Reinforcement structure for glass panel in partition device

Abstract

To reinforce glass panels P, P, ...SOLUTION: A support material 11 stood corresponding to joints D of glass panels P, P, and a pair of joint materials 12, 13 incorporated in the joints D of the glass panels P, P and engaging each other to connect the glass panels P, P are combined together.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a glass panel in a partition device, which can effectively reinforce a glass panel. [Background technology]

[0002] A double-glazed partition device having front and rear glass panels is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Conventional partition devices hold front and rear glass panels via a frame body consisting of a lower frame, an upper frame, and left and right vertical frames supported by left and right pillars. Each glass panel can be connected to the left and right to achieve the required opening dimensions, and adjacent glass panels on the left and right can be connected via a joint member with a cross section that is approximately H-shaped, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-214753 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of such a conventional technique, the front and rear glass panels that connect multiple pieces are only connected via joint members with a roughly H-shaped cross section, which causes problems such as insufficient overall strength and a tendency for excessive shaking and bending to occur. In addition, the roughly H-shaped cross section joint members are widely exposed on the surfaces of the left and right glass panels on both sides of the joint, which can impair the overall aesthetic appearance.

[0006] Therefore, in consideration of the problems of the conventional technology, the object of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing structure for a glass panel in a partition device which can sufficiently reinforce the strength of the glass panel while easily achieving a good aesthetic appearance by combining a support material with a joint material to be placed in the joints of the glass panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The configuration of the present invention to achieve this object comprises a support material that is erected to correspond to the joints of the glass panels, and a pair of joint materials that are stored within the joints so that they do not protrude on the front side of the glass panels, the support material having an engaging groove formed on each of its front and rear end faces, the joint materials being adhered to the side end faces of the glass panels on both sides of the joint and engaging with each other within the joint to connect the glass panels, and one of the joint materials being connected to the support material via a leg that engages with the engaging groove.

[0008] The joint material can be made of a transparent or light-transmitting hard synthetic resin, the legs can be formed on the back side of the base portion which is fixed to the end surface of the support material, and the base portion can have a protrusion formed on the back side to prevent the legs from coming off.

[0009] The support material may be connected at both ends to a lower frame and an upper frame for the glass panel via fixing metal fittings of the same shape and size. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the configuration of the present invention, a pair of joint materials to be fitted in the joints of the glass panels engage with each other to connect the adjacent glass panels on the left and right, and one of the joint materials engages with the engagement groove of the support material to become one with the support material, thereby reinforcing the glass panel via the support material and suppressing the shaking and bending of the glass panel. In addition, the joint materials fitted in the joints do not protrude or bulge on the surface side of the glass panel, and there is no risk of impairing the aesthetic appearance of the glass panel. Each joint material is preferably made of, for example, a transparent or light-transmitting hard synthetic resin to match the left and right glass panels, and can be attached by adhering to the side end faces of the corresponding glass panels.

[0011] Both ends of the support material are connected to the lower and upper frames for the glass panel via fixing metal fittings, respectively, to provide the necessary and sufficient strength. The fixing metal fittings are preferably concealed so that they cannot be seen from the outside, for example, by cover materials attached to the upper surface of the lower frame and the lower surface of the upper frame, and the support material. Furthermore, if the fixing metal fittings for the lower end and the upper end of the support material are the same shape and size, the number of types of parts can be reduced, making work easier.

[0012] By forming the legs of the joint material on the back side of the base, when the joint material is engaged with the engagement groove of the support material to connect the joint material to the support material, the base part can be fixed to the end face of the support material to stabilize the joint material. Note that if the base part is made wider than the width of the joint of the glass panel and is interposed between the back side of the side edge of the glass panel and the end face of the support material, the opportunity for stress concentration at the side edge of the glass panel can be reduced.

