COUPLING APPARATUS

Abstract

A panel assembly comprising at least two SIP panels fixedly coupled together in a coplanar relationship by a coupling apparatus for fixedly coupling an edge surface of a first SIP panel to an edge surface of a second SIP panel in an abutting relationship so that the two SIP panels are coplanar. The coupling apparatus comprising at least one staple having a bridge and two embedding elements spaced apart along the length of the bridge. Each embedding element being adapted to embed into one of the two SIP panels so that the staple bridges the abutting edges and fixedly couples the two abutting SIP panels together in a coplanar relationship.

Claims

1. A panel assembly, comprising: at least two SIP panels fixedly coupled together in a coplanar relationship by a coupling means for fixedly coupling an edge surface of a first SIP panel to an edge surface of a second SIP panel in an abutting relationship so that the two SIP panels are coplanar, the coupling means comprising at least one staple having a bridge and two embedding elements spaced apart along the length of the bridge, each embedding element being adapted to embed into one of the two SIP panels so that the staple bridges abutting edges of the two SIP panels and fixedly couples the two abutting SIP panels together in a coplanar relationship.

2. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one staple is embedded into both outside main planar surfaces of abutting oriented strand boards (OSBs) of the abutting SIP panels.

3. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the staple bridges the abutting edges of the two abutting SIP panels on both outside main planar surfaces of the abutting SIP panels.

4. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the staple is mechanically fixed to the two abutting SIP panels to fixedly couple the two SIP panels together in a coplanar arrangement in an absence of any additional modifications to the SIP panels.

5. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein free ends of the embedding elements are adapted to embed into the two abutting SIP panels and to simultaneously bend towards each other as a result of an impact or drive force being applied to the bridge of the staple.

6. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the staples are spaced apart along a longitudinal length of abutting edges of the SIP panels.

7. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the bridge of the coupling means is wide enough to bridge a joint between the first SIP panel and the second SIP panel.

8. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the embedding elements are shorter in length than a width of the bridge.

9. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the embedding elements are shorter in length in an embedded position than a depth of the OSBs.

10. The panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a free end of each embedding element has a beveled surface commencing at a location along an outside of the embedding element and slicing through a body of the embedding element so that the embedding element is tapering to a point on an inside of the embedding element for embedding into an oriented strand board (OSB) of the SIP panels.

11. A method of mechanically fixing a SIP panel assembly, comprising the steps of: abutting at least two SIP panels, comprising at least a first SIP panel and a second SIP panel, together in a coplanar relationship, applying a coupling means for fixedly coupling an edge surface of the first SIP panel to an edge surface of the second SIP panel in an abutting relationship so that the two SIP panels are coplanar, the coupling means comprising at least one staple having a bridge and two embedding elements spaced apart along a length of the bridge so that each embedding element is embedded into one of the at least two SIP panels so that the staple bridges abutting edges of the at least two SIP panels and fixedly couples the at least two abutting SIP panels together in a coplanar relationship.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a free end of each embedding element has a beveled surface commencing at a location along an outside of the embedding element and slicing through a body of the embedding element so that the embedding element is tapering to a point on an inside of the embedding element for embedding into an oriented strand board (OSB) of the SIP panels.

13. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising mechanically fixing a plurality of staples along abutting edges of the abutting SIP panels so that each embedding element of each staple is embedded.

14. A coupling means for fixedly coupling an edge surface of a first SIP panel to an edge surface of a second SIP panel in an abutting relationship so that the two SIP panels are coplanar, the coupling means comprising: at least one staple having a bridge and two embedding elements spaced apart along a length of the bridge, each embedding element being adapted to embed into one of the two SIP panels so that the staple bridges abutting edges of the two SIP panels and fixedly couples the two abutting SIP panels together in a coplanar relationship.

15. The coupling means as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one staple is embedded into both outside main planar surfaces of abutting oriented strand boards (OSBs) of the abutting SIP panels.

16. The coupling means as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one staple bridges abutting edges of the two abutting SIP panels on both outside main planar surfaces of the abutting SIP panels.

17. The coupling means of claim 14, wherein free ends of the embedding elements are adapted to embed into the two abutting SIP panels and to simultaneously bend towards each other as a result of an impact or drive force being applied to the bridge of the staple.

18. The coupling means of claim 14, wherein a free end of each embedding element has a beveled surface commencing at a location along an outside of the embedding element and slicing through a body of the embedding element so that the embedding element is tapering to a point on an inside of the embedding element for embedding into an oriented strand board (OSB) of the SIP panels.

