, these gaps were eliminated by replacing the resin, thereby correcting the position of the glass plate relative to the support structure. However, since many such freestanding glass fences are often installed, the number of resin parts to be worked on increases, making the process time-consuming.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a self-supporting glass fence that makes it possible to easily correct the position of the glass plate relative to the support. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The self-supporting glass fence of the present invention comprises a glass plate and a support portion that supports the lower portion of the glass plate so as to enable the glass plate to stand on its own, and the support portion has a correction mechanism that allows the position of the glass plate with respect to the support portion to be corrected.

[0009] According to this invention, the position of the glass plate relative to the support can be easily corrected by using a correction mechanism.

[0010] In the present invention, the correction mechanism preferably includes a support member for supporting the glass plate and an adjustment unit for adjusting the position of the support member.

[0011] In this configuration, the adjustment unit adjusts the position of the support member. By using a support member suitable for the material of the glass plate, it becomes possible to create a correction mechanism suitable for various types of glass plates without changing the configuration of the adjustment unit.

[0012] In the present invention, the correction mechanism preferably has a plurality of support members stacked toward the glass plate from the adjustment section, and the plurality of support members are stacked such that the Young's modulus becomes smaller toward the glass plate side.

[0013] This configuration places the support members with a lower Young's modulus and softer properties closer to the glass plate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the glass plate from being scratched by the support members while still providing firm support for the glass plate.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support member in contact with the glass plate among the plurality of support members is made of a material softer than the glass plate.

[0015] This configuration makes it possible to reduce the risk of the glass plate being scratched by the support member.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable that the multiple support members are fixed to each other and integrated together.

[0017] This configuration integrates the support members, preventing them from separating. As a result, tasks such as positioning the adjustment unit between the glass plate become easier.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support member in contact with the adjustment portion among the plurality of support members is made of a plate-shaped SUS material.

[0019] With this configuration, the support members are made of SUS material, which is generally resistant to rust, thus enabling long-term storage and use.

[0020] In the present invention, the thickness of the SUS material is preferably 8 mm or more and 15 mm or less.

[0021] This configuration allows the support member to be positioned between the adjustment section and the glass plate while maintaining adequate strength.

[0022] In the present invention, it is preferable that the adjusting portion includes a base member having a threaded hole and a bolt that is screwed into the threaded hole to press the support member from the side opposite to the glass plate side toward the glass plate side.

[0023] According to this configuration, it becomes possible to configure the adjusting portion with bolts that are generally easily available.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferable that the diameter of the bolt is 30 mm or more.

[0025] According to this configuration, since the diameter of the bolt is 30 mm or more, when the glass plate is pressed by screwing the bolt, it is possible to prevent a local pressing force from being applied to the glass plate. As a result, it is possible to prevent breakage or the like of the glass plate due to a local pressing force being applied to the glass plate.

[0026] In the present invention, it is preferable that the bolt is located at a position 100 mm or more away from the edge of the glass plate in the width direction of the glass plate.

[0027] According to this configuration, the bolt presses a position avoiding the corner portion of the glass plate having relatively low strength, and it becomes possible to support the glass plate more firmly.

[0028] In the present invention, it is preferable that the bolt includes a lower bolt located at a position separated from the lower edge of the glass plate by a predetermined distance and an upper bolt located above the lower bolt.

[0029] According to this configuration, by using the upper bolt and the lower bolt having different height positions, it becomes possible to adjust the angle of the glass plate with respect to the support member.

[0030] In the present invention, it is preferable that the distance between the lower bolt and the upper bolt is 300 mm or more.

[0031] With this configuration, the distance between the lower bolt and the upper bolt is 300 mm or more, which makes it possible to avoid a decrease in support strength that would occur if the distance between the lower and upper bolts were shorter.

[0032] In the present invention, it is preferable that a fall prevention part is provided between the lower bolt and the upper bolt to prevent the support member, which is pressed by the upper bolt, from falling.

[0033] If the gap between the upper bolt and the support member widens due to deformation of the support section or deterioration of the support member, the force with which the upper bolt presses against the support member weakens, which can cause the support member to fall towards the lower bolt. Therefore, by providing a fall prevention mechanism, it is possible to prevent the support member from falling towards the lower bolt.

[0034] In the present invention, the glass plate is preferably a laminated glass made by stacking multiple glass plate materials.

