CURTAIN WALLS WITH SUSPENDED GLASSED PANELS

Abstract: The curtain walls with suspended glassed panels consist of prefabricated elements of glass and glassed panels, which are placed onto the frame of the curtain wall suspended only by the horizontal beams of the frame on the curtain wall and along their whole length (1.1; 1.2). In each floor of curtain wall there are two horizontal beams parallel to each other and continuous along the length of the structural facade of the floor and corresponding one along the height of the base of the window (1.1; 6.2) of the floor and the other to the height of the top of the windows (1.2; 5.2), and are supported, the first on the ends of cantilevers, which are anchored onto the floor slab of the floor directed upwards (6.1), and the second at the ends of cantilevers which are anchored to the roof slab of the floor directed downwards (5.1). In the case of continuity of the curtain wall the cantilevers upwards and downwards are unified and take the shape of a bilaterally protruding beam (1.3; 2.3) relative to the floor slab of the floor, whereas in the case of unified glass panels along the height of the floor, the support of the horizontal beams is directly fastened at the roof and floor slabs of the floor. Between the two horizontal beams of the floor no vertical beams exist and the windows are suspended in the free space of the floor via hooks located one on the profile of the upper beam of the floor (1.2; 2.2; 5.2; 5.3) and the other on the profile of the upper side of the frames of the windows (5.4). The aluminium profiles with which the glassed panels are constructed bear special incisions (5.6; 6.5; 7.1; 8.1) suitable for the support of blades made of a special aluminium alloy compatible with the adherence requirements of the sealing materials with which the glasses of the glassed panels are retained.

