Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
- 1 -
IMPROVED P~NEL UNIT
This invention relates to integrated panel
systems and insulated panel units.
Particularly, the panels of this invention are
suitable for use as wall panels although it will become
apparent on a reading of the specification that ~he
panels may be used in other applications. Hereafter,
reference to the invention will be described by
reference to wall panels only. However, it is to be
understood that the invention is not so limited.
The building lndustry is often confronted with
a need to provide premises which can be relatively
quickly and inexpensively erected. In the past, it has
been proposed and practiced to substitute conventional
extsrnal cladding materials such as bricks and timber
with insulated metal panels which can be simply affixed
to the metal superstructure or frame of a building
being constructed. Many buildings have been
constructed using such panels and they are particularly
suitable for use as the external cladding of factories,
35,461 F -1-
: ~ :
., " . . ., ~ ., . ~ .
- . . " ~ ~ :
.~ :
~L3~
646g3-4096
warehouses and public buildings. Although, of course, use o~ ~he
insulated wall panel is not limited to these applications.
US-A-4360553 discloses, as prior art thereto, a sandwich
panel comprising two shee~s with an insulating ~aterial, e.g.
foam, sandwiched therebetween and provided with a double tongue
and groove on two opposite sides so that a row of panels can be
assembled with one another. US-A-4360553 discloses an improved
sandwich panel of this type in whlch double tongues are provided
on each of two adjacent edges and dou~le grooves are formed alony
the remaininy two adjacent edges permitting the panels to be
assembled in columns as well as rows. The arms of the double
tongues are cranked at the panel corner where the tongues meet to
accommodate the arms of the double tongues o~ an adjoining panel.
The double groove of said prior art panels is formed by a profile
of plastics material clamped at its ends in folded over edges of
the outer shee~s.
According to the present invention there is provided a
building panel of subs~antially quadrilateral shape de~ined by
four edge surfaces in which two edge surfaces include tongue
members thereon and two edge surfaces include grooves therein,
said iongue members on one panel being engageable in said grooves
on corresponding panels so that two or more of said panels may be
engaged elther horizontally or vertically by means o~ said tongue
members of one panel beiny inserted into tha grooves in
correspondlng panels, said panel being constructed of a core
material which is laminated on both sides and wherein the laminate
e~tends beyond the oore material to provide a slot at ~he end o~
. ~'i.'~
.
: ~ .
6~693-4096
the respective tongue member ko receive a sealing member,
characterized in that: the laminate is shaped round the ends of
the edges and back down the grooves to cover the internal walls of
the grooves and wherein protrusions are formed by shaping laminate
at the bottom of the grooves to hook back on both sides so to
restrain the said sealing member aqainst the top o~ the tongue
member of the engaging panel when the respectlve panels are
connected.
The invenkion also provicles a buildiny panel of
substantially quadrilateral shape clefined by ~our edge surfaces
wherein two edge surfaces include tongue members thereon and kwo
edge surfaces include yrooves therein said tongue members on one
panel belng engageable in said grooves on corresponding panels so
that two or more of said panels may be engaged either horizon~ally
or vertically by means of said tongue members of one panel being
inserted into the grooves in corresponding panels, the panel being
constructed of a core material which i6 laminated on both sides
and wherein two adjacent edge surfaces include tongue members
thereon and ~wo adjacent edge surfaces include grooves therein;
and wherein the laminate on one said tongue member at one corner
of the panel is inset the laminate on the tongue member at another
corner of the panel is set out of the plane of the tongue member
and on the remaining corner o~ the panel which comprises a tongue
member the laminate remains in the ~ama plane throughout the
length of the ~ongue member such that upon assembly of a number of
said panels khe laminate portions at the said corners mutually
cooperate and dov~tail at the points of common connection so to
, ;, :,
,, ,. :
7~
64693-4096
enable the respective panel to engage with each o~her at the sald
points of common connectlon.
The invention further provicles a building panel of
substantially quadrilateral shape definad by four edge surfaces
wherein two edge surfaces include kongue members thereon and two
edge surfaces include grooves therein said tongue members on one
panel being engageable in said grooves on corresponding panels so
that two or more of said panels ma~ be engaged either horizontally
or verti~ally by means of said tongue members of one panel being
inserted into the grooves in corresponding panels, said grooves
being provided with an entry portion and an en~ayement portion,
the said entry portion being shaped as to not engage the tongue
member of a correspondlng panel and said engagement portion being
shaped so that it is adapted to accep~ and res~raln the said
tongue member and wherein the depth of the said grooves is less
than the length of the engaging tongue members so to provide a run
off section between engaged building panels.
