EP0143042B1 - Fixing foot for cladding a panel on a construction - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to the attachment of cladding panels to any construction.

It relates more particularly to the case where, as regards the insulation from the outside of such a construction, these cladding panels are to be attached in a vertical plane to the walls thereof, for maintaining blocks of material insulating between them and these walls.

In practice, the cladding panels usually used to date for this purpose have transversely a gutter profile, with at least one of their edge wings bordered by an interlocking fold, and their attachment to the construction to equipping is done using fixing lugs, installed from place to place, and comprising, overall, a fixing bracket, one branch of which is adapted to allow attachment to such a construction and the other of which is intended to ensure the desired maintenance of the clothing panels concerned.

In the embodiments of this type known to date, the interlocking ply (s) that the edge wings of the cladding panels used are generally directed perpendicularly to them, so that a cladding panel, previously equipped for this purpose with fixing lugs, being already in place on the construction concerned, it is necessary, for engagement on it, following a mounting of the clapboard type, of the adjacent cladding panel, first present this panel at an angle of clothing to allow penetration into the nesting fold of the one already laid, before straightening it parallel to said construction.

Such an arrangement has many drawbacks.

First of all, the double movement necessary for the engagement of a cladding panel on another is difficult to ensure, to the detriment of productivity.

In addition, imposing a bias towards the covering panel during installation in relation to the construction to be fitted, it is prohibited to provide this covering panel in advance with the block of insulating material which it will be responsible for maintaining parallel to said block. construction, and therefore requires a specific, subsequent installation of the latter, at the cost of an additional operation, and, therefore, to the detriment, again, of productivity.

Finally, the clapboard assembly carried out between successive cladding panels is under the sole influence of the nesting folds thereof, and, in practice, the safety of this assembly may therefore prove to be insufficient.

There are also cladding panels of which it is parallel to itself, and no longer perpendicularly, that each of the shore wings is bordered by an interlocking fold, outward for one of them. , and inward for the other.

Such cladding panels are usually used to date in a horizontal plane, for example for making false ceilings.

Therefore, and to give access to the overlying volume by simply lifting one of them, these cladding panels have interlocking pleats of largely unequal widths, one just covering the other, without positive contact. at any point of it.

Such cladding panels therefore do not normally lend themselves easily to installation in a vertical plane, their successive interlocking being unable to be adequately ensured perpendicularly to such a plane, that is to say perpendicular to the walls of the building to equip.

The present invention generally relates to a fixing lug which allows, on the contrary, such an installation, avoiding in addition the drawbacks, succinctly recalled above, embodiments with cladding panels arranged in a plane vertical known to date.

This fixing lug, which, in general, is intended for cladding panels to be attached to a construction, said panel having transversely a gutter profile with edge wings each bordered parallel to itself by an interlocking fold , said tab is of the type comprising a fixing bracket, a first branch of which is adapted to allow attachment to such a construction and the second branch of which is intended to cooperate in the desired maintenance of such a cladding panel, and is characterized in what it includes a spring leaf defining with said second branch of the fixing bracket a housing, which opens outwards through an access slot, in the direction opposite to the construction (10), that is to say -to say to the first branch of the fixing bracket, and which is suitable for receiving, by simple snap-fastening, the interlocking folds of the wings of two adjacent cladding panels.

Thus, these interlocking folds being parallel to the edge wings, the engagement of a cladding panel on a cladding panel already laid can advantageously be done head-on, without prior implementation through this cladding panel, and therefore in a single movement, perpendicular to the wall to be fitted.

The installation is advantageously simplified, and it is faster.

In addition, it is advantageously possible to equip in advance each cladding panel of the block with insulating material which it is responsible for maintaining parallel to the wall to be fitted, this block can for example be suitably adhered, in particular by gluing, to the internal surface of such a covering panel.

The exposure times are further reduced accordingly.

Finally, and despite the fact that the corresponding interlocking folds are folds of unequal widths and parallel to the shore wings which they border, the clapboard assembly produced is particularly safe and reliable, due to the fact that it is under the influence, not only of such interlocking folds, but also of leaf springs contributing to the relative maintenance thereof.

In practice, experience has shown that the cladding panels thus assembled are capable of undergoing significant pressures, without deterioration in their assembly, of the type of those resulting from particularly violent winds.

Thus, the fixing lug according to the invention advantageously opens up a new field of application to cladding panels initially intended for different applications, without modification of these cladding panels.

