GB2058871A - Modular Panel Assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular panel assembly, useful as a roof for a bus shelter, includes one or more rigid panels 2 secured by a plurality of perimeter members 1. The members 1 are jointed at each corner by an angle piece 10 and are joined longitudinally by joiner bars. Each member is in the form of an extrusion, hollow and substantially L- shaped in cross-section, the section having walls 5, 6 defining a recess to receive an edge portion of a respective panel 2, a slot 9 to receive a part of either a joiner bar or an angle piece, and a cavity 14 for wiring. Beam members of I cross-section are used to join the panels edge-to-edge. A preferred roof assembly is made of moulded glass-reinforced plastics material and is of a hollow construction filled with foam. The construction has one or more recesses for a lighting unit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Modular Panel Assembly This invention reiates to a modular panel assembly, which is particularly useful in constructing roofs for bus shelters, covered walkways, canopies and station waiting rooms.

A problem of constructing modular panel assemblies, particularly for use as roofs, is to provide a construction which is simple to erect but which also has sufficient strength and rigidity to be supported either at spaced points about its area, or adjacent one edge in a cantilever fashion.

The invention seeks to solve this problem by providing a modular panel assembly comprising one or more rigid panels which are secured together by a plurality of perimeter members, said members being joined together at each corner of the assembly and being joined together longitudinally of one another along sides of the assembly, each of said members being, substantially L-shaped in cross-section, said cross-section having walls defining a recess to receive an edge portion of a respective one of said panels, and a cavity to receive wiring.

Preferably, a slot is provided in each of the perimeter members, the slot receiving a part of either an angle piece which is used to join said members at a respective corner of the assembly, or a joiner bar which is used to join adjacent members longitudinally of one another. The perimeter members are preferably also in the form of extensions, but they may be rolled steel sections or even special fabrications.

In a shelter comprising the modular panel assembly as a roof, the assembly may be supported either at, or independently of the perimeter members. The perimeter members are preferably made so that they can be used in either such case, the walls defining the wiring cavity having thickened portions to receive screws for securing supports for the perimeter members.

However, one or more of the panels may be provided with a stiffening plate to which supports can be secured which are independent of the perimeter members.

When the slot is provided in each perimeter member, it is preferably situated, in cross-section, at a closed end of the recess and is partly defined by members which extend towards one another acting as stops to limit insertion of the edge portion of a respective panel into the recess. The recess, slot and cavity are preferably rectangular in cross-section. A wall of the recess may extend over the panel or panels and have one or more grooves to receive respective sealing members or a sealing medium to provide a waterproof seal when the panel assembly is used as a roof. A wall of the wiring cavity may be extended to form a lip for additional strength.

The assembly may also comprise one or more beam members of I cross-section for joining adjacent panels edge-to-edge. Flanges defining such a beam member may also be provided with respective grooves to receive a sealing member or a sealing medium.

In a preferred arrangement, which is particularly suitable for use as a bus shelter, one or more of the panels forming the roof are of a moulded construction, for example, being made of glass-reinforced plastics material, with a recess or recesses to receive a lighting unit. Where the roof includes a plurality of panels, the panel at one end which is mounted on a support, has a pair of recesses, one on each side of the support, to receive respective lighting units for illuminating an advertising panel secured to the support. The panel at the other end of the roof may have only one recess to receive a lighting unit to illuminate the passengers within the shelter. In either case, the end panel may be of a hollow construction, for example, made of glass-reinforced plastics with a foam filling, the recesses being provided by a respective walls in the hollow construction.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are elevational views, in section, illustrating part of a roof panel secured in a perimeter member, Fig. 1 illustrating a construction used with an enclosed shelter and Fig. 2 showing a construction used with a cantilever shelter; Fig. 3 is an elevational views, in section, of a beam member for joining panels edge-to-edge; Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a mitred portion of a panel assembly; Fig. 5 shows a portion of a panel assembly with a joiner bar for securing perimeter members in a longitudinal direction; Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of the panel assembly showing how it may be extended or widened; Fig 7 is an elevational view of one form of bus shelter which employs the panel assembly as a roof;; Figs. 8 and 9 respective sections through a moulded roof panel with recesses for lighting units; and Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the roof assembly of a bus shelter having panels with recessed lighting units.

Referring to Fig. 2, the extrusion 1 is identical to that shown in Fig. 2, but in this case, a supporting member 27 extends parallel with the panel 2 and has an extension 28 secured by screws (not shown) to the thickened portion 24 of wall 1 6. The assembly of Fig. 2 forms a roof which is supported in a cantilever fashion by members 27.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the panels 2 may be additionally secured to the perimeter members 1 by screws (not shown) passing through holes (not shown) in the wall 6.

