Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BUILDING ELEMENTS
This invention concerns building elements for making structures and structures
made from such building elements.
Self supporting roofs or roof sections are known which comprise a plurality of
extruded plastics profile elements connected side-by-side, each element having
at least
one longitudinal chamber or duct and coupling members, by which neighbouring
profile elements are interconnected, the adjacent coupling members of
neighbouring
profile elements engaging to form a duct.
In GB 1528874, the coupling of adjacent panels form together a duct through
which is inserted a longitudinally elongate locking member, the locking member
having at least two opposite longitudinal edges that are a sliding fit within
the duct, so
as to prevent the locking member from twisting under load.
In GB 1511189, it was further proposed that the longitudinal chamber of each
element have an internal partition substantially parallel to the outer
surfaces of a
building structure made up of the elements. The partition was principally to
provide
additional heat insulation.
Further proposals for such profile elements have been made in EP-A-070930,
in which multiple duct elements have main ducts and intermediate secondary
ducts
having internal partitions that are in line. Connection of these elements
together is as
disclosed in GB 1511189 and GB 1528874.
A yet further proposal for such elements was made in GB 2147334A, in which
upper coupling members consist of cylindrical, slotted downwardly open flanges
of
such dimension that a flange of a first element can be snag locked to a flange
of a
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second identical element. In addition, the lower end of one side wall of an
element is
integrally connected to a guide member which is adapted to engage the
anchoring
member of an adjacent element so as to maintain the lower ends of two adjacent
side
walls in spaced relationship so as to form a tight connection between such
elements.
In our own Patent Application No. GB 2268765A, we propose a hollow
building element of plastics material comprising a plurality of hollow ducts
in two
layers and having, at opposite sides thereof coupling members, whereby
elements may
be connected to each other, upper coupling members comprising a part
engageable
with a stiffening or reinforcing beam.
A problem with all of the above-described building elements lies in the
formation of cold spots causing condensation. The cold spots are formed where
elements are coupled together, because aluminium stiffening beams used to
reinforce
and in most cases to hold elements together are in contact with single layers
of
plastics material forming coupling flanges providing a path for heat loss by
conduction.
An object of this invention is to provide building elements for making
structures which are less susceptible to formation of cold spots.
According to this invention there is provided a hollow building element of
plastics material comprising one or more longitudinal ducts and having, at
opposite
sides thereof, coupling members, whereby elements may be connected to each
other
directly or indirectly, wherein lower coupling members comprise ducted flanges
to
provide an insulation barrier.
The invention further provides a building structure such as a roof, comprising
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two or more hollow building elements connected side by side, the hollow
building
elements comprising one or more longitudinal ducts and having, at opposite
sides
thereof, coupling members whereby the elements are connected to each other
directly
or indirectly, wherein lower coupling members comprise ducted flanges to
provide an
insulation barrier.
The lower coupling members preferably each comprise two or more
longitudinal ducts.
Preferred building elements of the invention may have a single longitudinal
duct, a single layer of adjacent longitudinal ducts, a pair of longitudinal
ducts one on
top of the other, or a plurality of longitudinal ducts in two or more layers,
especially
three layers.
Each building element preferably has a different lower coupling member at
each end and the two types of lower coupling member are preferably
complementary
so as to fit together when elements are coupled side by side.
Preferably lower coupling members are arranged to be held together by means
of a reinforcing beam between adjacent elements. Preferably one lower coupling
member comprises a horizontal channel in which the end of another coupling
member sits, each member having a part extending upwardly which parts are
prevented from separating by more then a desired distance by means of the
reinforcing beam. The preferred reinforcing beam has a longitudinal slot in
its base
in which said upwardly extending parts of the lower coupling members locate.
The building elements of the invention preferably also have upper coupling
members. Preferred such members interengage with formations of a reinforcing
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beam between adjacent building elements. A preferred upper coupling member
comprises a flange forming a channel section which is engageable in a
complementary channel section of the reinforcing beam.
The reinforcing beam preferably has ribs or the like on its outer surface
particularly in its lower regions in order to limit areas of contact between
the beam
and the building elements in the space between adjacent elements.
For coupled building elements according to the invention it is preferable to
provide a cap or cover over the area of the coupling to prevent water ingress.
Preferably the cap or cover is securable to the reinforcing beam. The cap or
cover
preferably has at its side edges sealing means in the form of flexible
resilient
material, preferably extruded with the cap or cover. The reinforcing beam
preferably
has a formation engageable with a formation of the cap or cover to retain the
cap or
cover in place.