• la figure 1 est une vue partielle en perspective illustrant la fixation de panneau de vêture à une quelconque construction à l'aide de pattes de fixation suivant l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue transversale en coupe d'un des panneaux de vêture ainsi mis en oeuvre, suivant la ligne II-II de la figure 1;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'une patte de fixation suivant l'invention;
• la figure 4 en est une vue en plan, suivant la flèche IV de la figure 3;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe transversale qui, prise suivant la ligne V-V de la figure 1, illustre la mise en oeuvre de la patte de fixation suivant l'invention.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, by way of example with reference to the appended schematic drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a partial perspective view illustrating the attachment of the covering panel to any construction using fixing lugs according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the cladding panels thus used, taken along line II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fixing lug according to the invention;
• Figure 4 is a plan view along arrow IV of Figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view which, taken along the line VV of Figure 1, illustrates the implementation of the fixing lug according to the invention.

As illustrated in particular in Figure 1, it is to provide insulation from the outside of any construction 10 by bringing on the walls 11 thereof cladding panels 12 suitable for ensuring the maintenance , between them and such walls 11, of blocks of insulating material 13.

As it is better visible, in isolation, for one of them, in FIG. 2, the cladding panels 12 thus used have a transverse gutter profile.

They therefore comprise, each arranged respectively on either side of a median part 15, two bank wings 16A, 16B, which, in practice, extend substantially perpendicular to said median part 15, and which are each bordered, parallel to themselves, by an interlocking fold, respectively 17A, 17B, the first towards the outside, and the second towards the inside.

If these interlocking folds 17A, 17B have, perpendicular to the middle part 15, substantially the same height h, they have, parallel to this middle part 15, unequal widths.

In practice, the nesting fold 17A, that directed outward, has a width L much greater than the width of the fold 17B, which is that directed inward.

In practice, too, this fold 17B is double, its edge being folded contiguously against its side, between it and the shore wing 16B concerned.

Anyway, the interlocking folds 17A, 17B both have, overall, a cross section in the shape of a butt, in continuity with the edge wing 16A, 16B with which they are associated .

Of course, the wing 16B of a cladding panel 12 having to engage, by its interlocking fold 17B, in the interlocking ply 17A of the wing 16A of the adjacent cladding panel 12, the heights H _A , H _B of these wings 16A, 16B with respect to the middle part 15 are differentiated accordingly.

In the embodiment shown, the middle part 15 of a cladding panel 12 has from place to place, for its stiffening, ribs 18.

In practice, in this embodiment, two ribs 18 are thus provided, at regular intervals, and they protrude longitudinally on the middle part 15, towards the interior of the cladding panel 12.

Similarly, there is provision, at the root of each wing 16A, 16B, at the connection of the latter with the middle part 15, a recess 19A, 19B, suitable for reconstituting, from a cladding panel 12 to the cladding panel 12 adjacent, the counterpart of a rib 18.

Since such cladding panels 12 are well known in themselves, and are not in themselves the subject of the present invention, they will not be described in more detail here.

It suffices to indicate that they can for example be made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy suitably bent, and that, available in great length, they can advantageously be cut to size on request.

Preferably, and as shown in FIG. 2, the block of insulating material 13 associated with such a cladding panel 12 is adhered to it in advance, on the internal surface of its middle part 15.

It can for example be attached to it by gluing.

Preferably, and as shown, the block of insulating material 13 thus bears on the middle part 15 of the cladding panel 12 with which it is associated only from place to place, by studs 20 forming between them channels 21 suitable for a air circulation, for ventilation according to the process known as a low air gap between the cladding panels 12 and the wall 11 on which they are attached.

The channels 21 thus presented on the surface of each block of insulating material 13 are also used to pass the ribs 18 of the cladding panel 12 with which it is associated.

Since such a block of insulating material 13 is not itself part of the present invention, it will not be described in detail here.

It will suffice to indicate that it can for example be made of expanded polystyrene, by molding of such a material.

In practice, the thickness E of a block of insulating material 13 is greater than the height H _A , H _B of the wings 16A, 16B of the cladding panel 12 to which it is associated.

It therefore overflows from the latter perpendicular to the middle part 15 thereof.

On the side of the edge wing 16A of the cladding panel 12, the embedded portion of the corresponding lateral edge of the block of insulating material 13 associated with it extends slightly away from said edge wing 16A, providing between it and the latter a gap 25, while the projecting part of this lateral edge also overflows beyond this edge wing 16A, extending at least in part on the return connecting the latter to the interlocking fold 17A corresponding, at a distance from this return, and with, transversely, from place to place, for reasons which will appear below, grooves 26.

On the side of the edge wing 16B of the cladding panel 12, the corresponding lateral edge of the block of insulating material 13 associated therewith, however, extends, for the most part, and in a uniform manner, largely at a distance from said shore wing 16B.

