The present disclosure relates to a thermal insulation pad. In particular to a thermal insulation pad for attachment between a bracket and substructure in a building cladding assembly.

The habitation of buildings represents a significant contributor of greenhouse gases. A high proportion of such emissions results from heating and cooling systems in those buildings. In the modern world, where policy makers are facing increasing public pressures with respect to climate change, new buildings (and older buildings subject to renovation) are generally required to satisfy stringent and evolving energy efficiency and insulation standards.

The use of exterior cladding assemblies comprising a framework structure coupled to the exterior wall of a building with exterior cladding panels connected to the framework are now well known. The exterior cladding panels can be engineered to provide various aesthetic characteristics in addition to useful thermal and weather resistant properties. For example, the cladding panels and frame structure can comprise a rain-screen system.

Historically, a shortcoming with these assemblies has been the connection between the exterior cladding framework structure and the exterior wall of the building, which has provided a thermal path for the escape of thermal energy.

As a solution to this problem it has been known to attach brackets forming part of the exterior cladding assemblies to the exterior walls of the building via thermal insulation layers. An exemplary system is known from GB 2559905 A. Whilst this has significantly improved thermal efficiencies with the insulation layer acting as a thermal break between the building and the cladding assembly, the present inventors have determined scope for improving the thermal efficiency of such systems.

The present invention arose in a bid to provide an improved building cladding assembly offering improved thermal performance. According to the present invention in a first aspect, there is provided a thermal insulation pad for attachment between a bracket and substructure in a building cladding assembly, the thermal insulation pad comprising a thermal insulation material and at least one spacing member for limiting compression of the thermal insulation material during use.

In the present context, the substructure may, for example, comprise a structural element forming part of the cladding assembly or may comprise the building.

By the provision of the spacing member, which is not compressed during normal loading (i.e. under the compressive loading the thermal insulation pad is subjected to by fixings (typically, but not exclusively, screw fixings, such as self tapping/driving fixings) when the bracket is fixed to the substructure in use) compression of the thermal insulation pad is effectively controlled. By restricting compression of the thermal insulation layer/pad the thermal insulation performance of the pad is effectively maintained. In this regard, it has been determined by the present inventors that thermal insulation performance degrades significantly with a reduction in thickness (by compression) of prior art thermal insulation pads, such as the thermal insulation pad disclosed in the referenced prior art above. In that arrangement without any spacing member, the retainer is crushed during installation with the insulation pad compressed to around 50% of its uncompressed thickness.

The space between the bracket and the substructure in use may be substantially filled by the thermal insulation pad. In such arrangements, the spacing between the bracket and the substructure will be equal to the relevant dimension of the spacing member. In alternative arrangements, an adaptor may be provided along with the thermal insulation pad to lie between the backet and the substructure.

The relevant dimension of the spacing member may be substantially equal to the uncompressed thickness of the insulation material comprising the thermal insulation pad. It will typically be slightly smaller than the uncompressed thickness of the insulation material comprising the thermal insulation pad. Regardless, it will limit compression of the thermal insulation material during use.

The material of the spacing member will be less compressible than the thermal insulation material comprising the thermal insulation pad. The spacing member may be embedded in the thermal insulation material/pad. The spacing member preferably comprises a material with good thermal insulation properties that is sufficiently uncompressible under the required compressive loading during use. In this regard the material is not particularly limited. The spacing member most preferably comprises a ceramic material, however.

The specific form of the spacing member is also not particularly limited. The spacing member may comprise a bead. It could comprise an alternatively shaped element and may, for example, comprise a cube or otherwise. Ceramic beads are preferred, since they have been determined to be readily available at a low cost and to meet the requirements of thermal insulation and non-compressibility. Regardless of form and material, there is most preferably an array of spacing members provided so as to allow for balanced loading. A plurality of openings may be provided in the thermal insulation pad for receiving the spacing members. In such case, each of the openings is preferably arranged such that there is an interference fit between the opening and the respective spacing member received thereby. The spacing members are thereby embedded in the thermal insulation material. Whilst an array of spacing members is preferred, in alternative arrangements, there may be a single suitably formed/shaped/sized spacing element, which may be embedded in the thermal insulation member or otherwise attached thereto in the form of a frame extending around the periphery of the thermal insulation material/pad or otherwise.

According to the present invention in a further aspect, there is provided a thermal insulation pad assembly comprising a thermal insulation pad as defined above and an attachment element for attaching the thermal insulation pad to a bracket in a building cladding assembly. In a preferred arrangement, the attachment element comprises a sleeve, which may be formed from cardboard. In alternative arrangements, the attachment means may comprise adhesive.

According to the present invention in a yet further aspect, there is provided a bracket for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, the bracket comprising a foot having a contact face to face towards the substructure in use and a thermal insulation pad, or a thermal insulation pad assembly, as defined above attached to the foot, such that the thermal insulation pad sits between the contact face and the substructure in use.

The thermal insulation pad preferably has a footprint substantially equal to the footprint of the foot.

Further, preferred, features are presented in the dependent claims.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a thermal insulation pad according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a thermal insulation pad assembly comprising the thermal insulation pad of Figure 1 and an attachment element in the form of a cardboard sleeve;

Figure 3 shows a bracket for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, which comprises the thermal insulation pad assembly of Figure 2 attached to a foot thereof;

Figure 4 shows an alternative bracket for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, which comprises an alternative thermal insulation pad assembly in which the attachment element comprises adhesive; and

Figures 5a and 5b show a bracket similar to that shown in Figure 4 but provided with an adaptor, wherein Figure 5a shows an exploded perspective view of the components and Figure 5b shows a perspective view of the assembled bracket. With reference to Figure 1 , there is shown a thermal insulation pad 1 for attachment between a bracket (6, Figures 3 and 4) and substructure (not shown) in a building cladding assembly (not shown), the pad comprising a thermal insulation material 2 and at least one spacing member 3 for maintaining a predetermined spacing between the bracket and substructure during use.

