GB2587475A

GB2587475A - Sandwich panel and associated assembly method

Info

Publication number: GB2587475A
Application number: GB2010214.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leblanc Olivier; Catalogna Eric; Label Stéphane; Charton Sébastien
Original assignee: ArcelorMittal SA
Current assignee: ArcelorMittal SA
Priority date: 2019-07-05
Filing date: 2020-07-03
Publication date: 2021-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-03
Also published as: DE102020117385A1; NL2025949B1; GB2587475B; NL2025949A; SK289087B6; PL434510A1; ES2802902B2; BE1027346A1; CA3085505A1; CZ2020388A3; FR3098229A1; PL240364B1; GB202010214D0; SK500352020A3; LU101904B1; CA3085505C; LU101904A1; BE1027346B1; FR3098229B1; SE544617C2

Abstract

A panel 1 comprises an insulation material between an inner metallic tray 3 and an outer metallic sheet 4. The panel may be used in the construction of roofs. The inner tray has a cross-section with a first inner flange 6 comprising a recess 8 and a second inner flange 7 comprising a U-shaped bend forming a tongue 13 for interlocking with the recess. The metallic sheet comprises a first outer flange 19 having a perpendicular rib 22 with a lower part 24 of the rib being thinner than an upper part 25. A second outer flange 20 comprises a second rib 30 having a shape which allows interlocking with the first rib. The inner recess may comprise a step 9 and the outer recess may comprise an L-shaped portion 26, 27. A side of the panel may comprise a gasket 38. Also claimed are an assembly of at least two panels and a process for the assembling of a first and a second panel.

Description

Sandwich panel and associated assembly method The present invention relates to a sandwich panel, intended for the construction of building envelopes, and more particularly intended for the construction of building roofs, without being limited thereof.

It is known to assemble sandwich panels comprising an insulation layer between two metallic sheets to build roofs. Each sandwich panel usually comprises on one of its longitudinal edge a male interlocking part and on its other longitudinal edge a female interlocking part such that the male and female interlocking parts interlock into one another when two panels are assembled.

It is also known to build walls by assembling sandwich panels wherein the fasteners used to fix one panel on the building structure are hidden when positioning the adjacent panel. Nevertheless, these hidden fixings are not resistant enough to wind suction to use these sandwich panels for the construction of roofs.

The aim of the present invention is therefore to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a sandwich panel with hidden fixing which provides an improved resistance to wind suction.

For this purpose, a first subject of the present invention consists of a panel comprising an insulation material sandwiched between an inner metallic tray and an outer metallic sheet wherein the inner metallic tray comprises in cross-section: - An inner central part substantially lying in a plane P, - A first inner flange extending inwards from a first extremity of the inner central part and comprising an inner recess extending in parallel to plane P and inwards, - A second inner flange extending inwards from a second extremity of the inner central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue extending in parallel to plane P and outwards, the inner recess and the inner tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking, wherein the outer metallic sheet comprises in cross-section: - An outer central part, - A first outer flange extending from a first extremity of the outer central part, substantially above the first inner flange and comprising successively: o a first lateral rib extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P and outwards and comprising a first lower part and a first upper part, the first lower part being at least partially thinner than the first upper part, o an outer recess extending in parallel to plane P and inwards, - A second outer flange extending from a second extremity of the outer central part and comprising a second lateral rib extending substantially io perpendicularly to plane P and outwards and comprising a second lower part and a second upper part, the second lower part being at least partially thinner than the second upper part, the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes that allow the interlocking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib.

The panel according to the invention may also have the optional features listed below, considered individually or in combination: - the inner recess comprises an inner step extending substantially perpendicular from the inner central part and a flat portion, -the inner tongue comprises a lower branch and an upper branch linked by a U-turn, the upper branch being inclined towards the U-Turn, - the first lateral wing comprises two lateral wings which are substantially in contact on at least a portion of the first lower part, - the outer recess comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the L being an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L extending in parallel to plane P, - the long side of the [comprises a longitudinal groove, - the second outer flange comprises successively an outer flat portion projecting from the insulation material and the second lateral rib, -the first inner flange and the first outer flange delimit a first lateral side of the insulation material which forms an acute angle with the inner central part, - the second inner flange and the second outer flange delimit a second lateral side of the insulation material which has the same inclination than the first lateral side, - the first lateral side comprises a gasket.

A second subject of the invention consists of an assembly of at least a first and a second panel according to the invention wherein the second lateral rib of the second panel is interlocked on the first lateral rib of the first panel and the inner tongue of the second panel is inserted in the inner recess of the first panel.

