EP2243889B1

EP2243889B1 - Insulation plate for use in the building sector, with profile for reciprocal joint of more plates

Info

Publication number: EP2243889B1
Application number: EP20100425103
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Buschi
Original assignee: Lape Srl
Current assignee: Lape Srl
Priority date: 2009-04-02
Filing date: 2010-03-31
Publication date: 2012-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 2030-03-31
Also published as: ITFI20090067A1; IT1394197B1; EP2243889A1

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to improvements to the insulation plates, in particular to plates for the use in the building sector, for being applied on external walls of buildings to obtain thermal insulation.

State of the Art

In the building sector, systems are increasingly used for thermal insulation to reduce energy consumption, reducing the heat loss from heated environments towards the outside and / or the entrance of heat inside air-conditioned environments. At this end, plates in expanded polystyrene are typically used, which are applied with an adequate glue on the external surface of the wall.
In some cases, these plates present edges or lateral profiles for the reciprocal joint. More in particular, these plates present a rectangular shape with two sides converging on a corner, along which grooves are obtained, whilst along the two complementary sides projections are obtained in the form of linear projections complementary to the channels. With this conformation, the plates can be fixed to each other when they are installed, thus obtaining a better effect of thermal insulation. The channels and the projections have a substantially rectangular cross section. The cross dimensions of the channels and of the projections are such as to need a coupling with forcing of the plates. The forcing is as more necessary as more precise is the profile of male and females. However, the precision of the profiles is fundamental to avoid any thermal bridge, which would make the thermal insulation effect worse. To obtain an adequate thermal insulation effect it is therefore necessary to force the joint. This entails difficulties in the installation phase, with the risk of breakages of the projections and / or of the edges along which the joint channels are obtained, also due to the fragility of the materials used for producing the plates, typically expanded polystyrene. The forcing for obtaining an adequate joint can furthermore cause the displacement of the plate or of the plates, causing the detachment of the plate from the glues and / or interacting on the setting process of the glue, thus jeopardizing the set.
An example of plate is illustrated, for instance, in the patent document CH 562 377 . In this document an insulation plate is illustrated, presenting a back face, that must be put against the wall to be covered, and a front face. On the opposite lateral faces of this plate there are projections and respective complementary joining channels for the projections of adjacent plates. In particular, these projections present two opposite flanks and an end portion obtained between the two flanks. The first flank, i.e. that facing the back face, comprises a section constituted by a first rectilinear segment parallel to the faces of the plate, and a second convex segment that extends from this first segment towards the back face, and then turns towards the front face of the plate. The second flank, i.e. that facing the front face, is obtained from a rectilinear segment of continuation of the front face. The end portion of the projection is constituted, starting from the first flank, by a curvilinear segment concave towards the outside of the projection, and by a subsequent curvilinear convex segment, which forms part of the convexity of the first flank.
This conformation of the projection presents many problems. A first problem relates for instance to the fact that each projection presents a cross section decreasing from the end towards the base, and it therefore results particularly weak against bending stresses.
Furthermore, the presence of the convexity on the first flank of the projection does not allow to apply indifferently a projection inside a complementary channel of a plate, already fixed to the wall, or the channel on the projection of the plate already fixed. Actually, considering that the plates are fixed to a wall through gluing of the back faces, when it is necessary to put a new plate adjacent to an already glued plate, the coupling will occur necessarily by inserting the projection of the plate to be fixed in the complementary channel of the fixed plate, whilst the contrary will not be possible, i.e. making the channel of the plate to be fixed match on the projection of the already fixed plate, as the convexity present on the first flank, that is the back one, creates a "necking" of the space towards the wall that prevents the insertion thereof.
Therefore, coupling will always occur by inserting a projection in the channel of an already fixed plate. This causes a further problem, linked to the presence of the glue on the wall. When one desires to couple a plate to a plate already glued to the wall, it is necessary to arrange the glue on the back face of the plate and to insert the projection in the channel of the fixed plate. Once the second plate has been coupled and turned towards the wall, the glue of this second plate offers resistance, creating a moment on the second plate tending to counter-rotate the plate itself pivoting on the concave segment of the end portion of the projection, with the plate consequently tending not to remain against the wall.

