WO2012088673A1

WO2012088673A1 - Attachment apparatus for thermal insulation panel

Info

Publication number: WO2012088673A1
Application number: PCT/CN2010/080440
Authority: WO
Inventors: Liang Zhang; Xiaochun Liu; Loganathan Ravisanker
Original assignee: Dow Global Technologies Llc
Priority date: 2010-12-29
Filing date: 2010-12-29
Publication date: 2012-07-05

Abstract

An attachment apparatus comprises an embedded part and a fixing part. The embedded part comprises a first section (1) which is in the form of a sheet and a second section (2) which comprises an engagement part, wherein said first section (1) is embedded into a prefabricated thermal insulation panel and located between a thermal insulation layer and a protection layer thereof. The fixing part comprises a first section (5, 6) that is capable of engaging with the second section (2) of said embedded part, and a second section (7) through which said fixing part could be fixed on a substrate wall.

Description

ATTACHMENT APPARATUS FOR THERMAL INSULATION PANEL

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an attachment apparatus for exterior thermal insulation systems in construction industry. Particularly, the present invention relates to an engagement structure which fixes a prefabricated thermal insulation panel onto a substrate wall. The present invention further relates to an external thermal insulation system comprising the attachment apparatus and a thermal insulation panel.

Discussion of Background Information

External Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS), which were developed in Europe in the early 1970s, are important for energy savings in building industries. The function of EIFS is to keep indoor temperature and humidity stable during transitions in climatic conditions, thus comfort in residence is considerably improved. Energy is saved through the application of insulation materials in this system. In addition, the reductions in temperature shifts and moisture condensation of external walls reduce aging and damage of the buildings.

EIFS mainly have the following components: insulation board, adhesive (adhering insulation board to the wall), basecoat mortar (protective coat of insulation board and base coat of finish material) and decorating materials (painting, tile and stucco, etc.). In the 1970s, EIFS adhesive or basecoat mortar was made by mixing liquid emulsion adhesive into cement at the construction site, where the installation is slow and climate dependent. The quality of on-site construction is difficult to control and limited by the skill of the workers. Prefabricated insulation panels were eventually developed that are manufactured under controlled environment. But some problems exist in attachment of prefabricated insulation panel with the substrate wall.

Normally prefabricated insulation panels are fixed onto wall through two methods, solely mechanical fixing and adhesion plus mechanical fasteners.

JP1991005560 teaches lock pieces to facilitate mounting and demounting of a decorative plate, including a first section and a second section. The first section comprises a plurality of lines of support rail which are inserted into the slots produced in said decorative plate to engage with said decorative plate. The second section comprises a hook-like structure through which said decorative plate is suspended on a bed structure part which is secured to substrate wall. Since the plate is simply suspended onto the substrate wall, the installation is not secured and the plate is not stably positioned. In addition, the planeness of the plates can not be adjusted once the installation is completed.

GB2309713A provides a method of an installing insulate panel. The method requires locating an insulating panel between two adjacent support members, positioning the bottom edge of the insulating panel to rest on a support surface of a member and securing the insulating panel or slab to the support members; and subsequently applying one or more coatings to the insulating panel or slab as required. The support members securing the insulating panel are visible and therefore one or more coatings need to be applied at the construction site to cover the support members. The quality of on-site construction is difficult to control and limited by the skill of the workers. In addition, the flatness of the plates could not be easily adjusted.

CN 101126274 teaches fixing parts for insulation and decoration panel, which consists of fixing clip and bolt. When they are used for insulation and decoration panel fixing, the edge of the said fixing clip is inserted into thermal insulation board. The clip is fixed onto a wall with a bolt.

Solely mechanical fixing is very expensive and does not make it easy to achieve a flat surface for a large area wall when installing panels. In the fixing method of adhesion plus mechanical fasteners, the existing design of fasteners has the problems of: 1) unstable fixation; 2) no fire protection since fasteners are fixed in foam layer rather than the protection layer; 3) difficult or impossible to disassembly; 4) no allowance for water management; 5) exposure to outside to influence appearance aesthetics.

A new attachment apparatus which overcomes the existing issues is desirable for exterior thermal insulation systems, which is easily used at construction site and can stably fix an EIFS system.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention is an attachment apparatus for attaching a prefabricated thermal insulation panel with a substrate wall, which is surprisingly found to have solved one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

The attachment apparatus comprises an embedded part and a fixing part. The embedded part comprises a first section which is in the form of a sheet, and a second section which comprises at least one projecting oblique side edge. The fixing part comprises a first section which is capable of engaging with the second section of said embedded part, and a second section through which said fixing part is capable of fixing on a substrate wall.

