Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BUILDING ROOF AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE SAME
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a building roof and a method of constructing
the same.
In the construction of a roof of a building, one is confronted with the
task to fasten a sheathing layer on a leak tight support layer such as, for
example a waterproof roof cladding, without hampering the leak tightness. If
the sheathing layer is formed by plates of stainless steel, for example, leak
tightness could be achieved by welding the plates together with leak tight
welding seams. This, however, may be undesirable for aesthetic reasons and,
moreover, will complicate later repair works. Fastening the sheathing layer by
means of an adhesive would strongly affect the surface of the support layer
and, moreover, will not fulfill the requirements that are imposed for example
on the stability of a building roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a roof construction
and a method of establishing the same, which make it possible to achieve the
leak tightness and at the same time permit a stable and secure fastening of
the
sheathing layer.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a building roof as
indicated in claim 1 and by a method as indicated in claim 7.
In the field of machine construction, it is known to use fastening means
in the form of pop rivet nuts, which are also known as clinch nuts. These have
an outer cylindrical shaft and a rivet head formed by a collar at the top end.
EP 0 589 144 A1 describes an example of such a pop rivet nut which is used
for mounting a hinge of a trunk lid to a vehicle body, and which comprises a
sealing ring placed underneath the rivet head.
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The pop rivet nut is inserted into the rivet hole with its shaft. Then, a
threaded mandrel of a riveter is screwed into an internal screw threading of
the pop rivet nut. While the nut is pressed to engage the support layer with
its
rivet head, the riveter is used for withdrawing the threaded mandrel into the
riveter. As a result, the shaft is plastically deformed to form a rivet bulge
below the support layer, so that the support layer will clampingly be held
between the rivet head and the rivet bulge. Thus, the pop rivet nut is
positively
and frictionally connected to the support layer. Finally, the threaded mandrel
of the riveter is screwed out, and the object to be fastened is screw-fastened
at
the support layer by means of a bolt that is screwed into the internal
threading
of the nut.
In this way, it is possible to screw-fasten the object at the support layer,
and it is only necessary to drill a rivet hole into the support layer.
Moreover,
the support layer needs to be accessible only from one side.
Now, according to the invention, such a pop rivet nut is used for
mounting the sheathing layer on the support layer of the roof, with the pop
rivet nut passing through a sealing layer that is clampingly held between the
rivet head and the rivet bulge. The sheathing layer is arranged in front of
the
end of the pop rivet nut having the rivet head, and is fastened to the support
layer by means of a bolt screwed into the nut.
The hole in the sealing layer and the support layer is sealed by the tight
clamping connection between the sealing layer and the pop rivet nut and by
the pop rivet nut, the shaft of which is closed at one end. As a result, the
pop
rivet nut is leak tightly fastened to the support layer. Preferably, the
sealing
layer covers the support layer on its entire surface.
Thus, the construction according to the invention permits to safely and
stably fasten the sheathing layer on the support layer by means of a bolt and
at
the same time to assure the leak tightness. Consequently, it is not necessary,
for example, to assure the leak tightness by welding stainless steel plates
that
are applied to the support layer.
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The sealing layer will engage either the rivet head or the rivet bulge,
depending on the side on which the sealing layer is arranged. Through this
engaging contact between the rivet head or the rivet bulge and the sealing
layer, the connection is sealed particularly well. This is particularly the
case
for an elastically deformable sealing layer. For example, the rivet head is
tightly placed on top of the sealing layer which is arranged on the top side
of
the support layer against which the rivet bulge is drawn from below.
Preferably, the sealing layer is made of an elastomeric material. This
material may for example be ethylene propylene terpolymer rubber (EPDM).
This sealing layer may in particular be used as an elastomeric web that is
reinforced by a fabric of polyester or glass fibers.
The sealing layer is preferably arranged between the sheathing layer
and the support layer. On the sheathing layer, for example, only the head of
the bolt will be visible from outside. Although the sheathing layer is
fastened
by means of a bolt to the support layer which is arranged on the other side of
the sealing layer, the device according to the invention achieves a completely
tight seal.
Preferably, the sheathing layer is supported on the sealing layer or the
rivet head via an intermediate member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below in
conjunction with the drawing.
The single drawing figure shows a section of a building roof having a
sheathing, which is fastened to a support layer by means of a pop rivet nut.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
What is shown is a pop rivet nut 10 which is provided at its top end
with a collar forming a flat rivet head 12. In the lower portion, the pop
rivet
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nut 10 forms a cylindrical, pot-shaped shaft 14. A bottom 16 of the shaft 14
forms the lower end of the pop rivet nut 10. The pop rivet nut 10 is inserted
into a rivet hole 18 of a metal plate that forms a support layer 20. On the
top
side, the support layer 20 is covered on it entire surface by a sealing layer
22.
The pop rivet nut 10 penetrates the sealing layer 22 and has been pressed so
far into the rivet hole 18 that the rivet head 12 is in contact with and is
supported by the sealing layer 22.
The sealing layer 22 is formed for example by an elastomeric web. The
latter is for example made of ethylene propylene terpolymer rubber (EPDM)
reinforced with a fabric of polyester or glass fibers.
On the opposite side of the support layer 20, the shaft 14 forms a rivet
bulge 24 which has been created when the pop rivet nut 10 was riveted to the
support layer 20. Through this rivet joint, the support layer 20 and the
sealing
layer 22 are squeezed between the rivet head 12 and the rivet bulge 20, so
that
the sealing layer 22 will deform and will be tightly connected with the rivet
head 12. The pop rivet nut 10 has been riveted in a manner known per-se by
means of a threaded mandrel of a riveter, the mandrel being screwed into an
internal threading 26 of the shaft 14 and then by withdrawing the mandrel.
According to the invention, the pop rivet nut 10 does penetrate the
sealing layer 22. However, the hole that has been created thereby in the
sealing layer 22 is sealed by the firm connection with the sealing layer 22
and
by the closed bottom 16 of the shaft 14.
The sealing layer 22 supports an intermediate member 28 which is
covered by a sheathing layer 30 which forms the outer lining of a building
roof, for example. The sheathing layer 30 is for example fastened to the pop
rivet nut 10 by means of a counter sunk bolt 32, so that the support layer 20,
the sealing layer 22, the intermediate member 28 and the sheathing layer 30
will form a unit. The surface of the head of the bolt is flush with the
sheathing
layer 30, so that an essentially smooth surface of the building roof is
achieved.
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The intermediate member 28 may for example be formed with an
integrated drainage system through which water, that may have entered
between the head of the bolt 32 and the sheathing layer 30 will be drained.
The tight connection between the pop rivet nut 10 and the sealing layer 22
assures that no water will reach the support layer 20. An insulating layer 34
made of mineral fibers, for example, is arranged below the support layer 20.
The device described above provides an aesthetically appealing
mounting structure for fastening the sheathing layer 30 to the support layer
20,
the mounting structure being leak tight, in spite of the use of a bolt.
