FR2708300A1 - Sandwich panel assembly mainly intended for cladding of buildings. - Google Patents

Abstract

Assembly formed of sandwich panels having a core (13) of foam or the like protected by interior (9, 10) and exterior (11, 12) metal profiles, one of the fasteners (29) inserted in the joints between panels. The lower edges having, on the outer side, a projection (14), followed by a re-entrant (16) having a V-section, the two faces of which cooperate with the corresponding faces of a projection (18) of the upper edge of the panel adjacent. One of the faces of these Vs is preferably parallel to the plane of the panels, thus ensuring effective and tight retention of the panels during horizontal stresses. The fasteners come into contact with the outer profiles to prevent them from moving away from the support.

Description

The present invention relates to a sandwich panel assembly

  intended mainly for the cladding of buildings, which can also be used for the constitution of

  roofs or interior partitions.

  Such panels are formed of a core of insulating, thermal and / or sound material, placed between two metal profiles, the panels are intended to be mounted on a support so that they are joined along the edges of the profiles. The assembly is done using fixing means which are, for example,

screwed into the holder.

  The design of a sandwich panel must meet multiple requirements, concerning security, aesthetic appearance and cost price. In particular: - the external profile, that is to say the one which is opposite the support, must be physically attached to the fixing means, to prevent a separation between this profile and the core causing a departure from the profile, which can be dangerous, - the fixing must allow free expansion of the panels, to avoid alternating fatigue of the fixing means and / or unsightly deformations of the panels. This implies providing fixing means which do not pass through the profiles, but are inserted in the joint between adjacent panels, - the exterior surfaces of two adjacent panels must, if possible, be kept in the same plane, even if one panel is solicited differently from its neighbors, to avoid bleaching effects,

  unsightly, especially in low-angle lighting.

  - the joints between adjacent elements must have a continuous interlocking over their entire length, to reduce heat losses and the risks of air passage, - the installation of interlocking joint panels must be done without this resulting transverse forces liable to deform the edge of the profiles, - in the case of a core made of foam formed in place, the shape of the edges of the profiles, in particular for interlocking joints, must make it possible to avoid any filling defect, - the covers covering the joints between panels must be avoided if possible, to minimize the cost price, - in the absence of covers, the visible joints must be sufficiently large so that small variations in the width of these joints, due to differences in temperature or in manufacturing tolerances are not very visible, - advantageously, panels of different thickness can be produced with the same my exterior and interior profiles, by changing only the thickness of the insulating core, and these profiles will be calculated to allow obtaining panels of low thickness, and therefore of low cost, where lower insulation is accepted, - The fastening means must be of low cost price, easy to install, and preferably stackable. The panels which are currently proposed do not allow a satisfactory response to the

  all of these requirements for a moderate cost price.

  For example, FR-A-2,398,855, EP-A-522.992 and FR-A-

  2,449,917 describe types of panels which are fixed by rivets, points or screws passing through edges of the profiles, and which are devoid of means for

  precisely align neighboring panels.

  FR-A-2.550.260 describes panels, the two outer profiles of which are physically retained by fixing means inserted in the joint between adjacent panels, but o the fixing means, tightened forcefully in a groove of an external profile and on one side of the other, does not guarantee with certainty a free expansion. WO-A-89. 12149 describes panels of which an external profile is retained directly by the fastening means, and the external profile of the adjacent panel is retained by the first, free expansion being however possible, but nothing is provided to effectively maintain the

panels in the same plane.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a sandwich panel assembly which best meets all the requirements indicated above, and which however is

  simple, inexpensive and easy to set up.

