The present invention relates generally to apparatus for use in building construction, and, more particularly, to embedded anchors for use in mounting panels on buildings.
Embedded concrete anchors are used as connection points for moving, placing, mounting, as well as attachment points for various post-installation assemblies. As concrete is being poured, various reinforcement means, e.g., rebar, mesh, fibers, etc., can typically be used to strengthen the concrete structure. A concrete anchor can be embedded into the concrete, which, after curing of the concrete, can allow for the attachment of various assemblies into the anchor so as to facilitate the desired function. For example, threaded nuts or hooks can be embedded into the concrete and, upon curing and setting of the concrete, can then become immobile and allow for interfacing with the anchor, such as threading a corresponding threaded rod into the embedded nut, or attaching a strap or hoist onto the hook. In addition, the concrete anchor system can include a strap which can interface with the anchor and can be used to attach to the concrete structure and maintain the position of the concrete panel position within a building structure after placement.
Unfortunately, presently available post-installed undercut anchors have historically provided limited pull off strength because they rely on a small point load distribution rather than a broader distributed embed. There is, as a result, a need for solutions that address these shortcomings.
Embodiments of the present invention address the above-identified needs by providing improved designs for embedded anchors that may be utilized to attach panels to other structures.
Aspects of the invention are directed to an apparatus comprising a chassis and a leg. The chassis defines a mounting plate with a top surface and a downturned edge region projecting from the mounting plate in a direction substantially normal to the top surface. The bonding leg projects from the downturned edge region and is narrower than the downturned edge region. The bonding leg defines a proximal bonding leg region projecting from the downturned edge region in a direction substantially normal to the top surface that transitions through a curved intermediate bonding leg region into a distal bonding leg region projecting from the curved intermediate bonding leg region in a direction substantially parallel to the top surface.
Anchor embodiments in accordance with aspects of the invention provide a versatile means by which to attach panels to other structures such as buildings. These anchors are both easy and economical to manufacturer. At the same time, these anchors provide a strong structural bond with panels due to the anchors' unique design.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description and accompanying drawings where:
The present invention will be described with reference to illustrative embodiments. For this reason, numerous modifications can be made to these embodiments and the results will still come within the scope of the invention. No limitations with respect to the specific embodiments described herein are intended or should be inferred.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “substantially normal” means within an angle of ninety plus or minus ten degrees. The term “substantially parallel” means parallel within plus or minus ten degrees.
An anchor for use in mounting a panel of fiber cement board or similar to another structure is now described.
Additional aspects of the anchor 5 are shown in
The anchor 5 is preferably formed of a single piece of the same material for both integrity and ease of manufacture. Suitable materials may include, as just a few examples, a metal such as stainless or galvanized steel, plastic, or a composite. If the anchor 5 is formed of metal, manufacture of the anchor 5 may be performed by, for example, punching and crimping a plate of the metal. Manufacture in this manner imparts the anchor 5 with its distinctive filleted edges, namely the curved interfacial edge regions 3 and the curved intermediate bonding leg regions 25. These metal forming techniques will be familiar to one having ordinary skill in the relevant manufacturing arts. These manufacturing processes are also described in a number of readily available references, including, as just one example, H. E. Theis (ed.), Handbook of Metalforming Processes, Taylor and Francis, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. That said, it should also be understood that while the anchor 5 is illustrated as being formed from a single sheet of material, it is not so limited and could be constructed in a similar design from multiple pieces of welded or otherwise joined parts.
The bore 7 is located approximately in the center of the mounting plate 12 and allows mechanical fasteners to be utilized to attach the anchor 5 and panel 32 to auxiliary mounting hardware or directly to a building structure. That is, a fastener can be made to pass through the bore 7 for purposes of the fixation. The bore 7 can be smooth or threaded depending on installation requirements. In alternative embodiments, more than one bore may also be included.
In this manner, aspects of the invention relate to an anchor 5 that may be embedded in a panel 32 of some kind (e.g., one formed of concrete). The anchor 5 comprises a symmetrical array of bonding legs 1 extending from the body of the anchor 5 at an approximate ninety-degree angle and being L-shaped in profile. The portion of the L that does not connect to the body of the anchor 5 is symmetrically notched one or more times and is embedded in the panel 32 in a plane parallel with an external surface of the panel 32. The top surface 13 of the mounting plate 12 is also substantially parallel to an external surface of the panel 32, but the mounting plate 12 is in spaced relation to the panel 32.
With its notched bonding legs 1 securely embedded in the panel 32 in the manner indicated in
The anchor 5 may thereby be structurally bonded to a fiber cement board panel 32 through the process of embedding the notched bonding legs 1 of the anchor 5 into the panel 32 while the concrete is uncured. In so doing, the symmetrical notches on the bonding legs 1 increase the surface area of the embedded bonding legs 1, which increase the strength of the structural bond to the panel 32. The number of notched bonding legs as well, as their unique design, thereby combine to provide a strong positive structural bond with the panel 32 with greater pull-off strengths than many prior-art dry-set, undercut anchor designs.
Embodiments of the invention may be particularly well suited to embedded anchors for mounting and assembly of facade rainscreen cladding systems constructed from lightweight fiber-reinforced concrete panels mechanically fastened to a variety of rail-and-bracket mounting assemblies, themselves fastened to direct members or auxiliary components of a building's exterior structural system. However, the invention is in no way limited to this particular application. For example, while the invention is described in relation to the anchor 5 being cast in the fiber-reinforced concrete panel 32, it may have similar applicability in other construction implementations related to construction, masonry, cladding, casting, and similar.
Aspects of the invention thereby provide several important advantages over prior art designs and provide a significant technical advancement over conventional dry-set undercut anchors. Anchors in accordance with aspects of the invention are firstly both easy and economical to manufacturer. At the same time, these anchors provide a strong structural bond with a panel due to the anchors' unique designs. Lastly, the anchors provide a versatile means by which to attach panels to other structures such as buildings. A variety of rail, bracket, and other architectural hardware assemblies may be utilized, or anchors may even be supported directly by a building's vertical structure.
It should again be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative only. Other embodiments can use different types and arrangements of elements for implementing the described functionality. These numerous alternative embodiments within the scope of the appended claims will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
For example, while the anchor 5 and the panel 32 are illustrated as being held in place in
In one or more alternative embodiments falling within the scope of the invention, the mounting plate of an anchor may have a shape that is not a parallelogram (e.g., is not square or rectangular) and/or may have more than one bore. These bores can be smooth or threaded depending on the hardware and structural requirements of a specific implementation. In even other embodiments, a bore may be replaced by a J-hook. Fewer or greater than four bonding legs may also be utilized.
In even other embodiments, the bonding legs of an anchor may be shaped differently from those shown in
All the features disclosed herein may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purposes, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
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