FIXING CLIP AND INSULATING WALL ASSEMBLY

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fixing clip to readily attach an insulating panel to a wall-surfaced panel and an insulating wall assembly using such fixing clip.

The wall-surfaced panels are assembled through such various construction methods as tilt-up construction in which PC panels (precast concrete panels) are fabricated at a construction site and then those PC panels are jacked up with a crane and the like for assembly or prefabrication construction in which those PC panels are produced at a factory and then assembled at a construction site and constitute the outer walls of a building. The wall-surfaced panels play the role of securing the fundamental strength of a building as structural members and also play the role of blocking air stream between the inside and the outside of a building for insulation.

However, concrete is high in thermal conductivity so that it is impossible to obtain sufficient insulating effect just with the wall-surfaced panels comprising the PC panels. Thus, conventionally, such structure is adopted as an insulating panel made from insulating material being attached to a wall-surfaced panel to improve insulating performance.

Methodically speaking, the wall-surfaced panel is integrated with the insulating panel with an adhesive and as such or the insulating panel is formed with a prescribed thickness by spraying a foaming resin onto the wall-surfaced panel, but it takes a lot of time and labor to do so. Therefore, such method has been conventionally conceived or adopted as attaching the insulating panel preformed at a factory being to the wall-surfaced panel with a fixture.

There are a number of wall-surfaced panels required for a building so that it takes a long time to attach the insulating panels to the wall-surfaced panels. There are some cases where the attached insulating panels are removed for maintenance and recycling. Thus, such fixtures are sought-after as being capable of readily and repeatedly detaching the insulating panels and reasonable in price.

Especially, it requires that complicated tools and procedures be dispensed with during attachment operation and the insulating panels be readily attachable by anybody.

The relevant prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,646,237 B1 granted on Feb. 11, 2014 in the name of Fukuvi USA, Inc. where one of the present inventors is an employee.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a fixing clip that is fixed to the wall-surfaced panel and with which the insulating panel can be attached and an insulating wall assembly using the fixing clip.

The first aspect of the present invention is in that the fixing clip as a whole has the same longitudinally extending transversely cross-sectional shape. This fixing clip comprises a fixing portion to be fixed onto the wall-surfaced panel, a rise-up portion to rise up from the fixing portion, a holding portion connected to the tip end of the rise-up portion and a sealing portion that is formed at the tip end of the holding portion and tilts to the side of the fixing portion.

The fixing portion is fixed in such a manner that it is disposed like running along the wall-surfaced panel. The insulating panel is mounted into a groove composed of a part of the fixing portion, the rise-up portion and the holding portion. Specifically speaking, by the grooves of plural fixing clips respectively being mounted into the outer periphery of the rectangular insulating panel, the fixing clips retain the insulating panel as a frame. Further, as the sealing portion elastically contacts with the surface of the insulating panel, it improves airtightness so as to be capable of preventing dewing and as such. The outer air is in the state of communicating with the air prevalent over the surface of the wall-surfaced panel through an interstice existing between the insulating panel and the fixing clip. The sealing portion is intended for blocking such communication and is capable of blocking the outer side of the groove of the fixing clip from the inner side thereof by being formed at the tip end of the holding portion.

An air flow stoppage formed such that it tilts towards the external side of the fixing portion may well be provided to the coupling portion between the fixing portion and the rise-up portion.

The fixing portion is in the state of being inserted between the wall-surfaced panel and the insulating panel. Accordingly, a gap substantially equivalent to the thickness of the fixing portion is present between the wall-surfaced panel and the insulating panel. Even if such gap is slight in size, since the surface area of the wall-surfaced panel is large, the air prevalent over such gas has large volume. If the air inside such gap communicates with the external air, an air stream oriented along the surface of the wall-surfaced panel occurs. This air stream through the wall-surfaced panel creates thermal communication between the inside and the outside so as to deteriorate insulating performance.

The air flow stoppage blocks between the air inside such gap and the external air so as to prevent the occurrence of such air stream and hamper insulating performance from deterioration and dewing and as such from occurring.

The holding portion may well be arranged such that it extends from the tip end of the rise-up portion and tilts towards the fixing portion side.

The insulating panel is fixed by being inserted into a groove formed by the fixing portion, the rise-up portion and the holding portion of the fixing clip. Herein, by arranging the holding portion such that it tilts towards the fixing portion side, it results that the tip end of the holding portion cuts into the surface of the inserted insulating panel. However, by the holding portion extending for a prescribed distance from the tip end of the rise-up portion, the holding portion elastically deforms according to the insulating panel to be inserted. Thereby, the insulating panel is interposed between the fixing portion and the holding portion and held in place by the elastic force generated by the holding portion.

