Patent Application
20170130464
This application claims the benefit of United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB1519669.4, filed on Nov. 6, 2015, entitled “ADJUSTABLE BUILDING PANEL SUPPORT DEVICE,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.
Field
The disclosure relates generally to building construction and in particular to building panel support devices.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Techniques for constructing building sections, such as wall sections in new construction make assumptions that the substrate will generally be constructed at the same time, and that the substrate can be constructed generally in line with current building standards and will provide a suitable base for application of a cladding material according to a manufacturer's instructions.
Retrofitting a new cladding material onto a pre-existing substrate, such as an existing brick or masonry construction wall, is more difficult as the substrate surface may not be suitably flat or sufficiently regular to be able to adequately fix support battens to which a new cladding can be applied.
It is desirable to provide a building panel support device suitable for use on existing building substrates with an irregular surface.
Accordingly, there is provided in various embodiments an adjustable building panel support device designed to facilitate installation of cladding and other wall sections to an existing substrate having surface profiles or other irregularities. In some embodiments, the device generally comprises a building panel support element, a support bracket and at least one connector, the building support element and the support bracket being fixable together at a user determinable position by at least one connector.
One advantage of an adjustable building panel support device disclosed herein is that the distance between the building panel support element and the support bracket can be varied, thereby accommodating surface variations that may be present on a substrate surface. Another advantage is that the device is configured to reduce the gap between adjacent wall sections which reduces the loss of thermal insulation performance. Yet another advantage is that the device substantially prevents moisture migration through the wall system.
In one embodiment, an insulated wall section is described. The insulated wall section comprises a building substrate, at least one adjustable building panel support device fixed to the substrate, and at least one insulated building panel. Each adjustable building panel support device comprises a support bracket fixed to the building substrate and a building panel support element comprising a plate section having a proximal portion and a distal end, a first support flange orthogonally intersecting the plate section at the distal end and configured to support and retain at least one building panel, and a second support flange orthogonally intersecting the plate section and configured to support and retain an insulating material. The second support flange intersects the plate section at a location spaced between the proximal portion and the distal end. The building panel support element is configured to be fixed to the support bracket at a user determined distance from the building substrate. Each insulated building panel comprises a wall panel comprising a first major surface, a second major surface parallel to the first major surface, and a pair of opposing edges, each opposing edge having a recess parallel to the first major surface and at least partially surrounding the first support flange, and an insulating material comprising a first face and a second face disposed at an angle relative to the first face, the first face being fixed to the second major surface of the wall panel, the second face having a support recess parallel to the first face and at least partially surrounding the second support flange.
The length of the first support flange in a direction orthogonal to the plate section can be less than the length of the second support flange in the direction orthogonal to the plate section. The length of the first support flange in a direction orthogonal to the plate section can be greater than the width between the first major surface and the second major surface of each wall panel. The support bracket can comprise a first planar portion fixed to the building substrate and a second planar portion extending at an angle from the first planar portion, the second planar portion configured to support the building panel support element. The building panel support element can comprise a combination of a polymer and a metal. The insulated wall section can further comprise a chemical adhesive layer disposed between the first face of the insulating material and the second major surface of the wall panel, wherein the first face of the insulating material is fixed to the second major surface of the wall panel by the chemical adhesive layer. The second face of the insulating material can have a capillary break recess disposed between the first face and the support recess, the capillary break recess disposed parallel to the building substrate.
In another embodiment, an adjustable building panel support device is described. The adjustable building panel support device includes a support bracket configured to fixedly engage a building substrate, and a building panel support device comprising a plate section having a proximal portion and a distal end, a first support flange orthogonally intersecting the plate section at the distal end, and a second support flange orthogonally intersecting the plate section at a location spaced between the proximal portion and the distal end. The length of the second support flange in a direction orthogonal to the plate section is greater than the length of the first support flange in the direction orthogonal to the plate section. The building panel support element is configured to be fixed to the support bracket at a user determinable distance from the building substrate.
The first support flange and the second support flange can be spaced apart along the plate section by a distance greater than the length of the first support flange in a direction orthogonal to the plate section. The support bracket can comprise a first planar portion configured to engage the building substrate and a second planar portion extending at an angle from the first planar portion, the second planar portion configured to support the building panel support element. The support bracket can further comprise a leveling screw configured to adjust an angle between the building substrate and the second planar portion of the support bracket. The building panel support element can comprise a combination of a polymer and a metal. The building panel support element can be configured to be fixed to the support bracket by at least one connector comprising at least one of a mechanical connector and an adhesive.