[0013] The protrusions on the back side of the base portion position the legs in the appropriate position when the legs are engaged with the engaging grooves of the support material, preventing them from coming loose, thereby further stabilizing the connection between the joint material and the support material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] Overall cross-sectional view showing usage [Diagram 2] Enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the main part of Figure 1 [Diagram 3] Cross-sectional diagram of support material and each joint material [Figure 4] Main part configuration diagram [Diagram 5] Fixture configuration diagram [Figure 6] Exploded view of main parts (1) [Figure 7] Exploded view of main parts (2) [Figure 8] Assembly procedure diagram (1) [Figure 9] Assembly procedure diagram (2) [Figure 10] Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] The reinforcing structure of the glass panel in the partition device comprises a support material 11 erected corresponding to the joint D of the glass panels P, P, and a pair of joint materials 12, 13 fitted into the joint D of the glass panels P, P (Figs. 1 and 2). However, for the sake of convenience in the following explanation, the lower side in Fig. 1 and the left side in Fig. 2 will be referred to as the front side, and the upper side in Fig. 1 and the right side in Fig. 2 will be referred to as the rear side.

[0017] The partition device is configured by mounting front and rear glass panels P, P... to a frame body that combines a lower frame 21 on the floor F side, an upper frame 22 on the ceiling C side, left and right support columns S, and vertical frames 23, 23 on the S side. The lower frame 21, upper frame 22, and vertical frame 23 are each an aluminum extrusion with a predetermined cross-sectional shape, and the upper, lower, left and right peripheral parts of the front and rear glass panels P, P... are elastically pressed and fixed by glass holders 24 against the front and rear sides of the upper frame 22, lower frame 21, and each vertical frame 23 with cushioning material 24a interposed therebetween. Each glass holder 24 is also an aluminum extrusion and is attached to the corresponding upper frame 22, lower frame 21, and each vertical frame 23 in a detachable engagement. However, the front and rear glass panels P, P... are connected to each other via joints D.

[0018] The lower frame 21 is installed so that the height can be freely adjusted by arranging jacks 32, 32... with adjuster bolts in an upward channel-shaped floor rail 31 laid on the floor F via anchor bolts 31a, and by integrally connecting the jacks 32, 32... to a downward channel-shaped reinforcement material 33 supported by the jacks 32, 32... and fitting the jacks 32, 32... to the floor rail 31 from above. The lower ends of each glass panel P are supported on the front side and rear side of the lower frame 21 via setting blocks 34, respectively. However, the jacks 32, 32... in the floor rail 31 are distributed and arranged immediately below each support material 11 and in the immediate vicinity of the left and right supports S, S, and only one of them is shown in FIG. 2. Cover materials 35, 35... are attached to the upper surface of the lower frame 21, and each cover material 35 is divided and arranged between the vertical frames 23, 23 and the support materials 11, 11.

[0019] The upper frame 22 is fitted from below into a downward channel-shaped ceiling rail 36 that is fixed to the ceiling C via reinforcing metal fittings 36a and locking screws 36b. Covering materials 37, 37... are attached to the underside of the upper frame 22, and each covering material 37 is divided and arranged between the vertical frames 23, 23 and the supports 11, 11, like the covering material 35 on the lower frame 21 side. In addition, the left and right vertical frames 23, 23 are fitted into the inward-facing side surfaces of the corresponding support columns S via cushioning materials 38, and are screwed to the front and rear sides of the support columns S. Another partition panel P1, for example, is connected to the other side surface of each support column S.

[0020] Each support material 11 is an extruded aluminum material with a generally rectangular cross section (Figs. 1 and 3(A)). The support material 11 has a rectangular hole 11a inside, and has engagement grooves 11b for joint materials 12 on the front and rear end faces, respectively. Each engagement groove 11b is formed as a shallow modified T-slot with a trapezoidal bottom, and the overall cross-sectional shape of the support material 11 is line symmetrical front-to-back and left-to-right. Note that there may be one or more support materials 11 between the left and right supports S, S, depending on the number of glass panels P, P... connected to the left and right.

[0021] The joint materials 12, 13 in the joints D of the glass panels P, P engage with each other to connect the left and right glass panels P, P, and are fixed to the front end surface or rear end surface of the support material 11 via one of the joint materials 12, and connected to the support material 11.

