GB2262114A - Cladding system - Google Patents

Abstract

In a cladding system rainscreen panels (12) are supported by channel members (4) which engage respective margins of the panels (12). The channel members (4) are held in spaced relation to an inner wall (1) by means of z-section beams affixed to the wall (1), attachment being by screws (6), which can be hidden by a V-section trim force-fitted into the channel. <IMAGE>

Description

CLADDING SYSTENS DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a cladding system for buildings and structures.

Modern building structures, particularly those for commercial use, have a skeletal infrastructure onto which walls and partitions are hung. The external faces of such buildings are often formed by securing an array of panels thereto. Such panels may consist of cementitious material containing fibres or fillers, and coated with a layer of decorative weather-proof material. Generally, the core of the wall consists of a grid or network of metallic beams onto which the panels are secured. The panels are secured by drilling holes through them and into a corresponding beam and using appropriate fasteners or fixings.

This arrangement has a number of disadvantages, in particular drilling holes through the panels in the right place to line up with a corresponding beam is troublesome. Because of the nature of the material of the panels, drilling holes in the panel can produce a hole larger than required as the sides of the hole are subject to crumbling. The fasteners for fastening the panels to the beams are visible externally and may detract from the aesthetic appearance of the building.

Each panel needs to be aligned with adjacent panels with considerable accuracy so that the external surfaces of the panel are coplanar to avoid undesirable reflective patterns in adverse ambient lighting conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cladding system.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cladding system comprising: an inner wall portion; a panel; and supporting means supporting the panel in a spaced relation to the inner wall portion, wherein the supporting means includes channel defining means defining a channel which receives a margin of the panel so as to maintain the panel in a predetermined relation to the inner wall portion.

In practice the panel will often be a rainscreen panel.

Preferably, the channel defining means defines a channel for receiving each margin of the panel.

However, circumstances may dictate that it is appropriate that only a restricted number of panel margins are received in channels, e.g. top and bottom.

Conveniently, the supporting means includes separate spacer means and channel defining means. However, the spacer means and channel defining means may comprise a unitary structure which may be formed by extrusion.

Preferably, a channel defined by the channel defining means is defined by first and second complementary elements. However, the channel may be defined by the cooperative action of any number of elements or be defined in its entirety by a unitary structure.

Preferably, the channel defining means is formed by extrusion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elongate structure for defining a channel suitable for use in a cladding system according to the first aspect of the present invention, comprising: a planar base securable at intervals to a structure, a main channel for receiving a margin of a panel extending parallel to the base on one side thereof.

Preferably, the base defines one wall of the main channel, a flange upstanding from the base defines the floor of the main channel and the other wall of the main channel is defined by a flange of a cover element coupled to the base.

Advantageously, the elongate structure includes a minor channel opening away from the base. The minor channel may have parallel locating grooves in opposite internal walls thereof. A cup of U-shape cross-section may then be inserted into the minor channel. The external surface of the cup is provided with ribs on opposite sides thereof which are arranged to engage the locating grooves when the exposed surface of the cup is flush with the exposed surface of the elongate structure.

Conveniently, the elongate structure includes a further main channel for receiving a margin of a panel. The further main channel may open in a direction at an angle to the direction in which the main channel opens.

Preferably, this angle is 1800 or 900.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through a cladding system; Figure 2 is a section through a first embodiment of a cladding elongate member of the system; Figure 3 is a detail of the strip of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section through a second embodiment of a cladding elongate member of the system; Figure 5 is a partial cutaway view illustrating a cladding system employing elongate members as shown in Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a section through a third embodiment of a cladding elongate member of the system.

Attached to the skeletal structure of a building are various arrays of beams and strips forming the core or foundation of walls and partitions for example.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, an array of spaced vertical strips 2 of a generally "z"-shaped cross-section, attached to a wall 1, provide the spacers of the cladding system to be described. The cladding system includes a series of elongate members 4 arranged horizontally, but vertically spaced from one another and secured to the array of vertical strips 2 by means of bolts, rivets or other fasteners 6.

Each elongate member 4 defines two U-shaped channels 8 and 10 facing respectively vertically upwardly and vertically downwardly. The upwardly facing channel 8 supports the lower margin of a row of cladding panels 12.

The downwardly facing channel 10 constrains the upper end margins of the adjacent row of cladding panels 12.