Preferably, the grooves are on two adjacent edge
surfaces of the panel; the tongue members being on the other ~wo
adjacent edge surfaces. Ho~ever, whether the panel be conflgured
with tongues and grooves on adjacent edge surfaces or tongue~ and
grooves on alternate edge surfaces it is possible to join the
panels in either a vertical or horizontal mode as each edge
surface is provided with an engag~ng tongue member or groove.
A weather seal may be provided by inserting a sealing
member at the end o~ the respective tongue member when two panels
are assembled together. Preferably, the sealing member is made of
3a
~ .:
:................. ~ .
: . - !
7~ 64693-40g6
a compressible foam.
The laminating material may be any suitable polymeric or
metallic layer. Most preferably, it ls metallic. A metallic
laminate may be chosen from a number of dif~erent materlals
already kno~n in the art. For instance, aluminium, stainleæs
steel or COLORBOND STEEL ~a registered trademark) may be selected.
The choice of material ls dependent greatly on the situatlon ln
which the panel is to be used. Preferably, the CGre material is
an insulating material. A number of insulating materials are
suitable and are known in the art. Most preferably, an extruded
polystyrene foam is selected. The core materlals may be of
variable thickness enabling thermal and structural proper~ies ~o
be varied as is required in any building specification.
3b
. ~,
_L~_
Once assembled, a wall constructed of laminated
panel units will have a continuously separated inner
and outer laminated skin. In a fire, such separation
allows molten foam to flow to the bottom of the
structure. This is a safety feature which has not
existed in the prior art.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention,
the laminate extends beyond the core material at the
tongue edges of the panel in order to provide a slot at
the end of the tongue member. This slot is suitable to
firmly retain the said sealing member.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the
laminate on the groove edges is shaped around the ends
of the edges and back down the grooves so that it
covers the internal walls of the grooves. This
laminate may be shaped at the bottom of the groove to
hook back on both sides thus providing protrusions
which are directed back out of the groove on both
sides. In such an embodiment, if an adjacent panel
includes a tongue edge with a compressible foam sealing
member as aforesaid then when the tongue member is
inserted inta the groove, the foam rnaterial is
restrained from extending to the end of the groove.
The compressible foam sealing member is thus more
securely retained in the groove by these extending
protrusions. In such an assembly, the compresslble
foam seal has been found to be very effective in
providing a capillary break thus substantially
preventing water penetration by capillary action. Such
a sealing method avoids ~he need for builders to use
caulking materials which have necessarily been required
35,461-F _4_
.
?
~ 3 ~ ~ ~7
--5--
when weather seals have been previously provided in
known wall cladding systems of this type.
Preferably, the protrusion is curved or bent
back at the ends to prevent damage to the sealing
member. It will be appreciated that the protrusions
also act as hooks to more securely retain the engaging
panel. ~hen two panels are assembled in the manner
described above, the hook formed by the laminate
secures the end of the laminate which extends beyond
the core material at the tongue edge of the other
panel.
Thls provides a further benefit in that the
~~ 15 hook ensures that the laminateq of the two panels are
firmly locked together. This is particularly
advantageous in the case of fire as it substantially
prevents buckling of the panels.
It has been additionally discovered by the
applicant that the water seal between the panels can be
improved even ~urther if a small gap is provided
between the panels to~allow water run off.
Thus, in a further preferred embodiment of the
invention, a run off gap is provided at the joints when
the panel units are assembled. This may be provided by
shaping the grooves so that at the edge of the panel,
the groove is dimensioned wider than the engaging
3 tongue member of the adjacent panel. The groove is
also provided with a narrow portion so that the width
of the groove toward~ its base is substantially the
same width as the engaging tongue member. To ensure
that a run off gap is provided, the tongue panel is
made of sufficlent length so that when the panels are
35,461-F -5-
~6--
engaged and the tongue is fully inserted into the
grooves the outside edges of the respective panels are
not in contact. Most preferably, the laminated edge
leading up to the tongue on the edge of the adjacent
panel is downwardly sloped to ensure that driven rain
quickly and easily runs off the joint. In the
manufacture of panels made in accordance with thls
invention, the groove can be either provided by
machining the edge surface to the desired shape or by
inserting an extruded or molded section of the desired
shape into a slot provided along the edge surfaces of
the panel. Such a section could be made of metal or
plastics material.