As for the degree to which the holding portion tilts, the ratio of the length from the fixing portion to the tip end of the sealing portion to that from the fixing portion to the tip end of the rise-up portion can be 75% or larger, but 95% or smaller.

Since there are a variety of insulating panels in terms of thickness, the height of the rise-up portion must correspond to the thickness of the insulating panels. If the tilting angle of the holding portion is constant irrespective of the height of the rise-up portion, the same elastic force is applied to the insulating panels both small and large in thickness for interposition, so that excessive or insufficient elastic force occurs according to their thickness.

Thus, by arranging the ratio of the length from the fixing portion to the tip end of the sealing portion to that from the fixing portion to the tip end of the rise-up portion to be 75% or larger, but 95% or smaller, the insulating panels can be held in place with appropriate elastic force according to their thickness.

The second fixing clip comprises a female member including the fixing portion and a first rise-up portion composed of two ribs rising up from the fixing portion and a male member including a second rise-up portion inserted between the two ribs of the first rise-up portion, a holding portion formed extending to opposed directions respectively from the tip end of the second rise-up portion and a sealing portion formed at the tip end of the holding portion and tilting towards the fixing portion side, in which the tip ends of the two ribs of the first rise-up portion bend outwards so as to form an opening.

By arranging the fixing clip with those two members or the female and male members and inserting the rise-up portion of the male member between the two ribs of the female member, it dispenses with the insertion of the insulating panel and allows the insulating panel to be attached just with the mounting of the male member, so that it facilitates workload.

Moreover, adjusting the degree to which the rise-up portion of the male member is inserted into the two ribs of the female member allows the insulating panels various in thickness to be attached or held in place.

Where the fixing clip is composed of such two members, the inserting portion of the first rise-up portion for the second rise-up portion is formed with plural wedges in engagement with the second rise-up portion, in which the wedge is an isosceles triangle in shape.

By arranging the tip end of the first rise-up portion to be formed into a wedge shape and the second rise-up portion to be engaged with such wedge shape, the resulting wedge action makes the male member hard to be detached from the female member after the mating. Especially, the fact that the wedge is an isosceles triangle in shape enhances the firm engagement between those members.

In addition, for the product line-up according to the thickness of the insulating panel, cutting the fixing clip at a portion where the wedge is thinned out allows plural kinds of products to be available with the sole mold. Since the wedge is an isosceles triangle in shape, even if the portion to be cut is displaced a bit, the perpendicular side still remains so that firm engagement is guaranteed.

The other aspect of the present invention lies in providing an insulating wall assembly in the state of the insulating panel being attached to the wall-surfaced panel using the fixing clip.

This insulating wall assembly comprises plural wall-surfaced panels, plural insulating panels disposed juxtaposed on the wall-surfaced panels and plural fixing clips. At least, J-shaped fixing clips or I-shaped ones are adopted for the fixing clips.

J-shaped fixing clips take J shape in cross section in such a manner that the rise-up portion is cross-sectionally connected between one end of the fixing portion and one end of the holding portion. I-shaped fixing clips take I shape in cross section in such a manner that the rise-up portion is cross-sectionally connected between the middle of the fixing portion and the middle of the holding portion.

For the selection of the fixing clips, among the insulating panels juxtaposed to one another, the I-shaped fixing clip is disposed between the adjoining insulating panels while the J-shaped fixing clip is disposed at the end surface of the insulating panel terminally disposed and having no adjoining insulating panel.

The method of fixing the insulating panel comprises the steps of inserting an end surface of the insulating panel into a groove composed of the fixing portion, the rise-up portion and the holding portion and making the sealing portion contact with the insulating panel.

To constitute wall surfaces for a building, in many case, plural wall-surfaced panels are juxtaposed to one another. Accordingly, the insulating panels result in being juxtaposed to one another as well. Where the plural insulating panels are attached, since those panels are adjacent to one another, the end surfaces of most of the insulating panels are opposed to the end surfaces of the adjoining insulating panels. On the other hand, with the insulating panels disposed edgewise, their end surface on the side where they are not adjoining to the other insulating panels has no opposed end surface.

With the inventive insulating wall assembly, the I-shaped fixing clips are in use for where there are opposed end surfaces whereas the J-shaped ones are in use for where there is no opposed end surface.

The J-shaped fixing clips allow the insulating panel to be inserted from one direction only. On the other hand, the I-shaped fixing clips allow two insulating panels to be inserted from as many directions.

In this way, using the fixing clips according to the end surfaces of the insulating panels disposed edgewise and those of the other insulating panels leads to constituting one large insulating wall assembly.

