Frameless window module

• US 20030051421A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Fields, Darell Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/202
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 43/005 Timer devices controlling electrically operated locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/00 Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means electric permutation locks E05B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/462 for two or more drawers
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 17/002 for wings which lie one behind the other when closed
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2017/008 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/261 Frames made of wood
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/2605 with frames permanently mounted behind or within each other, each provided with a pane or screen

Abstract

A frameless window module allows operable windows to be placed in any location of a wood stud frame wall without compromising the load bearing capability of the studs thereof. By using lift-off pivot hinges, two (2) panes of glass are respectively pivotally mounted to the exterior and interior surfaces of the wood stud frame wall. Pneumatic gaskets enable to controllably regulate the air interspace captured thereby to provide a variable-insulation aperture. Interconnection hinges cause the two (2) glass panes of a module to move in concert and/or serve to securely lock them in their closed position.

Claims

1. A frameless window module providing, in dependence on the number of modules arrayed, operable windows of any length in a wood stud frame wall having opposing interior and exterior sides and a continuous run of studs without compromising the studs'"'"' load bearing capability that utilizes the natural insulation properties of the wood stud frame wall to provide insulation and that is suitable for use in modular construction wood stud frame walls, new “

on-site”

construction wood stud frame walls and in already-existing walls of wood stud frame construction, comprising;

a pair of glazing member subassemblies each adapted for exterior mounting to opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall for motion between open and closed positions, providing, when both glazing member subassemblies of a module are moved to their open positions, an opening through the wood stud frame wall that is interrupted by the number of included studs of the continuous run of studs thereof, and providing, when both glazing member subassemblies of a module are moved to their closed positions, insulation by the air interspace between the included studs captured therebetween;

whereby operable windows of any length may be provided in modular construction, new “

on-site”

construction and in already-existing walls of wood stud frame construction in dependence on the number of modules arrayed without compromising the studs'"'"' load bearing capability.

2. The frameless window module of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of glazing member subassemblies is adapted for exterior mounting to opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall for pivoting motion between open and closed positions away from and towards respective opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall via a pivot hinge subassembly.

3. The frameless window module of claim 2, wherein said pivot hinge subassembly is a lift-off pivot hinge subassembly.

4. The frameless window module of claim 2, wherein each of said pair of glazing member subassemblies adapted for exterior mounting to opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall for pivoting motion between open and closed positions away from and towards respective opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall has lateral and longitudinal edges;

and a seal and a seal-seat adapted to seal the lateral edges of each of said glazing members subassemblies, and a seal and a seal-seat adapted to seal the longitudinal edges of each of said glazing member subassemblies, when the same are in their closed positions.

5. The frameless window module of claim 4, wherein each of said seals adapted to seal the longitudinal edges of each said glazing member subassemblies when the same are in their closed positions is a pneumatic seal;

and further including a gas manifold and controller operatively coupled to each said pneumatic seal for varying the degree of seal made by each said pneumatic seal to controllably provide one or more variable-insulation apertures when the glazing member subassemblies of one or more modules are in their closed positions.

6. The frameless window module of claim 2, further including an interconnection hinge subassembly coupled to each glazing member subassembly of the pair of glazing member subassemblies responsive to the pivoting motion of one glazing member subassembly towards and away from the corresponding one of the interior and external sides of the wood stud frame wall to cause pivoting motion of the other glazing member subassembly towards and away from the other one of the opposing interior and exterior sides of the wood stud frame wall;

whereby, the glazing member subassemblies of a frameless window module move together in concert in a “

butterfly”

fashion between their open and closed positions.

7. The frameless window module of claim 6, wherein said interconnection hinge subassembly coupled to each glazing member subassembly of the pair of glazing member subassemblies is adapted to vary the phase of glazing member subassembly closure such that one of the pair of glazing member subassemblies adapted for exterior mounting to opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall for pivoting motion between open and closed positions away from and towards respective opposing sides of the wood stud frame is moved to its closed position before the other glazing member subassembly is moved to its closed position.

