Patent Publication Number: US-7581332-B2

Title: Siding element for creating structured facades of buildings

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A. Field 
   The invention relates to a siding element for creating a structural facade of buildings. 
   B. Related Art 
   A siding element of this type is described in as yet unpublished European Patent Application 04 030 577.3-2303. 
   Siding elements of this generic type, of the kind described for instance in the aforementioned as yet unpublished European patent application, are used in various forms for external coverings of buildings of various types, such as warehouse buildings, factory buildings, airport arrival and departure terminals, and agricultural sheds, as well as private homes, in order to give them a weather-resistant outer skin. Profile-rolled sheet-metal structures were originally used for these purposes and they have been and still are on the market in the form of large-area units. While now, as before, these large-area units are used for such purposes, for the sake of greater variability of use, it is increasingly desired to use smaller-area siding elements, by means of which the same or even improved weather resistance and tightness enable more-individualized design of the external structure of buildings provided with such siding elements. 
   This can be carried out especially well, for instance, with the siding elements that are described in the aforementioned as yet unpublished European patent application. 
   One fundamental characteristic of buildings, assuming a block-shaped building, for instance, is that once it has been erected, its four exterior faces (four being named solely as an example here) are each exposed to different environmental conditions, such as sunshine, rain and snow, wind and dust, and materials that are entrained or dissolved in the air, or present therein in corpuscular form. To summarize, in the final analysis all four exterior faces of what is, for instance, a block-shaped building are typically exposed to completely different environmental factors, which in turn has an influence on the building elements located behind the siding element as well as on the interior of the building. If, as has until now always been done, the building is provided on all four exterior faces (to remain with the example given here) with identical siding elements, then no account of the different environmental conditions is taken, as mentioned above as an example, which leads to the disadvantages that the exterior face on the sunny side of the building, for instance, because of sunshine, heats up more than is desirable, and despite the best insulation material on the front of or in the building construction, this heating is perceptible, while conversely the exterior face of the building exposed to the primary wind direction has heat extracted from it, which despite the best possible insulation material on the building elements next to the siding elements is also perceptible in the interior of the building. 
   As a result, quite different temperatures can occur in various spatial volumes in the buildings, and this effect is even more pronounced if the interior is divided up into individual zones (rooms), so that once again provisions must be made for removing heat in certain zones (using cooling devices) or supplying heat to certain zones (by means of heaters). 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is accordingly the object of the invention to create a siding element which not only enables fast, tight and dimensionally stable cladding of facades of buildings but also makes it possible in a simple way to take the various main weather or environmental conditions that prevail on different side faces of a building into account, so that within a wide range it can be assured that without further additional technical provisions, a substantially uniform room climate in the building clad with the siding elements of the invention is achieved, and in the final analysis a building facade can be clad with only a few differently structured siding elements which have the same fundamental construction, and thus the demands made can be suitably addressed in a simple way. 
   According to the invention, this object is attained by means of a siding element which has a substantially slablike form, and which in cross section has at least one protrusion having a two-dimensional surface and protruding from the plane of the slablike element. 
   Not only can slablike siding elements advantageously be furnished that in the final analysis can have an arbitrary suitable length and an arbitrary suitable width, but also, because of the protrusion that protrudes from the plane of the slablike element, what is intrinsically as a rule a strictly flat plane, the slablike element can be at least partly profiled. Protrusion should be understood in this context to mean that the protrusion lies in another plane extending substantially parallel to the plane of the slablike element; that is, more precisely, the siding element has at least two exterior planes spaced apart from each other. As a result, given suitable dimensioning of the individual planes, the fact that sunshine is expected on a particular exterior face of the building can be suitably addressed by either reducing reflections in a specified manner and also adjusting them in a specified manner over the entire outer surface of the siding element. 
   The slablike element plane and the protrusion element plane formed with the protrusion can be embodied as substantially parallel, but it is also possible for them to be inclined at an acute angle to one another. 