[0022] One of the joint materials 12 has a pair of engaging ribs 12c, 12c formed on one side of a wall surface portion 12b erected on the front surface side of a base portion 12a, parallel to the base portion 12a (FIGS. 1 and 3(B)), and a leg portion 12d formed on the rear surface side of the base portion 12a. At the tip of each engaging rib 12c, a hook 12c1 parallel to the wall surface portion 12b is formed, and the leg portion 12d is bent in the opposite direction to each engaging rib 12c parallel to the base portion 12a, and a protrusion 12e is formed on the rear surface side of the base portion 12a parallel to the leg portion 12d. In addition, flat-topped protrusions 12f, 12f are formed on both ends on the front surface side of the base portion 12a, and a small hook 12b1 is formed on the tip of the wall surface portion 12b in the opposite direction to the engaging ribs 12c, 12c.

[0023] The other joint material 13 has a pair of parallel engaging ribs 13b, 13b formed on one side of the wall portion 13a (Figures 1 and 3(C)), with hooks 13b1 formed at the tip of each engaging rib 13b and small hooks 13a1 formed on both ends of the wall portion 13a.

[0024] Both ends of each support member 11 are connected to the lower frame 21 and the upper frame 22 via fixing brackets 14, 14 of the same shape and size (FIG. 2, FIG. 4(B), (A)). Each fixing bracket 14 is configured by front and rear fixing pieces 14c, 14c protruding upward from a protruding portion 14b in the middle of the left and right mounting legs 14a, 14a (FIG. 5). Front and rear notches 14d, 14d for screw fastening are formed at the tip of each mounting leg 14a, and upper and lower round holes 14e, 14e for screw fastening are formed in each fixing piece 14c. The fixing bracket 14 is integrally combined with a hat-shaped plate material forming the mounting legs 14a, 14a and the protruding portion 14b and a channel-shaped plate material forming the fixing pieces 14c, 14c. However, FIG. 5(A) to (C) are a front view, a plan view, and a side view of the fixing bracket 14, respectively.

[0025] The lower end of the support 11 is fixed by inserting the fixing pieces 14c, 14c of the fixing bracket 14 into the square hole 11a of the support 11 (Figs. 2 and 6), screwing them from the bottom surfaces of the front and rear engagement grooves 11b, 11b, and screwing the mounting legs 14a, 14a to the upper central surface of the lower frame 21. The lower frame 21 is fastened together with the reinforcing member 33, and the lower frame 21 and the reinforcing member 33 are respectively formed with a square hole 33a and a long hole 21a through which the upward small diameter portion of the adjuster bolt of the jack 32 is inserted. The lower frame 21 and the fixing bracket 14 can be concealed by the cover members 35, 35 and the lower end of the support 11 (Figs. 2 and 4(B)).

[0026] Similarly, the upper end of the support material 11 is connected to the upper frame 22 via a fixing bracket 14 (Figs. 2 and 7). That is, the fixing bracket 14 has fixing pieces 14c, 14c inserted into square holes 11a of the support material 11 and screwed into the front and rear engagement grooves 11b, 11b, and the mounting legs 14a, 14a are screwed to the lower surface of the center of the upper frame 22. The fixing bracket 14 can be concealed by cover materials 37, 37 and the upper end of the support material 11 (Figs. 2 and 4(A)).

[0027] The procedure for assembling the glass panels P, P and the joint materials 12, 13 to the support material 11 is, for example, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. However, Figures 8 and 9 show a state in which the joint materials 12, 13 have already been attached to the joints D of the glass panels P, P on one end face of the support material 11.

[0028] First, the joint material 12 is carried in front of the engagement groove 11b of the support material 11 (FIG. 8(A)), and the leg 12d on the back side of the base portion 12a is inserted into the engagement groove 11b (FIG. 8(B)). After that, the leg 12d is deeply engaged with one side of the engagement groove 11b and the base portion 12a is properly fixed to the end face of the support material 11 (FIG. 8(C)), and the leg 12d is positioned via the protrusion 12e on the back side of the base portion 12a and is prevented from coming off (FIG. 10). However, since FIG. 10 shows the completed state in which the joint materials 12 and 13 have been installed in the joints D of the glass panels P and P, attention should be paid here only to the support material 11 and the joint material 12.

