WO2024100288A1

WO2024100288A1 - Shingle mount

Info

Publication number: WO2024100288A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/081521
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jorunn Tyssø; Oskar Mikael BRINGAGER
Original assignee: Høine AS
Priority date: 2022-11-10
Filing date: 2023-11-10
Publication date: 2024-05-16
Also published as: GB2624208A; GB202216759D0

Abstract

A shingle mounting assembly, comprising two or more connectors (430, 630, 740). Each of the two or more connectors (430, 630, 740) are configured to engage with an elongate support so as to couple with the elongate support in a sliding arrangement. The assembly comprises one or more shingles (300), each of the one or more shingles (300) comprising a pair of opposing slots (305) extending from the edges of the shingle (300). Each slot (305) of the pair of opposing slots (305) of each shingle (300) is configured to receive a connector (430, 630, 740) of the two or more connectors (430, 630, 740). Each connector (430, 630, 740) comprises two prong portions (633, 733) which extend from a first end (635, 735) of the connector (630, 740) to a second end (636, 736). The distance between the two prong portions at the second end, in a first position, is sufficiently wide so as to enable each prong portion to be located simultaneously in slots (305) of two adjacent shingles (300). The prong portions (633, 733) of each connector (630, 740) are configured to be movable towards one another, into a second position, whereby the distance between the prong portions at the second end (636, 736) is such that both prong portions can be simultaneously located in a single slot (305) of a single shingle (300).

Description

SHINGLE MOUNT

Background

Shingles have been used as a form of cladding on exterior walls or roofs of buildings for many years. They can be employed for multiple purposes, such as improving the water deflection, fire resistance, insulation and aesthetic qualities of the building.

Shingles typically consist of small thin rectangular pieces of material and are arranged in an array substantially parallel to the external wall or roof of a building. The shingles can be arranged to form a plane surface or to overlap one another.

T rad itional ly , shingles are mounted to a roof or wall either directly or via a series of wooden battens or beams, which space the shingles from the underlying roof surface. In either of these cases, the shingles are typically mounted using nails or screws, to fix the shingles to one another and to the underlying roof surface or batten.

The use of nails or screws to mount shingles to a roof or wall is effective for fixing the shingles in place. However, this also means that the shingles cannot easily be replaced in case of damage, wear or for a change in aesthetics or material properties. In any case, such work would be very time and labour intensive and would need to be performed by a professional. Shingles removed from a building in such cases can also rarely be re-used due to the holes formed therein by the nails or screws used for mounting.

Nails and screws are more suitable for use with some materials used for shingles, such as asphalt, than with other more brittle materials. An example of the latter is ceramics, such as natural stone, cement, concrete, terracotta, burned clay, ceramic fibres, glass and materials used in solar panels. These materials each have advantageous properties and are suitable or long-lasting facades. Shingles of such materials often need to be provided with pre-machined holes through which nails or screws can be driven before mounting to a building. Aluminium is often used as a fire resistant alternative for wood for battens on tall buildings. When ceramic shingles are screwed to aluminium battens, or other metal profiles, the ceramic can be exposed to strain due to the relatively high thermal expansion properties of the metal, thereby increasing the chance of fracturing of the shingles.

For shingle applications on both roofs and walls, it is crucial to avoid residual moisture or dampness in the roof/wall. For this reason, shingle arrangements should comprise a ventilation structure, which allows air and condensation to escape the roof or wall. In some known arrangements, both horizontal and vertical battens are used so as to avoid obstructions between the shingle arrangement and wall or roof cladding.

Summary of the Invention

A shingle mounting assembly is provided and comprises two or more connectors. Each of the two or more connectors are configured to engage with an elongate support so as to couple with the elongate support in a sliding arrangement. The assembly also comprises one or more shingles, each of the one or more shingles comprising a pair of opposing slots extending from the edges of the shingle. Each slot of the pair of opposing slots of each shingle is configured to receive a connector of the two or more connectors.

Each connector may comprise two prong portions which extend from a first end of the connector to a second end. The distance between the two prong portions at the second end, in a first position, may be sufficiently wide to enable each prong portion to be located simultaneously in slots of two adjacent shingles.

The prong portions of each connector may be configured to be movable towards one another, into a second position, whereby the distance between the prong portions at the second end is such that both prong portions can be simultaneously located in a single slot of a single shingle.

Each connector may comprise a biasing means configured to bias the prong portions into the first position in the absence of external force applied to the connector. The shingle mounting assembly may further comprise one or more mounts, each of the one or more mounts comprising means for mounting said mount to a surface. The assembly may further comprise a bar support structure, a locking means and one or more bars, each of the one or more bars comprising a locking feature configured to interact with the locking means of the mount to provide a coupling between the mount and the bar. Each of the one or more bars may further comprise a connector support structure, the first end of each connector being configured to engage with the connector support structure so as to couple with the bar in a sliding arrangement.

