GB2243170A - Hollow, plastics roofing panels - Google Patents

Abstract

A hollow plastics roofing panel has one or more ducts 112, 114 and, at opposite edges thereof, complementary coupling members 30, 32 or 120, 122, 130, 132 to interengage two panels side by side with a stiffening bar 50 or 150 interposed between the edges. A capping to cover the upper side of the joint is provided either by a separate 50 member 58 engaging bar 50 or by one of the coupling members 132. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Structures DESCRIPTION This invention concerns building elements for making building structures especially for making roofs.

Self-supporting roofs or roof sections are known which comprise a plurality of extended plastics profile elements connected side-by-side, each element having at least one longitudinal chamber and coupling members by which neighbouring profile elements are interconnected, the adjacent coupling members of neighbouring profile elements engaging to form a duct.

In U.K. Patent Specification No. 1528874 the coupling of adjacent panels form together a duct through which is inserted a longitudinally elongate locking member, the locking member having at least two opposite longitudinal edges that are a sliding fit within said duct so as to prevent the locking member from twisting under load.

In U.K. Patent Specification No. 1511189 it was further proposed that the longitudinal chamber of each element has an internal partition substantially parallel to the outer surfaces of a building unit made up of said elements. That partition is principally to provide additional heat insulation.

Further proposals for such profile elements have been made in European Patent Specification No. 0070930A in which multiple duct elements have main ducts and intermediate secondary ducts having internal partitions that are in line. Connection of elements to each other is as disclosed in U.K. Patent Specifications Nos.

1511189 and 1528874. The multiple duct elements were proposed mainly to reduce construction time of a roof as compared with using single duct elements.

A yet further proposal for such elements was made in U.K. Patent Specification No. 2147334B in which coupling members consist of cylindrical, slotted, downwardly open flanges of such dimensions that a flange of a first element can be snap locked to a flange of a second identical element. In addition the lower end of one side wall of an element is integrally connected to a guide member which is adapted to engage the anchoring member of an adjacent element so as to maintain the lower ends to two adjacent side walls in spaced relationship and so as to form a tight connection between such elements.

Each of these elements has to be secured, usually by means of screws, before the next element can be connected, which can be time-consuming and does not readily permit later adjustments of element positions.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved building element.

According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a hollow building element of plastics material comprising one or more hollow ducts and having at opposite sides complementary coupling members and means for receiving a capping member over said coupling members.

According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided a hollow building element of plastics material comprising one or more hollow ducts and having at opposite sides complementary coupling members, one of said coupling members providing a capping over said coupling.

Preferably the building elements of the invention have more than one, preferably three ducts. In the latter case each element preferably comprises two outer main ducts and an intermediate secondary duct of lesser width than the main ducts. Preferably also, the coupling members of coupled adjacent elements and the capping form together a unit of substantially the same shape and size as the secondary ducts so as to provide a substantially uniform outer visual appearance.

The ducts of the building elements of the invention preferably have internal partitions preferably substantially parallel to a bottom wall of the elements.

Where both main and secondary ducts are present it is preferred, although not essential, that internal partitions of main ducts be at a different relative level to internal partitions of secondary ducts, which are preferably closer to the bottom wall of the element than the internal partitions of main ducts.

The preferred ducts of the elements of this invention have a straight bottom wall, parallel side walls normal to said bottom wall and an arcuate section top wall. Secondary ducts preferably extend above main ducts.

The complementary coupling members preferably include a longitudinal flange on one element and a longitudinal slot on another element into which said flange fits. The flanged coupling member is preferably associated with a lip that underlies an adjacent coupled element for additional security.

Upper parts of ends of the elements of the invention have lips under which a longitudinal stiffening member may be retained. A preferred stiffening member is of a generally I-section and for the first aspect preferably has means for attachment thereto of the capping member. Preferably the stiffening member has a longitudinal slot for receiving one or more depending elements of the capping member.

Preferably the capping member is formed with a longitudinal depending strip that is retainable in the slot of the stiffening member preferably by means of cooperating formations thereof, such as lateral ribbing of the strip and the slot.

For said second aspect of the invention one coupling member is formed as a cap that extends over and preferably engages an upper part of a side wall of an adjacent element. Preferably said upper part of the side wall has a lip over which a return of said capping coupling member can clip.

The stiffening member is preferably an aluminium extrusion and preferably provides structural support for coupled elements so that they can be moulded with relatively thin side walls to be lightweight and hence less expensive.

The elements of the invention are made of plastics material, preferably translucent plastics material, probably by means of extrusion.

To produce a building structure, such as a roof, from building elements of the invention, a plurality of elements will be coupled side by side, secured in position to a substrate at or near their ends and at intermediate points, if desired, by screws or other fixing means through the coupling. members and the stiffening members inserted. In the first aspect the capping strips can then be pressed into position to seal between the adjacent elements and to hide said fixing means.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an end view of a building element according to a first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 shows coupling of elements of Figure 1 with an alternative form of capping strip; and Figure 3 is an end view of coupled building elements according to a second aspect of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a building element 10 for forming building structures, such as roofs, is shown made of transluscent plastics material by extrusion. The element 10 is generally hollow having relatively thin walls. The element 10 has a flat bottom wall 12, upstanding end walls 14, upstanding intermediate walls 16, arcuate main top wall sections 18 and an arcuate secondary top wall section 20. The element 10 has two main ducts 22 each bounded by the base wall 12, a wall 14, a wall 16 and a top wall 18 and an intermediate secondary duct 24 bounded by the base 12, walls 16 and top wall 20. The secondary duct 24 extends above the main ducts 22.

