PANELS'

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to building panels for use as wall panels, roof panels and the like and to buildings using such panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various building panels have been developed for roofing, wall cladding, floor panels, etc., using a variety of materials, often sheet metal, laminated together using different combinations of materials.

Material selection is usually done with factors such as cost, structural characteristics, insulation, and weight in mind. In general, the aim is to, at the same time, reduce costs, increase strength, improve insulation, and reduce weight. Attention to such parameters enables building construction at reduced cost with reduced materials cost and reduced labour costs in the production phase. An additional factor is the utility of the panel so far as its ease of use is concerned in the construction of a building.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has as its object to provide a building panel which comprises an improvement to building panels, by which a building is more easily constructed.

Other objects and various advantageous developments will hereinafter become apparent. NATURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention achieves its object by providing a building panel which comprises: spaced apart facing sheets; and an infill therebetween; characterised in that

the spaced sheets are dimensionally extended further than the infill in at least one direction; and the spaced sheets are offset or disposed relative to each other to create edge flanges or flaps by which adjoining panels can be interconnected.

Further the invention provides building structures using the above defined panels together with framing elements which considerably simplify the construction of a building.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to various preferred embodiments, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an edge view of a building panel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the manner in which a number of panels as in FIG. 1 come together to form an assembly;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show roof profiles which can be established using a panel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows how a number of panels in accordance with the invention can be assembled as a wall; FIG. 6 is a section through a wall using a panel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a section through the peak of a roof showing how panels can be applied to a ridge beam;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bracket which can be used in a ridge beam as in FIG. 7 and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an additional bracket which can be used with a ridge beam as in FIG. 7.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, the panel 10 has a first corrugated

or profiled sheet 11 (corrugated in this case) spaced from a second sheet 12 by an infill 13. In joining panels together, edge flap or flange 14 overlays an adjoining sheet and a connector 16 can be passed therethrough to stitch the panels together. The edge flap or flange 15 at the other side underlaps an adjoining panel and it can be secured thereto by a connector 17. The connectors might be self-drilling screws or other like type, quickly applied connectors by which to quickly attach the two sheets, of metal or other like material, together.

The flanges 14 and 15 of panel 10 are readily produced by a lamination process which offsets panels 11 and 12 relative to each other with a reduced dimension infill 13 therebetween. With panel face sheets being corrugated iron or other like material, the connectors 16 and 17 can be self-drilling screws applied with a power tool for easy interconnection of panels. Any of the sheet metal profiles, corrugated or otherwise shaped, now in common use, might be vised in creation of the panel. In production of the panel, the infill 13 is preferably a light weight, low density material with good insulation properties and it can be a preformed foam material, formed with a contoured surface to complement the corrugations of the facing sheets so as to assist bonding of the infill to the sheet. The surface of the infill need not be fully complementary to the shape of the corrugations. With a corrugation as seen in FIG. 1, the infill surface contour can be composed of shallow V-shaped indentations as seen in FIG. 1. The bonding process can produce a degree of deformation which produces adequate contact of infill with corrugated sheet to create a panel with adequate structural strength. The infill 13 can be an expanded polystyrene foam. The thickness of the foam might vary

and could vary to achieve desired insulation and strength parameters. A typical thickness might be around 70 mm between sheets with a profile corrugated with a hill to valley dimension of around 16 to 17 mm. FIG. 2 shows how three sheets 18, 19 and 20 can come together in an assembly, butted edge-to-edge, with flanges overlapped and underlapped, and each screwed to the next panel. The first panel 20 is put in place with its flange 21 overlapped over fascia timbers 22 and 23. The flange 21 might be screwed to fascia 22. The panel 20 overlaps frame ^' 24 at its edge and it can be screwed therethrough to fix it to the frame. The second panel 19 is then dropped in place and screwed to panel 20. The process is repeated across whatever width is to be covered by the panels. The assembly as in FIG. 2 might comprise a roof. The nature of the roof could be as shown in either of FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 4, the panels are flat panels and angled upwardly to a ridge support beam 25. In FIG. 4, the panels are curved and could span the width of the building unsupported, or a support beam 26 can be provided. In the buildings of FIG. 3 and 4, the walls thereof might be made using flat panels in accordance with the present invention as is described below. FIG. 5 shows how panels 27, 28 and 29 may come together to form a wall. The wall is formed between a top plate at ceiling line 30 and a bottom plate 31 at a floor line 31. The wall is assembled with panel 27 screwed into place at required centres, with screws through its lap end 32 at selected centres, and through its top and bottom ends to the top and bottom plates also at centres as required. Subsequently panel 28 is put into place with the same process of connection, followed by panel 29, etc. As seen in FIG. 6, the top and bottom plates might be C-section lengths with the

panels nested therein, with connectors, such as self- drilling screws, passed therethrough into the panels.

In FIG. 6 is seen a section through a side of a building utilising panels in accordance with the present invention. The wall panel 33 is screwed into a bottom plate 34 which is itself connected to the floor and into a top plate 35 which is attached to roof frame element 36. Panels may be applied over the pitched roof frame element 37. The top and bottom plates shown can be rolled steel capping plates, or alternately timber plates can be used.

The infill of the panel might be cored therethrough to provide ducts for electrical and other like services. In the above described panels, the panels have flaps or flanges at opposed edges to enable both overlap and underlap interconnection. It would be possible to provide the flap or flange at one side only when applications did not require the same degree of structural interconnection between adjoining panels. In FIG. 7 is seen a section through a ridge beam and panels at the peak of a roof. The two panels 38 and 39 are joined to a ridge beam 40 which is an assembly comprised of two Z-section members 41 and 42 joined together by brackets such as 43 at points therealong. The Z members can be rolled metal to create elongate lengths with the section shown. The brackets such as 43 can be short lengths bent with the section shown with strengthening webs 56 therein. The Z members 41 and 42 can be bolted to brackets such as 43 by bolts 44 and 45. The overlaps 46 and 47 of sheets 38 and 39 can be screwed to respective Z-sections by screws at 48 and 49. The panels 38 and 39 rest on the bottom flanges 54 and 55 and screws 50 and 51 can be applied thereto.

The bracket 43 of FIG. 8 is used in the ridge beam of FIG. 7. Sides 57 and 58 are angled to match the

pitch of the roof. Holes 59 to 61 receive bolts. These brackets can be applied at regular intervals along the ridge beam depending on structural requirements. The holes 62 and 63 in the strengthening web 56 provide a means whereby ridge beams which meet at some point can be interconnected with a bracket extended between respective ridge beams to bolt to holes 62 and 63 in the endmost brackets 43 of the respective ridge beams. With a suitably configured intermediary bracket, upwardly angled ridge beams can join with a horizontal ridge beam.

FIG. 9 shows an intermediary bracket whereby end plate 64 bolts to web 56 of the endmost bracket 43 of a horizontal ridge beam (not shown) extended in the line of cleat 67. Downwardly angled ridge beams (not shown) extended in the lines of cleats 68 and 69 are bolted to end plates 65 and 66 to angle downwardly and apart from each other.

The above described panel can have a flange at one edge; at each of two opposed edges, on opposed faces; and at all edges, the flanges at opposed edges being on one of each facing sheet. Adjoining sheets may be attached to each other at one only or at both faces. Sheets may be attached to building framing elements by connectors through edge flanges and or by connectors through the panel.

The ridge beam of FIG. 7 can be restructured as a valley beam with Z-members joined by intermediary brackets which angle the Z-members the other way such that the roof sheets dip to a gutter between the Z- members.