Pre-Glazed Window Wall Assembly With Pivoting Hook Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing window wall systems are costly and require complex installation processes, particularly due to the need for mechanical fasteners and external installation of glazing units.
Innovation Solution
A window wall system featuring a sill receptor with an upright member and hooks, allowing pre-glazed units to be installed from the interior by pivoting, secured using a spring clip at the head receptor, and mullion fillers without mechanical fasteners, enabling quick and easy installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional mechanical fasteners and external installation methods are used, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates mechanical fasteners from the window wall system, replacing them with a receptor-hook integration system where the sill receptor and head receptor directly engage with the glazing unit hooks through recesses and protrusions, simplifying the overall system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the attachment function into the structural components themselves - the sill receptor and head receptor are integrated with the floor slabs, and the glazing unit hooks are built into the frame, eliminating the need for separate fasteners
2Productivity
If external installation of glazing units is performed, then proper positioning is achieved, but installation time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional installation sequence by enabling interior installation of glazing units rather than exterior installation, allowing workers to install units from the building interior after floor slabs are in place, which reverses the conventional workflow and reduces installation time
Solution Approach 2:
The glazing units are pre-assembled with integrated hooks attached to the frame before installation, and the sill/head receptors are pre-secured to the floor slabs, allowing for rapid final assembly without complex on-site fastening operations
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a sealed interface is created between glazing units and floor slabs, then weather protection is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible sealing members (gaskets) that are received by the recesses in the sill receptor and head receptor, creating weather-tight seals through simple compression fit rather than complex sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is self-installing through the engagement of the glazing unit hooks with the receptor recesses, which automatically compresses the sealing members to create the weather barrier without requiring separate sealing operations
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
Facilitates cost-effective and efficient installation of pre-glazed units by eliminating the need for external installation and mechanical fasteners, enhancing security against wind loads and uplift, and ensuring a sealed interface.
Implementation Method 1
the spring clip provides a spring-loaded biasing member configured to locate a pocket when the glazing unit reaches the vertical orientation, and wherein the spring-loaded biasing member engages an obstruction within the pocket that prevent the head from exiting the head receptor
Data Source
AI summary
A window wall system includes a sill receptor secured to an upper surface of a first floor slab, the sill receptor providing a base and an upright member extending from the base, a head receptor secured to a bottom surface of a second floor slab vertically offset from the first floor slab, and a glazing unit providing a sill, a head, and one or more panels extending between the sill and the head. A first hook defined by the sill is engageable with the upright member. When the upright member is received by the hook, the glazing unit is pivotable about the upright member toward a vertical orientation. A second hook is defined by the sill and receivable within a groove defined in the sill receptor when the glazing unit reaches the vertical orientation.