GB2033949A

GB2033949A - Side Sealing of Roof and Wall Claddings

Info

Publication number: GB2033949A
Application number: GB7936023A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Cape Universal Claddings Ltd
Current assignee: Cape Universal Claddings Ltd
Priority date: 1978-10-18
Filing date: 1979-10-17
Publication date: 1980-05-29
Also published as: GB2033949B

Abstract

A composite insulated panel 110 has inner and outer sheets (112, 116) and between them foam material which is formed in situ. At each edge of the panel is a sealing strip (122, 124). The sealing strips have channels which resiliently grip upturned edge flanges (114) of the inner sheet (112), the inner leg of the channel being longer than the outer. One sealing strip (122) has a resiliently flexible projecting flap which engages the adjacent sealing strip of an adjacent panel to effect a seal between the panels. Both strips (122, 124) have flaps which resiliently engage the outer sheet (116) during foaming to provide a seal preventing egress of the foaming material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Side Sealing of Roof and Wall Claddings This invention relates to methods of and means for sealing edges of composite panels. It especially relates to the sealing of panels formed of two spaced overlying relatively rigid sheets having foamed plastics material between them.

The invention also relates to composite panels having edges sealed with sealing strips.

It has long been common in the building industry to cover roofs and walls with light sheet metal claddings. Where thermal or acoustic insulation is required, structures may be covered with insulating material prior to cladding. There have also been various proposals for composite panels comprising two light gauge metal sheets with insulant sandwiched between them. Such panels may be produced, for example, by clamping two metal sheets the required distance apart and producing the insulant core by foaming a plastics material in situ. During the foaming step the plastics material tends to escape from the edges of the panel. Masks may be provided around the edges, but their subsequent removal tends to pull away some of the foamed material, producing ragged edges.These, as well as being unsightly, give rise to zones of inadequate insulation where panels are joined edge to edge, and provide weak points for attack by water.

When composite panels are joined edge to edge, e.g. to form a roof, any gap that is left impairs the insulating properties of the whole, and may allow the atmosphere and water to penetrate the core or leak right through the panel assembly.

Furthermore, such gaps seriously reduce the fire resistance of assemblies of panels containing inflammable cores. They also detract from the appearance of such assemblies.

According to the present invention in a first aspect, there is provided an insulated composite panel comprising exterior and interior sheets between which there is a core of insulating material formed by foaming in situ, the exterior sheet having at one side edge an upstanding female rib and at the opposite side edge an upstanding male rib such that an assembly of like panels can be formed in which adjacent panels are linked by the female rib of one overlying the male rib of another, there being an edge sealing strip extending longitudinally along each of said side edges and closing a gap between the sheets at the respective edge, one or both of the sealing strips having been located in situ prior to the formation of the foamed core and having one or more of the following features:: (a) a longitudinally extending channel formed by spaced apart inner and outer legs which channel receives a longitudinally extending upstanding flange of the interior sheet, the inner leg of the channel being longer than the outer leg and at least a longitudinally extending portion of the inner leg being held against the flange by the foamed material; (b) a longitudinally extending resilient portion which in the free state projects laterally from the strip and which, in an assembly of two like panels, engages the adjacent sealing strip and/or a sheet of the other panel to form a resilient seal therewith;; (c) a longitudinally extending flap which in the assembled condition is held against the inner surface of the exterior sheet by the foamed material, the flap in the assembled condition also being resiliently biassed against the said inner surface having been resiliently deformed during assembly from its condition in the free state of the strip, whereby during foaming the flap presses against the said inner surface so as to form a seal therewith preventing escape of the foaming material.

The invention also provides the sealing strips as described above, before assembly of the panel.

The channel of the strip, if provided, which receives the flange of the interior sheet forms a positively located engagement of the strip and the interior sheet. With the flange at 900 to the general surface of the panel, the strip is laterally located in this way and may also be located perpendicularly to this lateral direction if the edge of the flange engages the bottom of the channel and/or if the longer inner leg of the strip engages the interior sheet at the root or base of the flange.

Positive location aids accurate assembly of the parts before moulding.

The channel legs are preferably resilient and converge to produce a channel mouth which is narrower than the flange. In this way the flange is resiliently gripped by the legs, to improve the seal of the inner leg against the inner surface of the sheet.

The greater length of the inner leg maximises the force applied by the foaming material to this leg, thereby improving the seal. Meanwhile the shorter length of the outer leg means that this leg is recessed and therefore hidden in the gap between two panels in an assembly of panels.

This improves the appearance of the panels.

The lateral projection of the strip, if provided which forms a seal with the strip of the adjacent panel, preferably slopes laterally in the direction away from the exterior sheet. When the strip is a plastics moulding, this projection is preferably a flap or flange of plastics tapering towards its extremity as seen in transverse section and preferably curved as seen in transverse section.