The thermal insulation material may comprise a fibrous material. In a particularly preferred arrangement, it comprises a silica aerogel. An exemplary silica aerogel comprises ‘AEROGEL POLY’ manufactured by AMA Composites S.r.l. The thermal insulation pad may be formed by cutting a sheet of suitable thickness to the required dimensions. It should be noted that a range of differently sized pads may be made available to suit a range of differently sized brackets. Note, for example, the differing pad sizes in Figures 3 and 4. In exemplary arrangements, the thermal insulation pad has an uncompressed thickness of 10mm. It could, however, be thicker or thinner, as appropriate.

The spacing member 3 is less compressible than the thermal insulation pad and, as discussed, acts to restrict compression of the thermal insulation material/pad in a thickness direction. For such purposes, the spacing member 3 preferably has a dimension substantially equal to the thickness of the thermal insulation material when the thermal insulation material is in an uncompressed state.

As is preferred, in the present arrangement there is a plurality of spacing members 3 provided, such that loads are balanced. Specifically, in the present arrangement, there are six spacing members 3 provided in an array. It should be appreciated that in alternative arrangements there may be more or less spacing members provided. The spacing members 3 comprise ceramic beads that have a thickness slightly less than the uncompressed thickness of the thermal insulation material 2 defining the thermal insulation pad. In alternative arrangements, the spacing members 3 may be otherwise formed and need not comprise ceramic material as long as they have suitable thermal insulation properties and are uncompressible under the required working loads. As best seen in Figure 1 , there is a plurality of openings 4 provided for receiving the spacing members 3. Each of the openings 4 is arranged such that there is an interference fit between the opening 4 and the respective spacing member 3 received thereby. In alternative arrangements the openings 4 may be omitted or otherwise formed.

Whilst in the present arrangement there is an array of spacing members 3, in alternative arrangements there may be a single spacing member 3 only. Where there is a single spacing member provided, it could take the form of a frame around the periphery of the thermal insulation material or it could comprise a suitable embedded member that provides multiple spaced points of support, received by a suitably formed opening or otherwise.

With reference to Figure 2, there is shown a thermal insulation pad assembly 10 comprising a thermal insulation pad 1 and an attachment element 5 for attaching the thermal insulation pad 1 (comprising the thermal insulation material 2 and the spacing members 3). With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the thermal insulation pad assembly 10 is shown attached to a bracket 6 for use in a building cladding assembly, wherein a first form of attachment element 5 is shown in Figures 2 and 3 and a second form of attachment element is discussed with reference to Figure 4.

The first form of attachment element 5 comprises a cardboard sleeve. The thermal insulation pad 1 is received by the sleeve as shown in Figure 2. The sleeve preferably comprises an opening 11 to allow (obstruction free) access to openings 9 in the foot 7 of the bracket 6, as seen in Figure 3. The sleeve has a greater depth than the thickness of the pad 1 , such that there is a space 12 provided between the pad 1 and a face of the sleeve. In use, as seen in Figure 3, the sleeve is slid onto the foot 7 of the bracket 6, wherein the thermal insulation pad 1 contacts a contact face 8 of the foot 7 and the foot 7 is sandwiched between the pad 1 and the face of the sleeve (the upper face of the sleeve with the bracket 6 oriented as in Figure 3). The compressibility of the thermal insulation material 6 results in an interference fit. Whilst the sleeve is cardboard, which is preferred due to its low cost, thermal and fire properties, it may be plastic or otherwise. Moreover, it need not be limited to the form of the present arrangement for performing the function of attaching the thermal insulation pad 1 to the bracket 6 for installation of the bracket 6, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The second form of attachment element is an adhesive, wherein the thermal insulation pad 1 is adhered to the contact face 8 of the foot 7. The adhesive may be applied directly to the thermal insulation material 2 of the pad 1 or the pad 1 may be covered, for example by shrink wrapping in plastic, with the adhesive applied to the covering layer. An alternative form of cover may comprise a cardboard box that is suitably sized to receive the thermal insulation pad 1 with a snug fit.

Regardless of the form of attachment, it is preferable that the thermal insulation pad 1 has a footprint substantially equal to the footprint of the foot 7 of the bracket 6.

It should be noted that the form of the bracket 6 for forming part of a building cladding assembly is not limited to the arrangement shown. In the exemplary arrangement shown, the bracket 6 comprises the foot 7 and a neck that extends to a head that is provided at an opposite end of the neck to the foot, the head comprises a pair of opposed plates that are substantially parallel to one another and spaced from one another to provide a mouth for engaging a flange or tail part of a rail system that may in turn support external cladding panels.

With reference to Figures 5a and 5b, a further bracket is shown, which comprises the bracket 6, the thermal insulation pad 1 and an adaptor 13. The adaptor 13 comprises a plate formed of plastic, which comprises a support surface 14 for positioning in contact against the contact face of the foot 7 and an opposed surface for positioning against the thermal insulation pad 1 , as seen in Figure 5b. A raised lip 15 extends around a perimeter of the plate to define a space for at least partially housing the foot 7, as again best seen in Figure 5b. The adaptor 13 may be arranged to snap fit to the foot 7. The thermal insulation pad 1 may be attached to the adaptor using adhesive or otherwise. Any of the above described arrangements that omit the adaptor may be modified by the inclusion of an adaptor.

Whilst a number of exemplary embodiments have been detailed above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made to those embodiments, without departing from the scope of the claims that follow.