WO1989002503A1

WO1989002503A1 - Building panel

Info

Publication number: WO1989002503A1
Application number: PCT/AU1988/000346
Authority: WO
Inventors: Malcolm James Dobson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-07
Filing date: 1988-09-06
Publication date: 1989-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1990-03-07
Also published as: AU2387688A; ZA886602B

Abstract

A building panel is disclosed comprising a body (12) of lightweight material to one or both faces of which a sheet of steel, aluminium or other structural sheet material (14, 16) is glued. A framework (18) of aluminium or plastics extrusions or other rigid members is located around the body. Channels (24, 26) are formed in the members making up the framework. The edges of the facing sheet or sheets are bent or otherwise deformed (50, 52) so as to be located in the channels and jammed therein by jamming members (54) which are forced into the channels. The body is advantageously prefabricated. A modification is disclosed which comprises a facing sheet attached to a framework but having no body applied thereto.

Description

BUILDING PANEL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a building panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A great many building panels have been conceived in the past. Known building panels include panels of the 'sandwich' type which comprise a body of lightweight material sandwiched between two facing sheets. Various materials have been proposed and used for the body including foamed plastics materials. Similarly various materials have been proposed and used for the facing sheets including materials such as sheet steel, aluminium and plastics having inherent strength which is relied upon to contribute to the structural strength of the panel. In such panels if the facing sheets are not interconnected at the periphery of the panel the utility of the panel is considerably diminished due to reduced strength. It is known to provide rigid edge components around the body and between the edges of the facing sheets, the facing sheets being connected to the edge components so that the panel effectively becomes a beam. However the problems associated with the connection, of the facing sheets to the edge components have had the result that previously proposed such panels have been too expensive to be commercially acceptable or of poor quality and/or insufficient strength.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a building panel having a facing sheet connected to edge components in a novel manner; or at least to offer the public a useful panel of novel design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention there is provided a building panel comprising a face member of structural sheet material constituting at least one face of the panel and one or more peripheral components joined together and making up the periphery of the panel, the peripheral components being provided with formations which, when the peripheral components are in working position, constitute a channel formation extending around the panel, the periphery of the face member being deformed so as to be locatable in the channel formation, one or more jamming members being provided which are forced into the channel formation to jam the periphery of the face member in the channel" formation.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a building panel comprising a body to at least one face of which is applied a face member of structural sheet material constituting at least one face of the panel and one or more peripheral components joined together and located around the body and making up the periphery of the panel, the peripheral components being provided with formations which, when the peripheral components are in their working position, constitute a channel formation extending around the panel, the periphery of the face member being deformed so as to be locatable in the channel formation, one or more jamming members being provided which are forced into the channel formation to jam the periphery of the face member in the channel formation.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a building panel comprising a body sandwiched between two face members of structural sheet material constituting opposed faces of the panel and one or more peripheral components joined together and located around the body and making up the periphery of the panel, the peripheral components being provided with formations which, when the peripheral components are in working position, constitute a pair of channel formations extending around the panel, the periphery of each face member being deformed so as to be locatable one in each of the channel formations, jamming members being provided which are forced into the channel formations to jam the peripheries of the face members in. the channel formations..

It is believed that the term "structural sheet material" as used in this specification (including the claims) will well be understood by those who are skilled in the art as including materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium, some plastics including glass-fibre reinforced plastics having qualities, especially tensile strength, which are relied upon to contribute materially to the strength of the panel considered as a composite beam. The term thus excludes flexible fabrics which are known to have been applied to the faces of panels purely for decorative purposes. The term also excludes flexible films and similar materials which are known to have been applied to a supporting framework glasshouses and the like.

In one form of the invention at least one of the channel formations is formed in a face of the peripheral components which is parallel to a face of the panel.

Again in one form of the invention the jamming members which cure forced into at least one of the channel formations are jammed against a portion of an outer face of the periphery of the face member located in the channel formation. In an alternative form of the invention the jamming members which are forced into at least one of the channel formations are jammed against a portion of an inner face of the periphery of the face member located in the channel formation.

At least one of the peripheral components may advantageously be an extrusion.

At least one of the jamming members may also advantageously be an extrusion which is shaped complementally to the channel formation in which it is located.