   To enable joining a plurality of siding elements to one another quickly and securely and substantially without tools or external means, the slablike element has connection devices on substantially diametrically opposed sides so that, for instance, if the siding element is mounted vertically on an outer wall or sub-structure of a building, there are connection devices at the top and bottom which enable adjacent siding elements on either side to be connected to the slablike element. 
   To attain the goal of making the tightest possible connection with an adjacent siding element, it is advantageous for one connection device to be configured as a protrusion of strutlike cross section, and the other connection device to be configured in the form of a receiving part of U-shaped cross section. Thus in a simple way, the strutlike protrusion of the one siding element can be detachably inserted into the U-shaped receiving part of the siding element adjacent to it for making the connection. Another advantage of this kind of arrangement is that for purposes of repair, maintenance and replacement, the siding elements can be separated from one another in a simple way, because the strutlike protrusion of one siding element can simply be pulled out from the U-shaped receiving part of the siding element adjacent to it. 
   The possibility of replacement relates not only to the fact that possibly damaged siding elements should be capable of being replaced easily, but also that, because of structurally desired changes or altered environmental parameters that relate to a building clad according to the invention, other siding elements which are also within the scope of the invention can be installed at desired places on the building. 
   As already suggested at the outset, the protrusion can be embodied in the form of a substantially flat partial plane next to the slablike element plane of the siding element; this is meant to be understood to mean that the plane of the protrusion may be embodied as merely offset by a certain amount from and parallel to the slablike element plane, or may be inclined, offset by a certain amount, at a small acute angle relative to the slablike element plane. 
   In a further embodiment of the siding element, the protrusion in cross section has a structure in the form of a substantially U-shaped profile; advantageously, in cross section, the flanks of the protrusion join the protrusion plane and/or the slablike element plane substantially at an obtuse angle, and it may optionally be desirable to form an angle of approximately 90°. 
   At least when the siding element is mounted vertically, forming the angle between the slablike element plane and the protrusion plane as an obtuse angle has the advantage that water can easily drain off because of the inherent inclination of the flanks, and along with this, any dirt particles that have become deposited there can also be rinsed off. It will often be advantageous to form the flank with an angle of about 90° where the U-shaped receiving part of one siding element for receiving the strutlike protrusion of the adjacent siding element is located, to assure that the strutlike protrusion can be introduced virtually by positive engagement into the U-shaped receiving part, so that a tight connection between adjacent siding elements is assured. 
   Particularly, in comparison to the width between the strutlike protrusion and the U-shaped receiving part of a connecting element of very much greater length, which can amount for instance to up to 6 meters or more, it is advantageous, at least on the side of the protrusion facing the slablike element plane, to provide a plurality of protruding ribs extending in the longitudinal direction of a slablike element, which thus accomplish an easily attainable increase in the longitudinal stability of the siding element. Embodying the protruding ribs on the side of the protrusion that is not visible from outside in the mounted condition of the siding element has the further advantage that neither moisture nor dust particles can settle there as a result of weathering factors in the vicinity of the building clad according to the invention. 
   In addition to or alternatively, the above-described capability of increasing the stability of the siding element in the longitudinal direction, it may be advantageous at least on one side of the slablike element plane to provide at least one protuberance extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of a slablike element, which also can be provided on the side of the protrusion oriented toward the slablike element plane. The protuberance or protuberances can be configured as protuberances from the protrusion plane or of the slablike element plane, and can be protruding or recessed. 
   As a further provision, in addition or as an alternative to the strutlike protuberances, in accordance with still another embodiment of the siding element, it may be advantageous to include on the side of the protrusion oriented away from the slablike element plane of the slablike element, a plurality of groovelike indentations which extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of a slablike element. These groovelike indentations primarily will increase the longitudinal stability of the siding element. The groovelike indentations, which are preferably triangular in cross section, in this embodiment have the advantage that rainwater cannot accumulate in the indentations, since it flows out, and furthermore, any dirt particles that may be deposited there are rinsed out by the rainwater, so that there is no need to fear an impairment to the external esthetic impression given by the siding element from the dirt particles, yet nevertheless, especially in the case of siding elements of great length, additional stability is achieved. 
