Patent Application
20070227091
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for securing architectural mesh and, more particularly, to a hanger assembly for the installation of architectural mesh and the like under extreme load conditions.
Architectural metallic meshes are generally used in commercial and business environments to provide elegant wall panels, doors and other surfaces whenever an aesthetic appearance of polish and prestige are of primary importance. Architectural mesh is also an excellent choice for high contact areas, such as the interior walls of elevator cabs, escalator walls, and sales and reception areas, because it is generally scratch, dent and corrosion resistant. As such, architectural metallic mesh maintains a stunning appearance with minimal maintenance.
Woven into panels from brass, stainless steel, copper, and/or other desired metals or alloys, architectural mesh offers a richness of texture, pattern and color that cannot be duplicated by any other material. Architectural mesh can also be polished, finished and combined with different background colors to create a custom look and configuration.
Depending upon the chosen weave, the interstices or apertures between the weft or fill wires and the warp wires may allow light to pass through the architectural mesh. Alternatively, if the weave is tight and the wires are more closely adjacent to one another, the passage of light through the mesh will be selectively prevented. Accordingly, as the requirement for incorporating energy savings into building design increases, and hence the need for architecturally acceptable sun shading or screening, architectural mesh offers a variety of options that can meet the shading needs while still maintaining architectural requirements.
One type of hanging system for mounting architectural mesh to building exteriors comprises a hanger assembly including a hanger tube having a plurality of openings; an architectural mesh panel having an uppermost edge defined by a plurality of loops, wherein said plurality of loops are positioned within said plurality of openings in said hanger tube; and a retaining rod which is disposed through said plurality of loops within an interior of said hanger tube, thereby preventing said plurality of loops from displacement out of said plurality of opening and securing the architectural mesh panel in position. This type of hanger bar assembly is described more fully in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/265,211, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.
A further type of hanging system for mounting architectural mesh to building exteriors comprises a plurality of tube hanger brackets supporting a tube, preferably a rectangular box tube, having a predetermined length suitable for the width of the architectural mesh panel. A plurality of hanger plates are disposed about the periphery of the box tube, each hanger plate having a plurality of sprocket teeth extending from a surface thereof so as to engage the architectural mesh. The architectural mesh is wrapped from the upper surface of the hanger plate around the plurality of plate sprocket teeth and then extends vertically down. At the upper surface of the hanger plate, an opening is provided for receiving a retainer rod. Thus, the retainer rod extends through each hanger plate and engages a loop of the mesh forming the architectural panel. A retainer pin disposed on each terminal end of the box tube further secures the mesh against horizontal movement. Moreover, because the mesh material is wrapped around the hanger plate and the box tube, these supporting elements are substantially hidden from view when the architectural panel is installed in the desired application; thus not detracting from the aesthetic appeal of the architectural panel. This type of hanger assembly is described more fully in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/235,086, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.
The architectural mesh utilized in the above systems has an inherent spring rate, and thus additional springs are generally not necessary. That is, when an average wind load of up to approximately 70mph sustained winds is applied to the architectural mesh panel, tension is generated in the mesh which can then be absorbed by the inherent spring rate of the mesh itself.
A need exists, however, for an architectural mesh panel which can handle extreme wind loads and associated airborne debris such as occurs in hurricanes and tornados. Additionally, there is a need for architectural mesh panels which can reduce the shock and/or impact loads from explosions and their associated shrapnel. One manner to accomplish this task would be to develop heavier architectural mesh panels with higher spring rates, and then provide heavy duty mounting systems and attachment mechanisms as described above. However, this type of heavy duty architectural mesh panel and hanging system would be cost prohibitive to manufacture and difficult to install due to the additional weight.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an economical system for reliably and conveniently mounting an architectural mesh product which can withstand extreme loads to a building exterior, without detracting from the aesthetic appearance of the building.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by an architectural mesh hanging system according to the present invention. The hanging system comprises a hanger assembly including a hanger tube mounted to a support structure by upper and lower wall brackets. At least one of the wall brackets, and preferably the lower wall bracket, is an overload “break-away” bracket including a fixed member and a pivoting member. A pivot point “P” is defined between the fixed member and the pivoting member and pivotal movement is controlled by a spring which may comprise any type of gas or mechanical spring or cylinder. Under extreme loads, such as when high force winds are applied to the architectural mesh, the spring is compressed to absorb some of the loading. In this instance, slack is introduced into the system, thus increasing the deflection of the architectural mesh and in turn, reducing the overall tension in the system.
More particularly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a hanger bar assembly for architectural mesh comprising a hanger bar comprising a hollow tube, means for mounting said hanger bar on a support surface, and means for supporting architectural mesh within said hanger bar. The mounting means preferably comprise a plurality of support brackets connected to said hanger bar, at least one of said support brackets including a pivotable support bracket. Further, the pivotable support bracket preferably includes a fixed member and a pivotable member and movement of the pivotable support bracket member is controlled by at least one spring.
A further aspect of the present invention is directed to an architectural mesh hanging system comprising a hanger assembly for an architectural mesh panel of predetermined size and means for mounting said hanger assembly on a support surface; wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of support brackets connected to said hanger assembly, and at least one of said support brackets includes a pivotable support bracket. The pivotable support bracket includes a fixed member and a pivotable member and is controlled by at least one spring. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pivotable support bracket is fully extended by the at least one spring under normal conditions and the pivotable support bracket is compressible by the at least one spring under extreme loads such that the spring thereby absorbs a portion of the load.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
The hanger assembly of the present invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10, as shown in
Referring also to
The slotted box tubes 32, 32′ are mounted to the upper and lower brackets 20, 22. In order to accommodate system slack and to allow the mesh 18 to handle moderate wind loads, the mounting may utilize springs, slots, or multiple mounting holes 30 as shown in
Referring to
Thus, by mounting the slotted tube hanging systems on an overload bracket 22, the architectural mesh can absorb minor loads under normal conditions and the break away system allows additional tension relief when needed for extreme loads. By selecting the inherent spring rate of the architectural mesh, the yield strength of the architectural mesh, the break-away strength of the spring 24, and the number of break-away springs 24 to be used for a given architectural mesh panel, a cost effective system for handling extreme loads is provided.
The above-described preferred embodiment illustrates upper and lower box tubes for hanging the architectural mesh 18, and upper wall bracket 20 and lower break-away bracket 22 for attaching the hanging mechanism to the support structure. One skilled in the art will appreciate however than other mechanisms and structures for hanging the architectural mesh 18 can of course also be used, such as those described in the above-referenced U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/265,211 and 11/235,086, and any other type of known hanging system. The significance of the present invention is the use of a pivotable break-away bracket 22, which while described and shown to be a lower wall bracket could certainly also be used as an upper bracket if desired.
While the present invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment of the present invention, this is by way of illustration for purposes of disclosure rather than to confine the invention to any specific arrangement as there are various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, substitutions, omissions and departures which may be made in the particular embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority to provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 60/765,210, filed Feb. 6, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60765210 | Feb 2006 | US |