Summary of the Invention

According to an aspect, the present invention relates to an insulation covering panel or plate in expanded material of the above mentioned type, provided with channels and projections for the reciprocal joint of the plates or panels installed on a wall, which overcomes, completely or partially, one or more of the drawbacks of the traditional plates.
An insulation covering plate in expanded material for use in the building sector, according to the present invention, comprises a back face, to be arranged towards the wall to be covered, a front face and lateral surfaces, inside which linear projections and channels are formed. These projections and channels are arranged and shaped in a complementary manner, so as to constitute elements for reciprocal joint of adjacent plates. In particular, the projections present a first flank facing the back face of the plate, and a second flank facing the front face of the plate: the first flank presents a substantially flat surface portion, nearly parallel to said front and back faces of the plate, whilst the second flank presents a portion of inclined surface relative to said back and front faces. The inclined surface portion has a curved shape, with concavity facing the outside of the projection. The flat surface portion of the first flank is radiused to the surface with curved shape of the second flank by means of a third intermediate surface. The cross section of said projections being of width increasing from the free end towards their base.
As stated, the third surface is a radiusing surface, i.e. a surface that, as it is well known, has the purpose of avoiding the creation of sharp edges or corners between two incident surfaces. This third surface consequently extends from the flat surface portion of the first flank towards the second flank.
As stated, according to an aspect of the present invention, the insulating plate according to the present invention comprises, along the four sides, joining profiles and joining channels complementary to said profiles, wherein the shape of the profiles and of the channels is a insertion facilitating shape, with opposite flanks not parallel to each other, so as to facilitate the insertion of each projection inside the complementary channel of an adjacent plate when the plates are installed. In an embodiment of the present invention the plate comprises a back face, a front face and lateral surfaces, inside which linear projections and channels are formed, said projections and said channels being arranged and shaped in a complementary manner so as to constitute joining elements for the reciprocal joint of adjacent plates. The projections present a first flank with a surface portion substantially flat and nearly parallel to the front and back faces of the plate, and a second flank with a surface portion inclined relative to said back and front faces. The inclined flank has preferably a curved shape, for instance it can be constituted by, or it can comprise, a cylindrical surface portion with the concavity facing the outside.
As regards what mentioned above, the second flank advantageously has (preferably, is constituted by) a surface with curvilinear and concave cross section.
Adequately, the second flank faces the front face and the first flank faces the back face of the plate.
According to the present invention, the projections advantageously present a first flat surface forming at least partially a first flank of the projection, a second curved surface, with a concavity facing the outside, forming at least partially a second flank; a third radiusing surface between said first surface and said second surface, with a convexity facing the outside and delimiting the front portion of the projection.
Preferably, the second flank of said projections presents a concave cylindrical surface with a nearly constant bending radius forming with the front face of the plate a substantially right angle.
Preferably, the concave cylindrical surface is tangent to a convex cylindrical surface forming the front portion of said projection.
Furthermore, the substantially flat surface portion of said projections can adequately be nearly orthogonal to the respective lateral surface of the plate.
The channels present a cross section substantially reproducing in a reverse manner the shape of the cross section of the projections.
The plate can be advantageously of the thermal insulating type.
Further advantageous characteristics and embodiments of the plate according to the present invention are indicated in the attached claims, which form an integral part of the present description, and will be described in greater detail hereunder with reference to non limiting examples of embodiment.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be better understood by following the description below and the attached drawing, which shows a non-limiting practical embodiment of the present invention. More particularly, in the drawing:

figures 1 and 2 show two axonometric views from the front and from the back of a panel or plate according to the present invention;
figures 3 and 4 show a front view and a back view of a panel according to the present invention;
figures 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, and 5E show cross sections of a panel according to the present invention in various embodiments;
figure 6 shows an enlarged detail in cross section of a panel according to the present invention;
figure 7 shows a panel glued to a wall and a second panel with glue on the back face during the step of coupling to the first panel.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