19. The coupling means of claim 14, wherein two or more staples are spaced apart along a longitudinal length of abutting edges of the SIP panels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows by way of example only one embodiment of a panel assembly in accordance with the invention. In the drawing:

[0056] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panel assembly of the present invention;

[0057] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a staple of the present invention; and

[0058] FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a staple of the present invention in an installed configuration;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0059] Referring to the drawings there is shown a panel assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The panel assembly having at least two SIP panels 2 fixedly coupled together in a coplanar relationship by a coupling arrangement 3 for fixedly coupling an edge surface 4 of a first SIP panel 2 to an edge surface 4 of a second SIP panel 2 in an abutting relationship so that the two SIP panels 2 are coplanar. The SIP is a composite building material consisting of an insulating layer of rigid core 16 sandwiched between two layers of structural board (OSB) 8.

[0060] The coupling arrangement 3 has at least three staples 3 having a bridge 5 and two embedding elements 6 spaced apart along the length of the bridge 5. Each embedding element 6 being adapted to embed into one of the two SIP panels 2 so that the staple 3 bridges the abutting edges 7 and fixedly couples the two abutting SIP panels 2 together in a coplanar relationship.

[0061] The staples 3 are embedded into both of the outside main planar surfaces of the abutting oriented strand boards OSB's 8 of the abutting SIP panels 2. The staples 3 bridging the two abutting edges 7 of the two abutting SIP panels 2 on both of the outside main planar surfaces of the abutting SIP panels 2.

[0062] Advantageously, the staples 2 are readily mechanically fixed to the two abutting SIP panels 2 to fixedly couple the two SIP panels 2 together in a coplanar arrangement without requiring any additional modifications to the SIP panels 2.

[0063] The free ends of the embedding elements 6 are adapted to embed into the two abutting SIP panels 2 and to simultaneously bend towards each other, see FIGS. 1 and 3 as a result of the application of an impact or drive force being applied to the bridge 5 of the staple 3. The free end of each embedding element 6 has a beveled surface 11 commencing at a location along the outside of the embedding element 6 and slicing through the body of the embedding element 6 so that the embedding element 6 is tapering to a point on the inside of the embedding element for embedding into an oriented strand board OSB 8 of the SIP panel 2.

[0064] By inside of the embedding element, we mean the parts 14 of the embedding elements 6 that face towards each other. By outside of the embedding element 6 we mean the parts of the embedding elements that face away from each other.

[0065] Advantageously, having a beveled surface 11 tapering to an embedding point on an inside part 14 of each embedding element 6 allows the staple 3 to embed into the two abutting SIP panels 2 and to simultaneously bend towards each other leaving the embedding elements with a curved configuration 15 as a result of application of an impact or drive force being applied to the bridge 5 of the staple 2. The staples 3 are spaced apart along the longitudinal length of the abutting edges of the SIP panels at centers in the range of 30 to 70 mm and most preferably at centers in the range of 40 to 60 mm along the longitudinal length of the abutting edges of the SIP panels. The width of the bridge 5 of the staple 3 is wide enough to abridge the joint between the first SIP panel and the second SIP panel. The embedding elements 6 are shorter in length than the width of the bridge 5. The embedding elements 6 are shorter in length in the embedded position than the depth of the OSB of the staple 3.

[0066] In use an operator fixes a SIP panel assembly 1 together by abutting at least two SIP panels 2 together in a coplanar relationship, and applying staples 3 for fixedly coupling an edge surface 4 of the first SIP panel 2 to an edge surface 4 of the second SIP panel 2 in an abutting relationship so that the two SIP panels 2 are coplanar. The operator mechanically fixes the staples 3 having a bridge 5 and two embedding elements 6 spaced apart along the length of the bridge 5 to the abutting SIP panels 2 so that each embedding element 6 is embedded into one of the two SIP panels 2 so that the staple 3 bridges the abutting edges and fixedly couples the two abutting SIP panels 2 together in a coplanar relationship.

[0067] The operator fixes a plurality of staples 3 along the abutting edges of the abutting SIP panels 2 so that each embedding element 6 is embedded into one of the two SIP panels 2 so that the staple 3 bridges the abutting edges and fixedly couples the two abutting SIP panels 2 together in a coplanar relationship. The operator mechanically fixes a plurality of staples 3 along the abutting edges of the abutting SIP panels 2 on both outer main planar surfaces of the SIP panels.

[0068] In relation to the detailed description of the different embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that one or more technical features of one embodiment can be used in combination with one or more technical features of any other embodiment where the transferred use of the one or more technical features would be immediately apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art to carry out a similar function in a similar way on the other embodiment.

[0069] In the preceding discussion of the invention, unless stated to the contrary, the disclosure of alternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter, coupled with an indication that one of the said values is more highly preferred than the other, is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter, lying between the more preferred and the less preferred of said alternatives, is itself preferred to said less preferred value and also to each value lying between said less preferred value and said intermediate value.

[0070] The features disclosed in the foregoing description or the following drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing a disclosed function, or a method or a process of attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may separately, or in any combination of such features be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.