BE1027346A1 - SANDWICH PANEL AND RELATED ASSEMBLY METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

A panel comprising an insulation material sandwiched between an inner metal tray and an outer metal foil, wherein the inner tray comprises, in section, an inner recess extending inwardly from. a first end of the inner central portion and a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue extending inwardly from a second end of the inner central portion, the inner recess and the inner tongue having shapes which allow their locking, wherein the outer sheet comprises a first lateral rib extending from a first end of the outer central part and comprising a first lower part which is pinched and an outer recess, a second lateral rib s' extending from a second end of the outer central portion and comprising a second lower portion which is pinched, the first lateral rib and the second not lateral opening having shapes which allow their locking.

Description

SANDWICH PANEL AND ASSOCIATED ASSEMBLY METHOD The present invention relates to a sandwich panel intended for the construction of building envelopes, and more particularly intended for the construction of building roofs, without being limited thereto.

It is known to assemble sandwich panels comprising an insulation layer between two metal sheets to build roofs. Each sandwich panel usually comprising on one of its longitudinal edges a male locking portion and on its other longitudinal edge a female locking portion so that the male and female locking portions lock together when two panels are assembled. .

It is also known to construct walls by assembling sandwich panels, in which the fasteners used to fix a panel to the building structure are concealed during the positioning of the adjacent panel. However, these concealed fasteners are not strong enough against wind suction to use these sandwich panels for roof construction.

The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a sandwich panel with a concealed attachment which provides improved resistance to wind suction.

For this purpose, a first object of the present invention is a panel comprising an insulation material sandwiched between an internal metal plate and an external metal sheet, in which the internal metal plate comprises in section: - an internal central part is lying substantially in a plane P, a first internal flange extending inwardly from a first end of the internal central part and comprising an internal recess extending parallel to the plane P and inwardly, - a second internal flange extending inwardly from a second end of the internal central portion and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an internal tongue extending parallel to the P plane and outwardly, the recess internal and the internal tongue having shapes which allow their locking, in which the external metal sheet comprises in section: - an external central part,

- a first outer flange extending from a first end of the outer central part, substantially above the first inner flange and comprising successively: - a first lateral rib extending = substantially perpendicular to the plane P and towards the exterior and comprising a first lower part and a first upper part, the first lower part being at least partially thinner than the first upper part, - an external recess extending parallel to the plane P and towards the interior, - a second outer flange extending from a second end of the outer central part and comprising a second lateral rib extending substantially perpendicular to the plane P and outwardly and comprising a second lower part and a second upper part, the second lower part being at least partially thinner than the second upper part, the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes which allow the locking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib.

The panel according to the invention can also have the optional features listed below, taken into consideration individually or in combination: The internal recess comprises an internal step extending substantially - perpendicularly from the internal central part and a flat part, the internal tongue comprises a lower branch and an upper branch connected by a U, the upper branch being inclined towards the U, the first lateral wing comprises two lateral wings which are substantially in contact on at least a part of the first lower part, the external recess comprises an L-shaped part with the short side of the L which is an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L which extends parallel to the plane P, the long side of the L comprises a longitudinal groove, the second flange external successively comprises an external flat part protruding from the insulation material and the second lateral rib, the first inner flange and the first outer flange define a first lateral side of the insulation material which forms an acute angle with the inner central portion, the second inner flange and the second outer flange define a second lateral side of the insulation material which has the same inclination as the first lateral side, the first lateral side includes a seal.

A second object of the invention is an assembly of at least a first and a second panel according to the invention, in which the second lateral rib of the second panel is locked on the first lateral rib of the first panel and the internal tongue of the second. panel is inserted into the internal recess of the first panel. A third object of the invention is a method for assembling a first and a second panel according to the invention, comprising the steps of: (i) tilting the second panel transversely at an angle a, with the plane P of the first panel, between 10 ° and 50 °, (ii) lock the second side rib of the second panel on the first side rib of the first panel, (iii) rotate the second panel until the inner tab of the second panel locks with the internal recess of the first panel.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be described in more detail in the following description. The invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description, which is offered solely by way of explanation and is in no way intended to be restrictive, with reference to: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panel sandwich according to the invention, Figure 2 is a section of the sandwich panel of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section of the first longitudinal edge of a sandwich panel of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a section of the second longitudinal edge of the sandwich panel of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a sectional view of the panel assembly according to the invention, Figure 6 shows the details of the panel assembly according to Figure 5, Figure 7 is a sectional view of the first longitudinal edge of a first sandwich panel and the second longitudinal edge of a second sandwich panel at one stage of the assembly method. It should be noted that the terms “inside”, “towards the inside”, “outside” and “towards the outside” as used in the present application relate to the positions and the orientations of the various constituent elements of the panel with respect to the position of the insulation material. Therefore, if an element extends inward, it extends in the direction of the insulation panel. Similarly, if the element extends outward, it extends in the opposite direction of the insulation panel.

