EP1533431A1

EP1533431A1 - Coating system for continuous ventilated and air conditioned fronts

Info

Publication number: EP1533431A1
Application number: EP04027281A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ugo Balzari; Andrea Balzari
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-11-24
Filing date: 2004-11-17
Publication date: 2005-05-25
Also published as: ITMI20032289A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coating system for continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts, comprising an integral cap metal envelope coupled to T-shape vertical section members, connected to the building slabs and defining a gap.

The main feature of the invention is that the coating system comprises continuous section members fixed to the T-shape vertical section members and defining clamping means for clamping, anchoring and aligning any desired types of coatings.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a coating system for continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts or façades.
Continuous fronts or façades for providing a building thereto said fronts are applied with water, air and flame barrier properties are already known from prior patents to the same Applicant.
The above mentioned prior continuous fronts are made by using an integral capping metal envelope, allowing to achieve the intended results without applying sealing materials and related gaskets.
Moreover, in the above mentioned prior constructions, the metal envelope comprises a plurality of ribs which are designed to form a bearing structure, to which is applied a skin coating operating as a barrier for the building.
The above mentioned elements, providing latching and clamping means, are not however adapted to provide a sufficient strength, allowing to connect building slabs spaced from one another at great distances, such as larger than 6 meters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to improve the above mentioned prior coating system, by providing a novel continuous front coating system, specifically designed for coating ventilated and air-conditioned fronts or façades, allowing to increase the stiffness of the supporting construction, thereby providing a structural assembly adapted to statically meet the resistance requirements against tension movements and bending movements corresponding to IPE 140.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a coating system including a coating envelope in which all the static, dynamic, torsional loads are evenly distributed, thereby providing an isostatic type of system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a tight envelope system for ventilated and air-conditioned continuous fronts which, owing to its specifically designed features, is very reliable and safe in operation, and meets the requirements of the UNI 7979 A3 and E4 Standards.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a coating system for continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts which can be easily made starting from easily and commercially available elements and materials and which, moreover, is very competitive from a mere economic standpoint.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a coating system for continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts, comprising an integral capping metal envelope coupled to T-shape vertical section members clamped to slabs of a building, and defining at least a gap, characterized in that said coating system further comprises continuous section members clamped to said T-shape section members and defining clamping means for clamping, anchoring and aligning any desired type of coatings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of a coating system for continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings, where:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective and partially broken away view illustrating the coating system according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the T-shape section members and further continuous section members to be applied to said T-shape section members included in the coating system according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view substantially taken along a horizontal plane;
Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view substantially taken along a vertical plane;
Figure 5 is a further cross-sectional view, substantially taken along a vertical plane, showing a portion of a continuous front or façade, in which a system for forming a further air gap is also represented; and
Figure 6 is a further cross-sectional view, substantially taken along a vertical plane, of a continuous front portion, forming a modified embodiment of that shown in figure 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the above mentioned figures, the coating system for coating continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts according to the present invention comprises a capping metal envelope 1 which is advantageously made by ribbed sheet metal elements 2 which, at their longitudinal side end portions respectively comprise a male curled assembly 3 and a female curled assembly 4.
The latter are mutually coupled at vertical section members 5 of T-shape, which can be clamped to slabs 6 of a building, thereby providing a continuous barrier forming a static air gap, generally indicated by the reference number 6A, with respect to the inner coating 7, which can be of any desired types.
The T-shape vertical section members 5 are anchored to a constructional continuous section member 8, of L-shape, clamped to the slabs 6, which are provided, arranged therebetween, with an anti-flame mattress formation 9.
Moreover, on the ribbed sheet metal 2, it is possible to provide a thermal insulation layer, generally indicated by the reference number 10.
The main feature of the invention is that, for connection to the vertical section members, further continuous section members, generally indicated by the reference number 11, are provided, which further section members have a T-shape jaw configuration, to be clamped by a clamping bolt 12, adapted to connect the sheet metal elements to the T-shape section members and including a recess 13 for receiving therein the male curled portion 3 and female curled portion 4.
Moreover, the continuous section members 11, of T-shape jaw configuration, are mutually clamped by coupling bolts 20, provided for connecting the central coupling portion 21 therefrom T-shape arms 22 extend.
The latter define therebetween an open recess 23 for engaging clamping means 24 therein, and for fixing, anchoring and aligning any desired types of outer coatings, as generally indicated by the reference number 25.
Thus, the provision of the T-shape jaw continuous section members will provide a twin-T shape, adapted to greatly enhance the stiffness of the contour, i.e. providing a stiffness enhancing of substantially 1.6 times with respect to prior stiffening systems.
The continuous plug-in coupling of the two structural T-shapes will provide the assembly, as stated, with a great stiffness increase, while allowing dynamic operating loads to be homogeneously distributed, thereby providing an isostatic type of system even for buildings having heights up to 60 meters.
For building having the above mentioned heights, the admissible cambers meeting the safety Standards provided in the M.LL.PP. memorandum of May 24, 1992 is of 1/200 for blind fronts and 1/300 for fronts having glazed openings.
Since the wind pressure, as is known, stresses the building construction so that the outer fibers of the double-T are pressed whereas the inner fibers operate under pulling forces, and also knowing that in a negative pressure condition the operations of the fibers are reversed, it is necessary that the fixed joint couplings between the two T-shapes made by the clamping bolts, have a pitch not larger than 1000 mm for buildings having a height less than 30 meters, and 500 mm for buildings having larger heights, and, anyhow, to meet the requirements of the calculation record to be certified for the individual applications.
The above disclosed coupling allows to prevent any slipping of the end portions of the two T-shapes from occurring, since such a slipping would seriously negatively affect the mechanical inertia stressed by the shearing efforts produced by the torsional loads specifically at the corners of the building.
The use of the continuous section member with a T-shape jaw allow to clamp, anchor and align all the existing coating types, both with an exposed to view latching system, a concealed latching system and by a pressurized latching system or pre-assembled cells which are assembled in-situ or in an assembling shop.
Thus, it is possible to connect any type of coatings having a comparatively high weight, such as solid brick, granite and stone constructions, as well as of lighter weight, such as of metal panels, laminated materials, aluminium strips and so on.
Another feature of the subject solution, using, as stated, a continuous double or twin-T shape, derives from the fact that the gap between the integral capping metal envelope and outer coating is so as to provide a series of adjoining continuous and even stacks, channeling the rising thermal flow, from the air inlet mouth at the base to the gutter mouth, without any lateral offset.
Thus, the chimney effect, which is the physical phenomenon on which a ventilated front design is based, is exploited to a maximum, thereby providing a very high power saving and efficiency.
The channeling of the rising thermal air, which is necessarily restrained in a continuous channel through the overall wall of the building, allows to obtain a better use of the adjustment gates arranged at the bottom of the ventilated front as programmed in designing it, depending on the season, height and orientation of the building.
With reference to the constructional embodiment shown in figures 5 and 6, it should be apparent that said figures show a curtain or plugging arrangement with 3 gaps, in which, from the inside to the outside, it is possible to detect a static air chamber 50, an air conditioned chamber 51 and a ventilated air chamber 52.
Said figures, moreover, show the outer coating wall 53, the middle wall 54 and inner wall 55.
Thus, a thermal inertia and coefficient K are provided, allowing to achieve a power saving which has never been achieved for a small weight or light façade or front.
Figure 5 shows a further thermally insulating mattress or layer 56.
From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
In particular, the fact is to be pointed out that the provision of continuous section members having a T-shape jaw configuration, coupled to vertically extending section members of T shape, allows to greatly enhance the structural characteristics and chimney effect thereby providing, owing to a non dispersive channeling of the thermal flow from the bottom to the gutter, a maximum power saving.
The invention, as disclosed, is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all of which will come within the inventive idea.
Moreover, all the construction details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.
In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.

