JP7699816B2 - Handrail fence - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a handrail fence with glass panels that is installed on verandas, balconies, rooftops, etc. and that emphasizes aesthetics.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 12, an auxiliary frame 53 is attached to a main pillar 52, and assembled to sandwich the sides of glass panels 51, 51 (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-228320 A

When the handrail fence shown in Figure 12 (Patent Document 1) is assembled (completed), the auxiliary frame 53 is noticeable from the outside at the joints between the glass panels 51, which detracts from the aesthetic appeal.

As shown in Figure 13, a structure has been implemented in which an auxiliary frame 54 is fixed to the exterior surface of the main pillar 52, and the glass plates 51, 51 are bonded to the outer surface of the auxiliary frame 54 via a sealant 56 with the joints 60 of the glass plates 51 and 51 brought close to each other.

In the structure of FIG. 13, the seam 60 is narrow and small, and when viewed from the outside, the glass surface appears continuous in the same vertical plane, providing an excellent appearance (beauty).
However, the structure of Figure 13 has the following problems remaining: (i) since it is a so-called wet construction method, it takes several days for the sealant 56 to harden; (ii) since it requires skill and effort to apply the sealant at the site, it is troublesome and inefficient to carry out on-site construction; and (iii) it is expensive.

The purpose of this invention is to solve these problems and provide a handrail fence that can be constructed efficiently in a short time using a so-called dry construction method, while also reducing costs, and that has a good appearance because the gaps between the glass sheets can be set to a sufficiently small dimension when viewed from outside, and the glass surfaces are continuous in the same vertical plane when viewed from the outside.

The present invention therefore comprises a plurality of support posts set up at a given interval; and a panel structure which is attached to the outdoor end faces of adjacent support posts by inserting it from above downward via a male-female plugging mechanism; the panel structure has a glass plate and metal upper and lower frames fixed to the upper and lower edges of the glass plate; the left and right edges of the glass plate directly face each other with a small gap between them; and further, the metal upper frame and the upper ends of the support posts are covered with a metal upper coping.

The small gap size was set to 8 mm or less.
The upper frame also has a recess that opens downwards, and the upper edge of the glass plate is inserted into the outdoor end of the recess; and two wedge members having sloped surfaces that can slide freely against each other are fitted into the recess; the wedge member on the indoor side of the recess moves upward by a screw that is threaded in from above, and the wedge member on the outdoor side presses against the upper edge of the glass plate by the sliding contact of its sloped surface; and the upper edge of the glass plate is fixed to the metal upper frame by being clamped between the outdoor inner surface of the recess and the outdoor wedge member.

The lower frame also has an upwardly opening recess into which the bottom edge of the glass plate is inserted; and two wedge members with inclined surfaces that can slide freely against each other are fitted into the recess; the wedge member on the indoor side of the recess moves downward by a screw that is threaded in from below, and the wedge member on the outdoor side presses against the bottom edge of the glass plate by sliding against the inclined surfaces; the bottom edge of the glass plate is fixed to the metal lower frame by being clamped between the outdoor inner surface of the recess and the outdoor wedge member.

In addition, double-sided tape is attached to both the inner and outer surfaces of the upper edge of the glass plates to be clamped.
In addition, double-sided tape is attached to the inner and outer surfaces of the lower edge of the glass plates to be clamped.
The cross-sectional shape of the upper wall portion of the metal upper coping is a triangular mountain shape having an apex above the upper frame of the panel structure and sloping gently downward toward the outdoors and indoors.

According to the present invention, on-site work can be completed efficiently in a short time (using a dry construction method) without using adhesives that require days (hours) to dry. When viewed from outside, the auxiliary frame is not visible where the glass sheets join, and there is a sufficiently small gap between them to create a vertical glass surface that is continuous on both sides, making it possible to create a balustrade with an excellent appearance.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper half of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the lower half of FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a panel structure. 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for assembling the panel structure. FIG. 13 is an explanatory perspective view of an assembly method for attaching the panel structure to the support pillar. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectional plan view illustrating a method of attaching a panel structure to a support by inserting the panel structure from above. 1 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which a panel structure is attached to a support pillar. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a conventional example in an intermediate stage of assembly. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part in an assembled state showing another conventional example.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on the illustrated embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of pillars 1 are erected on a dam wall (body) 11 at a predetermined interval, and panel structures P are attached in sequence between adjacent pillars 1.

