Wooden louvers

Abstract

To provide a wooden louver that can suppress the generation of wind noise, which is a type of wind-induced noise. [Solution] A wooden louver 40 is attached to the outdoor side of a metal mullion 30 that supports a curtain wall 20, and has a louver body 41 having at least a curved surface 43 on the outdoor side. The back surface 45 of the louver body 41 is provided with an engaging piece 47 that engages with an engaging piece 38 attached to the mullion 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wooden louver.

Background Art

[0002] In the outer wall of a building or the parapet wall of a balcony, etc., a louver is applied for the purpose of shielding the indoor entry of sunlight or adjusting the incident amount. Here, the louver also has other purposes such as enhancing the exterior design of the building.

[0003] When the outer wall of a building is in the form of a metal curtain wall, the louver is attached to the outdoor side of the uprights of the curtain wall formed by metal marions (uprights) and blind panels and panels (such as glass) via fasteners such as screws and bolts, thereby shielding the entry of sunlight. Here, in addition to the metal curtain wall, there are also PC (Precast Concrete) curtain walls, etc.

[0004] Steel, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. are applied to the metal marions (uprights) and blind panels to reduce the weight of the curtain wall, and the louver installed on the outdoor side thereof is generally formed of a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum in the same manner as the marions and blind panels. And the louver generally has a plate shape, and when the plate-shaped louver is applied in either a vertical or horizontal manner, the incident amount is adjusted as desired by adjusting the tilt angle of the louver.

[0005] In this specification, both the mullions that serve as the base material for the exterior walls of a building and the mullions (stays) of a curtain wall are referred to as "mullions," and configurations in which a curtain wall is attached to a building include configurations in which the mullions of the curtain wall are attached to the mullions of the building, and configurations in which the mullions of the building and the mullions (stallions) of the curtain wall are pre-integrated (in other words, configurations in which the ends of the curtain wall are attached to the mullions of the building). In addition, there are other configurations in which the mullions and / or transoms of the curtain wall are attached to beams of the building, etc.

[0006] As described above, while applying louvers can block incoming sunlight as desired, the fact that louvers are plate-shaped means that wind noise is generated when wind blows past them, and this problem becomes even more pronounced in high-rise buildings.

[0007] Here, Patent Document 1 proposes a louver to be combined with the exterior wall surface of a building. This louver comprises a base facing the exterior wall surface of the building, a tip located on the opposite side of the base, an incident surface extending between the base and the tip where sunlight directly enters, an exit surface extending between the base and the tip and located on the opposite side of the incident surface, and a through hole penetrating the louver from the incident surface to the exit surface, with the through hole including a side that extends from the incident surface to the exit surface. The louver is formed from stainless steel, aluminum, glass fiber reinforced cement, or precast concrete. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-17736 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Since the louvers described in Patent Document 1 are also plate-shaped, they inherently contain the above-mentioned problems, namely, problems related to the generation of wind noise, which is wind noise.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a wooden louver that can suppress the generation of wind noise, which is a type of wind noise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, one embodiment of the wooden louver according to the present invention is: A wooden louver attached to the exterior side of a metal mullion or transom supporting a curtain wall, The louver body is characterized by having at least a curved surface on the outdoor side.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the louver body has a curved surface on the outdoor side, which effectively suppresses the generation of wind noise. Furthermore, while the mullions or transoms supporting the curtain wall are made of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, the louver body is made of wood instead of metal, which allows for the addition of the excellent aesthetic design that wood provides to curtain wall-type buildings, and because it is a natural material, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and enhance the effect of reducing the environmental impact load.

[0013] Furthermore, other embodiments of the wooden louvers according to the present invention include: The louver body is characterized by having a cylindrical shape.

[0014] According to this embodiment, the cylindrical shape of the louver body enhances the wind noise suppression effect and provides excellent aesthetic appeal to curtain wall type buildings.

[0015] Furthermore, other embodiments of the wooden louvers according to the present invention include: The louver body is cylindrical in shape and has grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of the louver body on its surface.

[0016] According to this embodiment, the louver body is cylindrical in shape, and its surface is further provided with grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of the louver body, thereby enhancing the wind noise suppression effect. The combination of the curved surface and grooves further enhances the aesthetic appearance of the curtain wall type building.

[0017] Furthermore, other embodiments of the wooden louvers according to the present invention include: The louver body is characterized in that the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is horseshoe-shaped or roughly horseshoe-shaped.

[0018] According to this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the louver body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is horseshoe-shaped or roughly horseshoe-shaped, which enhances the wind noise suppression effect and provides excellent exterior design to curtain wall type buildings.

