Glass block connector strip

• US 5,806,263 A
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Coleman, William J.
• Original Assignee: Coleman, William J.
• Inventors: Coleman, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Application Number:
  US08/597,391
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 52/306-308, 52/656.9, 52/747.1, 362/145, 362/147, 40/546, 40/547
• 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 connector strip is disclosed for assembling a building wall of glass blocks. The strip includes a longitudinal center section having a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending grooves dimensioned to receive a centrally located ridge extending peripherally around the outer edge surfaces of a molded building block to which the strip is to be mounted. U-shaped channels extend along the center groove for receiving wiring such as fiber optics for illuminating the glass block wall. Peripheral members and secondary walls serve to strengthen the connector strip, engage marginal edge surfaces of glass blocks and facilitate cement bonding between the connector strip and the adjacent blocks. A fastener member also is provided for coupling together adjacently positioned connector strips to form a rigid framework for assembling successive rows of blocks into a wall assembly.

Claims

1. An illuminated glass block wall comprising:

a plurality of glass blocks arranged end to end to form row of glass blocks having a top edge;

a rigid connector positioned to extend along the top edge of the row of glass blocks;

a plurality of glass blocks positioned end to end on the rigid connector to form a second row of glass blocks to form a glass block wall;

the rigid connector comprising;

a rigid center member having two ends;

rigid inner upright walls perpendicularly interconnected with the center member at the ends of the center member to define upper and lower grooves between the inner upright walls and the center member;

rigid base walls perpendicularly interconnected with the center member at upper ends of the inner walls, the base walls extending outward from the inner upright walls and away from the center member;

rigid outer upright walls perpendicularly interconnected with the base walls at far ends of the base walls away from the inner upright walls, the outer upright walls extending parallel to the inner upright walls, the outer upright walls facing the inner upright walls to form U-shaped rigid channels, the channels receiving illumination means therein;

peripheral members extending perpendicularly from a center area of the outer upright walls away from the channels, the peripheral members aligned in the same plane as the center member;

the illumination means positioned within a channel of the rigid connector and extending along the length of the channel, the illumination means shining light from the channel means to within the glass blocks to illuminate the glass block wall.

2. The illuminated glass block wall of claim 1 further comprising rigid end walls perpendicularly interconnected with far ends of the peripheral members away from the channels, the end walls interconnected with the peripheral members at locations central of the end walls, the end walls including upper and lower faces for contacting and supporting adjacent glass blocks.

3. The illuminated glass block wall of claim 2 further comprising secondary walls perpendicularly interconnected with the peripheral members between the channels and the end walls, the secondary walls interconnected with the peripheral members at locations central of the secondary walls.

4. The illuminated glass block wall of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of ribs extending laterally between upper ends of the secondary walls and upper ends of the end walls.

5. The illuminated glass block wall of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of ribs extending laterally between lower ends of the secondary walls and lower ends of the end walls.

6. The illuminated glass block wall of claim 3 further comprising illumination means extending within at least one of the channels, the illumination means extending along the length of the at least one of the channels.

7. The illuminated glass block wall of claim 6 wherein the illumination means comprises fiber optics extending within and along the length of the at least one of the channels.