In the drawings, a plate according to the present invention is indicated as a whole with the number 1. It presents a front surface or face 3 and a back surface or face 5 that, in the illustrated example, has a substantially rectangular development. The plate 1 furthermore presents lateral surfaces 7, 9, 11, and 13, along which are obtained systems for the reciprocal joint of more insulation plates or panels 1 reciprocally flanking to form a thermal insulation. Each plate 1 is made for instance in expanded polystyrene or other adequate insulating material.
In some embodiments the systems of reciprocal joint of adjacent plates comprises linear projections 14, 15, obtained respectively on a short lateral surface 9 and on a long lateral surface 11. Channels 17, 19 are obtained on the remaining two surfaces. The projections 14, 15 and the channels 17, 19 present shapes complementary to each other, so that, by arranging alongside more plates 1 towards each other, the linear projections 14 insert in corresponding channels 17 of adjacent plates and the linear projections 15 insert in channels 19 of adjacent plates.
As it is visible in particular in the cross section of figure 6, each linear projection presents in cross section a profile characterized by a flat surface portion 21, substantially parallel to the two front and back faces or surfaces 3, 5, and therefore orthogonal to the lateral surface 11, 9 on which the projection is obtained, defining a first flank of the projection. On the opposite side of the projection 14, 15, it presents a second flank formed by a curved surface portion 23 and more exactly in the illustrated example a surface with a cross section shaped as an arc of circumference with the concavity facing the outside and forming, in the point of intersection with the face 3, a substantially right angle α. The concave surface portion 23 is radiused to the substantially flat surface portion 21 by means of an intermediate substantially semi-cylindrical surface portion 25, i.e. a surface extending from the flat surface 21 towards the second flank with concave surface 23, as it is clearly apparent from the figures. In the example being described, according to the typical method of radiusing two incident surfaces, the radiusing intermediate surface 25 is tangent at the ends to the surfaces 21 and 23 that it connects. Practically, the projection occupies a space comprised between the lying plane of the substantially flat surface 21 and the lying plane of the front face, whilst it leaves free (i.e. it does not occupy) the space comprised between the lying plane of the flat surface 21 and the lying plane of the back face.
Figure 6 also shows the complementary shape of the channel 17, 19. This channel presents a substantially flat surface 31, a substantially cylindrical surface 33 with shape complementary to the surface 23 of the projection 14, 15, and a bottom surface 34 with a substantially cylindrical development complementary to the surface 25 of the projection 14, 15.
With a similar configuration of the projections and of the channels , the installation of the insulation plates is extremely simpler, as, instead of having to force a projection with parallel flat faces inside a channel also with parallel flat faces, the projection forms, together with the channel, curved insertion facilitating surfaces, which facilitate the insertion by joining of a plate adjacent to another plate. At the same time, the opposite flat surfaces 21, 31 form an abutment, thanks to which the behavior of the installed plates is substantially identical to that of the traditional plates, wherein the joining projections have parallel flat faces.
Furthermore, the cross section of the projections is of width increasing from the free end towards the base, thus giving a particular bending strength to the projections.
As it is understood from figures 5A-5E, the panels or plates 1 can be made in different thicknesses. In order to use plates of various thicknesses in the same wall joining adjacent plates, for example when the wall presents a variable thickness, it is advantageously provided that the projections 14, 15 and the channels 17, 19 are all obtained substantially at the same distance from the front face, whilst the difference in thickness between a plate and the other entails a variation of the distance between the projections of the channels relative to the back face. In this way it is possible to install a plurality of adjacent plates of variable thicknesses, forming a uniform outer surface.
The front face 3 of the panels can present, as shown in figure 2, a series of cuts 3A, for example parallel to each other and orthogonal to the longer side of each plate 1, which are used to improve the behavior of the plate in case of thermal expansions.
The back face 5 of the plate can be advantageously provided (see figure 4) with areas forming lozenge-shaped profiles 5A, 5B, characterized by different surface characteristics, to allow an easier application of the glue to discrete areas. Preferably in the illustrated example the glue will be applied along the areas 5A, whilst the areas 5B will remain devoid of glue.
From an operative point of view, fixing of the plates to the wall occurs in the following manner. A first plate 1 provided with glue on the back face is fixed to the wall. A second plate 1', also provided with glue C on the back face, is put near the already fixed first plate 1, making an its own side provided with channel 17 match with the side of the fixed plate 1 provided with complementary projection 14. Coupling occurs with a relative insertion / rotation movement of the projection in the channel, as highlighted in figure 7. Practically, the projection is fixed, whilst the plate to be fixed is rested with an own part of cylindrical surface 33 of the channel 17 on the surface 23 of the fixed projection, which practically acts as rotation area for the plate to be fixed. The rotation is completed by making the channel of the moving plate overlap perfectly the fixed projection (the projection is inserted relatively in the channel), with the flat surface 31 of the channel substantially into contact with the flat surface 21 of the projection. The plate just coupled to the already fixed plate is subjected to a resistance due to the glue that practically exerts a counter-thrust, which tends to make it move away from the wall. The presence of the flat surface 21 of the projection of the fixed plate advantageously allows to contrast this counter-thrust.
Anyway, it should be noted that the plate to be coupled to the plate already positioned on the wall can be coupled also by inserting the flank with the projection inside the corresponding channel present on the fixed plate. Such a situation can occurs in all the cases in which the effect of the counter-thrust due to the glue in negligible. Practically, the plate can be coupled to a fixed plate indifferently relative to the sides with projections or with the channels.
It is understood that the drawing only shows an example provided by way of a practical demonstration of the present invention, which can vary in forms and arrangements without however departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. Any reference numbers in the appended claims are provided for the sole purpose of facilitating reading of the claims in the light of the description and the drawing, and do not in any manner limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.