A third subject of the invention consists of a process for the assembling of a first and a second panel according to the invention comprising: - (i) transversely inclining the second panel at an angle a, with the plane P of the first panel, comprised between 100 and 500, (ii) interlocking the second lateral rib of the second panel on the first lateral rib of the first panel, - (iii) rotating the second panel until the inner tongue of the second panel interlocks with the inner recess of the first panel.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be described in

greater detail in the following description.

The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, which is provided purely for purposes of explanation and is in no way intended to be restrictive, with reference to: - Figure 1, which is a perspective view of a sandwich panel according to the invention, - Figure 2, which is a cross-section of the sandwich panel of Figure 1, - Figure 3, which is a cross-section of the first longitudinal edge of a sandwich panel of Figure 1, - Figure 4, which is a cross-section of the second longitudinal edge of a sandwich panel of Figure 1, - Figure 5, which is a cross-section of the assembly of panels according to the invention, - Figure 6, which represents details of the assembly of panels according to Figure 5, -Figure 7, which is a cross-section of the first longitudinal edge of a first sandwich panel and of the second longitudinal edge of a second sandwich panel at one step of the assembly method.

It should be noted that the terms "inward", "inwards", "outward" and to "outwards" as used in this application refer to the positions and orientations of the different constituent elements of the panel in relation to the position of the insulation material. Consequently, if an element extends inwards, it extends in the direction of the insulation panel. Similarly, if the element extends outwards, it extends in the opposite direction of the insulation panel.

It should also be noted that "inner" and "outer" as used in this application refer to the position of the panels on a building. Consequently, the outer sheet is facing the outside and the inner tray is facing the inside of the building. Consequently, the inner flange refers to the flange of the inner tray and the outer flange refers to the flange of the outer sheet.

It should be noted that the terms "lower", "upper", "above", "below", "top"...

as used in this application refer to the positions and orientations of the different constituent elements of the panel when the latter is lying on an horizontal plane.

Throughout the text, a sheet is understood to mean an element that has a flat shape, i.e., its thickness is low compared to its other dimensions. Generally speaking, its thickness is 500 to 4000 times lower than its width. The sheet may be made of a single material or a composite assembly. In the latter case, the sheet is a stack of a plurality of layers of the same material or different materials. The material in question may be, among others, a metallic material or a polymer. Steel, aluminum, copper and zinc may be cited as non-restricting examples of metallic materials. The sheet is preferably a metallic sheet. It is preferably made of previously galvanized and pre-coated steel to protect it against corrosion. The inner tray and the outer sheet are examples of sheets.

Within the framework of the invention, the sheet will preferably have been previously formed with the aid of any known forming method, including, by way of non-restricting examples, bending, forming, stamping and molding. In particular, the U-shaped bend described later on is an element of the panel whose manufacturing process is not limited to bending.

This forming leads among other things to the formation of ribs, stiffeners or grooves on the surface of the sheet. Throughout the text, a rib is understood to mean a projection formed on the surface of the sheet. The rib may have a trapezoidal shape or a rectangular, corrugated, sinusoidal or even omega shape, for example.

It includes a top central part and two lateral wings. A stiffener is a rib of limited height, generally 10 to 30 times lower than a rib. Ribs and stiffeners are generally placed in parallel to the longitudinal edges of the sheet notably to render the sheet more rigid.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the panel 1 according to the invention first comprises an insulation material 2 sandwiched between an inner metallic tray 3 and an outer metallic sheet 4. The sides of the insulation material thus form the sides of the panel.

The insulation material 2 can be any material providing some insulation to the panel. It can be, by way of non-restricting examples, polyurethane foam, polyisocyanurate foam, phenolic foam, mineral wool. According to a variant of the invention, the insulation material is a composite comprising a lower layer of mineral wool and an upper layer of foamed material.

The inner metallic tray 3 is a metallic sheet of rectangular shape, comprising longitudinal edges and transversal edges, which has been formed at a previous stage. It comprises, in cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, an inner central part 5 and two inner flanges 6, 7 extending inwards from each extremity of the inner central part. The inner central part substantially lies down flat in a plane P. According to a variant of the invention, the inner central part 5 comprises stiffeners extending longitudinally to increase the stiffness of the metallic sheet.

