Patent Application
20220275651
The present invention relates to a system of installing an exterior wall onto an existing building structure.
An exterior wall assembly of a building is typically comprised of façade or cladding panels, cladding attachment components, insulation, cladding support components which fasten using screws/anchors to the structure of the building. The exterior wall assembly carries two main functions. The first is to provide an aesthetically pleasing façade, and the second is to provide a barrier to the natural elements and controlling the interior climate for occupants.
The process of installing this wall assembly has historically been done in the field/on-site as a multi-step process which is both labor intensive and time consuming. Furthermore, historically, since each unit of a wall system is a separate component, quality varies based on individual installer. Separate units also demand elaborate weather proofing and sealing operations, where durability and quality is even harder to control and predict. As a result, developers and building owners have come to accept a relatively high failure rate and an ongoing patching effort in a fight to keep moisture and wind out of the seals.
In conventional applications, the installation of large panel and/or prefabricated façade panels and much of the attachment and support system can be assembled offsite and sections of completed wall are shipped to the job site. Manufacture and shipment are usually coordinated on a floor-by-floor basis due to the fact that sections of large panel or prefabricated wall systems are deployed and anchored independent of one another, with gaps above, below and on the sides of each panel. Each such joint between sections is then sealed with caulking, deployment of tape, etc.
Summary
The present disclosure contemplates systems and methods for installing a wall cladding system, for example, providing for rapid installation of exterior wall cladding panel components from an exterior of the building. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed systems, the components interconnect the upper and lower ends of each wall panel above and below respectively, and may accommodate for adjustments in wall cladding irregularity, provide an interlocking, installation method for inserting multiple panels faster than other methods, and/or ensure plum and leveling in panel to panel connections.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a wall cladding system includes a slab bracket, a connector tube, first and second façade panels, and first and second attachment rails. The slab bracket includes a base wall and first and second forward extending flanges defining a gap in which the connector tube is secured. The first attachment rail is secured along an upper edge the first façade panel and includes a mounting wall fastened to the connector tube and a support wall extending upward from the mounting wall, spaced from the connector tube to define a first slot. The second attachment rail is secured along a lower edge of the second façade panel and includes a downward extending hanger wall spaced apart from a rear surface of the second façade panel to define a second slot, with the hanger wall received in the first slot and the support wall received in the second slot.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of installing a wall cladding system on a building structure is contemplated. In the exemplary method, a base wall of a slab bracket is mounted to a building structure, the slab bracket including first and second forward extending flanges defining a gap therebetween. A first façade panel is provided with a first attachment rail secured along an upper edge the first façade panel, and a connector tube fastened to a mounting wall of the first attachment rail, with a support wall of the first attachment rail extending upward from the mounting wall being spaced from the connector tube to define a first slot. A second façade panel is provided with a second attachment rail secured along a lower edge of the second façade panel, with a downward extending hanger wall of the second attachment rail being spaced apart from a rear surface of the second façade panel to define a second slot. The connector tube is secured in the gap using one or more fasteners secured through first and second side walls of the connector tube and through the first and second forward extending flanges. The hanger wall of the second attachment rail is inserted in the first slot and the support wall of the first attachment rail in the second slot for interlocking retention of the second attachment rail and second façade panel with the first façade panel.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
This Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited by the described embodiments, and the terms used have their full ordinary meaning.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present inventions, which are not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.
According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an anchor system for securely mounting two or more façade panels to a building structure (e.g., vertically spaced floor slabs and/or one or more vertically extending building wall substrates) may include a slab bracket mountable to the building structure. A first attachment rail is secured along an upper edge of a first, lower façade panel, and a connector tube is fastened to a mounting wall of the first attachment rail, with a support wall of the first attachment rail extending upward from the mounting wall, spaced from the connector tube to define a first slot. A connector tube is secured in a channel defined by first and second forward extending flanges of the slab bracket. A second attachment rail is secured along a lower edge of a second, upper façade panel, and includes a downward extending hanger wall spaced apart from the rear surface of the second façade panel to define a second slot. After securing the connector tube in a channel or gap defined by the slab bracket, the hanger wall of the second attachment rail is inserted into the first slot, and the support wall of the first attachment rail is received in the second slot, for interlocking retention of the second attachment rail and second façade panel with the mounted first façade panel. The upper end of the second façade panel may be mounted to the building structure using a similar anchor system arrangement, which may provide for similar interlocking attachment of a third façade panel above the second façade panel.
The anchoring systems and wall cladding systems described herein may provide several advantages. As one example, the interlocking rail attachment to the façade panels and to the bracket and connector tube anchor mount may provide for blind installation of the upper façade panel over the mounted lower façade panel, for ease of installation. As another example, the anchor system may provide for use of relatively short connector tubes that do not extend or span between panel mounting locations, and may, for example, be similar in vertical length to the slab bracket. Such discrete mounting locations may be made possible by use with structurally reinforced façade panels, examples of which are described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 17/528,361, filed on Nov. 17, 2021 and entitled STRUCTURAL INSULATED FINISHED CLADDING ASSEMBLIES (the “'361 Application”), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The first and second forwardly extending flanges 24 and 26 are in a parallel and spaced apart configuration with each other, each extending from the base plate 23 at an angle, for example, a right angle 22. A gap or channel 28 is provided between the first and second forwardly extending flanges 24 and 26 for receiving and retaining a connector tube 40 therebetween. The base plate 23 extends laterally beyond the forwardly extending flanges 24, 26 to define laterally extending flanges 29b, which include mounting holes 30a for attaching the slab bracket 20 to the butt end or edge 3 of the floor slab 2, using a plurality of fasteners 30b. In other arrangements, the slab bracket 20 may be mounted to a surface of a vertically extending building wall substrate, for example, to secure a façade panel to a building wall exterior.
