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(11) | EP 1 743 987 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A device for fastening a plurality of covering panels and a fastening process therefor |
| (57) A fastening device (1) exhibits a hook element (5) defined by a central part (6)
terminating at a first end (6) with a base shoe (7) connectable to an upright (8)
by fastening means (10) and terminating at a second end with a tooth (9) which is
engageable to at least two panels (2', 2") located side-by-side. The tooth (9) exhibits,
at a top thereof, a spacer (12) which functions as a striker element for regulating
a distance between two panels (2', 2") placed side-by-side, each of which panels (2',
2") exhibits a border which affords notches (4) on vertical sides thereof.
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[0001] The invention relates to the field of fastening devices for external façade panels, but also internal dividing walls. The invention includes a fastening process for the external panels and internal walls.
[0002] The device is applicable to the field of construction, both for existing buildings and for new buildings.
[0003] Modem buildings with deteriorated façades can be modernised by cladding with ventilated façades, i.e. the vertical walls of these buildings are clad with metallic modular panels or composite metallic panels.
[0004] Metallic materials coupled with synthetic substances produce excellent thermal and acoustic insulation results, as well as minimising the need for maintenance against atmospheric agents.
[0005] The excellent results of these materials in terms of weathering have led architects to design buildings using the panels as original materials.
[0006] Instead of projecting large panels to cover an entire surface area, i.e. a vertical wall of a building, the use of modular panels of standard sizes is preferred, usually quadrangular panels.
[0007] The panels can completely cover the areas of the vertical walls, and in the case of customised architectural designs, or where there are walls exhibiting curved and/or oblique surfaces, made-to-measure panels can be provided to do the same task as the quadrangular ones of standard format.
[0008] The covering provided is not total, as in order to compensate for heat dilation of the panels due to climatic conditions, each panel is separated from the other contiguous panels by a gap, of constant size, predetermined during the design stage; the result is little channels which drain rainwater down towards the ground.
[0009] In order to obtain excellent insulation conditions the panels are bent at their edges to form an edging that defines a space for air circulation between the wall of the building and the external wall obtained with the mounting of the panels, known as a ventilated façade.
[0010] In the prior art, in a first stage of the mounting of these panels a plurality of uprights are positioned - these constitute the skeleton for the panels and are made of metal, preferably aluminium extrusions having an internal guide which (with two of the uprights) support the panels.
[0011] The uprights are provided with support bodies that can connect up with notches afforded on the peripheral edges of the panels. The support bodies include a sliding element, internally slidable on the guide of the upright and connected to a small plate.
[0012] The connection between the sliding element and the plate is achieved using a screw, which guarantees the solidarity of the sliding element to the plate while at the same time blocking the sliding element internally of the upright guide.
[0013] More precisely, the plate exhibits a side which faces the upright, from which upright a pair of arms develops in an opposite direction, ends of which arms are joined by a rod element which can be engaged on the notch afforded on the panel.
[0014] To facilitate panel mounting operations, the rod element includes, on a periphery thereof, in contact with the panel, a rubber body, usually cylindrical and exhibiting on a circular wall thereof a cut so that the whole portion of the rod element engageable on the panel can be covered.
[0015] These known support elements exhibit the drawback of making it impossible for the installer to establish a reference point for forming regular repeated gaps during the panel laying stage.
[0016] The mounting of the panels is done in a precise working order which can in one case be the laying of a plurality of columns of panels, each formed starting at the bottom and going up until the top of the vertical wall has been reached, and in another case the laying of a plurality of rows of panels, each from starting from a side of the vertical wall and proceeding horizontally until the other side thereof is reached. Here too the vertical procedure is to start at the bottom and work upwards.
[0017] During operations the installer may make errors, resulting in gaps between panels which are variable and leading to an unsatisfactory final aesthetic result because of different sizes of gaps between panels and columns or even between pairs of side-by-side panels.
[0018] The prior art processes for constraining the panels are laborious due to the multiplicity of the components used, which include screws, the plate, the guide element and the rubber cylinder.