Preferably, the projecting oblique side edge of the second section of the embedded part comprises two teeth that define an indentation therebetween. The first section of the fixing part can be a "T" shape that can be engaged with the two teeth.

Preferably, the first section of the fixing part comprises two projecting oblique side edges that can be respectively engaged with the projecting oblique side edge of the second section of the embedded part of two adjacent panels.

In a second aspect, the present invention is an external thermal insulation system comprising prefabricated panels that comprise a thermal insulation layer and a protection layer, and an attachment apparatus part of the first aspect. The first section of the embedded part of the attachment apparatus is embedded into said prefabricated thermal insulation panel and located between a thermal insulation layer and a protection layer.

The attachment apparatus of the present invention allows attaching a prefabricated panel to a substrate wall with much more stable fixing and better fire protection compared to those with a fastener inserted into the thermal insulation board. Such attachment apparatus also allows easy assembly and disassembly, and has wide position error tolerance. The fixing part could allow forming channels under it for water management for the exterior panel system. Both embedded part and fixing part are hidden without impacting the aesthetics of panel appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

Reference is made to the detailed description thereof to be read in connection with the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1. Illustration of one example of an embedded part.

FIG. 2. Another example of an embedded part.

FIG. 3. Side view and top view of the embedded part of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4. Illustration of other examples of embedded parts.

FIG. 5. Illustration of one example of a fixing part.

FIG. 6. Illustration of one example of an engagement between the embedded part of

FIG. 1 and the fixing part of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7. Illustration of another example of a fixing part.

FIG. 8. Illustration of one example of an engagement between the embedded part of FIG 5 and the fixing part of FIG 7. FIG. 9. Illustration of engagement of two panels, wherein one of the panels is represented in a diagrammatic sketch, and installation by bolts.

FIG. 10. Illustration of another example of fixing part.

FIG. 11. Illustration of one example of a prefabricated thermal insulation panel fixed by four sets of engagement.

FIG. 12. Illustration of examples of notches formed on the surface of a thermal insulation board.

FIG. 13. Illustration of water management channel formed under back roll between two panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

TERMS

In the following detailed description, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in connection with figures, if any. However, to the extent that the following description is specific to a particular embodiment or a particular use of the present techniques, it is intended to be illustrative only and merely provides a concise description of the exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below, but rather; the invention includes all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the true scope of the appended claims.

The units used in the description are illustrated as follows.

Unit Full name

mm millimeter

KN/m² kiloNewton per square meter

m meter

An "exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)" is an exterior wall cladding system, also known as External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) in Europe. EIFS can be used on both residential and commercial buildings for purpose of energy saving, improving room comfort and protecting walls against moisture and other external elements.

The core of EIFS application is to attach thermal insulation materials to a substrate wall by using adhesive materials. Thermal insulation material is normally in the form a thermal insulation layer. The thermal insulation layer can be a "thermal insulation board", which is a thermal insulation material in the form of board. The outer surface of EIFS is further completed by other finish materials such as stucco, painting or ceramic tile. Preferably, the thermal insulation materials can be selected from the group consisting of EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam board, XPS (extruded polystyrene) foam board, polyurethane foam board, phenolic foam board, mineral wool and foamed glass, all of which can provide thermal insulation to the building as well as meeting insulation/energy codes. A protection layer is typically adjacent to the thermal insulation board and optionally, a primer composition layer may be applied between them.

One preferred thermal insulation material is XPS foam board such as that sold under the trade name STYROFOAM™ or WALLMATE™ (STYROFOAM and WALLMATE are trade marks of The Dow Chemical Company.). The thickness of the XPS foam board can vary depending on climate, humidity, etc. at construction site, and the energy saving requirements in different climate zones. Normally the XPS foam board has a thickness of about 20 to about 150 millimeters (mm), but can have a greater thickness.

A "thermal insulation panel" is a composite structure prefabricated in a controlled environment and normally comprising a thermal insulation layer, a protection layer and preferably a decorative layer, wherein the protection layer is located between the thermal insulation layer and the decorative layer. The protection layer, with or without assistance of adhesives, can be used as an adhesive layer to attach the other two layers together. The decorative layer is the outmost surface when the panel is applied on a substrate wall.

A thermal insulation board, as well as a thermal insulation panel, normally is in cuboid shape. Therefore, each board or panel has three mutually perpendicular dimensions: length, width and thickness. Length corresponds to the dimension of greatest magnitude and for XPS foam boards generally corresponds to the direction of extrusion (extrusion direction) of the board. Width has a magnitude that is equal to or smaller than the length and equal to or greater than the thickness. The surface consisting of the sides representing the length and the width is in parallel with the substrate wall on which the layer is applied. Thickness has a magnitude equal to or less than the width dimension, and is normally much less than the length and the width in the thermal insulation layer.