[0035] This configuration uses laminated glass as the glass plate. Laminated glass generally does not shatter easily even if it is struck by flying objects and breaks, thus reducing the scattering of glass fragments during disasters.

[0036] In the present invention, it is preferable that three glass plates are provided, and that the thickness of each glass plate is 19 mm or more.

[0037] This configuration makes it possible to create a glass plate with adequate strength.

[0038] In the present invention, it is preferable that a cover member is provided to cover the support portion.

[0039] This configuration makes it possible to reduce deterioration of the support structure due to rain, ultraviolet rays, etc.

[0040] In the present invention, it is preferable that the glass plate is installed outdoors.

[0041] This configuration allows for the installation of a glass panel outdoors, with a correction mechanism that can adjust its position relative to the support. Even if the glass panel is subjected to load due to wind or other factors, causing its position to change, it can be easily corrected. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0042] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the freestanding glass fence. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the structure of the support section. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the glass plate in the width direction, showing the configuration of the support section. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the structure of the support section, viewed in the thickness direction of the glass plate. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the correction mechanism. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the configuration of the support part in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] An embodiment of the self-supporting glass fence 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0044] [Regarding the construction of the freestanding glass fence] As shown in Figure 1, the self-supporting glass fence 100 comprises a glass plate 10 containing multiple glass plate materials 11, and a support part 20 that supports the lower part of the glass plate 10 so that it is self-supporting. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the width direction of the glass plate 10 will be simply referred to as the "width direction", the thickness direction of the glass plate 10 will be simply referred to as the "thickness direction", and the height direction of the glass plate 10 will be simply referred to as the "height direction".

[0045] In this embodiment, the glass plate 10 is made of laminated glass, which is formed by stacking three glass plates 11. In this embodiment, the thickness of each glass plate 11 is 19 mm, and the thickness of the glass plate 10 is 57 mm. The glass plate 10 has a height of 3 m and a width of 1 m. The glass plate 10 is installed both indoors and outdoors.

[0046] [Regarding the structure of the support structure] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the support portion 20 includes an insertion portion 21 through which the glass plate 10 is inserted, a lower support portion 22 that supports the area near the lower end of the glass plate 10, an upper support portion 23 that supports the lower part of the glass plate 10 above the area supported by the lower support portion 22, and a fixing portion 24 for fixing the support portion 20 to the substrate. The lower support portion 22, the upper support portion 23, and the fixing portion 24 are connected by a connecting portion 25.

[0047] The insertion portion 21 is configured in a rectangular shape with a long side and a short side in plan view, the long side being larger than the width of the glass plate 10 and the short side being larger than the thickness of the glass plate 10. The insertion portion 21 is also configured as a space enclosed by two lower support portions 22 and side walls 26 provided on both sides of the two lower support portions 22 in the width direction, and a space enclosed by two upper support portions 23 and side walls 27 provided on both sides of the two upper support portions 23 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the long side of the insertion portion 21 is 1160 mm and the short side is 110 mm.

[0048] Multiple setting blocks 13 are provided at the bottom of the insertion section 21. The material constituting the setting blocks 13 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be made of chloroprene rubber or EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber).

[0049] The lower support portion 22 extends in the direction along the width and is composed of two plate-shaped members facing each other. Multiple bolt holes are formed in the lower support portion 22 so as to be aligned in the direction along the width of the glass plate 10. The correction mechanism 40, which will be described later, is attached to these bolt holes. In addition, multiple drainage ports 22a are formed at the lower end of the lower support portion 22 for draining water that has entered from the insertion portion 21, etc.

[0050] The upper support portion 23 has a vertical portion 23A extending in the direction along the width direction and a horizontal portion 23B extending away from the glass plate 10 from the lower end of the vertical portion 23A, and is formed in an L-shape in cross-section. Two upper support portions 23 are provided, and each vertical portion 23A is positioned to face the other. Multiple bolt holes are formed in the vertical portion 23A of the upper support portion 23, aligned in the direction along the width direction of the glass plate 10. The correction mechanism 40, which will be described later, is attached to these bolt holes.

[0051] The fixing portion 24 has bolt holes 24a formed therein, and the support portion 20 is fixed to the substrate by inserting anchor bolts (not shown) through these bolt holes 24a.

