JP7811142B2 - Accessories for exterior walls - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to exterior wall accessories installed at the corners of the exterior walls of buildings.

When installing exterior panels on the exterior walls of buildings such as detached houses and commercial facilities, exterior wall accessories have been proposed to cover gaps that occur at the corners of the exterior walls (for example, Patent Document 1).

The exterior wall accessory described in Patent Document 1 consists of a base material and a cover material. It is attached to the exterior corner by fixing the base material to the exterior wall body at the exterior corner and engaging the cover material with the base material from the outside of the exterior panel. Specifically, the base material has a V-shaped mounting portion, a pair of left and right locking plates formed by cutting and raising the left and right plate surfaces of the mounting portion, and locking portions (claw pieces) bent and formed at the tips of the locking plates, which secure the locking plates to the exterior wall body. Meanwhile, the cover material has a V-shaped surface portion (cover portion), a pair of left and right legs bent and formed on the inside surface of the surface portion, and claw portions bent and formed at the tips of the legs. The legs are inserted between the locking plates of the base material and the claws are fitted into the locking portions of the locking plates, thereby engaging and holding them to the base material.

JP 2008-2248 A

In the exterior wall accessory described in Patent Document 1, the corner at the center of the surface of the cover material is formed to jut outward at an acute angle. However, for design considerations, it is possible to reduce the protruding dimension by forming the corner into an arc-shaped curved surface or an inclined surface (a so-called C-surface). However, reducing the protruding dimension of the corner as described above requires shortening the legs accordingly, making the legs less flexible and increasing the engagement resistance when engaging the claws of the cover material with the engagement parts of the base material. Moreover, in the exterior wall accessory described in Patent Document 1, the claws at the tips of the legs of the cover material extend outward to the left and right rather than in the extension direction of the legs, resulting in greater engagement resistance. Therefore, depending on the installation accuracy and the degree of distortion of the base material, it may not be possible to smoothly attach the cover material to the base material.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to improve the ease of installation of exterior wall accessories installed at the corners of building exterior walls.

To solve the above problems, the exterior wall accessories of the present invention incorporate the following technical measures.

The exterior wall accessory of the present invention is an exterior wall accessory installed at an external corner of the exterior wall of a building, and comprises a base material fixed to the exterior wall base, and a cover material that covers the gap between the external corner side end faces of the first exterior panel and the second exterior panel that make up the external corner. The base material has a first fixing piece fixed to a first mounting surface of the exterior wall base that faces the first exterior panel, a second fixing piece fixed to a second mounting surface of the exterior wall base that faces the second exterior panel, and an engagement groove that is provided between the first fixing piece and the second fixing piece and engages and holds the cover material. The cover material comprises a first cover portion arranged along the outer surface of the first exterior panel, and a second fixing piece arranged along the outer surface of the second exterior panel. The cover includes a cover portion, a central cover portion provided between the first cover portion and the second cover portion, and an engagement piece provided on the inner surface of the central cover portion and inserted into the engagement groove. The engagement piece extends along the inner surface of the central cover portion in the cover length direction and is spaced apart in the cover width direction. The engagement piece has a pair of legs that protrude toward the base material and approach each other as they approach their tips, and a claw portion that is folded back outward in the cover width direction at the tip and extends parallel to the legs. The engagement groove has an opening into which both legs can be inserted, and an engagement protrusion that protrudes along the inner edge of the opening and engages and holds the claw portion.

Preferably, the central cover portion has a first stepped surface portion that is positioned closer to the protruding corner end face of the second exterior panel than the first cover portion and faces the protruding corner end face, and a second stepped surface portion that is positioned closer to the protruding corner end face of the first exterior panel than the second cover portion and faces the protruding corner end face.

Preferably, the depth of the step formed between the first cover portion and the first stepped surface portion, and the depth of the step formed between the second cover portion and the second stepped surface portion, are greater than the depth of the pattern of the uneven pattern formed on the outer surface of the exterior panel.

The exterior wall accessories of the present invention allow the cover material to be smoothly engaged and held in place with the base material, significantly improving workability.

FIG. 1 is a bottom cross-sectional view showing the installation state of an exterior wall accessory according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a bottom cross-sectional view 2 showing the installation state of the exterior wall accessory of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the base material and the cover material. 1A is a rear view of the cover material, FIG. 1B is a side view, and FIG. 1C is a bottom view.