[0019] Furthermore, other embodiments of the wooden louvers according to the present invention include: The louver body is characterized by having an engaging piece on its back surface that engages with an engaging piece attached to the mullion or the transom.

[0020] According to this embodiment, an engaging piece is provided on the back of the louver body that engages with an engaging piece attached to a mullion or transom. Compared to a configuration in which the louver body is fixed by driving it into the mullion or transom with screws or the like, the ease of attaching the louver to the mullion or transom is improved. Therefore, the improvement in ease of attachment by applying the wooden louver of this embodiment becomes even more significant when the building in question is a high-rise building of the curtain wall type.

[0021] Furthermore, other embodiments of the wooden louvers according to the present invention include: The louver body is characterized by being impregnated with a wood preservative.

[0022] According to this aspect, since the agent, which is a wood preservative, is infiltrated into the louver body, deterioration of the wooden louver body caused by ultraviolet rays, decay fungi, etc. can be effectively suppressed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] As can be understood from the above description, according to the wooden louver of the present invention, generation of the wind noise that is the wind cutting sound can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a partial front view of an example of a curtain wall type building including an example of the wooden louver according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a sectional view taken along the arrow II-II in FIG. 1 and is a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the wooden louver and the buttress. [Figure 3] It is a sectional view taken along the arrow III-III in FIG. 2 and is a longitudinal sectional view cut at the central position of the buttress and the louver. [Figure 4] It is a partial front view of another example of a curtain wall type building including an example of the wooden louver according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of another example of the wooden louver according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of yet another example of the wooden louver according to the embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, an example of the wooden louver according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings together with the building to which the wooden louver is attached. In the present specification and the drawings, substantially the same components may be denoted by the same reference numerals to omit redundant description.

[0026] [Wooden Louver According to the Embodiment] An example of a wooden louver according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Here, Figure 1 is a front view of a part of a curtain wall type building equipped with an example of a wooden louver according to the embodiment, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wooden louver and mullion, and Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 2, cut at the center position of the mullion and louver. Furthermore, Figure 4 is a front view of a part of another example of a curtain wall type building equipped with an example of a wooden louver according to the embodiment, and Figures 5 and 6 are both cross-sectional views perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of another example of a wooden louver according to the embodiment.

[0027] The building shown in Figure 1 is a multi-story building, and Figure 1 is a front view showing a portion of the first floor and part of the second floor.

[0028] A reinforced concrete foundation 10A (for example, a strip foundation) and a reinforced concrete inter-story beam 10B between the first and second floors extend horizontally. Multiple curtain walls 20 are installed between the foundation 10A and the inter-story beam 10B to form an exterior wall, and a similar exterior wall is formed on the second floor above the inter-story beam 10B.

[0029] Multiple vertically extending metal mullions 30 are erected at intervals in the horizontal direction, with the upper and lower ends of each mullion 30 connected to the inter-floor beam 10B and the foundation 10A. The left and right ends of the curtain walls 20 are fitted between the horizontally aligned mullions 30, thereby forming an exterior wall consisting of multiple curtain walls 20.

[0030] The metal mullions 30 are made of steel, aluminum, stainless steel, or the like.

[0031] In the example shown in Figure 2, the curtain wall 20 consists of double-glazed glass with two panes of glass 22 and an air gap 24 between them. A sealing material 28 is fitted to the ends of the two panes of glass 22, and the thickness of the sealing material 28 maintains an air gap 24 of a certain thickness.

[0032] The mullion 30 has a glass holding portion 31 that accommodates and supports the end of the curtain wall 20, and a protruding region 33 that is continuous with the glass holding portion 31 and protrudes inward.

[0033] The glass holding portion 31 has an H-shaped cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, and the ends of the curtain wall 20 are accommodated in the left and right recesses 31a. By fitting a packing 26 between the two glass panes 22 and the glass holding portion 31, the ends of the curtain wall 20 are sealed to the glass holding portion 31 and installed.

[0034] Here, the illustrated example shows a configuration in which the mullion 30 has both a glass holding portion 31 that holds the end of the curtain wall 20 and a protruding region 33 that projects inward. However, there are various configurations for the mullion's form, the curtain wall's form, and the mounting structure between the mullion and the curtain wall, such as a configuration in which the mullion has only a protruding region, and a mullion (not shown) is provided at the end of the curtain wall, with the mullion being fastened to the protruding region of the mullion via fasteners.

[0035] The protruding region 33 is formed, for example, by hollow extrusion molding of aluminum, and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, with a hollow 37. Here, the outer diameter of the protruding region 33 may be a circle, an ellipse, or a polygon other than a rectangle (such as a triangle), in addition to the rectangle shown in the illustrated example.

