The present invention relates primarily to an extruded clip, and more particularly to a U-shaped clip for the retention of aluminum composite material (ACM) panels, wherein the clip is deformable for the mounting and retention of adjacent panels to obtain a smooth coplanar facing.
The use of aluminum clad panels for exterior, building facings has been known in the prior art for some period of time.
Aluminum Composite Cladding Systems are generally comprised of Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) panels, where panel flatness and a high performance finish are essential. Made from two sheets of aluminum bonded to a thermoplastic core, ACM is strong yet lightweight and with the right product knowledge and equipment, can be fabricated into components and systems that outperform other cladding materials in most situations.
The following prior art discloses the various aspects in the design and use of the joined interlocking aluminum sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,987, granted May 10, 1977, to Fritz Schnebel, et al., discloses the use of tie beams and girders for use in retaining facades constructed from prefabricated elements. A facade is mounted thereon simply by attaching a retaining strip and interposing packing elements, whereupon the tie beams and girders of aluminum are capable of absorbing horizontal or vertical displacements of the facade within a specific tolerance range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,315, granted Dec. 1, 1998, to William H. Porter, discloses an insulated structural panel with a flat insulating core, first and second outer facings attached to opposed lateral surfaces of the insulating core, with a liner, elongated metal strip disposed between and attached to the insulating core and the first outer facing to the extended length of the panel for increasing the bending strength of the panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,629, granted Oct. 29, 2002, to R. M. Haddock, discloses an apparatus for securing members to a surface. The apparatus includes a mounting clamp, a mounting adaptor, a panel support member and a fastener. The panel support member and the mounting adaptor are slidably interconnected to one another. The mounting adaptor is fixedly interconnected to the mounting clamps using the fastener. The mounting adaptor may also include an area of reduced strength to permit the controlled failure of the apparatus in response to excess loading. The panel support member may be adapted to receive a panel. When installed on a surface, the apparatus obscures the view of mounting devices or equipment that may also be secured to the surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,147, granted Nov. 16, 2004, to Douglas B. MacDonald, discloses a clip for panel trim that is a U-shaped flexible member defining a base and extending arms with end portions extending inwardly for insertion in openings of a partition frame member to retain the clip on the frame so that the base is separated from the frame for routing of utility lines on the partition frame member and through the clip.
What is needed is a coplanar ACM panel mounting system, utilizing a clip for retaining said ACM panels in forming a facing construction system, wherein the said novel clip is adapted to be removably secured to a substructure frame. In this regard, the present invention fulfils this need.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coplanar ACM panel mounting system, utilizing a clip having a pair of deformable sidewall arms rising from a base at proximately right angles, wherein said arms and base define a U-shaped clamping member for the insertion and retention of ACM panels therein.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a deformable clip formed in an extrusion process, whereby adjacent ACM panels can be aligned in a coplanar formation to obtain a smooth surface in either a flat, cylindrical, curved or wave formation facing and wherein a plurality of coplanar panels can be positioned to form a multiplanar array.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a clip as a structural element having a hole in the base, coacting with an associated mounting screw, for removably fastening the clip to a supporting frame, thereby forming a non-progressive system that enables removal of individual panels for replacement or repair.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an extrudable frame member having a pair of pedestaled leg extending downward from the base of the extruded channel to prevent the base of the frame member from contacting the hard surfaces of cement and brick.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide an extruded frame member having a friction grip comprising a sawtooth edge on an internal portion of each arm extending upward from the base of the extrudable frame member that forms a frictional retention means.
A better understanding of these and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention relates primarily to a U-shaped retaining clip for the retention of aluminum composite material (ACM) panels in a composite aluminum cladding system, wherein the clip is deformable to provide for the self-adjustment and retention of adjacent panels to obtain a smooth coplanar facing.
