Single-Sheet Fire-Rated Glass Through Specialized Tempering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire-rated glass technologies, such as wire embedded and laminated glass, pose safety hazards and are costly, while alternatives like transparent ceramic materials are expensive.
Innovation Solution
A single sheet of true glass is selected, polished for edge imperfections, and subjected to a specialized tempering process to achieve fire resistance, maintaining integrity during fire exposure tests and impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire embedded glass is used to provide fire resistance and strength, then fire rating and structural strength are improved, but safety hazards increase due to severe wounds from shattered glass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wire embedding from the glass structure entirely, extracting the harmful element while preserving fire resistance through alternative means (laminated construction with intumescent layers between glass panes), thereby eliminating the safety hazard of severe wounds from shattered wired glass
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by layering multiple glass panes with intumescent material layers between them, creating a laminated structure that achieves fire resistance without requiring embedded wires, thus maintaining structural integrity while improving safety
2Reliability
If transparent ceramic materials are used as fire resistant inserts, then fire resistance is achieved, but cost increases significantly compared to true glass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from expensive transparent ceramic to more economical true glass, while compensating for fire resistance through the addition of intumescent layers and multi-pane lamination, achieving the desired fire protection at lower cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure combining true glass panes with intumescent material layers, replacing the need for expensive transparent ceramic materials while maintaining fire resistance through the composite construction
3Object-affected harmful factors
If laminated glass with intumescent material is used as substitute for wired glass, then safety from shattered glass is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful wire element from the glass structure, replacing it with a laminated construction that provides safety without the complexity and cost of multiple bonded panels, achieving safety through a simplified single-pane or multi-pane design without wire
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 method produces a fire-rated glass that substitutes for wired glass and ceramic materials, offering better visual clarity, impact resistance, and architectural versatility at a lower cost.
Implementation Method 1
the tempered glass sheet has undergone the NFPA-257 fire exposure test
Implementation Method 2
it is subjected to a special tempering process
Data Source
AI summary
An article of fire rated glass and method of producing the same prepared by selecting a sheet of clear float annealed glass of at least 19 millimeters in thickness and providing the edge of the sheet substantially free of imperfections. The glass sheet is then specially tempered at a temperature of at least 575 degrees Celsius for a period of at least 750 seconds, followed by a cooling step.