A "decorative layer", also named as a "finish layer", is normally the most outside surface of a thermal insulation panel for aesthetic purposes. The decorative layer could be a painting layer, ceramic tile, stucco layer, etc.

A "protection layer", also named as "rendering coat layer", is located between the thermal insulation layer and the decorative layer (if any) in EIFS, such as a prefabricated thermal insulation panel. Said protection layer is used as a protective, mechanical abuse layer, as well as a substrate for adhesives, insulation, impact resistance, and fire resistance. Preferably the protection layer can be made of a mortar composition. Typically, such protection layer can be adjacent to the thermal insulation board, or optionally a primer layer may be applied between them.

A mortar composition can be used to produce the protection layer. Depending on different components, mortar composition may be classified into "cement mortar" and "polymer modified mortar". Cement mortar usually means a mortar composition comprising cement and fillers but having no emulsion polymer and other polymer-containing additives. Polymer modified mortar usually means a mortar composition comprising cement, fillers, emulsion polymer or polymer powder, and other additives, such as a composition comprising hydraulic binder, lightweight aggregates, polymer emulsion or polymer powders, synthesized fiber, fine fillers and other additives.

An "adhesive mortar layer" is located between a thermal insulation layer and a substrate wall and used to adhere the two layers together. Adhesive mortar layer could also be made of a mortar composition.

A protection layer is applied on one surface (top surface) of a thermal insulation layer, and an adhesive mortar layer is applied on the other surface (rear surface) which is nearer to the substrate wall compared with the top surface.

A "primer layer" is typically made of a primer composition, which is used to adhere surfaces together or strengthen the adhesion between surfaces, such as between a protection layer and a thermal insulation layer. The primer composition used in EIFS could be a member of polymer emulsions. Preferably, the primer composition layer is derived from acrylic emulsion. More preferably, the primer composition layer comprises acrylic emulsion and cement The primer composition can be brushed onto the surfaces of all kinds of substrates, such as a thermal insulation board. Sometimes, a primer composition (such as some commercialized products) may be further diluted at construction site by corresponding solvent, normally water.

A TTA CHMENT APPARA TUS

The attachment apparatus of the present invention comprises an embedded part and a fixing part.

There is no limitation on the shape of the embedded part, but at least one section should be suitable to place between a protection layer and a thermal insulation layer of a thermal insulation panel. Preferably, the first section of the embedded part is in the form of a sheet. The first section desirably has a rectangular shape from the top view. Compared with other shapes such rectangular shape part is easier to produce and at the same time has a larger contact surface to achieve closer adhesion with the protection layer and the thermal insulation layer. The first section of the embedded part preferably comprises a piercing area. When a mortar composition, such as polymer modified mortar composition, is applied on a thermal insulation layer having an embedded part inserted therein, the piercing area could be filled with such mortar composition. When the mortar composition is cured, the first section of the embedded part could fasten to the protection layer. Thus in case of the destruction of the thermal insulation layer, such as by fire, a prefabricated panel affixed to a substrate wall with the present attachment apparatus can benefit by remaining fixed to the substrate wall. The piercing area could be any suitable form, such as holes, slots, bars, etc. In FIG. l, which provides an illustration of an embodiment of an embedded part of an attachment apparatus of the present invention, the embedded part is rectangle from the top view and the piercing area of the first section 1 thereof comprises six bars. When mortar composition is applied, the space between the bars can be filled with mortar composition.

The second section of the embedded part can be in any shape, preferably rectangular in shape from the side view. Preferably, the second section of the embedded part is perpendicularly connected to the first section. The second section comprises an engagement part which can be engaged/coupled with the first section of a fixing part. For example, in FIG. l second section 2 of the embedded part is perpendicularly connected to first section 1. The engagement part can comprise at least one projecting oblique side edge. Preferably, said projecting oblique side edge further comprises two teeth 4, each of them having one end connected to second section 2 and the other end positioned away from the second section 2. Thus, one end of the two teeth 4 is inclined out of a thermal insulation panel when first section 1 of the embedded part is embedded into the panel. The inclination angle can be selected depending on the size of the embedded part. Normally, it can be 2-10° relative to second section 2, which is typically perpendicular to the substrate wall. The two teeth 4 define a space therebetween, through which the embedded part could be engaged with a T-shape part.