In one form of the invention the peripheral components include or are joined together by at least one component located between the two face members and provided with a screw-threaded hole or other means by which the panel can be mounted on a building.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is further discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, various embodiments and in which Figure 1 is a somewhat schematic sectional view of the edge of a panel to which an edging member is about to be applied; Figure 2 is a similar view of the panel with the edging member in place and about to be fixed to the panel; Figure 3 is again a similar view of the panel with the edging member fixed in place;' Figure 4 is a view in elevation of the panel showing somewhat schematically edging members about to be applied to the four edges of a panel;

Figures 5 to 12 are views, similar to Figures 1 to 3, of the edges of panels each provided with an edging member fixed thereto in a manner according to the invention, the edging member being in each case of modified form to suit a particular purpose; and Figure 13 is a of a corner of a panel showing a modified form of joining two edging members together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a panel 10 comprising a body 12 faced front and back with face members 14, 16 of structural sheet material. The body 12 may be of the widest variety of materials suited to the use of the panel; it may for example be of expanded plastics material, lightweight cementitious material, corrugated cardboard or pulped material of 'egg crate' form. One important cost saving feature of the invention is that the body may be a preformed slab which is applied to the face members by gluing. The face members may also be of a wide variety of structural materials such as aluminium, steel, stainless steel, structural plastics and glass-reinforced plastics. AN edging member 18, which in the present case is an aluminium extrusion, is provided which will be applied to the edge or end face 20 of the body. (In all of the examples a gap is shown between the edging member and the end face of the body. This is purely for ease of illustration and in practice in most cases no such gap would exist and the edging member would be hard up against the end face). The member 18 has an inner face 22 which will abut the face 20, a pair of longitudinally extending channels 24, 26 at each side and facing away from one another and an outer face 28 with a longitudinally extending channel 30 formed therein. The channel 24 comprises a slot 32 with faces 34, 36 which are parallel one to the other and also to the inner face 22. The face 34 extends to the forward portion 38 of the side face 40 of the edging member which it meets at right angles. There is however a land or bevel 42 formed between the face 36 of the channel and the rear portion 44 of the side face 40, this land being at 45° to both the face 36 and the portion 44. It will be noted that the portion 44 is set in a small distance from the portion 38 of the face 40. This will be explained.

The channel 26 is a mirror image of the channel 24 and it is not considered necessary to describe it further. For reference purposes parts of the channel 26 are allocated the same numbers as the corresponding parts of the channel 24 but with a dash ( ' ) to distinguish the two. The distance between the portions 38 and 38' of the side faces 40 and 40' is equal to the distance between the outer faces of the face members 14 and 16. However, the face members 14, 16 have respective portions 46, 48 which overlap the end face 20 of the body and are joggled inwardly an equal amount at 50, 52 so that the distance therebetween is equal to the distance between the portions 44 and 44' of the side faces 40 and 40' of the edging member.

length of the overlapping portions 46, 48 is such that they substantially overlie the respective channels 24, 26 when the edging member is inserted between the overlapping portions and butted up to the end face 20 of the body. In this position jamming members 54 are used to bend the overlapping portions 46, 48 into the channels and lock them therein. Each jamming member 54 is an aluminium extrusion comprising in cross section a pair of flanges 56, 58 disposed at right angles one to the other, the extrusion being reinforced at the intersection of the two flanges by a thickened portion 60 having a face 62 joining the inner faces of the flanges 56, 58 and disposed at 45° to each. The thickness of the flange 56 is such that when the overlapping portion 46 is located in the slot 32 the flange 56 is a force fit in the slot 32. The thickness of the flange 58 is such that when the jamming member 54 is in its working position in the channel 24, the outer face 64 thereof is flush with the forward portion 38 of the side face 40 of the edging member 18.

To fit the jamming members, they are first positioned so that flanges 56 are in alignment with the slots 32, 32'. The jamming members are then driven inwardly, for example by means of rollers 66 through which the whole assembly (comprising the body, edging member and jamming members) is passed. This action causes the overlapping portions 46, 48 to be bent inwardly by the jamming members and the flanges 56 to be forced into the slots 32, 32'. The overlapping portions are forced and held hard against the portion 44, 44' and the lands 42, 42' thereby firmly joining the edging member to the panel.

The entire process of applying the face members to the body, applying the edging member to the panel and locking it thereto may be carried out in a series of automated steps.