Each mount, bar and connector may be configured such that, once the mount is mounted to a surface, the bar is coupled to the mount and the connector is coupled with the bar, a longitudinal axis of the connector extending between the first end and the second end of the connector extends substantially perpendicularly to the surface.

The second end of each connector may comprise a retaining portion, which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis.

Each bar may be configured to be coupled and/or decoupled to a mount of the one or more mounts via relative rotational motion therebetween.

Each connector may be configured to be coupled and/or decoupled to a bar of the one or more bars through relative rotational motion therebetween.

Each connector may comprise a clip structure at its first end configured to couple the connector in a sliding arrangement with the elongate support.

Each prong portion may comprise a hook structure at its second end configured to extend into a slot of the one or more shingles.

At least a portion of each connector may be formed of a compliant material.

The biasing means may comprise a spring mechanism. A method of mounting shingles to a surface is also provided and comprises engaging two or more connectors in a sliding arrangement with one or more elongate supports mounted to said surface and mounting a shingle comprising a pair of opposing slots onto one of said elongate supports. The mounting step comprises sliding one connector into each slot of the pair of opposing slots of the shingle.

The method may further comprise dismounting a single shingle from said surface. Said dismounting may comprise squeezing together two prong portions of the connector in each slot of said single shingle so as to remove said connectors from said slots and removing said single shingle from said surface.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1A and 1 B show known shingle arrangements.

Figure 2 shows a shingle mounting arrangement in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3 shows examples of shingles that can be used in the shingle mounting arrangement shown in Figure 2, in accordance with the present invention.

Figures 4A-4D show a mounting structure for a shingle arrangement, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5A shows the mounting structure for a shingle arrangement mounted on a surface.

Figure 5B shows how the mounting structure can be used to mount the shingles at an angle with respect to the wall or roof surface.

Figures 6A and 6B show the use of another kind of connector for use with the mounting structure. Figures 6C and 6D illustrate the removal of a shingle by compression of the connectors shown in Figures 6A and 6B.

Figures 7A and 7B show another type of mounting structure, comprising a different type of connector, capable of mounting shingles directly to a horizontally mounted batten.

Figures 7C and 7D illustrate the removal of a shingle by compression of the connectors shown in Figures 7A and 7B.

Figures 7E and 7F show shingles mounted at different angles using the connectors shown in Figures 7A and 7B.

Figures 8A and 8B illustrate a variant of the connector configured to mount shingles directly to a horizontally mounted batten.

Detailed Description

Figures 1A and 1B illustrate a shingle arrangement 10 on a roof 103 of a building, according to known systems. Although only a roof is illustrated, the same shingle arrangement and mounting system is also often employed on substantially vertical external walls of buildings.

As can be seen most clearly from Figure 1 B, in such arrangements, a roof 103 or wall is first provided with a series of horizontally extending battens, usually made from wood, which provide a support structure for the shingles 100. Nails or screws 101 are then driven through the shingles 100 and the battens in order to create a fixed attachment therebetween. The nails or screws 101 are also often driven through multiple shingles 100 at their overlapping regions in order to fix the shingles 100 to one another and increase overall structural integrity of the shingle arrangement 10. If the shingles 100 are made from a rigid material such as metal, building stone, other ceramics, hardened plastic or composite materials, they require provision of pre-machined holes to enable nails or screws to be driven therethrough and to avoid fracturing. Pre-machining holes constitutes an extra manufacturing step, which increases costs and complexity of the production process of the shingles. In addition, the requirement to machine holes in the shingles limits the material choices therefor, either due to material properties or cost effectiveness. The utilisation of some recycled materials is rendered unviable by this requirement. When shingles are made from ceramic materials and are mounted via screws to aluminium battens, or other metal profiles, they may experience strain due to the relatively low thermal expansion coefficient of the shingles as compared with the metal battens.

Whilst this known method of mounting shingles provides a sturdy and durable shingle structure, due to the use of nails and/or screws, the structure cannot be easily adjusted. Once mounted, the shingles cannot be rearranged or replaced without removing the nails or screws and subsequently remounting through further attachment to the battens and to one another. This in itself presents issues such as damage to the underlying battens by the screws or nails, thus limiting the number of times the shingles can be rearranged or replaced without also replacing the battens, which inevitably involves further labour and material costs. Furthermore, the pre-machined holes, or the holes created through attachment with nails or screws in shingles made from softer materials, such as asphalt, limit the rearrangement possibilities. Unless the same holes are used upon re-placement, which is often not feasible, empty holes will remain in the shingles, which affect the aesthetic and functional properties of the shingles and the shingle structure as a whole.

