FIRE RESISTANT GLAZING SCREEN

Abstract

A fire resistant glazing screen comprising: at least two monolithic soda lime silica glass panes that are in accordance with the BS EN 572 series standard, wherein said panes are toughened to an extent, wherein each of said panes abuts at least one other of said panes at adjacent edges, and wherein a sealant is located between said adjacent edges of abutting panes.

Claims

1.-22. (canceled)

23. A fire resistant glazing screen comprising: at least two monolithic soda lime silica glass panes, wherein said panes are toughened to an extent, wherein each of said panes abuts at least one other of said panes at adjacent edges, and wherein a sealant is located between said adjacent edges of abutting panes.

24. The screen according to claim 23, wherein a mullion, transom, muntin, profile and/or inlay is not located between at least a section of said adjacent edges and/or is not located at least a section of adjacent edge regions.

25. The screen according to claim 23, wherein a mullion, transom, muntin, profile and/or inlay is not located between at least 80% of the length of said adjacent edges and/or is not located at at least 80% of the length of adjacent edge regions.

26. The screen according to claim 23, wherein a mullion, transom, muntin, profile and/or inlay is not located between said adjacent edges and/or is not located at adjacent edge regions.

27. The screen according to claim 23, wherein said adjacent edges each comprise two borders that each connects said adjacent edge to a major surface of said pane.

28. The screen according to claim 27, wherein said borders are chamfered such that each border does not form a right angle between the adjacent edge and the major surface of the pane.

29. The screen according to claim 28, wherein said chamfered borders are generally convex.

30. The screen according to claim 27, wherein each adjacent edge further comprises two border regions and a central region, wherein each border region is located adjacent a border and the central region is located between the border regions, and wherein at least one section of the central region is thicker than all of the border regions.

31. The screen according to 27, wherein each adjacent edge further comprises two border regions and a central region, wherein each border region is located adjacent, and along the entire length of, a border and the central region is located between the border regions, and wherein at least one section of the central region is thicker than all of the border regions.

32. The screen according to claim 30, wherein said border regions and/or the central region comprise a generally convex surface.

33. The screen according to claim 30, wherein the central region comprises a generally flat surface.

34. The screen according to claim 23, wherein said adjacent edges each comprise a generally convex surface.

35. The screen according to claim 27, wherein said borders, border regions or generally convex surface are symmetrical.

36. The screen according to claim 23, wherein said adjacent edges comprise one or more indentations and/or protrusions.

37. The screen according to claim 23, wherein said panes and/or said adjacent edges comprise a surface compressive stress of at least 90 MPa, but at most 200 MPa.

38. The screen according to claim 23, wherein the sealant comprises alkali metal silicates.

39. The screen according to claim 38, wherein the sealant further comprises inorganic oxides and/or graphite.

40. The screen according to claim 23, wherein the screen further comprises one or more point fixings located at the adjacent edges and/or edge regions.

41. The screen according to claim 23, wherein the screen comprises no point fixings.

42. The screen according to claim 23, wherein the distance between the closest points of the adjacent edges is at least 3 mm, but at most 10 mm.

43. The screen according to claim 23, wherein the panes each have a thickness of at least 6 mm, but at most 20 mm.

Description

[0044] The invention will now be further described by way of the following specific embodiments, which are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a first embodiment of a fire resistant glazing screen in accordance with the present invention; and

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a second embodiment of a fire resistant glazing screen in accordance with the present invention that incorporates a point fixing.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a first embodiment of a fire resistant glazing screen 1 in accordance with the present invention comprising two monolithic soda lime silica glass panes 2 that are in accordance with the BS EN 572 series standard and which have been toughened to an extent. The panes 2 abut one another at adjacent convex edges 3 and a sealant 4 is located between said adjacent edges 3.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a second embodiment of a fire resistant glazing screen 1 in accordance with the present invention. This screen 1 has the same components as screen 1 shown in FIG. 1 but additionally comprises button shaped steel point fixings 5 connected via countersunk steel screw 6. Fixings 5 each have a generally flat bottom surface that incorporates a mineral fibre gasket 7. Gaskets 7 each contact a major surface of each of the panes 2 adjacent the adjacent edges 3 and straddle a region between said adjacent edges 3.

EXAMPLES

[0049] A number of glazing screens were tested in accordance with the fire test standard BS EN 1363-1, specifically BS EN 1364-1:1999Fire resistance tests for non load bearing elementsPart 1: Walls. Each screen comprised three panes of Pilkington Pyroclear (RTM) glass (pane dimensions: 10 mm thick, height 2.87 m and various widths to provide a total width of 3 m) and a sealant between the adjacent edges of the panes. The distance between the closest points of the adjacent edges was 5 mm for each screen. In the case of the screens of examples 2-5, point fixings were located at the adjacent edge regions of the panes at 0.6 m intervals. The point fixings each comprised two circular steel flanges (diameter 35 mm) with mineral fibre gaskets. Each pair of flanges was connected with a countersunk steel screw. The screens of examples 1 and 6 did not incorporate point fixings.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Fire test results for glazing screens according to the present invention tested in accordance with the fire test standard BS EN 1363-1, specifically BS EN 1364-1: 1999. Example Sealant Point fixings Result 1 Sealmaster (RTM) x <30 mins Fireglaze 2 Sealmaster (RTM) >30 mins Fireglaze 3 Kerafix (RTM) >30 mins Firestopping Silicone 4 Kerafix (RTM) >30 mins Firestop putty 5 Alkali metal silicate >60 mins 6 Alkali metal silicate x >30 mins

[0050] The screen of Example 1 used the Sealmaster (RTM) Fireglaze sealant, without point fixings. This screen displayed fire resistance but did not achieve 30 minutes to the above standard. The screens of examples 2-4 all incorporated point fixings and exhibited greater than 30 minutes fire resistance to the above standard. The screen of example 5 utilised an alkali metal silicate sealant with point fixings and achieved over 60 minutes to the above standard. The screen of example 6 also used an alkali metal silicate sealant but did not incorporate point fixings and still achieved over 30 minutes to the above standard.

[0051] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.