Each row of panels is thus constrained in a common plane by an adjacent pair of elongate members 4 and the panels are secured without the need to drill any through holes in the panels for fixing means.

Each elongate member 4 is shown more clearly in Figure 2. As shown, the elongate member has a planar base 20 supporting a pair of spaced cantilever arms 22 and 24 defining a central channel 30 providing access to the base. Each cantilever arm 22 and 24 has a respective flange 26 and 28 extending at right angles to the arm, from the free end thereof, in a direction away from the central channel to define channels 8 and 10.

The flanges 26 and 28 extend parallel to the base 20 but their combined extent is substantially less than the extent of the base. The inner face of each flange 26 and 28 carries a respective rib 26a and 28a. The ribs 26a and 28a act as the main line along which the flanges 26 and 28 bear on the panels 12.

The base 20 carries a pair of grooves 30 and 32 on the same side thereof as that from which the arms 22 and 24 extend. Each groove 30 and 32 lies further from the channel 30 than its corresponding rib 26a and 28a. Each groove accommodates a compressable NEOPRENE (Trade Nark) sealing strip 40 (See Figure 1) which stands proud of the groove.

As can be appreciated, the sealing strip 40 and the ribs 26a and 28a act on the panels to create a bending moment in a sense to cause each panel to bow outwardly. This ensures that each panel is firmly clamped by its two adjacent extrusions 4.

The portion of the base 20 to which access can be gained through the central channel for the passage has a recess 42 to enable alignment with a drill bit for a through hole to be drilled centrally of the channel.

Opposite side walls of the arms 22 and 24 have respective grooves 22a and 24a therein to provide detent recesses. The groove 22a is more clearly shown in Figure 2. A cap 50 of U-shaped cross-section is arranged to fit into the channel 30. The free ends of the two arms of the cup 50 have respective ribs 50a and 50b which when the cup is pushed home into the channel engage respective grooves 22a and 24a to lock the cap 50 to the extrusion 4.The cap 50 is of aluminium or resilient plastics material so that when the cap 50 is pushed into the channel 30 the ribs 50a and 50b engage the sides of the channel 30 to urge the arms of the cap 53, inwardly against their own resilience until the ribs 50a and 50b engage respective grooves 22a and 24a whereupon the arms move again outwardly under their own resilience to effect a locking action on the cap 50.

When assembling the cladding system, it will be appreciated that the lower elongate member must be fastened to the vertical strips 2. The first row of panels 12 must then be inserted into the upwardly facing channel 8. Thereafter the next extrusion must be fastened to the vertical strips 2. The ribs 26a and 28a act on the panels to create a bending movement in a sense to cause each panel to bow outwardly. This ensures that each panel is firmly clamped by its margins against the elongate members 4.

The elongate member 4 is preferably of aluminium but it could be of another material such as rigid plastic. The exposed surfaces of the cap and elongate member may be coated with a decorative effect which may be the same or different according to architectural requirements.

The fixing of panels 12 to a wall may be simplified by employing channel forming structures such as that shown in Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 4, an elongate structure comprises two portions, the base 60 and a cover element 61. First and second flanges 62 and 63 extend from one side of the base 60 along its entire length. The first flange 62 is provided at its free end with a lip 62a directed towards the second flange 63. Likewise, the second flange 63 has a lip 63a extending towards the first flange 62.

The cover element 61 has an H-section central portion 61a which is received between the first and second flanges 62 and 63 so that the feet of the H are in contact with the base 60. First and second flanges 61b and 61c extend outwardly from the H-shaped section 61a beyond the first and second flanges 62 and 63 respectively. In this way, two channels 64 and 65 are formed. Each channel being defined by the base 60, one of the first and second flanges 62 and 63 or one of the flanges 61b or 61c.

Opposite side walls of the upper arms of the H-section portion 61a have respective grooves 66 and 67 therein to provide detent recesses. The grooves 66 and 67 enable a cap of U-shaped cross-section to be fitted into the cover portion 61 in the manner described above with reference to the elongate member 4.

Referring to Figure 5, in use, the base portions 60 required for a given area of wall are fastened to a grid of "z"-shaped strips affixed to the wall. The base portions 60 are arranged such that some extend vertically and some horizontally to define panel receiving areas. A panel 12 is then placed in the space defined by the flanges 62 or 63 of adjacent bases 60.