As shown in Figure 9, the support 1 is made of an inner column 2 made of high-strength steel and an outer column 3 made of extruded aluminum and having a generally rectangular cylindrical cross-section (with excellent external design). The outer column 3 is connected and fixed to the inner column 2 with fasteners such as bolts 25 (see Figures 1 and 2).

As shown in Figs. 9 to 11, dovetail grooves 4, 4 are formed on one short side 3A of the substantially rectangular cylindrical cross section of the outer post 3.
The short side 3A on which the dovetail grooves 4, 4 are formed is erected at a predetermined interval on the dam wall 11 so as to become the outdoor end surface 5, as shown in FIG.

6, 8, 10 and 11, the arrow N ₀ indicates the outdoor direction.
A mounting member 7 having a T-shaped male part 8 which is inserted from above into the dovetail groove 4 of the support 1 and protrudes in the indoor direction _N1 is fixed to the left and right end faces 6, 6 of the panel structure P.

In other words, the panel structure P is attached to the outdoor end faces 5 of adjacent posts 1, 1 via a male-female insertion mechanism Z consisting of a dovetail groove 4 and a T-shaped male portion 8.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the panel structure P has a glass plate 10 and metal upper and lower frames 12 and 13 fixed to an upper side 10A and a lower side 10B of the glass plate 10.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8, the metal upper frame 12 and the upper end 1A of the support 1 are covered by a metal upper coping 20.

7 and 11, the left side 10L and the right side 10R of adjacent glass sheets 10, 10 face each other directly with a small gap dimension _W10 . In other words, the left and right side edges 10L, 10R of the glass sheets 10 face each other directly without any "other members" such as parts of the support columns 1, auxiliary vertical frames, or packings being interposed between them.

The small gap dimension _W10 is set to 8 mm or less. Preferably, it is set to 3 mm≦ _W10 ≦7 mm. More preferably, it is set to 4 mm≦ _W10 ≦6 mm. If it is less than the lower limit, it becomes difficult to attach the attachment member 7 (see FIG. 11). Conversely, if it exceeds the upper limit, the aesthetic appearance (appearance) of the continuous surface of the glass sheets 10 viewed from outdoors decreases.

1 to 5, the method and configuration (structure) for fixing the upper frame 12 and the lower frame 13 to the upper edge 10A and lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10, respectively, will be described.
First, the structure for attaching the upper frame 12 to the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 will be described. The upper frame 12 is made of an extruded member having a downwardly opening recess 14. Specifically, the upper frame 12 has a ceiling wall section 12A, an outdoor hanging piece 12B, and an angular J-shaped indoor hanging piece 12C to form the downwardly opening recess 14. Furthermore, the ceiling wall section 12A has an expanded wall section 12E on its upper surface that is shaped like a horizontal U and forms a hollow hole 12D.

The upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 is inserted close to the hanging piece 12B on the outdoor end side of the recess 14 of the upper frame 12. Double-sided tape 18 is attached to both the inside and outside surfaces of the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 in advance.

Two wedge members 16, ₁₇ having inclined surfaces _X16 , X17 which are in sliding contact with each other are fitted into the recess 14 shown in Figs.
Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the outdoor wedge member 16 is first fitted into the recess 14. Next, the indoor wedge member 17 is pulled upward as indicated by the arrow Y by a tapping screw 19 which penetrates the hollow hole 12D from above (screwed in from above) (see Figure 5).

The inclined surface _X17 of the wedge member 17 on the indoor side comes into contact with the inclined surface _X16 of the wedge member 16 on the outdoor side, and the wedge member 16 is moved toward the outdoor side to press the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10.
The upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 is clamped (sandwiched) between the exterior-facing inner surface 14A of the recess 14 -- i.e., the inner surface of the hanging piece 12B -- and the exterior-side wedge member 16. By being clamped (sandwiched) in this manner, the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 is fixed to the metal upper frame 12.

In this clamped state, the double-sided tapes 18, 18 (mentioned above) prevent the metal hanging piece 12B and the metal wedge member 16 from being pressed locally and intensively against the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10, causing scratches or damage, and also serve to securely adhere them to each other.
In Figures 4 and 5, the wedge member 17 has an integral L-shaped extending piece 17A extending toward the interior of the building, which embraces the above-mentioned hanging piece 12C and always maintains a stable position.