Figure 2 illustrates a new shingle mounting arrangement 20 utilising aspects of the present disclosure. As can be seen from Figure 2, the shingle arrangement 20 provides an array of mounted overlapping shingles 300 much like the arrangement 10 shown in Figures 1A and 1B. The shingle arrangement 20 is able to provide the same functions as the shingle arrangement 10, such as water deflection, fire resistance, insulation and aesthetic qualities, since the shingles 300 are mounted relative to one another in the same way as shingles 100. Although the shingle arrangement 20 of Figure 2 is shown on a vertical wall, the same arrangement may also be applied to a roof or other angled wall or surface. The mounting mechanism and components will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 5B. Figure 3 illustrates examples of shingles 300 which may be used with the mounting system of the shingle arrangement 20. As can be seen, the shingles 300 are each provided with a pair of opposing slots 305. The slots 305 are formed proximate a first end 310 of each shingle 300 and extend a length L from each side edge inwards towards their vertical centreline A. The slots 305 may extend a distance of from 10% to 50% of the distance between the respective side edge and the vertical centreline A. As shown, the shingles 300 may have a rectangular shape. As shown on the left-hand side of Figure 3, the length of the shingles 300 between the first end 310 and the second end 311 may be smaller than the width of the shingles 300 between the side edges 312. As shown on the right-hand side of the figure the length from the first end 310 to the second end 311 may be greater than the width between the side edges 312. The slots 305 provide a means for supporting the shingles 300 with respect to the mounting structure, as will be further described with reference to Figures 4A to 4D. In terms of manufacturing, it is easier and cheaper to form such slots 305 as a supporting means for the shingles 300 as compared with the nail or screw holes often required for known shingles 100, which require a higher level of precision. This is particularly the case when utilising recycled materials such as machined layers of bricks.

The mounting structure of the shingle arrangement 20 will now be described with reference to Figures 4A to 4D. The mounting system utilises three distinct components, excluding the shingles 300. These are the mount 410, the bar 420 and the connector 430. To form a complete shingle arrangement, such as the shingle arrangement 20 shown in Figure 2, multiple mounts 410, bars 420 and connectors 430 may be used.

In Figure 4A is illustrated a cross-section of one non-limiting example of a mount 410. The mount 410 is configured to be fastened to a support structure of a building, on a wall or roof. The mount 410 may be fixedly mounted to a wall or roof of a building via screws or other fastening means. The fastening means, in some examples, may be one or more screw holes, configured to accommodate one or more screws to fix the mount 410 to a wall or roof. The mount 410 comprises an upper contact portion 416 and a lower contact portion 417. Whilst the mount 410 may be fixed directly to a wall or roof via screws or other fastening means, as shown in Figure 4E, the mount 410 may also be mounted to an anchor 5 provided on the wall or roof. The anchor 5 may extend through an insulation layer provided on the outer surface of the wall or roof.

Figure 4B illustrates a cross-section of one non-limiting example of a bar 420. The bar 420 is an elongate member configured to couple with one or more of mounts 410. The bar 420 is shown on the right-hand side before coupling with the mount 410 and on the left-hand side after coupling with the mount 410.

Figure 4C illustrates a cross-section of a non-limiting example of a connector 430. The connector 430 is an elongate member with longitudinal axis B configured to couple to a bar 420 in a sliding arrangement. The connector is shown on the righthand side before engagement with the bar 420 and on the left-hand side after engagement with the bar 420. The connector 430 has a first end 435 and a second end 436, opposite the first end 435. The connector also has a load support surface 437.

Figure 4D illustrates a perspective view of a shingle 300 prior to the mounting thereof to the mount 410, bar 420 and connector 430 assembly.

Figure 5A illustrates a cross-section of a non-limiting example of the shingle mount assembly, where a mount 410 is fixed to a wall or roof, a bar 420 is locked into the mount 410, a connector 430 is engaged in a sliding arrangement with the bar 420 and a shingle 300 is mounted via two or more connectors 430 received within the slots 305 of the shingle 300.

The mount 410 is provided with a bar support structure 411 configured to couple to and support a bar 420. The bar support structure 411 also comprises a locking means 412 configured to interact with a corresponding locking feature 422 on a bar 420 to inhibit relative displacement between the bar 420 and mount 410 once in a locked position. The locking means 412 of the mount 410 and the locking feature 422 of the bar may interact with one another, to move between a locked and an unlocked position, by relative rotational movement between the bar 420 and mount 422. This provides an easy and reversible coupling between the connector bar 420 and mount 410. The bar 420 may be configured to be locked simultaneously to two or more mounts 410. The bar 420, as shown in Figure 4B, comprises a connector support structure 421 configured to engage a connector 430 in a sliding arrangement so as to allow the connector 430 to move freely along the length of the bar 420, in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis.

