EP1310612B1

EP1310612B1 - Supporting structure for wall facing plates in building

Info

Publication number: EP1310612B1
Application number: EP02023600A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Franco Dallera
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-13
Filing date: 2002-10-23
Publication date: 2008-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-23
Also published as: EP1310612A2; ITMI20012394A1; EP1310612A3; ATE416283T1; ES2319105T3; DE60230104D1

Abstract

A supporting structure for facing facades in building comprising vertical uprights (10), brackets (1) to support the vertical uprights on the wall to be faced, horizontal beams (20), engagement means for the beams (30) to support the horizontal beams on the uprights, plate engagement means (40) to retain the facing plates on the horizontal beams. The uprights (10) have a shape that comprises a retaining channel (16). The horizontal beams have a C-shaped body (21) with an assembly channel (22) wherefrom opposite facing retaining wings (26, 27) extend. The beam engagement means (30) are clips (31) and elastic laminated spring (32) snap engageable inside the channel of the upright. The engagement means (40) of the plates comprise elastic clips (40) snap engageable in the channels of the beams. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention refers to assembly of facing plates in the building industry.
In order to create wall facing particularly to form so-called ventilated walls, it is known to form a supporting structure by constraining vertical uprights to the inside or outside wall to be faced by means of brackets, then mounting horizontal beams on the vertical uprights. The facing plates are then fitted to the horizontal beams. The state of the art comprises various means of joining the horizontal beams to the vertical uprights and various means of joining the plates to the horizontal beams.
There is a continuous search in the field for forms of supporting structures that provide greater safety, greater stability of fastening, greater ease of assembly and lower costs. These are the objects of the present invention.
A further object is to create a supporting structure for facing plates that allows removal or replacement of a single plate in any position should the need arise.
Said objects have been achieved with a structure as disclosed in claim 1.
Further new and useful characteristics are disclosed in the subsequent claims.
In other words, the new structure comprises vertical uprights having a particular profile, horizontal end beams and horizontal intermediate beams provided with a particular profile, engagement means for the horizontal beams to fasten same to the uprights, engagement means for the plates to fasten same to the beams.
The profile of the uprights comprises, besides two opposite facing channels, per se known, for coupling to anchoring nuts of known brackets, a front channel that defines a proximal seat with first retaining abutments and a distal seat in communication with the proximal seat and defined by longitudinal retaining teeth or strips.
Each horizontal intermediate beam comprises one or two longitudinal retaining tongues and has a longitudinal coupling channel, open longitudinally in a distal position and with a longitudinal retaining tooth; it further has a longitudinal bearing wall with a retaining edge.
Each horizontal end beam has, besides the longitudinal channel like the horizontal intermediate beams, a bearing wall.
The engagement means of the horizontal beams preferably comprise a clip with a substantially Z-shaped profile and an L-shaped laminated spring, or alternatively a C-shaped clip.
The engagement means of the plate comprise elastic fasteners provided with a retaining tab F or engagement in a groove of the plate, and an elastic head for snap fitting into the longitudinal channel of a horizontal beam.
The invention achieves the aforementioned advantages, in particular it provides a high stability of fastening, it facilitates and speeds up assembly operations, it provides a reduction in assembly costs, and it allows dismantling and reassembly of the plates. It should be noted in particular that the plates can be mounted by inserting them with one side on a lower horizontal beam and then snap closing them like a door on an upper beam, which considerably facilitates operations.
The invention will be described purely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view which shows some elements of the structure of the invention, arranged for assembly,
Figure 2 illustrates in a), b), c), d), e), f), g), h), respectively, the single elements of the structure, drawn in a perspective view,
Figure 3 illustrates a side view of an assembly tool, which does not belong to the invention,
Figure 4 shows, in two views a), b) in section along corresponding horizontal planes, two stages in use of the tool of Figure 3,
Figure 5 shows, in a perspective view with parts removed, a pair of facing plates mounted on the structure of the invention,
Figure 6 shows, in section along a horizontal plane, an assembled structure with two plates side by side,
Figure 7 shows a section along a vertical plane of a facing that uses the structure of the invention, particularly showing the upper part of the facing,
Figure 8 shows a vertical section of the facing, in particular the lower edge thereof,
Figure 9 shows, in section along a vertical plane, a stage in assembly of a facing plate,
Figure 10 shows, in horizontal section, a corner of the structure with two plates side by side,
Figure 11 shows an expansion joint in vertical section.

