FR2509223A1 - Roof and wall sandwich panel - formed by casting foam mixture on outer layer and pressing on metal profile - Google Patents

Abstract

The outer layer of an isolating panel for building construction, to which pref. a profiled inner plate is attached, have between them a mass of foamed filling material, is to be regarded as the outer, finished, waterproof, non-metallic surface of the roof or wall. Down one long edge an overlapping strip projects and this is glued along the edge of the adjacent panel in the finished structure. The filling along the edge which is to come into contact with an adjacent panel is profiled obliquely to suit. The outer, waterproof layer is a mixture of bitumen and polypropylene with a reinforcement formed by non-woven polyester fibres. The profiled inner layer is a steel plate. The filling is a polyurethane foam and at one side the profiled plate projects beyond it. This facilitates the making of the joint and in particular with a roof, sagging is prevented when it is walked on so that the filling is not easily broken up.

Description

"Sandwich panel, process for its manufacture and installation used for this purpose".

 The present invention relates to a sandwich panel having an external thickness and an internal plate, preferably profiled, which is connected to it, elements between which is arranged an insulating filling mass which can be cissed. Such sandwich panels or similar panels are known. They can be used both for roof constructions and for wall constructions. With sandwich panels of the types known hitherto, special provisions must be adopted to cover the joint between the longitudinal walls of two panels located side by side, using an insulating material.

For roof constructions, this joint forms a particularly delicate connection between two panels. Local stress, for example when walking on the roof, can result in bending of the overhanging part of the panel, so that the insulating filling mass, usually an insulating foam, can be released from the thickness outer layer that serves as an outer protective layer. Likewise, applying a connecting strip to the external thickness, at the height of the joint between two panels, is a solution that takes a long time.

 The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing sandwich panels according to the invention.

With the processes known up to now, the curable insulating filling mass,
in the form of a foam, is generally injected
continuously between the profiled internal plate and the thick
external sister used with it. With this process,
the internal metal plate is located on the side
lower, so that the components of the filling mass can present during the
reaction and hardening, irregularities due
to the fact that the filling mass was not in
thrown on a level surface. In any case, it appears on the upper side of the hardened foam between
time, air bubbles which when the thickness
external is applied to the hardened foam, consti
tuenEdbs weakening places.
alternate effects of heat and cold have cold
adverse consequences on the external thickness at
the place of these air bubbles. The sandwich panel
finished then present along the side intended for
form the outer wall, either of the wall or of you
irregularities which not only are not
aesthetic, but also which can be very
disadvantageous from a purely technical point of view.

With the process described above,
care must also be taken that air can
regularly escape on one side of the elements
continuously processed from the panel. When this is not
not the case, the air trapped between the foam and the outer thickness will contribute even stronger
lie to the action of inequalities and bubbles.

The object of the invention is to eliminate these
cons and others, both panels
sandwich known only from the process used for their
manufacturing.

 To this end, in the sandwich panel according to the invention, the above-mentioned external thickness is formed by the non-metallic waterproof sealing layer to be considered as final.

 A detail of the invention resides in that the sandwich panel has on one side an overlapping strip or flap which, in the finished roof or wall construction, can be fixed to the body of an adjacent panel.

 Advantageously, the aforementioned filling mass has an oblique profile on the catches which must come into contact with the adjacent panels, so that all the panels are connected to one another at the same angle.

 Advantageously, the abovementioned external thickness is also in contact with the profiled sides of the abovementioned filling mass.

 The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of a sandwich panel according to the invention and an installation for this manufacture.

Other details and particularities of the invention will emerge from the description below, given by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sandwich panel according to the invention.

 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same sandwich panel and part of a second sandwich panel connecting thereto.

 Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sandwich panel following the inversion with the flap overhanging free and the profiled plate projecting in the longitudinal direction.

 Figures 4 and 5 are schematic views of two stages of the manufacturing process of a sandwich panel according to the invention.

 Figure 6 is also a schematic representation of the installation for implementing the method according to the invention.

 Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of two ends of sandwich panels located side by side.

 FIG. 8 illustrates the advantages of the sandwich panel according to the invention during bending of one end of such a panel.

 FIG. 9 illustrates the drawbacks of sandwich panels in which the external protective layer is not brought beyond the extreme corner along the longitudinal edge of the panel.