The following describes the exterior wall accessories of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example of how the present invention is embodied, and the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this specific example.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the exterior wall accessory 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an exterior component installed at a corner C of the exterior wall of a building such as a detached house or commercial facility, and comprises a base material 2 and a cover material 3. The base material 2 is fixed to the exterior wall bases 4A and 4B. The cover material 3 is fixed to the base material 2 from the outside of the exterior panels 5A and 5B.

In this embodiment, the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B are furring strips fixed to pillars (not shown) of the exterior wall, and are arranged at approximately right angles to the two side surfaces of the pillars. Specifically, the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B are arranged at approximately right angles, with the side end face of the first exterior wall base 4A, located on the left side of the projected corner C, abutting the inner surface (the inner surface of the exterior wall) of the second exterior wall base 4B, located on the right side of the projected corner C.

In this embodiment, the apex P of the approximately right angle formed by butting together the exterior wall bases 4A and 4B as described above is defined as the center of the projecting corner C, and the protruding direction of the apex P (the vertical direction in Figures 1 and 2) is defined as the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the reference line X that passes through the apex P and extends in the front-to-rear direction in Figures 1 and 2 (the horizontal direction in Figures 1 and 2) is defined as the left-to-right direction, and the directions perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and the horizontal direction are defined as the up-to-down direction.

In this embodiment, the exterior panels 5A, 5B are metal siding panels each having a surface made of a metal plate such as an aluminum-zinc alloy-plated steel plate or a stainless steel plate, a foam insulation material such as polyisocyanurate foam or polyurethane attached to the back surface, and the foam insulation material is further covered from the back side with aluminum foil or the like. Although not shown, the exterior panels 5A, 5B are formed as approximately flat plates that are long in one direction, and are supported and fixed in multiple rows above and below the outer surfaces 6A, 6B of the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B with their longitudinal direction aligned with the horizontal direction. In other words, the exterior panels 5A, 5B are installed horizontally on the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B.

A predetermined gap 10 is defined between the protruding corner end face 9 of the first exterior panel 5A, which is located to the left of the reference line X, and the protruding corner end face 9 of the second exterior panel 5B, which is located to the right of the reference line X. In other words, the first exterior panel 5A and the second exterior panel 5B are arranged at approximately right angles to each other, with the predetermined gap 10 remaining. The corner apex P of the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B faces the gap 10 from the front (inside of the exterior wall).

The exterior wall accessory 1 of the present invention is not limited to exterior walls in which the exterior panels 5A, 5B are made of metal siding, as described above. In other words, the exterior wall accessory 1 of the present invention may also be applied to exterior walls in which the exterior panels 5A, 5B are made of, for example, ceramic siding made of cement or fibrous materials, resin siding made of resin or fibrous materials, or wood siding. Furthermore, the exterior wall accessory 1 of the present invention is not limited to exterior walls in which the exterior panels 5A, 5B are installed horizontally. In other words, the exterior wall accessory 1 of the present invention may also be applied to exterior walls in which the exterior panels 5A, 5B are installed vertically (vertically) on the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B. Furthermore, the longitudinal dimensions of the exterior panels 5A, 5B are typically approximately 1,000 mm to 5,000 mm. Furthermore, many of the exterior panels 5A and 5B have a corrugated, mountain-shaped, stepped or other textured pattern 8 formed on the outer surface 7, with the pattern depth H1 of the textured pattern 8 being approximately 0.2 mm to 7.0 mm.

The base material 2 is a sheet material made by bending a thin metal plate that is long in one direction to form an irregular cross-section, and its longitudinal dimension is usually approximately 1000 mm to 5000 mm. The base material 2 is supported and fixed to the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B in a vertical orientation, with its longitudinal direction aligned with the extension direction (up and down) of the apex P. Note that multiple base materials 2 are installed vertically in accordance with the length of the apex P of the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B. In this case, one base material 2 may be cut in the short direction to match the length of the apex P.

