Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
Sandwich panel and associated assembly method
The present disclosure relates to a sandwich panel, intended for the
construction
of building envelopes, and more particularly intended for the construction of
building roofs,
without being limited thereof.
It is known to assemble sandwich panels comprising an insulation layer between
two metallic sheets to build roofs. Each sandwich panel usually comprises on
one of its
longitudinal edge a male interlocking part and on its other longitudinal edge
a female
interlocking part such that the male and female interlocking parts interlock
into one
another when two panels are assembled.
It is also known to build walls by assembling sandwich panels wherein the
fasteners used to fix one panel on the building structure are hidden when
positioning the
adjacent panel. Nevertheless, these hidden fixings are not resistant enough to
wind
suction to use these sandwich panels for the construction of roofs.
The aim of the present disclosure is therefore to remedy the drawbacks of the
prior
art by providing a sandwich panel with hidden fixing which provides an
improved
resistance to wind suction.
For this purpose, a first subject of the present disclosure consists of a
panel
comprising an insulation material sandwiched between an inner metallic tray
and an outer
metallic sheet wherein the inner metallic tray comprises in cross-section:
- An inner central part substantially lying in a plane P,
- A first inner flange extending inwards from a first extremity of the
inner central
part and comprising an inner recess extending in parallel to plane P and
inwards,
- A second inner flange extending inwards from a second extremity of the
inner
central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue
extending in parallel to plane P and outwards, the inner recess and the inner
tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking,
Date Re9ue/Date Received 2020-07-02
2
wherein the outer metallic sheet comprises in cross-section:
- An outer central part,
- A first outer flange extending from a first extremity of the outer
central part,
substantially above the first inner flange and comprising successively:
o a first lateral rib extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P
and
outwards and comprising a first lower part and a first upper part, the first
lower part being at least partially thinner than the first upper part,
o an outer recess extending in parallel to plane P and inwards,
- A second outer flange extending from a second extremity of the outer
central
part and comprising a second lateral rib extending substantially
perpendicularly
to plane P and outwards and comprising a second lower part and a second
upper part, the second lower part being at least partially thinner than the
second
upper part, the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes
that
allow the interlocking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib.
Another subject of the present disclosure consists of a panel comprising an
insulation material sandwiched between an inner metallic tray and an outer
metallic sheet
wherein the inner metallic tray comprises in cross-section:
- an inner central part substantially lying in a plane P,
- a first inner flange extending inwards from a first extremity of the
inner central
part and comprising an inner recess extending in parallel to plane P and
inwards,
- a second inner flange extending inwards from a second extremity of the
inner
central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue
extending in parallel to plane P and outwards, the inner recess and the inner
tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking,
wherein the outer metallic sheet comprises in cross-section:
- an outer central part,
- a first outer flange extending from a first extremity of the outer
central part,
substantially above the first inner flange and comprising successively:
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-17
2a
o a first lateral rib extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P
and
outwards and comprising a first lower part and a first upper part, the first
lower part being at least partially thinner than the first upper part,
o an outer recess extending in parallel to plane P and inwards,
- a second outer flange extending from a second extremity of the outer
central
part and comprising a second lateral rib extending substantially
perpendicularly
to plane P and outwards and comprising a second lower part and a second
upper part, the second lower part being at least partially thinner than the
second
upper part, the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes
that
allow the interlocking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib,
and wherein the first lower part is pinched, and the second lateral rib is
adapted
to be clipped on the first lateral rib, the first upper part preventing the
second lateral
rib from unexpectedly unlocking.
The panel according to the disclosure may also have the optional features
listed
below, considered individually or in combination:
- the inner recess comprises an inner step extending substantially
perpendicular
from the inner central part and a flat portion,
- the inner tongue comprises a lower branch and an upper branch linked by a
U-
turn, the upper branch being inclined towards the U-Turn,
- the first lateral wing comprises two lateral wings which are
substantially in
contact on at least a portion of the first lower part,
- the outer recess comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the
L being
an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L extending in
parallel
to plane P,
- the long side of the L comprises a longitudinal groove,
- the second outer flange comprises successively an outer flat portion
projecting
from the insulation material and the second lateral rib,
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-17
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- the first inner flange and the first outer flange delimit a first lateral
side of the
insulation material which forms an acute angle with the inner central part,
- the second inner flange and the second outer flange delimit a second
lateral
side of the insulation material which has the same inclination than the first
lateral side,
- the first lateral side comprises a gasket.
