Building envelope solar heat and daylighting control system

摘要

A building envelope or cladding system which permits selective visibility from inside the building while rejecting solar heat and providing an optional insulative envelope. A vertical support mullion is on one side of a building structure. A module is attached to the mullion using a hinge, wherein the module is adapted to flip away from the mullion. A drive means includes a gear system housed within the module and a drive shaft connected through the building structure. One or more cladding elements is connected to and operable by the drive means. As a result, the cladding elements can both rotate and flip away to expose or cover an underlying glass surface. Each module is coupled to the drive means using a coupling assembly which is spring-biased to thereby rotate the cladding elements, thus modifying the effects of the sun and other ambient factors on the state of the building.

主权项

1. A building envelope, comprising:
a vertical support mullion on one side of a building structure, said vertical support mullion having a wall end, a projecting end, and a stop, said projecting end having a support inner edge distal from said wall end, said projecting end extending perpendicularly from said wall end and said stop extending linearly and perpendicularly from said projecting end between said wall end and said support inner edge in an opposite direction as said wall end; a hinge including two plates, wherein one of said plates is attached to said projecting end; a module attached to the other of said plates of said hinge, wherein said module is adapted to rotate away from said vertical support mullion; a drive means including a gear system housed within said module and operable by a drive shaft connected through said building structure; a cladding element connected to and operable by said drive means; a coupling assembly engaging said drive shaft between said module and said vertical support mullion, wherein said coupling assembly disengages from said drive shaft when said module is rotated away from said vertical support mullion; and wherein said cladding element can rotate about a horizontal axis, and wherein said module holding said cladding element can rotate about a vertical axis and move away from said vertical support mullion to expose or cover an underlying glass surface.