[0052] The connecting portion 25 is welded and fixed to the lower support portion 22, the upper support portion 23, and the fixing portion 24. As a result, the lower support portion 22, the upper support portion 23, the fixing portion 24, and the connecting portion 25 are integrally formed.

[0053] [Regarding the configuration of the correction mechanism] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the support portion 20 is equipped with a correction mechanism 40 that allows the position of the glass plate 10 relative to the support portion 20 to be corrected. The correction mechanism 40 has a support member 41 that supports the glass plate 10 and an adjustment portion 42 that adjusts the position of the support member 41. In this embodiment, three correction mechanisms 40 are provided in each of the two lower support portions 22 and the two upper support portions 23.

[0054] In this embodiment, the support member 41 is composed of a plate-shaped first support member 41A and a plate-shaped second support member 41B. The first support member 41A and the second support member 41B are stacked toward the glass plate 10 from the adjustment part 42. In this embodiment, the support member 41 is formed as a square with sides of 100 mm, but is not limited to this.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first support member 41A in contact with the adjustment part 42 is made of SUS material (SUS304) with a Young's modulus of 193 GPa. The thickness of the first support member 41A may be 4 mm or more and 25 mm or less, and more preferably 6 mm or more and 20 mm or less. Preferably, the thickness of the first support member 41A is 8 mm or more and 15 mm or less, and in this embodiment, it is made of 10 mm.

[0056] The second support member 41B, which is in contact with the glass plate 10, is made of POM, a material that is softer than the glass plate 10. In this embodiment, the Young's modulus of POM is 2.5 GPa, and the Young's modulus of the glass plate 10 is 7.16 MPa. Thus, the first support member 41A and the second support member 41B are laminated such that the Young's modulus decreases towards the glass plate 10 side.

[0057] In this embodiment, the first support member 41A and the second support member 41B are fixed to each other using screws (not shown), but this is not limited to this. For example, the first support member 41A and the second support member 41B may be fixed to each other and integrated using an adhesive or the like.

[0058] The adjustment unit 42 includes a base member 42A having a screw hole and a bolt 42B that is screwed into the screw hole of the base member 42A.

[0059] The base member 42A is a nut welded to the bolt holes formed in the lower support portion 22 and the upper support portion 23. In this embodiment, three base members 42A are provided on each of the two lower support portions 22 and the two upper support portions 23, arranged in the width direction.

[0060] The bolt 42B, when screwed into the base member 42A, presses the support member 41 toward the glass plate 10 from the opposite side of the glass plate 10. Specifically, the tip of the bolt 42B on the glass plate 10 side is formed in a flat shape, and when the bolt 42B is screwed toward the support member 41, the tip of the bolt 42B makes surface contact with the support member 41. Further screwing of the bolt 42B toward the support member 41 presses the glass plate 10 through the support member 41. The bolt 42B screwed into the base member 42A provided in the lower support portion 22 (hereinafter referred to as the "lower bolt 42B") presses a position a predetermined distance (50 mm in this embodiment) away from the lower edge of the glass plate 10, and the bolt 42B screwed into the base member 42A provided in the upper support portion 23 (hereinafter referred to as the "upper bolt 42B") presses a position above the lower bolt 42B. The upper bolt 42B and the lower bolt 42B are arranged side by side in the height direction, and the distance L1 in the height direction between the lower bolt 42B and the upper bolt 42B is not particularly limited, but it is preferably 250 mm or more, and even better if it is 300 mm or more. In this embodiment, the distance L1 in the height direction between the lower bolt 42B and the upper bolt 42B is set to 300 mm.

[0061] The lower bolt 42B and the upper bolt 42B should be positioned at a distance of 100 mm or more from the edge of the glass plate 10 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the distance L2 from the lower bolt 42B and the upper bolt 42B located at both ends in the width direction to both edges of the glass plate 10 in the width direction is 100 mm.

[0062] As shown in Figure 5, when the bolt 42B presses against the glass plate 10 via the first support member 41A and the second support member 41B, stress is generated so as to spread from the tip of the bolt 42B that is in contact with the first support member 41A. Here, the stress is assumed to spread at an angle θ of 45 degrees. When the first support member 41A is made of SUS material and the second support member 41B is made of POM, it was found that the diameter of the bolt 42B should be 16 mm or more, 20 mm or more is even better, and preferably 30 mm or more in order to satisfy the allowable stress of the second support member 41B. In this embodiment, the diameter of the bolt 42B is 30 mm.

