Panel mounting structure

A plurality of vertically adjacent panels each has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, a support being provided for mounting the upper edge portion of each panel and the lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel. The upper edge portion of the panel has an upstanding flange disposed within a first downwardly open channel of the support with screw members extending through the upstanding flange and into the support to retain the upstanding flange in the first channel, and the lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel has a further upstanding flange disposed within a second downwardly open channel of the support, thereby to mount the upper edge portion of the panel and the lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel on the support.

This invention relates to a panel mounting structure of the type comprising 
a plurality of vertically adjacent panels removably mounted on supports 
which are mounted on, for example, a building structure so that the panels 
constitute a cladding for a building structure, each panel having an upper 
edge portion and a lower edge portion, with the supports each being 
provided for mounting the upper edge portion of one of the panels and the 
lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel. The panel mounting 
structure permits each panel to be mounted and removed without disturbing 
the vertically adjacent panels so that, for example, a damaged panel may 
readily be replaced without the need to disturb panels adjacent to the 
damaged panel. 
Such a panel mounting structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,461 to 
Michael Sommerstein in which the upper edge portion of each panel has a 
downwardly open hook which is in engagement with an upstanding rib of the 
support, and the lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel has a 
further downwardly open hook which is in engagement with a further 
upstanding rib of the support, thereby to mount the upper edge portion of 
the panel and the lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel on the 
support. While in this panel mounting structure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,461 
the mounting and removal of the panels on and from the supports can be 
performed without the use of any tools, the provision of the downwardly 
open hook on the upper edge portion and the further downwardly open hook 
on the lower edge portion of each panel increases the cost of manufacture 
of the panels, and it is a primary object of the present invention to 
provide a panel mounting structure of the type hereinbefore described in 
which the downwardly open hook on the upper edge portion and the further 
downwardly open hook on the lower edge portion of each panel are 
eliminated thereby reducing the cost of manufacture of the panels. 
A panel mounting structure according to the present invention comprises a 
plurality of vertically adjacent panels each having an upper edge portion 
and a lower edge portion, and supports each of which is for mounting the 
upper edge portion of one of the panels and the lower edge portion of the 
upwardly adjacent panel. Each support has a first vertically extending 
downwardly open channel and a second vertically extending downwardly open 
channel, said upper edge portion of said one of the panels having a 
vertically extending upstanding flange which is vertically movable by 
vertical movement of said one of the panels into and out of the first 
downwardly open channel of the support without vertical movement of the 
upwardly adjacent panel, the upstanding flange of the upper edge portion 
of said one of the panels being detachably securable to the support when 
disposed in the first downwardly open channel to retain therein the 
upstanding flange of the upper edge portion of said one of the panels. 
Said lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel has a vertically 
extending upstanding flange which is vertically movable by vertical 
movement of the upwardly adjacent panel into and out of the second 
downwardly open channel of the support without vertical movement of said 
one of the panels, and the spacing between the upper edge portion of each 
panel and the lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel is at 
least as great as the vertical extent of the upstanding flange of the 
lower edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel disposed within the 
second downwardly open channel of the respective support, and being at 
least as great as the vertical extent of the upstanding flange of the 
upper edge portion of the upwardly adjacent panel disposed within the 
first downwardly open channel of the respective support. There is thereby 
provided said mounting on the respective support of the upper edge portion 
of said one of the panels and the lower edge portion of the upwardly 
adjacent panel, with the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion of 
each panel being so mountable on and dismountable from the respective 
supports without disturbing the mounting of the vertically adjacent 
panels.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes generally each of a plurality of 
panels, with each panel 10 comprising a front portion 11 of rectangular 
form, two opposed rearwardly bent side portions 12 each of which has an 
inwardly bent edge portion 13, a rearwardly bent upper edge portion 14, 
and a rearwardly bent lower edge portion 15, the rearward edge portion of 
the upper portion 14 being bent to form a vertically extending upstanding 
flange 16, and the rearward edge portion of the lower portion 15 likewise 
being bent to form a vertically extending upstanding flange 17. Each panel 
10 as hereinabove described is preferably formed from a unitary aluminum 
or steel sheet which is formed and bent to provide the front portion 11, 
the side portions 12 including the edge portions 13, the upper portion 14 
including the flange 16, and the lower portion 15 including the flange 17, 
and it will be appreciated that this forming and bending are relatively 
simple and inexpensive operations. 