Claims

An insulation covering plate (1) in expanded material for use in the building sector, comprising a back face (5), to be arranged towards the wall to be covered a front face (3) and lateral surfaces (7,9,11,13), inside which linear projections (14,15) and channels (17,19) are formed, said projections and said channels being arranged and shaped in a complementary manner so as to constitute elements for the reciprocal joint of adjacent plates, said projections (14,15) presenting a first flank facing the back face of the plate and a second flank facing the front face of the plate, said first flank presenting a surface portion (21) substantially flat and nearly parallel to said back and front faces of the plate, said second flank presenting a surface portion (23) inclined relative to said back and front faces, said inclined surface portion (23) having a curved shape with concavity facing the outside of the projection (14, 15), characterized in that said flat surface portion (21) of the first flank is radiused to the surface (23) with curved shape of the second flank by means of a third intermediate surface (25), the cross section of said projections (14,15) being of width increasing from the free end towards their base.
An insulating plate as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said second flank of said projections (14,15) presents a concave cylindrical surface (23) with a nearly constant bending radius forming with the front face of the plate a substantially right angle.
An insulating plate as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said concave cylindrical surface (23) is tangent to a convex cylindrical surface forming the front portion of said projection corresponding to said third intermediate radiusing surface (25).
An insulating plate as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that the substantially flat surface portion (21) of said projections (14,15) is about orthogonally to the respective lateral surface (7,9,11,13) of the plate.
An insulating plate as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said substantially flat surface portion (21) is tangent to said third intermediate surface (25).
An insulating plate as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said channels (17,19) present a cross section reproducing substantially in a reverse manner the shape of the cross section of said projections (14,15).
A plate as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterized by being thermally insulating.