AU740779B2 - A retaining clip - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDAPD PATENT Applicant(s): KEMUNING STEEL SDN BHD Invention Title: A RETAINING CLIP

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The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: a-- A RETAINING CLIP

TECHICAL-FIRLD

The present invention relates to a retaining, clip for concealed fixing of a cladding to an anchor.

More Particularly, the Present invrention relates to the concealed fixing of roofing to a roof structure, and will be described primarily with reference to this :0 application.

BAC KGJROuM

ART

Certain kinds of roofing sheets are conveniently 13 fixed to the roof structure using a retaining clip.

Suitable clips are formed as a strop which is folded at either end so that each end tuns upwardly at 900 but has a generally U-ohaped formation at the very end of one said end. The U-shaped formation has detente formed on either leg of the U. The U-shaped formation together with the detents formed thereon acts as a retaining formation able to be snap-fitted into a channuel on a :sheet of roofing positioned appropriately thereon. The other end of the strap does not have the second leg of 0 the U at its very end, and. has only a single detent as a OVOO result. This end of the clip is adapted to rest upon the edge of a sheet of roofing already laid, and then to have a second sheet snap-fitted to the single detent.

Thsth roofing shaets are secured i vrapn 30~ engagement. However, this arrangement requires that each shieet must be laid and secured with the clip before *see. the nexct sheet can be laid- This is an inconvenient and time-consuming method of laying roofing. Accordingly, -2 the present invention provides a technique of laying cladding such as roofing which allows the retaining clips to be laid and the cladding to be fitted thereto once all of the clips have been laid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a retaining clip for concealed fixing of a cladding to an anchor including: an elongated base adapted for securement to said anchor; a first upright cladding engagement member at one end of said elongated base; a second upright classing engagement member at other end of said elongated base; 15 each of said first and second upright cladding engagement members including detent means able to be received in a complementary recess in said cladding; 9** said first upright cladding engagement member being adapted for operative association with the second upright cladding engagement member of an adjacent clip to form a composite upright cladding engagement member including composite detent means, whereby the two clips may be laid together in an appropriate configuration for said cladding to be fitted to said composite upright cladding engagement 25 member; wherein said first upright cladding engagement member includes engagement means for engaging said second upright cladding engagement member wherein said engagement means includes a second detent on a first face of said second upright cladding engagement member and said second detent is adapted for receipt in a complementary depression formed on said first upright cladding engagement member so as to form said composite detent means.

H:\mbourke\Keep\Speci\71879- 9 8 SPECI.doc 20/09101 2a Preferably, said first upright cladding engagement member includes engagement means for engaging said second u~pright claidding engagement menber.

Alternatively, said first upright cladding engagement member and oaid second upright cladding engagement member could be brought into operative association H:\bO.rkekKeep\Specj\71879-98 spECIdoc 20/09/01 -3 merely by abutting in an appropriate configuration provided they are secured in this position.

Maorc preferably, said engagement means comprises a second detent on a f irst face of said second upright cladding engagement member and said second detent is adapted for receipt in a complementary depression formed in said first upright cladding engagement member so as to f orm said composite detent means. Advantageouslit, said f irst upright cladding engagement member includes a first detent on a first face of said first upright cladding enaement member and said depression is an opening to said first detent from the rear of said first face. Alternatively, in place of said first detent, said first face of said first upright cladding engragement member may simply have an orifice formed therein through which said second detent on said first face of said second upright cladding engagement member extends'.

Advantageously, said detent means further comprises a third detent on a second face of said first upright cladding engagement membor.

Advantageously, said first face of said first upright cladding engagement member and said first face of said second upright cladding engagement member lie in parallel planes.

Typically said first and second faces of said first upright cladding engagement member are spaced apart by a spacer member. The spacer member generally lies in a plane parallel to the elongated base of the clip and said second upright cladding engagement member :::.usually includes an extension from said first face in this plane. The extension would generally be approximately the same length as the spacer member go -4 that the spacer member lies above and is co-extengiv-e with the extension wh~en two adjacent clips are placed in operative -associationl.

According to a second aspect of the present S invention there is provided a cladding system comprising a plurality of clips as described above and a cladding.

