Glass block assembly

• US 7,373,763 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Extech/Exterior Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Extech/Exterior Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Voegele, William P. Jr., Quinlan, Michael R., McNally, Raymond A., Lohr, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/705,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 523/06, 523/07, 523/08, 524/56, 524/47, 526/64, 526/01, 526/67, 522/237, 524/751, 526/565
• US Class Current: 52/308
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/42 of glass or other transparent material panels made of glass bricks E04C2/546
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/546 made of glass bricks

Abstract

An assembly of glass blocks held in a structural frame comprises a plurality of glass blocks, a rectangular structural perimeter frame, a plurality of primary muntins, each said primary muntin comprising an elongate web, the primary muntins extending entirely across the structural perimeter frame, a plurality of extruded secondary muntins, and a plurality of structural rods inserted through the secondary muntins and extending entirely across the structural perimeter frame, such that the primary and secondary muntins form a matrix within the structural perimeter frame with openings for receiving the plurality of glass blocks.

Claims

1. An assembly of glass blocks held in a structural frame comprising:

a plurality of glass blocks each having two rectangular display faces and four edge faces;

a rectangular structural perimeter frame having four sides;

a plurality of primary muntins, each primary muntin comprising an elongate web with stand-offs lying within parallel planes and extending outward from the web and at least one elongate hollow boss integral with the web positioned within the planes, the primary muntins extending entirely across the structural perimeter frame;

a plurality of secondary muntins, the secondary muntins comprising a web with stand-offs lying within parallel planes and extending outward from the web and at least one hollow boss integral with the web positioned within the planes, lengths of the secondary muntins extending just somewhat longer than lengths of the edge faces or the display faces of the glass blocks;

a plurality of structural rods inserted through the hollow bosses of the secondary muntins and extending entirely across the structural perimeter frame, such that the primary and secondary muntins form a matrix within the structural perimeter frame with openings for receiving the plurality of glass blocks, and;

an elastomeric spacer adapted to be placed at the edge faces of each of the glass blocks or placed on the primary and secondary muntins, wherein the elastomeric spacers contact the edge faces and the stand-offs of the primary and secondary muntins when the glass blocks are inserted in the matrix, and wherein the elastomeric spacers act as a backing to support a sealant for sealing the glass blocks in the matrix.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the primary muntins and the secondary muntins are extruded.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the widths of the primary and secondary muntins are substantially the same.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the widths of the primary and secondary muntins are different.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the matrix is secured to the structural perimeter frame by nuts on threaded ends of the rods inserted through the hollow bosses of the secondary muntins or by screw fasteners engaging the hollow bosses of the primary muntins.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein a plurality of structural rods is inserted through the hollow bosses of the primary muntins and extends across the structural perimeter frame.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein sections of the primary and secondary muntins are different in that the hollow bosses in the primary muntins are not located at the same position across the width of the muntin as the hollow bosses in the secondary muntins.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacers are made of an intumescent material.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the glass blocks are sealed in the matrix with caulking material between the edge faces thereof.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the glass blocks have central recesses on the edge faces and wherein the caulking enters the recesses.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the primary and secondary muntin webs have at least one edge along the width thereof having a bead thereon and the assembly further comprises a plurality of elastomeric joint covers that snap over the beads.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the elastomeric joint cover has a graffiti-resistant coating.

13. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the muntin webs have exposed beads along an edge of the muntin webs.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the beads are concealed by joint sealant.

15. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the width of the primary and secondary muntins is less than the width of the edge faces of the glass blocks.

16. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the width of the primary and secondary muntins is equal to or greater than the width of the edge faces of the glass blocks.

17. An assembly of glass blocks and vision glass comprising:

a plurality of glass blocks having two rectangular display faces and four edge faces;

a vision glass;

a rectangular structural frame having four sides;

a plurality of extruded primary muntins, each primary muntin comprising an elongate web with stand-offs extending outward from the faces of the web and at least one elongate hollow boss integral with the web, the primary muntins extending entirely across the structural frame;

a plurality of extruded secondary muntins, the secondary muntins comprising a web with stand-offs extending from the faces of the web and at least one hollow boss integral with the web, lengths of the secondary muntins extending just somewhat longer than lengths of the edge faces or the display faces of the glass blocks; and

a plurality of structural rods inserted through the hollow bosses of the secondary muntins and extending entirely across the structural frame, such that the primary and secondary muntins form a matrix within the frame with openings for receiving the plurality of glass blocks,

wherein one side of the structural frame comprises a flexible structure including two facing channels that have restricted relative motion therebetween, one facing channel supporting structural rods and muntins perpendicular thereto and the other facing channel supporting the vision glass.

18. An assembly of glass blocks held in a structural frame comprising:

a plurality of glass blocks each having two rectangular display faces and four edge faces;

a rectangular structural perimeter frame having four sides and further comprising two channels, one channel with extending substantially parallel webs sliding within extending parallel webs of the other channel and with gaskets therebetween permitting slight relative movement;

a plurality of primary muntins, each primary muntin comprising an elongate web with stand-offs extending outward from the web and at least one elongate hollow boss integral with the web, the primary muntins extending entirely across the structural perimeter frame;

a plurality of secondary muntins, the secondary muntins comprising a web with stand-offs extending outward from the web and at least one hollow boss integral with the web, lengths of the secondary muntins extending just somewhat longer than lengths of the edge faces or the display faces of the glass blocks; and

a plurality of structural rods inserted through the hollow bosses of the secondary muntins and extending entirely across the structural perimeter frame, such that the primary and secondary muntins form a matrix within the structural perimeter frame with openings for receiving the plurality of glass blocks.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein at least one of said channels has a center web with a non-metallic thermal break.

20. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising an edge spacer placed within the structural perimeter frame adjacent to the glass block at the perimeter of the glass block assembly, captured against one of the channels.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the edge spacer comprises a web having two spaced halves, flat portions, and flanges extending from the sides with a beaded edge, said edge spacer positioned with the flat portions adapted to abut an elastomeric spacer on the perimeter face of the glass block.