Patent Publication Number: US-2009229208-A1

Title: Seal for connecting and/or sealing facade elements

Description:
The invention relates to a seal for connecting and/or sealing between facade panels and similar building parts, with at least two sealing webs spaced from each other, forming a compartment and each connected at an edge to a common connecting lip shaped for attachment to the facade panels. 
     When individual facade panels are installed they both must be sealed in a vertical and in a horizontal direction with respect to each other. Profiled grooves into which the seals are inserted with both their connecting lips are usually provided for this purpose on the facade panels. 
     Since the gap remaining between the facade panels and to be closed off by the seal already has no uniform width due to tolerances and also can be altered for example by the influence of a variable thermal load, the connecting lips must be able to slide longitudinally in the respective profiled grooves so as to be able to compensate here correspondingly. As a rule, one of the two connecting lips is fixed in the profiled groove, while the other connecting lip can change its position within the profiled groove. This can lead not only to problems of tightness, but also to impairment of the appearance, since this connecting lip protrudes irregularly far from the profiled groove depending on tolerance or current spacing of the facade panels. 
     The object of the invention is to further develop a seal of the type described above, on the one hand resulting in improved sealing and thermal insulation, and on the other hand a more uniform optical appearance. 
     This object is attained according to the invention by allowing each sealing web to deform elastically to change its transverse spacing and by hinging its longitudinal edge to the connecting lip. 
     The advantage resulting from the invention essentially allows the different distances of the facade panels to be compensated for just by the sealing webs, while the connecting lips remain fully inside the profiled grooves of the facade panels. This on the one hand ensures better sealing of the connecting lips in the profiled grooves, and on the other hand also achieves a more uniform optical appearance, since the deformations constantly provide a uniform appearance in a plan view of the sealing webs all the same. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention at least one of the two sealing webs has a convexly arcuate cross-sectional shape. It is recommended here that the convexity is oriented to be directed away from the other sealing web. 
     The convexity can be configured in a first configuration in the form of an arc of a circle; there is however also the possibility that the convexity is configured to be segmental, the sealing web is formed by two flat hinged-together sealing web sections. 
     There is also the possibility that at least one of the two sealing webs is shaped like a concertina, the sealing web being formed by an even number of hinged-together sealing-web sections. It has proven to be an advantage for the sealing web to be formed by four sealing-web sections. 
     By way of advantage both abovementioned configurations of the sealing webs can also be combined with one another. 
     To accomplish particularly aligned deformation of the sealing webs, the invention further provides that the sealing webs are connected to one another via a connecting web. This connecting web is advantageously arranged in the center on the sealing webs. 
     Within the scope of the invention the connecting lips can be adapted to the form of the respective sealing facade panels in basically any configuration; usually and in this respect in a preferred configuration however the connecting lips are configured to fit complementarily into profiled grooves of the facade panels. 
     For the connecting lips to be given the best stability in the profiled grooves, the connecting lips are provided on their side faces engaging the profiled grooved walls with hook-like latch lugs. The profiled grooves are accordingly provided with seats for the latch lugs. 
     It is also advantageous for the connecting lips to have a compartment at their edge projecting to the base of the profiled groove defined between readily deformable closed walls, offering reliable and permanent sealing. 
     Finally, the connecting lips can be provided with laterally projecting support ridges covering the rim of the profiled groove, the gap between the profiled grooved walls and the connecting lips thus being covered and benefitting from additional sealing. 
    
    
     
       The invention will now be explained in greater detail below by means of an embodiment illustrated in the drawing. 
       Therein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic illustration of a modular-style facade, 
         FIG. 2  shows a section through a facade as in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  show in successive views a through d a seal as it is installed between the facade panels in  FIG. 2 , and 
         FIG. 4  shows in successive views a to d an alternative configuration of the seal as per  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  of the drawing schematically illustrates the modular facade comprising individual facade panels  2  suspended on the floor/ceiling systems  1  of the building. These facade panels  2  are arranged such that both in the horizontal and in the vertical direction there is between them a minimal gap  3  that has to be sealed by seals  4 . 
     These seals  4  are shown in  FIG. 2  and are illustrated in  FIG. 3  in detail. They each comprise two sealing webs  6 . 1  and  6 . 2  spaced from each other, forming a compartment  5 , and attached at their longitudinal edges to common connecting lips  7 . These connecting lips  7  serve for attachment of respective facade panels  2 . 
     As is evident in particular from  FIGS. 3 and 4  the sealing webs  6 . 1  and  6 . 2  are designed to deform elastically to change their transverse spacing and are hinged at their edges to the connecting lip  7  to promote deformability. 
     The sealing web  6 . 1  shown to the left in  FIGS. 3 and 4  has an arcuate shape in cross-section, convex away from the other sealing web  6 . 2 . As shown, the curvature can be designed as an segment circle. 
     There is however also the possibility, not illustrated in greater detail in the drawing, of configuring the shape to be angular with the sealing web  6 . 1  formed from two flat sealing webs hinged to each other. The angle they form is to be selected such that deformation or deflection to the side provided for this purpose occurs under compressive load. 
     The sealing web  6 . 2  shown to the right in the drawing is by way of contrast shaped like a concertina being made up of an even number (here four) of hinged-together sealing-web sections  8 . 
     As is further clear from the drawing, the sealing webs  6 . 1  and  6 . 2  are connected to one another via a connecting web  9  centered on the sealing webs  6 . 1  and  6 . 2  and ensuring uniform and aligned deformation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the connecting lips are designed to fit in profiled grooves  10  of the facade panels  2 . To ensure the required stability here the connecting lips  7  are provided on their side faces engaging the flanks of the profiled grooves with hook-shaped latch lugs  11  that engage in seats formed in the flanks of the profiled grooves  10 . 
     Despite its elastic nature the sealing web  6 . 1  all the same has sufficient stiffness, ensuring that the connecting lips  7  are fully inserted into the profiled grooves  10  during assembly, when the facade panels  2  are placed on top of one another. 
     To achieve optimal sealing the connecting lips  7  are provided at their outer ends engaging the floor of the profiled groove  10  with a compartment  12  defined between softly deformable walls. This also enables the vertical seals to be butt-jointed at the cross joint. 
     Finally, the connecting lips  7  are each provided with laterally projecting support ridges  11  covering the edges of the respective profiled groove  10 , bridging the gap between the walls of the profiled groove  10  and the connecting lip  7 .  FIGS. 3 and 4  show the deformation of the sealing web  6 . 1  and  6 . 2  with a tapering gap  3 . In practice, variations of the gap of around 1:5 can be bridged, and in the case of standard dimensions this can be in the range of 5 to 25 mm, for example. Another lateral extension on the seal forming a labyrinth is provided in  FIG. 4 .