As illustrated on Figure 3, the first inner flange 6 extends inwards from a first lateral extremity of the inner central part 5 and comprises a S-shaped bend forming an inner recess 8 extending in parallel to plane P and inwards. Preferably, the inner recess comprises an inner step 9 and a flat portion 10. The inner step can extend substantially perpendicularly from the inner central part or can be inclined towards the flat portion. The latter can be parallel to plane P or slightly inclined towards the inner central part to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels.

Preferably the first inner flange 6 comprises a first inner stiffener 11 extending from the inner recess. According to one variant of the invention, the first inner stiffener extends substantially perpendicularly to the inner central part so as to facilitate the manufacturing of the inner metallic tray. According to another variant, the first inner stiffener extends at least partially substantially along the edge of the insulation material so as to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels.

According to one variant of the invention, the first inner stiffener comprises a first inner wing 12 extending parallel to plane P and inwards into the insulation material 2. This helps stiffening the first inner flange.

As illustrated on Figure 4, the second inner flange 7 extends inwards from a second lateral extremity of the inner central part 5 and comprises a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue 13 extending substantially parallel to plane P and outwards.

Preferably, the inner tongue comprises a lower branch 14 and an upper branch 15 linked by a U-turn 16. More preferably, the upper branch 15 is slightly inclined towards the U-turn to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels. According to another variant, the branches 14 and 15 are parallel. More preferably, the radius of the U-turn is such that the space in-between the branches is filled with insulation material 2 which helps stiffening the inner tongue. According to another variant, the radius of the U-turn is such that the two branches are in contact with each other. Preferably the second inner flange 7 comprises a second inner stiffener 17 extending from the inner tongue, in particular from the upper branch 15. According to one variant of the invention, the second inner stiffener extends substantially perpendicularly to the inner central part so as to facilitate the manufacturing of the inner metallic tray. According to another variant, the second inner stiffener extends at least partially substantially along the edge of the insulation material so as to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels. According to one variant of the invention, the second inner stiffener 17 comprises a second inner wing extending parallel to plane P and inwards into the insulation material 2. This helps stiffening the first inner flange.

The inner recess 8 and the tongue 13 have shapes that allow their interlocking when one panel is assembled with an adjacent panel. Preferably, their shapes are substantially complementary and their dimensions are such that: - The height of the inner recess (measured along the Y axis) is superior to the height of the inner tongue, - The width of the inner recess (measured along the X axis) is superior or equal to the width of the inner tongue.

Preferably, the shape and dimensions of the inner tongue are such that it perfectly fits into the inner recess, which further improve the resistance to wind suction. By "perfectly fits" it is meant that the inner tongue and the inner recess are substantially in contact to one another except in areas where a possible gasket is added for sealing purposes, such as airtightness or thermal insulation. In particular, the width of the upper branch 15 (measured along the X axis) is equal to the width of the flat portion 10 (measured along the X axis) and the height of the inner step 9 is equal to the height of the U-turn 16. More preferably, the inclination of the upper branch 15 of the inner tongue fits the inclination of the flat portion 10 of the inner recess.

As illustrated on Figures 1 and 2, the outer metallic sheet 4 is a metallic sheet of rectangular shape, comprising longitudinal edges and transversal edges, which has been formed at a previous stage. It comprises, in cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, an outer central part 18 and two outer flanges 19, 20 extending inwards and/or outwards from each extremity of the outer central part. Preferably, most of the outer central part is lying down in a plane parallel to plane P. In the variant illustrated in figures 1 and 2 where the panel 1 is intended to be used for roofs, the outer central part comprises at least one central rib 21 mimicking a standing seam. In particular, the lateral wings of the central rib are substantially parallel and close to one another. According to another variant, the outer central part comprises, in combination with the central rib 21 or not, stiffeners extending longitudinally to further increase the stiffness of the metallic sheet.

As illustrated on Figure 3, the first outer flange 19 extends from a first extremity of the outer central part 18, substantially above the first inner flange 6 and comprises successively a first lateral rib 22 extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P and outwards and an outer recess 23 extending in parallel to plane P and inwards. By "outer recess", it is meant that this portion of the outer metallic sheet lies in a plane located below the plane of the outer central part 18.