[0063] Between the lower bolt 42B and the upper bolt 42B, there is a fall prevention section 43 to prevent the support member 41, which is pressed by the upper bolt 42B, from falling. For the sake of explanation, Figure 3 shows the fall prevention section 43 as a sealing material 43a provided between the lower part of the upper support section 23 and the glass plate 10, and a fall prevention member 43b, which is a plate-shaped member that extends from the lower end of the vertical part 23A of the upper support section 23 toward the glass plate 10, is positioned so as not to contact the glass plate 10, and is fixed to the upper support section 23. The present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 3, and the fall prevention section 43 may be composed of either the sealing material 43a or either the fall prevention member 43b or a combination thereof.

[0064] Furthermore, a buffer material 28 is provided between the glass plate 10 and the side wall 27 to prevent collision between the glass plate 10 and the side wall 27. The buffer material 28 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment it is made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber).

[0065] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, in this embodiment, an upper cover member 44 (corresponding to the "cover member" of the present invention) is provided to cover the support portion 20, and the upper cover member 44 is arranged on both sides of the glass plate 10. Each upper cover member 44 is provided with an inspection opening 44a for performing maintenance such as tightening and screwing in bolts 42B. The inspection opening 44a is provided with a lid 44b that is configured to be openable and closable. In this embodiment, three inspection openings 44a and three lids 44b are provided and are arranged in positions corresponding to the positions where the correction mechanism 40 is provided.

[0066] In this embodiment, a side cover member 45 is provided to the side of the support portion 20 and below the upper cover member 44. A sealing material 46 is provided between the upper cover member 44 and the glass plate 10 to fill the gap between them. The upper cover member 44 is supported by a cover support member 47 which is welded to the upper support portion 23. Depending on the shape of the installation location, a configuration without the side cover member 45 may be used.

[0067] With the above-described configuration, during maintenance, the cover 44b can be opened, and the inside of the upper cover member 44 and the side cover member 45 can be accessed through the inspection opening 44a to access the bolt 42B. Then, by tightening the bolt 42B using a torque wrench (not shown) or the like, the position and tilt of the glass plate 10 can be corrected.

[0068] [Another embodiment] The following are examples of alternative embodiments that modify the above embodiments.

[0069] (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration was described as in which the bolts 42B are provided as a lower bolt 42B located at a predetermined distance from the lower edge of the glass plate 10 and an upper bolt 42B located above the lower bolt 42B. However, a configuration in which an additional bolt 42B is placed between the lower bolt 42B and the upper bolt 42B is also possible.

[0070] (2) In the above embodiment, the upper bolt 42B and the lower bolt 42B were described as being arranged side by side in the height direction, but the upper bolt 42B and the lower bolt 42B may be arranged at different positions in the width direction.

[0071] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which an adjustment part 42 (foundation member 42A, bolt 42B) is provided on all of the two opposing lower support parts 22 and the two opposing upper support parts 23. However, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the adjustment part 42 is not provided on any one of the two lower support parts 22 and the two upper support parts 23. For example, it is possible to have a configuration in which the adjustment part 42 (foundation member 42A, bolt 42B) is not provided on one of the two lower support parts 22.

[0072] (4) In the above embodiment, the configuration was described as one in which three adjustment parts 42 (base member 42A, bolt 42B) are arranged in the width direction on the lower support part 22 and the upper support part 23, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, there may be two or four or more. In particular, by arranging an odd number of adjustment parts 42 (base member 42A, bolt 42B) in the width direction, the glass plate 10 can be temporarily fixed by screwing in only the bolt 42B located in the center in the width direction, and then the position can be easily adjusted so that the positions of adjacent glass plates 10 in the thickness direction match by screwing in the bolt 42B located at the ends in the width direction.

[0073] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the tip of a flat-shaped bolt 42B makes surface contact with the support member 41 was described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a bolt with a rounded tip may be used for the bolt 42B. In this case, the support member 41 may be one in which a recess corresponding to the shape of the rounded tip of the bolt 42B is formed at the location where the bolt 42B makes contact.