In another embodiment, an insulated building panel is described. The insulated building panel comprises a wall panel comprising a first major surface, a second major surface parallel to the first major surface, and a pair of opposing edges, each opposing edge having a recess parallel to the first major surface and configured to receive a first support flange, and an insulating material comprising a first face and a second face disposed at an angle relative to the first face, the first face being fixed to the second major surface of the wall panel, the second face having a support recess parallel to the first face and configured to receive a second support flange.
The support recess of the insulating material can be deeper than the recess of the wall panel. The insulated building panel can further comprise a chemical adhesive layer disposed between the first face of the insulating material and the second major surface of the wall panel, wherein the first face of the insulating material is fixed to the second major surface of the wall panel by the chemical adhesive layer. The wall panel can comprise a fiber cement substrate. The insulating material can comprise at least one of polyurethane, polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, thermoset phenolic, calsil board, mineral fiber board, open cell foam, and closed cell foam. The insulated building panel can further comprise a reflective foil layer disposed between the first face of the insulating panel and the second major surface of the wall panel. The second face of the insulating material can have a capillary break recess disposed between the first face and the support recess.
In one embodiment the building panel support element comprises a first section comprising a pair of opposing main faces and at least one edge member positioned intermediate the at least two opposing main faces, and a first panel retaining formation for supporting and retaining at least one building panel. In one embodiment the first section comprises a plate section. In a further embodiment the first panel retaining formation is disposed along the at least one edge member of the first section. Conveniently, the first section or plate section is provided with means to enable the first section or plate section to connect to the support bracket. In one embodiment, the first section and support bracket can be securably held together using the at least one connector. In a further embodiment either face of the pair of opposing main faces of the first section of the building support element is contactable with the support bracket and positionally adjustable to define a user determinable spacing and/or orientation between the first panel retaining formation and support bracket.
In a further embodiment the support bracket comprises a first portion, comprising a substrate engaging surface and a second portion, for supporting at least one building panel support element. Conveniently, the second portion is provided with means to enable the first section or plate section to connect to the support bracket. In one embodiment, the first section and support bracket can be securably held together using the at least one connector. In a further embodiment the substrate engaging surface is secured to a building substrate at user defined locations on a substrate surface. The first or plate section of the building support element and the second portion of the support bracket being fixable at the user determinable position by the at least one connector and thereby ameliorate the effects of substrate variability.
Accordingly in a further embodiment, there is provided an adjustable building panel support device comprising:
In one embodiment, the first panel retaining formation is at least one flange.
In a further embodiment, each flange extends at an angle from an edge of the plate section. Conveniently, in one embodiment, at least one flange extends at a right angle from an edge of the plate section.
In a further embodiment, the adjustable building panel support device further comprises a second panel retaining formation. In one embodiment, the second panel retaining formation is disposed on the building panel support element. In a further embodiment, the second panel formation is disposed on, and extends from, at least one of the pair of opposing faces of the plate section. In an alternative embodiment, the second panel retaining formation is disposed on the support bracket.
In one embodiment, the second panel retaining formation comprises at least one flange.
In one embodiment, the second panel retaining formation is substantially parallel to the first panel retaining formation. In a further embodiment, the second panel retaining formation is spaced apart from the first panel retaining formation, for defining at least one panel retaining channel.
In one embodiment, the support bracket comprises an angle bracket. In one embodiment, the angle bracket is substantially a right angle bracket.
In one embodiment, the substrate engaging surface further comprises at least one adjustment means, for adjusting the angle of the second portion of the support bracket relative to a substrate.
In one embodiment, the building panel support element further comprises a spacer plate, connectable to the plate section, for extending the user determinable distance achievable between the first panel retaining formation and the substrate engaging surface.
In one embodiment the at least one connector is selected from the group comprising mechanical connectors, chemical connectors or combinations thereof.
In one embodiment the building panel support element is a continuous section. In an alternative embodiment, the building panel support element is a discrete section.
In one embodiment the support bracket is a continuous section. In an alternative embodiment, the support bracket is a discrete section.
In one embodiment, at least the panel support element is formed from a polymer.
In one embodiment, the polymer comprises polyvinylchloride.