The securing to the wall 11 to be fitted to the cladding panels 12 thus provided in advance with their blocks of insulating material 13 is done, from place to place, using fixing lugs 28.

Overall, such a fixing lug 28, which is shown in isolation in FIGS. 3, 4, comprises, in a manner known per se, a fixing bracket 29, of which a first branch 30 is adapted to allow it to be fixed to the construction 10 to be fitted, and more precisely to the relevant wall 11 thereof, said first branch comprising for this purpose a recess 31 which, elongated in the form of a buttonhole in the embodiment shown, is suitable for the passage of any means fixing, screw 32 for example, FIG. 5, and the second branch 33 of which is intended, according to methods described in more detail below, to cooperate in the desired maintenance of the corresponding cladding panels 12.

According to the invention, such a fixing lug 28 further comprises a spring leaf 35 defining, with the first branch 30 of the fixing bracket 29, parallel to the middle part 15 of the cladding panels 12, a housing 36, which opens outwards, via an access slot 37, in the direction opposite to the construction (10), that is to say to the first branch 30 of the fixing bracket 29, and which is suitable for receiving , by simple snap-fastening, the interlocking pleats 17A, 17B of the edge wings 16A, 16B of two adjacent cladding panels 12.

In practice, for the definition of such a housing 36, the second branch 33 of the fixing bracket 29 comprises, transversely, that is to say parallel to the first associated branch 30, a recess 38, and, jointly , the spring leaf 35 itself comprises, transversely, in the direction of said second branch 33, and beyond the step 38 of the latter relative to the first branch 30, a step 40.

Preferably, the recess 40 thus presented by the spring leaf 35 forms, with the part of the latter to which it follows its attachment to the fixing bracket 29 at its free end, a dihedral 41 of angle A less than 90 °, Figure 4.

In practice, such an angle A is between 90 and 80 °, and, for example, it is close to 85 °.

Beyond its recess 40 in the direction of its free end, the leaf spring 35 runs along the corresponding part of the second branch 33 of the fixing bracket 29, thus forming therewith the slot 37 giving access to the housing 36 partner.

Finally, near its free end, the leaf spring 35 has a fold 43 transversely, and, beyond this, it moves away from the fixing bracket 29, thus forming with the corresponding part of the wing 33 thereof an engagement opening 44 which converges towards the access slot 37.

In the embodiment shown, the spring leaf 35 forms a part which, distinct from the fixing bracket 29, is suitably attached thereto, extending from the part of the second branch 33 of this fixing bracket 29 located below the recess 38 thereof relative to its first branch 30.

For example, and as shown, the leaf spring 35 is thus attached by two rivets 45 on the fixing bracket 29.

In the embodiment shown, the spring leaf 35 has, transversely, a width substantially equal to that of the branch 33 of the fixing bracket 29, and, to perfect the maintenance, the latter has, each located respectively along its edges, two returns 46 by which it frames the corresponding part of said leaf spring 35.

But it goes without saying that such returns 46 are not imperative.

Anyway, the useful width L 'of the housing 36 formed by the spring leaf 35 and the fixing bracket 29, measured perpendicular to the edge flanges 16A, 16B of the cladding panels 12, is just greater than that L of the nesting fold 17A thereof.

Similarly, its height H 'measured perpendicular to the middle part 15 of the cladding panels 12, is made just greater than that h of the interlocking pleats 17A, 17B thereof.

The attachment of the cladding panels 12 to the walls 11 to be fitted is therefore carried out in the following manner.

Each of these cladding panels 12 is first equipped, from place to place, on its edge wing 16A, with fixing lugs 28 according to the invention, in favor, on the one hand, of the gap 25 left free for this purpose between such a shore wing 16A and the corresponding block of insulating material 13, and on the other hand, ribs 26 also provided for this purpose on the projecting part of the corresponding lateral edge of this block of insulating material 13.

The fitting of fixing lugs 28 according to the invention on a cladding panel 12 is done by simple snap-fastening, the corresponding nesting fold 17A coming temporarily to elastically repress the spring leaf 35 from such a fixing lug 28, until penetration into the housing 36 that it comprises.

As it is easy to understand, the access of this engagement fold 17A to this housing 36 is facilitated by the convergence of the engagement opening 44 provided for this purpose at the free end of the blade spring 35.

Once thus equipped with fixing lugs 28, each of the cladding panels 12 is attached to the wall 11, using screws 32.

For the clapboard mounting to be carried out between successive cladding panels 12, it suffices, once a cladding panel 12 installed according to the preceding process, to engage, by its edge wing 16B, the adjacent panel on the fixing lugs 28 from the previous one.

