GB2580970A

GB2580970A - Mounting frame for mounting of external cladding or facade panels

Info

Publication number: GB2580970A
Application number: GB1901441.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenney Matthew; Thebe Philippe; Astley Philip
Original assignee: Bts Fabrications Ltd; Expanded Metal Co Ltd
Current assignee: Bts Fabrications Ltd; Expanded Metal Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-02-01
Filing date: 2019-02-01
Publication date: 2020-08-05
Also published as: GB201901441D0

Abstract

The mounting frame has a first frame section 1 sized to fit in a recess in a rear portion of a second frame section 2, the frame sections arranged to receive a panel 3 therebetween, the first frame section comprising a mounting flange 4 and a base flange 5 spaced by a spacing web 6. The mounting and base flanges may be either side of the spacing web. The mounting flange may contact the rear of the panel in use. The base flange may comprise apertures 7 for attachment to a bracket or hook on an external building wall. The second frame section may have a front rim 11 defining a central aperture 12, the rim having a planar face which contacts the front of the panel in use. The frame may have an overlap flange 15 extending outwardly and perpendicularly to a sidewall of the second frame section, and an overlap groove on the spacing web or the second frame section on the opposite edge to the overlap flange. The panel may be sandwiched between the first and second frame sections. The panel may be a fascia, cladding, or rainscreen panel formed of metal mesh or glass.

Description

Mounting frame for mounting of external cladding or facade panels

Technical Field

The present invention relates to mounting frames and panel mounting systems for mounting external cladding or facade panels such as rainscreens, cladding and decorative panels to the external building envelope fabric or facade.

Background

In building construction, particularly for newer buildings or when refitting older buildings, it is relatively common to use cladding or fascia panels on the external walls. Cladding is effectively an additional layer of construction material that acts as a skin or layer over the main or primary external structural walk of a building (external walls being, for example, the masonry walls or applied surfaces such as render). In some cases, cladding can provide a degree of thermal insulation and weather-resistance as well as improving the appearance of the building. Typically, there is a small space or cavity between the cladding and the external wall.

Cladding or fagade materials are typically provided as panels, several of which are attached to the external wall of a building to provide the required covering. Many panels, such as rainscreen cladding panels, are designed to work with natural elements to protect the core structures of a building from rain and wind. Correctly installed, whilst the cladding would not typically add to the stability of the building, these systems can provide insulation and weatherproofing, as well as improving the external appearance of a building.

Cladding can be made of any of a wide range of materials including wood, metal, noncombustable plastics and composite materials.

Cladding is often prefabricated in panels that are attached to the structural frame of a building, and some cladding systems can be purchased 'off the shelf.

In many cases when cladding is attached to a building, the first step is that brackets and/or rails are attached to the outer surface of the building. Holes are drilled into the building's structure and the brackets and/or rails are fixed in place. Insulation and waterproofing are then installed around the brackets and/or rails and the cladding panels are fixed in place using mechanical fixings such as nails or screws. Panels can also be installed as a secondary fagade on top of a performing structure such as mineral wool composite panels or a solid rainscreen panel.

Another issue with typical cladding is that mechanical fixings are needed to secure the panels either to the external building walls or to brackets or mounting systems that are themselves secured to or configured for securing to external building walls. Depending on the material used, care must be taken to minimise any damage caused to the panel itself and the positioning of the mechanical fixings such as screws must carefully selected to minimise the visual appearance of the mechanical fixings on the panel.

Some panels have been designed to allow them to be fixed to a building without the mechanical fixings being visible. Such panels are single moulded pieces with the attachment apertures for the mechanical fixings being positioned on the rear of the panel. However, the mechanical fixings still go through the panel material itself and as such only limited material types are suitable for this 'secret fixing' style.

The present invention aims to obviate or mitigate one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting frame for mounting a panel to the exterior of a building, the mounting frame comprising first and second frame sections arranged to receive a panel therebetween, wherein the first frame section is sized to fit in a recess formed in a rear portion of said second frame section, and the first frame section comprises a mounting flange and a base flange spaced apart by a spacing web.

Advantageously, when the panel is included this results in an encapsulated sandwich panel.