   To enable achieving a possibly even more purposeful degree of reflection of sunlight, which is a goal of siding elements, in still another preferred embodiment of the siding element, a plurality of bulges which extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of a slab are provided, and which protrude away from the protrusion plane and are embodied integrally with the protrusions and are embodied in cross section as substantially in the shape of part of a circle. 
   Depending on the number of bulges per connecting element and on the size of the radius of the partial circle, the reflection properties of the siding element for the area of a building on which the siding element is to be used can thus be purposefully adjusted or suitably taken into account, with the additional advantage that at the same time an increase in the longitudinal and transverse stability is attained because of the partially circular bulges extending in the longitudinal direction of the siding element. 
   The material from which the siding element can be made may in principle be an arbitrarily suitable material that is capable of withstanding the environmental influences to which a building clad with the siding elements of the invention is exposed after it has been erected. This material may for instance be metal, for example an aluminum alloy; alternatively the material may also be a plastic material, optionally fiber- or metal-reinforced. The material may also be an at least partially optically transparent material, such as an optically transparent plastic. Thus visually transparent structures can be purposefully created on a building, and even if visually transparent siding elements as described above are structurally used, there is no resultant interference with the overall existing visible appearance of a building. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in detail in conjunction with the following schematic drawings in terms of various embodiments of the siding elements of the invention. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1 , in side view, shows a siding element in one structural basic form; 
       FIG. 2 , in side view, shows a siding element of  FIG. 1 , in which groovelike indentations are provided on one side of the element and a plurality of projecting protuberances are provided on the other side of the element; 
       FIG. 3 , in side view, shows a siding element in which an area corresponds essentially to the area of the slablike element plane, and wherein the protrusion plane is closed off by flanks that extend at obtuse angles to the slablike element plane; 
       FIGS. 4-6 , in side views, show siding elements in which there are a plurality of substantially partially circular bulges embodied on the protrusion plane; 
       FIG. 7 , in perspective, shows a building which is clad with the siding elements of the invention and in which different designs of the siding element of the invention have been employed; and 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged detail of  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
   Turning first to the illustration of the siding element  10  in  FIG. 1 , the siding element  10  will be described in detail. The siding element  10  serves to create a facade  11  of building constructions  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The siding element  10  substantially comprises a slablike element  13 , which has a protrusion  15  that protrudes from the plane  14  of the slablike element  13 . The view in  FIG. 1 , which also applies to  FIGS. 2 through 6 , is a view toward the side or end of the siding element  10 . The width, or as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the height, of a siding element  10  is in the range of approximately 200 mm, although this is intended here only as an example for better understanding of the basic dimension of the siding element  10 . For completed manufactured siding elements  10 , the length of one siding element  10 , or in other words the length in its longitudinal direction  22 —see FIG.  8 —is for instance 6 m and more, and these lengths can be cut to suit the lengths wanted or needed for a building construction or building  12  for finished siding elements  10  of the invention. 
   The slablike element  13 , on its diametrically opposed sides  130 ,  131 , has connection devices  133 ,  134 , by way of which a respective adjacent siding element  10  can be connected to the siding element  10 . In the siding elements  10  shown in the drawings, the connection device  133  is configured as a protrusion  135  of strutlike cross section, and the other connection device  134  is configured as a receiving part  136  of U-shaped cross section. The strutlike protrusion  135  of the one siding element  10  can be detachably introduced into the U-shaped receiving part  136  of the siding element  10  adjacent to it, for making the connection. 
   In principle, however, arbitrarily suitably formed connecting elements are possible in combination with the siding element  10  of the invention, so that the connecting elements described above must be considered only as one possible connection possibility, although one that has thoroughly proven itself in use; see also the detailed description of these connecting elements in connection with siding elements  10  in the European Patent Application 04 030 577.3-2303, as yet unpublished, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
   In the embodiment of the siding element  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , the protrusion  15  is embodied as being large, compared to the rest of the substantially slablike element  13 , that it spans virtually the entire slablike element plane  14  of the siding element  10 , this slablike element plane being shown in  FIG. 1  as an imaginary dot-dash line, and this also applies to the embodiment of the siding element in  FIG. 2 . 