Such cladding systems will often be sold in kit form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TSE PRAWINGS 1.3 Figure 1 is a perspective view showing installation of a roofing sheet using a prior art retaining clip; Figure 2 is a side view of a clip in accordance with the present invention; Figure! 3 is a perspective view of the clip tahown in Figure 2; Figure 4 illustrates a cladding sheet profile for use with clips in accordance with the present :20 invention; Figures SA to SC are schematic side views illustrating the installation procedure; and Figure 6 is a side view of a plurality of the clips in accordance with the present invention when installed.

DETAILED DOSCRIPTION OF THER PREFEMED MXEODIMENTS Figure 1 shows the installation of a roofing sheet using a prior art retaining Clip. The ftethod of fixing using such clips involves securing cladding sheet to purlin 17, then securing clip 10 to purlin 17 with the retaiining formation Ila overlapping rib 16a as shown. Retaining formation Ila includes detent 12 on its inside edge. The clip 10 further coMprises an elongated- base by which it is secured to purn 17 with screws 18a, 18b, and a second retaining formation lib, which is generally U-shaped in configuration, and has detente on each of the legs of the U.

A second claddino sheet 15b comprises a terminal rib 13b with pan sectiono between it and the adjacent rib 14b. In order to secure the second cladding sheet 15b to purlin 17 the sheet 15b is pressed onto the secured clip 10 in an orientation ouch that rib 13b is pushed over rib 1 6a and the retaining formation Ila, ensuring that detent 12 snaps into the portion of rib 13b adapted to receive it. Similarly, rib 14b is pressed onto retaining formation llb and the detents on retaining formation lib are received in rib 14b. Once sheet 15b is secured in this manner. another clip is screwed to purlin 17, and a further cladding sheet can then be fixed. This is, however, a somewhat time- ::9:20 consuming procedure and the present invention, as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 6, allows all the retaining clips to be laid and then the 9:...:roofing sheets to be secured thereon subsequently.

*99.Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a retaining clip in accordance with the present invention. The clip an elongated base 21, in this case a metal strap, with fastener holes 23a formed therein. The strap is folded upwardly at two points, one to either end of the strap, to form f irst and second upriaht cladding engagement members. 22a, 22b. In each case the strap is folded through angle x, which is less than 90' but greater than 450, and preferably around 70c, to create the upright cladding engagement members 22a, 22b. The 6very end of the strap is bent further, in the case of first upright cladding engagement member 22a# to create a surfacei hereinafter referred to as spacer member 29 and a downwardly extending portion, hereinafter referred to an first face 25a, of first upright cladding engagement member 22a. At the other extremity of the strap there is only a single fold to create extension 31 of first face 30 of the second upright cladding engagement member 22b. From left to right as shown in Figure 2, the clip 20 comprises the followiing surfaces: first face 25a, of first upright cladding engagement member spacer member 29 which spaces said first face from the second face 25b, second face 25b of first uPright cladding engagement member 22a, elongated base 21, first face 30 of second upright cladding engagement member 22b and the extension 31 of said first face The angles betweea the respective faces are such that each of the upright cladding engagement members 22a, 22b is a hump-shaped formation capable of being received within a rib of a cladding sheet 28 as showni in Figure 4.

The clip 20 also includes detente 24ab,c formed on the first face 25a of the first upright cladding '*...engagement member 22a, the first face 30 of the second upright cladding engagement member 22b and the second face 25b of the first upright cladding engagement member 22a, respectively. With reference to Figure 3, it will be apparent that the detent 24a is hollow and open to the rear su.rface of first face 25a of first upright claddIng engagement member 22a.- Thus, a depression 32 created in the rear of first face 25a. Furthermore, as the detent 24b is approximately the same size an detent 24a, or slightly smaller then detent. 24a, detent 7 24b can be received within detent 24a when it enters via depression 32 in the rear surf ace of said first face In this configuration tbe extension 3l.of said second face 30 fits beneath spacer member 29 and so the second upright cl~adding engagement member 22b resides beneath said first upright cladding engagement member 22a. Thus a composite uvright cladding engagement member 33 (beat seen in Figure SC) is formed with a detent on either side thereof, one said detent being detent 24a and the other said detent being detent 24c.

Composite upright cladding engagement member 33 is also a hump-shaped formation capable of being received in the rib of a cladding sheet 28 as shown in Figure 4.