The first lateral rib 22 comprises a first lower part 24 which is pinched, i.e. its lower part is at least partially thinner than its first upper part 25. Thanks to this configuration, when a second lateral rib is clipped on the first lateral rib 22, the upper part prevents the second lateral rib from unexpectedly unlocking. In particular, on at least a portion of the first lower part 24, the two lateral wings of the first lateral rib are substantially in contact. In particular, the upper part has substantially the shape of a rectangle or an ellipse which main axis is substantially perpendicularly to plane P or a circle. This shape acts as a lock. The upper part is delimited by the top central part of the first lateral rib 22 and the upper portion of the two lateral wings of the rib. The main purpose of the outer recess is to hide repartition plates and fasteners used to fix the sandwich panel on the building structure. Preferably, the outer recess 23 comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the L 26 as an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L 27 extending in parallel to plane P. The outer recess is deep enough, in particular the short side of the L is long enough, so that a repartition plate 36 and heads of fasteners 37 can lay on the outer recess without jeopardizing the interlocking of two adjacent panels, as illustrated on figures 5 and 6.

More preferably, the long side of the L comprises a longitudinal groove 28.

This helps positioning the fastener and drilling through the outer metallic sheet. Preferably the first outer flange 19 comprises a first outer stiffener 29 extending from the outer recess 23, in particular from the long side of the L 27. This helps stiffening the outer metallic sheet and the first outer flange. According to the variant illustrated, the first outer stiffener 29 has schematically the shape of a hook.

As illustrated on Figure 4, the second outer flange 20 extends from a second extremity of the outer central part 18, substantially above the second inner flange 7 and comprises a second lateral rib 30 extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P and outwards.

Preferably, the second outer flange 20 comprises successively an outer flat portion 31 projecting from the lateral side of the insulation material and the second lateral rib 30. In particular, the outer flat portion is in the plane of the outer central part 18. The main purpose of this outer flat portion is to cover the outer recess of an adjacent panel when the two panels are interlocked.

The second lateral rib 30 comprises a second lower part 32 which is pinched, i.e. the second lower part is at least partially thinner than the second upper part 33.

Thanks to this configuration, when the second lateral rib is clipped on the first lateral rib 22, the pinch prevents the second lateral rib from unexpectedly unlocking. In particular, on at least a portion of the second lower part 32, the two lateral wings of the second lateral rib are substantially in contact. In particular, the second upper part has substantially the shape of a rectangle or an ellipse which main axis is io substantially perpendicularly to plane P or a circle. The second upper part is delimited by the top central part of the second lateral rib 30 and the upper portion of the two lateral wings of the rib.

The shape of the second lateral rib 30 is such that it can be interlocked on the first lateral rib 22, as illustrated on Figure 6. In particular: on at least a portion of the second lower part 32, the two lateral wings of the second lateral rib are spaced by twice the thickness of the outer metallic sheet so that the second lower part 32 fits above the first lower part 24 and, the second upper part 33 has substantially the same shape than the first upper part 25 but slightly bigger so that the second upper part 33 fits above the first upper part 25.

By "slightly bigger", it is meant that the difference in width of the second upper part 33 and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the outer metallic sheet and that the difference in height of the second upper part 33 and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the outer metallic sheet.

The man skilled in the art can easily design other geometries of the first and second lateral ribs that interlock each other while preventing unexpected unlocking.

The first outer flange 19 is located on the same lateral side, thereafter referred to as first lateral side 34, of the panel than the first inner flange 6 so that, when the second lateral rib 30 of a second panel is interlocked on the first lateral rib 22 of a first panel already fixed on the building structure, the inner tongue 13 of the second panel is inserted in the inner recess 8 of the first panel. Consequently, the connection between the two panels is very strong. In particular, as the inner tongue of the second panel is blocked under the first panel, the resistance to wind suction of the panel assembly is greatly improved.

The outer recess 23 is preferably located substantially above the first extremity of the inner central part. Preferably, the long side of the L 27 is located ahead of the first inner flange 6 (along the X axis) so that fasteners going through the outer recess do not go through the first inner flange.

Preferably, the first inner flange 6 and the first outer flange 19 are positioned so that the first lateral side 34 of the insulation material is inclined towards the outer metallic sheet, i.e. the inner central part 5 and the first lateral side 34 forms an acute angle.

Symmetrically, the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 are preferably positioned so that the second lateral side 35 of the insulation material has Is the same inclination than the first lateral side 34. Thanks to this symmetrical inclination, when a first panel is interlocked on a second panel, the second lateral side of the first panel is substantially in contact on all its surface with the first lateral side of the second panel. This improves the thermal efficiency and airtightness of the panel assembly. If one of the lateral sides comprises a gasket 38, then the latter is uniformly compressed. More preferably, when the first lateral side of the insulation material is inclined towards the outer metallic sheet, the compression of the gasket is even higher.