[0019] The main aim of the present invention is to provide a device for fastening a plurality of cladding panels, which facilitates the panel-laying operations and at the same time prevents the possibility of error in gauging the size of the gaps between the panels.
[0020] This aim, and others besides, is attained by the object of the invention, as it is characterised in the appended claims.
[0021] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures of the drawings, which illustrate two non-exclusive preferred embodiments thereof, and in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device for fastening a plurality of cladding panels for external façades, separating walls or internal walls of buildings, in a first embodiment thereof;
figure 2 is a is a perspective view of a device for fastening a plurality of cladding panels for external façades, separating walls or internal walls of buildings, in a second embodiment thereof;
figure 3 is a perspective view of an assembly of a plurality of modular panels using the fastening device which is the object of the invention;
figure 4 is a section along line I-I of figure 3, with the fastening device connected to a support upright.
[0022] With reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes in its entirety a device for fastening a plurality of panels 2 for cladding ventilated façades.
[0023] Each panel 2', 2" constituting the plurality of panels 2 exhibits a slab shape which terminates at an edge thereof in a border 3.
[0025] On the border 3, in proximity of the vertical sides, at least a notch 4 is afforded, open and exhibiting an L or T shape, to facilitate the constraining of the panel 2' on the device 1.
[0026] The upper part of the notch 4 is conformed as a hook, and is destined to engage on the device 1.
[0027] The device 1 is defined by a hooking element 5 which exhibits a longitudinally-developing central part 6 having a parallelepiped shape and terminating at a first end 6a with a base shoe 7, connectable to an upright 8 by known fastening means 10, and at a second end 6b with a vertical tooth 9, engageable by at least two panels 2', 2" situated side-by-side.
[0028] The base shoe 7 and the tooth 9 are parallelepiped and develop in a parallel direction and in opposite senses, as can be seen in figures 1 and 2, where starting from the central part 6 the shoe 7 develops downwards while also starting from the central part 6 the tooth 9 develops upwards.
[0030] Without forsaking the ambit of protection sought, the device could be of any geometrical configuration, for example a U-shape, as long as the transversal development of the base shoe 7 and the tooth 9 with respect to the central part 6 is maintained.
[0031] The tooth 9 exhibits at a top thereof a spacer 12 which functions as a striker element for when two panels 2' and 2" are brought together.
[0032] In a first embodiment the spacer 12 illustrated in figure 2 exhibits an upturned U-shaped projection 18 which is solidly constrained to the tooth 9 and is located at the transversal halfway point thereof.
[0033] In this configuration the projection 18 is obtained directly during the pressing process of the hook element 5.
[0034] In a second embodiment, illustrated in figure 1, the spacer 12 is an open ring 13 which is removable from the hook element 5 and couplable thereto by elastic interference, the interaxis of the open portion being smaller than the transversal thickness of the tooth 9.
[0035] In greater detail, in this embodiment there is a pair of ribs 14 internally of the open ring 13 which can be engaged by pressure-fit on a pair of recesses 15 afforded on the top of the tooth 9 to prevent axial sliding of the open ring 13 on the top of the tooth 9.
[0036] The base shoe 7 exhibits, at a first side 7a, a surface 11 which is inclined with respect to the verticality of the upright 8, defining an obtuse angle with the central part 6.
[0037] The location of the hook element 5 on the upright 8 is with the inclined surface 11 in contact with the upright.
[0038] The presence of an inclined surface 11 is for compensation for any plastic deformations of the hook element 5 beneath the weight of the panels 2', 2", located side-by-side and leaning on the hook element 5.
[0039] The correct positioning of the hook element 5 on the upright 8 is favoured by the presence of a longitudinal border 17.
[0040] Each upright 8 exhibits a pair of lateral walls 8a, 8b from which a pair of recesses 20a, 20b develops, starting from the lateral wall and going towards the inside of the upright 8, defining a channel 21 which extends throughout the height of the upright 8.