In one embodiment, at least the panel support element is formed from a metal.
In one embodiment, the building panel comprises fibre cement.
Accordingly, in a further embodiment, there is provided a system comprising at least one adjustable building panel support device, each adjustable building panel support device comprising
In a further embodiment, each edge of the first pair of opposing edges are configured to engage with the primary panel retaining formation of the first panel support and each edge of the second pair of opposing edges are configured to engage with the corresponding edge of an adjacent panel.
Conveniently, in use the substrate engaging surface of the support bracket is fixed into a user determinable position on a substrate, a face of a pair of opposing main faces of the first section of a building panel support element is brought into contact with the second portion of the support bracket, the distance of the primary panel retaining formation is adjusted relative to the substrate to define a predetermined spacing, the first section of the building support element and the second portion of the support bracket are fixed together by the at least one connector, at least one wall panel is positioned so that one edge of the panel engages the first panel retaining formation. A second building support element is then positioned so that it engages with the second side edge of the pair of opposing side edges of the at least one wall panel, and the plate section of the second building support element is fixed to the second portion of the support bracket of the second building support element. In this way, the distance between the substrate and the wall panel is adjusted for each wall panel during installation to ameliorate the effects of irregularities in the substrate when constructing a wall section.
According to one embodiment there is provided a method of constructing a wall section comprising:
The systems, methods and devices described herein have innovative aspects, no single one of which is indispensable or solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the claims, the summary above describes some of the advantageous features.
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. From figure to figure, the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate similar components of an illustrated embodiment.
Although the present disclosure is described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be embodied in many other forms.
Referring to the drawings and specifically to
In use, the substrate engaging surface 115 of the first portion 110 of the support bracket 100 is secured to a surface 510 of a substrate 500 using connector 130.
Either face of the pair of opposing main faces 215 of plate section 210 of building panel support element 200 can be contactable with the second portion 120 of support bracket 100. Conveniently, the building panel support element 200 is positionally adjustable relative to the second portion 120 of support bracket 100 to define a user determinable spacing and/or orientation between the first panel retaining formation 220 and the substrate engaging surface 115, plate section 210 of building panel support element 200 and second portion 120 of support bracket 100 being fixable at the user determinable position by at least one connector 300, for ameliorating the effects of substrate variability.
The first panel retaining formation 220 comprises at least one flange. In
Referring now to
In
Building panel support element 200″ is in contact with second portion 120″ of second support bracket 100″. The overlap of plate section 210″ with second portion 120″ of second support bracket 100″ is positionally adjusted to provide a user determined spacing d″ between panel retaining formation 220″ and recessed substrate 501. As above, once the desired spacing d″ has been achieved, plate section 210″ and support bracket 100″ can be fixed together by connector 300″. The difference in overlap of each plate section 210′, 210″ and its respective support bracket 110′, 110″, allowing panel retaining formations 220′, 220″ to form a co-planar surface.
The co-planar positioning of each panel retaining formation enables construction of a substantially planar surface of the building section such as a wall section, irrespective of variability in the substrate surface, and where the resultant substantially planar surface of adjacent building panels in the building section further enables ease of installation of a decorative surface finish, such as a decorative paint finish or textured render finish.
A user such as a builder, architect or designer can also design a non-planar surface of a building section by customizing the defined spacing between a panel retaining formation of a building panel support element and a substrate at each of a range of locations in an array of fixing points on the substrate, to form a customized non-planar surfaced building section, or an optimum spacing or cavity distance between each panel retaining formation and a corresponding location on the substrate.
In one embodiment, as seen in
In
In this embodiment, substrate 500 includes a portion 501 whose surface is not generally co-planar with the rest of the substrate surface. In this embodiment, the non co-planar portion is a recessed portion 501. To accommodate the extra distance required to be spanned because of the recess, and in order to install building panels to form a co-planar surface array in a constructed building section, panel support elements 200′, 200″ may be provided that have different plate section 210′, 210″ widths.
In
Similarly to the configuration shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
With reference to
As shown in
As further shown in
Panel support element 200 may be formed from a polymer, such as a polyvinylchloride (PVC), but other polymers may also be suitable. Alternatively, such as where local building codes, fire regulations and the like may prevent the use of a polymeric material, panel support element 200 may also be formed from metal, such as steel or aluminum, and the like, or a combination of a polymer and a metal. Panel support element 200 may be an elongate extruded section, or may comprise discrete individual elements.