  To obtain this result, the invention provides an assembly intended to constitute a building wall, comprising at least two sandwich panels having main exterior and interior faces of generally planar, elongated shape, a first panel having an upper longitudinal edge and the second panel having a lower longitudinal edge, and these two edges cooperating to form a substantially watertight seal when the panels are superimposed with their vertical main faces, said lower edge having a first projection, a first face of which connects to the main external face of the panel and a second face, opposite the first, and closer to the inner main face of the panel, is parallel to said outer main face, this first protrusion being followed directly, towards the interior, by a first reentrant, said edge upper with a recess, in which the first can advance protrusion of the lower edge, followed, in the direction of the inner longitudinal face, by a first protrusion which penetrates into the first reentrant of the lower edge of the associated panel, and one face of which faces outwards, each sandwich panel being formed by '' a core of insulation material on which is fixed, to form the outer main outer face, an outer metal profile of which a lower edge constitutes at least said first projection and the first reentrant of the lower edge and the recess and the first projection of the upper edge, an inner metal profile being fixed on the core to form the inner main face, the assembly further comprising a fixing part capable of being fixed on a support and of being inserted into the joint between the panels when they these are superimposed, and to cooperate with the lower edge of the outer profile to prevent it from moving away from the support, this assembly pres with the peculiarity that the first re-entrant of the lower edge of the panel made is in V-section, with a face opposite to the first projection which forms with the direction of the external faces an angle of between 10 and 80 approximately, and that the first projection of the edge upper of the panel is V-shaped, with faces parallel to that of said first reentry, and is capable of coming into contact, by its two faces, with the two faces of said first

returning.

  By "exterior" or "interior", we refer to the position of the panel relative to the environment of the building, when the panel is used in cladding, and by "upper" and "lower" we refer to the position of the edges of the panel when the panels are superimposed, with their horizontal longitudinal edges. In other

  situations, the above words are arbitrary.

  According to the invention, the upper edge of the panel has a protrusion with a V section, one face of which is parallel to the plane of the profiles and the other is oblique on this plane, and the lower edge of the panel has a

reentrant of adapted form.

  The cooperation of the surfaces parallel to the plane of the profiles of two adjacent panels provides effective maintenance of the position of the outer profile of a panel

  compared to that of the adjacent panel.

  The cooperation of the parallel oblique surfaces pushes the surfaces parallel to the plane of the main faces to remain in contact with each other when the panels are pushed one on the other for example under the effect of the weight of the upper profile. The angle at the top of the V must not be too small, in order to avoid a risk of jamming of the salient in the reentrant, and to ensure good filling of the salient, in particular in the case where the core is made of foam formed on square. The angle at the top of V must not be too close to 90, so that friction does not prevent the sliding of the oblique surfaces one on the other under the effect of the weight of the panels. In addition, too large an apex angle unnecessarily increases the thickness of the panel. Within a range of 10 to 80, values of 20 to 35 are preferred. Advantageously, the face of the first re-entrant from the lower edge which is opposite to the first projection has a support part roughly parallel to the plane of the main faces provided on the external profile, and on which comes a part of similar orientation of the fixing part, and said bearing part is carried by a recess of the lower profile, and / or faces a recess of the upper edge, the position and the shape of this recess being calculated so that the fixing part does not Not prevent contact of the oblique faces of the groove and the V-shaped projection. Advantageously also, the overall curvature of the bottom of the first reentrant of the lower edge is greater than that of the top of the first protrusion of the upper edge, so that, when the faces of said protrusion and said reentrant are in contact, there is a space of

  decompression between said bottom and said top.

  Such a decompression space is useful for

  limit water infiltration through the joint, as is well known to specialists.

  The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of a practical example illustrated with the aid of the drawings among which: Figure 1 is a vertical section of the area of the junction between two sandwich panels according to invention, superimposed to constitute a vertical wall, the cut being made outside of a fixing piece. Figure 2 is a partial view showing a variant of Figure 1, the section through a fastener Figure 1 shows, in section, the upper longitudinal edge 1 of a sandwich panel 2, associated with the lower longitudinal edge 3 of a second sandwich panel 4 placed above the first sandwich panel. The two panels are supported against a vertical support 5, so that the main interior faces 6, 6 ′ of the panels 2 and 4 are supported on the front face 7 of the support 5 and are therefore in the same plane. The two sandwich panels being of the same thickness, the main external faces 8, 8 ′ of the panels 2 and 4 are

  also substantially in the same vertical plane.