A second subject of the disclosure consists of an assembly of at least a first
and a
second panel according to the disclosure wherein the second lateral rib of the
second
panel is interlocked on the first lateral rib of the first panel and the inner
tongue of the
second panel is inserted in the inner recess of the first panel.
A third subject of the disclosure consists of a process for the assembling of
a first
and a second panel according to the disclosure comprising:
- (i) transversely inclining the second panel at an angle a, with the plane
P of the
first panel, comprised between 100 and 50 ,
- (ii) interlocking the second lateral rib of the second panel on the first
lateral rib
of the first panel,
- (iii) rotating the second panel until the inner tongue of the second
panel
interlocks with the inner recess of the first panel.
Another subject of the disclosure consists of a process for the assembling of
a first
and a second panel according to the disclosure comprising:
- (i) transversely inclining the second panel at an angle a, with the plane
P of the
first panel, comprised between 10 and 50 ,
- (ii) interlocking the second lateral rib of the second panel on the first
lateral rib
of the first panel by clipping the second lateral rib on the first lateral
rib, the first
upper part preventing the second lateral rib from unexpectedly unlocking,
- (iii) rotating the second panel until the inner tongue of the second
panel
interlocks with the inner recess of the first panel.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-17
3a
Other characteristics and advantages of the disclosure will be described in
greater
detail in the following description.
The disclosure will be better understood by reading the following description,
which
is provided purely for purposes of explanation and is in no way intended to be
restrictive,
with reference to:
- Figure 1, which is a perspective view of a sandwich panel according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure,
- Figure 2, which is a cross-section of the sandwich panel of Figure 1,
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-17
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- Figure 3, which is a cross-section of the first longitudinal edge of a
sandwich
panel of Figure 1,
- Figure 4, which is a cross-section of the second longitudinal edge of a
sandwich
panel of Figure 1,
- Figure 5, which is a cross-section of the assembly of panels according to
an
embodiment of the present disclosure,
- Figure 6, which represents details of the assembly of panels according to
Figure 5,
- Figure 7, which is a cross-section of the first longitudinal edge of a
first
sandwich panel and of the second longitudinal edge of a second sandwich
panel at one step of the assembly method.
It should be noted that the terms "inward", "inwards", "outward" and
"outwards" as
used in this application refer to the positions and orientations of the
different constituent
elements of the panel in relation to the position of the insulation material.
Consequently,
if an element extends inwards, it extends in the direction of the insulation
panel. Similarly,
if the element extends outwards, it extends in the opposite direction of the
insulation
panel.
It should also be noted that "inner" and "outer" as used in this application
refer to
the position of the panels on a building. Consequently, the outer sheet is
facing the
outside and the inner tray is facing the inside of the building. Consequently,
the inner
flange refers to the flange of the inner tray and the outer flange refers to
the flange of the
outer sheet.
It should be noted that the terms "lower", "upper", "above", "below", "top"...
as used
in this application refer to the positions and orientations of the different
constituent
elements of the panel when the latter is lying on an horizontal plane.
Throughout the text, a sheet is understood to mean an element that has a flat
shape, i.e., its thickness is low compared to its other dimensions. Generally
speaking, its
thickness is 500 to 4000 times lower than its width. The sheet may be made of
a single
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-02
5
material or a composite assembly. In the latter case, the sheet is a stack of
a plurality of
layers of the same material or different materials. The material in question
may be, among
others, a metallic material or a polymer. Steel, aluminum, copper and zinc may
be cited
as non-restricting examples of metallic materials. The sheet is preferably a
metallic sheet.
It is preferably made of previously galvanized and pre-coated steel to protect
it against
corrosion. The inner tray and the outer sheet are examples of sheets.
Within the framework of the disclosure, the sheet will preferably have been
previously formed with the aid of any known forming method, including, by way
of non-
restricting examples, bending, forming, stamping and molding. In particular,
the U-shaped
bend described later on is an element of the panel whose manufacturing process
is not
limited to bending.