It should also be noted that “internal” and “external” as used in the present application refer to the position of the panels on a building. Therefore, the outer sheet faces outward and the inner tray faces the interior of the building. Therefore, the inner flange refers to the inner plate flange and the outer flange refers to the outer sheet flange.

It should be noted that the terms “lower”, “upper”, “above”, “below”, “above”… as used in the present application refer to the positions and orientations of the various constituent elements of the panel. when the latter is on a horizontal plane.

Throughout the text, a leaf is understood as meaning an element that has a flat shape, i.e. its thickness is small compared to its other dimensions. As a rule, its thickness is 500-4000 times less than its width. The sheet can be made with a single material or a composite assembly. In the latter case, the sheet is a stack of a plurality of layers of the same material or of different materials. The material in question can be, inter alia, a metallic material or a polymer. Steel, aluminum, copper and zinc can be cited as non-limiting examples of metallic materials. The foil is preferably a metallic foil. It is preferably made with a pre-galvanized and pre-coated steel to protect it against corrosion. The inner tray and outer sheet are examples of sheets.

In the context of the invention, the sheet has preferably been previously formed using any known forming method, comprising, by way of non-limiting examples, bending, forming, stamping and molding. In particular, the U-shaped bend described later is a panel element whose manufacturing process is not limited to bending.

This forming leads, among other things, to the formation of ribs, stiffeners or grooves on the surface of the sheet. Throughout the text a rib is understood to mean a protrusion formed on the surface of the leaf. The rib may have a trapezoidal shape or a rectangular, wavy, sinusoidal or even omega-shaped shape, for example. It includes an upper central part and two side wings. A stiffener is a rib of limited height, typically 10 to 30 times smaller than a rib. The ribs and stiffeners are generally placed parallel to the longitudinal edges of the sheet, in particular to make the sheet more rigid.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the panel 1 according to the invention firstly comprises an insulation material 2 sandwiched between an internal metal tray 3 and an external metal foil 4. The sides of the insulation material thus form the sides of the panel.

The insulation material 2 can be any material providing some insulation to the panel. It can be, by way of nonlimiting examples, polyurethane foam, polyisocyanurate foam, phenolic foam, rock wool. According to a variant of the invention, the insulation material is a composite comprising a lower layer of rock wool and an upper layer of foam material.

The internal metal plate 3 is a metal sheet of rectangular shape, comprising longitudinal edges and transverse edges, which has been formed in a previous step. It comprises, in section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, an internal central part 5 and two internal flanges 6, 7 extending inwardly from each end of the internal central part. The inner central part is substantially flat in a plane P. According to a variant of the invention, the inner central part 5 comprises stiffeners extending longitudinally to increase the rigidity of the metal sheet.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the first internal flange 6 extends inwardly from a first lateral end of the internal central portion 5 and comprises an S-shaped bend forming an internal recess 8 extending in parallel. to the P plane and towards the interior. Preferably, the internal recess comprises an internal step 9 and a flat part 10. The internal step can extend substantially perpendicular to the internal central part or can be inclined towards the flat part. The latter can be parallel to the plane P or slightly inclined towards the internal central part in order to facilitate the locking of two adjacent panels.