The gasket 38 can be, among others, of an elastomeric material, PVC foam, PU foam, PVC hollow section joint or of an intumescent material, such as a mineral fiber-based mat incorporating phosphate or exfoliating graphite. The gasket is preferably part of the second lateral side of the insulation material so that it is protected by the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 during transportation and panel handling. Nevertheless, it can be preferred to have the gasket on the first lateral side of the insulation material so that its is easier to place the gasket on the panel.

To form a roof or facade, panels 1 are assembled by marginal overlapping of their longitudinal and/or transverse edges and attached to the supporting structure of the building by means of fasteners such as screws, nails, or rivets.

The first step of the assembly method consists in positioning a first panel on the building structure and attaching it to the structure by means of a fastener 37 going through the outer recess 23 of the outer metallic sheet 4, the insulation material 2 and the inner metallic tray 3, as illustrated on Figure 5. Preferably, a repartition plate 36 is positioned in the outer recess before fastening the panel to limit the deformation of the outer metallic sheet and to improve the transmission of loads between the panel and the fastener and thus improve the resistance to wind suction.

The second step of the assembly method consists in transversely inclining a second panel at an angle with the plane P of the first panel, thereafter referred as angle a, comprised between 100 and 50°, preferably between 20° and 40°, as Is illustrated on Figure 7.

The third step of the assembly method consists in interlocking the second lateral rib 30 of the second panel on the first lateral rib 22 of the first panel.

The fourth step of the assembly method consists in rotating the second panel in the direction of the building structure until the inner tongue 13 of the second panel interlocks with the inner recess 8 of the first panel.

The second panel can thereafter be fastened to the building structure similarly to what has been done for the first panel.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Panel (1) comprising an insulation material (2) sandwiched between an inner metallic tray (3) and an outer metallic sheet (4) wherein the inner metallic tray comprises in cross-section: - An inner central part (5) substantially lying in a plane P, - A first inner flange (6) extending inwards from a first extremity of the inner central part and comprising an inner recess (8) extending in parallel to plane P and inwards, -A second inner flange (7) extending inwards from a second extremity of the inner central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue (13) extending in parallel to plane P and outwards, the inner recess and the inner tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking, wherein the outer metallic sheet (4) comprises in cross-section: -An outer central part (18), - A first outer flange (19) extending from a first extremity of the outer central part, substantially above the first inner flange and comprising successively: o a first lateral rib (22) extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P and outwards and comprising a first lower part (24) and a first upper part (25), the first lower part being at least partially thinner than the first upper part, o an outer recess (23) extending in parallel to plane P and inwards, - A second outer flange (20) extending from a second extremity of the outer central part and comprising a second lateral rib (30) extending substantially perpendicularly to plane P and outwards and comprising a second lower part (32) and a second upper part (33), the second lower part being at least partially thinner than the second upper part, the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes that allow the interlocking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib. 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)Panel according to claim 1 wherein the inner recess (8) comprises an inner step (9) extending substantially perpendicular from the inner central part (5) and a flat portion (10).Panel according to any one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the inner tongue (13) comprises a lower branch (14) and an upper branch (15) linked by a U-turn (16), the upper branch being inclined towards the U-Turn.Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first lateral rib (22) comprises two lateral wings which are substantially in contact on at least a portion of the first lower part (24).Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer recess (23) comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the L (26) being an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L (27) extending in parallel to plane P. Panel according to claim 5 wherein the long side of the L (27) comprises a longitudinal groove (28).Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second outer flange (20) comprises successively an outer flat portion (31) projecting from the insulation material and the second lateral rib (30).Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first inner flange (6) and the first outer flange (19) delimit a first lateral side (34) of the insulation material which forms an acute angle with the inner central part (5).9) Panel according to claim 8 wherein the second inner flange (7) and the second outer flange (20) delimit a second lateral side (35) of the insulation material which has the same inclination than the first lateral side (34).10) Panel according to any one of claims 8 or 9 wherein the first lateral side (34) comprises a gasket (38).11) Assembly of at least a first and a second panel (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the second lateral rib (30) of the second panel is interlocked on the first lateral rib (22) of the first panel and the inner tongue (13) of the second panel is inserted in the inner recess (8) of the first panel.12) A process for the assembling of a first and a second panel (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 comprising: - (i) transversely inclining the second panel at an angle a, with the plane P of the first panel, comprised between 100 and 500, - (ii) interlocking the second lateral rib (30) of the second panel on the first lateral rib (22) of the first panel, (iii) rotating the second panel until the inner tongue (13) of the second panel interlocks with the inner recess (8) of the first panel.