Figure 4C shows the coupling of a connector 430 to the bar 420. The connector 430 and bar 420 are configured such that when the bar 420 is coupled to a mount 410, which is itself mounted to a wall or roof, the connector support surface 437, once the connector 430 is coupled to the connector support structure 421 of the bar 420, extends substantially perpendicularly to the wall or roof. The connector 430 comprises an engagement means 431 at its first end 435 configured to interact with the connector support structure 421 of the bar 420. Through interaction of the engagement means 431 and the support structure 421 , the connector 430 may be moved between a disengaged position (right-hand side of Figure 4C) and an engaged position (left hand side of Figure 4C).

In the configuration and orientation shown in Figure 4C (left hand side) and Figure 5A, where the mount 410, bar 420 and connector 430 are mounted to a wall or roof, and the connector 430 is in the engaged position, the interaction between the engagement means 431 of the connector 430 and the connector support structure 421 of the bar 420 limits pivotal movement so as to maintain the orientation of the connector load support surface 437 with respect to the bar 420. The engagement retains this function even when a load is applied to the connector load support surface 437, meaning that the connector 430 can support the weight of a shingle 300 without deviating from its position and orientation relative to the bar 420.

The connector 430 may be moved between the disengaged position and the engaged position by relative rotational movement between the bar 420 and connector 430. This provides an easy and reversible coupling between the connector 430 and bar 420.

The connector 430 may also be provided with a retaining portion 432, extending from the second end 436 of the connector 430 opposite the engagement means 431. When a shingle 300 is supported by a connector 430 comprising a retaining portion 432, as shown in Figure 5A, the retaining portion 432 is configured to limit the movement of the shingle 300 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis B of the connector 430. The retaining portion 432 may extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis B of the connector 430 and in a direction parallel to the direction from the lower contact portion 417 to the upper contact portion 416 of the mount 410, or when the assembly is mounted to a wall or roof, towards the top of the wall or roof.

The connector 430 is shaped and sized in order to be received in the slots 305 provided in the shingles 300. For example, the width of the connector 430 may be equal to the slot length L. In some examples, the width of the connector 430 is sufficiently great to enable the connector 430 to be received in two adjacent shingles 300 simultaneously. The width of the connector 430 in this case may be equal to double the slot length L. The connector 430 may also have a thickness substantially equal to the height h of the slots 305. The connectors 430 are configured to support a shingle 300 with respect to the bar 420. For example, two or more connectors 430 may be coupled to a bar 420 in a sliding arrangement. A shingle 300 may then be moved into proximity with the bar, as shown in Figure 4D. As also shown in the Figure 4D, the shingle 300 is oriented substantially vertically, and such that the first end 310 is above the second end 311. Once in this position, the two connectors 430 on either side of the shingle 300 may be slid along the length of the bar towards the shingle 300 and be received within the slots 305. Due to the engagement means 431 of the connector 430 preventing movement of the connector 430, the weight of the shingle 300 is supported by the connector 430, bar 420 and mount 410, with respect to the wall or roof. This sliding connector arrangement is particularly advantageous, over mounting using screws or nails, in situations where the shingles 300 are made from a ceramic material and are mounted to aluminium battens. As mentioned previously, such an arrangement can easily lead to fracturing of the shingle due to the relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion as compared with the metal battens to which they are mounted. Instead, using a slot and sliding connector arrangement as described in the present application allows a much greater range of movement between the mounting means (in this case sliding connectors in slots as opposed to screws or nails in screw holes) and the shingle 300. This greatly reduces or eliminates the risk of fracturing due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the shingle and the batten.

As illustrated in detail in Figure 4A, the mount 410 comprises an upper contact portion 416 and a lower contact portion 417, configured to contact a wall or roof in use. One or both of the upper and lower contact portions may be provided with fastening means such as screw holes. When the mount 410 is mounted on a wall or roof, the upper contact portion 416 is configured to be located above the lower contact portion 417.

As described above, the mount 410 is provided with a bar support structure 411 comprising a locking means 412. The bar support structure 411 may comprise a bar support surface 413 configured to extend at least partially perpendicularly to a wall or roof, when the mount 410 is mounted to said wall or roof. The mount 410 may further comprise a bracket portion 414 extending from the bar support surface 413 at an angle therefrom to the lower contact portion 417. When the mount 410 is mounted on a wall or roof, the bracket 414 extends at a downward angle, away from the bar support structure 411 and to the lower contact portion 417. The bracket 414 provides mechanical support for the mount 410 when a load is applied to the support surface 413. The locking means 412, as shown in the cross-section of Figure 4A may comprise a hook structure. The hook structure initially extends from the upper contact portion 416, then towards the bar support surface 413. This creates a cavity 415 defined between the hook structure and the support surface 413. This structure is present through the length of the mount 410.

