AU770776B2 - Method for fastening cladding panels to building frames - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patent Act CCMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT METHOD OF FASTENING CLADDING TO BUILDING FRAMES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the method of performing it known to me: 2 METHOD FOR FASTENING CLADDING PANELS TO BUILDING FRAMES FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a wall cladding assembly and to a method for fastening cladding panels to building frames.

BACKGROUND

ART

There are a variety of systems currently available for fastening cladding panels to building frames.

Traditionally, cladding panels are fastened to building frames using screws.

This results in a wall in which the lines of screw are evident, unless they are countersunk and the holes filled.

It is also known to use adhesives to fasten cladding panels to building frames.

Historically, adhesives have been too rigid to allow for movement of the panels due to thermal expansion and contraction. However, more recently, flexible adhesives having a high bonding strength have been developed.

Panelling is generally fixed to the building frame with a spacing of approximately between adjacent panels to allow for the movement of the building and thermal expansion and contraction. It is therefore usually necessary to provide some form of seal around each panel for sealing against weather and to provide a substantially continuous wall surface.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to one aspect the invention resides in a method for fastening cladding panels to building frames, the method including:fastening an elongate jointing element relative to the building frame, said jointing element including an outwardly facing channel portion for fixing the jointing element relative to the building frame and at least one flange extending laterally from the channel portion for engaging a cladding panel; forming a slot in the edge of a cladding panel, and engaging the flange in the slot; the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel portion is fastenable directly to the building frame by a flexible adhesive.

According to another aspect the invention resides in a wall cladding assembly including:- 20 a grid of elongate jointing elements fastened relative to a building frame and each including an outwardly facing channel portion and at least one flange extending laterally from the channel portion for engaging a cladding panel, and cladding panels located within said grid and each having slots formed in their edges, said flanges engaging said slots to locate the cladding panels within the :25 grid; the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel portion is fastenable directly to the building frame by a flexible adhesive.

According to another aspect the invention resides in a method of assembling a method of assembling a wall, the method including:mounting a plurality of longitudinally extending channel support members having flanges extending therefrom to a building or the like, and supporting a walling member having recesses along opposed sides thereof between a pair of support members by positioning said flanges in said recesses; the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel support member is fastenable directly to the building by a flexible adhesive.

According to another aspect the invention resides in a wall cladding assembly including:longitudinally extending channel support members for mounting to a building or the like and having flanges extending therefrom, and 20 a plurality of walling members having recesses along opposed sides thereof for receiving said flanges whereby said plurality of walling members is supported by said plurality of support members to form a wall; the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel support member is fastenable directly to the building by a flexible adhesive.

BEST MODE The invention will now be described with reference to example(s) for illustrative purposes.

FIG 1 is a perspective view of an external corner; FIGS 2, 3 4 are enlarged sections of FIG 1, FIGS 5, 6, 7 8 are enlarged sections of FIG FIG 9 is an enlarged section of FIG 8, FIG 10 is perspective view of a finished structure, FIGS 11, 12 13 are cross-sectional views of 3 extrusions, and r r r FIGS 14, 15 16 are exploded perspective views of the 3 extrusions of FIGS 11, 12 13.

This invention involves the use of jointing elements (also referred to as support members) which have flanges (also referred to as projecting parts) to cooperate with slots cut in the edges of cladding panels.

The joining elements are fastened to the building frame with suitable fasteners, usually screws. The cladding panels are mounted to the joining elements and are also preferably bonded to the building frame using high strength flexible adhesive.

The majority of the jointing elements have an outwardly facing U-shaped channel portion and the base of the U-shaped portion includes apertures for receiving the screws and fixing the jointing elements to the building frame or the like. Thus, the base of the channel portion is fixed to the building frame or the like.

The cladding panels are mounted to the jointing elements by virtue of the engagement of the slots in the edges of the panels with the flanges or projecting parts of the jointing elements. Thereafter, the channel portion of the joining elements is closed with, for example, a flexible weather-proof gasket which cooperates with ridges on the inside walls of the channel portion to retain the :oggasket in place.

•Materials used in carrying out the present invention are typically as follows: Panelling is compressed fibro cement (CFC) sheeting, timber, glass, metal or =the like. Panels may be coated with a polyurethane coating or textured coating, opon UV-cured powder coating, etc.