The beam member 3, shown in Fig. 3, has an Ishaped cross-section so as to define oppositely facing recesses 29, 30 receiving the edge portions of respective panels 2. Grooves 31, 32 contain respective seals 33, 34. Screws (not shown) may pass through holes (not shown) in lower flanges 35, 36 of the member 3 into the panels 2 for greater security.

Fig. 4 illustrates the angle piece 10 in greater detail, which is used for making a mitred corner joint of perimeter members 1 The angle piece, shown shaded for clarity, has recesses, 37, of a saw-tooth shape. These receive corresponding projections 38 made by indenting the inwardly directed members 12, 13 of the slot 9 (Fig. 1).

Similar indentations can be made in the outer wall 15 of the slot 9, but these are orriitted (as shown in Fig. 4) for a smooth finish.

Fig. 5 shows the joiner bar 11 in greater detail which is used for joining perimeter members 2 end-to-end. Respective portions of the bar 11 pass into the slots 9 in the members 1.

Fig. 6 illustrates how the roof assembly can be constructed and made wider or longer as shown by the broken lines 39, 40. In this case, the roof assembly is supported independently of the perimeter members by supports 41, 42 as shown in Fig. 7. The roof is partly broken away adjacent support 42 to show a terminating flange 43 which is secured to a stiffening plate 44 set into the roof panel 2. The flange and plate are secured by screws (not shown).

The perimeter members may be rolled steel sections.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, these illustrate sections through respective assemblies in which perimeter members 1 are used to secure one or more roof panels 2. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plan view and a side elevation of a bus shelter having a generally similar modular assembly as a roof, but where the roof is supported differently to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Fig. 6, the perimeter members 1 bound the panels 2 which are jointed edge-to-edge by beam members 3, shown in greater detail and in section in Fig. 3.

Each member 1 is in the form of an extrusion which is substantially L-shaped in cross-section. It has an open ended recess 4 defined by walls 5,6.

This recess receives the edge portion of panel 2.

Grooves 7 and 8 are provided in the wall 5, groove 7 containing a sealing member or sealing medium to provide a weather-proof seal. Groove 8 may also contain a seal, or an adhesive to secure the member 1 to panel 2. A slot 9, at the end of the recess 4, is provided for receiving either the respective portion of an angle piece 10 (Fig. 4), or of joiner bar 11 (Fig. 5). The slot is partly defined by inwardly directed members 12, 13 which act as stops to limit insertion of the panel 2 in the recess 4.

A cavity 14, below the recess 4 and slot 9, is provided for receiving wiring. The cavity 14 is defined by walls 15,16 and 17. Wall 1 5 extends downwardly as a skirt 1 8 with a lip 19 for additional strength. This lip abuts a panel or post 21 when the latter is used to support the assembly as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the panel or post 21 has a portion 22 extending adjacent wall 17 to which it is secured, for example, by screws passing in to a thickened portion 23 of the wall 1 7. This thickened portion may include tapped holes to receive such screws (not shown). Wall 16 also has a thickened portion 24 which is useful in the assembly described below with reference to Fig. 2. The wiring (not shown) passes through cavity 14 and assembly screws (not shown) occupy groove 25, in the wall 16.Groove 26 is formed by providing the thickened portion 24, or special fabrications instead of extrusions. The perimeter members may also be joined by screws at the corners of the assembly instead of using angle pieces 10.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate preferred roof panels which are of a moulded construction having either one or two recesses in which lighting units are installed. Referring to Fig 8, the roof panel is made. of glass-reinforced plastics in the form of a hollow shell or panel 50 with a foam filling 51.

The shell or panel 50 may be made of any other suitable material, for example, it may be made of plastics which is vacuum-formed into a similar shape. The foam 51 may be made of, for example, expanded polystryrene, which forms a rigid core on which the glass-reinforced platics material is moulded. Alternatively, it may be a conventional type of material which is injected into the cavity or cavities in the moulded construction.

Recesses 52a and 52b are provided for lighting units including a fluorescent tube 54a, 54b and ballast gear 53a, 53b. Each recess is dish-shaped and is bounded by an upper skin 55 of the shell or panel 50 and side walls 56, 57 extending from the skin 55. The side walls 56, 57 are continuous with a lower skin 58 of the shell or panel 50.

These skins and walls may contain cavities, or preferably a continuous cavity 59 which extends around each of the recesses 52a, 52b. In other words, the cavity 59 extends behind each wall 60, 61 of the recess towards a side edge 62 of the panel 50 as shown in the section (through the recess 52a) of Fig. 9 which is a right angles to the section of Fig. 8.