With reference to the figures, a structure according to the invention is denoted as a whole by reference numeral 100. The structure essentially comprises vertical uprights 10, intermediate horizontal beams 20, engagement means 30 for the beams to constrain the horizontal beams to the vertical uprights, engagement means 40 for the plates to constrain the facing plates to the horizontal beams.
Each vertical upright is fitted to and retained on the wall structure M to be faced by means of slotted angular brackets 1, per se known. Figure 1 shows such a bracket, comprising two plate- shaped wings 2, 3 at 90° to each other, provided with longitudinal slots 2' and 3', to allow position adjustment. The bracket is fixed to the wall M by means of a threaded tie rod 4 whereon the slot 2' is fitted, then a washer 5 and a nut 6. The slot 3 receives the shank of a bolt 7, locked with a washer 8, a snap ring 8' and a nut 8" so as to have the head 7' protruding. All the elements from 1 to 8" and assembly thereof are conventional, therefore they will not be further described.
The vertical upright and the other new elements of the structure will be described hereunder with reference in particular to Figure 2.
The vertical upright 10 (Figure 2, a) is a steel section which has, in the proximal part thereof, that is to say in the part destined, once installed, to face toward the wall to be faced, a proximal wing 12 which defines two proximal channels 13, 13 with longitudinal opposite facing lateral openings. A middle core 14 defines with two side wings 15, 15, preferably symmetrical, a vertical mounting channel 16, which has a proximal portion with a flat rectangular section, delimited by retaining walls 17, 17, and a distal portion, preferably countersunk or offset, delimited by retaining strip parts 18, 18.
The intermediate horizontal beam 20 (Fig. 2, b) comprises a C-shaped core, 21, which defines a longitudinal (horizontal) mounting channel 22; the bottom wall 21' of the channel ends with a longitudinal retaining tooth or strip 23. The top wall 21" is prolonged into a bearing wall 24 with a terminal retaining edge 25 for the plate. The wall 24 is preferably upwardly offset with respect to the wall 21". Retaining wings 26, top, and 27, bottom, preferably but not necessarily L-shaped in section, extend from the walls 21' and 21", on the outside of the channel 22. A retaining strip, 26' and 27' respectively, cooperates with each wing. In the embodiment of Figure 2,b, the strips protrude from the walls 21', 21" of the core 21.
Figure 2, g, shows a particularly strong variant of the horizontal beam. The variant has been indicated with reference numeral 20g, the top part thereof, possibly apart from the thicknesses, corresponds to the top part of the beam 20, therefore the details thereof, which have the same reference numerals as the corresponding details of the beam 20 but with the letter g, are not described. The bottom wing, 27g has a greater extension with respect to the wing 27, and the strip 27'g extends directly from the wing.
The end beam 50 illustrated in Figure 2,c, comprises a C-shaped body 51 which, with the two walls 51', 51", defines a channel 52. The wall 51' has a retaining strip 53. The wall 51" generally extends further than the wall 51'. A retaining wing extending from the body is denoted by 57. The beam 50 can be used as the upper end beam, in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2c, or as the lower end beam, in an upturned arrangement with respect to that illustrated in Figure 2c.
Figures 2, d, e illustrate in a perspective view two elements which together form the engagement means 30 to engage the horizontal beam to the vertical upright. The element 31 or clip, Figure 2d, is preferably of relatively elastic steel, is smaller or the same in width as the channel 16 of the vertical upright and is S- or Z-shaped, with three portions 33, 34, 35 preferably at right angles to each other. The lengthwise dimension of the portion 34 is correlated to the depth of the channel 16 of the upright and of the tongues 26, 27 of the beam. The element 32, or laminated spring, also of elastic steel, has an angled shape defined by arms 36, 37; the angle is generally little greater than a right angle. The engagement means 30 is used by fitting the portion 35 of the clip 31 into the channel 16 of a vertical upright, at the desired height and fastening it in position with the laminated spring 32, which is slid with an extreme part of the portion 36 into the channel 17 (Figure 4a) and then, preferably by means of the tool 17 which will be mentioned further on, it is made to snap beneath one of the strips 18 with the end of the portion 37 (Figure 4b).
The means or fastener 40 for engagement of the plate to the horizontal beams will now be explained with reference particularly to Figure 2f. The element 40 is advantageously of bent elastic sheet steel, and comprises a retaining tongue distal section 41, a body section 42, a snap retaining head 43, generally consisting of a portion 43' at right angles to the body 42 and a slightly diverging tongue 43". The means 40 is applied with the tongue 41 inside a special seat in a facing plate; the seat can be a groove if the plate is sufficiently thick, for example 2 cm or more, or it can be a seat formed by means of a device, per se known, applied to the plate. The head is then snap fitted by pressing into the horizontal channel of the horizontal beam 20, where it is retained through engagement of the edge of the tongue 43" against the strip 23, as will be made clearer hereunder with reference to Figure 9.
Figure 2h illustrates a variant of the engagement means, particularly useful for joining horizontal end beams to the vertical uprights. The device 60 or end clip comprises a body 61 with a width not greater than the width of the channel 16, an end wing 62, possibly provided with a hole for a fastening means, a retaining head 63 formed with a retaining edge 63' substantially parallel to the body.