As discussed above and shown in Figure 4B, the bar 420 comprises a locking feature 422. The locking feature 422 may be a ridge-like protrusion extending along the length of the bar 420 from the upper surface 425 of the bar 420. In this embodiment, the locking feature 422 is sized and shaped to be received in the cavity 415 provided by the hook structure of the locking means 412 of the mount 410. The locking feature may further comprise a lower ridge 423, extending from the lower surface 426 of the bar 420, configured to abut an outer edge of the bar support surface 413. The bar 420 comprises a connector support structure 421. The connector support structure 421 may comprise a ridge-like protrusion 424 configured to extend downwards from the upper surface 425 of the bar 420 towards the lower surface 426. The protrusion 424 extends only partly from the upper surface 425 to the lower surface 426 and defines a hollow cavity 427 configured to receive a connector 430.

In some embodiments, the connector 430 may comprise a flat elongate central portion 433 between the first end 435 and the second end 436. The connector 430 may be configured to be inserted by rotation, in a clockwise direction as viewed from Figure 4C or 5, into the hollow cavity 427 in the bar 420. Once inserted, the engagement means 431 at the first end 435 of the connector 430 abuts the ridgelike protrusion 424 of the bar 420 to prevent further rotation. This maintains the connector 430 in an orientation wherein the longitudinal axis B is substantially perpendicular to a wall or roof, when mounted to a wall or roof, when a load is applied in a direction parallel to the direction from the upper contact portion 416 to the lower contact portion 417 of the mount 410. This may be due to the weight of a shingle 300 when the assembly is mounted to a wall or roof. The connector 430 may be released from its engagement with the bar 420 by rotation in the opposite direction, i.e. anticlockwise as viewed from Figure 4C or 5A, during which the second end 436 is moved towards the upper contact portion 416 of the mount 410.

Whilst the connector 430 may be disengaged from the bar 420 with sufficient rotation in this direction, the connector 430 may also be only partially rotated in this direction without disengaging it from the bar 420. This allows for the placement of shingles 300 at an angle to the wall or roof and the overlapping of shingles 300 above and below one another. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5B. The shingles 300 on the left hand side of the figure are arranged at a greater angle to the roof or wall surface than the shingles 300 on the right hand side of the figure. The shingles 300 are each supported in a similar angular position with respect to the roof or wall by the shingle 300 underneath. The vertical separation z between bars 420 mounted to the wall or roof determines the angle at which the shingles 300 extend with respect to the wall or roof.

Figures 6A and 6B show an alternative embodiment of a connector 630, which may be used in place of the connector 430 described in relation to any previously described embodiment. As shown, this connector 630 comprises two prong portions 633, which extend from the first end 635 of the connector 630 to its second end 636. Each prong portion 633 may also comprise a retaining portion 632 extending from the second end 636, which performs the same function as the retaining portion

632 of the connector 430 described in previous embodiments. The prong portions

633 are separated from one another by a particular distance at the second end 636. This distance is sufficiently wide such that each prong portion 633 may be received simultaneously in slots 305 of two adjacently arranged shingles 300. From the second end 636 to the first end 635, the distance between the prong portions 633 may converge, such that the prong portions 633 are directly or indirectly connected to one another at the first end 635. The first end 635 of the connector 630 of the embodiment of Figures 6A and 6B also comprises an engagement means 631, which is configured to engage with a bar 420 in the same way as the engagement means 431 of the connector 430 in previously described embodiments. The connector 630 is configured such that the prong portions 633 move towards one another upon application of sufficient force by a user. The prong portions 633 may be movable towards one another such that the separation between the prong portions 636 allows for both prong portions 636 to be received into a single slot 305 of a shingle 300. This is illustrated in Figures 6C and 6D. Figure 6C shows a mounted arrangement with the prong portions 633 of each connector 630 being simultaneously received in the slots 305 of two adjacently mounted shingles 300. Figure 6D shows the connectors 630 upon application of force on the prong portions 633 to move said prong portions 633 towards one another. The prong portions 633 of the connector may also be biased into their original position (before the application of said force by a user), where the prong portions 633 are separated at their second ends 636 sufficiently to be each simultaneously located in slots 305 of adjacent shingles 300. This configuration may be achieved by forming the entire connector 630 with a compliant material. Alternatively, only a portion of the connector 630 proximate the first end 635 may be made of a compliant material. The connector 630 may alternatively comprise a different biasing means at the first end 635, such as a spring-loaded hinge. The advantage of providing such a connector 630, with prong portions 633 movable towards one another to a separation where both prong portions 633 may be received in a single slot 305, is that a single shingle 300 may be removed from a shingle arrangement without also removing one or more adjacent shingles 300. To do this, the prong portions 633 of the connectors 630 positioned in both slots 305 of said shingle 300 may be squeezed together. This disengages the connectors 630 in each slot 305 of the shingle 300, thereby disengaging the shingle 300 from the shingle arrangement. This is illustrated in Figure 6D, where the central shingle can be removed from the arrangement after the squeezing together of the prong portions 633 of the connectors 630 initially present in each of the slots 305 of said central shingle 300. The connectors 630, like the connectors 430 of previous embodiments, may also be engaged in a sliding arrangement with the bar 420.