[0029] Next, the glass panel P corresponding to the joint material 12 is brought in so as to face the rear surface side of the wall surface portion 12b (FIG. 8(D)). At this time, however, double-sided tape (not shown) is attached in advance to the side end face of the glass panel P on the joint material 12 side.

[0030] Next, the position of the glass panel P is adjusted (FIG. 9(A)), and the release paper of the double-sided tape is removed, and the side end face of the glass panel P is bonded and connected to the wall portion 12b of the joint material 12. Thereafter, the other adjacent glass panel P is carried in (FIG. 9(B)). However, at this time, the joint material 13 is previously bonded in the correct direction to the side end face of the glass panel P to be carried in via double-sided tape (not shown), and the engagement ribs 13b, 13b of the joint material 13 are aligned to the engagement positions with the engagement ribs 12c, 12c of the joint material 12.

[0031] Therefore, the position of the glass panel P on the joint material 13 side is adjusted, and the joint material 13 is engaged with the joint material 12 to complete the connection (FIG. 1C, FIG. 10). The completed joint materials 12, 13 are fitted into the joint D formed by the left and right glass panels P, P, connecting the glass panels P, P and also connected to the support material 11 via the leg 12d of the joint material 12. The engaging ribs 12c, 13b of the joint materials 12, 13 are prevented from coming off via the hooks 12c1, 13b1 at their respective tips, and both ends of the base portion 12a fixed to the end surface of the support material 11 are interposed between the side edges of the glass panels P, P and the end surface of the support material 11, and the side edges of the glass panel P are supported via the flat protrusions 12f, thereby preventing uneven stress distribution at the side edges of the glass panel P and harmful stress concentration due to this.

[0032] In the above explanation, instead of providing the glass panels P, P... on the front and rear sides to form double glazing, they may be provided on only one of the front and rear sides. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the appearance of the end face of the support material 11 on the side where the glass panel P is not provided by, for example, attaching a cover material of the same width as the support material 11 to the engagement groove 11b. Also, the engagement form of the joint materials 12, 13 can be changed to any form other than that shown in the drawings, so long as the left and right glass panels P, P can be appropriately connected within the joint D. The glass panel P may be a synthetic resin panel. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] This invention can effectively reinforce a glass panel through a support material and a pair of joint materials within the joint, and can be widely and suitably applied to partition devices for glass panels that have large opening dimensions and require a good aesthetic appearance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] P…Glass panel D…Joint 11...Support material 11b…Engagement groove 12...Joint material 12a…Base section 12d…legs 12e…projection 13...Joint material 14…Fixing bracket 21…Bottom frame 22...Upper frame Patent applicant: Komatsu Wall Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims

1. A reinforcement structure for a glass panel in a partition device, comprising: a support material that is erected to correspond to the joints of the glass panels; and a pair of joint materials that are stored within the joints so that they do not protrude on the front side of the glass panels, wherein the support material has engagement grooves formed on its front and rear end surfaces, the joint materials are adhered to the side end surfaces of the glass panels on both sides of the joint, and engage with each other within the joint to connect the glass panels, and one of the joint materials is connected to the support material via a leg that engages with the engagement groove.

2. 2. The reinforcing structure for a glass panel in a partition device according to claim 1, wherein said joint material is made of a transparent or light-transmitting hard synthetic resin.

3. 3. The reinforcing structure for a glass panel in a partition device according to claim 1, wherein the leg portion is formed on a rear surface side of a base portion which is fixed to an end surface of the support material.

4. 4. The reinforcing structure for a glass panel in a partition device according to claim 3, wherein the base portion has a protrusion formed on a rear surface thereof for preventing the leg portion from coming off.

5. 5. A reinforcing structure for a glass panel in a partition device according to claim 1, wherein both ends of said support material are connected to a lower frame and an upper frame for the glass panel via fixing metal fittings of the same shape and size.

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