NZ202840A

NZ202840A - Pairs of aligned differing lugs on edges of an inverted u-or v-shaped carrier

Info

Publication number: NZ202840A
Application number: NZ202840A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: W Rijnders
Original assignee: Hunter Douglas International
Priority date: 1982-03-17
Filing date: 1982-12-17
Publication date: 1986-04-11
Also published as: ES270922Y; AU9170082A; JPS58160462A; GB2118988A; JPH0253580B2; AU551881B2; ES270922U; ZA831827B; GB2118988B

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 202840 Priority Date(s): /.?. Complete Specification Filed: Class: 6QU F. JSjj^. S~3s...£:QjC/CQJ3& P.O. Journal, No: .^£?£p? N.Z. NO. 202840 17 December 1982 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PANELLING AND CARRIERS THEREFOR We, HUNTER DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL N.V., incorporated under the laws of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles of Kaya Flamboyan 11, Rooi Catootje, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 202840 The present invention relates to panelling and to carriers for supporting panelling. One type of panelling has panels which are each formed with a main substantially flat panel portion which has an inturned side portion on each of two opposide sides. One of these side portions has, at its free edge, a rim which is turned inwards and the other side portion has, at its free edge, an arm which is turned away from the one side portion. These panels are conventionally mounted on carriers which themselves are mounted on a wall or ceiling structure to be clad by the panelling. The flanges of the carriers are conventionally provided with lugs usually all bent down and back parallel to the flanges in the same direction. A panel is mounted with the arm being supported on one lug and the rim on the adjacent lug and the next panel is then introduced so that its arm engages above the rim of the already fitted panel and abuts against the flange, the rim and arm being urged upwardly by the resilience of the lug. This arrangement is generally satisfactory, at least in the short term, in that it provides a pleasant appearance to the panelling, the arm in each case bridging the gap between the main panel portions, so that the carriers cannot be seen. A problem arises with this construction because in order to ensure that the panels are held firmly, the lugs are made resilient and urge the panels up against the flanges of the carriers. It will be appreciated that if the panels are removed on one or two occasions to attend to wiring or plumbing or the 2 202840 like behind the panelling, then the lugs will become progressively weakened and experience has shown that very often they tend to snap off. This is, of course, totally unsatisfactory. However, more elaborate arrangements have been proposed but none of these overcome the basic problem of the system above. It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide a carrier for supporting panelling, the panels of which each have a main panel portion with an inturned side portion on each of two opposite sides, one side portion having at its free edge a rim turned towards the other side portion, and the other side portion having, at its free edge, an arm turned away from the one side portion, said carrier having an elongate body securable to a support structure and comprising a web portion and two laterally spaced legs, said legs each having a free edge, the free edges being substantially parallel; a plurality of lugs on said legs, the lugs being formed by cut out portions onto said free edges and the lugs being arranged in a plurality of aligned pairs with the subsequent pairs being longitudinally spaced from one another along the carrier and with the two lugs of each aligned pair being laterally spaced, one on each leg, the first lug of the two lugs being substantially rigid and including a tongue having a supporting edge surface spaced from an edge surface of a cut out portion on one of the legs to accommodate and support the rim of one panel and the arm of an adjacent panel in superimposed relationship, the second lug of the two lugs being 3 202840 in the form of an outwardly directed projection on the other leg, to hold the superimposed arm and rim of said adjacent panels against the supporting edge surface of the tongue of the laterally spaced first lug. Such a structure overcomes the difficulties indicated above, insofar as the rigid first lug of each pair takes up the load of the panels and it does not get subjected to any particularly high forces during insertion and removal of the panels. The provision of the second lug of each pair, which is laterally spaced from the first lug of that pair, ensures that the arm of one panel and the rim of the adjacent panel are together pushed towards and against the rigid lug respectively. The second lug may be resilient, to allow the panels to be inserted, but in a preferred construction they are rigid, and the inherent resilience of the panels will permit flexing thereof to allow the panels to be inserted and retain the panels urged against the first lugs. In a preferred construction the lugs are arranged in two substantially parallel longitudinally extending rows and the lugs in each row are preferably alternately of one type and of the other type. Two rows of lugs of each type may also be provided in "double pairs", the lugs of a pair being different or the lugs of a pair being the same but different from the other pair. The body may take many forms. For example it may be of generally inverted, V- or U-shaped cross-section, there being two legs, forming said body portions. When the second lugs are rigid, the inverted V- or U-shaped cross-section carriers can 4 202840 have the lugs formed by punching out from a single flat sheet which can then be formed to the V- or U-shaped cross-section by rolling. The invention also provides a panelling assembly comprising panels which each have a main panel portion with an inturned side portion on each of two opposite sides, one side portion having, at its free edge, a rim turned towards the other side portion, and the other side portion having at its free edge, an arm turned away from said one side portion, a plurality of carriers each having an elongate body securable to a support structure and comprising a web portion and two laterally spaced legs, said legs each having a free edge, the free edges being substantially parallel, a plurality of lugs on said legs, the lugs being formed by cut out portions onto said free edges and the lugs being arranged in a