Figure 4 illustrates how four jamming members made up from lengths of the same extrusion with their ends suitably mitered can be joined together by means of angle brackets 70 inserted in the channels 72 of the extrusions to form a rectangular frame around a panel 10. The frame can be locked onto the panel in the manner just described or, for example, in a press. The angle brackets can be jammed into the edging members or fixed thereon by screws, rivets or any other suitable means.

The channel 30 in the outer face 28 of the edging member is used for mounting the panel in its position on a support such as a beam or a post 74. The beam or post is provided with an outer face 76 having a profile complemental to the channel 30, this outer face thus interlocking with the edging member.

If necessary the faces 34, 34', 36, 36' of the slots 24, 26 may be dimpled, serrated or otherwise formed in order to increase the grip of the edging member on the jamming members. It is not necessary that the jamming member and channel formations be exactly of the form illustrated. The channel formation for example may be so shaped (for example as a simple slot disposed at any suitable angle such as an acute or right angle) that the overlapping portion of the face member is bent inwardly at a single point and locked in place by the jamming member which is shaped complementally to the slot.

Figure 5 shows an arrangement including a modified edging member and jamming members. The modified jamming members comprise channel shaped extrusions the flanges of which are provided with lips which interlock with complemental recesses in the edging member.

In Figure 6, two panels 10a and 10b are shown butted up interlockingly one to the other. Here the edging members are locked on to the panels in manner substantially identical to that shown in Figures 1 to 3. However, the edging members are modified, one being provided with a longitudinally extending channel formation 30a similar to the channel 30 in member 18 while the other is provided with a longitudinally extending protuberance 78 which is complemental to the channel formation 30a. The protuberance 78 fits into the channel formation 30a to lock the two panels together. Recesses 80 are provided in the protuberance 78 for the reception of weather sealing strips 82.

Figure 7 shows a panel 10c with an edging member 18c locked on to the panel by means of jasmming members 54c in the same principle as used for the panel 10. However, here the jamming members 54c are provided with additional flanges 84 which project away from the panel and are displaced inwardly from the faces of the panel so that the flanges 84 abut one another when the jamming members are in place. The purpose of the flanges 84 is to enable the panel 10c to be fitted into slots of constructional elements which would ordinarily be used to support glazing, say 6mm thick. The combined thickness of the flanges 84 would thus, be 6mm and the panel 10c would take the place of a sheet of glass. The member indicated by numeral 86 is a spring clip similar in design and purpose to the clips 70 shown in Figure 4. In Figure 8, interengaging edging members 18d and 18e locked on panels 10d and 10e respectively are illustrated. Each panel comprises only a single face member 14d, 14e glued to the body. The edging members might be plastics extrusions. A channel 88 is formed in the member 18d which would be suitable to function as a water trap or run off.

Figure 9 shows a panel 10f again with but a single face member 14f locked to an edging member 18f by means of a jamming member 54f of modified form. The edging member 18f interengages with a member 90 which is locked to a sheet member 92 by means of a jamming member 94 in substantially the same manner as heretofore described. It may be noted that the sheet member 92 forms part of a modified panel having no body equivalent to body 12 in panel 10. Figure 9 also illustrates that ceramic or other tiles 95 may be applied to the panels and the sheet member 92. It is an advantage of the panels of the invention that they are string enough to carry the weight such tiles or other decorative facings which can be applied thereto prior to erection of the panels.

Figure 10 illustrates the possible configuration of interengaging members 96, 98 to which sheet members 100, 102 are attached by jamming members 104 106 again in substantially the same way as previously described herein. The flange 108 of the jamming member 104 is spaced outwardly from the sheet member 100 to accommodate the edge of a sheet of cementitious building board 110 applied to the sheet member 100. Similarly, the outer face of the entire assembly comprising the sheet member 102, member 98 and jamming member 106 is set in from the outer face of the assembly comprising the member 96 and jamming member 104. The purpose of this is so that the outer face of a sheet of glass 112 applied to the sheet member 102 is substantially flush with the face of the board 110. It may also be noted that the member 96 comprises a rib 114 which is cooperates with a sealing strip 116 received in a channel 118 in the member 98.

In yet another variation, the end face (such as end face 20) of the body of the panel is disposed at an acute angle to the front faces so that the overlapping portion (for example portion 46 ) at the front of the panel is set in from the overlapping portion (for example the portion 48) at the back of the panel. The edging member is naturally have to be shaped accordingly. This configuration could be of material assistance in erecting of the panel on a support or fitting it to an adjacent panel.