It will be appreciated that the shape of the upright cladding engagement member 33 is complementary to the orif ice in the underside of rib 27 and further that the deterits 24a, c on either side of the composite upright cladding engagement member 33 will be received in complementary recesses 40, 42 respectively. Thus, the cladding 28 can be snap-fitted onto an array of two or more clips 20 juxtaposed as described above. With respect to rib 26, located at one end of the sheet, it will be appreciated that detent 24a on. the first upright cladding engagement member 22a will be available for engagement if this clip is the terminal clip in the array. At the other end of the cladding 28, recess 44 will receive detent 24c of the next clip in the array if a further cladding sheet is to be added or will be vacant if this is the terminal cladding sheet.

The manner in. which an array of clips 20 in accordance with the present invention in assembled is illustrated in Figures SA to 5C. As best seen in Figure SA, the first cliD 20a is secured to the purlin 35 by 8fasteners 34, which are typically screws. An insulation blanket 41 is generally laid on purlin 35 before fasteninah clips thereto. AS shownm in Figure 5B, the second clip 20b is u=anoeuvred into a position where detent 24b can be received in the orif ice 32 in the rear surface of the first face 25a of the first upright cladding member 22a. Decent 24b fits neatly into the rear of detent 24a, thus first surface 30 second upright cladding engagement member 22b abuts the rear surface of first face 25a of first upright cladding engagement member 22a, and t-he spacer member 29 rests on extension 31 of said second face 30. Thus, a composite upright cladding engagement member 33 is formed in the manner described above. -Once in position, the second clip 20b is fastened to purlin 35 'using fasteners 34, 0 and this is shown in Figure It will be appreciated that a plurality of such clips can be laid end to end, and thin arrangement is shw in Figure In Figure 6 clips 20a, 20b, 20c and have all been laid end to end in the manner 0. described above, to create an array. of clips adapted to receive a cladding 28 of the type illustrated in Figure 4. It will be appreciated that this array is built up first and then the cladding sheets 2B snap-fitted in a second operation. This avoids the need, as in the prior art, to affix one clip, then lay a cladding sheet, then af fix a second clip and lay a second cladding sheet, and so on.

For the purposes of this specification it will be clearly understood that the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and that the words "comprise" and "comprises" have a corresponding meaning.

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Claims (11)

1. A retaining clip for concealed fixing of a cladding to an anchor including: an elongated base adapted for securement to said anchor; a first upright cladding engagement member at one end of said elongated base; a second upright classing engagement member at other end of said elongated base; each of said first and second upright cladding engagement members including detent means able to be received in a complementary recess in said cladding; said first upright cladding engagement member being .15 adapted for operative association with the second upright oe o S• cladding engagement member of an adjacent clip to form a composite upright cladding engagement member including composite detent means, whereby the two clips may be laid together in an appropriate configuration for said cladding 20 to be fitted to said composite upright cladding engagement oeeo member; e: wherein said first upright cladding engagement member Sincludes engagement means for engaging said second upright cladding engagement member wherein said engagement means includes a second detent on a first face of said second upright cladding engagement member and said second detent is adapted for receipt in a complementary depression formed on said first upright cladding engagement member so as to form said composite detent means.

2. A retaining clip as claimed in claim i, wherein said first upright cladding engagement member includes a first detent on a first face of said first upright cladding engagement member, and said depression is the opening to said first detent from the rear of said first face.

3. A retaining clip as claimed in claim 1 or 2, H: \mbourke\Keep\Speci\71879-98 SPECI.doc 20/09/01 '4" 10 wherein said composite detent means further includes a third detent on a second face of said first upright cladding engagement member.

4. A retaining clip as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein said first face of said first upright cladding engagement member and said first face of said second upright engagement member lie in parallel planes.

A retaining clip as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein said first face and said second face of said first upright cladding engagement member are spaced apart by a spacer member.

6. A retaining clip as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second upright engagement member has an extension from said first face in the same plane as said spacer member.

7. A cladding system including a plurality of clips in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 6 and at least one cladding sheet.

8. A cladding system as claimed in claim 7 in kit 20 form.

9. A retaining clip for concealed fixing of a cladding to an anchor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A cladding system including a plurality of clips 25 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A cladding system in kit form substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 20th day of September 2001 KEMUNING STEEL SDN BHD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia HA\.borke\Keep\Speci\71879-98 SPECIdoc 20/09/01