The embedded part can further comprise a third section that further strengthens attachment of the embedded part with a prefabricated panel. The third section could be inserted into the thermal insulation layer, such as a thermal insulation board, of a thermal insulation panel. The third section is commonly perpendicularly connected to a first section so as to be opposite of a second section. See, for example FIG. l, where third section 3 is perpendicularly connected with first section 1 at one side opposite to the other side at which the first section 1 is connected with the second section 2. Third section 3 can be parallel with second section 2. Third section 3 can comprise spiny ends to facilitate the insertion into and thereafter strengthen the retention with the thermal insulation layer. The third section can also be connected with second section 2 and be parallel to first section 1. The distance between first section 1 and third section 3 is suitable to place a thermal insulation layer therein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first section of an embedded part that further comprises extroversive edge 8, which is extended outwards into the protection layer and thereby provides mechanical fixing with the protection layer. The first section 1 further includes introversive edge 9, which when affixed to a thermal insulation panel extends towards the thermal insulation layer and enhances attachment with the thermal insulation layer. Second section 2 of the embedded part comprises one projecting oblique side edge 4. Third section 3 could be parallel with the first section 1 and perpendicularly connected with the second section 2. Third section 3 could also comprise an introversive edge 9 (shown in FIG.3) to enhance attachment with the thermal insulation layer. Third section 3 could also comprise an extroversive edge 8 to enhance attachment with the adhesive mortar layer. The distance between first section 1 and third section 3 is desirably proximate to the thickness of the thermal insulation layer of a thermal insulation panel so as to be able to receive the thermal insulation layer therebetween. FIG. 3 provides a side view and a top view of the embedded part of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates other examples of embedded parts, showing different forms of the piercing areas and the first and third sections.

The fixing part of the attachment apparatus also comprises two sections. The first section of the fixing part can be in any suitable form to be engaged/coupled with the engagement part of the second section of the embedded part. FIG. 5, for example, illustrates one embodiment of a fixing part. In FIG. 5, the first section of the fixing part is a T-shape part comprising an upright arm 5, and a crossarm 6 which is connected with the upright arm 5 at one end of the upright arm 5. The upright arm 5 can be inserted into the indentation between the two teeth 4 of the embedded part shown in FIG. 1. For example, crossarm 6 of the T- shape part can be inserted into the space between the two teeth 4 and second section 2 of the embedded part. Thus, the T-shape part is engaged with the embedded part. Preferably, the crossarm of the T-shape part has two ends which are curved as illustrated in FIG. 5 in order to fasten the two teeth better than those having no such curved end.

The fixing part is typically attached onto a substrate wall through a second section of the fixing part. It is common to attach a fixing part onto a substrate wall using mechanical fasteners such as one or more rivets, bolts, nails, threaded connections, etc. In FIG. 5, second section 7 defines a hole through which a mechanical fastener such as a bolt could be inserted to attach the fixing part onto a substrate wall. Preferably, the hole is a slot which could give installation tolerance. FIG. 6 provides a view of the engagement of the embedded part and the fixing part, and further illustrates a bolt installed through second section 7 of the fixing part for attaching the fixing part to a substrate wall.

When the fixing part is coupled with the embedded part through the projecting oblique side edge, the installation provides some error position tolerance. In addition, in case of a bolt used to install a panel to a substrate wall, the more the bolt is tightened, the closer the embedded part will be engaged with the fixing part.

FIG. 7 illustrates a fixing part that comprises two opposite projecting oblique side edges that can engage two projecting oblique side edges of two embedded parts which are respectively embedded into two adjacent panels (unseen here). FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 illustrate such engagement.

FIG. 10 illustrates another example of a fixing part that can also engage two adjacent embedded parts at the same time. The first section of the fixing part is in the form of two projecting oblique side edges, each of them could engage an embedded part. Therefore said fixing part could fix two adjacent panels at the same time.

Multiple sets of the attachment apparatuses can be used to install one prefabricated panel. If the panel is rectangular, each side could be fixed by one set of the attachment apparatus (a "set" comprises an embedded part and a fixing part). Other distribution forms could also be used. For a 900mmx600mm panel, for example, four attachment apparatuses could be used for installation. In FIG. 11, a panel is fixed by 4 sets of the attachment apparatuses, with two on one side and the other two on the opposite side. Preferably, the locations of the attachment apparatuses in two adjacent panels are different, which will give smaller gap between the two panels.

It is desirable to contour the surface of the thermal insulation layer receiving an embedded part so as to allow the embedded part to sit flush with the surface of the thermal insulation layer. For example, a concave part can be formed on the surface of the thermal insulation layer and its depth is the same as the thickness of the first section of the embedded part. Therefore the first section of the embedded part could be placed therein without standing out of the surface of the thermal insulation layer. The concave part can further comprise notches that can be filled with a primer composition.