This forming leads among other things to the formation of ribs, stiffeners or
grooves
on the surface of the sheet. Throughout the text, a rib is understood to mean
a projection
formed on the surface of the sheet. The rib may have a trapezoidal shape or a
rectangular,
corrugated, sinusoidal or even omega shape, for example. It includes a top
central part
and two lateral wings. A stiffener is a rib of limited height, generally 10 to
30 times lower
than a rib. Ribs and stiffeners are generally placed in parallel to the
longitudinal edges of
the sheet notably to render the sheet more rigid.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the panel 1 according to the disclosure
first
comprises an insulation material 2 sandwiched between an inner metallic tray 3
and an
outer metallic sheet 4. The sides of the insulation material thus form the
sides of the panel.
The insulation material 2 can be any material providing some insulation to the
panel. It can be, by way of non-restricting examples, polyurethane foam,
polyisocyanurate
foam, phenolic foam, mineral wool. According to a variant of the disclosure,
the insulation
material is a composite comprising a lower layer of mineral wool and an upper
layer of
foamed material.
The inner metallic tray 3 is a metallic sheet of rectangular shape, comprising
longitudinal edges and transversal edges, which has been formed at a previous
stage. It
comprises, in cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, an inner
central part 5
Date Re9ue/Date Received 2020-07-02
6
and two inner flanges 6, 7 extending inwards from each extremity of the inner
central part.
The inner central part substantially lies down flat in a plane P. According to
a variant of
the disclosure, the inner central part 5 comprises stiffeners extending
longitudinally to
increase the stiffness of the metallic sheet.
As illustrated on Figure 3, the first inner flange 6 extends inwards from a
first lateral
extremity of the inner central part 5 and comprises a S-shaped bend forming an
inner
recess 8 extending in parallel to plane P and inwards. Preferably, the inner
recess
comprises an inner step 9 and a flat portion 10. The inner step can extend
substantially
perpendicularly from the inner central part or can be inclined towards the
flat portion. The
latter can be parallel to plane P or slightly inclined towards the inner
central part to
facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels.
Preferably the first inner flange 6 comprises a first inner stiffener 11
extending from
the inner recess. According to one variant of the disclosure, the first inner
stiffener extends
substantially perpendicularly to the inner central part so as to facilitate
the manufacturing
of the inner metallic tray. According to another variant, the first inner
stiffener extends at
least partially substantially along the edge of the insulation material so as
to facilitate the
interlocking of two adjacent panels. According to one variant of the
disclosure, the first
inner stiffener comprises a first inner wing 12 extending parallel to plane P
and inwards
into the insulation material 2. This helps stiffening the first inner flange.
As illustrated on Figure 4, the second inner flange 7 extends inwards from a
second
lateral extremity of the inner central part 5 and comprises a U-shaped bend
forming an
inner tongue 13 extending substantially parallel to plane P and outwards.
Preferably, the
inner tongue comprises a lower branch 14 and an upper branch 15 linked by a U-
turn 16.
More preferably, the upper branch 15 is slightly inclined towards the U-turn
to facilitate
the interlocking of two adjacent panels. According to another variant, the
branches 14
and 15 are parallel. More preferably, the radius of the U-turn is such that
the space in-
between the branches is filled with insulation material 2 which helps
stiffening the inner
tongue. According to another variant, the radius of the U-turn is such that
the two
branches are in contact with each other.
Date Re9ue/Date Received 2020-07-02
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Preferably the second inner flange 7 comprises a second inner stiffener 17
extending from the inner tongue, in particular from the upper branch 15.
According to one
variant of the disclosure, the second inner stiffener extends substantially
perpendicularly
to the inner central part so as to facilitate the manufacturing of the inner
metallic tray.
According to another variant, the second inner stiffener extends at least
partially
substantially along the edge of the insulation material so as to facilitate
the interlocking of
two adjacent panels. According to one variant of the disclosure, the second
inner stiffener
17 comprises a second inner wing extending parallel to plane P and inwards
into the
insulation material 2. This helps stiffening the first inner flange.
The inner recess 8 and the tongue 13 have shapes that allow their interlocking
when one panel is assembled with an adjacent panel. Preferably, their shapes
are
substantially complementary and their dimensions are such that:
- The height of the inner recess (measured along the Y axis) is superior to
the
height of the inner tongue,
- The width of the inner recess (measured along the X axis) is superior or
equal
to the width of the inner tongue.