[0041] The longitudinal border 17, which is parallelepiped and projects from the inclined surface 11, inserts internally of the channels 21 and thus achieves a perfect positioning at the transversal halfway point of the upright 8, avoiding the location of the hook element 5 on one of the lateral walls 8a, 8b.
[0042] The base shoe 7 affords a through-hole 16 for improving the connection of the hook element 5 to the upright 8 through the fastening means 10, in the preferred embodiment a self-tapping screw 19, preferably with a torx head.
[0043] The external diameter of the self-tapping screw 19 is greater than the diameter of the through hole 16 and with respect to the size of the channel 21.
[0044] In this configuration, the self-tapping screw 19, during the screwing-up manoeuvres, engages the internal part of the through-hole 16 and at the same time the internal lip of each recess 20a, 20b.
[0045] The hook element 5 further exhibits a vertical plane of symmetry Y-Y, on which the centre of the through-hole 16 passes, coinciding with the plane of symmetry of the spacer 12.
[0046] The hook element 5 is made of a synthetic material, preferably polyamide incorporating glass fibre, with the glass fibre at a percentage of between 10% and 50% and preferably 30%.
[0047] Making the hook element 5 of a synthetic material means that it is usually possible to make the hook element 5 in the same colour as the plurality of panels 2, thus preventing any ugly resultant effects from an aesthetic point of view.
[0048] The process for fastening the plurality of panels 2 using the fastening device 1 of the present invention is as follows.
[0049] The hook elements 5 are fixed to a first upright 8, locating the longitudinal border 17 internally of the channel 21.
[0050] The positioning must be carried out at predetermined heights with respect to the base of the upright, depending on the height of the type of panel selected during design stage.
[0051] Each upright 8 exhibits a number of hook elements 5 which is twice the number of panels 2 making up the cladding column.
[0052] Thereafter the hook elements 5 are blocked, by screwing in the means for fastening 10, i.e. the self-tapping screw 19, into the through-hole 16 afforded on the base shoe 7.
[0053] If the hook elements 5 exhibiting the removable spacer 12 are being used, an open ring 13 is hooked onto each tooth 9, the open ring 13 being of a breadth that is equal to the size of gap between slabs selected during the design stage.
[0054] Then the uprights 8 are laid, taking care to arrange them parallel and perpendicular to the ground.
[0056] During this final stage each panel is hooked on, with the top of the notch 4 afforded on the border 3 arranged on the tooth 9 of the contiguous hook element 5, and locating the border 3 in contact against the spacer 12.
[0057] The hook element 5 is advantageously a rapid tool for checking on the correct installation of the uprights 8 and that the right panels 2 are being used.
[0058] If an upright 8 is not perfectly vertically located with respect to the ground, this will emerge as the next upright 8 will be at a shorter distance (or greater distance) with respect to the size of the panel 2'.
[0059] When this happens, the panel installer, during the mounting stage, will see that the panel 2' cannot be placed in contact against the spacer 12.
[0060] With the second configuration of the fastening device 1 it will be sufficient to replace the open ring 13 with a smaller or larger one, to the reduce the breadth thereof by cutting, so that the panel 2' can be arranged against the spacer 12.
[0061] When the supply of the plurality of panels 2 is wider or narrower than ordered or calculated during design stage, by changing the open ring 13 the walls can be clad using the "wrong" slabs in any case.
[0063] The presence of the spacer element 12 prevents, should a panel be moved 2', covering the means for fastening 10 by the moved panel 2' - thus access to the self-tapping screw 19 for removing the panel 2' is immediate.
[0064] If, during the design stage, the architect decides to clad the external façade with different inter-panel gaps, with the fastening device 1 it will be sufficient to vary the thickness of the open ring 13, while the perimeter of the panel 2' is still standard, rather than having to cut the plurality of panels 2 to different sizes.
