Patent ID: 6581342
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: B32B,E06B

Abstract:
A blast-protective window for resisting actions of force, comprising:a glazing unit comprising a pair of spaced-apart glass panels and a reinforcing resin material therebetween, the panels having at least two common edges, each of the at least two common edges having a sealed portion comprising adhesive material within a section of a rigid clamping channel of substantially U-shaped cross-section, an outer face of each panel further having a non-channel-enclosed region not enclosed within a clamping channel; and window framework joined and sized to receive and surround said U-shaped rigid clamping channel of said glazing unit, said window framework having a window opening area, wherein said window framework comprises a main framework of vertical and horizontal elements extending in a general plane of a substantially vertical orientation, an auxiliary backing framework also extending in a general plane of a substantially vertical orientation, said auxiliary backing framework at least partly protruding across the opening defined by said main framework for at least indirectly supporting one of the outer faces of said spaced-apart glass panels in the non-channel-enclosed region thereof, said main framework and said auxiliary framework being integrally joined, and together having a substantially L-shaped cross-section along the surrounding common edge thereof, and a clamping element attached to said main framework with a surface thereof adjacent to, and at least indirectly supporting the other outer face of said spaced-apart glass panels in the non-channel-enclosed region thereof, wherein an abutment surface is provided along an inner side of said window framework for reinforced securing of said glazing unit, and said rigid clamping channel is provided with a flange projecting substantially perpendicular to the general plane of an arm of said clamping channel and beyond an outside face of a major surface of said arm for underriding said abutment surface to restrain said clamping channel from movement toward a center of the window opening area, for reinforced securing of said unit in said window framework.