Preferably, the shape and dimensions of the inner tongue are such that it
perfectly
fits into the inner recess, which further improve the resistance to wind
suction. By
"perfectly fits" it is meant that the inner tongue and the inner recess are
substantially in
contact to one another except in areas where a possible gasket is added for
sealing
purposes, such as airtightness or thermal insulation. In particular, the width
of the upper
branch 15 (measured along the X axis) is equal to the width of the flat
portion 10
(measured along the X axis) and the height of the inner step 9 is equal to the
height of
the U-turn 16. More preferably, the inclination of the upper branch 15 of the
inner tongue
fits the inclination of the flat portion 10 of the inner recess.
As illustrated on Figures 1 and 2, the outer metallic sheet 4 is a metallic
sheet of
rectangular shape, comprising longitudinal edges and transversal edges, which
has been
formed at a previous stage. It comprises, in cross-section perpendicular to
its longitudinal
axis, an outer central part 18 and two outer flanges 19, 20 extending inwards
and/or
outwards from each extremity of the outer central part. Preferably, most of
the outer
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-02
8
central part is lying down in a plane parallel to plane P. In the variant
illustrated in figures
1 and 2 where the panel 1 is intended to be used for roofs, the outer central
part comprises
at least one central rib 21 mimicking a standing seam. In particular, the
lateral wings of
the central rib are substantially parallel and close to one another. According
to another
variant, the outer central part comprises, in combination with the central rib
21 or not,
stiffeners extending longitudinally to further increase the stiffness of the
metallic sheet.
As illustrated on Figure 3, the first outer flange 19 extends from a first
extremity of
the outer central part 18, substantially above the first inner flange 6 and
comprises
successively a first lateral rib 22 extending substantially perpendicularly to
plane P and
outwards and an outer recess 23 extending in parallel to plane P and inwards.
By "outer
recess", it is meant that this portion of the outer metallic sheet lies in a
plane located
below the plane of the outer central part 18.
The first lateral rib 22 comprises a first lower part 24 which is pinched,
i.e. its lower
part is at least partially thinner than its first upper part 25. Thanks to
this configuration,
when a second lateral rib is clipped on the first lateral rib 22, the upper
part prevents the
second lateral rib from unexpectedly unlocking. In particular, on at least a
portion of the
first lower part 24, the two lateral wings of the first lateral rib are
substantially in contact.
In particular, the upper part has substantially the shape of a rectangle or an
ellipse which
main axis is substantially perpendicularly to plane P or a circle. This shape
acts as a lock.
The upper part is delimited by the top central part of the first lateral rib
22 and the upper
portion of the two lateral wings of the rib.
The main purpose of the outer recess is to hide repartition plates and
fasteners
used to fix the sandwich panel on the building structure. Preferably, the
outer recess 23
comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the L 26 as an extension
of the first
lateral rib and the long side of the L 27 extending in parallel to plane P.
The outer recess
is deep enough, in particular the short side of the L is long enough, so that
a repartition
plate 36 and heads of fasteners 37 can lay on the outer recess without
jeopardizing the
interlocking of two adjacent panels, as illustrated on figures 5 and 6.
More preferably, the long side of the L comprises a longitudinal groove 28.
This
helps positioning the fastener and drilling through the outer metallic sheet.
Date Re9ue/Date Received 2020-07-02
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Preferably the first outer flange 19 comprises a first outer stiffener 29
extending
from the outer recess 23, in particular from the long side of the L 27. This
helps stiffening
the outer metallic sheet and the first outer flange. According to the variant
illustrated, the
first outer stiffener 29 has schematically the shape of a hook.
As illustrated on Figure 4, the second outer flange 20 extends from a second
extremity of the outer central part 18, substantially above the second inner
flange 7 and
comprises a second lateral rib 30 extending substantially perpendicularly to
plane P and
outwards.
Preferably, the second outer flange 20 comprises successively an outer flat
portion
31 projecting from the lateral side of the insulation material and the second
lateral rib 30.
In particular, the outer flat portion is in the plane of the outer central
part 18. The main
purpose of this outer flat portion is to cover the outer recess of an adjacent
panel when
the two panels are interlocked.
The second lateral rib 30 comprises a second lower part 32 which is pinched,
i.e.
the second lower part is at least partially thinner than the second upper part
33. Thanks
to this configuration, when the second lateral rib is clipped on the first
lateral rib 22, the
pinch prevents the second lateral rib from unexpectedly unlocking. In
particular, on at
least a portion of the second lower part 32, the two lateral wings of the
second lateral rib
are substantially in contact. In particular, the second upper part has
substantially the
shape of a rectangle or an ellipse which main axis is substantially
perpendicularly to plane
P or a circle. The second upper part is delimited by the top central part of
the second
lateral rib 30 and the upper portion of the two lateral wings of the rib.