1. A device for fastening a plurality of covering panels (2) for external surfaces, dividing
walls and internal walls of buildings, each of which covering panels (2) exhibits
a slab-type development terminating in a border (3) on vertical sides of which at
least a notch (4) is afforded, comprising:
a hook element (5) exhibiting a central part (6), developing longitudinally, terminating at a first end (6a) with a base shoe (7), which base shoe (7) affords a through-hole (16) and which base shoe (7) is constrainable to an upright (8) by fastening means (10), and at a second end (6b) with a tooth (9) which is engageable by at least two panels (2', 2") located side-by-side;
characterised in that:
the tooth (9) exhibits at a top thereof a spacer (12) which functions as a striker element for arranging two panels (2', 2") side-by-side.
2. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the spacer (12) is unremovable from the tooth (9).
3. The device of claim 2, characterised in that the spacer (12) is an upturned U-shaped projection (18).
4. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the spacer (12) is removable from the tooth (9).
5. The device of claim 4, characterised in that the spacer (12) is an open ring (13) couplable to the tooth (9) by elastic pressure
fitting, an interaxis of an open portion thereof being smaller than that of a thickness
of the tooth (9).
6. The device of claim 5, characterised in that the open ring (13) internally exhibits a pair of ribs (14) which are pressure-couplable
on a pair of recesses (15) afforded on a top of the tooth (9).
7. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the notch (4) is L-shaped or T-shaped in order to engage the top of the tooth (9).
8. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the base shoe (7) exhibits on a first side (7a) thereof a surface, inclined with
respect to the verticality of the upright (8), which describes an obtuse angle with
the central part (6).
9. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the hook element (5) is made of a synthetic material, preferably polyamide containing
glass fibre at a percentage of between 10% and 50%, preferably 30%.
10. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the central part (6), the base shoe (7) and the tooth (9) are together conformed
in a step-shape.
11. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the hook element (5) exhibits a vertical plane of symmetry (Y-Y) on which a centre
of the through-hole (16) lies, which plane of symmetry (Y-Y) is coincident to a plane
of symmetry of the spacer (12).
12. A process for fastening a plurality of covering panels (2) for external surfaces,
dividing walls and internal walls of buildings, using at least two uprights (8, 8')
and a plurality of hook elements (5), in which:
the plurality of panels (2) each has a quadrangular edge and a slab-type development terminating in a border (3) on which vertical sides pairs of notches (4) are afforded;
the at least two uprights (8, 8') can support at least a panel (2') and each exhibits a pair of lateral walls (8a, 8b) from which a pair of recesses (20a, 20b) develop, with a development direction starting from a respective wall and going towards an inside of the upright (8, 8'), defining a channel (21) which extends over all of a height of the upright (8, 8');
the hook elements (5) applied on the uprights (8, 8') and able to support at least a panel (2'), each exhibit a central part (6) having a longitudinal development, terminating at a first end (6a) with a base shoe (7), provided with at least a through-hole (16) and a longitudinal border (17), connectable to an upright (8, 8') by known fastening means (10) and in a second end (6b) with a tooth (9) which is engageable by at least two panels (2', 2") located side-by-side and spaced from one another by a spacer (12) located on the tooth (9);
the process for fastening being characterised in that it comprises stages of: positioning the plurality of hook elements (5), subdividing the hook elements on the pair of uprights (8, 8'), locating, for each hook element (5), the longitudinal border (17) internally of the channel (21) of the upright (8, 8');
screwing the fastening means (10) into each through-hole (16) afforded on the hook element (5);
placing the two uprights (8, 8') perpendicular to the ground, and keeping the two uprights parallel to one another;
hooking the panel (2') to the hook elements (5), engaging the notches (4) on each tooth (9) of the hook element (5) and bringing the panel (2') into striking contact on each spacer (12) on the hook element (5).
13. The process of claim 12, characterised in that the fastening means (10) are a self-tapping screw (19), preferably with a torx head,
exhibiting an external diameter which is greater than a diameter of the through-hole
(16) and the width of the channel (21).
14. The process of claim 12, characterised in that each panel (2') is hooked to four hook elements (5).
15. The process of claim 12, characterised in that each hook element (5) is engaged contemporaneously by two panels (2', 2").