To form a complete shingle arrangement 20 as illustrated in Figure 2, the following method may be followed.

One or more mounts 410 according to any of the above described embodiments are mounted to a wall, roof or other surface. The mounts 410 may be mounted in one or more rows. In each row, the mounts 410 are aligned horizontally with one another, and each have the same orientation with respect to the wall or roof. The mounts 410 in each row may be mounted at incremental distances from one another. In some embodiments, the distance between mounts 410 in each row is 60cm. In other embodiments, the distance between mounts 410 in each row can be any of 20cm, 40cm, 80cm and 1m. These distances are non-limiting and any other distances or combinations of difference distances may be used, depending on the wall structure, number and weight of the shingles and/or the dimensions of the bar and mount. Each row of mounts 410 may be vertically separated from one another by a distance less than or equal to the distance between the first upper end 310 and the second lower end 311 of the shingles 300 to be used in the arrangement 20.

Once the one or more mounts 410 are mounted to the wall or roof, one or more bars 420 according to any of the above described embodiments are coupled to the mounts 410. The one or more bars 420 are coupled to one or more mounts 410 in a single row. In other words, a bar 420 is not coupled to mounts 410 in different rows. Due to the horizontal alignment of the mounts 410, the longitudinal axes of the bars 420 extend horizontally. The one or more bars 420 may be coupled to the one or more mounts 410 by relative rotational movement therebetween. Once one or more bars 420 have been coupled to the one or more mounts 410, a plurality of connectors 430, 630 according to any of the abovementioned embodiments are connected into an engaged position in the one or more bars 420. The connectors 430, 630 are engaged in a sliding arrangement with respect to the one or more bars 420 so as to be freely movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the bars 420.

Once the plurality of connectors 430, 630 have been placed into an engaged position with the one or more bars 420, the shingles 300 may be mounted thereto. First, a shingle 300 according to any of the abovementioned embodiments is brought into alignment with a bar 420, as shown in Figure 4D, with the first end 310, to which the slots 305 are proximate, above the second end. Two or more connectors are then slid towards said shingle 300 and are received within both opposing slots 305. This process of mounting a shingle 300 to the one or more bars 420 via connectors 430, 630 is repeated until the desired number of shingles 300 are mounted to the wall or roof, or until each bar 420 is filled with shingles 300. In some embodiments, some connectors 430, 630 may be each received within slots of adjacently arranged shingles.

In some embodiments, such as those illustrated in Figures 6A to 6D, the connectors 630 comprise two prong portions 633. When these connectors 630 are used in the aforementioned method, the prong portions 633 of each connector 633 are located in slots of adjacently arranged shingles 300.

To dismount a single shingle 300 in an arrangement, the prong portions 633 of the two connectors 630 situated in the opposing slots 305 of said single shingle 300 are squeezed together so as to remove the prong portions 633 of each connector 630 from each slot 305 of the single shingle 305 and into the slots 305 of the adjacent shingles 300. The single shingle 300 is then freely removed from the arrangement.

Figures 7A and 7B illustrate another mounting structure for the shingles 300 described in relation to the aforementioned embodiments, capable of mounting the shingles 300 to a wall or roof. This structure comprises a connector 740 and does not require any fastening means such as screws, nails or glue, aside from those used to mount battens to the roof or wall. The connector 740 is configured to be mounted directly to a horizontally-mounted batten 750 on a roof or wall. As shown in Figure 7B, the connector 740 is configured to be mounted, or clipped, onto a horizontally-mounted batten 750. The connector 740 has internal dimensions which substantially match the external dimensions of the batten 750. This enables a snug engagement of the connector 740 with the batten 750. As shown, the connector 740 is configured to contact lower surface of the batten 750. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the connector 740 has a rectangular profile, which is configured to generally match the size and cross-sectional shape of conventional battens used in roofing and shingle applications. This allows the connector 740 to be snugly and securely coupled to said battens. The connector 740 may still however be slidable along the length of said batten in such an arrangement.

The connector 740 comprises two prong portions 733 similar to the prong portions 633 of the connector 630 of the embodiment shown in Figures 6A and 6B. Each prong portion 733 forms a hook shape, which is configured to enter a slot 305 of a shingle 300 from the side of the shingle facing away from the batten 750 once mounted. The prong portions 733 have a separation at their second end 736 of sufficient size to allow each prong portion 733 to be respectively received in a slot 305 of two adjacently mounted shingles 300. The separation between the prong portions 733 converges towards the first end 735. From the first end 735, the prong portions 733 extend along the upper surface of a shingle 300 and curve around the outer surface of the shingle 300 (the side facing away from the batten 750 and connector 740) and into the slot 305 of the shingle 300. The prong portions 733 support the weight of the shingle 300 by contacting the inner upper surface of the slot 305.