Similarly, support bracket 100 may be a continuous length extrusion, or may comprise discrete individual brackets. Support bracket 100 would generally be formed from metal, but may be formed from other materials so long as it can meet any calculated load requirements required under local building codes or regulations. Support bracket 100 in the embodiments shown here is in the form of an angle bracket, particularly a right angle bracket, but may be provided in other configurations.
Wall panels 400′, 400″ include a first major surface 410′, 410″ and a second major surface 420′, 420″. Wall panels 400′, 400″ can be formed from any durable building material. For example, panels 400′, 400″ can include a material with low thermal conductivity properties, such as fibre cement, to improve the overall thermal performance of the building section. Insulating material 600′, 600″ can include a substantially rigid material, and includes a first surface 610′, 610″, a second surface 620′, 620″, and a third surface 630′, 630″. Suitable insulating materials 600′, 600″ may include polymeric materials, such as polyurethane (PU), polystyrene, polyisocyanurate (PIR), thermoset phenolic, polymeric foams, and the like. Substantially rigid inorganic insulating materials may also be used, such as calsil board, mineral fibre board, and the like.
First major surface 410′, 410″ of wall panels 400′, 400″ can be an exterior surface configured to receive paint, texture, or any other decorative finish. Second major surface 420′, 420″ of wall panels 400′, 400″ is configured to be applied, attached, integrally formed, or coupled, directly or indirectly, to the first surface 610′, 610″ of insulating material 600′, 600″. For example, the second major surface 420′, 420″ of wall panels 400′, 400″ can be chemically fixed to the first surface 610′, 610″ of insulating material 600′, 600″ by an adhesive 425′, 425″, which may form an adhesive layer between wall panels 400′, 400″ and insulating material 600′, 600″. One or more reflective foil layers 470′, 470″ may also be provided. In various embodiments, reflective foil layers 470′, 470″ may be located along the first surface 610′, 610″ and/or the second surface 620′, 620″ so as to further improve the thermal insulation performance of the wall panels 400′, 400″ and insulating material 600′, 600″. Reflective foil layers 470′, 470″ may be formed integrally as a part of wall panels 400′, 400″, as a part of sections of insulating material 600′, 600″, or may be provided and adhered as an additional layer between wall panels 400′, 400″ and insulating material 600′, 600″. Insulated panel sections including a wall panel 400′, 400″, insulating material 600′, 600″, reflective foil layer(s) 470′, 470″, and/or adhesive 425′, 425″, may be manufactured prior to installation such that an installer can attach a single insulation-backed panel section to one or more installed building panel support device 010, rather than being required to separately install a panel 400′, 400″ and an insulating material 600′, 600″.
Wall panels 400′, 400″ with integral insulating material 600′, 600″ are configured to be supported and retained by the adjustable building panel support device 010. Accordingly, insulating materials 600′, 600″ include recesses 640′, 640″ sized, shaped, and located so as to receive and at least partially surround second support flanges 231, 232. Similarly, wall panels 400′, 400″ include recesses 460′, 460″ sized, shaped, and located so as to receive and at least partially surround first support flange 222. The angled disposition of flanges 222, 231, and 232 relative to the longitudinal orientation of the building panel support element 200 prevent building panels 400′, 400″ and insulating material 600′, 600″ from moving longitudinally away from their locations as installed. Preferably, the longitudinal spacing between recesses 460′, 460″ and recesses 640′, 640″ should be approximately equal to the longitudinal spacing between first retaining formation 220 and second retaining formation 230. Thus, in some manufacturing implementations, recesses 640′, 640″ and/or recesses 460′, 460″ may be formed after the attachment of wall panels 400′, 400″ to insulating materials 600′, 600″. Accordingly, installation of each panel may be advantageously facilitated, guided, and/or stabilized by the presence of two retaining formations 220, 230 configured to accommodate and support pre-formed recesses 460′, 460″ and 640′, 640″ sized, shaped, and located to receive retaining formations 220, 230. A third recess 660″ may further be provided along the third edge 630″ of insulating material 600″ to accommodate the support element engaging section 120 of support bracket 100 to permit close stacking of adjacent panels 400′ and 400″ and/or insulation materials 600′ and 600″. Close stacking may optimize thermal insulation by preventing thermal loss through gaps.