The base material 2 is preferably formed from a metal plate. The metal plate may be made of iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, titanium, or aluminum-zinc alloy-plated steel plate. The base material 2 may be formed not only by bending, but also by roll forming, press forming, extrusion molding, notching, or other methods. Furthermore, the base material 2 may be formed from a synthetic resin material such as vinyl chloride resin or polycarbonate resin.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the base material 2 is formed symmetrically about the reference line X. The base material 2 also has a first fixing piece 21A, a second fixing piece 21B, and a groove frame portion 22. The first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B are overlapped and fixed to the outer surfaces 6A and 6B of the exterior wall bases 4A and 4B, respectively, so that they are arranged along the corner apex P. The first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B may be fixed to the exterior wall bases 4A and 4B with fixing nails N, as described below, or may be fixed to the exterior wall bases 4A and 4B with tapping screws, tacker needles, or the like. Alternatively, they may be fixed to the exterior wall bases 4A and 4B by other common fixing methods.

The first fixed piece 21A is bent obliquely from the front edge of the groove frame portion 22 toward the left front. On the other hand, the second fixed piece 21B is bent obliquely from the front edge of the groove frame portion 22 toward the left front.
The first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B are bent obliquely from the front edge of the base member 2 toward the right front. That is, the first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B form mounting portions at a substantially right angle in the front half of the base member 2 so that they can be brought into contact with the outer surfaces 6A and 6B of the outer wall base portions 4A and 4B, respectively, facing each other.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first fixing piece 21A is positioned facing the outer surface (first mounting surface) 6A of the first exterior wall base 4A and is fixed to the first exterior wall base 4A with fixing nails N. The first exterior panel 5A is positioned facing the first fixing piece 21A from its outer surface 23. Therefore, the first fixing piece 21A is fixed between the first exterior wall base 4A and the first exterior panel 5A.

The second fixing piece 21B is positioned facing the outer surface (second mounting surface) 6B of the second exterior wall base 4B and is fixed to the second exterior wall base 4B with a fixing nail N. The second exterior panel 5B is positioned facing the outer surface 23 of the second fixing piece 21B. Therefore, the second fixing piece 21B is fixed between the second exterior wall base 4B and the second exterior panel 5B.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a folded portion 24 is formed on the leading edge (front edge) of the first fixed piece 21A and the leading edge (front edge) of the second fixed piece 21B. The folded portion 24 on the first fixed piece 21A side is bent inward from the leading edge of the first fixed piece 21A toward the right rear (inward) toward the outer surface 23, while the folded portion 24 on the second fixed piece 21B side is bent inward from the leading edge of the second fixed piece 21B toward the left rear (inward) toward the outer surface 23. In addition, a rib 25 protrudes from the outer surface 23 of each of the first fixed piece 21A and the second fixed piece 21B. The rib 25 is a protrusion bent into a generally V-shaped cross section and is formed between the short end faces of the first fixed piece 21A and the second fixed piece 21B. Additionally, multiple ribs 25 (two each in this example) are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along the short sides of the first and second fixed pieces 21A and 21B. These ribs 25 ensure a predetermined bending strength for the first and second fixed pieces 21A and 21B, and also prevent rainwater from seeping inside the exterior panels 5A and 5B. The fixing nails N are driven into the first exterior wall base 4A at the flat portions between the ribs 25 on the first and second fixed pieces 21A and 21B.

In this way, the base material 2 is held in an appropriate position and angle (a position in which the center of the groove frame portion 22 is aligned with the reference line X) relative to the outer wall base portions 4A, 4B by abutting the first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B facing the outer surfaces 6A, 6B of the outer wall base portions 4A, 4B, respectively.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the groove frame portion 22 is bent in a generally M-shape. Specifically, the groove frame portion 22 has a generally M-shaped cross section that is symmetrical about the reference line X. It includes a left outer frame portion 22A that forms its left surface, a right outer frame portion 22B that forms its right surface, and an inner frame portion 22C that forms its central recessed surface. The left outer frame portion 22A extends rearward from the right rear edge of the first fixed piece 21A on the left side of the reference line X. The right outer frame portion 22B extends rearward from the left rear edge of the second fixed piece 21B on the right side of the reference line X. The inner frame portion 22C is bent forward in a generally U-shape from the mutual rear edges of the left outer frame portion 22A and the right outer frame portion 22B, and the recessed portion on the inside of this inner frame portion 22C forms an engagement groove 26 that can engage and hold the cover material 3. In other words, the inner frame portion 22C forms the outer contour of the engagement groove 26.