Preferably the first internal flange 6 comprises a first internal stiffener 11 extending from the internal recess. According to a variant of the invention, the first internal stiffener extends substantially perpendicularly to the internal central part in order to facilitate the manufacture of the internal metal plate. In another variation, the first internal stiffener extends at least partially substantially along the edge of the insulation material to facilitate the locking of two adjacent panels. According to a variant of the invention, the first internal stiffener comprises a first internal flange 12 extending parallel to the plane P and inwardly into the insulation material 2. This helps to stiffen the first internal flange.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the second internal flange 7 extends inwardly from a second lateral end of the internal central portion 5 and comprises a U-shaped bend forming an internal tongue 13 extending substantially. parallel to the plane P and outwards. Preferably, the internal tongue comprises a lower branch 14 and an upper branch 15 connected by a U 16. Still preferably, the upper branch 15 is slightly inclined towards the U in order to facilitate the locking of two adjacent panels. According to another variant, the branches 14 and 15 are parallel. More preferably, the radius of the U is such that the space between the legs is filled with the insulation material 2, which helps to stiffen the inner tongue. According to another variant, the radius of the U is such that the two branches are in contact with each other. Preferably, the second internal flange 7 comprises a second internal stiffener 17 extending from the internal tongue, in particular, from the upper branch.

15. According to a variant of the invention, the second internal stiffener extends substantially perpendicularly to the internal central part in order to facilitate the manufacture of the internal metal plate. According to another variant, the second internal stiffener extends at least partially substantially along the edge of the insulation material in order to facilitate the locking of the two adjacent panels. According to a variation of the invention, the second internal stiffener 17 includes a second internal flange extending parallel to the plane P and inwardly into the insulation material 2. This helps to stiffen the first internal flange. The internal recess 8 and tab 13 have shapes that allow them to be locked when a panel is assembled with an adjacent panel. Preferably, their shapes are substantially complementary and their dimensions are such that: the height of the internal recess (measured along the Y axis) is greater than the height of the internal tongue, the width of the internal recess (measured along the X axis) is greater than or equal to the width of the inner tongue. Preferably, the shape and dimensions of the inner tongue are such that it fits snugly into the inner recess, which further improves resistance to wind suction. By "fits perfectly" it is meant that the inner tongue and inner recess are substantially in contact with one another, except in areas where a possible gasket is added for sealing purposes, such as airtightness or airtightness. thermal insulation. In particular, the width of the upper branch 15 (measured along the X axis) is equal to the width of the flat part 10 (measured along the X axis) and the height of the internal step 9 is equal to the height of the U 16. More preferably, the inclination of the upper branch 15 of the internal tongue adjusts the inclination of the flat part 10 of the internal recess.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the outer metal foil 4 is a rectangular shaped metal foil, comprising longitudinal edges and transverse edges, which have been formed in a prior step. It comprises, in section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, an outer central part 18 and two outer flanges 19, 20 extending inward and / or outward from each end of the outer central part. Preferably, the major part of the outer central part is in a plane parallel to the plane P. In the variant illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 where the panel 1 is intended to be used for roofs, the outer central part comprises at least a central rib 21 reproducing a vertical weld. In particular, the side wings of the center rib are substantially parallel and close to each other. According to another variant, the outer central part comprises, in combination with the central rib 21 or not, stiffeners extending longitudinally to further increase the rigidity of the metal sheet.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the first outer flange 19 extends from a first end of the outer central portion 18, substantially above the first inner flange 6 and successively comprises a first lateral rib 22 extending - substantially perpendicular to the plane P and towards the outside and an external recess 23 extending parallel to the plane P and towards the inside. The term “external recess” is understood to mean that this part of the external metal sheet is in a plane positioned below the plane of the external central part 18.

The first lateral rib 22 comprises a first lower part 24 which is pinched, that is to say that its lower part is at least partially thinner than its first upper part 25. Thanks to this configuration, when a second lateral rib is fixed to the first lateral rib 22, the upper part prevents the second lateral rib from accidentally unlocking. In particular, on at least part of the first lower part 24, the two lateral wings of the first lateral rib are substantially in contact. In particular, the upper part has substantially the shape of a rectangular or an ellipse, the main axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the plane P or a circle. This shape serves as a lock. The upper part is delimited by the upper central part of the first lateral rib 22 and the upper part of the two lateral wings of the rib.

The main purpose of the external recess is to conceal distribution plates and fixings used to secure the sandwich panel to the building structure. Preferably, the outer recess 23 comprises an L-shaped portion with the short side of the L 26 as an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L 27 extending parallel to the plane P. The recess is deep enough, especially the short side of the L is long enough, so that a distribution plate 36 and heads of the fasteners 37 can be on the outer recess without compromising the locking of the two adjacent panels, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

More preferably, the long side of the L includes a longitudinal groove 28. This helps to position the fastener and to drill through the outer metal foil.