  A person skilled in the art will understand that the same figure can be used in the case where the invention is applied to a non-vertical wall, in particular a roof, or in the case

  o the supports 5 are not vertical.

  Each of the panels is constituted by a profile 9, which constitutes the inner main face, 6, 6 ', by an outer profile 11, 12, which constitutes the outer face 8, 8', and a foam core 13 which connects and holds the exterior and interior profiles of each sandwich panel together. A filling in a material

  other than foam can, of course, be used.

  The lower longitudinal edge 3 has a first projection 14, with parallel faces, a first face of which is an extension of the main external face 8 ′, and a second face 15 is closer to the inside, that is to say say of the interior main face 6 'of the panel. The shape of the protrusion 14, with parallel faces, provides it with good robustness and reduces the risks of foam filling faults. For aesthetic reasons, it may be preferable for the first face of this projection to be oblique on the outer main face, and / or to be connected with the latter by a rounded or

  dropout, without departing from the invention.

  The first projection 14 is followed directly, in

  direction of the interior, by a first reentry 16.

  On the upper edge 1, opposite the part of the lower edge 3 that has just been described, is a recess 17, immediately followed by a first projection 18. The first projection 14 of the lower edge 3 advances into the recess 17 of the upper edge 1, while the first projection 18 of the upper edge 1 enters the first reentrant 16 of the lower edge 3. The upper edge 1 has a surface 19, flat and parallel to the outer face 8, and which delimits both the recess 17 and the protrusion 18. The distance d between the plane of the surface 19 and that of the outer face 8 is equal to the thickness of the protrusion 14. As a result, when this face 19 is in contact with the face inside 15 of the projection 14, the outside faces 8 and 8 ′ of the two sandwich panels are held strictly in the same vertical plane in the vicinity of the junction, which is

  advantageous from the point of view of the appearance of the whole.

  The thickness d of the projection 14 is chosen to be large enough to avoid the risk of improper filling of

this result by foam.

  The reentrant 16 has a V-shaped section. It is limited on one side by the edge 15 of the protrusion 14, and on the other side by an oblique surface 20, which forms with the plane of the face 15 an angle A of about 25. The corresponding projection 18 has a corresponding V-shaped section, it is limited on the one hand by the face 19, as it was said earlier, and on the other side by an oblique surface 21 which

  makes the same angle A with face 19.

  The bottom 22 of the reentrant 16 is, in section, in an arc of a circle, with a radius of curvature less than that of the end 23 of the end of the projection 18. As a result, this projection can penetrate freely inside of the reentrant, and being in contact with it by its two faces 19, 21. It will be observed that the shapes of the bottom of the reentrant 16 and of the end of the projection 18 could be different, for example polygonal, the main thing being that the projection can sink freely into the reentrant until it comes into contact with it by its two faces. This ensures a tight contact between the two edges 1 and 3 of the profiles. In addition, the vacuum existing between the bottom of the reentrant and the end of the projection constitutes a decompression space which effectively opposes the passage of moisture by capillarity, as is

known to those skilled in the art.

  According to a variant which is a little less satisfactory from the point of view of sealing, but easier to produce, the surface 21 makes an angle with the surface 19 which is a little less than A. The contact between the panels is then made according to a line, generator or edge, located at

end level 23.

  The value of the angle A can vary within certain limits. However, if the angle A is too small, there is a risk of jamming of the protrusion 18 in the reentrant 16, which would be likely to cause the appearance of stresses, causing deformations, under the effect of external stresses such as temperature variations or wind action. On the other hand, if the angle A is too close to 90, the friction between the oblique surfaces 20, 21 risks being too strong for the weight of the upper sandwich panel to cause, by sliding, the parallel surfaces 19 and 15 of

  indentation and salience to always be in contact.

  This would reduce the seal, and result in a gap

  unsightly between the planes of the outer faces 8 and 8 '.

  The limits of 10 and 80, and of 20 and 35 indicated above for the angle A must obviously vary according to the nature of the material, and more precisely the coefficients of friction which result, after a certain use, from

  the environment and climatic conditions.