The inner frame portion 22C opens rearward. That is, the engagement groove 26 has an opening 27 at the rear. The bottom surface (groove bottom) 28 of the inner frame portion 22C is formed in a flat shape perpendicular to the reference line X. The groove bottom 28 is located rearward of the intersection of the lines extending from the first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B toward the reference line X. As a result, when the base material 2 is fixed to the outer wall bases 4A and 4B, the front surface of the groove bottom 28 does not contact the apex P of the outer wall bases 4A and 4B. However, as long as the base material 2 can be properly fixed to the outer wall bases 4A and 4B without rattle, the groove bottom 28 may be located in a position that contacts the apex P of the outer wall bases 4A and 4B.

An engagement protrusion 30 protrudes from each of the left and right groove side portions (inner edges of the opening 27) 29 of the inner frame portion 22C. The engagement protrusion 30 on the left groove side portion 29 protrudes obliquely from the rear edge of the left outer frame portion 22A toward the front right towards the reference line X. The engagement protrusion 30 on the right groove side portion 29 protrudes obliquely from the rear edge of the right outer frame portion 22B toward the front left towards the reference line X. In addition, each engagement protrusion 30 has a claw engagement surface 30F facing the groove bottom 28.

The claw engagement surface 30F is formed as a gently sloping surface that slopes from the end of the engagement protrusion 30 on the reference line X side (inner end) toward the rear of the outer frame portions 22A and 22B. Note that the claw engagement surface 30F may also be formed as a surface that is perpendicular to the reference line X in the left-right direction (cover width direction) from the end of the engagement protrusion 30 on the reference line X side.

As described above, the engagement protrusions 30 are formed to protrude from the left and right groove side portions 29 of the inner frame portion 22C. Furthermore, the left and right groove side portions 29 of the inner frame portion 22C are connected to the outer frame portions 22A and 22B at their rear edges, and the outer frame portions 22A and 22B are connected to the first fixed piece 21A and the second fixed piece 21B at their front edges. In other words, the inner frame portion 22C, engagement protrusions 30, outer frame portions 22A and 22B, first fixed piece 21A, and second fixed piece 21B are integrally formed from a single plate material.

The cover material 3 is a sheet material formed into an irregular cross section by bending a thin metal plate that is long in one direction, and is engaged and fixed to the base material 2 in a vertical orientation with its longitudinal direction aligned with the extension direction of the corner apex P of the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B. Multiple cover materials 3 are installed vertically in a line according to the vertical length of the gap 10 between the corner side end faces 9 of the exterior panels 5A, 5B. In this case, one cover material 3 may be cut in the short direction to match the vertical length of the gap 10.

The cover material 3 is preferably made of a metal plate. The metal plate may be made of iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, titanium, or aluminum-zinc alloy-plated steel. More preferably, the cover material 3 is made of aluminum-zinc alloy-plated steel, or aluminum-zinc alloy-plated steel with magnesium added for rust prevention. Taking the exterior appearance of the exterior wall into consideration, the cover material 3 is preferably made of the same material as the metal plate on the surface of the exterior panels 5A and 5B. The cover material 3 may be formed not only by bending, but also by roll forming, press forming, extrusion molding, notching, and other methods. Furthermore, the cover material 3 may be made of a synthetic resin material such as vinyl chloride resin or polycarbonate resin.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the cover material 3 is formed symmetrically about the reference line X. The cover material 3 also has a first cover portion 31A, a second cover portion 31B, a central cover portion 31C, and an engaging piece 32. By engaging the engaging piece 32 with the groove frame portion 22 of the base material 2, the cover material 3 is arranged to cover the gap 10 from the rear (outside the exterior wall).

As shown in Figure 4, the upper end of the shorter side of the cover material 3 has an insertion piece 33, and the lower end has a notch 34. When installing multiple cover materials 3 in a vertical line, the insertion piece 33 of the lower cover material 3 is inserted into the notch 34 of the upper cover material 3. This allows the upper and lower cover materials 3 to be installed in a connected state.

1 to 4, a watertight material 36 is attached to the inner surface (front surface) 35 of each of the first cover portion 31A and the second cover portion 31B. The watertight material 36 is a strip made of a highly elastic and waterproof material such as ethylene propylene rubber foam, urethane foam resin, or silicone resin, and when the cover material 3 is attached to the base material 2, the watertight material 36 is in close contact with the outer surfaces 7 of the exterior panels 5A and 5B. This prevents rainwater from entering the interior of the exterior wall through the gap 10.

