Patent ID: 7596911

Claim:
A jointing system for supporting a plurality of cladding panels relative to a building or building frame, the panels having slots extending along edges thereof, the jointing system including: first and second elongate support members, each support member having: a longer inner flange for fastening to the building or building frame, a shorter outer flange, and a web connecting the longer inner flange to the shorter outer flange to form an elongate recess on each side of the web for receiving sealing means therein, the web being substantially centrally disposed relative to side edges of at least one of the longer inner flange and the shorter outer flange such that the elongate support member is substantially H-shaped in cross section; and sealing means received in at least one elongate recess, wherein the distance between the outer surfaces of the flanges of the second elongate support member is less than the distance between outer surfaces of the flanges of the first elongate support member such that when the first and second elongate support members orthogonally abut, with the outer surface of the longer inner flange of the second elongate support member resting on an inner surface of the longer inner flange of the first elongate support member, the outer surfaces of the shorter outer flanges of the first and second elongate support members are substantially coplanar and the outer surface of the longer inner flange of the second elongate support member is offset from the outer surface of the longer inner flange of the first elongate support member by a thickness of the longer inner flange of the first elongate support member; wherein when a cladding panel is supported relative to the building or building frame by the jointing system, at least one outer flange of the first and second elongate support members is received in one of the slots along the edges of the cladding panel; and wherein the sealing means cooperates with the panel to substantially seal a space behind the cladding panel against the ingress of moisture.