Preferably, the first outer flange 19 includes a first outer stiffener 29 extending from the outer recess 23, particularly from the long side of the L 27. This helps to stiffen the outer foil and the first outer flange. . According to the illustrated variant, the first external stiffener 29 has schematically the shape of a hook.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the second outer flange 20 extends from a second end of the outer central portion 18, substantially above the second inner flange 7 and comprises a second lateral rib 30 extending substantially perpendicular to the plane P and outwards.

Preferably, the second outer flange 20 successively comprises an outer flat portion 31 projecting from the lateral side of the insulation material and the second lateral rib 30. In particular, the outer flat portion is in the plane of the outer central portion 18. The main purpose of this outer flat part is to cover the outer recess of an adjacent panel when the two panels are locked.

The second lateral rib 30 comprises a second lower part 32 which is pinched, i.e. the second lower part is at least partially thinner than the second upper part 33. Thanks to this configuration, when the second lateral rib is fixed to the first lateral rib 22, the pinching prevents the second lateral rib from unlocking unexpectedly. In particular, on at least part of the second lower part 32, the two side wings of the second side rib are substantially in contact. In particular, the second upper part has substantially the shape of a rectangle or an ellipse, the main axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the plane P or to a circle. The second upper part is delimited by the upper central part of the second lateral rib 30 and the upper part of the two lateral wings of the rib.

The shape of the second lateral rib 30 is such that it can be locked on the first lateral rib 22, as illustrated in FIG. 6. In particular: on at least a part of the second lower part 32, the two lateral wings of the second side rib are spaced at twice the thickness of the outer metal foil so that the second lower portion 32 fits over the first lower portion 24, and the second upper portion 33 has substantially the same shape as the first upper part 25, but slightly larger so that the second upper part 33 fits over the first upper part 25.

By "slightly larger" is meant that the difference in width of the second upper part 33 and of the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the outer metal sheet and that the difference in height of the second upper part 33 and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the outer metal foil.

Those skilled in the art can easily design other geometries of the first and second side ribs which lock together while preventing unexpected unlocking.

The first outer flange 19 is positioned on the same lateral side, hereinafter referred to as a first lateral side 34, of the panel as the first inner flange 6 so that when the second lateral rib 30 of a second panel is locked on the first lateral rib 22 of a first panel already fixed to the building structure, the internal tongue 13 of the second panel is inserted into the internal recess 8 of the first panel. Therefore, the connection between the two panels is very robust. Particularly when the internal tab of the second panel is locked under the first panel, the wind suction resistance of the panel assembly is greatly improved.

The outer recess 23 is preferably positioned substantially above the first end of the inner central portion. Preferably, the long side of L 27 is - positioned in front of the first inner flange 6 (along the X axis) so that the fasteners passing through the outer recess do not pass through the first inner flange.

Preferably, the first inner flange 6 and the first outer flange 19 are positioned so that the first lateral side 34 of the insulation material slopes towards the outer metal foil, i.e. the inner central portion 5 and the first lateral side 34 forms an acute angle.

Symmetrically, the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 are preferably positioned so that the second lateral side 35 of the insulation material has the same inclination as the first lateral side 34. Due to its symmetrical inclination, when a first panel is locked to a second panel, the second lateral side of the first panel is substantially in contact over its entire surface with the first lateral side of the second panel. This improves the thermal efficiency and air tightness of the panel assembly. If one of the lateral sides includes a seal 38, then the latter is uniformly compressed. More preferably, when the lateral first side of the insulation material is inclined towards the outer metal foil, the compression of the gasket is even greater.

The gasket 38 can be, among others, made with an elastomeric material, a PVC foam, a PU foam, a PVC hollow section gasket or an intumescent material, such as a carpet based on mineral fibers comprising phosphate or graphite. exfoliated. The gasket is preferably part of the second lateral side of the insulation material so that it is protected by the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 during transport and handling of the panel. However, one may prefer to have the gasket on the first lateral side of the insulation material so that it is easier to place the gasket on the panel.