Further, the mounting frame allows a range of different panel types to be mounted on a building without any of the means for fixing being visible when the panel is viewed from the front. The panel does not require mounting screws or brackets to be directly affixed to it, which both improves visual aspects and increases the panel types that can be mounted. In particular, it allows perforated panels such as mesh, or transparent panels such as glass or PerspexTM, to be mounted without the mounting fixings being visible.

Preferably the mounting flange and base flange are arranged on either ide of the spacing web.

This can allow the mounting flanges and base flanges, which are typically planar, to be paralle to each other but spaced apart.

Preferably the mounting flange comprises a planar contact face arranged to contact the rear of the panel in use.

Preferably, the first frame section comprises a top piece, and a pair side pieces.

Each of the top piece and side pieces comprises a mounting flange and a base flange spaced apart by a spacing web.

Preferably the base flange comprises attachment means.

Providing attachment means on the base flange allows any screws or other mechanical fixing elements to remain substantially hidden from sight when the fame is mounted, even when the panel that is being hung or mounted within the frame has apertures or is transparent.

Most preferably said attachment means comprise apertures.

The apertures are adapted to receive mechanical fixing elements such as hooks, brackets or screws.

Preferably, Vantage SFTM hooks are used.

Optionally the attachment means is adapted to assist in mounting mount the frame to a mounting assembly.

It is common that a building can be provided with a mounting assembly onto which a façade can be attached.

Preferably the second frame section comprises a front rim portion which defines a central aperture.

Advantageously this allows the panel to be visible when it is within the ra me.

Preferably the front rim portion comprises a planar rear contact face arranged to contact he front of the panel in use.

Advantageously the contact face of the mounting flange and the planar rear contact face of the second frame section act to sandwich the panel in position between the first and second frame sections.

Preferably the front rim portion of the second frame section is square or rectangular and comprises a top piece, a bottom piece, and a pair of side pieces.

This provides an attractive visual frame appearance giving a visually attractive edge profile to the frame and visually obscuring the edges of the panel mounted therein.

Optionally the panel may be fixed to the rear ontact face of the second frame section.

Advantageously, fixedly attaching the panel e.g. by welding it in place, can reduce the likelihood of the panel moving or rattling when mounted.

Preferably the second frame section comprises side wall sections which extend rearwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the front rim portion, Preferably, the depth of the second frame section is greater than the depth of the first fra section.

Advantageously, the first frame section is received entirely into the rear of the second frame section such that the base flange of the first frame section is substantially flush with the rear edges of the walls of the second frame section. This provides the frame with a smooth outer profile.

Preferably the panel is a fascia, cladding or rainscreen panel.

The panel may be any appropriate material including mesh, metal glass, fire treated timber, high pressure laminates, terracotta.

Optionally the inner frame can incorporate one or more light sources.

Advantageously by including light sources in the frame this can allow the panel to be illuminated to create a visual effect.

Optionally the frame has an overlap flange extending outwardly from and substan perpendicularly to a side wall of the second frame section Optionally the frame also has an overlap groove on the spacing web of the first frame section which, in use, opposes the wall of the second frame section to that which has the overlap flange, Optionally the frame also has an overlap groove on the opposing wall of the second frame section to that which has the overlap flange.

Advantageously, in use, the overlap flange of a first mounting frame is arranged to fit into a corresponding slot-shaped overlap groove on a second mounting frame, ensuring that when multiple mounting frames are mounted together the space between each frame is both minimised and is visually obscured.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a panel mounting assembly comprising the mounting frame of the first aspect comprising first and second frame sections; and a panel therebetween, wherein the panel and the first frame section are both sized to fit in a recess formed in a rear portion of said second frame section, and the first frame section comprises a mounting flange and a base flange spaced apart by a spacing web.

Preferably, the first and second frame sections are mechanically attached together.

Most preferably the spacing web of the first frame section is attached to one or more walls present on the second frame section.