The first cover portion 31A is bent diagonally from the left rear edge of the central cover portion 31C toward the left front. Meanwhile, the second cover portion 31B is bent diagonally from the right rear edge of the central cover portion 31C toward the right front, symmetrically to the first cover portion 31A about the reference line X. In other words, the first cover portion 31A and the second cover portion 31B are arranged at approximately right angles to each other so that they can abut against the outer surfaces 7 of the exterior panels 5A and 5B, respectively.

Furthermore, when the cover material 3 is engaged and fixed to the base material 2, the first cover portion 31A and the second cover portion 31B are positioned facing the outer surfaces 7 of the first exterior panel 5A and the second exterior panel 5B, respectively. Therefore, when the cover material 3 is engaged and fixed to the base material 2, the watertight material 36 attached to the inner surfaces 35 of the cover portions 31A and 31B is in close contact with the outer surfaces 7 of the exterior panels 5A and 5B, respectively.

Furthermore, the first cover portion 31A of this embodiment has an outer surface portion 41 extending from the left rear edge of the central cover portion 31C toward the left front, and an inner surface portion 42 folded back at the left front edge of the outer surface portion 41 and arranged facing the inside (front side) of the outer surface portion 41. The second cover portion 31B has an outer surface portion 41 extending from the right rear edge of the central cover portion 31C toward the right front, and an inner surface portion 42 folded back at the right front edge of the outer surface portion 41 and arranged facing the inside (front side) of the outer surface portion 41. In other words, the first cover portion 31A and the second cover portion 31B are formed into a double plate shape by folding a plate body inward.

The central cover portion 31C is bent forward to form a concave V-shaped cross section. Specifically, the central cover portion 31C has a V-shaped cross section that is symmetrical about the reference line X, and has a first stepped surface portion 43A that forms the right side and a second stepped surface portion 43B that forms the left side.

The first stepped surface portion 43A is bent diagonally from the left rear edge of the second cover portion 31B toward the left front. In this embodiment, the first stepped surface portion 43A is bent from the left rear edge of the second cover portion 31B toward the left front toward the reference line X, at a position to the right of the reference line X. In this manner, the first stepped surface portion 43A is disposed at a step in a position to the right rear of the first cover portion 31A (the rear center of the cover material 3). Furthermore, when the cover material 3 is engaged and fixed to the base material 2, the first stepped surface portion 43A is disposed facing the outside corner end surface 9 of the second exterior panel 5B.

A connecting piece 45 is provided on the inner surface 44 of the first stepped surface portion 43A (the inner surface of the central cover portion 31C), extending from the left rear edge of the inner surface portion 42 of the second cover portion 31B toward the left front and aligned along the inner side (front side) of the first stepped surface portion 43A.

The second step surface portion 43B is configured symmetrically to the first step surface portion 43A. That is, the second step surface portion 43B is bent forward and to the right from the right rear edge of the first cover portion 31A toward the reference line X. In this way, the first step surface portion 43A and the second step surface portion 43B form a recessed surface portion (central cover portion 31C) that is approximately perpendicular to the rear center (central corner) of the cover material 3.

The dimension in the short direction of the second stepped surface portion 43B, i.e., the step depth H2 of the step formed by the first cover portion 31A and the first stepped surface portion 43A, is set to be larger than the pattern depth H1 of the uneven pattern 8 formed on the outer surface 7 of the first exterior panel 5A. Similarly, the dimension in the short direction of the first stepped surface portion 43A, i.e., the step depth H2 of the step formed by the second cover portion 31B and the second stepped surface portion 43B, is set to be larger than the pattern depth H1 of the uneven pattern 8 of the second exterior panel 5B.

As described above, the first cover portion 31A and the second cover portion 31B are connected to the left and right rear edges of the central cover portion 31C, respectively, and these first cover portion 31A, second cover portion 31B, and central cover portion 31C form a cover portion with an M-shaped cross section. In other words, the cover material 3 has, on the left and right sides of the reference line X, a bent portion L1 that is convex toward the rear, and a bent portion L2 that is concave toward the front on the reference line X.