[0074] (6) As shown in Figure 6, the sealing material 51 may be provided at a position above the adjustment portion 42 between the lower support portion 22 and the glass plate 10. Alternatively, the sealing material 52 may be provided at a position above the adjustment portion 42 between the upper support portion 23 and the glass plate 10. Here, as shown in Figure 6, the sealing material 51 and sealing material 52 may be arranged so that they are absent only at the location of the adjustment portion 42 in the width direction, or the sealing material 51 and sealing material 52 may be provided over the entire width of the upper end portions of the lower support portion 22 and the upper support portion 23.

[0075] (7) In the above embodiment, the support member 41 was described as being composed of a first support member 41A (SUS material) and a second support member 41B (POM), but it is not limited to this. For example, a plate-shaped aluminum material may be provided between the first support member 41A and the second support member 41B, and a plate-shaped rubber may be provided further toward the glass plate 10 than the second support member 41B. The plate-shaped member provided between the first support member 41A and the second support member 41B can be made of a material that has a Young's modulus lower than that of the first support member 41A and a Young's modulus higher than that of the second support member 41B, and may be made of a material other than aluminum. The Young's modulus of aluminum is 70 GPa. The plate-shaped rubber provided further toward the glass plate 10 than the second support member 41B can preferably have a Young's modulus lower than that of the second support member 41B and a Young's modulus higher than that of the glass plate 10, for example, rubber with a Young's modulus of 10 MPa may be used.

[0076] (8) In the above embodiment, the first support member 41A was described as being made of SUS304, but it is not limited to this, and the first support member 41A may be made of SUS316 or the like, or it may be made of iron.

[0077] (9) In the above embodiment, the base member 42A was described as a nut welded to the bolt holes formed in the lower support portion 22 and the upper support portion 23, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the base member 42A may be configured as the lower support portion 22 and the upper support portion 23, that is, a screw groove is formed in the bolt holes formed in the lower support portion 22 and the upper support portion 23 into which a bolt 42B can be screwed.

[0078] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. In addition, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the object of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0079] This invention can be used in freestanding glass fences. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 100: Freestanding glass fence 10: Glass plate 11: Glass sheet material 20: Support part 40: Correction mechanism 41: Support member 42: Adjustment section 42A: Foundation member 42B: Bolts (lower bolts, upper bolts) 43: Fall prevention part 44: Upper cover component (cover component)

Claims

1. A glass plate and The glass plate is provided with a support portion that supports the lower part of the glass plate so that the glass plate can stand on its own, The support portion is a self-supporting glass fence having a correction mechanism that allows the position of the glass plate relative to the support portion to be corrected.

2. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 1, wherein the correction mechanism comprises a support member for supporting the glass plate and an adjustment unit for adjusting the position of the support member.

3. The correction mechanism has a plurality of support members stacked toward the glass plate from the adjustment section, The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of support members are laminated such that the Young's modulus decreases towards the glass plate side.

4. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 3, wherein the support member in contact with the glass plate among the plurality of support members is made of a material softer than the glass plate.

5. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of support members are fixed to each other and integrated.

6. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 3, wherein the support member in contact with the adjustment portion among the plurality of support members is made of a plate-shaped SUS material.

7. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 6, wherein the thickness of the SUS material is 8 mm or more and 15 mm or less.

8. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment part comprises a base member having a screw hole and a bolt that is screwed into the screw hole to press the support member toward the glass plate from the opposite side toward the glass plate side.

9. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 8, wherein the diameter of the bolt is 30 mm or more.

10. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 8, wherein the bolt is located at a position at least 100 mm away from the edge of the glass plate in the width direction of the glass plate.

11. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 8, wherein the bolts include a lower bolt located at a predetermined distance from the lower edge of the glass plate and an upper bolt located above the lower bolt.

12. The freestanding glass fence according to claim 11, wherein the distance between the lower bolt and the upper bolt is 300 mm or more.

13. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 11, wherein a fall prevention part is provided between the lower bolt and the upper bolt to prevent the support member, which is pressed by the upper bolt, from falling.

14. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 1, wherein the glass plate is laminated glass made by stacking multiple glass plate materials.

15. The aforementioned glass plate material is provided in three pieces, The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 14, wherein the thickness of each of the glass plates is 19 mm or more.

16. The self-supporting glass fence according to claim 1, further comprising a cover member that covers the support portion.

17. The glass panel is installed outdoors in the self-supporting glass fence according to claim 1.

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