In some embodiments, the edges of panels 400′, 400″ at the interface between the panels 400′, 400″ and the first support flange 222 may be advantageously shaped to improve the performance of panels 400′, 400″. In some embodiments, recess 460′ of panel 400′ is surrounded by a first lip 455′ and a second lip 465′, while recess 460″ of panel 400″ comprises a single L-shaped cutout such that second major surface 420″ extends to abut the plate section 210 of the building panel support element 200, while second major surface 410″ extends only as far as the end of the first support flange 222 and first lip 455. Thus, when installed, first lip 455 extends to completely obscure first retaining formation 220. In some embodiments, the edges of panels 400′, 400″ may further include decorative profiles such as a shiplap profile or other external shape. In addition, the complementary interface profiles of panels 400′ and 400″ prevent the existence of a direct longitudinal path between panels 400′ and 400″ at any point along the length of panels 400′ and 400″. Any water or other liquid that seeps or otherwise enters the wall section through the interstice between first lip 455′ and panel 400″ can only reach the building surface 500 or interior space occupied by insulating materials 600′, 600″ by traveling upward to the interstice between second lip 465′ and panel 400″. Thus, the complementary interface profiles of panels 400′ and 400″ may provide several advantages, including obscuring the joint line between adjacent panels, obscuring external visibility of retaining formation 220, and prevention or reduction of migration of water or other substances into or through the joints.
Referring now to
In this embodiment, second panel retaining formation 230 is spaced apart from first panel retaining formation 220 along plate section 210. Second panel retaining formation 230 is configured to provide a pair of flanges 231, 232 each extending substantially orthogonally from plate section 210, and each substantially parallel to first panel retaining formation 220. Second panel retaining formation 230 is engaged with first recess 640′, 640″ in side edge 630′, 630″ of substantially rigid insulating material 600′, 600″ for supporting and retaining panel 400′, 400″. Thus, the edges 630′, 630″ of insulating material sections 600′, 600″ may each include a recess 640′, 640″ sized and shaped to accommodate a flange of the second panel retaining formation 230. During installation, second panel retaining formation 230 can be engaged with first recess 640 within edge 630 of substantially rigid insulating material 600′, 600″ for supporting and retaining panel 400′, 400″. Thus, configurations of the building panel support device 010 including a first panel retaining formation 220 and a second panel retaining formation 230 may be used to provide a robust support structure for mounting insulated cladding panels to a building substrate. Similar to the embodiments described with reference to
Similar to the panels 400′, 400″ depicted in
As shown in
As shown in
A method of constructing an insulated wall section may include the steps:
It will be appreciated that the adjustable building panel support device enables construction of a building section by accommodating irregularities in a building substrate surface, in particular in construction of building sections fixed to a pre-existing substrate with an irregular surface.
Certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as any subcombination or variation of any subcombination.
Moreover, while methods may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such methods need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, and that all methods need not be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other methods that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional methods can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described methods. Further, the methods may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of this disclosure.
Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include or do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.
Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.
Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than or equal to 10% of, within less than or equal to 5% of, within less than or equal to 1% of, within less than or equal to 0.1% of, and within less than or equal to 0.01% of the stated amount.
Although making and using various embodiments are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the description provides many inventive concepts that may be embodied in a wide variety of contexts. The specific aspects and embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of ways to make and use the systems and methods disclosed herein and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. The systems and methods described herein may be used for adjustable building panel support in wall construction and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the disclosure is not limited to this particular field of use.
Some embodiments have been described in connection with the accompanying drawings. The figures are drawn to scale, but such scale should not be limiting, since dimensions and proportions other than what are shown are contemplated and are within the scope of the disclosed inventions. Distances, angles, etc. are merely illustrative and do not necessarily bear an exact relationship to actual dimensions and layout of the devices illustrated. Components can be added, removed, and/or rearranged. Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect, method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or the like in connection with various embodiments can be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. Additionally, it will be recognized that any methods described herein may be practiced using any device suitable for performing the recited steps.
While a number of embodiments and variations thereof have been described in detail, other modifications and methods of using the same will be apparent to those of skill in the art. Accordingly, it should be understood that various applications, modifications, materials, and substitutions can be made of equivalents without departing from the unique and inventive disclosure herein or the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1519669.4 | Nov 2015 | GB | national |