When the cover material 3 is engaged and fixed to the base material 2, the left front edge of the first cover portion 31A and the right front edge of the second cover portion 31B are pressed against the outer surfaces 7 of the exterior panels 5A and 5B via the watertight material 36, and this reaction force is applied to the left and right front edges of the cover portions 31A and 31B. In other words, stress is applied to the left and right side edges of the cover material 3 in a direction that causes them to bend rearward and outward. However, in the case of the cover material 3 of this embodiment, the three bent portions L1 and L2 act as bending points and absorb the above stress, making it difficult for the first cover portion 31A, second cover portion 31B, and central cover portion 31C to bend.

The engagement pieces 32 are a pair of generally J-shaped plate pieces arranged opposite each other on the left and right, and are bent at the front edge of a connecting piece 45 arranged on the inner surface 44 of the first step surface portion 43A and the second step surface portion 43B. That is, the engagement pieces 32 are located between the left and right bent portions L1 and the central bent portion L2 on the inner surface 44 of the central cover portion 31C, and are arranged side by side with a space between them in the left-right direction across the reference line X.

In conventional exterior wall accessories, such as those described above, where a bent portion is provided only at one location in the center of the cover material, when stress is applied to the left and right side edges of the cover material from the exterior panel, the bent portion acts as the bending point, causing the entire cover portion to bend and expand to the left and right. This also causes the legs on the inner surface of the cover portion to tilt and expand outward to the left and right. This can prevent the legs from smoothly inserting between the locking plates of the base material. In contrast, in the exterior wall accessory 1 of this embodiment, as described above, bent portions L1 and L2 are provided at three locations in the center of the cover portion of the cover material 3, and the engaging piece 32 is positioned between the left and right bent portions L1 on the inner surface 44 of the central cover portion 31C. Therefore, even if stress is applied to the left and right side edges of the cover material 3, the engaging piece 32 is less likely to expand outward to the left and right. This allows the engaging piece 32 to be smoothly inserted into the groove frame portion 22 of the base material 2.

The engagement piece 32 has a pair of legs 51 located on the left and right sides of the reference line X on the inner surface 44 of the central cover portion 31C, and a claw portion 52 formed by folding back at the tip of the leg 51. The legs 51 extend longitudinally (in the cover length direction) along the inner surface 44 of the central cover portion 31C. The legs 51 also extend obliquely from the front edge of the connecting piece 45 forward toward the reference line X. In this embodiment, the legs 51 are bent inward and forward at an angle of 9 degrees from the extension of the reference line X. In this manner, the left and right legs 51 are formed to protrude forward (toward the base material 2) so that they approach each other as they approach their tips (front ends).

The claws 52 are formed by folding back outward in the left-right direction (cover width direction) at the tip (front end) of the leg 51. In this embodiment, the claws 52 extend outward in the left-right direction from the tip of the leg 51 at an angle of 9 degrees from the extension direction of the reference line X, i.e., parallel to the leg 51. The claws 52 are also bent outward on the left and right sides of the leg 51 with a predetermined gap between them.

As described above, the left and right claw portions 52 are connected to the connecting pieces 45 via the legs 51. Furthermore, the connecting pieces 45 are connected to the outer surface portion 41 via the inner surface portion 42, and the outer surface portion 41 is connected to the central cover portion 31C. That is, the engagement pieces 32 are connected to and supported on the front edge of the outer surface portion 41 via the connecting pieces 45 and the inner surface portion 42. Therefore, the engagement pieces 32 have a higher degree of freedom of movement than those connected directly to the inner surface of the cover portion. Furthermore, the engagement pieces 32, connecting pieces 45, inner surface portion 42, outer surface portion 41, and central cover portion 31C are integrally formed from a single plate material.