The tool 70 illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a handgrip part 70 of any desired shape and an operating head 72. This has a projecting tooth 73, an end surface 74 adjacent the tooth, a surface 75 adjacent the end surface and inclined with respect thereto when viewed in profile, so that between the surfaces 74 and 75 there is an acute angle. The width of the part 74 is correlated to the width of the channel 16 of the upright.
Use of the tool 70 is illustrated in Figure 4, a and b. In said illustrations, a per se known bracket 1, as described above with reference to Figure 1, is illustrated applied to a brick wall to be faced, denoted by reference letter M and sectioned along a horizontal plane. The bracket is retained by a threaded shank 4 embedded in concrete and emerging for a length sufficient to engage said bracket, the washer 5 and the locking nut 6. The vertical upright 10 is mounted and fastened on the wing 3 of the bracket by means of bolts 7, whereof the head 7' engages a longitudinal channel 13. The upright is mounted with the channel 16 open on the opposite side with respect to the wall M. A clip 31 of a plurality of clips is placed in the channel 16, with the retaining tongue 33 facing upwards or downwards depending upon whether it must engage a groove of a plate disposed at the top or at the bottom. In the exploded view of Figure 1, two clips 31 disposed opposite each other can clearly be seen. To lock a clip in position, the laminated spring 32 is inserted with one end inside the side part of the proximal portion of the channel 16, beyond the retaining walls 17, and the tooth 73 of the tool engages against the strip 18. This, by means of a rotation of the tool 70 in the direction of the arrow, allows the tongue 37 of the clip 32 to be snap inserted beyond the respective protruding locking strip 18 of the upright (Figure 4b). The clip and the laminated spring thus remain firmly locked to the upright.
In practice assembly takes place by first positioning a horizontal beam against the prearranged uprights, and then disposing the clips and the laminated spring 32 so as to lock them in position. Figure 9 shows two horizontal beams 20 mounted by means of brackets 1 on an upright 10 applied to a wall M to be faced. In this figure, for simplicity's sake, only the clips 31 and not the laminated spring 32 which retain them elastically have been illustrated. A facing plate L (of any facing material, for example marble, glass) has a bottom groove or seat 91 and a top groove or seat 92 (or devices able to form said seats or grooves). The bottom groove 91 is slid onto the edge 25 of a bottom horizontal beam. One or more fasteners 40 with their tongue 41 are disposed in the upper groove. The plate L at this stage is slightly sloped with respect to a vertical surface. The plate L is rotated around the edge 25 in the direction of the arrow marked in Figure 9 so as to bring the head 43 of the clip 40 against the top horizontal beam 20 and inside the channel 22 thereof. The tongue 43" bends against the tooth or strip 23 and passes it, then snaps open again beyond it inside the channel 22 and engages against said strip 23, so as not to be able to be removed accidentally therefrom, that is to say so as to hold the plate firmly in position.
Figure 6 shows in horizontal section how the facing plates L are placed side by side and joined by means of the tool of the invention. In practice use is made of adjacent but slightly spaced apart horizontal beams 20 (as shown in Figure 6) mounted on the uprights with clips 31a which extend further than the clips 31 mentioned earlier, so as to be able to engage two beams 20, 20. A gap between the beams and a gap between the plates allow thermal expansion.
Figures 7 and 8 show assembly of the plates L respectively at the top end of the wall and at the bottom end of the wall. In Figure 7 an end clip 60, in an upturned position with respect to that of Figure 2, that is with the wing 62 at the top, is mounted on an upright 10 and by means of the bottom edge 63' retains an end beam 50, further fastened thereto by means of a screw V. The plate L is engaged in the channel of the beam 50 by means of fasteners 40 as stated previously with reference to intermediate beams. In Figure 8 assembly is specular to that described above, with respect to a horizontal reference plane, that is to say the end clip 60 is mounted on the upright with the wing 62 at the bottom, the beam 50 is mounted with the wing 51" at the bottom, fastened with a screw V. Engagement of the plate takes place through the fastener 40.
Figure 9 illustrates a stage in assembly of a facing plate L on a supporting frame applied to a wall M to be faced. The frame comprises brackets 1 fixed to the wall, vertical uprights 10, and horizontal beams 20. A plate L provided with a bottom groove 91 and a top groove 92 is inserted with the bottom groove 91 on the edge 25 of the lower beam, then the fastener 40 is applied with the wing 41 in the groove 92 and the head 43 facing towards the wall; lastly the plate is rotated in the direction of the arrow until it snap engages the head 43 in the channel 22. The vertical sequence of mounted plates can be seen in figure 11, where it can be noted that the step shape of the bearing wall 24 of the beam 20 makes it possible to form an expansion joint. The plate L can be removed by operating in the reverse manner to that described with reference to Figure 9.
Figure 10 shows the arrangement of the facing structure at a corner in horizontal section. The details have the same reference numerals as in the preceding figures and therefore the figure does not require further descriptions. It should be noted that the plates L are chamfered and brought close to each other at the corner.
The aforegoing description is merely a non-limiting exemplary embodiment. It is to be understood that variants accessible to a person skilled in the art of common experience come within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