Alternatively the lateral projection may be provided in the form of a tube of resilient material which can engage the relevant surfaces, being deformed by their close approach on assembly of the panels, to provide the seal between the sheets.

The resilient flap if provided, which engages the inner surface of the exterior sheet, preferably lies flat against this surface over at least part of its area. It too, if the strip is a plastics moulding, preferably tapers towards its extremity, as seen in transverse section, and in the free state may also be curved as seen in transverse section. This flap is designed to form a good seal against the exterior sheet even if the register of the sheet and the strip is not precise, i.e. a seal can be formed over a range of relative locations.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are transverse sectional views of two side sealing strips in a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of an assembly of composite panels including the sealing strips of Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 4 to 6 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 to 3 respectively but showing a second embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 7 to 9 are views corresponding to those of Figs. 1 to 3 respectively but showing a third embodiment of the invention.

The embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 comprises composite panels 10 having an interior metal sheet 12 which is planar except for an upstanding flange 14 at its two opposite edges; an exterior metal sheet 16 which has a male rib 18 along one edge and a female rib 20 along its opposite edge; and a core 21 of foamed plastics material. As seen in Fig. 3, the ribs 18, 20 are so dimensioned and arranged that two panels 10 can be placed with their interior sheets 1 2 substantially coplanar and with the female rib 20 of the right hand panel overlapping the male rib of the left hand panel to join the two panels.

Side sealing strips 22 and 24 are provided along respective male- and female-ribbed edges of each panel 10. The strips are made of flexible plastics material. The male-rib sealing strip 22 has a channel or slot 26 defined by legs or wall portions 28, 30 at its lower edge. In an unattached strip 22 (Fig. 1), the slot 26 tapers downwards. In use, the flange 14 of an interior sheet 12 is inserted into the slot 26 and is gripped firmly and resiliently by the legs 28, 30. The leg 28 for location on the inner (core) side of the flange is longer than portion 30.

At the top of the strip 22, there is a horizontal channel or slot 32 defined by generally horizontally extending legs 34, 36. This is for gripping the edge of the exterior sheet 1 6. Slot 32, like slot 26, tapers in its free state so that when inserted to the sheet 1 6 is resiliently gripped. The upper leg 34 is longer than the portion 36 and is tapered in section towards its extremity, and tends to curve concavely upwards.

When a strip 22 is fitted to a panel 10 and a second panel 10 is placed as shown in Fig. 3, its female rib presses down the leg 34 which pushes resiliently against it to form a seal.

The strip 22 extends generally vertically between the slots 32 and 26 but is joggied at an intermediate region where an arcuate tapering projection in the form of a flap or flange 38 extends downwardly and outwardly. As seen in Fig. 3, when panels are assembled together, the female-rib sealing strip 24 (described below) of one panel 10 presses against the flange 38 of the adjacent panel, partially straightening it, and forming a seal.

The female-rib sealing strip 24 has a slot 26a defined by legs 28a, 30a at its lower edge for gripping the flange 14 of an interior sheet 12 in the same way as the slot 26, the inner leg 28a being longer than the outer.

At the upper edge of the strip 24, a flap 39 extends downwardly and inwardly. This flap 39 in the free state is curved upwardly.

The flange 38 tapers, being much thicker than the body 40 of the strip 24 at the acute angle where they meet. When the strip 24 is attached to a panel 10, the flange 38 presses against the inside of the female rib 20, being constrained to accommodate itself approximately to its shape, therefore, forming a tight resilient seal. This seal prevents escape of foaming material during the foaming operation, and the flap 39 is pressed effectively against the sheet 1 6 by the pressure of the foaming material. When the foam has set, the flap 39 is held in place, as are the legs 28, 28a.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is a composite panel 110 which has a more intricately shaped exterior sheet 116 including male and female ribs 11 8, 120 which engage by snapaction. The interior sheets 112 are similar to the sheets 12 of Fig. 3, but have flanges 114 which extend farther towards the exterior sheets. The side sealing strips 122 and 124 have longer slots 126, 1 26a respectively, and terminate some way above the base of the panel so that they are relatively shorter in the vertical direction of the figures than the corresponding strips of the first embodiment.

In both embodiments however, the strips are positionally located on the flanges 114, 14 being the flanges fit tightly in the channels 26, 26a, 126, 1 26a and engage the base walls of the channels.

The male rib 118 is defined by two unequal ribs separated by a channel portion 11 8c; a large rib 11 8a spaced from the edge and a small rib 11 8b at the edge. The inner side of the large rib 11 8a is formed with a pocket 11 9 for snap engagement with the hook shaped edge 121 of the female rib 120.The male-rib edge sealing strip 122 has an upper portion 1 33 which, when mounted on a panel, is resilientiy deformed to fit snugly against the inside of the small rib 1 1 86. An arcuate tapering flange 136, which is arranged to fit around the inside of the rib 118b and be pressed sealingly against the base wall of the channel portion 118c, extends initially downwardly from the inner side of the upper portion 1 33 of the strip 122. The function of the flange 136 is the same as that of the flange 39 of Figs. 2 and 3.