  The oblique surface 20 is connected, going inwards and downwards, to a second recess 24, delimited by a second oblique surface 25, which forms with the plane of the external faces an angle greater than the angle A, and a second face 26, roughly parallel to the plane of said outer faces. Opposite the recess 24, the oblique wall 21 of the projection 18 extends without changing direction. This results in the formation of a space 27 between the two surfaces. This space 27 has two functions: it constitutes a second decompression space, but above all, it serves to

  housing at the end 28 of a retaining fitting 29.

  This retaining fitting 29 is fixed to the support 5 by means of a bolt 30, as will be described later. The end 28 comprises a substantially vertical part, which abuts against the approximately vertical wall 26 of the recess 24. As this face 26 is formed by folding the external profile 8 ', it can be seen that, in the event that an external force , for example that of the wind, would tend to push the sandwich panel 4 outwards, away from the support 5, this panel would be held by the retaining fitting acting on the external profile, without the risk of seeing it separate from the core 13, as would happen if the holding fitting 29

  acted on the interior profile.

  In FIG. 1, the surfaces 26 and 28 are approximately vertical. Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the above favorable result to be obtained, it is sufficient for these surfaces to make an angle with the vertical greater than their friction angle. In particular, if the angle A is less than this friction angle, the surface 26 may be parallel to the surface 20 or

  extended, as shown in Figure 2.

  The face 26 of the recess 24 is not necessarily exactly vertical, as is the end 28 of the retaining fitting 29. It is however necessary for it to make a sufficiently small angle with the vertical so that, under the influence from a horizontal stress, the sandwich panel 4 does not tend to lift. Here again, it is necessary to consider the coefficients of friction of the material of

  the surface 26 and the holding fitting 29.

  One can also provide that the face 26, and the end 28, are slightly oblique descending towards the outside in a sufficiently weak way so as not to risk defects of

filling with foam.

  The dimensions of the recess 24 must, of course, be such that the retaining fitting 29 can pass through the joint between the two panels

sandwich 2 and 4.

  Beyond the space 27, the end of the profile 8 'has a substantially horizontal part 31, followed by a part 32 folded inwards from the sandwich panel, and which is intended to ensure good anchoring of the profile 3 in the foam 13. The oblique surface 21 of the upper edge 1 is connected, for its part, to a horizontal surface 33, extended by a fold 34, directed towards the inside of the sandwich panel 2, and also intended to ensure a good anchoring in the foam which forms the core of this profile. Between the horizontal parts 31 and 33 is interposed an elastomeric seal 35. At the location of the retaining fittings 29, these slightly deform the seal 35 to reach the space 27. The slight loss of seal which result is acceptable, since a suitable seal is already ensured

  by the cooperation of the salient 18 with the reentrant 16.

  A further improvement can be obtained with a flexible material seal placed or glued on the

retaining fitting 29.

  We will now describe the edges of the internal sections 9 and 10. The upper edge of the section 9 comprises, first, starting from its internal face 6, in contact with the support 5, a projection 36, directed upwards, and on which bears a horizontal surface 37 of the retaining fitting 29. The advantage of this arrangement lies in the fact that the sandwich panel 2

  cannot be lifted by external force.

  The protrusion 36 is limited, on its edge opposite the inner face 6 by an oblique surface 38, which makes, with the vertical plane, an angle B of the order of 25. The surface 38 follows a horizontal face 39, which lies in the same plane as the horizontal face 33 of the outer profile 11, and which supports with the latter the elastomer seal 35. The edge of the profile 9 extends by a reentrant 40 which enters the mass of

  foam 13, to ensure its anchoring.

  It will be noted that the projection 36 extends upwards at approximately the same height as the projection 18. This ensures a compact shape at the edges of the panels. It is important that the projection 18 does not extend upwards beyond the level of the bolt 30, but stops lower, so as to allow an easy passage of a tightening tool.

of this bolt 30.