As before, this engagement is made by simple snap-fastening, the corresponding nesting fold 17B coming temporarily to resiliently push the leaf spring 35 from the fixing lugs 28 concerned, until it enters the housing 36 which these include, such as shown schematically in broken lines in Figure 5.

As illustrated in this FIG. 5, this positioning by simple snap-fastening of the cladding panels 12 is advantageously carried out head-on, that is to say perpendicular to the walls 11 to be fitted.

At the end of such an assembly, the successive covering panels 12 have their interlocking fold 17B engaged in the interlocking fold 17A of the adjacent covering panel 12, the set of two interlocking folds 17A, 17B thus in taken with each other being firmly enclosed in the housing 36 provided for this purpose in the fixing lugs 28 implemented, under the control of the spring leaf 35 thereof.

Due in particular to the fact that the dihedral formed by the recess 40 of such a leaf spring 35 has an angle of less than 90 °, this lap mounting is particularly safe.

Indeed, it follows from the corresponding configuration of the leaf spring 35 that it acts in the manner of a retaining tooth with respect to the interlocking pleats 17A, 17B.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, but encompasses any variant.

In particular, it would not go beyond the scope of the invention to produce the leaf spring that the fixing lug according to the invention comprises in one piece with the corresponding fixing bracket, although the realization in two parts more specifically described is preferred, since it makes it possible to be satisfied, for the production of such a mounting bracket, of a steel or other ordinary material, distinct from the material constituting the leaf spring 35, which itself , must necessarily have a certain elasticity.

Similarly, the scope of the invention is not limited to the case where, as shown, the cladding panels 12 are arranged vertically.

Indeed, and while remaining in a vertical plane, they could just as easily be arranged horizontally.

They could likewise, if necessary, be arranged in a horizontal plane.

Finally, it goes without saying that, with the cladding panels thus used, there are usually associated, at the limits of the surfaces which they cover, adaptation components, such as low or high beams, framing profiles for openings, mud flaps, corner profiles, vertical connection profiles or others.

Claims (10)

1. A fixing bracket for a cladding panel (12) to be fitted to any structure, said panel being transversely of a gutter-like profile with edge limbs (16A, 16B) each of which is bounded parallel to itself by an engagement bend (17A, 17B), said bracket being of the type comprising a right-angled fixing portion (29) of which a first arm (30) is adapted to permit fixing thereof to such a construction and the second arm (33) is intended to co-operate in providing the required holding effect of said cladding panel (12) characterised in that it comprises a blade spring (35) which with said second arm (33) of the right-angled fixing portion (29) defines a housing (36) which opens to the exterior by way of an access slot (37) in the opposite direction to the construction (10), that is to say the first arm (30) of the right-angled fixing portion (29) and which is capable of receiving by a simple latching action the engagement bends (17A, 17B) of the edge limbs (16A, 16B) of two adjacent cladding panels (12).

2. A fixing bracket according to claim 1 characterised in that, to define said housing (36), the second arm (33) of its right-angled fixing portion (29) transversely comprises an offset portion (38) and the associated blade spring (35) itself comprises transversely an offset portion (40) in the direction of said second arm (33) and on the other side of the offset portion (38) thereof with respect to the first arm (30).

3. A fixing bracket according to claim 2 characterised in that the offset portion (40) of the blade spring (35) forms with the part thereof of which it is a continuation from its attachment to the right-angled fixing portion (29) to its free end a dihedron (41) with an angle (A) of less than 90°.

4. A fixing bracket according to claim 3 characterised in that the angle (A) of said dihedron (41) is between 90° and 80°.

5. A fixing bracket according to claim 4 characterised in that the angle (A) of said dihedron (41) is close to 85°.

6. A fixing bracket according to any one of claims 2 to 5 characterised in that on the other side of its offset portion (40) in the direction of its free end, the blade spring (35) extends along the corresponding part of the second arm (33) of the right-angled fixing portion (29), thereby forming therewith the slot (37) for access to the associated housing (36).

7. A fixing bracket according to any one of claims 2 to 6 characterised in that the blade spring (35) extends from the part of the second arm (33) of the right-angled fixing portion (29) which is disposed on the same side of the offset portion (38) thereof as the first arm (30).

8. A fixing bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that, in the vicinity of its free end, the blade spring (35) transversely has a bend (43) and on the other side thereof it extends away from the right-angled fixing portion (29).

9. A fixing bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the blade spring (35) forms a component which, separate from the right-angled fixing portion (29), is suitably fitted thereto.

10. A fixing bracket according to claim 9 characterised in that along its edges the right-angled fixing portion (29) locally has two bent- over portions (46) by means of which it embraces the corresponding part of the blade spring (35).

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