Glass brick

• US 4,628,652 A
• Filed: 08/26/1983
• Issued: 12/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vegla Vereinigte Glaswerke GmbH
• Original Assignee: Vegla Vereinigte Glaswerke GmbH
• Inventors: Wefels, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Murtagh, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/527,176
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 52/204, 52/217, 52/235, 52/293, 52/306, 52/307, 52/308, 52/309.1, 52/309.3, 52/309.13, 52/309.14, 52/421, 52/427, 52/436-439, 52/561 , 52/562, 52/568-572, 52/578, 52/589-604, 52/608-612, 52/741, 52/742, 52/743, 52/745, 52/746, 52/747, 52/749, 52/750, 52/476, 52/477, 446/105, 446/108, 446/111, 446/115, 446/116, 446/125, 446/127
• US Class Current: 52/306
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/42 of glass or other transparent material panels made of glass bricks E04C2/546

Abstract

A glass modular construction block is provided with a form-fitting frame of an integral foam material, and wherein the frame on the impact surface is provided with projections and recesses, which permit a firm plug-in connection. Along the narrow sides, the frame includes sealing projections. The space between the sealing projection serves for the insertion of reinforcement bars made of flat sections, which are provided with through-going openings for the plug-in projections. Setting of the glass modular construction blocks is accomplished without any additional adhesive means, so that a wall or wall portions constructed from such glass modular construction blocks can be disassembled, and so that the glass modular construction blocks are reusable. '"'"'

Claims

1. A glass construction block comprising

a glass modular element,

a frame having an outer peripheral surface and two side surfaces, said frame surrounding said glass modular element, said outer peripheral surface having cylindrically shaped recesses and projections adapted for being plugged into frictional engagement with a similar and adjoining glass construction block,

said frame comprising shoulders extending outwardly near each side surface, and being adapted to abut the shoulders of said adjoining glass construction block, each shoulder including two longitudinal ledge-like embossments, and a groove formed between said embossments,

a space between the shoulders, adapted for the insertion of a reinforcement bar,

said frame being made of a synthetic material having a D Shore hardness from 70 to 85.

2. The glass construction block of claim 1 further comprising a bore in said frame, said bore communicating with said groove, whereby a sealing mass may be introduced into said groove through said bore.

3. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said synthetic material is a thermoplastic material.

4. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame has material-saving clearances between said shoulders.

5. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral surface includes pairs of oppositely disposed sides, and wherein the sides of each pair are each formed with a longitudinally extending slit adapted to receive a tension wire, whereby a plurality of adjoining glass construction blocks can be held together when said tension wire is passed through said slits so as to surround said blocks, and upon said tension wire being thereafter put under tension.

6. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 5, wherein said hard polyurethane integral foam has a bending E modulus of about 1050 MPa, a compression rigidity of 12 mPa at a 10% compression, and a linear thermal expansion coefficient of 90 m/m. K.10⁶, at a form-foamed density of 600 kg/m³.

7. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame is made of hard polyurethane integral foam having a foamed core and an unfoamed covering layer.

8. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral surface normally has a certain size, and wherein said certain size is enlarged by at least a factor of two by corrugation, burling or roughening of said peripheral surface, whereby adhesion between said glass modular element and said frame is increased.

9. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 1, wherein each projection includes a ring-shaped hollow cylinder, and each recess includes a ring-shaped groove having an outer wall, and further including a cone surrounded by said ring-shaped groove, and converging slightly in an outward direction, and wherein said cone is adapted to press the corresponding ring-shaped hollow cylinder of the adjoining glass construction block against the outer wall of said ring-shaped groove.

10. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 9, wherein each ring-shaped hollow cylinder has an axis, and is provided with slits extending in a direction parallel to said axis.

11. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 9, wherein each ring-shaped hollow cylinder has an inner surface which defines an outer surface of an imaginary truncated cone diverging slightly in an outward direction.

12. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 11, wherein the conicities of said cone, and of said inner surface of said ring-shaped hollow cylinder are so chosen as to result in an automatic braking action when said cone engages the corresponding inner surface of the adjoining glass construction block.

13. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 10, wherein said slits extend in a radial direction.

14. The glass construction block as claimed in claim 10, wherein each ring-shaped channel, each ring-shaped hollow cylinder, and each cone has a substantially circular cross-section.