Claims

A coating system for coating continuous ventilated and air-conditioned fronts comprising an integral capping metal envelope coupled to T-shape vertical section members clamped to slabs of a building to be coated and adapted to define at least a gap, characterized in that said coating system further comprises continuous section members clamped to said T-shape vertical section members and defining clamping means for clamping, anchoring and aligning any desired types of coatings.
A coating system, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said continuous section members have a T-shape.
A coating system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said continuous section members have a jaw shape to be clamped on said vertical T-shape section members.
A coating system, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said T-shape jaw continuous section members can be clamped in a continuous manner on said T-shape vertical section members by clamping bolts coupled at end portions of said continuous section members.
A coating system, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said T-shape vertical section members define recesses for housing therein a male curled portion and a female curled portion, for coupling ribbed sheet metal elements forming said capping metal envelope.
A coating system, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said T-shape jaw continuous section members comprise a flat middle portion adjoined and coupled by evenly distributed clamping bolts.
A coating system, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said T-shape jaw continuous section members end with wings defining therebetween a recess for coupling said clamping means for clamping, anchoring and aligning said coating.
A coating system, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said T-shape jaw continuous section members define, between said metal envelope and coating, adjoining channels providing a chimney effect between a building bottom and gutter.
A coating system for continuous fronts, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coating system is adapted to provide a plugging or barrier system having three gaps in which, from the inside to the outside thereof, are provided a static air chamber, a conditioned air chamber and a ventilated air chamber.
A coating system for continuous fronts, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said system is adapted to provide an outer coating wall, a middle wall and an inner wall either provided or not of thermally insulating coating mattress assemblies or layers.