It will be appreciated that any number of
panels made in accordance with this invention can be
assembled together in a vertical or horizontal
direction. Preferably, the corners of the panel are
shaped to allow easy assembly of a plurality of panels.
Thus, a building made in accordance with the invention
may in a preferred form be provided wherein at each of
the respective corners of the said panel to which the
tongue members extend the said tongue members include
an interlocking portion proximate the said respective
corners, said interlocking portions on each of the
respective tongue members being shaped such that upon
assembly of a number of said panels the interlocking
portions mutually cooperate at the points of common
3 connection so to enable the respective panels to engage
with each other at the said points of common
connection. Preferaoly, at corners where four panels
meet when assembled, the edges are dovetailed for a
clean and tight joint. In other words, it is desirable
for the corners of the edges to be pressed differently
35,461-F -6-
--7--
so that they cooperate. In such an embodiment the
laminate on the corner of one tongue may be inset, the
laminate on the corner o~ another tongue may be set out
of the plane and the remaining laminate may remain in
the same plane throughout. In such a confirguration
when four edges meet, the laminate at each corner will
overlap to ensure tight connection and a close
tolerance fit.
The panels of this invention may be affixed to
the superstructure or frame of a building in a number
of different ways. Such meShods would be recognized by
any person skilled in the art.
f 15 Preferably, a fixing bracket is u~ed which is
adapted to be bolted or otherwise affixed to a
superstructure and which is adapted to be secured to
the side or edge of the panel. Alternatively, a hook
fastener can be used which comprises a fixing bracket
and lug. Such a bracket can be affixed by bolts or
other means to the frame of the building or structure
with the lug affixed to a panel. Preferably, the lug
is inserted into the ramp leading up to the tongue on
one of the tongue edges of the panel or into the side
of the panel. To facilitate more reliable connection
it may be appropriate~to strengthen the tongue member
by the inclusion of a pressed metal tongue stiffener
during the manufacture of the panels. Such hook
fasteners allow easy, quick fixing of panels on site
without close tolerance problems encountered by the
prior art. It will also be apparent to those skilled
in the art that the joining system used in the panels
of this invention can be adopted in the sides of
windows or door jambs. This enables simple and
reliable construction of a building utilizing panels
!
359461-F -7-
, ~ ~
~ 7
--8--
and other fixtures using the one universal jointing
system.
The invention will now be described by way of
example with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end
portions of four panel units made in accordance with
the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of two
panels made in accordance with the present invention in
an assembled form.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fixing
bracket which may be used in attaching panels made in
accordance with the invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of two
assembled wall panels made in accordance with the
invention secured to a frame by a ~ixing bracket
illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fixing
bracket and lug which may be used in attaching panels
made in accordance with the invention.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of two
assembled wall panels made in accordance with the
3 invention secured to a frame by the fixing bracket
illustrated in Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of an
alternative fixing bracket.
35,461-F -8-
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a wall
panel made in accordance with the invention secured to
a masonry wall by the fixing bracket illustrated in
Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of an
alternative fixing bracket.
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of two
assembled wall panels made in accordance with the
invention secured to a frame by the fixing bracket
illustrated in Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of an
, 15 alternative fixing bracket.
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of two
assembled wall panels made in accordance with the
invention secured to a masonry wall by the fixing
bracket illustrated in Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a perspective view of an
alternative fixing bracket.
Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of two
assembled walI panels made in accordance with the
invention secured to a steel cleat by the fixing
bracket illustrated in Figure 13,
Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a wall
3 panel made in accordance with the inventlon assembled
with a fitting to insert a window jamb.
Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a wall
panel made in accordance with the invention assembled
. .
35 ? 4~1-F ~9~
.
:
- lo -
with a cooperative fitting to facilitate insertion of a
door jamb.
In Figure 1 there is a disclosed detail of each
corner of a wall panel constructed in accordance with
the preferred embodiment of this invention. For the
purposes of more easily understanding how two or more
of the panels of the invention cooperate, Figure 1
illustrates the four different corners of a preferred
embodiment of the invention as they would meet at the
point of common connection between four o~ the said
panels. The wall panels are not shown as complete
units but are each substantially quadrilateral in
shape. Two edge surfaces of each of the panels are
provided with grooves 2 and 3. The other edge surfaces
are provided with tongue members 4 and 5. As can ~e
seen in Figure 1, the tongue members 4 and 5 and
grooves 2 and 3 of the wall panel unit are shaped to
cooperate with the respective grooves 2 and 3 and
tongue members 4 and 5 of other wall panel units made
in accordance with the invention. The wall panel is
provided with grooves 2 and 3 along adjacent edges as
is illustrated on corner 1.