Various further features and aspects of the invention are defined in the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a mounting frame according to the present invention, including a panel; and Figure 2a is a plan view of a first frame section; figure 2b is a section view along the line a-a in fig 2a; and figure 2c is a section view along the line b-b in fig 2a; and Figure 3a is a plan view of a second frame section; figure 3b is a section view along the line cc in fig 3a; and figure 3c is a section view along the line d-d in fig 3a; and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing how the frame of the present invention can attach to a bracket and external wall of a building; and Figures 5a and 5b are a cross-section views of a frame with a panel disposed therein -the 5a section taken along the a-a line shown in fig 2a (or c-c line shown in fig 3a) and the 5b section taken along the b-b line shown in fig 2a (or d-d line shown in fig 3a).

Detailed Description

A frame mount according to the present invention is generally depicted in Figure 1 (which shows an exploded view of the frame and includes a metal mesh panel 3 mounted therein).

The frame can be sized to suit standard cladding or fascia panels or bespoke panels. It is typically rectangular or square in shape but could be adapted to other bespoke shapes if required (most typically polygonal to assist the positioning of multiple panels).

In this embodiment the panel 3 is a rainscreen mesh, however it would be understood that other panel materials could be used. The invention is particularly well suited to mounting panel materials that contain apertures or are transparent or translucent (i.e. glass panels) and, as the panel does not itself require mechanical fixings to be attached thereto, it is also well suited to panel materials where the direct securing of mechanical fixing can be visually unwanted or damaging to the integrity of the material.

The frame mount comprises two frame sections, a first frame section 1 and second frame section 2. The first frame section 1 comprises an elongate top piece and a pair of elongate side pieces which together form an inverted, square cornered, U' shape. This inverted, square cornered, 'U' shape is beneficial as it allows a corresponding panel to sit directly under with fouling, In this embodiment, each end of the top piece is attached to an end of a side piece to form a corner angle of 90 degrees such that the two side pieces extend outwards from the top piece on the same plane as each other and parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the sections are fabricated from a single piece of material, such as aluminium (although it would be understood that other materials could be used), and are formed to produce the first frame section 1. It would however be understood that the first frame section 1 could also be fabricated from separate sections appropriately joined together, In an alternative embodiment the first frame section could include a bottom piece making a square or rectangular first frame section. Further, whilst it is preferred that the top section connects with the ends of the side pieces as it then remains at an edge of the overall frame, it could in fact provide a cross link between the two side pieces at any point down the length of the side pieces.

Each of the pieces of the first frame section 1 has a mounting flange 4 and base flange S which are connected by a spacing web 6. As is shown most clearly in Figure 2b and 2c, which show cross sections through portions a-a and b-b of the first frame section, the mounting flange 4 is substantially planar and the spacing web 6, which is also substantially planar, extends from the outer edge thereof, downwards therefrom and perpendicular thereto (i.e.. it has an internal angle of 90 degrees to the mounting flange). The substantially planar base flange 5 then extends from the other edge of the spacing web 6 than the mounting flange 4, inwardly and substantially perpendicular to the spacing web 6 (i.e. it also has an internal angle of 90 degrees tc the mounting flange). This results in the base flange 5 being parallel to, and positioned directly under, the mounting flange 4. In this embodiment the base flange 5 is slightly wider than the mounting flange i.e. the width of the base flange is 39 mm and the width of the mounting flange is 12.5 mm.

The mounting flange 4 is shaped to receive a panel on the upper face thereof. In this embodiment the panel directly contacts the mounting flange, although it would be understood that additional support materials such as resilient padding could be placed between the mounting flange 4 and panel 3 to minimise movement and prevent rattle when the mounting frame is in use. The shape of the top and side pieces of the mounting flange 4 are shaped and sized to have at least a portion with a circumference smaller than that of the panel such that a panel will sit on the mounting flange and not pass through it. For example, in this embodiment the gap between the inner edges of the mounting flange 4 on the side pieces is 425 mm and the width of the panel that will be placed in the frame is 445 mm.

As can be seen in Figure 2a, the base flange 5 is provided with attachment means in the form of mounting apertures 7. In this embodiment there are four apertures 7 present on the base flange, two apertures being present on each of the side pieces. The apertures are sized to receive a bracket or hook 8, preferably the Vantage SF'm hook, as best seen in figure 4 which shows how the first frame portion 1 of the mounting frame can attach to an external wall 9 of a building with a hook 8 and rail 10 system already present thereon.