Next, the structure for attaching the lower frame 13 to the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10 will be described. The lower frame 13 is made of an extruded member having an upwardly opening recess 15. Specifically, the lower frame 13 has a bottom wall portion 13A, an outdoor side standing piece 13B, and an angular inverted J-shaped indoor side standing piece 13C to form the upwardly opening recess 15. Furthermore, the bottom wall portion 13A has an expanded wall portion 13E on its upper surface that is shaped like a horizontally inverted U and forms a hollow hole 13D.
The lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10 is inserted into the upright piece 13B on the outdoor end side of the recess 15 of the lower frame 13. Double-sided tape 18 is attached to both the inner and outer surfaces of the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10 in advance.

Two wedge members 16, ₁₇ having inclined surfaces _X16 , X17 which are in sliding contact with each other are fitted into the recess 15 shown in Figs.
Specifically, as shown in the lower half of Figure 5, the outdoor wedge member 16 is first fitted into the recess 15. Next, the indoor wedge member 17 is pulled downward as indicated by the arrow Y' by a tapping screw 19 that penetrates the hollow hole 13D from below (threaded from above) (see Figure 5).

The inclined surface _X17 of the wedge member 17 on the indoor side comes into contact with the inclined surface _X16 of the wedge member 16 on the outdoor side, and the wedge member 16 is moved toward the outdoor side to press the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10.
The bottom edge 10B of the glass plate 10 is clamped (sandwiched) between the exterior-facing inner surface 15A of the recess 15 -- that is, the inner surface of the upright piece 13B -- and the exterior-side wedge member 16. By being clamped (sandwiched) in this manner, the bottom edge 10B of the glass plate 10 is fixed to the metal lower frame 13.

In this clamped state, the double-sided tapes 18, 18 (mentioned above) prevent the metal upright piece 13B and the metal wedge member 16 from pressing locally and intensively against the bottom edge 10B of the glass plate 10, causing scratches or damage, and also ensure that they are attached to each other.

In Figures 4 and 5, the lower wedge member 17 has an inverted L-shaped extension piece 17B that is integral with the lower wedge member 17 and faces the interior of the room. It envelops the upright piece 13C mentioned above and always maintains a stable position.

In this way, as shown in Figures 5 to 4, the upper frame 12 and the lower frame 13 are attached to the upper edge 10A and the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10. Moreover, by threading the (tapping) screw 19, the inclined surface _X16 of the wedge member 16 and the inclined surface _X17 of the wedge member 17 are in sliding contact with each other while fastening, so that the work can be performed quickly and easily.
However, in the actual work in Figs. 5 and 4, the work may be performed upside down or in a state of being laid down at an angle of 90 degrees (on a horizontal surface).

As for the four sides of the glass plate 10, the upper side 10A and the lower side 10B are attached to the upper frame 12 and the lower frame 13 as shown in Figures 5 and 4, but no such metal frame material is attached to the left and right sides. Simply, a thin attachment member 7 is attached so that it is not noticeable (see Figure 11).

Next, we will return to Figures 1, 2, and 3 for further explanation. 21 is the lower coping, which is attached to cover the top surface of the dam wall 11. A reinforcing pipe 22 is inserted into the hollow part of the upper coping 20 closer to the interior, and is fixed to the top end of the outer column 3 from below with a screw 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper wall portion 20A of the metal upper coping 20 has a cross-sectional shape that is a low triangular mountain. Moreover, the apex 20P of the triangular mountain is located above the upper frame 12 of the panel structure P.

In other words, the apex 20P is located on the outdoor side of half (1/2·W) of the thickness dimension W shown in FIGS.
Thus, the upper wall portion 20A of the upper coping 20 is in the shape of a triangular mountain that slopes gently downward toward the outdoor direction N ₀ and toward the indoor direction N _1. A hanging wall portion 20B having a small vertical dimension H _B is connected to the outer end of this upper wall portion 20A.

The two-dot chain line _L20 indicates the shape of the upper wall of the top capping that has been generally used in the past. That is, in the conventional top capping, as shown by the two-dot chain line, the vertical dimension H _F of the outdoor end face is large, and it can be seen that the conventional top capping has the disadvantage that it is conspicuous when viewed with the naked eye from outside.