The side edges of the panel 50 are received in perimeter members 1 having a similar construction to those described in the previous embodiment. The lower skins 58 of the panel 50 project outwardly in the vicinity of each recess 52a so as to form shoulders 63, 64 (Fig. 8) and 65, 66 (Fig. 9). The shoulders define a rectangular frame which is stepped at 67 to receive a sheet of translucent material 68 forming a diffuser for the lighting unit. Sheet 58 may be made of acrylic plastics material. The sheet 68 may be received in optional retainers 69 made, for example, of aluminium. Each retainer comprises a base strip 70 which seats on the stopped portion of the frame and which has an L-shaped flange portion 71 defining a slot 72 to receive the respective edge of the sheet 68. The retainer 69 may extend along opposite shoulders or completely around the rectangular frame.

As shown in Fig. 8, a rigid reinforcing plate 73, which may be made of metal, is moulded into the lower skin 58 of the panel 50. This plate enables the panel 50 to be secured, for example, by nuts and bolts, or rivets, to a flange 43 which is fixed to a support 42, as in the previous embodiment.

Fig, 10 shows a typical roof assembly with an end panel 50 (as shown in Fig. 8), two plain panels 74, and another end panel 75 with only one recess 76 for a respective lighting unit. These panels are secured by perimeter members 1 as described in the previous embodiment. Panel 50 is mounted on a support 42 having advertising panels 77, 78 on each side. These panels are illuminated by the respective lighting units in the recesses 52a, 52b. The panel 75 is similarly mounted on a support 42 forming part of a gantry 79. Only one lighting unit is required in recess 76 to illuminate passengers waiting in the shelter.

The panels 74 may be of a similar construction to panels 2 in the previous embodiment or they may be have a hollow, glass-reinforced plastics construction, with a foam filling, as in the section shown in Fig. 8.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the shoulders 65, 64 which bound each lighting unit recess, project by different amounts so as to provide an inclined frame with respect to the plane of the upper skin 55. Alternatively, the shoulders may project by equal amounts so that the frame and diffuser are substantially parallel to the upper skin 55.

Claims (20)

Claims

1. A modular panel assembly comprising one or more rigid panels which are secured together by a plurality of perimeter members, said members being joined together at each corner of the assembly and being joined together longitudinally of one another along sides of the assembly, each of said members being substantially L-shaped in cross-section, said cross-section having walls defining a recess to receive an edge portion of a respective one of said panels, and a cavity to receive wiring.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 including angle pieces and joiner bars, each of the perimeter members having a slot to receive a part of either a respective one of the angle pieces which joins the perimeter members at the respective corner of the assembly, or a respective one of the joiner bars which joins the perimeter members longitudinally of one another.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein the slot in each perimeter member is situated, in a cross-section, at a closed end of the recess and is partly defined by members which extend towards one another acting as stops to limit insertion of the edge portion of a respective panel into said recess.

4. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the recess, slot and cavity are rectangular in cross-section.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the walls of the perimeter member which define the wiring cavity have thickened portions to receive screws for securing supports for the perimeter members.

6. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein one or more of said panels are provided with a stiffening plate or plates to which supports can be secured which are independent of the perimeter members.

7. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one a wall of the recess in each perimeter member extends over the panel or panels and is provided with one or more grooves to receive respective sealing members of a sealing medium to provide a waterproof seal.

8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims including one or more beam members of I cross-section for joining adjacent panels edge-to-edge.

9. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein each beam members has flanges provided with respective grooves to receive a sealing member or sealing medium.

10. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims in which one or more of said panels are provided with recesses for receiving respective lighting units.

11. An assembly according to claim 10 in which the panel or panels having the recess recesses is of a hollow construction having upper and lower skins and walls which extend between said skins to define the respective recess.

12. An assembly according to claim 11 in which the cavity or cavities of the hollow construction are filled with foam material.

1 3. An assembly according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the lower skin projects away from the upper skin to form shoulders bounding the respective recess, said shoulders providing support for a diiusar for the respective lighting units.

14. An assembly according to claim 13 wherein the shoulders project by different amounts so as to provide a supporting frame which is inclined with respect to the upper slain.

15. An assembly according to claim 13 or 14 in which the shoulders are stepped.

16. An assembly according to claim 1 5 in which the diffuser is secured in a retainer located in the step frame.

17. An assembly according to any one of claims 10-1 6 in which a reinforcing plate is moulded into the panel having the recess or recesses.

18. An assembly according to any one of claims 10-1 7 and substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

1 9. A modular panel assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figs, 1-7 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A bus shelter including the modular panel assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, said assembly being used as a roof.