The reinforcing beam may have a head forming lips on opposite sides which
serve to retain internal ribs of the cap or cover when pressed onto the beam
and past
the head thereof.
The building elements of the invention will usually be made of plastics
material, such as polyvinyl chloride or preferably polycarbonate.
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Accordingly, the present invention provides a building structure comprising
at least two hollow building elements connected side-by-side, the hollow
building
elements comprising a plurality of longitudinal ducts and having, at apposite
sides
thereof, upper and lower coupling members, whereby elements are connected to a
reinforcing beam between adjacent elements, the lower coupling members each
comprising at least two longitudinal ducts, the reinforcing beam being of
hollow
section and having a base, sides, and a head, the head being shaped for
retaining a
cap over said connection between adjacent elements, the reinforcing beam
having
only localized areas of contact between itself and the elements connected
thereto,
and the cap retained on the head of the reinforcing beam.
This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows part of a building
structure
made up of building elements of the invention.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, a building structure, such as a
conservatory roof, comprises building panels 10 of plastics material, such as
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polycarbonate, connected together side by side to and by means of aluminium
reinforcing beams 12. The connection of adjacent panels 10 is sealed by a
capping
14 pressed onto the beam 12.
The building panels 10 are hollow and have flat top and bottom walls 16, 18
respectively, end walls 20, 22, intermediate walls 24, 26 parallel to the top
and
bottom walls and intermediate walls 28 parallel to the end walls, thereby
forming
ducts 30 through the panels in three rows on top of each other. The
intermediate
walls 24, 26 and 28 are generally thinner than the outer walls of the panels.
At each end of the panels are upper and lower coupling members 32, 34
respectively. The upper coupling members are the same at each end of the
panels,
whereas the lower coupling members 34A at one end of the panels are different
to the
coupling members 34B at the opposite ends of the panels.
The upper coupling members 32 each comprise a flange which is a
continuation of top wall 16. The flange has a downwardly projecting part 36
forming, with the end wall of the panel, a downwardly open channel 38 and just
beyond the part 36 an upward projection 40.
The lower coupling member 34A comprises a ducted flange 42 extending from
the end wall of the panel and terminating with a square C-section part 44
forming a
horizontal channel 46 with a bottom wall 48 and a top wall 49, the channel
being of
greater height than the flange 42. The lower coupling member 34B comprises a
ducted flange SO extending from the opposite end wall of a panel top the
coupling
member 34A. The flange 50 has its bottom edge stepped upwards at its remote
end
from the panel to accommodate bottom wall 48 of the coupling member 34A, when
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two adjacent panels are brought together.
The reinforcing beam 12 is formed as a hollow extrusion and has a base 52,
sides 54 and a top 56. The sides extend upwardly in parallel for a first part
55 before
converging towards the top 56 for a second part 57. The base 52 is formed with
a
channel 58 therealong with rebated sides in order to accommodate top wall 49
of a
coupling member 34A.
Where the first and second parts of the beam 12 meet, the beam has a pair of
upwardly open channels 60 that have an outer wall 62 as a continuation of
first wall
part 55 and an inner wall that continues to form the second wall part 57. The
channels 60 accommodate the flange parts 36 of the upper coupling members 32.
The beam base 52 and the first part of the sides 55 of the beams have ribs 80
therealong in order to reduce the areas of contact between the beam and the
panels,
thereby reducing likelihood of heat loss through a panel connection.
The top 56 of the beam has an enlarged head 64 with downwardly divergent
sides forming a lip 66 on each side. The lips 66 are to retain the capping 14.
The
capping 14 has downwardly divergent sides 68 with coextruded gasket material
70
along their bottom edges to seal against the top walls of the panels when the
capping
14 is pressed into place on top of the beam 12. Internally the capping has on
each
side ribs 72 that are sufficiently deformable to pass over the head 64 of the
beam but
be retained beneath the head by the lips 66.
To construct a roof using building panels 10, the panels are laid side-by-side
on a structure providing support at opposite ends of the panels with the lower
coupling members 34A and B engaged. A beam 12 is then slid into the space
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between the panels to hold the lower coupling members together and to engage
the
upper coupling members. Then a capping is pressed onto the beam until it seats
into
the panels and is engaged on the heads of the beam.
The lower coupling members being ducted i.e., having an air space therein,
provide greater insulation and inhibit condensation in the regions of contact
with the
beam.
