Fixing device

The invention relates to a fixing device for wall panels e.g. cladding planks and in particular to a device for fixing wall panels.

Cladding planks are normally fixed to a building wall by brackets, which provide a hook, or clip on which the planks can be hung. Different styles of brackets have been designed to suit different types of cladding installations, and they differ in relation to the weight of the cladding and the level of security with which the cladding is to be attached to the building wall. Heavy cladding requires more robust bracket support than lighter cladding, while cladding that is to be supported high on building walls, is required to be supported in an extremely secure manner against dislodgement, for obvious safety reasons. Other issues relate to the requirement or otherwise to secure the cladding against vibration, so as to minimize or eliminate noise generation, to nesting requirements between adjacent tiles to prevent ingress of rain, snow, dust etc. into the cavity between the cladding and the building wall, and to the ease with which the cladding is installed.

A device for fixing planks to a wall is known from e.g. Kovalex® . Kovalex describes a device for mounting a cladding plank on a wall by screwing a bracket over a ridge on top of a cladding plank, wherein the bracket also is adapted to engage the lower ridge of a cladding plank to be provided above the first cladding plank.

The Kovalex fixing device for fixing wall panels on a structure comprises a body adapted to be connected to the structure, first gripping means connected to the body for gripping a first border part of a first wall panel and second gripping means connected to the body for gripping a second border part of a second wall panel.

A known alternative for fixing facade panels to a wall is by means of screw holes or sleeves provided in the top-part of the facade panels. These panels can be fixed against a wall by screwing through those holes or sleeves. The top part of a lower facade panel is often used as a support for the next higher panel.

A disadvantage of the known fixing methods or elements is, that the panels are fixed in such away that transversal expansion or shrinkage is limited or even not possible at all. Transversal expansion can e.g. be caused by dilatation by increasing temperatures or, in e.g. wood comprising panels, by water absorption. Such limited possibilities for transversal expansion or shrinkage may cause a distortion of the facade formed by the panels.

This disadvantage was taken away by FR 2734589 in that the first gripping means comprise a guidance sleeve defined by two guidance parts and that spring means are present for urging the first border part of the first wall panel away from the fixing device in the direction perpendicular to the rim of the first border part. The present invention provides the feature that the first gripping means are adapted to limit the movement of the rim away from the fixing device by a hook member adapted to engage a nose provided on the first wall panel. This embodiment leads to an extra fixation between the fixing element and said first wall panel, which is inter alia useful for fixation of the fixing element on the wall element during mounting to allow easier mounting.

The fixing device according to the present invention can be used for fixing wall panels in any position; the wall panels may be fixed in a horizontal position, parallel to an oblique plane or in a vertical position. In the last mentioned position, the longitudinal direction of the wall panels may be vertical, oblique or horizontal. When the wall panels have their longitudinal direction horizontal, it is attractive when the device according to the invention fixes the transversal position of the second border part, usually the lower border part of a wall panel to be mounted above the device, herein after called the upper panel, but allows a longitudinal movement parallel to the length direction of the upper wall panel and further provides a grip around a top part of a wall panel to be mounted below the device, herein after called the lower panel, such that the lower panel is free to move parallel to the length or horizontal direction of the panel and the first border part, usually the upper border part of the lower panel is also free to move perpendicular to the length direction of the panel. The spring means in particular serve to lock the wall panel around an upper edge zone of the lower panel. This part can be a protrusion or any other shape that fits in a channel like sleeve, hereinafter referred to as the guidance sleeve in the fixing device. An essential part of the guidance sleeve is the spring system that allows the grip to be clicked around the top part of the lower panel.

A preferred embodiment provides the feature that the spring elements comprise resilient toe elements connected to the body and located opposite the hook member of the guidance sleeve. Although the springs may be embodied as separate spring elements, for instance as leaf spring elements or even helical spring elements, this embodiment leads to a simple production as the spring elements can be produced in one piece with the rest of the fixing element. The location opposite the hook member of the

sleeve provides a resilient force urging the wall element in the directions towards its other border part.

Although installation in other directions is not excluded, the advantages of the invention appear mostly if the first gripping means are adapted to grip the first (i.e. upper) border part of the rim extending substantially horizontal, as the direction of the force produced by the spring elements is the same as that of the gravity.

There are numerous ways of fixing the fixing element to the structure, like nailing or gluing, but to allow an easy mounting the body comprises a through going hole adapted to be traversed by a fixing screw for fixing the fixing device to the structure.

In principle is possible to use the same kind of form locking connection between the fixing device an the second wall panel, but the construction of the fixing device is simplified if the second gripping means comprise a protrusion adapted to be connected to a sleeve provided in a second border part of the second wall panel. The fixing device according to the invention can be made out of metal, in particular out of sheet metal by known techniques like die cutting or it can be injection molded from a plastic material. Suitable materials for injection molding the devise of the invention are e.g. polyamide, acrylonitril butadiene styrene (ABS) or polyoxmethylene. The fixing device according to the invention is preferably used in combination with wall elements, which have been specially adapted to allow these panels to be gripped by the fixing device of the invention. Consequently the present invention provides also a kit of parts comprising a fixing device according to the present invention and a wall panel, comprising a protrusion extending substantially parallel to the main plane of the wall panel which is adapted to fit into the guidance sleeve of the fixing device.

