# US 8,539,725 B2 · Earthquake damage resistant glass panel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,539,725 B2 - Document ID: US8539725B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/233,670 - Filed: 2002-09-04 - Published: 2004-03-04 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2002-09-04 - Assignees: The Penn State Research Foundation - Applicants: Ali M. Memari; Paul A. Kremer; Richard A. Behr - Inventors: Ali M. Memari; Paul A. Kremer; Richard A. Behr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8539725B2 ## CPC - E04B 2/96: comprising panels attached to the structure through mullions or transoms {(E04B2/885 takes precedence)} - E04H 9/02: withstanding earthquake or sinking of ground (foundations E02D27/34) - E06B 3/54: Fixing of glass panes or like plates - E06B 5/10: for protection against air-raid or other war-like action; for other protective purposes - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) ## Abstract Architectural glass panels for use in a wide variety of building wall systems, such as curtain walls and storefronts, which have improved resistance to damage from earthquake and/or other loads that could cause horizontal racking movements of architectural glass panels within their glazing frames are disclosed. Embodiments include various types of architectural glass panels that have material removed at panel corners and are fabricated with smooth edge contours in the corner regions. A preferred embodiment includes various types of architectural glass panels that have rounded corners with or without finished edges. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A building comprising at least one rectangular frame having an architectural glass panel within the rectangular frame, wherein the architectural glass panel has material removed at each corner and has finished edge surfaces and smooth edge contours in the corner regions and along the perimeter of the glass panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The building of claim 1 wherein the corners of the glass panel are rounded. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2 wherein the glass panel comprises annealed monolithic architectural glass, heat-strengthened monolithic architectural glass, fully tempered monolithic architectural glass, or chemically strengthened monolithic architectural glass. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2, wherein the glass panel comprises an insulating glass unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2, wherein the glass panel comprises a laminated glass unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2, wherein a polymeric film is adhered to the glass panel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The building of claim 6, wherein the polymeric film is adhered to the glass panel with the edges of the film anchored to a glazing frame member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2, wherein the glass panel is anchored to a glazing frame and wherein the glazing frame comprises metal, metal alloys, wood, polymeric materials, ceramics, or any combination of these materials. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The building of claim 7, wherein the glass panel has clean-cut, seamed, ground, polished, or some combination thereof, as the finished edge surfaces in the corner regions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2, wherein the glass panel has shaped, ground, or polished edges and corner regions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The building of claim 2, wherein the rounded corner glass panel has corner radii of about one half inch (about 13 mm) to about 2 inches (about 51 mm). ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The building of claim 2, wherein the rounded corner glass panel has asymmetric radii or compound radii. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2 comprising a curtain wall wherein the at least one rectangular frame is an element of the curtain wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2 comprising a storefront wall system wherein the at least one rectangular frame is an element of the storefront wall system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2 comprising a punched opening window system, wherein the at least one rectangular frame is an element of the punched opening window. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2 comprising a ribbon window system, wherein the at least one rectangular frame is an element of the ribbon window. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1, 2) The building of claim 1 or 2 comprising a strip window system, wherein the at least one rectangular frame is an element of the strip window. ### Claim 18 A method of increasing the earthquake damage resistance of an architectural glass panel within a building, the method comprising fitting an architectural glass panel having material removed at each corner and having finished edge surfaces and smooth edge contours in the corner regions and along the perimeter of the glass panel in a rectangular frame of a building. ### Claim 19 A method of increasing the earthquake damage resistance of a glass panel in an existing building, the method comprising retrofitting or replacing a square or rectangular-cornered glass panel in the building with an architectural glass panel having material removed at each corner and having finished edge surfaces and smooth edge contours in the corner regions and along the perimeter of the glass panel. ### Claim 20 A method of increasing the earthquake damage resistance of a glass panel within a building, the method comprising: removing an original glass panel from a building; modifying the corner region geometry of the original glass panel to form a glass panel having material removed at its corners and fabricated with smooth edge contours in the corner regions; and inserting the modified geometry glass panel back in the building. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the material removed produces a glass panel having rounded corners. ### Claim 22 A method of increasing the earthquake resistance of an architectural glass panel, comprising providing said glass panel in a rectangular frame of a building wherein said glass panel has modified-geometry corner means combined with edge finish means and edge profile means at the corners and along the perimeter for increasing said glass panel's ability to accommodate contacts with other glazing components during earthquakes, thereby increasing said glass panel's resistance to earthquake damage when in the rectangular frame of the building. ### Claim 23 A glazed earthquake damage resistant architectural glass panel, comprising: (a) at least one rectangular frame element, and (b) a rectangular architectural glass panel of predetermined dimensions and composition for its intended architectural use, and modified-geometry corner means combined with edge finish means and edge profile shape means at the corners and along the perimeter of said glass panel so as to increase said glass panel's ability to accommodate contacts with other glazing components during earthquakes whereby said glass panel's resistance to glass cracking and glass fallout damage is increased in said at least one rectangular frame element. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The glazed earthquake damage resistant architectural glass panel of claim 23, wherein said glazed earthquake damage resistant architectural glass panel is a component of said rectangular frame selected from the group of wall system types consisting of curtain wall, storefront, punched opening, ribbon, strip, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 25 A method of increasing the earthquake damage resistance of a glazed architectural glass panel in an existing building, the method comprising replacing said glass panel in said existing building with a rectangular architectural glass panel of predetermined dimensions and composition for its intended architectural use, and modified-geometry corner means combined with edge finish means and edge profile shape means at the corners and along the perimeter of said glass panel so as to increase said glass panel's ability to accommodate contacts with other glazing components during earthquakes whereby said glass panel's resistance to glass cracking and glass fallout damage is increased. ### Claim 26 A method of increasing the earthquake damage resistance of a glazed architectural glass panel in an existing building, the method comprising: (a) removing said glass panel from said existing building; (b) providing modified-geometry corner means combined with edge finish means and edge profile shape means at the corners and along the perimeter of said glass panel for increasing said glass panel's ability to accommodate contacts with other glazing components during earthquakes; and (c) reglazing said glass panel with modified geometry corner means in said building, whereby glass cracking and glass fallout resistance of said glass panel are increased.