The shape of the second lateral rib 30 is such that it can be interlocked on
the first
lateral rib 22, as illustrated on Figure 6. In particular:
- on at least a portion of the second lower part 32, the two lateral wings
of the
second lateral rib are spaced by twice the thickness of the outer metallic
sheet
so that the second lower part 32 fits above the first lower part 24 and,
- the second upper part 33 has substantially the same shape than the first
upper
part 25 but slightly bigger so that the second upper part 33 fits above the
first
upper part 25.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-02
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By "slightly bigger", it is meant that the difference in width of the second
upper part
33 and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness
of the
outer metallic sheet and that the difference in height of the second upper
part 33
and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of
the outer
metallic sheet.
The man skilled in the art can easily design other geometries of the first and
second
lateral ribs that interlock each other while preventing unexpected unlocking.
The first outer flange 19 is located on the same lateral side, thereafter
referred to
as first lateral side 34, of the panel than the first inner flange 6 so that,
when the second
lateral rib 30 of a second panel is interlocked on the first lateral rib 22 of
a first panel
already fixed on the building structure, the inner tongue 13 of the second
panel is inserted
in the inner recess 8 of the first panel. Consequently, the connection between
the two
panels is very strong. In particular, as the inner tongue of the second panel
is blocked
under the first panel, the resistance to wind suction of the panel assembly is
greatly
improved.
The outer recess 23 is preferably located substantially above the first
extremity of
the inner central part. Preferably, the long side of the L 27 is located ahead
of the first
inner flange 6 (along the X axis) so that fasteners going through the outer
recess do not
go through the first inner flange.
Preferably, the first inner flange 6 and the first outer flange 19 are
positioned so
that the first lateral side 34 of the insulation material is inclined towards
the outer metallic
sheet, i.e. the inner central part 5 and the first lateral side 34 forms an
acute angle.
Symmetrically, the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 are
preferably positioned so that the second lateral side 35 of the insulation
material has the
same inclination than the first lateral side 34. Thanks to this symmetrical
inclination, when
a first panel is interlocked on a second panel, the second lateral side of the
first panel is
substantially in contact on all its surface with the first lateral side of the
second panel. This
improves the thermal efficiency and airtightness of the panel assembly. If one
of the lateral
sides comprises a gasket 38, then the latter is uniformly compressed. More
preferably,
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-02
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when the first lateral side of the insulation material is inclined towards the
outer metallic
sheet, the compression of the gasket is even higher.
The gasket 38 can be, among others, of an elastomeric material, PVC foam, PU
foam, PVC hollow section joint or of an intumescent material, such as a
mineral fiber-
based mat incorporating phosphate or exfoliating graphite. The gasket is
preferably part
of the second lateral side of the insulation material so that it is protected
by the second
inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 during transportation and panel
handling.
Nevertheless, it can be preferred to have the gasket on the first lateral side
of the
insulation material so that its is easier to place the gasket on the panel.
To form a roof or facade, panels 1 are assembled by marginal overlapping of
their
longitudinal and/or transverse edges and attached to the supporting structure
of the
building by means of fasteners such as screws, nails, or rivets.
The first step of the assembly method consists in positioning a first panel on
the
building structure and attaching it to the structure by means of a fastener 37
going through
the outer recess 23 of the outer metallic sheet 4, the insulation material 2
and the inner
metallic tray 3, as illustrated on Figure 5. Preferably, a repartition plate
36 is positioned in
the outer recess before fastening the panel to limit the deformation of the
outer metallic
sheet and to improve the transmission of loads between the panel and the
fastener and
thus improve the resistance to wind suction.
The second step of the assembly method consists in transversely inclining a
second panel at an angle with the plane P of the first panel, thereafter
referred as angle
a, comprised between 10 and 50 , preferably between 20 and 40 , as
illustrated on
Figure 7.
The third step of the assembly method consists in interlocking the second
lateral
rib 30 of the second panel on the first lateral rib 22 of the first panel.
The fourth step of the assembly method consists in rotating the second panel
in
the direction of the building structure until the inner tongue 13 of the
second panel
interlocks with the inner recess 8 of the first panel.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-02
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The second panel can thereafter be fastened to the building structure
similarly to
what has been done for the first panel.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-02