In the same way as the connector 630 described in Figures 6A and 6B, the prong portions 733 of the connector 740 are configured to be moveable towards one another by application of force by a user on each of the prong portions 733 in a direction towards the opposing prong portion 733. This configuration is illustrated in Figures 7C and 7D. Figure 7C shows a mounted arrangement with the prong portions 733 of each connector 740 being simultaneously received in the slots 305 of two adjacently mounted shingles 300. Figure 6D shows the connectors 740 upon application of force on the prong portions 733 to move said prong portions 733 towards one another. By virtue of the entire connector 740 being formed from a compliant material, or only a portion thereof proximate the first end 735, or by other biasing means such as a spring-loaded hinge at the first end 735, the prong portions 733 are biased into their original position as shown in Figures 7A and 7C. However, it will be appreciated that the connector 740 is configured such that a user may impart sufficient force on the prong portions 733 to reduce the separation therebetween such that a single shingle 300 sandwiched between adjacent shingles on either side may be removed from a shingle arrangement 300 without having to move or remove the adjacent shingles, as illustrated in Figure 7D.

As shown in Figure 7B, it is possible to configure the connector 740 such that the shingles 300 are held at an angle with respect to a wall or roof to which they are mounted. One way in which this may be achieved by reducing the dimensions of the connector 740 between the first end 735 and the second end 736. The connectors 740 may be formed of compliant material, which allows the shingles 300 to be mounted at an angle with respect to the wall or roof, whilst still supporting the shingles 300. This is illustrated in Figures 7E and 7F. In Figure 7E, the shingles are mounted at a greater angle to the wall or roof than the shingles in Figure 7F. As can be seen, the compliant nature of the connector 740 means that the clip 740 can be deformed to accommodate these angles whilst still supporting the weight of the shingles 300.

A method of mounting shingles 300 using the connectors 740 illustrated in Figures 7A to 7F comprises the following steps:

A plurality of connectors 740 are clipped onto at least one batten 750 of one or more battens 750 mounted on a surface so as to be in a sliding arrangement with the respective batten 750 and may slide along the length of the batten 750 without being unclipped.

Once the plurality of connectors 740 have been clipped to the at least one batten 750, the shingles 300 may be mounted thereto. First, a shingle 300 according to any of the abovementioned embodiments is brought into alignment with the batten 750 having connectors 750 clipped thereon, as shown in Figure 7A, with the first end 310, to which the slots 305 are proximate, above the second end. Two or more connectors 740 are then slid towards said shingle 300 and are received within both opposing slots 305. This process of mounting a shingle 300 to the one or more battens 750 via connectors 740 is repeated until the desired number of shingles 300 are mounted to the wall or roof, or until each batten 750 is filled with shingles 300. The connectors 740 are each received within the slots of pairs of adjacently arranged shingles.

To dismount a single shingle 300 in an arrangement, the prong portions 733 of the two connectors 740 situated in the opposing slots 305 of said single shingle 300 are squeezed together so as to remove the prong portions 733 of each connector 740 from each slot 305 of the single shingle 305 and into the slots 305 of the adjacent shingles 300. The single shingle 300 is then freely removed from the arrangement.

Figure 8A illustrates a variant 840 of the connector 740 as illustrated and described in relation to Figures 7A to 7F. Like the connector 740, the connector 840 is configured to be mounted directly to a batten 750 on a roof or wall and has internal dimensions to substantially match the external dimensions of the batten 750, which may have a rectangular cross-section, as illustrated. The connector 840 may comprise compliant material to as to provide a snap fit on the batten 750. The connector 840 may be slidable along the length of the batten 750.

Again, like the connector 740, the connector 840 comprises two prong portions 833. In contrast to the connector 740, the prong portions 833 of the connector 840 are configured to extend directly through the slots 305 of a shingle 300 from the side of the shingle 300 facing the batten 750 once mounted. This mounting arrangement is illustrated in Figure 8B. As can be seen, this provides a different relative position of the slot 305 and shingle 300 with respect to the batten 750, as compared with the arrangement shown in Figure 7E. As can also be seen when comparing the arrangements shown in Figures 7E and 8B, the connector 840 is able to provide a more snug and secure fit around the batten 750 once a shingle 300 is mounted thereto. The connector 840 may also be lighter and require less material than the connector 740.

As with the connector 740, the prong portions 833 of the connector 840 have a separation at their second end 836 of sufficient size to allow each prong portion 833 to be respectively received in a slot 305 of two adjacently mounted shingles 300. The separation between the prong portions 833 converges towards the first end 835. The prong portions 833 of the connector 840 are configured to be moveable towards one another by application of force by a user on each of the prong portions 833 in a direction towards the opposing prong portion 833.