plurality of aligned pairs, with the subsequent pairs of lugs being longitudinally spaced from one another along the carrier and with the two lugs of each aligned pair being laterally spaced, one on each leg, the first lug of the two lugs being substantially rigid and including a tongue having a supporting edge spaced from an edge surface of a cut out portion on one of the legs accommodating and supporting the rim of one panel and the arm of an adjacent panel in superimposed relationship, the second lug of the two lugs being in the form of an outwardly directed projection on the other leg and holding the superimposed arm and the rim of said adjacent panels against the supporting edge surface of the tongue of the laterally spaced first lug. 202840 In order that the invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a section on line I-I of Figure 2 of one embodiment of carrier and panelling according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective underneath view of the carrier of Figure 1. Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a carrier 10 which comprises a body 11 of inverted U-shaped cross-section, provided with two body portions in the form of legs 12 and 13 which diverge outwardly away from one another at an angle of approximately 20°. As can be seen more clearly in Figure 1, the body has openings 14 to enable the carrier to be supported. The legs 12' and 13 are each provided with a longitudinally extending row of lugs. The lugs alternate so that they include a first type of lug 15 and a second type of lug 16. It will be noted that the lugs 15 of the leg 12 are laterally spaced from the lugs 16 of the leg 13. Similarly the lugs 15 of the leg 13 are laterally spaced from the lugs 16 of the leg 12. Therefore, the carrier as a whole has longitudinally spaced pairs of lugs, the lugs of a pair being laterally spaced with respect to one another and one lug of the pair being of the first type and one lug of the pair being of the second type. 202840 Both the lugs 15 and 16 are punched out of the legs 12 and 13. The lugs 15 are rigid lugs and consist of a connecting portion 17 and a tongue 18, which is spaced from a surface 19 on the leg. It will be noted that the free end 20 of the tongue is rounded to facilitate access to the space behind the tongue. The lugs 16 are in the form of a gently sloping surface 21 and a steeper surface 22 meeting to provide a projection 23. As shown in Figure 1, the panels which the carrier supports include a main portion 30 which is substantially flat, and side portions 31 and 32. The side portion 32 is provided with an arm 33 which extends away from the side portion 31 and is formed, adjacent its free end, with a bead 34. The other side arm 31 has an inturned rim 35. The space between a tongue 18 of the first lug 15 and the surface 19 is sufficient to accommodate the arm of one panel and the rim of the next panel. In order to- mount the panels on the carrier, the first of the panels is engaged so that its arm is above one rigid lug 15, the rim is above another of the lugs 15 and the panel is moved to the right, as seen in Figure 1. The next panel is then taken and its arm is pushed above the rim 35 of the previously assembled panel so that its bead engages sloping surface 21 of the lug 16 thereabove. The arm, being somewhat longer than the tongue, is resilient and flexes downwardly until the bead 34 has got beyond the projection 23. At the same time, the rim of this panel engages behind the next tongue 18. The panelling system is built up successfully in this way. 202840 The rounded end portion 20 facilitates the introduction of the arm 33 and of the rim 35. Lugs 25 may be bent down behind an already fitted side portion 32, to prevent a panel being removed (or disengaged). Associated with each pair of lugs is a further lug 26, which prevents a panel being moved too far away from the lugs, when the panel is being removed, thereby ensuring that the adjacent panel is not disturbed. In the drawings, there are illustrated further tongues 36 which are position below the second lugs 16. The height of the tongues 36 is somewhat less than the height of the tongues forming the first lugs 15, the further tongues 36 having an upper surface 37 which is spaced a significant distance below the projection 23. Thus, in use, the tongues 36 do not normally touch the rims 35 of the panels 30, but are spaced therefrom. Panelling of thi-s type can be used externally and in high wind conditions there can be a tendency for the panels to be sucked down. The purpose of the further tongues 36 is to prevent such a sucking effect disengaging the panels from the carriers. The provision of these tongues 36, therefore, is not essential but is preferable if the carriers are to be used externally. In view of the provisions of Section 16 of the Patents Act 1953 we draw attention to our New Zealand Patent Specification No. 195494. 8 </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 202840 WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A carrier for supporting panelling, the panels of which each have a main panel portion with an inturned side portion on each of two opposite sides, one side portion having at its free edge a rim turned towards the other side portion, and the other side portion having, at its free edge, an arm turned away from the one side portion, said carrier having an elongate body securable to a support structure and comprising a web portion and two laterally spaced legs, said legs each having a free edge, the free edges being substantially parallel; a plurality of lugs on said legs, the lugs being formed by cut out portions onto said free edges and the lugs being arranged in a plurality of aligned pairs with the subsequent pairs being longitudinally spaced from one another along the carrier and with the two lugs of each aligned pair being laterally spaced, one on each leg, the first lug of the two lugs being substantially rigid and including a tongue having a supporting edge surface spaced from an edge surface of a cut out portion on one of the legs to accommodate and support the rim of one panel and the arm of an adjacent panel in superimposed relationship, the second lug of the two lugs being in the form of an outwardly directed projection on the other leg, to hold the superimposed arm and rim of said adjacent panels against the supporting edge surface of the tongue of the laterally spaced first lug.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein each second lug is engagable behind a bead formed on the arm of an adjacent panel. 9 202840