[0036] The mullion 30 may be formed by manufacturing the protruding region 33 and the glass holding portion 31 separately and joining them by welding or bolting, or the entire protruding region 33 and the glass holding portion 31 may be molded as a single unit.

[0037] The mullion 30 is provided with a protruding region 33 that extends inward, thereby increasing the rigidity of the mullion 30 and enabling it to stably support the curtain wall 20 against external forces such as wind acting on it.

[0038] On the other hand, the metal protruding area 33 that extends inward into the room can detract from the aesthetic appeal (interior design) of the interior. To address this issue, the protruding area 33 of the mullion 30 is surrounded by a wooden cover 50.

[0039] The protruding area 33 is enclosed (concealed) by the wooden cover 50, which creates a soft and warm atmosphere through the interior design of the wooden outer surface 51, thus eliminating the sense of incongruity caused by the metal protruding area 33 protruding into the interior.

[0040] Incidentally, in winter when the outside air is cold, when the glass holding portion 31 on the outdoor side of the metal mullion 30 is cooled by the outside air, the protruding portion 33 that extends inward is also cooled, leading to condensation. And it is extremely difficult to completely prevent such condensation from occurring.

[0041] In the illustrated example, since the outer surface 35 of the protruding region 33 is surrounded by a wooden cover 50, condensation that occurs may adhere to the wooden cover 50, and if this condition persists, the wooden cover 50 may rot prematurely.

[0042] Therefore, an intervening material 60 is provided, which alternately has a plurality of recesses 64 and a plurality of protrusions 62 extending in the longitudinal direction of the mullion 30, over the entire interface between the outer circumferential surface 35 of the protruding region 33 and the inner circumferential surface 52 of the wooden cover 50, and is arranged so that each recess 64 faces the outer circumferential surface 35 of the protruding region 33.

[0043] Here, the intervening material 60 is formed from an elastic resin material such as rubber, or a hard resin material, etc.

[0044] Condensation that forms on the outer circumferential surface 35 of the protruding region 33 flows downward in the Y1 direction through each recess 64, as shown in Figure 3, and condensation that forms on the inner circumferential surface 36 facing the hollow 37 flows downward in the Y2 direction through the inner circumferential surface 36.

[0045] A condensation tray 70 is installed above the foundation 10A, in a position below the protruding area 33, and a discharge opening 80 is connected to the condensation tray 70.

[0046] Condensation that flows downward through the recess 64 and inner circumferential surface 36 of the protruding region 33 flows down in the Y3 and Y4 directions toward the condensation receiver 70, and is discharged to the outside in the Y5 direction through the condensation receiver 70 and the discharge opening 80.

[0047] Thus, a peripheral structure 100 is formed for the mullion supporting the curtain wall, in which a protruding region 33 projecting inward toward the interior of the building is provided on the outer surface 35 of the metal mullion 30 to which the curtain wall 20 is attached, and a mechanism is provided to allow condensation to flow down and be discharged at the interface between the protruding region 33 and the inner surface 52 of the wooden cover 50.

[0048] As shown in the illustrated example, the outer surface 35 of the protruding region 33 of the mullion 30 is surrounded by the wooden cover 50, which allows for the rapid discharge of condensation that is likely to occur on the metal protruding region 33 while forming a wood-based interior design. As a result, the condensation adheres to the wooden cover 50, and the maintenance of this condition prevents the wooden cover 50 from decaying prematurely.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, a wooden louver 40 is attached to the outdoor side of the metal mullion 30.

[0050] The wooden louver 40 has a cylindrical louver body 41 and a plurality of engaging pieces 47 that are fastened to the back surface 45 of the louver body 41 at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the louver body 41 with fasteners 48 such as screws.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the outer surface of the glass holding portion 31 of the mullion 30 has engaging pieces 38 attached to it at intervals along its longitudinal direction using fasteners 39 such as screws, and the multiple engaging pieces 47 of the wooden louver 40 are attached to the back surface 45 of the louver body 41 at positions corresponding to each engaging piece 38.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, the cross-sectional dimensions of the louver body 41 are such that they completely conceal the glass holding portion 31 located on the outdoor side of the mullion 30. For example, the diameter B2 of the louver body 41 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is set to be larger than the maximum width B1 of the mullion 30. This setting ensures that the mullion 30 is completely concealed by the louver 40 when viewed from the outdoor side.

[0053] Furthermore, since the louver body 41 is cylindrical, its entire circumference is a curved surface 43.

[0054] The wooden louver body 41 is made of, for example, cedar or cypress.