Figure 11 shows a panel comprising an edging member 18g to which face members 14g are locked by jamming members 54g. The face members are wrapped around the edging members prior to being forced into the slots of the edging member. In this case only the face members are visible from the font and back of the panel.

In Figure 12 the jamming member comprises an outer limb 120 of the portion 46h of the face member 14h which is folded back on itself. The limb 120 springs over serrations 122 in the inner wall of the slot 32h as the portion 46h is inserted in the slot and engages one of the serrations to jam the portion 46h in the slot. The slot 32h (or any of the slots shown in the other panels) may be filled with, a gap filling adhesive to increase the strength of the joint,.

Figure 13 shows a triangular block 130 of aluminium or the like for joining two edging members 18 together at a corner of the panel. The block is advantageously die cast and is provided with channels 132 in its outer faces 134 which are in line with the inner wall 136 of each edging member 18. A slot is machined into the end of the inner wall 136 to accommodate the block 130, the portions of the inner wall 136 remaining being located in the channels 132. The outer faces 138 of the block 130 butt up to outer wall 140 of each edging member 18. The block may be secured to the edging members simply by jamming but additional security may be provided by screws 142 which pass through the walls 140 into the block.

An important feature of the block 130 is the provisions of a predrilled screw-threaded hole 144 for receiving a bolt by means of which the panel can be secured to a building. A hole must be formed in the inner face member of the panel to accommodate this bolt but the bolt need not pass through the block and it is thus not necessary for an equivalent hole to be formed in the the outer face member. A modified block (not shown) may be inserted in slots machined in the walls 136 and 140. In this case the block is provided with additional channels for receiving the end portions of the flanges 56.

The examples described herein are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and there is no intention that the scope of the invention as defined herein should be limited by the examples further than is necessary to distinguish the invention from the prior art.

Claims

C LA I M S

1.

A building panel comprising a face member of structural sheet material constituting at least one face of the panel and one or more peripheral components joined together and making up the periphery of the panel, the peripheral components being provided with formations which, when the peripheral components are in working position, constitute a channel formation extending around the panel, the periphery of the face member being deformed so as to be locatable in the channel formation, one or more jamming members being provided which are forced into the channel formation to jam the periphery of the face member in the channel formation.

2.

A building panel comprising a body to at least one face of which is applied a face member of structural sheet material constituting at least one face of the panel and one or more peripheral components joined together and located around the body and making up the periphery of the panel, the peripheral components being provided with formations which, when the peripheral components are in their working position, constitute a channel formation extending around the panel, the periphery of the face member being deformed so as to be locatable in the channel formation, one or more jamming members being provided which are forced into the channel formation to jam the periphery of the face member in the channel formation.

3.

A building panel comprising a body sandwiched between two face members of structural sheet material constituting opposed faces of the panel and one or more peripheral components joined together and located around the body and making up the periphery of the panel, the peripheral components being provided with formations which, when the peripheral components are in working position, constitute a pair of channel formations extending around the panel, the periphery of each face member being deformed so as to be locatable one in each of the channel formations, jamming members being provided which are forced into the channel formations to jam the peripheries of the face members in the channel formations.

4.

A building panel according to claim 3, in which at least one of the channel formations is formed in a face of the peripheral components which is parallel to a face of the panel.

5.

A building panel according to claim 3 or claim 4, in which the jamming members which are forced into at least one of the channel formations are jammed against a portion of an outer face of the periphery of the face member located in the channel formation.

6.

A. building panel according to claim 3 or claim 4, in which the jamming members which are forced into at least one of the channel formations are jammed against a portion of an inner face of the periphery of the face member located in the channel formation.

7.

A. building panel according to any one of claims 3 to 6, in which least one of the peripheral components is an extrusion.

8. A. building panel according to any one of claims 3 to 7, in which the peripheral components include or are joined together by at least one component located between the two face members and provided with a screw-threaded hole or other means by which the panel can be mounted on a building.

9.

A building panel according to any one of claims 3 to 8, in which at least one of the jamming members is an extrusion which is shaped complementally to the channel formation in which it is located.

10.

A building panel according to any one of claims 3 to 9, in which the body is preformed.

11.

A building panel substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 of the accompanying drawings.