In order to form a roof or a facade, the panels 1 are assembled by marginal overlap of their longitudinal and / or transverse edges and fixed to the supporting structure of the building by means of fasteners such as screws, nails or rivets.

The first step of the assembly method consists of positioning a first panel on the building structure and fixing it to the structure by means of a fastener 37 passing through the outer recess 23 of the outer metal sheet 4, the material of insulation 2 and the inner metal plate 3, as illustrated in Figure 5. Preferably a distribution plate 36 is positioned in the outer recess before fixing the panel to limit the deformation of the outer metal sheet and to improve the transmission of loads between the panel and the fastener and thus improve the resistance to wind suction.

The second step of the assembly method consists of tilting a second panel transversely at an angle with the plane P of the first panel, hereinafter referred to as the angle "a, between 10 ° and 50 °, preferably between 20 ° and 40 °, as shown in figure 7.

The third step of the assembly method is to lock the second side rib 30 of the second panel to the first side rib 22 of the first panel.

The fourth step of the assembly method is to rotate the second panel in the direction of the building structure until the inner tab 13 of the second panel locks with the inner recess 8 of the first panel.

The second panel can then be attached to the building structure in a manner similar to what was done for the first panel.

Claims (12)

1. Panel (1) comprising an insulation material (2) sandwiched between an internal metal plate (3) and an external metal sheet (4), in which the internal metal plate comprises in section: - an internal central part (5) lying substantially in a plane P, - a first internal flange (6) extending inwardly from a first end of the internal central part and comprising an internal recess (8) extending in parallel in the P plane and inward, - a second internal flange (7) extending inwardly from a second end of the internal central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an internal tongue (13 ) extending parallel to the plane P and outwardly, the internal recess and the internal tongue having shapes which allow their locking, in which the external metal sheet (4) comprises in section: - an external central part (18 ), - a first external flange (19) extending from a first end of the outer central part, substantially above the first internal flange and comprising successively: - a first lateral rib (22) extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane P and outwards and comprising a first lower part (24) and a first upper part (25), the first lower part being at least partially thinner than the first upper part, - an external recess (23) extending parallel to the plane P and inwardly , - a second outer flange (20) extending from a second end of the outer central part and comprising a second lateral rib (30) extending substantially perpendicular to the plane P and outwards and comprising a second lower part (32) and a second upper part (33), the second lower part being at least partially thinner than the second upper part, the first lateral rib and the second n lateral rib having shapes which allow the locking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib. 2. Panel according to claim 1, wherein the internal recess (8) comprises an internal step (9) extending substantially perpendicularly from the internal central part (5) and a flat part (10). 3. Panel according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the internal tongue (13) comprises a lower branch (14) and an upper branch (15) connected by a U (16), the upper branch being inclined towards the U. 4. Panel according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the first lateral rib (22) comprises two lateral wings which are substantially in contact with at least part of the first lower part (24). A panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the outer recess (23) comprises an L-shaped portion with the short side of the L (26) which is an extension of the first lateral rib and the long side. of the L (27) which extends parallel to the plane P. A panel according to claim 5, wherein the long side of the L (27) comprises a longitudinal groove (28). 7. Panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second outer flange (20) successively comprises an outer flat portion (31) projecting from the insulation material, and the second lateral rib (30). A panel according to any preceding claim, wherein the first inner flange (6) and the first outer flange (19) define a first lateral side (34) of the insulation material which forms an acute angle with the portion. internal central (5). A panel according to claim 8, wherein the second inner flange (7) and the second outer flange (20) define a second lateral side (35) of the insulation material which has the same inclination as the first lateral side (34). ). 10. Panel according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the first lateral side (34) comprises a gasket (38). 11. An assembly of at least a first and a second panel (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the second lateral rib (30) of the second panel is locked on the first lateral rib (22) of the first panel and the inner tab (13) of the second panel is inserted into the inner recess (8) of the first panel. 12. A method for assembling a first and a second panel (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: (i) transversely tilting the second panel at an angle a, with the plane P of the first panel, between 10 ° and 50 °, (ii) lock the second lateral rib (30) of the second panel on the first - lateral rib (22) of the first panel, (iii) rotate the second panel until the inner tab (13) of the second panel locks with the inner recess (8) of the first panel.