Panel Mounting System, Method of Providing a Façade Lining to Building, And Combination of Parts For Use In A Panel Mounting System

Abstract

The invention relates to a panel-mounting system for the faade lining of a building, comprising a conduit for a fluid, elongate profiles configured to be fixed to a building wall, panels for forming the faade lining by fixing them onto the profiles, wherein for each of the profiles an elongate contact area is defined between the profile and a panel which is fixed to that profile. At least some profiles comprise an elongate metallic heat conductor which is connected to the profile, arranged for exchanging heat conductively, through the contact area, between fluid in the conduit and the at least one panel fixed to that profile. The invention also relates to a method of providing a faade lining to a building wall, using such a system, and to a combination of parts for use in such a system.

Claims

1. A panel-mounting system for the faade lining of a building, comprising a conduit for a fluid, a plurality of elongate profiles which are each configured to be fixed to a wall of a building, a plurality of panels for forming the faade lining of the building by fixing the plurality of panels onto the plurality of profiles, wherein for each of the profiles an elongate contact area is defined between the profile and at least one panel of the plurality of panels which is fixed to that profile, which contact area extends along at least substantially the length of the profile, wherein at least some of the profiles of the plurality of profiles comprise an elongate metallic heat conductor which is connected to the profile, which extends at least substantially along the length of the profile, and which is arranged for exchanging heat conductively, through the contact area, between fluid in the conduit and the at least one panel fixed to that profile.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is formed by a tube that is connected to the heat conductor of at least one profile.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the heat conductor covers at least 50 percent of an outer cross-sectional circumference of the tube.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the heat conductor is of a C-shaped cross-section along its length, which C-shape defines a chamber for receiving and holding therein the tube.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the conduit is formed by a resilient tube, wherein the C-shape is such that the tube can pass through the opening of the C-shape along the length of the heat conductor, in a deformed state of the tube.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is formed by a channel within the heat conductor itself, extending along the length of the heat conductor.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the heat conductor has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/(m*K).

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the profile and the heat conductor are made of a material comprising aluminum.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the heat conductor is formed integral with the profile.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein at least the profiles integral with the heat conductor are formed by extrusion.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the part of the profile defining the contact area is provided with through holes for fixing the panels.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the profile comprises a first limb and a second limb, wherein the first and second limbs extend under an angle of substantially 90 degrees with respect to each other, wherein the second limb defines the contact area and the heat conductor is connected at least to the second limb, and wherein the first limb is configured to be fixed to a wall of the building.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the heat conductor is also connected to the first limb.

14. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of brackets configured to be directly fixed onto the building wall, in a mutually spaced apart configuration wherein each of the plurality of profiles is configured to be fixed to the wall by fixing it onto brackets of the plurality of brackets.

15. A method of providing a faade lining to a building wall with a panel-mounting system according to claim 1, the method comprising: a) mounting the plurality of profiles together with the conduit to a wall of a building, b) fixing the panels to the profiles, such that an at least substantially continuous faade lining is created, c) forcing a fluid through the conduit of the system.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein for step a), the plurality of profiles is mounted such that they mutually extend in parallel.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein before carrying out step b), the tube is connected to the heat conductor of at least some of the profiles such that the tube passes through at least some of the profiles as one single continuous part.

18. A combination of parts for use in a system according to claim 1, the parts of the combination comprising a conduit for a fluid, a plurality of elongate profiles which are each configured to be fixed to a wall of a building and which are each configured so that in use at least one panel of a plurality of panels for forming the faade lining of a building can be fixed thereto, thereby defining an elongate contact area between the profile and the at least one panel, which contact area extends along at least substantially the length of the profile, wherein some of the profiles comprise an elongate metallic heat conductor which is connected thereto, which extends at least substantially along the length of the profile, and which is arranged for in use exchanging heat conductively, through the contact area, between fluid in the conduit and the at least one panel fixed to that profile.

Description

[0034] The present invention will be explained in more detail hereafter by the description of preferred embodiments of panel mounting systems according to the invention, with reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a wall provided with a preferred embodiment of a panel-mounting system according to the present invention,

[0036] FIG. 2 is, in cross section, detail II of FIG. 1, and

[0037] FIG. 3 is, in cross section, a detail view of a further embodiment of a profile and conduit of a panel mounting system according to the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a panel mounting system 1 for the faade lining of a building 3. The panel mounting system 1 is configured to be fixed onto a wall 10 of the building 3. The system 1 comprises a conduit 2 for transporting a fluid such as water. See also FIG. 2. The system 1 also comprises a plurality of elongate profiles 4 which are each configured to be fixed to the wall 10 of the building 3. Further, the system 1 comprises a plurality of panels 6, 6, 6 (further to be jointly referred to as panels 6) for forming the faade lining of the wall 10 of the building 3 by fixing the plurality of panels 6 onto the plurality of profiles 4.

[0039] Each of the profiles 4 has at least a first limb 26 and a second limb 28. The first and second limbs 26, 28 are orientated mutually perpendicular such that an L-shaped profile 4 is obtained. In an embodiment, the second limb may extend to beyond the first limb so as to obtain a T-shaped profile. An example of such a T-shaped profile is shown in FIG. 1 as profile 104. The second limb 28 is flat and defines an elongated contact area 7 between the profile 4 and a panel 6. The contact area 7 extends at least substantially along the length of the profile 4 (perpendicular to the sectional plane according to FIG. 1. In this respect it is noted that the length of the profile 4 may be considerable in comparison to the cross-sectional dimensions. The length of the profile 4 may be for example 2 or 4 meters or even longer, while the width of the limbs 26, 28 may be in the range of a few to about 20 cm.