8. The frameless window module of claim 6, wherein said interconnection hinge subassembly coupled to each glazing member subassembly of the pair of glazing member subassemblies is adapted to apply compressive force to at least one of said glazing member subassemblies when they are moved to their closed positions so as to clamp the glazing member subassemblies of each of one or more modules shut.

9. The frameless window module of claim 1, wherein each said glazing member subassembly includes a first glass pane adhesively laminated in laterally offset relation to a second glass pane defining flanges to both sides thereof, and edge plates adhesively mounted to each of the flanges.

10. The frameless window module of claim 1, wherein each said glazing member subassembly includes a single glass pane.

11. A removable frameless window module providing, in dependence on the number of modules arrayed, operable windows of any length in a wood stud frame wall having opposing interior and exterior sides and a continuous run of studs without compromising the studs'"'"' load bearing capability that utilizes the natural insulation properties of the wood stud frame wall to provide insulation, that is suitable for use in modular construction wood stud frame walls, new “

on-site”

construction wood stud frame walls and in already-existing walls of wood stud frame construction, and that may be readily attached and detached from the wood stud frame wall, comprising;

a pair of glazing member subassemblies to be exteriorly mounted to respective ones of said opposing sides of said wood stud frame wall, each glazing member subassembly of said pair of glazing member subassemblies having longitudinal and lateral edges;

a lift-off pivot hinge subassembly coupled to one lateral edge of each glazing member subassembly adapted to pivotally mount each said glazing member subassembly for motion between open and closed positions away from and towards respective ones of said interior and exterior sides of said wood stud frame wall, providing, when both glazing member subassemblies of a module are moved to their open positions, an opening through the wood stud frame wall that is interrupted by the number of included studs of the continuous run of studs thereof, and providing, when both glazing member subassemblies of a module are moved to their closed positions, insulation by the air interspace between the included studs captured therebetween;

said lift-off pivot hinge subassembly coupled to each said one lateral edge of each said glazing member subassembly adapted to allow each said glazing member subassembly to be lifted-out-and-in for ease of cleaning, repair and/or replacement.

12. A frameless integument module for a wood stud frame wall having opposing interior and exterior sides and a continuous run of studs that does not compromise the studs'"'"' load bearing capability, comprising:

at least one integument member to be exteriorly mounted to one of said opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall, said at least one integument member having lateral and longitudinal edges; and

a pivot subassembly coupled to one of said lateral and longitudinal edges of said at least one integument member, said pivot subassembly coupled to said one of said lateral and longitudinal edges of said at least one integument member adapted to pivotally mount said at least one integument member for motion between open and closed positions away from and towards said one of said interior and exterior sides of said wood stud frame wall.

13. The frameless integument module of claim 12, wherein said at least one integument member is transparent.

14. The frameless integument module of claim 12, wherein said one of said lateral and longitudinal edges of said at least one integument member is a lateral edge of said at least one integument member.

15. A frameless integument module for a wood stud frame wall having opposing interior and exterior sides and a continuous run of studs that does not compromise the studs'"'"' load bearing capability, comprising:

first and second integument members to be exteriorly mounted to opposing sides of the wood stud frame wall, said integument members each having lateral and longitudinal edges; and

a pivot hinge subassembly coupled to one of said lateral and longitudinal edges of each of said integument members, said pivot hinge subassembly coupled to said one of said lateral and longitudinal edges of said integument members adapted to pivotally mount said integument members for motion between open and closed positions away from and towards respective ones of said interior and exterior sides of said wood stud frame wall.

16. The frameless integument module of claim 15, wherein said integument members are transparent.

17. The frameless integument module of claim 15, wherein said one of said lateral and longitudinal edges of each said integument member is a lateral edge of each said integument member.

18. The frameless integument module of claim 15, further including an interconnection hinge subassembly coupled to said one of the lateral and longitudinal edges of each of said integument members adapted to cause said integument members to move together in concert in a “

butterfly”

fashion.

19. The frameless integument module of claim 15, wherein said pivot hinge subassembly is a lift-off pivot hinge subassembly.