[0055] Preferably, the louver body 41 is impregnated with a wood preservative. Such impregnation treatment effectively suppresses the deterioration of the wooden louver body 41 caused by ultraviolet rays, decay fungi, etc.

[0056] In this case, wood preservatives that meet AQ certification (Approved Quality, a certification for superior wood building materials conducted by the Japan Housing and Wood Technology Center) can be applied.

[0057] As shown in Figure 2, the wooden louvers 40 are erected on the outdoor side of the mullion 30, which effectively blocks sunlight incident in the upward diagonal direction, X1.

[0058] Furthermore, the application of the wooden louvers 40 allows for the addition of the excellent aesthetic design qualities inherent in wood to curtain wall-type buildings, and because it is a natural material, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and enhance the reduction of environmental impact.

[0059] Furthermore, because the entire circumference of the louver body 41 is curved, the wind that touches the louver body 41 can flow smoothly along the curved surface 43, effectively suppressing wind noise. For example, conventional louvers are plate-shaped, and therefore wind noise tends to be loud when wind blows past the side of the louver, which is a factor in wind noise. However, by applying a louver body 41 with a shape like the one shown in the illustration, wind noise can be suppressed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the wooden louver 40, multiple engaging pieces 47 are attached to the back surface 45 of the louver body 41, and each engaging piece 47 engages with multiple engaging pieces 38 attached to the mullion 30, thereby enabling good attachment of the wooden louver 40 to the mullion 30.

[0061] Here, a curtain wall type building equipped with wooden louvers 40 according to the embodiment may be configured such that, as shown in Figure 4, horizontally extending transoms 30A are attached to the connection area of ​​the mullions 30 of the upper and lower floors, and the curtain wall is divided vertically by the horizontal transoms 30A. In this configuration, the mullions may be configured to be continuous vertically rather than being divided vertically in the attachment area of ​​the transoms 30A, as shown in the illustrated example.

[0062] Wooden louvers can also take on other forms, such as those with the cross-sectional shapes shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0063] The wooden louver 40A shown in Figure 5 has a configuration in which the louver body 41A is provided with grooves 44 extending longitudinally on the surface of the cylindrical body. Each edge of the grooves 44 is curved, giving the entire appearance, including the outer perimeter, a rounded design, and allowing air that enters the narrow grooves 44 to flow smoothly.

[0064] In addition to achieving the same effect as the cylindrical wooden louver 40, the wooden louver 40A's design is enhanced by the grooves 44 that extend in the longitudinal direction.

[0065] On the other hand, the wooden louver 40B shown in Figure 6 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the louver body 41B that is horseshoe-shaped or roughly horseshoe-shaped.

[0066] The wooden louvers 40B produce the same effect as the cylindrical wooden louvers 40.

[0067] Here, the shape of the wooden louvers should be such that they have a curved surface on the exterior side to suppress wind noise, and various shapes other than the illustrated example can be applied.

[0068] Other embodiments may be used in which other components are combined with the configurations listed in the above embodiments, and the present invention is not limited in any way to the configurations shown herein. In this regard, modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to the application form. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 10A: Basics 10B: Interstory beam 20: Curtain Wall 22: Glass 24: Air layer 26: Packing 28: Sealing material 30: Mullion 30A: No eyes 31: Glass holding part 31a: Recess 33: Projection area 35: Outer surface 36: Inner surface 37:Hollow 38: Engaged piece 39: Fasteners 40, 40A, 40B: Wooden louvers 41, 41A, 41B: Louver body 43: Curved surface 44: Groove 45: Back 47: Engaging piece 48: Fasteners 50: Wooden cover 51: Outer surface 52: Inner surface 60: Assistive devices 62: Convex part 64: Recess 70: Condensation tray 80: Discharge opening 100: Peripheral structure of mullions supporting a curtain wall (Peripheral structure of mullions)

Claims

1. A wooden louver attached to the exterior side of a metal mullion or transom supporting a curtain wall, A wooden louver characterized by having a louver body with at least a curved surface on the outdoor side.

2. The wooden louver according to claim 1, characterized in that the louver body is cylindrical.

3. The wooden louver according to claim 1, characterized in that the louver body is cylindrical and has grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of the louver body on its surface.

4. The wooden louver according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the louver body is horseshoe-shaped or substantially horseshoe-shaped.

5. The wooden louver according to claim 1, characterized in that the back surface of the louver body is provided with an engaging piece that engages with an engaging piece attached to the mullion or the transom.

6. The wooden louver according to claim 1, characterized in that the louver body is impregnated with a wood preservative.

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