To allow extra fixation between the fixing device and the wall panel, which is inter alia useful for fixation of the fixing device on the wall element during mounting to allow easier mounting, a preferred embodiment provides the feature that the wall panel comprises a nose adapted to be engaged by a hook member provided on the fixing device.

For connection with the second engaging means of the fixing device the wall panel preferably comprises a sleeve, adapted to be fitted to a protrusion provided on the fixation device.

To improve the appearance of the completed wall cladding another preferred embodiment provides a wall panel wherein a part thereof is adapted to cover at least a part of the fixing device when the wall panel is connected to the fixing device and more preferably also a part of another wall panel connected to the other side of the fixing device when two wall panels are connected with either side of the fixing device.

Finally the invention provides a wall cladding comprising wall panels provided with profiles of the first kind at their first border parts and profiles of the second kind at their second border parts, wherein the profiles are connected to fixing devices as subject of the present invention. Other features and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description together with the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Fig. 1 shows a cross section through a fixing device according to the invention and a lower wall panel. Fig. 2 shows a cross section through a lower and an upper facade panel fixed with a device according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fixing device according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a fixing device according to the invention. Fig. 5 is cross section through a known upper and lower facade panel.

With reference now to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown a lower panel 10, upon which a device according to the invention 1 engaging a nose provided on the border part of the lower wall panel, before the device is mounted to the wall. The device comprises a guidance sleeve 2 for the lower panel 10, a spring 3 and guidance parts 7 and 8. A hook member, or clip 6 forms in conjunction with the spring 3 and the guidance parts 7 and 8 a kind of a guidance channel for the first (i.e. upper) border part of the lower panel in which the panel can be clicked such that, although surrounded by the fixing device can freely move in the longitudinal as well as in the transversal direction. The clip 6 borders the open side of the guidance sleeve. The screw hole comprises a lip 5 (not shown in Fig. 1) to keep a screw 9 in position before the device is screwed in a wall or suitable supports, such, for example, as joists, studs and wooden furring.

Fig 1 also shows a kit of parts comprising a fixing device according to the present invention and a wall panel, comprising a protrusion (13) extending substantially parallel

to the main plane of the wall panel which is adapted to fit into the guidance sleeve of the fixing device.

In Fig. 2 there is shown on the left hand side a lower panel 10', in a basic position Al supported by a device according to the invention 1. The right hand side of Fig. 2 shows the same panel, but now in an expanded position 10'. The expansion is illustrated by the smaller distance d2 with respect to the original distance dl between the lower panel 10 and the upper panel 20. The first (upper) border part of the lower panel is kept in position by the spring 3' in the guidance channel formed by parts 2, 6, 7, and 8. The expansion of the lower panel is absorbed by compression of the spring 3', without changing the position of the higher panel, which position is determined by the protrusion 11 formed by the upper part of the device. The position of the protrusion 11 is determined by the position of the screw 9 only and independent from any expansion or shrinkage of the lower panel, shown by the line A2. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fixing device 1 according to the invention, which illustrates the guidance channel for the first (upper) border part of the lower panel, formed by parts 6, 2, 7 and 8 and wherein the first (upper) border part of the lower panel can be clicked in by means of the spring 3. Fig. 3 further shows the screw hole 4 with the lip 5 to keep a screw in a pre-mounting position. The screw hole is preferably positioned such that it overlaps the first border part of the first wall panel. Said overlap ensures, that whenever the fixing device fails, the first wall panel remains fixed to the structure by the head of the screw.

An alternative embodiment in steel is shown in Fig. 4 with a screw 9 that could be pre-mounted. Fig. 5 is a cross section through a mounting method of a panel known in the art.

The lower panel is mounted with screw 9 in the wall. The lower panel supports the higher panel via a foamed tape 12. The foamed tape permits a certain amount of expansion of the higher mounted panel. However if the lower panel is distorted in a banana-shaped manner, e.g. concave at the upper side, an efficient support of a straight higher mounted panel requires a compression of the foamed tape at the extreme ends of the lower mounted panel, such that additional compression due to transverse expansion of the higher mounted is very limited or not possible at all, reason for which a distortion of the facade formed by the panels with the known fixing system may occur.

The fixing device of the present invention on the contrary allows a straight horizontal positioning even when a lower panel is distorted in a banana shaped manner. Although the Figures show an example of a fixing device used in horizontally mounted wall panels, the fixing device of the invention is not limited for use in horizontally mounted wall panels, but can be applied with vertically mounted panels as well as used with panels for ceiling applications, both of which are comprised in the definition of wall panels in this description.