[0040] At least some of the profiles 4 of the plurality of profiles comprises an elongated metallic heat conductor 5 which is connected to the profile 4. In the exemplary profile design of profile 4, the conductor 5 is welded onto the limbs 26, 28. In the figures only profile 4 is provided with such a heat conductor 5. A similar construction is possible with profiles 104 and 204 wherein it is noted that profile 204 is a mirror image of profile 4, at least in the view of FIG. 1. The various examples of profiles is only shown by way of example. A preferred embodiment of a system according to the invention comprises a plurality of profiles of the same cross-sectional shape and dimensions. The heat conductor 5 extends at least substantially along the length of the profile 4 and is arranged for exchanging heat conductively, through the contact area 7, between the fluid in the conduit 2 and the panel 6 which is fixed to the profile 4, in use of the system 1. Again, the same holds for profiles 104 en 204 onto which panels 6 and 6, respectively, are fixed.

[0041] The conduit 2 is formed by a tube that is in use connected to the heat conductor 5 of the profile 4. The heat conductor 5 is C-shaped and, as shown in FIG. 2, covers about 65 percent of the outer cross sectional circumference of the tube 2. The tube 2 is resilient such that the tube can be forced into a chamber 13 defined in the C-shaped conductor 5 through the opening of the C-shape. When in the chamber 13, the tube 2 returns to its original shape due to his resilient properties so that it is thereby positively held in the chamber 13.

[0042] In an alternative embodiment of a profile according to the invention, the conductor may be integral with the profile. This is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows a profile 304 which is manufactured by extrusion. As it is shown, the conductor 305 is integral with the first and second limbs 326, 328 of the profile 304. A chamber 313 is created which is, similar to chamber 13 of C-shape so as to positively hold a conduit such as conduit 2 (not shown in FIG. 3) therein, In an alternative embodiment of a profile for use in a system according to the invention, the conduit is formed by a channel within the heat conductor itself, which channel extends along the length of the heat conductor. In such an embodiment, no separate conduit such as a tube is thus needed. The thermal conductivity of the heat conductor 5 and profile 4 is about 150 w/(MK) and they are made of an aluminum alloy.

[0043] The system 1 comprises a plurality of brackets 30 which are also L-shaped in cross-section and which are configured for fixing the profiles 4, 104, 204 (as shown in FIG. 1) to the wall 10. The brackets may be of similar length as the profiles, or may, preferably, be considerably shorter. This way, a single profile 4 can be fixed to the wall 10 for example by the use of two brackets per meter of the extension of the profile 4.

[0044] The brackets 30 are bolted on the wall 10 and are connected to the profiles 4 via bolts 24 passing through holes 22 in the first limb 26 of profile 4. The profile 4 is also provided with holes 16 in the second limb 28 for connecting the panel 6 to the profile 4, preferably using rivets like rivet 20. The brackets and profiles define a space 33 between the building wall 10 and the panels 6. Optionally, isolation material 32 may be provided in said space 33.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment of a method of providing a faade lining to a building wall 10 using a panel mounting system 1 as described above, firstly, the plurality of profiles 4 is mounted to a wall 10. This can be realized by mounting a plurality of profiles 4 to a wall 10 using brackets 30 such that for example ten individual profiles 4 are orientated in vertical direction, and mutually parallel at a distance from each other, such as 1 meter, to the wall 10. Profiles 4 could be 5 meters long. In case of a flat wall 10, the profiles 4 are mounted such that a continuous and also flat faade line can be realized. Within the scope of the present invention also non-flat faade linings can be realized, optionally with the use of non-flat panels 6.

[0046] Secondly, a conduit 2 such as a resilient rubber tube is provided, which conduit 2 is snapped into the C-shaped conductor 5 of a first one of the profiles 4 along the entire length of said profile 4. Then, a further part of the length of the conduit 2 is snapped into the conductor 5 of a neighboring profile 4. By doing so, in the end the conduit 2 makes a zig zag movement along all of the ten profiles 4. Alternatively, the conduit 2 may be snapped into the conductor 5 of a profile 4 prior to mounting said profile to the wall 10. If the entire length of conduit 2 is not sufficient, it can be increased by mutually coupling two individual lengths of conduit 2. A first and a second free end of the conduit 2, wherein the first end is upstream of the profiles 4 and the second end downstream of the profiles 4, can be connected to a source of fluid such as preferably a liquid such as water such that a water flow can be created through the conduit 2 to exchange heat via the conductor 5 to the panels 6. Next, the panels 6 are fixed to the profiles 4, such that a continuous faade lining is thereby created. The panels 6 can be fixed to the profiles 4 using riveting, or any other suitable connection. Then, a fluid is forced through the conduit 2 of the system 1. In case the panels 6 are of higher temperature than the fluid in the conduit 2, such as due to the exposure of the panels 6 to sun light, the fluid within the conduit 2 warms up and can be used for example as hot tap water or for heating purposes of the building 3. In case the panels 6 are of lower temperature than the fluid in the conduit 2, the system 1 can be used for any cooling purposes.