An arcuate tapering flap or flange 1 38 projects laterally from the outer side of the portion 133.

This has the same function as the flange 38 of the first embodiment, i.e. to form a resilient seal with the female-rib edge strip of an adjacent panel.

The upper portion 133 is formed as an approximateiy quadrilateral tube for ease of extrusion. The body of the strip and the flange 138 extend downwardly from adjacent one vertex. The opposite 'vertex' is formed as an arc 1 33a of a circle. When the portion 133 is fitted into a rib 118b, the arc 1 33a and the two sides leading to it are deformed to fit the rib.

The female-rib edge sealing strip 124 has an arcuate concave-upwards flange 1 39 extending initially horizontally and inwardly. When fitted to a panel 110, the flange engages sealingly with the exterior sheet 11 6 in a region inward of the female rib 120, and has the same function as the flange 136.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 7 to 9 is a composite panel 210 (see Fig. 9) having exterior and interior sheets, 216, 212 of simple design as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, the interior sheets 212 having shallower flanges 214 as in that embodiment.

The male and female rib sealing strips 222, 224 have channels 226, 226a which receive the flanges 214 of the interior sheets 21 2. These channels are defined by pairs of legs, 228, 230; 228a, 230a, the legs 230, 230a respectively situated on the side of the flanges 214 remote from the foam core being an extension of the body portions of the strips 222, 224 and being shorter than the legs 228,228a.The legs 228, 228a, situated on the foam side of the flanges 214 comprise an outwardly curved portion 250, 250a, a portion 252, 252a where the two legs are parallel and an outwardly flared lower portion 254, 254a. The portions where the two legs are parallel define the narrowest portion of the channels 226, 226a, the width in the free strip being slightly less than the width of the flange 214. The bodies of the strips 222, 224 are of a plastics material having sufficient resilience to allow insertion of the flanges 214 into the channels 226, 226a on assembly of the panels, the flanges 214 thus being firmly held in the channels at their narrowest portions.

The lowermost end of the shorter leg 230 of the male rib sealing strip 222 is formed as a tubular extension 238 of soft flexible plastics material. As shown in Fig. 9 in the assembled panel 210 the plastics tube 238 is squashed between the two flanges 214, forming a seal between adjacent sections of the panel, in the same way as the flange 38 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, and the flange 138 of the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6.

At the uppermost end of the male rib sealing strip 222 there is a horizontal channel or slot 232 defined by legs 234, 236 which receives the horizontal edge of the exterior sheet 21 6 in the assembled panels. As in the slots 226, 226a at the lower ends of the strips, the channel 232 has a portion 235 which is narrower in the free strip, than the width of the sheet 21 6 so that the strip and the sheet are firmly engaged on assembly.

The inner leg 236 thus seals against the sheet 216 prior to and during foaming, preventing escape of foaming material.

At the uppermost end of the female rib sealing strip 224 there is a tubular extension 239 of soft flexible plastics material. As shown in Fig. 9, in the assembled panel this is squashed between the horizontal edge portions of the adjacent exterior sheets 21 6. This provides a seal between the two sheets, the extension 239 achieving in the assembled panel the same effect as the leg 34 and flap 39 in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 and the tube portion 133 and flange 1 39 in the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6.

The relative outward flare of each pair of legs 230, 254; 230a, 254a; 234, 236 which define the channels 226, 226a, 232 respectively which receive the sheets enable easy positioning of the strips on the sheets and therefore quick and efficient assembly of the panels.

The design of both male and female strips in this third embodiment enables contact between adjacent strips over a relatively large area (see Fig. 9) thus providing a considerable sealing effect.

Thus, in each of the described embodiments there is a pair of sealing strips for fitting adjacent respective male and female ribs, and each strip has resilient means for forming seals with both the interior and exterior sheets of a panel. One strip of each pair (the male rib edge strip in all three embodiments, but this is not essential) has a resilient lateral projection for forming a seal between adjacent panels. In the first embodiment the male rib edge strip provides a further seal between panels by contacting directly the female rib of the adjacent panel.

In the third embodiment a further seal is provided by contact of the female rib strip with the male rib of the adjacent panel, both male and female strips in fact being in contact over a substantial area.

When the strips are fitted to panels, they protect the cores from the environment and provide vapour seals which increase the panels' fire resistance. When panels fitted with such strips are linked together, the strips seal the gaps between the panels. Owing to the construction of the strips, the gaps can be narrow (even negligible) so that they have little effect on the insulating properties of panel assemblies.