By virtue of the entire connector 840, or only a portion thereof proximate the first end 835, being formed from a compliant material, or by other biasing means such as a spring-loaded hinge at the first end 835, the prong portions 833 are biased into their original position as shown in Figure 8A. However, it will be appreciated that the connector 840 is configured such that a user may impart sufficient force on the prong portions 833 to reduce the separation therebetween such that a single shingle 300 sandwiched between adjacent shingles on either side may be removed from a shingle arrangement 300 without having to move or remove the adjacent shingles. This is made possible by the prong portions 833 being configured to be squeezed towards one another to position both prong portions 833 simultaneously in one slot 305 of a shingle 300.

The method of mounting shingles 300 using the connector 840 may follow exactly the method described in relation to the connector 740 above.

Although this disclosure has been described in terms of preferred examples, it should be understood that these examples are illustrative only and that the claims are not limited to those examples. Those skilled in the art will be able to make modifications and alternatives in view of the disclosure which are contemplated as falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A shingle mounting assembly, comprising: two or more connectors (430, 630, 740); wherein each of the two or more connectors (430, 630, 740) are configured to engage with an elongate support so as to couple with the elongate support in a sliding arrangement; one or more shingles (300), each of the one or more shingles (300) comprising a pair of opposing slots (305) extending from the edges of the shingle (300); wherein each slot (305) of the pair of opposing slots (305) of each shingle (300) is configured to receive a connector (430, 630, 740) of the two or more connectors (430, 630, 740); wherein each connector (430, 630, 740) comprises two prong portions (633, 733) which extend from a first end (635, 735) of the connector (630, 740) to a second end (636, 736); wherein the distance between the two prong portions at the second end, in a first position, is sufficiently wide so as to enable each prong portion to be located simultaneously in slots (305) of two adjacent shingles (300); and, wherein the prong portions (633, 733) of each connector (630, 740) are configured to be movable towards one another, into a second position, whereby the distance between the prong portions at the second end (636, 736) is such that both prong portions can be simultaneously located in a single slot (305) of a single shingle (300).

2. The shingle mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein each connector (630, 740) comprises a biasing means configured to bias the prong portions (633, 733) into the first position in the absence of external force applied to the connector.

3. The shingle mounting assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising: one or more mounts (410), each of the one or more mounts (410) comprising means for mounting said mount to a surface, a bar support structure (411) and a locking means (412); and one or more bars (420), each of the one or more bars (420) comprising a locking feature (422) configured to interact with the locking means (412) of the mount (410) to provide a coupling between the mount (410) and the bar (420); wherein each of the one or more bars (420) further comprises a connector support structure (421); wherein the first end (435, 635) of each connector (430, 630) is configured to engage with the connector support structure (421) of the bar (420) so as to couple with the bar (420) in a sliding arrangement.

4. The shingle mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein each mount (410), bar (420) and connector (430, 630) are configured such that, once the mount is mounted to a surface, the bar is coupled to the mount and the connector is coupled with the bar, a longitudinal axis (B) of the connector extending between the first end (435, 635) and the second end (436, 636) of the connector (430, 630) extends substantially perpendicularly to the surface.

5. The shingle mounting assembly of claim 4, wherein the second end (436, 636) of each connector (430, 630) comprises a retaining portion (432, 632), which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (B).

6. The shingle mounting assembly of any of claims 3 to 5, wherein each bar (420) is configured to be coupled and/or decoupled to a mount (410) of the one or more mounts (410) via relative rotational motion therebetween.

7. The shingle mounting assembly of any of claims 3 to 6, wherein each connector (430, 630) is configured to be coupled and/or decoupled to a bar (420) of the one or more bars (420) through relative rotational motion therebetween.

8. The shingle mounting assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein each connector (740) comprises a clip structure at its first end (735) configured to couple the connector (740) in a sliding arrangement with the elongate support.

9. The shingle mounting assembly of claim 8, wherein each prong portion (733) comprises a hook structure at its second end (736) configured to extend into a slot (305) of the one or more shingles (300).

10. The shingle mounting assembly of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least a portion of each connector (630, 740) is formed of a compliant material. The shingle mounting assembly of any of claims 2 to 10, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring mechanism. A method of mounting shingles to a surface, comprising: engaging two or more connectors (430, 630, 740) in a sliding arrangement with one or more elongate supports (420, 750) mounted to said surface; mounting a shingle (300), comprising a pair of opposing slots (305), onto one of said elongate supports (420, 750); wherein said mounting step comprises sliding one connector (430, 630, 740) into each slot of the pair of opposing slots (305) of the shingle (300). The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: dismounting a single shingle (300) from said surface; wherein said dismounting comprises: squeezing together two prong portions (633, 733) of the connector (630,

730) in each slot (305) of said single shingle so as to remove said connectors from said slots; removing said single shingle from said surface.