In contrast, in the present invention, the vertical dimension H _B of the hanging wall portion 20B is 30% to 60% smaller than the conventional vertical dimension H _F , so that when viewed from outdoors, the upper coping 20 has no presence (is not conspicuous), giving a neat and beautiful impression.

In particular, the sloped portion 20Z that slopes downward from the apex 20P toward the outdoors _N0 is not visible when a person looks up from below outdoors, and therefore the upper coping 20 appears thinner, giving a feeling of neatness.

In the present invention, the "glass plate" may be transparent, translucent, or opaque, and may be not limited to a single piece of glass, but may also be laminated glass.

As described above, the present invention comprises a plurality of posts 1 erected at a predetermined interval; a panel structure P which is attached to the outdoor end faces 5 of the adjacent posts 1, 1 by inserting from above downward via a male-female insertion mechanism Z; the panel structure P has a glass plate 10 and a metal upper frame 12 and a metal lower frame 13 fixed to the upper side 10A and the lower side 10B of the glass plate 10; the left side 10L and the right side 10R of the glass plate 10 directly face each other with a small gap dimension _W10 ; and the metal upper frame 12 and the upper end 1A of the posts 1 are covered with a metal upper coping 20, so that the construction can be carried out efficiently and in a short time. That is, the so-called dry construction method is sufficient, and the troublesome work requiring skill, such as the application and drying of a sealant as described in the conventional art in FIG. 13, can be omitted. In particular, when viewed from outside, the auxiliary (pillar) frame (see reference number 53 in Fig. 12) attached from the outside at the joints between the glass sheets can be omitted, and the glass sheets 10 are continuous as one vertical plane, resulting in a balustrade fence with excellent appearance. In other words, the pillars 1 are all present on the indoor side of the glass sheets 10, and are completely inconspicuous and hidden from the outdoors.

In addition, in the present invention, the small gap dimension _W10 is set to 8 mm or less, so that the support 1 is not at all noticeable (when viewed from outdoors) from the gap between the adjacent glass plates 10 and the left and right side edges 10L, 10R of the glass plates 10, and the glass plates 10 appear as a continuous vertical surface, providing an excellent aesthetic impression.

The upper frame 12 has a downwardly opening recess 14 into the outdoor end of which the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 is inserted; and two wedge members 16, ₁₇ having inclined surfaces _X16 , X17 which are in sliding contact with each other are fitted into the recess 14; the wedge member 17 on the indoor side of the recess 14 moves upward by a screw 19 which is screwed in from above, and the wedge member 16 on the outdoor side presses the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 by the sliding contact of the inclined surfaces _X16 , _X17 ; and the upper edge 10A of the glass plate 10 is fixed to the metallic upper frame 12 by being clamped between the outdoor inner surface 14A of the recess 14 and the outdoor wedge member 16, so that the glass plate 10 and the upper frame 12 can be assembled easily, quickly and efficiently.

The lower frame 13 has an upwardly opening recess 15 into whose outdoor end the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10 is inserted; and two wedge members 16, ₁₇ having inclined surfaces _X16 , X17 which are in sliding contact with each other are fitted into the recess 15; the wedge member 17 on the indoor side of the recess 15 moves downward by a screw 19 which is screwed in from below, and the wedge member 16 on the outdoor side presses the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10 by the sliding contact of the inclined surfaces _X16 , _X17 ; and the lower edge 10B of the glass plate 10 is fixed to the metal lower frame 13 by being clamped between the outdoor inner surface 15A of the recess 15 and the wedge member 16 on the outdoor side, so that the glass plate 10 and the lower frame 13 can be assembled easily, quickly and efficiently.

In addition, double-sided tape 18 is attached to both the inside and outside surfaces of the top edge 10A of the glass plate 10 that is to be clamped. The top edge 10A of the glass plate 10 is clamped against the exterior inner surface 14A and the wedge member 16 via the double-sided tape 18, which acts as a moderate "buffer material." This allows even minute irregularities between the pressure-contacting surfaces to be absorbed, and provides excellent impact resistance.