In a case that a primer composition will be used between the protection layer and the thermal insulation layer, such as a thermal insulation board, it is preferred to form notches on the board surface where the first section of the embedded part will be applied. If a concave part is formed, more preferably the notches could be formed on the concave part. The notch could be any suitable patterns, such as those illustrated in FIG. 12. When the primer composition is applied, the notches will be filled with the primer composition, and then a mortar composition will be applied.

The embedded part and fixing part could be made of any suitable inorganic or organic materials, such as stainless steel sheet, zinc coated steel sheet, copper sheet, polyethylene or polypropylene sheet, etc. When zinc coated steel sheet is used, its thickness is typically 1 mm.

A typical method for using the attachment apparatus of the present invention to install a thermal insulation panel is as follows.

1) Install embedded parts onto the sides of a the thermal insulation layer (for example, XPS foam board) of the thermal insulation panel, so that the third section of the embedded part is inserted into the foam board, or in case of the embedded part in FIG. 5 the foam board will be received between the first section and the third sections and the introversive edges clip with the foam board stably.

2) Cast mortar composition onto the top surface of the insulation layer to form a protection layer with the embedded part located between the foam board and the protection layer. Cure the protection layer for 1 day.

3) Apply adhesive mortar layer onto the rear surface (surface opposing the top surface) of the foam board. Cure the adhesive mortar layer for 1 day.

4) Fix the thermal insulation panel with a fixing part to hold a projecting oblique side edge of the embedded part, and then use a bolt to install the panel onto a substrate wall.

After installation, the joints between every two panels could be filled with thermal insulation materials. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam back roll can be filled into joints, which are then sealed by a sealant, such as UltraPruf^™ II SCS 2900 silicone sealant (UltraPruf is a trademark of GE Corporation). If necessary, a water management channel can be formed in the space between two adjacent foam boards under the sealant. An example of such a water management channel is illustrated in FIG. 13.

Claims

1. An attachment apparatus for installing on a substrate wall a prefabricated thermal insulation panel, said attachment apparatus comprising

(a) an embedded part comprising

(i) a first section which is in the form a sheet, and

(ii) a second section comprising at least one projecting oblique side edge, and (b) a fixing part comprising

(i) a first section that is capable of engaging with said second section of said embedded part, and

(ii) a second section through which said fixing part is capable of fixing on said substrate wall.

2. The attachment apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said first section of said embedded part comprises a piercing area.

3. The attachment apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said projecting oblique side edge has two teeth which define an indentation therebetween, and said first section of said fixing part is T shape and is capable of engaging with said two teeth.

4. The attachment apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said first section of said fixing part has at least two projecting oblique side edges which are capable of respectively engaging with said projecting oblique side edges of said embedded parts of two adjacent panels.

5. The attachment apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said second section of said fixing part defines a hole through which a bolt could fix said panel on said substrate wall.

6. The attachment apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said embedded part further comprises a third section which is capable of inserting into said thermal insulation

7. An external thermal insulation system comprising prefabricated panels that comprise a thermal insulation layer and a protection layer, and the attachment apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said panels are fixed with a substrate wall by said attachment apparatus.

8. The system according to the claim 7, wherein said first section of said embedded part is embedded into said prefabricated thermal insulation panel and located between said thermal insulation layer and said protection layer, and said projecting oblique side edge of said second section of said embedded part is extended out of said panel.

9. The system according to the claim 7, wherein said thermal insulation layer is a thermal insulation board and said protection layer is a layer made of polymer modified mortar composition.

10. The system according to the claim 7, wherein there is a concave part on said thermal insulation layer and said first section of said embedded part could be placed therein.

11. The system according to the claim 7, wherein said concave part further comprises notches that can be filled with a primer composition.

12. A process for using said attachment apparatus according to the claim 1 to install a thermal insulation panel to a substrate wall, wherein said thermal insulation panel comprising a protection layer and a thermal insulation layer, said process comprising the steps of

a) placing said first section of said embedded part on said thermal insulation layer, b) casting mortar composition to form said protection layer on said thermal insulation layer and said first section of said embedded part will be embedded between said two layers, c) fixing said thermal insulation panel by said first section of said fixing part engaging with said projecting oblique side edge of said embedded part, and

d) installing said panel onto said substrate wall through said second section of said fixing part.

13. The process according to the claim 12, further comprising a step of

applying a primer composition where said first section of said embedded part will be placed on said thermal insulation layer.