AU644528B2

AU644528B2 - Improvements in building panels

Info

Publication number: AU644528B2
Application number: AU18485/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lance Carter Schloman
Original assignee: ASTRA PANELS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ASTRA PANELS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1991-06-25
Filing date: 1992-06-23
Publication date: 1993-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-23
Also published as: AU1848592A

Description

L_ o44528

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Name of Applicant ASTRA PANELS PTY LTD Actual Inventor LANCE CARTER SCHLOMAN Address for Service GRANT ADAMS COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 9, National Mutual Centre, 144 Edward Street, BRISBANE. QLD. 4000

AUSTRALIA.

Invention Title "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING

PANELS"

Details of Associated Provisional Applications Numbers PK6890 The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to us.

r I 2 THIS INVENTION relates to improvements in building panels.

The invention is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, panels of skin/insulating core/ skin construction. The term "insulating core" shall include plastics material, plywood, plasterboard, lightweight concrete, paper boards, foamed glass, fire retardant materials and like insulating materials. "Plastics materials" shall include expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam, polyisocyanurate foam, polethylene foam and the like.

The term "skin" shall include sheet metal skins (eg. roll-formed to shape) and plastics or fibreglass skins which may be thickened along their edges and/or ends.

Depending on the face metal thicknesses and the densities and thicknesses of the core material, the panels may be used in the construction of hot, cool, cold and cryogenic rooms; transportable, demountable and free standing buildings; architectural cladding; pressurised air handling units and all types of temperature controlled environment enclosures.

The effective sealing of adjacent panels, especially in cold rooms, is important to prevent the ingress of moisture vapour which can result in loss of thermal, insulation and structural performance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a joint arrangement for building panels which provides an effective vapour seal and weather proofing.

It is a preferred object to provide a joint arrangement which provides a reservoir for the sealant.

It is a further preferred object to provide a joint arrangement which provides mechanical strength for the metal skins at the joint.

Other preferred objects will become apparent 1 i I~ 3 from the following description.

In one aspect, the present invention resides in a building panel of the type of metal skin/insulating core/metal skin construction wherein: one side or end of the panel has a male formation engageable with a complementary female formation on an opposite side or end of a similar panel; and wherein: each metal skin at the female formation has an inner flange parallel and connected to, but spaced from, an outer skin portion, and an elongate reservoir for a bead of sealant material is provided by an elongate groove along the inner flange spaced from its connection to the outer skin portion, the width of the reservoir being at least twice its depth.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a joint between a pair of similar panels of the type hereinbefore described wherein: a male formation along one side or end of one panel is received in a complementary female formation along an opposite side or end of the other panel, wherein each metal skin of the female formation has an inner flange parallel to, but spaced from, an outer skin portion, and an elongate reservoir, containing sealant, is provided along the inner flange to seal the inner skin of the female formation of the other panel to the adjacent metal skin of the male formation of the one panel.

Preferably, the reservoir is overfilled with sealant, eg. "mastic", so that the sealant is smeared or spread between the inner flange and metal skin as the joint is made.

Preferably, the channel in the inner flange bears on the outer skin portion of the female formation j 4 to provide mechanical strength to the female formation.

In a third aspect, the present invention resides in a building panel of the type of plastics or fibreglass skin/insulating core/plastics or fibreglass skin construction wherein: one side or end of the panel has a male formation engageable with a complementary female formation or end of a similar panel and wherein: each 5kin at the female formation has a thickened portion with an inner face, and an elongate reservoir for a bead of sealant material is provided by an elongate groove along the inner face, the width of the reservoir being at least twice its depth.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention resides in a joint between a pair of similar panels of the third aspect wherein: a male formation along one side or end of one panel is received in a complementary female formation along an opposite side or end of the other panel, wherein sealant in the reservoirs of the inner faces of the skins of the female formation of the other panel seal the skins to the adjacent skins of the male formation of the one panel.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG 1 is a sectional view through a panel; FIG 2 is a similar view through a joint between two similar panels; and FIG 3 is an enlarged view of one metal skin of a female formation.

The panel 10 has a core 11 of expanded polystyrene between respective (painted or coated) metal skins 12, 13.

One side (or end) of the panel, is of reduced kc r s i" -1 thickness to form a male formation 14 receivable in a complementary female formation 15 along the other side (or end). As shown, the metal skins 12, 13 have inturned ends 16, 16a along the side edge 17 of the panel.