The distance between the rear ends of the left and right claws 52 (claw width) is slightly larger than the distance between the tips of the engagement protrusions 30 on the groove frame 22 of the base material 2, i.e., the width of the opening 27 (opening width). Therefore, when the engagement pieces 32 are inserted into the opening 27 of the groove frame 22 to engage the cover material 3 with the base material 2, the left and right claws 52 each abut against the engagement protrusions 30 inside the opening 27. Furthermore, as the engagement pieces 32 are pushed further (forward) into the engagement groove 26 than the opening 27, the left and right claws 52 are tilted inward (toward reference line X) to move slightly closer to each other. Then, once their tips pass the tips of the engagement protrusions 30, they are tilted outward (away from reference line X) to move away from each other (returning to their original positions). As a result, the tips of the claws 52 engage with the claw engagement surfaces 30F of the engagement protrusions 30. At this time, the elastic force of the watertight material 36 is applied in a direction pushing the cover material 3 backward, causing the tip of the claw portion 52 to fit more firmly into the claw engagement surface 30F of the engagement protrusion 30. Moreover, at this time, the claw portion 52 extends parallel to the leg portion 51 and is positioned nearly perpendicular to the claw engagement surface 30F. This allows the cover material 3 to be stably engaged and held in place on the base material 2.

As described above, the exterior wall accessory 1 of the above embodiment is an exterior wall accessory 1 installed at a projected corner C of the exterior wall of a building, and includes a base material 2 fixed to the exterior wall bases 4A, 4B, and a cover material 3 covering the gap 10 between the projected corner side end faces 9 of the first exterior panel 5A and the second exterior panel 5B that make up the projected corner C. The base material 2 has a first fixing piece 21A fixed to the first mounting surface 6A of the exterior wall base 4A facing the first exterior panel 5A, a second fixing piece 21B fixed to the second mounting surface 6B of the exterior wall base 4B facing the second exterior panel 5B, and an engagement groove 26 provided between the first fixing piece 21A and the second fixing piece 21B to engage and hold the cover material 3. The cover material 3 includes a first cover portion 31A arranged along the outer surface 7 of the first exterior panel 5A and a second fixing piece 21B fixed to the outer surface 7 of the second exterior panel 5B. The cover has a second cover portion 31B arranged along the cover length, a central cover portion 31C provided between the first cover portion 31A and the second cover portion 31B, and an engagement piece 32 provided on the inner surface 44 of the central cover portion 31C that is inserted into and engaged with the engagement groove 26. The engagement piece 32 extends along the inner surface 44 of the central cover portion 31C in the cover length direction and is arranged side by side with a space between them in the cover width direction. The engagement piece 32 has a pair of legs 51 that protrude toward the base material 2 so that they approach each other toward their tips, and a claw portion 52 that is folded back outward in the cover width direction and extends parallel to the legs 51 at the tip. The engagement groove 26 has an opening 27 into which both legs 51 can be inserted, and an engagement protrusion 30 that protrudes along the inner edge 29 of the opening 27 and engages and holds the claw portion 52.

This reduces the engagement resistance when engaging the engagement pieces 32 of the cover material 3 with the engagement grooves 26 of the base material 2. Therefore, even if the central cover portion 31C is designed to have a small protrusion dimension toward the outside of the corner (in the direction of the reference line X) for design reasons, the cover material 3 can be smoothly engaged and held in place with the base material 2. This significantly improves workability.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the central cover portion 31C has a first step surface portion 43A that is arranged facing the protruding corner side end face 9 of the second exterior panel 5B at a position closer to the protruding corner side end face 9 than the first cover portion 31A, and a second step surface portion 43B that is arranged facing the protruding corner side end face 9 of the first exterior panel 5A at a position closer to the protruding corner side end face 9 than the second cover portion 31B.

When this type of exterior wall accessory makes it difficult to fit the cover material into the base material, workers often place a batten on the outer surface of the cover material and then hit it from the outside with a hammer or similar tool to fit the cover material into the base material. However, if the center of the outer surface of the cover material protrudes in a V-shape outward from the corner, as in the conventional exterior wall accessory described above, there is a risk of play occurring between the cover material and the batten, making it difficult to accurately press the cover material toward the center of the base material. This could also result in deformation of the corner in the center of the outer surface. Furthermore, when fitting the cover material into the base material by pressing it with a finger, the apex of the corner must be pressed toward the center of the base material, which can easily cause inconsistencies in the pressing direction, making it difficult to smoothly engage the cover material with the base material.