 The sandwich panel according to FIGS. 1 to 3 is a so-called monolithic sandwich panel, intended for an industrial application for constructions of both roofs and walls.

The roof panel is composed of an internal plate 1 which is preferably a cold-formed metal plate. On the external side, the sand wich panel is formed by an external thickness 2 which forms a waterproof sealing layer.

This thickness can be made of any waterproof material, preferably synthetic. Preferably, a mixture of bitumen and polypropylene is used. A reinforcement of non-woven polyester fibers may be present in the blend. A suitable product for constituting the outer covering layer is for example the material commercially available under the name "ASCOFLEX ES".

 Between the profiled metal plate 1 and the external thickness 2 is provided an insulating layer of self-extinguishing insulating foam.

Different materials can be used for this purpose, in particular polyurethane, polyisocyanurate and the like. The foam used must make possible a lasting adhesion or attachment both with the internal profiled plate 1 and with the external thickness 2. The sandwich panel has laterally and in b longitudinal direction a flap or wing 4 which forms an overlap for the longitudinal edge of a sandwich panel located next to it. The bng on the opposite side of the sandwich panel, that is to say the edge which is present on the other side of the panel relative to the wing 4, this zen edge is bevelled and the external thickness 2 extends also along this beveled edge.

 The advantages of this structure appear very clearly from FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the way in which the flap or the wing 4 is glued to the waterproofing material 2 is illustrated. or is stapled to this material and how this material 2 is attached along the beveled longitudinal edge of a panel. Under the influence of a stress, for example when walking on the roof, one of the panels may well flex, but the attachment or adhesion between the wing 4 of the external thickness 2 of a panel and the thickness 2 of an adjacent panel is such, as is the adhesion of the external thickness along the bevelled longitudinal edge of a panel, that the external thickness 2 does not release the insulating material under - adjacent, as illustrated in FIG. 9. This latter illustrates, in fact, the drawbacks of panels whose external thickness is not extended beyond the beveled longitudinal edge of the panel.

 FIG. 3 shows two sandwich panels located one next to and one above the other.

 In each sandwich panel, the flap or wing 4 is clearly visible and it is also clear that the profiled internal plate 1 projects a certain distance outside the insulating core 3, so that a good sat connection is also possible along on the head side of the panels. In order, as already mentioned above, to obtain sandwich panels which remarkably satisfy the requirements of monolithic panels, the foam used must adhere well to the material from which the internal plate and the external thickness are made. The materials indicated above remarkably meet these requirements, but it is clear that other materials also could be used for the same purpose.

The process for manufacturing sandwich panels according to the invention takes place according to a semi-continuous process comprising the following steps
1. The profiled internal plate is fixed to the upper table 5 of the installation. This means that during the inspection of the components of the insulating foam, the profiled metal plate is located above and the external thickness below in the installation. This arrangement offers particular advantages which have already been mentioned in the introduction and to which we will return later.

The fixing of the internal plate 1 to the upper table 5 can be done by means of suction cups or by using other known techniques.

 2. On the lower table 6 of the installation is placed the external thickness. This lower table is provided along the longitudinal edges of two longitudinal profiled elements 6 'and 6 "which are bevelled in a manner corresponding to the profile of the internal plate 1. On the internal side of the element 6', the edge of the internal plate is folded down, this edge having to remain in contact with the foam to be injected which forms the insulating internal core 3. Under the element 6 "extends the part of the external thickness which must form the flap or wing 4 of the sandwich panel .

 3. The upper table 5 is then brought closer to the lower table 6 in such a way that the spacing between the external thickness 2 resting on the lower table 6 and the profiled plate 1 corresponds to the thickness of the finished panel, this is ie the thickness of the insulating core when the components have reacted. The upper table 5 can be brought in the direction of the lower table 6 and be held in the desired position relative to the latter by hydraulic pistons 7 which are fixed to transverse beams 8 and can move relative to them. These transverse beams are equipped with arms 10 articulated around points 9. The arms 10 are provided at the lower part with hooks 11 which, during the movement of the transverse beams 8, are blocked with respect to longitudinal pushers 12. During an upward movement of the transverse beams 8, under the influence of an outward movement of the pressure cylinders, the arms 10 are brought to vote towards the lower table 6, because these arms are moved along fixed cams 13.