The composite aluminum cladding system includes a welded frame comprised of sections of extruded aluminum channels designed to receive the edge members of the aluminum composite material panels. Each ACM panel becomes self-aligning coplanarly by inserting the precision precut edges into the corresponding receiving cavity of the extruded aluminum channel. When the edge of each panel comes in contact with the bottom at the base of the extruded channel, the flat surface of each panel should lie in the same plane, which then will give a smooth surface for the panel arrangement.
The adjacent panels are then retained by inserting the novel extruded clip into the slotted opening between the side members of the adjacent panels. A single self-drilling flat-head screw is then inserted through the hole provided in the base of the novel extruded clip.
The clip installation is completed by passing the self-drilling screw through the hole in the base of the clip and screwing it into the extruded frame member. As each screw is rotated, it progresses downwardly until the countersink edges beneath the head of the screw comes in contact with the mated chamfered edge of the novel extruded clip. Further rotation of the screw causes the arms of the clip to separate and spread apart, thereby forcing the tips of the arms to symmetrically imbed into the edge of the panel members, which results in captivating the adjacent panel members.
A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings when taken in conjunction with the detailed description thereof and in which:
An apparatus and method are provided in accordance with the present invention to allow an easy, as well as, economical installation of ACM panel members and frame structure to a building surface. The present invention is directed to securing the panel members to building surfaces, including a flat, curved or wavelike surface.
The Aluminum Composite Cladding System 200, as shown in
There is shown in
The clip 100 shown in
A flat head, self-drilling, screw 105 is used to secure the clip during the installation by passing through a hole in the base of the clip. The screw 105 is preferably a flat head self-drilling screw; having an 80 to 82 degree included angle that mates with the included angle formed by the beveled planes 125. Alternatively, oval head self-drilling screws can be used instead of the flat head self-drilling screws.
The subject clip 100 is a structural element, owing to its outstanding panel retaining function in securing the ACM panels to the frame 205. A fastener hole 110 is punched through the base 115 for removably fixing the clip 100 to its supporting frame 205, via mounting screws 105.
In the prior art, as in panel facing assemblies, the removal of a single panel for repair or replacement requires the removal of an entire section of the facing because the panels are interdependent. However, use of the novel clip of the present invention provides an assembly wherein each individual panel is removable. The subject clip in this non-progressive system enables removal of individual panels for replacement or repair.
A typical section of a frame member 205, as shown in
Turning now to
In a second embodiment of the present invention,
A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The frame member 260 is comprised of base 230 and having two upright arms 235, each arm orthogonal to the base 230 forming a U-shaped frame member. The collective cavity 245 of the wide frame member 260 is designed to receive the edges of two adjacent panels 215, slidably fit, and separated by a wide slotted opening, preferably 0.750 inches between panels 215, into which the novel extruded clips 100 may be inserted.
The downward force exerted upon the surface of the beveled edges 125 then forces the vertical arms 120 of the clip to separate and open, thereby forcing the edges of the arms 120 to symmetrically imbed into the edge members of the panel members 215, as shown in
Once the panels are seated into the frame member cavity 245 and retained by the novel clips 100, an extruded gasket 130 is inserted into the narrow slotted opening between adjacent panels 215 to complete the installation of the aluminum composite cladding system 200, as shown in
The narrow slot metal insert 140, as used in
Although the present invention is described in detail for its particular embodiments, there may be other variations and modifications that will become apparent to those who are skilled in the art upon reading this specification, and that these modifications or variations that can be made should not detract from the true spirit of this invention.
Applicant's claim the benefit of Provisional Patent Application identified by Ser. No. 60/666,774, filed Mar. 31, 2005.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4021987 | Schnebel et al. | May 1977 | A |
4452029 | Sukolics | Jun 1984 | A |
4833858 | Hutchison | May 1989 | A |
5263292 | Holland et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
5809729 | Mitchell | Sep 1998 | A |
5842314 | Porter | Dec 1998 | A |
6470629 | Haddock | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6817147 | MacDonald | Nov 2004 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60666774 | Mar 2005 | US |