  The lower edge of the profile 10 first presents, starting from its inner face 6 ′, a third recess 41, the sole function of which is to serve as a housing for the head of the bolt 30. This recess is followed by an oblique surface 42 , which makes an angle with the vertical substantially equal to the angle B, and which is connected to a reentrant 43, which penetrates, like reentrant 32, into

  the mass of foam 13 to ensure its anchoring.

  The retaining fitting 29 has, from the bolt 30, a vertical flat part 44, bearing on the support 5, followed by the horizontal part 37 mentioned above, then by an oblique part 45, which makes the vertical with the same angle B as the faces 38 and 42 provided on the sections 9 and 10, and is located between these two faces. The retaining fitting is then extended by a horizontal part 46, which deforms the seal 35, to be connected to the vertical part

28 described above.

  We can see that the upper sandwich panel 4 rests on the lower sandwich panel 2 directly

  through the reentrant 16 and the protruding 18.

  The oblique surfaces 38, 42, 45 cooperate to constitute, with the oblique surfaces 20-21, directed in opposite directions, a complementary projecting and re-entrant connection. This complementary connection only occurs at the location of the holding fittings 29. Between two holding fittings, the oblique surfaces 38, 42 of the two panels 2 and 4 are separated by an interval

  equal to the thickness of a retaining fitting 29.

  The internal sections 9, 10 are retained on the support 5 by cooperation of their projections 36 with the horizontal surfaces 37 of the retaining fittings 29. They can therefore undergo deformation by expansion in the event of high temperatures. However, these possible deformations are absorbed by the foam 13, and are not transmitted to the external sections 11, 12 which can

expand freely.

  A sealing sheet 47 adhering to the ends of the outer 12 and inner 10 profiles of the lower edge prevents any penetration of moisture into the foam mass 13. As regards the upper edge, this function is provided by the seal made of rubber 35, which therefore performs a dual function, of preventing the penetration of air and moisture between the interior and exterior of the building, and preventing the penetration of these same bodies inside the mass

foam 13.

  It will be observed that if it is desired to change the thickness of the sandwich panels, it suffices to change the quantity of foam 13 which they contain, as well as the width of the joint 35 and of the sheet 47, the metal profiles remaining the same. FIG. 2 shows another configuration of the space 27 and of the end 28 of the retaining fitting 29, with two particulars which are not necessarily

interconnected.

  The surface 26 bearing against the end portion 28 of the retaining fitting 29 is directly in extension of the oblique surface 20, the angle A being less than the friction angle of the materials from which the profile 9 is made and the fitting 29. The part 28 is obviously parallel to the surface 20. This arrangement has the advantage of bringing it closer to the plane of the external face 8 '. The space 27, intended to serve as a housing for the end portion 28 of the retaining fitting 29, is obtained by providing a recess 50 between the oblique surface 21

  from the upper edge and the horizontal part 33.

  The bottom 51 of the recess 50 is approximately parallel to the end portion 28, but does not necessarily cooperate with it. It is connected to the oblique surface 21 by a connection 52, oblique on the

  vertical and directed inwards and upwards.

  The end 53 of the retaining fitting 28 bears on the connection 52. It is slightly pushed against it by the elastic force of the seal 35, compressed by the

  fitting 29 as mentioned above.

  During assembly, after having put in place the first sandwich panel 2 against the support 5, the retaining fitting 29 is placed by engaging its end 53 against the connection 52, then by pivoting it around the point of contact until that its part 45 rests on part 38 of the panel 2. The position of the retaining fitting is then its final position, and there is no longer any difficulty in its precise fixing using the bolt 30. The sandwich panel next 4 is then placed on the sandwich panel 2 and the fittings 29 and is

  immediately found in the correct position.

  In the case of an arrangement in accordance with FIG. 1, the recess 50 and the connection 52 do not exist, but, in order to be able to assemble in a similar manner, it suffices to provide, in the surface 21, a groove whose edge upper will fulfill the same role as connection 52.10 It should be noted that this mounting method does not create any constraint on the profiles, which are therefore not deformed. An advantage of the assembly according to the invention lies in the fact that its installation does not comprise any connection by elastic engagement, so that the panels, and especially their external profiles, do not undergo any deformation or stress liable to alter their flatness, and therefore their appearance. This results in particularly surfaces

  aesthetically satisfactory, without reducing the insulation properties and the robustness.