•oooo o•C 7 Jointing elements are of extruded aluminium of three or more different crosssection shapes to meet the different situations in which they are used. In the drawings, the joining elements are referred to as extrusion No 1, extrusion No2 and extrusion No 3. The extrusions may be coloured on any exposed surfaces to match the panel colour.

Flexible gaskets used are preferably of EPDM, although neoprene may be used. However, the former is more weather resistant.

An example of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the walling system can be assembled in more than one way.

On a pre-existing wall frame, application of the cladding panels is begun at a bottom corner. For this example, work will be started from the bottom right corner.

S

A horizontal bottom edge jointing element (eg. No. 1 or No. 2) is screwed to the bottom of the wall frame and extends the full length of the wall frame from the 20 bottom right corner to the bottom left corner of the wall frame. Likewise, a vertical right side edge jointing element (eg No. 1 or No is fixed so as to extend upwardly from the bottom right corner to the height of a single cladding panel.

9S.SSS o• 8 A first cladding panel with slots cut out of the four edges is slid onto the flanges of the bottom horizontal jointing element and right edge vertical jointing element and the cladding panel is adhered to the joined to wall frame using Dow Corning 795 adhesive.

A vertical No. 3 jointing element in screwed to the wall frame at the left edge of the first cladding panel. The vertical No. 3 jointing element extends to the height of a single cladding panel.

A second cladding panel with slotted edges is slid onto the flange of the bottom horizontal jointing element and onto the left side flange of the first No. 3 jointing element.

A second No. 3 jointing element of the height of the panel is fitted into the left hand edge of the second cladding panel and is screwed into the wall frame.

The process is repeated until the full length of the wall is covered and the final left hand side edge jointing element of the height of the panel is fitted into the last panel of the row and screwed to the wall frame.

A full length No 3 jointing element is then fitted into the slotted tops of the first (ie. bottom) row of the panels. It is screwed to the wall frame and the process •ooo 0 resumed with the next row of panels and continued with subsequent rows until the whole wall is covered.

0: oO° 9 Finally, a full length horizontal top edge jointing element (eg. No. 1 or No. 2) is then inserted into the top edge slots of the upper most row of cladding panels and screwed to the wall frame.

Gaskets or other seals or closures are then fitted into the exposed channel portions of the jointing elements to complete the wall- Finishing of breaks in the wall such as windows and doors are as illustrated in FIGS 5, 6 7.

It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Claims (6)

1. A method for fastening cladding panels to building frames, the method including:- fastening an elongate jointing element relative to the building frame, said jointing element including an outwardly facing channel portion for fixing the jointing element relative to the building frame and at least one flange extending laterally from the channel portion for engaging a cladding panel; forming a slot in the edge of a cladding panel, and engaging the flange in the slot; the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel portion is fastenable directly to the building frame by a flexible adhesive.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further includes closing the outwardly facing channel with a resilient seal which is received in an interference fit in the outwardly facing channel.

3. A wall cladding assembly including:- o 20 a grid of elongate jointing elements fastened relative to a building frame and each including an outwardly facing channel portion and at least one flange extending laterally from the channel portion for engaging a cladding panel, and cladding panels located within said grid and each having slots formed in their edges, said flanges engaging said slots to locate the cladding panels within the grid; :j 11 the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel portion is fastenable directly to the building frame by a flexible adhesive.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the assembly further includes a resilient seal which is received in an interference fit in the outwardly facing channel.

A method of assembling a wall, the method including:- mounting a plurality of longitudinally extending channel support members having flanges extending therefrom to a building or the like, and supporting a walling member having recesses along opposed sides thereof between a pair of support members by positioning said flanges in said recesses; the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel support member is fastenable directly to the building by a flexible adhesive.

6. A wall cladding assembly including:- S00 20 longitudinally extending channel support members for mounting to a building or the like and having flanges extending therefrom, and a plurality of walling members having recesses along opposed sides thereof for receiving said flanges whereby said plurality of walling members is supported by said plurality of support members to form a wall; .*l I* tl the arrangement being such that the inner surface of the cladding panel adjacent the channel support member is fastenable directly to the building by a flexible adhesive. o *t