However, in the exterior wall accessory 1 of the above embodiment, the stepped surfaces 43A, 43B create a step in the center of the cover material 3 (central cover portion 31C). Therefore, even when engaging the cover material 3 with the base material 2 using a batten, rattle is unlikely to occur between the cover material 3 and the batten. This allows the cover material 3 to be accurately pushed toward the center of the base material 2. This also prevents deformation of the center of the cover material 3. Furthermore, when the cover material 3 is pressed with fingers into the base material 2, the two stepped surfaces 43A, 43B facing the corner end faces 9 of the exterior panels 5A, 5B can be pressed toward the center of the base material 2. This makes it less likely that the pushing direction will vary from side to side, allowing the cover material 3 to be smoothly engaged with the base material 2. This further improves workability.

Furthermore, the step formed between the first cover portion 31A and the first stepped surface portion 43A, and the step formed between the second cover portion 31B and the second stepped surface portion 43B, create a sense of uniformity in appearance with the uneven pattern 8 formed on the outer surface 7 of the exterior panels 5A, 5B. This also improves the design of the exterior wall accessory 1 as a whole.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the step depth H2 of the step formed between the first cover portion 31A and the first step surface portion 43A, and the step depth H2 of the step formed between the second cover portion 31B and the second step surface portion 43B are set to be greater than the pattern depth H1 of the uneven pattern 8 formed on the outer surface 7 of the exterior panels 5A, 5B.

In this product, the step depth H2 of the step formed by the cover portions 31A, 31B and the stepped surface portions 43A, 43B is large, which makes it easier for the fingers to fit into the step when pressing the cover material 3 into the base material 2, further improving workability. Furthermore, the step depth H2 of the step emphasizes the presence of the embossed pattern 8 formed on the outer surface 7 of the exterior panels 5A, 5B, further improving design. Furthermore, in this product, the cover portions 31A, 31B, which are substantially flush with the outer surface 7 of the exterior panels 5A, 5B, are smaller by the amount of the stepped surface portions 43A, 43B, making the cover material 3 less noticeable. This further improves design.

1 Exterior wall accessory 2 Base material 3 Cover material 4A First exterior wall base (exterior wall base)
4B Second outer wall base (outer wall base)
5A First exterior panel 5B Second exterior panel 6A Outer surface of first exterior wall base (first mounting surface)
6B Outer surface of second outer wall base (second mounting surface)
7 Outer surface of exterior panel 9 End surface of external corner 10 Gap 21A First fixing piece 21B Second fixing piece 26 Engagement groove 27 Opening 29 Inner edge of opening 30 Engagement protrusion 31A First cover portion 31B Second cover portion 31C Central cover portion 32 Engagement piece 44 Inner surface of central cover portion 51 Leg portion 52 Claw portion C External corner

Claims (3)

An exterior wall accessory provided at a corner of an exterior wall of a building, comprising: a base material fixed to a base of the exterior wall; and a cover material covering a gap between the end faces of the first exterior panel and the second exterior panel that constitute the corner;
the base material has a first fixing piece fixed to a first mounting surface of the exterior wall base facing the first exterior panel, a second fixing piece fixed to a second mounting surface of the exterior wall base facing the second exterior panel, and an engaging groove provided between the first fixing piece and the second fixing piece, which engages and holds the cover material;
the cover material has a first cover portion arranged along the outer surface of the first exterior panel, a second cover portion arranged along the outer surface of the second exterior panel, a central cover portion provided between the first cover portion and the second cover portion, and an engagement piece provided on the inner surface of the central cover portion and inserted into and engaged with the engagement groove,
The engaging piece has a pair of legs extending in the cover length direction along the inner surface of the central cover portion, arranged in parallel with and spaced apart in the cover width direction, and projecting toward the base material so as to approach each other toward the tip end, and a claw portion formed at the tip end by folding back outward in the cover width direction and extending parallel to the legs,
The engagement groove is an exterior wall accessory having an opening into which both of the legs can be inserted, and an engagement protrusion that protrudes along the inner edge of the opening and engages and holds the claw portion. The exterior wall accessory described in claim 1, wherein the central cover portion has a first stepped surface portion that is positioned closer to the outside corner end face of the second exterior panel than the first cover portion and faces the outside corner end face, and a second stepped surface portion that is positioned closer to the outside corner end face of the first exterior panel than the second cover portion and faces the outside corner end face. The exterior wall accessory described in claim 2, characterized in that the depth of the step formed between the first cover portion and the first stepped surface portion, and the depth of the step formed between the second cover portion and the second stepped surface portion, are greater than the depth of the pattern of the uneven pattern formed on the outer surface of the exterior panel.