In addition, double-sided tape 18 is attached to the inside and outside surfaces of the bottom edge 10B of the glass plate 10 that is to be clamped. The bottom edge 10B of the glass plate 10 is clamped against the exterior inner surface 15A and the wedge member 16 via the double-sided tape 18, which acts as a moderate "buffer material." This allows even minute irregularities between the pressure-contacting surfaces to be absorbed, and provides excellent impact resistance.

In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the upper wall portion 20A of the metal upper capping 20 is a triangular mountain shape having an apex 20P above the upper frame 12 of the panel structure P and sloping gently downward toward the outdoors _N0 and the indoors _N1. Therefore, when a person looks up from outdoors, the vertical width dimensions of the upper capping 20 appear small and the upper capping 20 becomes almost inconspicuous, giving a clean and beautiful impression.

1 Support 1A Upper end 5 Outdoor side end surface
10 Glass Plate
10A Top
10B Bottom
10L Left side
10R right side
12 Upper frame
13 Bottom frame
14 Recess
15 Recess
14A Indoor side inner surface
15A Outdoor side inner surface
16 Wedge member
17 Wedge member
18 Double-sided tape
19 Screws
20 Kamikasagi
20A Upper wall part
20P vertex N ₀ outdoor direction N ₁ indoor direction P panel structure W ₁₀ small gap dimension X ₁₆ slope surface X ₁₇ slope surface Z male and female plug mechanism

Claims (7)

A plurality of support columns (1) erected at predetermined intervals;
a panel structure (P) that is attached to the outdoor end faces (5) of the adjacent posts (1) (1) by inserting the panel structure (P) from above downward via a male-female insertion mechanism (Z);
Preparation,
The panel structure (P) includes a glass plate (10) and a metal upper frame (12) and a metal lower frame (13) fixed to an upper edge (10A) and a lower edge (10B) of the glass plate (10),
The left side (10L) and the right side (10R) of the glass plate (10) are directly opposed to each other with a small gap ( _W10 ) therebetween,
Furthermore, the metal upper frame (12) and the upper end (1A) of the support (1) are covered with a metal upper coping (20).
A handrail fence characterized by: 2. A handrail fence according to claim 1, wherein the small gap dimension ( _W10 ) is set to 8 mm or less. The upper frame (12) has a recess (14) that opens downward, and the upper edge (10A) of the glass plate (10) is inserted into the outdoor end of the recess (14).
Two wedge members (16) and ( ₁₇ ) having inclined surfaces ( _X16 ) and (X17) which are in sliding contact with each other are fitted into the recess (14),
The wedge member (17) on the indoor side of the recess (14) moves upward by the screw (19) screwed in from above, and the wedge member (16) on the outdoor side presses the upper edge (10A) of the glass plate (10) by sliding contact with the inclined surfaces ( _X16 ) ( _X17 ),
A handrail fence as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper edge (10A) of the glass plate (10) is fixed to the metal upper frame (12) by being clamped between the outdoor inner surface (14A) of the recess (14) and an outdoor wedge member (16). The lower frame (13) has an upwardly opening recess (15), and the lower edge (10B) of the glass plate (10) is inserted into the outdoor end of the recess (15).
Two wedge members (16) and ( ₁₇ ) having inclined surfaces ( _X16 ) and (X17) which are in sliding contact with each other are fitted into the recess (15),
The wedge member (17) on the indoor side of the recess (15) moves downward by the screw (19) screwed in from below, and the wedge member (16) on the outdoor side presses the lower edge (10B) of the glass plate (10) by sliding contact with the inclined surfaces ( _X16 ) ( _X17 ),
A handrail fence as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower edge (10B) of the glass plate (10) is fixed to the metal lower frame (13) by being clamped between the outdoor inner surface (15A) of the recess (15) and an outdoor wedge member (16). A handrail fence as described in claim 3, in which double-sided tape (18) is attached to the inside and outside surfaces of the upper edge (10A) of the glass plate (10) to be clamped. A handrail fence as described in claim 4, in which double-sided tape (18) is attached to the inside and outside of the lower edge (10B) of the glass plate (10) to be clamped. The cross-sectional shape of the upper wall portion (20A) of the metal upper cap board (20) is as follows:
2. A handrail fence as described in claim 1, which has a vertex (20P) above the upper frame (12) of the panel structure (P) and is triangular in shape, sloping gently downward toward the outdoors (N ₀ ) and the indoors (N ₁ ).

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