Each forwardly extending flange 24 and 26 includes a plurality of fastener openings 32, where each fastener opening 32d on one of the first forwardly extending flange 24 having a coaxial or parallel opening 32e on the second forwardly extending flange 26, such that a fastener may be threaded or otherwise run across the gap 28 from one fastener opening 32d, through aligned holes in the inserted connector tube 40, to its co-axial fastener opening 32e. In other embodiments, separate fasteners (e.g., screws) may be installed in the first and second flanges 24, 26 for attachment to the side walls of the inserted connector tube.
As shown in
The exemplary connector tube includes a rectangular cuboid section 41 having two parallel side walls 42 spanned along one edge by a butt end wall 44 and along an opposite edge by an attachment wall 46, which as shown may be planar to facilitate fastener attachment and attachment rail abutment. While the attachment wall may terminate at the side walls 42, in the illustrated embodiment, a section of the attachment wall 46 overhangs the rectangular cuboid section 41, forming a laterally extending flange 48b. In other embodiments, the attachment wall may extend beyond both side walls to form two laterally extending flanges (not shown). The flange portions of the attachment wall may provide for additional bracing engagement with the first attachment rail, as described in greater detail below. Further, the attachment wall may have a thickness that is greater (e.g., at least about 50% greater) than a thickness of the first and second side walls 42, for example, to provide increased rigidity and reinforcement of the anchoring system 10.
The vertical length of all walls forming the connector tube 40 may be uniform and may (though need not) be somewhat greater than the length 25 of the slab bracket 20. In an exemplary embodiment, the connector tube 40 has a vertical length between about 25% greater and about 100% greater than a vertical length of the slab bracket 20. The butt end 44 of the connector tube may be adjoined with each of the two parallel walls 42 by diagonal walls 44c, with each diagonal wall 44c forming a tapered surface that may be useful in facilitating insertion of the butt end wall 44 into the channel or gap 28 during assembly.
In an exemplary attachment of the connector tube 40 to the slab bracket 20, the connector tube may be initially loosely attached with the slab bracket by installing fasteners (e.g., self-tapping screws) through the vertical slots 32d, 32e (
A second diagonal spacer 89c provides an offset between the mounting wall 86 and the support wall 84. When the S-shaped attachment rail 80 is attached to the connector tube attachment wall or face 46, the attachment wall, the second diagonal spacer 89c and the support wall 84 create a U-shaped channel of first slot 92. The U-shaped channel or first slot 92 is used to capture a hanger wall portion 64 of a second (e.g., Z-shaped, or other suitable shapes/configurations) attachment rail 60 secured with an upper façade panel. The hanger wall 64 is separated from a second panel fastening wall 62 by a spacer wall 64a. The diagonal orientation of the spacer wall 64a provides an offset between the hanger wall 64 and the second panel fastening wall 62, with the hanger wall 64 being co-extensive with the mounting wall 86 of the first attachment rail 80 and the second panel fastening wall 62 being flush with the support wall 84 in an interlocking assembly. As shown in
The distance 97 between the top edge 9 and the top of the S-shaped attachment rail 80 is then almost entirely used for mounting the upper panel 7.
To secure an upper edge of the second, upper façade panel 7 to the building structure (e.g., to an upper portion of a building wall or to an upper floor slab), another attachment rail (e.g., S-shaped attachment rail 80) may be attached near the upper edge 9 thereof, as shown in
In such an arrangement, the panel bracing wall 88 is flush with the surface 6a of the lower façade panel 6. Protruding outwardly away from the surface 6a is the lower spacer 88a. Issuing from the free end of the lower spacer 88a is the lower wall 85 which is configured to be parallel to and set apart from the surface 6a. Issuing from the free end of the lower wall 85 is the first spacer 89a, which connects the lower wall 85 to the first wall 82. The first wall 82 being directly flush with and parallel to the surface 6a. The lower spacer 88a, the lower wall 85 and the first spacer 89a creating the lower cavity 87. The lower cavity 87 provides additional rigidity for the S-shaped rail 80 as well as serves as an additional insulating measure against any elements that may penetrate and/or span the gap 13 between the upper edge 9 and the lower edge 11 (see
In the embodiment of the S-shaped rail 80 shown in
Illustrated in
The wall panels or façade panels 6, 7 may be formed from one or more of a variety of materials, including, for example, glass, concrete, wood, metal, plastic, or composite materials. In one embodiment, the façade panels are formed as structural façade panels having internal framing (surrounded, for example, by insulation and/or base coat materials) spanning the height and width of each panel, providing rigid reinforcement along the panels. Such an arrangement allows for secure mounted attachment of the panels to a building structure at discrete anchor point locations (e.g., at the slab bracket and connector tube locations described herein). In some embodiments, as shown in
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, and components, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure, however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Parameters identified as “approximate” or “about” a specified value are intended to include both the specified value, values within 5% of the specified value, and values within 10% of the specified value, unless expressly stated otherwise. Further, it is to be understood that the drawings accompanying the present disclosure may, but need not, be to scale, and therefore may be understood as teaching various ratios and proportions evident in the drawings. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention, the inventions instead being set forth in the appended claims. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.
This application claims priority to and all benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/154,801, filed on Feb. 28, 2021, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INSTALLING FAÇADE PANELS, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63154801 | Feb 2021 | US |