The embodiment shown in the figures depicts a preferred variant where the first frame portion has a base flange 5 which does not extend fully between the side portions. This is preferred as it means that very little, if any, of the base flange will be visible when the mounting frame is in use, which is particularly useful if the panel that is being sandwiched into the fame has apertures or is, or has portions of, transparency or translucency. However, it is also possible that the mounting flange in fact conjoins to form a mounting plate -or has portions which extend from one side to the other.

Further, the depicted embodiment includes mounting apertures 7 on the base flange, which is the preferred attachment means, as it allows the mounting frame to be used with a range of available mounting systems and rails. However, it would be understood that the base flange could have other attachment means such as integrated hooks that extend out from the rear of the plate, screws or other mechanical or physical attachment means, that allow the frame to be mounted either to an external wall or a mounting system present on an external wall.

As seen in Figure 1, the first frame section 1 is sized to fit in a recess formed in a rear portion of said second fame section 2. It is preferred that the shape of the first frame section 1 is the same as that of the second frame section 2, albeit scaled down. However, the shape of the first frame section 1 could in fact differ from that of the second frame section 2 providing the recess in the rear of the second frame section 2 is shaped to receive the first frame section 1.

In this preferred embodiment, the second frame section 2 is a substantially square or rectangular shape with first, second, third and fourth edges, the first and third edge being parallel to each other and the second and fourth edge being parallel to each other. As seen in Figure 3a, the second frame section 2 has a front face in the form of a planar rim portion 11 which defines a central aperture 12, itself either square or rectangular. Preferably the second frame section 2 also comprises side walls 13 which extend rearwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the front rim portion 11 (such that the internal angle between the rim portion 11 and the side walls 13 is approximately 90 degrees). This is shown most dearly in figures 3b and 3c which show cross-sections of the second frame portion 2 along cc and cl--d of figure 3a. The side walls 13 together form a recess with an inner circumference larger than the outer circumference of both the panel 3 and the first frame portion 1. It is preferred that the recess formed by the side walls 13 is only slightly larger (less than Smrn) than the outer circumference of both the panel 3 and the first frame portion 1.

Further, the depth of the second frame section 2 is greater than the depth of the first frame section 1 i.e. the depth of the side walls 13 on the second frame section 2 is greater than the depth of the spacing web 6 on the first frame section 1. For example, in the embodiment shown the side walls 13 are SO mm and the depth of the spacing web 6 is 22 mm. This allows a panel 3 to be sandwiched between the front face of the first frame portion 1 and the rear face of the rim 11 on the second frame portion 2. The depth of the spacing web 6 can he selected to suit the depth of the panel 3 that is to be mounted in the frame to minimise the amount of movement that occurs when the panel is mounted. In the preferred embodiment, the difference between the depth of the side walls 13 on the second frame section 2 and the depth of the spacing web 6 on the first frame section 1 provides a gap or space into which the panel can fit.

In this embodiment there are securing apertures 14 provided on both the side walls 13 of the second frame section and the spacing web 6 of the first frame section. When aligned, a screw or other mechanical fixation means can be secured through them to hold the frame in a fixed 20 configuration.

In the configuration depicted in the figures, particularly figure 1, the first frame section 1 is received entirely into the rear of the second frame section 2 such that the base flange 5 of the first frame section 1 is substantially flush with the rear edges of the side walls 13 of the second frame section 2. This provides the frame with a smooth outer profile. It would however be understood that whilst the smooth outer profile is preferred, the side walls 13 of the second frame section 2 need only be deep enough to extend further than the depth required to receive the panel, i.e. the panel reception space, and overlap at least partially with the spacing web 6 in a manner that would allow the side walls 13 and spacing web 6 to be secured together.