A supporting structure for facing of facades in building, comprising vertical uprights, means for supporting the vertical uprights on the wall to be faced, horizontal beams, beam engagement means to support the horizontal beams on the uprights, plate engagement means to retain the facing plates on the horizontal beams, characterised in that: the uprights (10) have a shape comprising a retaining channel (16) formed with a proximal part delimited by small retaining walls (17) and a distal part communicating with the proximal part delimited by retaining strips (18); the horizontal beams (20) comprise a C-shaped body (21) which forms a mounting channel (22) wherefrom opposite facing retaining wings (26, 27) extend; in order to engage the uprights and the beams to each other, the engagement means (30) of the beams comprise elastic means snap engageable in the channel of the upright; the engagement means (40) for engaging the plates on the beams comprise elastic fasteners (40) snap engageable in the channels of the beams.
A structure according to claim 1 wherein an upright further has opposite facing proximal channels (13) for engagement on a retaining bracket (1) integral with the wall to be faced.
A structure according to claim 1 wherein a horizontal beam (20) has a bearing wall (24) for an upper plate and a retaining edge (25) at the end thereof to engage a bottom groove or seat of the plate.
A structure according to claim 1 wherein the retaining channel (22) of the horizontal beam has a protruding retaining strip (23) at the bottom.
A structure according to claim 1 characterised in that the engaging means (30) between the uprights and the beams comprise a clip (31), Z-shaped in section, with the three parts of the Z substantially at right angles to each other, and an angled elastic laminated spring (32), for engagement with said clip and the walls (17) and (18) of the retaining channel (16) of the upright.
A structure according to claim 5 wherein the laminated spring (32) comprises two elastic arms (36, 37) disposed with an angle little greater than 90° therebetween.
A structure according to claim 1, wherein the engagement means of the plates, which act between the plate and the horizontal beam, comprise a fastener (40) having a tongue (41) engageable in a groove of the plate and a head (43) that can be elastically widened for engagement with the channel of the beam.
A structure according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises horizontal end beams (50) and end engagement means (60) to engage together the end beams and the uprights.
A structure according to claim 8 wherein an end beam (50) comprises a body (51) with a retaining channel (52) and a bearing wall, an opposite facing retaining strip (53), and a wing (57) for retaining to the upright on one side.
A structure according to claim 8 wherein the end engagement means (60) comprises a body, a bearing wing (62) and a head (63) with a retaining tongue (63').