A support denoted generally by the reference numeral 18 is provided for the 
mounting of the upper edge portion 14 of each panel 10 and the lower edge 
portion 15 of the upwardly adjacent panel 10, this support 18 which is 
preferably of extruded form such as extruded aluminum having a rear limb 
19, an intermediate limb 20, and a front limb 21, with a first vertically 
extending downwardly open channel 22 being bounded by the rear limb 19 and 
the intermediate limb 20, and a second vertically extending downwardly 
open channel 23 being bounded by the intermediate limb 20 and the front 
limb 21. The flange 16 of one of the panels 10 is vertically movable by 
vertical movement of said one of the panels 10 into and out of the first 
channel 22, and the flange 17 of the upwardly adjacent panel 10 is 
likewise vertically movable by vertical movement of the upwardly adjacent 
panel 10 into and out of the second channel 23, the front limb 21 of the 
support 18 preferably having a lower edge portion 24 which is downwardly 
and forwardly inclined to facilitate entry of the flange 17 into the 
second channel 23. The upstanding flange 16 is detachably securable to the 
support 18 when disposed in the channel 22 preferably by screw members 25 
disposed through the flange 16 and the rear limb 19 of the support 18 
thereby to retain the flange 16 in the channel 22. 
The spacing 26 between the upper edge portion 14 of said one of the panels 
10 and the lower edge portion 15 of the upwardly adjacent panel 10 is at 
least as great as the vertical extent of the flange 17 of the upwardly 
adjacent panel 10 disposed within the channel 23 of the respective support 
18 and is at least as great as the vertical extent of the flange 16 of the 
upwardly adjacent panel 10 disposed within the channel 22 of the 
respective support 18 thereby to permit the upwardly adjacent panel 10 to 
be sufficiently lowered for disengagement of the flanges 16 and 17 of the 
upwardly adjacent panel 10 from the channels 22 and 23 of the respective 
supports 18 without disturbing said one of the panels 10. 
The support 18 also comprises an upstanding limb 27 by means of which the 
support 18 is mounted on a building structure. As shown in FIG. 2 in which 
the panels 10 constitute new cladding for an existing building structure, 
the exterior wall of the existing building structure has been removed and 
replaced by sheeting board 28, a U-shaped header 29 of the existing 
building structure being provided with a reinforcement plate 30 with screw 
members 31 securing one limb 32 of a Z-shaped bracket 33 through the 
sheeting board 28, the reinforcement plate 30 and the header 29, and with 
further screw members 34 securing the limb 27 of the support 18 to the 
other limb 35 of the Z-shaped bracket 33. In the existing building 
structure the header 29 is secured by appropriate fasteners 36 to a 
concrete flooring slab 37 and an interior wall board 38 is mounted on the 
header 29 with insulation 39 of the existing building structure being, in 
most cases, removed and insulation 40 being installed in the space 
traversed by the bracket 33 between the sheeting board 28 and the support 
18 with an air/vapour barrier membrane 41 between the sheeting board 28 
and this insulation 40. 