The main and secondary ducts 22 and 24 respectively each have an internal partition 26, 28 respectively parallel to the bottom wall 12. The partition 28 of the secondary duct may be level with the partition 26 of the main duct (see dotted lines in Figure 1) or may be nearer to the base 12 as shown. The internal partitions are to enhance heat insulation of the building elements 10.

At each side 14 of the element 10 are coupling members 30 and 32 having complementary formations. At one side of the element 10 is a longitudinal hook like member 30 and extending from the bottom of wall 14 on the opposite side of the element is an L-shaped member 32 that engages member 30 when a pair of elements are brought together as shown in Figure 2. The coupling member 32 also has a lip 37 along its outermost bottom corner that fits under an adjacent element to provide additional stability.

The walls 14 near their top have one or two laterally extending flanges 40. When elements 10 are brought together a stiffening rod 50 of I-section is introduced into the space between the elements. The rod 50 has laterally extending flanges 52 that lie over or under the flanges 40. The rod 50 has a serrated longitudinal slot 54 into which depending serrated longitudinal strip 50 of capping member 58 is pressed, serrations on contacting faces serving to retain the capping member 58 in position with its outer edges over the tops of walls 14 of the adjacent elements 10. The stiffening rod 50 is preferably an aluminium extrusion and provides some rigidity for a structure made up of elements 10.

Turning to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, a building element 100 for forming building structures, such as roofs, is shown made of transluscent plastics material by extrusion. The element 100 is generally hollow having relatively thin walls. The element 100 has a flat bottom wall 102, upstanding end walls 104, upstanding intermediate walls 106, arcuate main top wall sections 108 and an arcuate secondary top wall section 110. The element 100 has two main ducts 112 each bounded by the base wall 102, a wall 104, a wall 106 and a top wall 108 and an intermediate secondary duct 114 bounded by the base 102, walls 106 and top wall 110.

The secondary duct 114 extends above the main ducts 112.

The main and secondary ducts 112 and 114 respectively each have an internal partition 116, 118 respectively parallel to the bottom wall 12. The partition 118 of the secondary duct is level with the partition 116 of the main duct but the secondary duct has a further partition 119 nearer to the base 102. The internal partitions are to enhance heat insulation of the building elements 100. The internal partitions 116 are thinner than the main walls of the element 100.

At each side 104 of the element 100 are coupling members 120 and 122 having complementary formations. At one side of the element 100 is a longitudinal hook like member 120 and extending from the bottom of wall 104 on the opposite side of the element is an L-shaped member 122 that engages member 120 when a pair of elements are brought together. The coupling member 122 also has a lip 127 along its outermost bottom corner that fits under an adjacent element to provide additional stability.

At one side of the element at the upper end of wall 104 is an upstand 128 with a lip or ledge 130 extending therealong facing inwards. At the other side of the element at the upper end of wall 104 is a caplike coupling member 132 with a return edge 134 that engages over and beneath the ledge 130 when elements are coupled side-by-side. In that way coupled elements are not readily separated without distortion of the coupling member 132. The coupling member 132 is shaped so as to give an outward appearance substantially like that of the top 110 of a secondary duct 114.

The walls 104 near their top have one or two laterally extending flanges 140. When elements 100 are brought together a stiffening rod 150 of generally Isection is introduced into the space between the elements. The rod 150 has laterally extending flanges 152 that lie over or under te flanges 140. One of said flanges 140 is of L-section and the rod 150 has an upstand 154 forming a corner with a flange 152 that said L-section flange 140 fits into. The stiffening rod 150 is preferably an aluminium extrusion and provides rigidity and support for a structure made up of elements 100 when slid into place between coupled elements.

Claims (22)

1. A hollow building element of plastics material comprising one or more ducts having at opposite sides complementary coupling members and means for receiving a capping member over said coupling members.

2. A hollow building element of plastics material comprising one or more ducts and having at opposite sides complementary coupling members, one of said coupling members providing a capping for said coupling.

3. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 comprising main ducts and intermediate secondary ducts.

4. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 3, wherein coupling members of coupled adjacent elements and the capping form together a unit substantially the same shape and size as the secondary ducts.

5. A hollow building element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein ducts thereof have internal partitions.

6. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the internal partition is substantially parallel to a bottom wall of the element.

7. A hollow building element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein ducts have a straight bottom wall, parallel sides normal to the bottom wall and an arcuate section top wall.

8. A hollow building element as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein secondary ducts extend above main ducts.

9. A hollow building element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the coupling members include a longitudinal flange on one element and a longitudinal slot on the other element into which said flange fits.

10. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 9, wherein the flanged coupling member is associated with a lip that underlies an adjacent coupled element.

11. A hollow building element as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 10, wherein upper parts of the element have lips under which a longitudinal stiffening member is retainable.

12. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 11, wherein the stiffening member is of generally I-section.

13. A hollow building element as claimed in claims 11 or 12 with claim 1, wherein the stiffening member has means for attachment thereto of a capping member.

14. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 13, wherein the stiffening member has a longitudinal slot for receiving one or more depending elements of a capping member.

15. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 14, wherein the capping member has a longitudinal depending strip retainable in the longitudinal slot of the stiffening member by means of cooperating formations.

16. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 15, wherein said cooperating formations comprise lateral ribbing of the slot and strip.

17. A hollow building element as claimed in any one of claim 2 to 12, wherein one coupling member is formed as a cap that extends over an upper part of a side wall of an adjacent element.

18. A hollow building element as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cap engages the sidewall upper part.

19. A hollow element as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the stiffening member is an aluminium extrusion.

20. A hollow building element as claimed in any one claims 1 to 19, wherein the plastics material is translucent.

21. A structure produced by coupling elements as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20 together side by side.

22. A hollow building element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.