The cover portions are then located on the bases 60 and fastened in position by means of, for example, screws.

Thus, the margins of panel 12 are each retained within a channel 64 or 65. The fastening of the cover portion 61 to the base portion 60 applies a clamping force to the panel margin received therebetween.

A U-section cap may then be located in the outwardly facing channels to cover the fasteners used.

Figure 6 shows a structure, which is a variation of that shown in Figure 4, that is suitable for use where two walls meet to form a right angle. The base portion 70 is similar to the base portion 60 shown in Figure 4 but with the addition of an L-section central portion 70a. The cover portion 71 has the form of two of the cover portions 61, shown in Figure 4, joined along the free edge of the flanges 61b and 61c respectively and at the foot of one side of the H-section portion 61a.

Hitherto, most previously proposed rainscreen cladding systems have been face fixed, i.e. the rainscreen panels are fixed by means of fasteners, such as screws, rivets, etc. passing through the panels themselves.

The present invention avoids the need for fasteners to pass through the rainscreen panels and instead "clamps" the panels along their margins. This provides great aesthetic benefit.

It has also been found that the present invention allows a surprising increase in the size of panels which may be employed.

The construction of the elongate member and its function are such that its basic profile can be varied in every dimension in order to accommodate variously dimensioned side panels. Furthermore, this availability of variable dimension allows the building designer to face with the extrusion and the shape of cap best suited to his design intent.

Whilst the first embodiment of elongate member has been described with reference to a system where each panel is supported only at its upper and lower margins, it is envisaged that any number of margins of a panel may be received in channels in elongate members. Likewise, the second embodiment of elongate member is not restricted to a system where all the margins of a panel are clamped. Furthermore, the cladding system is not restricted to the use of rectangular panels.

In Figure 5 the vertical elongate structures are shown butting against the horizontal elongate structures.

However, the elongate structures may be cut to length and mitred at their ends to provide an alternative visual effect.

Claims (22)

CLAINS

1. A cladding system comprising an inner wall portion, a panel, and supporting means supporting the panel in a spaced relation to the inner wall portion, wherein the supporting means includes channel defining means defining a channel which receives a margin of the panel so as to maintain the panel in a predetermined relation to the inner wall portion.

2. A cladding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel defining means defines a channel for receiving each margin of the panel.

3. A cladding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a restricted number of panel margins are received in channels.

4. A cladding system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the top and bottom panel margins are received in channels.

5. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the supporting means includes separate spacer means and channel defining means.

6. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spacer means and channel defining means comprise a unitary structure.

7. A cladding system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the unitary structure has been formed by extrusion.

8. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a channel defined by the channel defining means is defined by first and second complementary elements.

9. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a channel defined by the channel defining means is defined by the cooperative action of a plurality of elements.

10. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a channel defined by the channel defining means is defined in its entirety by a unitary structure.

11. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the channel defining means is formed by extrusion.

12. A cladding system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the panel is a rainscreen panel.

13. An elongate structure for defining a channel suitable for use in a cladding system according to claim 1, comprising a planar base securable at intervals to a structure, and a main channel for receiving a margin of a panel extending parallel to the base on one side thereof.

14. An elongate structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein the base defines one wall of the main channel, a flange upstanding from the base defines the floor of the main channel, and the other wall of the main channel is defined by a flange of a cover member coupled to the base.

15. An elongate structure as claimed in claims 13 or 14, wherein the structure includes a minor channel opening away from the base.

16. An elongate structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein the minor channel has parallel locating grooves in opposite internal walls thereof.

17. An elongate structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein a cup of U-shape cross-section is inserted into the minor channel, the external surfaces of said cup being provided with ribs on opposite sides thereof, such that the ribs engage the locating grooves when the exposed surface of the cup is flush with the exposed surface of the elongate structure.

18. An elongate structure as claimed in any of claims 13 to 17, wherein said structure includes a further main channel for receiving a margin of a panel.

19. An elongate structure as claimed in claim 18, wherein the further main channel opens in a direction at an angle to the direction in which the main channel opens.

20. An elongate structure as claimed in claim 19, wherein the angle is 1800.

21. An elongate structure as claimed in claim 19, wherein the angle is 900.

22. A cladding system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.