The front portion 11 of each panel 10 has a rear face 42 on which at least 
one, and preferably a plurality of, vertically disposed, spaced stiffeners 
43 each of which is of Z-shape in transverse cross-section is mounted by 
double sided adhesive tape 44, a vertically extending bead of silicone 
sealant 45 being disposed along each side of the adhesive tape 44. At 
least one intermediate member 46 of Z-shape in transverse cross-section is 
secured to the rear face 42 of the front portion 11 of each panel 10 by 
double sided adhesive tape 47 with a vertically extending bead of silicone 
sealant 48 along each side of the adhesive tape 47. Preferably there is a 
plurality of the intermediate members 46 with each member 46 extending 
between two adjacent stiffeners 43 and being supported thereby by angle 
brackets 49 secured to the stiffeners 43 and to the intermediate member 46 
by screw members 50. An intermediate support comprising a bracket 51 of 
Z-shape in transverse cross-section is mounted to the existing building 
structure by, for example, screw members (not shown) disposed through a 
limb 53 of the bracket 51, the other limb 54 of which defines with a limb 
55 of an angle member 56 secured to the bracket 51 by screw members 57 a 
vertically extending downwardly open channel 58 into and out of which a 
limb 59 of the intermediate member 46 constituting a vertically extending 
upstanding flange which is spaced rearwardly of the rear face 42 of the 
front portion 11 of the panel 10 is vertically movable by vertical 
movement of the panel 10. 
A notch 60 is provided in the lower end of each stiffener 43 to accommodate 
the support 18 and to permit lowering of the associated panel 10 during 
disengagement of the upstanding flange 17 of the lower edge portion 15 of 
the panel 10 from the support 18. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the adjacent side portions 12 including the associated 
inwardly bent edge portions 13 of horizontally adjacent panels 10 are 
operatively disposed between the limbs 61 of a vertically extending 
U-shaped gutter 62 which is secured by screw members 63 to the limb 35 of 
the bracket 33, the limbs 61 of the gutter 62 being notched as shown by 
the reference numeral 66 at each support 18 to accommodate the upstanding 
flanges 16 and 17 of the vertically adjacent panels 10. 
Preferably silicone sealant 64 is disposed at least within the end portions 
of the channels 22, 23 to seal the flanges 16, 17, respectively, therein, 
and likewise silicone sealant 65 is preferably disposed within the channel 
58 to seal the limb 59 therein. 
If one of the panels 10 becomes damaged or otherwise requires to be 
replaced, this panel 10 can readily and easily be removed by removing the 
screw members 25 by which the upstanding flange 16 of the upper edge 
portion 14 of the panel 10 is secured to the rear limb 19 of the 
respective support 18. This permits the panel 10 to be lowered with 
resultant disengagement of the upstanding flange 16 of the upper edge 
portion 24 of the panel 10 from the first downwardly open channel 22 of 
the support 18 together with resultant disengagement of the upstanding 
flange 17 of the lower edge portion 15 of the panel 10 from the second 
downwardly open channel 23 of the appropriate support 18 and disengagement 
of the limb 59 of the intermediate member 46 from the channel 58 of the 
bracket 51. The panel 10 is then removed, this removal of the panel 10 
being by forwardly moving the lower edge portion 15 of the panel 10 
thereby to tilt the panel 10 and then removing the upper edge portion 14 
of the panel 10 if such tilting of the panel 10 is necessary for the 
upstanding flange 16 of the upper edge portion 14 of the panel 10 to clear 
the lower edge portion 15 of the upwardly adjacent panel 10. To mount a 
replacement panel 10, the above-described operations are performed in 
reverse, and in the reverse sequence, removal and mounting of the panels 
10 thus being achieved without vertical movement or otherwise disturbing 
the mounting of the vertically adjacent panels 10. 
The lower edge portion 15 of each panel 10 is in the form of a trough with 
at least one and preferably a plurality of weep holes 52 being provided in 
this trough so that any moisture may drain out through these weep holes 
52, the lower edge portion 15 in which the weep holes 52 are formed 
preferably slightly sloping downwardly in the forward direction to 
facilitate such drainage of moisture through the weep holes 52. The upper 
edge portion 14 of each panel 10 is preferably likewise slightly sloped 
downwardly in the forward direction so that rainwater or other moisture 
may drain forwardly and down the front portion 11 of the panel 10.