At the female formation 15, each metal skin 12, 13 is folded (eg. by roll-forming) to form an inner flange 18, 19 parallel to, but spaced from, the outer skin portion 20, 21 and terminated by an inturned end 22, 23.

An elongate channel 24, 25 is provided intermediate each inner flange 18, 19, with a width:depth ratio of approximately 2:1. Each channel provides a reservoir for a bead of sealant material (eg.

"mastic") to either form a vapour, moisture barrier or a weatherproof seal between the inner flange 18, 19 and the adjacent outer skin portion 26, 27 of the male formation 14 of an adjacent panel when the panels are joined together. When t'e panels are to be joined together, the installer applies a bead of sealant 28, 29 along each reservoir channel 24, 25 so that some of the sealant will be smeared between the inner flanges 18, 19 and outer skin portions 26, 27 to provide a moisture barrier seal 30, 31. As the outer or inner skins 12, 13 of the panels 10 undergo thermal or structural flexing, some of the sealant in the joint may be lost, but will be re-supplied from the reservoirs 24, 25 (until all the sealant therein is consumed). Thus, the sealing capacity of the joint will be maintained for a much longer period than otherwise would be possible.

The channel (or "sealant retention groove") 24, 25 in each inner flange 18, 19 may bear on the inner face of the adjacent outer skin portion 20, 21 to provide a reinforcement therefor, increasing the mechanical strength of the joint.

6 By the provision of the channels or sealant retention grooves, effective sealing between the panels can be ensured for a long term, and the installation will be ensured that an effective seal is created between the panels right from an initial installation.

While it is preferred that the channels or grooves have a width:depth ratio of approximately 2:1, other ratios, eg. 2.5:1 may be used.

In addition, a plurality of channels or grooves may be provided in either inner flange, and/or to the faces of the male formations, where excessive thermal or structural flexing can occur, ie. 2 or 3 channels or grooves may be provided between the adjacent skins at each joint.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the scope of present invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

2. A panel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: in use, the inner flange is deflected outwardly so that the elongate groove bears on the outer skin portion to provide mechanical strength to the female formation.
3. A panel as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein: the inner flange is terminated by an inturned end portion arranged to engage an inturned end portion of the adjacent metal skin of the male formation of a similar panel.
4. A joint between a pair of similar panels of the type as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein: a male formation along one side or end of one panel is received in a complementary female formation along an opposite side or end of the other panel, wherein each metal skin of the female formation has an inner flange parallel to, but spaced from, an outer skin portion, and an elongate reservoir, containing sealant, is provided along the inner flange to seal the inner skin of the female formation of the <%A U 61 8 other panel to the adjacent metal skin of the male formation of the one panel. A joint as claimed in Claim 4 wherein: the or each reservoir is overfilled with sealant before the panels are joined so that sealant is smeared or spread between the inner flange of the other panel and the metal skin of the one panel.
6. A building panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. A joint between a pair of similar building panels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. A building panel of the type of plastics or fibreglass skin/insulating core/plastics or fibreglass skin construction wherein: one side or end of the panel has a male formation engageable with a complementary female formation or end of a similar panel and wherein: each skin at the female formation has a thickened portion with an inner face, and an elongate reservoir for a bead of sealant material is provided by an elongate groove along the inner face, the width of the reservoir being at least twice its depth.
9. A joint between a pair of similar panels as claimed in Claim 8 wherein: a male formation along one side or end of one panel is received in a complementary female formation along an opposite side or end of the other panel, wherein sealant in the reservoirs of the inner faces of the skins of the female formation of the other panel seal the skins to the adjacent skins of the male formation of the one panel. DATED this twenty-eighth day of September 1993. ASTRA PANELS PTY LTD, By their Patent Attorneys, GRANT ADAMS COMPANY. r .i i 1 9 ABSTRACT Building panels (10) of metal skin (12)/expanded polystyrene core (11)/metal skin (13) construction have a complementary male formation (17) when one side or end engageable in a complementary female formation along the opposite side or end of a similar panel The female portion (15) has inner flanges (18, 19) on the metal skins (12, 13) with elongate sealant reservoirs (24, 25) (each with a width at least twice their depth), the reservoirs (24, 25) being overfilled with sealant (28, 29) to form an efficient seal between the adjacent panels c I