Claims (11)

  1. Assembly intended to constitute a building wall, comprising at least two sandwich panels (2, 4) having main exterior and interior faces of generally planar, elongated shape, a first panel having an upper longitudinal edge (1) and the second panel having a lower longitudinal edge (3), and these two edges cooperating to form a substantially tight seal when the panels are superimposed with their vertical main faces, said lower edge having a first projection (14), a first face of which is connected to the outer main face (8 ') of the panel and a second face (15), opposite the first and closer to the inner main face of the panel, is parallel to said outer main face, this first projection being followed directly, in the direction from the inside, by a first re-entrant (16), said upper edge having a recess (17), in which the first projection can advance t from the lower edge, followed, in the direction of the inner longitudinal face, by a first projection (18) which penetrates into the first reentrant of the lower edge of the associated panel, and one face of which is turned towards the outside, each sandwich panel being formed of a core (13) of insulation material on which is fixed, to form the outer main outer face, an outer metal profile (11, 12) of which a lower edge constitutes at least said first projection and the first reentrant from the lower edge and the recess and the first projection from the upper edge, an inner metal profile (9, 10) being fixed on the core, to form the inner main face, the assembly further comprising a fixing part (29) able to be fixed on a support (5) and inserted into the joint between the panels when these are superimposed, and to cooperate with the lower edge of the external profile to prevent it from moving away from the support , characterized in that the first re-entrant (16) of the lower edge of the panel made is V-shaped, with a face opposite to the first projection (18) which forms an angle (A) between and 80 with the direction of the external faces approximately, and in that the first projection (18) of the upper edge of the panel is V-shaped, with faces parallel to that of said first reentrant, and is capable of coming into contact, by its two faces, with the two faces said first return.   2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle (A) of the face (20) of the first reentrant of the lower edge which is opposite to the first projection made with the direction of the main faces an angle of 20 to. 3. The assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the face (20) of the first reentrant of the lower edge which is opposite to the first projection has a support portion (26) on which comes into contact a portion (28), d analogous orientation of the fastener, these parts (26, 28) being oriented to oppose relative movement of the panel and the fastener in a perpendicular direction, characterized in that said support part is carried by a recess (24) of the lower profile, and / or faces a recess (50) of the upper edge, the position and the shape of this recess being calculated so that the fixing part does not prevent contact of the faces oblique groove and V-shaped projection 4. An assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the bearing part (26) is approximately parallel   in the plane of the main faces of the outer profile.   5. Assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the bearing part (26) is an extension of the face (20) of the first reentrant of the lower edge, or it is substantially parallel.   6. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that the overall curvature of the bottom (22) of the first reentry of the lower edge is greater than that of the top (23) of the first protrusion of the upper edge, so that when the faces of said protrusion and said reentrant are in contact there is a space of   decompression between said bottom and said top.   7. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that the thickness of the first projection (14) of the lower edge is equal to the depth (d) of the first   recess (17) on the upper edge.   8. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 7,   characterized in that the first projection (14) of the edge   lower is with parallel faces.   9. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized in that the fixing piece (29) comprises, in the vicinity of its fixing zone on the support, a substantially horizontal part (37), capable of coming to bear on a projection (36) of the upper edge of the inner profile ( 9) to prevent it from moving to the top.   10. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 9,   characterized in that the inner, lower and upper sections, and the fixing part, have parallel surfaces (38, 42, 45) directed obliquely outward away from the inner main face of the panel and from the lower edge , these surfaces being arranged so that said surfaces of the upper and lower edges are in contact with one another with the interposition of the fixing piece, to produce with the inner edge (20) of the first re-entrant of the lower edge, and of the first projection (21) of the upper edge, a second connection by projection and returning between the edges of two adjacent panels.   11. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the face of the first projection (18) of the upper edge which is turned inward has a recess (50) or a groove in which comes to rest the end (53) of the fixing piece (38) when the assembly is assembled.