3. A carrier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a further tongue is provided adjacent each second lug at the same leg as said second lug, said further tongue having an upper edge surface spaced from the web portion at a greater distance than the supporting edge surface of the tongue of the first lug of the relevant aligned pair of lugs.

4. A carrier according to any preceding claim, wherein each r aligned / pair of lugs is longitudinally spaced from at least one further lug positioned to limit movement of a panel, during disengagement from the first and second lugs, to ensure that an adjacent panel is not disturbed.

5. A carrier according to any preceding claim comprising a bendable lug, posi tior^able behind a side portion of a previously fitted panel, to prevent its disengagement from the first and second lugs.

6. A panelling assembly comprising panels which each have a main panel portion with an inturned side portion on each of two opposite sides, one side portion having, at its free edge, a rim turned towards the other side portion, and the other side portion having at its free edge, an arm turned away from said one side portion, a plurality of carriers each having an elongate body securable to a support structure and comprising a web portion and two laterally spaced legs, said legs each having a free edge, the free edges being substantially parallel, a plurality of lugs on said legs, the lugs being formed by cut out portions onto said free edges and the lugs being arranged in a plurality of aligned 10 202840 pairs, with the subsequent pairs of lugs being longitudinally spaced from one another along the carrier and with the two lugs of each aligned pair being laterally spaced, one on each leg, the first lug of the two lugs being substantially rigid and including a tongue having a supporting edge surface spaced from an edge surface of a cut out portion on one of the legs accommodating and supporting the rim of one panel and the arm of an adjacent panel in superimposed relationship, the second lug of the two lugs being in the form of an outwardly directed projection on the other leg and holding the superimposed arm and the rim of said adjacent panels against the supporting edge surface of the tongue of the laterally spaced first lug.

7. A panelling assembly according to claim 6, wherein each second lug is engaged behind a bead formed on the arm of the adjacent panel, to resist removal of the arm from the lugs.

8. A carrier for supporting panelling, said carrier being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. A panelling assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. HUNTER DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL N.V. By Their Attorneys HENRY HUGHES LIMITED Per: </div>