As seen most clearly in Figures 1 and 5a and 5b, when mounting a panel 3, the panel 3 is placed into the recess formed by the side walls 13 on the second frame section 2, If desired to minimise the chance that the panel 3 will move against the frame, the panel 3 can be welded to the rear of the rim portion 11 to secure it in position. However, in many cases the frame is mounted to a carrier rail which has gaskets which the panel is pressed against, which stops any wind rattle in the panel. The panel has a greater circumference than the central aperture 12 such that the edges of the panel 3 are obscured by the rim portion 11 when viewed from the front. The first frame section 1 is then also placed into the recess formed by the side wails 13 on the second frame section 2, behind the panel. The mounting flange 4 abuts the rear of the panel 3 (although it would be appreciated that filler material could be included if required). The side walls 13 of the second wall section 2 extend parallel to and overlap with the spacing web 6 of the first frame section 1. A plurality of screws 17 are then used to secure the side walls 13 to the spacing web 6. In this embodiment the screws 17 are placed in securing apertures 14 on both the first frame section 1 and the second frame section, which are aligned when the panel is present between the rim portion 11 and the mounting flange 4. This secures the first frame section 1 to the second frame section 2 in a fixed orientation with the panel 3 positioned or sandwiched therebetween.

The mounting frame, including the panel, form a panel mounting assembly which can then be mounted to an external wall 9. In the preferred embodiment depicted in Figure 4 this is via a mounting system comprising rails 10 that are secured to the external wall and which have brackets or hooks 9. The mounting apertures 9 are shaped to receive a portion of the brackets or hooks 9, which in this embodiment are Vantage SFTM hooks, in a manner which allows the frame to be securely mounted as would be well understood by one skilled in the art.

In some cases, the mounting frame can include one or more light sources, such as LEDs. The light sources are positioned to illuminate the panels and provide visual effects.

When multiple panel mounting assemblies (i.e. mounting frames with panels contained therein) are being mounted together, as is typically the case, it is generally desirous that they are mounted close to each other with minimal distance therebetween. To assist with this, the preferred embodiment of the mounting frame has an overlap flange 15 which extends outwardly from the bottom edge of the side wall 13 (i.e. the opposite edge to the rim 11) that forms the top of the mounting frame. The mounting frame also has an overlap groove 16 which is formed in the bottom of the mounting frame by a shaped portion of the first and/or second frame sections. The overlap flange 15 of a first frame can be positioned in and under the overlap groove 16 of a second frame section when multiple frames are mounted together. In this way the front face of the overlap flange 15 obscures the gap between the two mounting frames.

In some embodiments, the mounting assembly could also incorporate the vertical extruded carrier rails and hooks or fixings to affix the frame, including a panel, to an external building envelope fabric or facade.

All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A mounting frame for mounting a panel to the exterior of a building, the mounting frame comprising first and second frame sections arranged to receive a panel therebetween, wherein the first frame section is sized to fit in a recess formed in a rear portion of said second frame section, and the first frame section comprises a mounting flange and a base flange spaced apart by a spacing web.
2. A mounting frame as in Claim 1 wherein the mounting flange and base flange are arranged on either side of the spacing web.
3. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the mounting flange comprises a planar contact face arranged to contact the rear of the panel in use.
4. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the first frame section comprises a top piece, and a pair of side pieces.
5. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the base flange comprises attachment means.
6. A mounting frame as in Claim 5 wherein the attachment means comprises apertures.
7. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the second frame section comprises a front rim portion which defines a central aperture.
8. A mounting frame as in Claim 7 wherein the front rim portion comprises a planar rear contact face arranged to contact the front of the panel in use.
9. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the second frame section comprises side wall sections which extend rearwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the front rim portion.
10. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the depth of the second section is greater than the depth of the first frame section.
11, A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the panel is a fascia, cladding or rainscreen panel.
12. A mounting frame as in any of the previous Claims wherein the frame as an overlap flange extending outwardly from and substantially perpendicularly to a side wall of the second frame section; and an overlap groove on the spacing web of the first frame section and/or the second frame section on the opposite edge to the overlap flange.
13. A panel mounting assembly comprising a mounting frame as in any of the previous claims comprising first and second frame sections, and a panel therebetween, wherein the panel and the first frame section are both sized to fit in a recess formed in a rear portion of said second frame section, and the first frame section comprises a mounting flange and a base flange spaced apart by a spacing web.
14. A panel mounting assembly as in Claim 13 wherein the first and second frame sections are attached together.
15. A panel mounting assembly as in Claim 13 or 14 wherein the spacing web of the first frame section is attached to one or more sidewalls present on the second frame section.