IL160583A - Panel unit for constructional purposes - Google Patents

Description

PANEL UNIT FOR CONSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES ir n nnv?o!7 ^2 n-prv Field of the Invention The present invention relates to extruded, modular panel units for the construction of walls, ceilings, roofs, canopies and windows, particularly of light-transmitting wall sections. More particularly, the present invention relates to assemblies for constructing such walls, ceilings, roofs, canopies and windows from a plurality of units.

Background of the Invention Extruded modular panel units of the type of the present invention are known from the U.S. Patent Nos^4,573,300, 4,998,395 and 5,348,790, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In these Patents, there are disclosed panel units 2 which are interconnected by the joining flanges 4 and clamping means 6, as shown in general in Fig. 1. The clamping means 6 project at an angle from the surface of the panels and form longitudinal ribs 8. The ribs 8 project from the surface of the wall or cejUing_ constructed, detracting from the aesthetic appearance. In addition, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, when force is applied on the structure in the direction of arrows A, e.g., by winds, adjacently disposed panel units 2 tend to swing upwardly (Fig. 3), thereby spreading open the clamping means 6 and causing the panels to disengage from the r clamping means 6, resulting in the collapse of the structure, or at least parts thereof.

Disclosure of the Invention It is therefore a broad object of the present invention to ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art constructed panels and to provide an extruded, modular panel units for the construction of wall-surface portions capable of better withstanding forces tending to disengage adjacently connected panel units.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an assembly consisting of extruded, modular panel units and a matching joining member for constructing walls, roofs and the like, capable of withstanding forces acting on said panel units trying to spread open the joining member.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide extruded modular panel units and joining members which, when assembled, provide a wall construction which is aesthetically pleasant by not having ribs projecting from the surfaces.

In accordance with the present invention there is therefore provided an extruded panel unit for constructional purposes, comprising at least two sheets forming major surfaces interconnected and spaced apart by a plurality of ribs and intermediate surfaces which divide the space defined between said major surfaces into a plurality of sub-spaces; each panel having at least one joining flange extending in the direction of extrusion and located at an edge of the panel; said joining flange having an outside, as well as an inside, face, said outside face being adapted for making at least indirect surface contact with a similar face of a flange of an adjacent panel unit, and the inside face of said joining flange being provided with detent means for engaging a joining member for joining two adjacently disposed units, characterized in that said joining flange extends between said two sheets and that a first end of said flange extends along the plane of a first of said sheets, and a second end of said flange extends towards a second of said sheets and terminates at a distance from the plane of said second sheet.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures, so that it may be more fully understood.

With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 illustrates a prior art wall construction assembled from extruded modular panel units and joining members; Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the prior art wall construction illustrating possible behavior under force; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an assembly showing extruded modular panel units and a matching joining member, according to the present invention; Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views of further embodiments of the panel units and joining member according to the present invention, fitted with an anchoring element; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of Fig. 4 as attached to a constructional profile; Fig. 8 illustrates a different manner of attaching the assembly to a constructional profile; Fig. 9 illustrates a different embodiment of a joining member strengthened to withstand winds and snow, and Fig. 10 is still a further embodiment of the invention showing a joining member configured to be fitted with sealing strips.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments There is illustrated in Fig. 4 a preferred embodiment of the invention including lateral edge portions of two adjacently disposed extruded panel units 10. The panel o units 10 are comprised of two sheets 12, 14 forming upper and lower major surfaces interconnected and spaced-apart by a plurality of ribs and intermediate surfaces which divide the space defined by the major surfaces into a per-se known. Each panel unit 10 has a joining flange edges. Bottom surface 20 of the flange 18 contiguously extends from the major surface 14 and is co-planar therewith, while the top edge 22 of the flange 18, terminates short of the plane connecting the major surfaces 12 of two adjacently disposed panel units 10. The non-contacting inner faces 24 of the flanges 18 are formed with one or more detent means 26. At the upper corner edge of each panel unit 10 there is formed at least one recess 28. In Fig. 4 there is illustrated, as a non-limiting example, a recess 28 in the form of a shoulder, however, recesses in other forms, such as grooves, can just as well be made.

Further seen is a substantially U-shape in cross-section joining member 30, for assembling the panel units 10. The joining member 30 has a base portion 32 and two wing portions 34. The latter are each provided with an appendage 36, generally extending towards the base portion 32 and configured to include detent means 38 engageable under pressure with the detent means 26 of the flanges 18. The base portion 32 of the joining member 30 is made with lateral extensions 40, configured and sized to lean against the recesses 28 when pushed into the joining position, whereby the joining member 30 is substantially flush with the plane of the sheets 12 of the panel units 10.

As can be appreciated, in order to minimize the danger of the dismantle and collapse of the structure, as exemplified in Figs. 2 and 3, advantageously the width of at least a portion of the joining member 30 is substantially the same as the width of the gap between the lateral. sides of two adjacently disposed panel units 10 when the. contact-making surfaces are touching each other, or as calculated when there is interposed an anchoring or sealing element therebetween. Hence, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper parts of the wing portions 34 abut against the upper parts of the lateral sides n VJ, of the panel units 10, as are the extensions 40 of the base portion 32, which are engaged in the recesses 28.

^ Referring to Figs. 5 and 6 there are illustrated the panel units 10 and the joining As opposed to the embodiments of Figs. 5 and 6, where the assembly is affixed to a stationary structure by means of a connecting element 34, the same can be achieved by attaching the joining member 30 to a profile 54 by means of a screw 52 traversing the base portion 32 of the joining member 30, as seen in Fig. 7 In cases where the assembly has to withstand adverse conditions such as winds, snow and the like, at least some of the joining members 30 may be • S strengthened and rigidified, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. According to the embodiment of Fig. 8, the base portion 32 of the joining member 30 is formed on its top with two-spaced apart catches 56, configured to slide into a rigidifying U-shaped \^ profile 58 and be retained therein. Alternatively, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the joining ^ member 30 may be formed with rigidifying side extensions 60, in which case the portions 62 of the extensions 60 contacting the panel units 10 are stepped so as to be seated in matching shoulders 64.

A modification of the embodiment of Fig. 4 is illustrated in Fig. 10. Here, the base portion 66 of the joining member 30 is slightly elevated from the upper plane of

Claims (1)

1. the panel units 10, and formed with channels 68 for retaining sealing strips 70. Obviously, the edges of the panel units 10 can be formed with larger recesses, sized to accommodate the enlarged base channels 68, fitted with the sealing strips 70. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrated embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the therefore intended to be embraced therein.