Description: CURTAIN WALLS WITH SUSPENDED GLASSED PANELS The invention refers to the industrial production of a series of aluminium profiles for the construction of curtain walls with suspended glassed panels. The structure and shape of the frame of the curtain walls manufactured today in Greece and internationally is based on the traditional structure of the frame which consists of a grid of vertical beams, which run across all the height of the curtain wall as continuous beams and small horizontal beams - transverses which are positioned between the vertical ones. The glassed panels are placed onto this grid in contact both with the vertical and the horizontal elements and are supported by it. This structure of the frame has several problems and weaknesses mainly concerning thermal expansity, antiseismic properties, tightness, safety and operation of the windows, strength and durability of the sealing materials, of the general construction cost etc. The above problems and weaknesses are faced more efficiently with the construction of curtain walls with suspended glassed panels, to which the present invention refers. With this invention, the elements of the glasses - glassed panels, prefabricated in the plant, are placed onto the frame of the curtain wall suspended only from the horizontal beams of the frame and along their whole length, without the glassed panels touching the vertical beams, which aim at supporting only the horizontal beams onto the slabs of the floors of the building, figures 1 and 2. In each floor of the curtain wall there are two horizontal beams parallel to each other and continuous, along the length of the structural facade of the floor; they correspond, one at the height of the base of the windows - lower horizontal beam of the floor - fig. 1.1 ,2.1 , and the other to the height of the top of the windows, - upper horizontal beam of the floor, fig. 1.2, 2.2. These horizontal beams are supported on the end of small cantilevers anchored on the slabs of the floors of the building, figure 1.3, 2.3.; the cantilevers which are fastened on the floor slab of the floor and have an upwards direction support at their ends the horizontal beam which corresponds to the height of the base of the windows, - lower horizontal beam of the floor - whereas those fastened to the roof slab of the floor and are directed downwards support at their ends the horizontal beam which corresponds to the height of the top of the windows - upper horizontal beam of the floor - which constitutes the beam for the suspension and opening of the windows, with the special hooks along its whole length and which correspond to the respective hooks of the upper side of the frames of the windows. In case of continuity of the curtain wall to a lower or upper floor, the two cantilevers are unified as beams bilaterally protruding towards the continuous floors, figure 1.3, 2.3, whereas in the case of unified glassed panel along the height of the floor, the support of the horizontal beams is directly fastened at the roof and floor slabs of the floor. With the above support of the horizontal beams and the means of suspension and opening of the windows, continuity of vertical beams between the two horizontal beams of each floor does not exist. Hence, the construction of continuous windows along the length of the floor is easy and has a limited cost, figure 3. The shape and the dimensions of the horizontal beams and cantilevers, the method of their connection and the fastening method depend on the materials of construction of the building and the dimensions of the slabs of the building. Application of the invention constitutes a series of aluminium profiles which is presented in the accompanying drawings and concern: Figure 4: Profiles - forms of cantilevers, as in figures 1.3, 2.3. Figure 5: Functional composition of the upper horizontal beam for the suspension of the windows in which 5.1 : cantilever, 5.2: upper horizontal beam for the suspension of the windows with hook 5.3, 5.4: upper horizontal side of the window frame with the mutual hook for the suspension of the windows, 5.5: lower horizontal side of the frame of fixed glassed panels. Figure 6: Functional composition of the lower horizontal beam for the suspension of the fixed glassed panels in which 6.1 : Cantilever, 6.2 lower horizontal beam for the suspension of fixed glassed panels, 6.3: upper horizontal side of the frame of fixed classed panels, 6.4: lower horizontal side of the window frame. Figure 7: Functional composition of the vertical beam - vertical sides of the . frames for the windows and fixed glassed panels. Figure 8: functional composition of the corner beam. All the profiles which constitute the panel of the glassed panels bear special incisions for the attachment and support on them of aluminium blades made of special alloy compatible with the adherence requirements of the sealing materials, so that a better quality and long lasting retention of the glasses onto the aluminium frames of the glassed panels, as illustrated in figures 5.6, 6.5, 7.1 , 8.1.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. The curtain walls with suspended glassed panels are characterised by that the prefabricated glassed panels are placed onto the frame of the curtain wall suspended only by the horizontal beams of the frame of the curtain wall and along its whole length (1.1., 1.2), so that no continuous vertical beams exist along the height of the curtain wall (1.3, 2.3). 2. The curtain walls with suspended glassed panels, according to claim 1 , are characterized by that the horizontal beams of the frame are two for each floor of curtain wall (1.1 , 1.2), parallel to each other and continuous along the length of the structural facade of the floor and correspond one to the height of the base of the windows (1.1 , 6.2) and the other to the height of the top of the windows (1.2, 5.2), and are supported, the first at the ends of cantilevers which are anchored to the floor slab of the floor directed upwards (6.1), and the second at the ends of similar cantilevers which are anchored to the roof slab of the floor directed downwards (5.1), whereas in the case of continuity of the curtain wall across the floors the cantilevers are unified and the horizontal beams are supported on unified poles of a shape of a bilaterally protruding beam. (1.3, 2.3). 3. The curtain walls with suspended glassed panels, according to claim 1 , are characterised by that between the two horizontal beams on the floor no vertical beams exist, and in the free space between them the windows of the floor are suspended via hooks located one on the profile of the upper horizontal beam of the floor (1.2, 2.2, 5.2, 5.3), and the other on the profile of the upper side of the frames of the windows (5.4). 4. The curtain walls with suspended glassed panels, according to claim 1 , are characterised by that the aluminium profiles with which the frames of the glassed panels are pre-fabricated, bear special incisions (5.6, 6.5, 7.1 , 8.1) suitable for supporting blades of special aluminium alloy compatible with the adherence requirements of the sealing materials with which the glasses are retained onto the glassed panels. 5. The curtain walls with suspended glassed panels, according to claim 1 , are characterised by that the dimensions and the shape of the glassed panels and of the horizontal beams as well as the dimensions and the fastening method of the cantilevers depend on the free height of the floors, the dimensions of the slabs, the materials of construction and the architectural requirements of the building.

Inventors: TAMBAKAKIS STEFANOS, TAMBAKAKIS, STEFANOS
Applicants: TAMBAKAKIS STEFANOS, TAMBAKAKIS, STEFANOS
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E04B2
IPC codes: E04B2, E06B3