   In the siding element  10  of  FIG. 3 , the protrusion  15  in terms of its area is formed virtually as large as the area of the slablike element plane  14 . The sizes of the areas of the slablike element plane  14 , which can be seen as examples in the drawings, on the one hand, and of the plane  16  of the protrusion  15  on the other, must be understood as only examples. All sizes of the respective areas of the protrusions  15  or slablike element plane  16  are conceivable for the siding elements  10 . For all the siding elements  10  shown here, however, it is also true that the longitudinal cross section of the protrusion  15  has a structure in the form of a U-shaped profile, which can be seen especially clearly from the illustration of the siding element  10  in  FIG. 3 . The flanks  17 ,  18 , by way of which the protrusion  15  is connected to the protrusion plane  16  on the one hand and to the slablike element plane  14  on the other, connects the slablike element plane  14  with the protrusion plane  16  at an obtuse angle  19 , which is exaggerated in  FIG. 3  compared to the actual siding element  10  for the sake of clarity. However, this angle  19  may also be embodied as about 90° for both flanks  17 ,  18 , or at least for one flank  17  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). 
   In all the siding elements  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , a plurality of protruding ribs  23  extending in the longitudinal direction  22  of a slablike element are provided on the side  20  of the protrusion  15  toward the slablike element plane  14 . Protruding ribs  23  may also be provided on the side  20  of the slablike element plane  14 , which is shown particularly clearly for instance in the illustration of the siding element  10  in  FIG. 3 . 
   As a further provision in addition to, or as an alternative to, the protruding ribs  23 , protuberances  26  may be provided, which are disposed on the side  20  toward of the protrusion plane  16  oriented toward the slablike plane  14  of the siding element  10 . On the opposite side  21  of the protrusion  15 , groovelike indentations  25  may be provided. In the illustration in  FIG. 2 , the groovelike indentations  25  and the springlike protuberances  26  are embodied as aligned with one another in the transverse direction relative to the protrusion  15 . The riblike protrusions  23 , the groovelike indentations  25 , and the springlike protuberances  26 , in the siding elements  10  shown in the drawings, extend in the longitudinal direction  22  of a slablike element (see also  FIG. 8 ). 
   In addition to the ribs  23 , or alternatively, at least one protuberance  24  may be provided extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the slablike element. 
   In the siding elements  10  as shown in  FIGS. 4 through 6 , bulges  27  are provided, which likewise extend substantially in the longitudinal direction  22  of a slablike element. The bulges  27  protrude from the protrusion plane  16  and are formed integrally with the protrusion  15 . In the illustration of the siding element  10  in  FIGS. 4 through 6 , the bulges  27  are shown as substantially in the form of part of a circle in cross section, but it is also possible to configure them with an arbitrary other cross-sectional shape, such as the form of a portion of an ellipse or in the form of a portion of a parabola. 
   The siding element  10  may be produced for instance as an extruded profiled part, for instance of metal, in particular an aluminum alloy, or at least partially of an optically transparent plastic material, and optionally also of mineral-based glass. 
   LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   
       
       
         
             10  Siding element 
             11  Facade 
             12  Building construction 
             13  Slablike element 
             130  Side of the slablike element 
             131  Side of the slablike element 
             133  Connection device 
             134  Connection device 
             135  Protrusion 
             136  U-shaped receiving part 
             14  Slablike element plane or a slab plane 
             15  Protrusion 
             16  Plane of the protrusion 
             17  Flank of the protrusion 
             18  Flank of the protrusion 
             19  Angle 
             20  Side (toward the slablike element plane) 
             21  Side (away from the slablike element plane) 
             22  Longitudinal direction of a slablike element 
             23  Protruding ribs 
             24  Strutlike protuberance 
             25  Groovelike indentation 
             26  Springlike protuberance 
             27  Bulge