However, the relative positioning of panels is not critical since the seals between them provided by the resilient flanges can be completed even though adjacent panels are somewhat shifted from the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

The sealing strips are designed to be arranged in situ before the formation of the foam core.

Thus, interior and exterior sheets are supported the required distance apart in a jig, edge sealing strips according to the invention are fitted, and then plastics material is injected, foamed and set.

The material adheres to the strips and holds them firmly in place. There is thus no need to use temporary masks at the edges, so that disadvantages described earlier are avoided.

When composite panels according to the invention are linked to form a structural unit such as a roof whose inside surface is visible, the joins between adjacent panels show only as narrow crevices. This aesthetically desirable effect is enhanced because legs 30, 30a or 130, 1 30a (in the first and second embodiments) which are made shorter than the corresponding concealed wall portions terminate within the crevices and are virtually invisible, and the tube 238 (in the third embodiment) can be made of an acceptable color.

Claims

1. An insulated composite panel comprising exterior and interior sheets between which there is a core of insulating material formed by foaming in situ, the exterior sheet having at one side edge an upstanding female rib and at the opposite side edge an upstanding male rib such that an assembly of like panels can be formed in which adjacent panels are linked by the female rib of one overlying the male rib of another, there being an edge sealing strip extending longitudinally along each of said side edges and closing a gap between the sheets at the respective edge, one or both of the sealing strips having been located in situ prior to the formation of the foamed core and having a longitudinally extending channel formed by spaced apart inner and outer legs which channel receives a longitudinally extending upstanding flange of the interior sheet, the inner leg of the channel being longer than the outer leg and at least a longitudinally extending portion of the inner leg being held against the flange by the foamed material.

2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the sealing strips has a longitudinally extending resilient portion which in the free state projects laterally from the strip and which, in an assembly of two like panels, engages the adjacent sealing strip and/or a sheet of the other panel to form a resilient seal therewith.

3. A panel according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one or both of the sealing strips has a longitudinally extending flap which in the assembled condition is held against the inner surface of the exterior sheet by the foamed material, the flap in the assembled condition also being resiliently biassed against the said inner surface having been resiliently deformed during assembly from its condition in the free state of the strip, whereby during foaming the flap presses against the said inner surface so as to form a seal therewith preventing escape of the foaming material.

4. A panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner and outer legs which form the longitudinally extending channel converge towards the mouth of said channel and substantially the whole of the inner leg of the channel is held against the flange by the foamed material.

5. A panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner leg of the legs which form the longitudinally extending channel is shaped so as to converge towards the outer leg thereby forming in the channel a longitudinally extending narrow portion at which the flange engages both the inner and outer legs and subsequently to diverge from the outer leg towards the mouth of the channel.

6. A panel according to claim 2, wherein the resilient portion which in an assembly of like panels engages the adjacent sealing strip and/or sheet of the other panel comprises a tube of resilient material attached to and extending longitudinally adjacent the lower end of the outer leg, said tube being deformed on assembly of the panels to engage the flanges of the interior sheets of the adjacent panels so forming a seal therebetween.

7. An insulated composite panel comprising exterior and interior sheets between which there is a core of insulating material formed by foaming in situ, the exterior sheet having at one side edge an upstanding female rib and at the opposite side edge an upstanding male rib such that an assembly of like panels can be formed in which adjacent panels are linked by the female rib of one overlying the male rib of another, there being an edge sealing strip extending longitudinally along each of said side edges and closing a gap between the sheets at the respective edge, one or both of the sealing strips having been located in situ prior to the formation of the foamed core and having a longitudinally extending resilient portion which in the free state projects laterally from the strip and which, in an assembly of two like panels, engages the adjacent sealing strip and/or a sheet of the other panel to form a resilient seal therewith.

8. An insulated composite panel comprising exterior and interior sheets between which there is a core of insulating material formed by foaming in situ, the exterior sheet having at one side edge an upstanding female rib and at the opposite side edge an upstanding male rib such that an assembly of like panels can be formed in which adjacent panels are linked by the female rib of one overlying the male rib of another, there being an edge sealing strip extending longitudinally along each of said side edges and closing a gap between the sheets at the respective edge, one or both of the sealing strips having been located in situ prior to the formation of the foamed core and having a longitudinally extending flap which in the assembled condition is held against the inner surface of the exterior sheet by the foamed material, the flap in the assembled condition also being resiliently biassed against the said inner surface having been resiliently deformed during assembly from its condition in the free state of the strip, whereby during foaming the flap presses against the said inner surface so as to form a seal therewith preventing escape of the foaming material.

9. A composite panel substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs.

1 to 3 or Figs. 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A composite panel substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs.

7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

11. An assembly of composite panels according to any one of the preceding claims.