The other two adjacent edges of the wall panel
are provided with tongue members 4 and 5 as illustrated
in corner 6.
The panel unit is laminated with a metallic
material 7 and has an extruded polystyrene foam core 8.
The laminate 7 extends beyond the extruded polystyrene
foam core 8 along the tongue members 4 and 5 of the
panel to provide a slot 9. Within slot 9 a
compressible foam seal 10 may be inserted. This
material acts as a weather seal when the tongue 4 or 5
35,461-F -10_
, - ~ .
~.
, ~ .
--1 1--
is inserted into a groove 2 or 3. The laminate 7 on
the grooves 2 and 3 is shaped around the ends of the
edges and back down the grooves 2 and 3 so that it
covers the internal walls 11 of the grooves 2 and 3.
As can be seen in Figure 2, at the bottom of the
grooves 2 or 3 the laminate 7 is hooked back on both
sides to form protrusions 12. These protrusions 12 are
rounded at the ends 13 so that when the tongue members
4 or 5 and compressible foam seal material 10 of an
adjacent wall panel unit are inserted into groove 2 or
3 the protrusions 12 will not damage the compres~ible
foam seal 10. Furthermore, the protrusions 12 restrain
the compressible foam seal 10 from being pushed right
, 15 to the end of the groove 2 or 3 when the tongue member
4 or 5 is inserted. This causes the compressible foam
seal 10 to be more securely compressed within slot 9 in
the tongue member 4 or 5. As the tongue members 4 or 5
are inserted into the grooves 2 or 3 the extending
portion of the laminate 14 fits within the hook formed
by protrusion 12. This ensures that the laminates of
the two panels are firmly locked together when the
tongue members 4 or 5 are engaged in the grooves 2 or
3.
A gap 15 is provided between the assembled
panels to improve water run off. As illustrated in
Figure 2, gap 15 is provided due to the length of
tongue 4 or 5 additional to the depth of groove 2 or 3.
This gap continues up the side 16 of the assembled
panels due to greater width of groove 2 or 3 at its
commencement compared with its width where indicated at
17. Ledge 18 is angled slightl~ downwards to ensure
proper and good run off. It will be appreciated that
when the panels are assembled as illustrated in
35,461-F
-12-
Figure 2, the compressible foam seal 10 form a
~ubstantially water tight seal whilst the gap 15
enables any moisture and water which enters the joint,
say as a result o~ driven rain, to simply run off the
joi~t.
The edges of the laminate shown in Figure 1 are
offset relative one to the other so that a clos0
fitting can be obtained when four panels of the
invention are assembled together. The laminate in this
preferred embodiment is pressed out at 19, pressed in
at 20 and is left in the same plane at 21. As the
various panels are joined together, these laminates
overlap enabling a close and secure joint.
r 1 5
Turning to Figures 3 to 14, there is
illustrated a number of different fixing brackets which
can be used to affix a panel or panels of the present
invention to different structures. These are by way of
example only and are not intended to limit the scope of
the present invention.
Where fixing brackets are used as illustrated
in Figures 3, 5, q, 11 and 13, it is desirable to
strengthen the tongue members 4 and 5 with a pressed
metal tongue stiffener 22. The fixing brackets used
are preferably made of galvanized steel.
In Figure 13 there is illustrated a window jamb
3 23 shaped in cooperation with groove 2 or 3. The
window jamb 23 being attached in this example via a
specially shaped extrusion 26 to a piece of aluminium
trimming 25. Aluminium trimming 25 in turn is attached
to a piece of fixing angle 24. The extrusion 26 which
is preferably made of aluminium allows the window to
35,461-F -12-
-
~. ., : ,: - .
:
-13-
resemble a panel unit in that it can fit adjacent to
and in the same plane as other panel units. In Figure
14 there is illustrated a door head 27 shaped to
cooperate with groove 2 or 3 again Vi2 shaped extrusion
26.
Finally, it is to be understood that the
aforegoing description refers merely to preferred
embodiments of the present invention, and that
10. variations and modifications are possible without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
35,461-F ~13-
.
