US 8,484,916 B2Granted

Panel-sealing and securing system

OwnerF. Aziz Faraginventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A panel-sealing and securing system for securing a panel to a mullion coupled with weather seal pressure gaskets for sealing exterior joints under high wind velocity. The mullion is formed in one piece or in two halves of a split mullion which occurs at the joint between multiple pre-fabricated units of a unitized grid system. The mullion has a concealed front corner cavity adjacent to panel for installing the panel-sealing and securing system. For weather sealing, elastic pressure gaskets and expansion joints comprising panel gasket seals at a joint between the panel and the mullion and mullion gasket seals at a joint between the two halves of split mullion where a unitized split mullion system is used. To securing the panel to the mullion and allow for thermal expansion movement of the panel, two segments formed in one piece or in two hinge connected pieces include a gasket holder segment and a spacer plate segment. A retainer may be in the form of a screw fastener, channel or angle clamp with an aperture through which a screw fastener or snap interlocking wedge secures the gasket holder to the mullion. The retainer may be a retainer-cover of the front corner cavity combined in one element. Installation of the retainer secures the gasket holder to the mullion and applies pressure on an end of the panel gasket or the overlapping aligned ends of the panel gasket and the mullion gasket.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A panel-sealing and securing system for securing a panel to a supporting mullion, the system is disposed entirely on one side of the panel and having a cavity disposed at a wall near at least one side of the panel, and sealing a joint between the panel and the supporting mullion, the panel attached to at least one side of the supporting mullion, the system comprising:

a panel securing element that is attached to the supporting mullion and positioned inside the cavity, the panel securing element including a gasket holder segment and a spacer plate segment attached to the at least one side of the panel and adapted to allow an end of the panel to move in a lateral direction parallel to a face of the panel;
a panel gasket defining a first end attached to the at least one side of the panel and a second end attached to the gasket holder segment of the panel securing element, the second end of the panel gasket being disposed between the gasket holder segment and the wail of the supporting mullion;
a retainer for securing and pressing the gasket holder towards the wall of the supporting mullion, wherein pressure is transmitted to the panel gasket between the wall of the supporting mullion and the gasket holder;
and
a mullion gasket that is disposed directly on the second end of the panel gasket adjacent to the wall of the supporting mullion and adapted to align and overlap with the second end of the panel gasket,
wherein the supporting mullion is formed by two split half mullions, such that the mullion gasket is disposed between the two split half mullions and attached to the two split half mullions as to cover a joint between the two split halves of the supporting mullion, the mullion gasket being adapted to allow each of the two split half mullions to move in a direction in relation to each other.

3 more elements

A panel-sealing and securing method for securing a panel to a supporting mullion, the system is disposed entirely on one side of the panel, and having a cavity disposed at a wall near at least one side of the panel, and sealing a joint between the panel and the supporting mullion, the panel attached at least to one side of the supporting mullion, and the supporting mullion being formed by two split half mullions, the method comprising:

securing at least one side of the panel with a panel securing element that is attached to the supporting mullion and positioned inside the cavity, the panel securing element including a gasket holder segment and a spacer plate segment attached to the at least one side of the panel adapted to allow an end of the panel to move in a lateral direction parallel to a face of the panel;
attaching a first end of a panel gasket to the at least one side of the panel and a second end to the gasket holder segment of the panel securing element, the second end of the panel gasket being disposed between the gasket holder segment and the wall of the supporting mullion;
securing and retaining the gasket holder towards the wall of the supporting mullion with a retainer;
transmitting pressure to the panel gasket between the wall of the supporting mullions and the gasket holder;
and
disposing a mullion gasket directly on the second end of the panel gasket adjacent to the wall of the supporting mullion and between the two split half mullions adapted to align and overlap with the second end of the panel gasket, wherein the mullion gasket is attached to the two split half mullions so as to cover a joint between the two spilt halves of the supporting mullion, the mullion gasket being adapted to allow each of the two split half mullions to move in a direction in relation to each other.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/179,414Filed 24 Jul 2008 · continuation in part
Priority: 22 Mar 2001
Published: US 2008/0295425 A14 Dec 2008
Granted: 16 Jul 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

E04B 2/90
Curtain walls: comprising panels directly attached to the structure
B32B 17/10036
Characterized by the number, the constitution or treatment of glass sheets: comprising two outer glass sheets
B32B 17/10045
Comprising two outer glass sheets: with at least one intermediate layer consisting of a glass sheet
B32B 17/10055
With at least one intermediate layer consisting of a glass sheet: with at least one intermediate air space

Family

Application60/277,633Us provisional application · filed 22 Mar 2001
Application60/304,411Us provisional application · filed 12 Jul 2001
Application10/102,892Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Mar 2002
Application11/060,705Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Feb 2005
US 2008/0295425 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Dec 2008
US 7,832,160 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,857,233 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2002/0148178 A1Published application
US 2005/0166496 A1Published application
US 8,484,916 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.