 The components entering into reaction of the filling mass can then temporarily exert a certain pressure against the internal plate 1 fixed to the upper table 5. After the reaction time, the filling mass adheres completely as well to the internal plate 1 as to the external plate 2. After the reaction time, by removing the pressure in the hydraulic cylinders 7, the upper table 5 can be released from the lower table 6 by releasing the hooks 11 relative to the longitudinal lifters 12.

 Thanks to the fixing of the profiled internal plate 1 of metal or similar material which offers sufficient resistance, the harmful consequences of air bubbles appearing on the upper surface of the foam are no longer to be feared.

The internal plate 1 can also accept without problems the unevenness of the filling mass. When on the contrary the external thickness 2 is provided on the upper side, account must be taken of the phenomena which have been depicted in the introduction to the description.

 It should be understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments and that many modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this patent.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS.  1. Sandwich panel, having an external thickness and an internal plate, preferably profiled, which is connected to it, elements between which a curable insulating filling mass is arranged, characterized in that the above-mentioned external thickness is formed by the thickness d watertight non-metallic external filling to be considered final.  2. Sandwich panel according to claim 1, characterized in that along a longitudinal edge is present an overlap strip or wing which, in the construction of roofs or finished walls, can be fixed or caused to adhere to the edge d 'an adjacent panel.  3. Sandwich panel according to claim 2, characterized in that the aforementioned filling mass, on the sides which must come into contact with adjacent panels, is profiled obliquely so that all the panels are connected together under the same angle.  4. Sandwich panel according to claim 3, characterized in that the above-mentioned external thickness also comes into contact with the core made of an insulating material, along the profiled longitudinal edge.  5. Sandwich panel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the above-mentioned external thickness is preferably a thickness that is waterproof against reinforced water.  6. Sandwich panel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the prlcitée water-tight finishing layer is a thermoplastic material.  7. Sandwich panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the aforementioned waterproof seal layer is at least a mixture of bitumen and a thermoplastic material.  8. Sandwich panel according to claim 7, characterized in that the aforementioned thermoplastic material is polypropylene.  9. Sandwich panel according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the aforementioned reinforcement is formed by non-woven polyester fibers.  10. Sandwich panel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the above-mentioned internal plate is a profiled steel plate.  11. Sandwich panel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on at least one head side, the profiled internal plate projects from the insulating filling mass.  12. A method for manufacturing a sandwich panel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the above-mentioned external thickness is first placed on a lower table which is provided, for this purpose, with longitudinal elements determining a casting mold, which the above-mentioned filling mass is poured onto the external thickness resting on the lower table, before the components of this filling mass have reacted, and it is adjusted at a certain distance of the filling mass, an upper table to which the internal plate is temporarily fixed, while means are provided for locking the above-mentioned upper table with respect to the lower table during the reaction period of the components of the filling mass cited above.  13. Installation for the implementation of the method according to claim 12, carac térisao in that it consists essentially of a lower table and an upper table on the lower side of which can be temporarily fixed the internal profiled plate, and means for locking the upper table relative to the lower table at a certain distance from the latter which corresponds approximately to the thickness of the filling mass after the reaction of the components thereof.  14. Installation according to claim 13, characterized in that the aforementioned means are constituted between cars by transverse beams to each of which is fixed at least one pressure cylinder for the displacement of the above-mentioned upper table relative to the transverse beam concerned, and therefore also with respect to the lower table, the lifting movement of the aforementioned transverse beams under the action of the exit movement of the pressure cylinders can be limited by traction arms articulated in vertical planes, which are hingedly attached to the above-mentioned transverse beams, hooks on the lower part which can be moved by a cam in the direction of the above-mentioned table and can be locked relative to this lower table when the upper table fixed to the above-mentioned transverse beam is moved away from the table lower under the influence of the filling mass entering into reaction.  15. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the hooks which are located at the lower part of the aforementioned traction arms, are blocked against longitudinal pushers which are fixed to the lower table.  16. Installation according to either of claims 13 and 14, characterized in that the upper plane of the lower table is curved.  17. Installation according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the upper plane of the lower table is determined by two inclined planes which meet in the vicinity of the center of the upper table.