Patent ID: 7779584

Claim:
A curtain wall system of the type having a framing of mullions and transoms adapted to support panels, the curtain wall system comprising: framing portions for supporting the glass panels, each framing portion being formed by: a pair of horizontally spaced apart mullions, each said mullion having a mullion body portion and a mullion nose portion projecting from the mullion body portion, a pair of vertically spaced notches in the mullion body portion; and a pair of vertically spaced apart penetrating transoms, each said penetrating transom having a transom body portion and a transom nose portion projecting from the transom body portion, the transom nose portion having extensions extending beyond opposed ends of the transom body portion with the transom body portion, the transom nose portion and the extensions forming one integral extruded member, the extensions being received in the notches of the mullion body portions such that the penetrating transoms are supported by the mullions, whereby the framing portion is formed for sealingly receiving a panel to form an air barrier, with the mullion nose portions and the transom nose portions about the glass panel, and with a gap being defined between the extensions of the transoms and the mullion nose portions; pressure plates releasably connected to the mullion nose portions and to the transom nose portions to form a sash with the framing portion so as to hold the panel laterally captive between the mullion body portions, the transom body portions and the pressure plates; and an integrally-formed seal member blocking each said gap to form a pressurized cavity with the sash about the glass panel, whereby a rain screen is formed by the combination of the air barrier and the pressurized cavity.