Fire Resistant Glazing Screen with Edge Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing monolithic fire resistant glazing screens, such as borosilicate and soda lime silica, face challenges in maintaining high optical properties and cost-effectiveness, while also needing to avoid fully captured edges for aesthetic and functional reasons, and existing solutions like laminated glass can suffer from opacity during fires.
Innovation Solution
A non-laminated monolithic fire resistant glazing screen comprising toughened soda lime silica glass panes with alkali metal silicate sealants between abutting edges, where the edges have specific surface compressive stress and irregularity, and are not fully captured, achieving fire resistance without the need for fully captured edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laminated glass panels are used for fire resistance, then fire protection characteristics are improved, but transparency is impaired due to foaming of the intermediate layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the intermediate layer from the laminated glass structure, transitioning to a monolithic glass panel design. This extraction eliminates the foaming issue that compromises transparency during fires while preserving fire resistance through alternative means (edge sealing and glass composition).
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using multiple layers with an intermediate substance (laminated structure), the invention inverts the approach by using a single monolithic layer with enhanced edge sealing. This inversion simplifies the structure and eliminates the transparency-problematic intermediate layer while maintaining fire protection functionality.
2Reliability
If wired glazing is used for fire resistance, then fire protection characteristics are improved, but transparency is impaired due to wiring obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the wire reinforcement element from the glazing structure, replacing it with a monolithic glass panel design that achieves fire resistance through edge sealing and glass composition rather than embedded wiring, thereby restoring full transparency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If fully captured edges are used in monolithic glazing, then structural stability is improved, but aesthetic quality deteriorates due to visible frames
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different treatment to different parts of the glass edges: the adjacent edges that abut each other are precisely prepared with specific surface irregularities for sealing, while the outer edges can be minimally treated or captured by thin profiles, achieving both structural stability and aesthetic quality through localized differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies partial edge capture rather than full capture of all edges. By focusing the sealing and structural attention only on the adjacent edges that require precision for fire resistance, the design allows outer edges to be minimally treated, reducing visual prominence of frames while maintaining necessary structural stability.
4Reliability
If adjacent edges are prepared with high precision for fire resistance, then fire protection characteristics are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies high precision surface preparation only to the specific regions where adjacent edges abut each other (the borders and central region of adjacent edges), rather than treating the entire glass surface. This localized precision approach achieves fire protection characteristics while minimizing overall manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies partial precision treatment to only the necessary portions of the edges (the areas that will abut and seal), rather than uniformly treating all edges with high precision. This partial action reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining the fire resistance performance needed at the critical sealing interfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides consistent high optical properties and achieves fire resistance ratings of over 30 minutes, sometimes 60 minutes, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design without the need for fully captured edges, as demonstrated by compliance with BS EN 1363-1 and BS476-20 standards.
Implementation Method 1
a sealant is located between said adjacent edges of abutting panes, and wherein the sealant comprises alkali metal silicates
Implementation Method 2
said panes and/or said adjacent edges comprise a surface compressive stress of at least 90 MPa, but at most 200 MPa
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A fire resistant glazingscreen comprising: at least two monolithic soda lime silica glass panes that are in accordance with the BS EN 572 series standard, wherein said panes are toughened to an extent, wherein each of said panes abuts at least one other of said panes at adjacent edges, and wherein a sealant is located between said adjacent edges of abutting panes.