With the afore-mentioned insulating wall assembly, it is apprehensible that the I-shaped fixing clip comprises a female member including the fixing portion and a first rise-up portion composed of two ribs rising up from the fixing portion and a male member including a second rise-up portion inserted between the two ribs of the first rise-up portion, a holding portion formed bent from the tip end of the second rise-up portion and a sealing portion formed at the tip end of the holding portion and tilting towards the fixing portion side, in which the tip ends of the two ribs of the first rise-up portion bend outwards so as to form an opening.

At assembly, with the J-shaped fixing clips, the insulating panels can be attached by inserting it from the frontal side and the transverse direction. On the other hand, with the I-shaped fixing clips composed of two parts, they can be fixed by shoving the insulating panels onto the wall-surfaced panels with respect to the normal direction of the wall surface.

Considering the assembly steps, the insulating panels disposed edgewise are slidably mounted into the J-shaped fixing clips from sideways while the other insulating panels are perpendicularly mounted with respect to the wall surface and secured with the J-shaped fixing clips, thereby, facilitating assembly in a cost-effective manner even when plural insulating panels are attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention becomes easy to understand with reference to the attached drawings, which descriptions are as follows and in which the same reference signs are given to the same components.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first fixing clip according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second fixing clip.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a female member of the second fixing clip.

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a male member of the second fixing clip.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing an insulating panel attached to a wall-surfaced panel using the first fixing clip.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing an insulating panel attached to a wall-surfaced panel using the second fixing clip.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an insulating wall assembly constituted by using the first and second fixing clips.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified example of the fixing clip according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3A, a first fixing clip 100 is depicted. The first fixing clip 100 is of Ja-shaped clip and an elongated member taking J shape in cross section, which member can be produced mainly through extrusion molding of plastics. Polyvinyl chloride is exemplified herein for the material of this clip, though various materials are selectable.

The first fixing clip 100 is used for fixing an insulating panel I to a wall-surfaced panel W and comprises a fixing portion 1 to be fixed to the wall-surfaced panel W, a rise-up portion 2 to rise up from the fixed portion 1, a holding portion 3 formed bent from the tip end of the rise-up portion 2 and a sealing portion 4 formed at the tip end of the holding portion 3 and tilting towards the fixing portion 1 side. Further, an air flow stoppage 6 is provided slantingly outwards from the coupling portion between the fixing portion 1 and the rise-up portion 2.

The fixing portion 1 is a planar portion to fix the fixing clip 100 to the wall-surfaced panel W and provided with a hole 11 by way of one example. With the fixing of the clip to the wall-surfaced panel W, any one of a staple, a nail, a screw, a rivet, an adhesive, a two-sided adhesive tape and the like is selectable.

The rise-up portion 2 is a portion rising up from one end of the fixing portion 1 and the height corresponding to the rise-up is the same as or a bit larger than the thickness of the insulating panel I to be attached. To prevent the rise-up portion 2 from breakage arising from the fixing portion 1, the inner corner of the connecting portion between the fixing portion 1 and the rise-up portion 2 as well as that of the connection portion between the rise-up portion 2 and the holding portion 3 are shaped round. With the angle between the fixing portion 1 and the rise-up portion 2, it can be perpendicular as the fixing clip 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 or other than the perpendicular angle.

The holding portion 3 is connected to the upper end of the rise-up portion 2 and extends to the direction running along the fixing portion 1. The holding member 3 of the fixing clip 100 as shown in FIG. 1 extends in parallel with the fixing portion 1. With the angle between the fixing portion 1 and the holding portion 3, it can be parallel as the fixing clip 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 or other than parallelwise.

An inwardly oriented groove 5 is formed by the fixing portion 1, the rise-up portion 3 and the holding portion 3, into which groove the insulating panel I is inserted.

The sealing portion 4 is formed integrally with the holding member 3 at the tip end side of the latter. Its cross-sectional shape is thinned out towards its tip end and tilts towards the fixing portion 1 side. Preferably, the material for the sealing portion 4 is of softer texture than that of the holding material 3. A polyvinyl chloride resin of soft texture is exemplified herein.

The sealing portion 4 can be molded integrally with the fixing portion 1, the rise-up portion 2 and the holding portion 3 by way of one example. Preferably, those parts of different materials can be integrally molded through co-extrusion molding.

The sealing portion 4 plays the role of blocking the air within the groove 5 from the external air by elastically contacting with the surface of the insulating panel I in the state where the insulating panel I is inserted into the groove 5. Further, the elasticity of the sealing portion 4 shoves the insulating panel I inserted into the groove 5 onto the fixing portion 1 so as to be able to hold the insulating panel I in place.

The size of the entrance side A of the groove 5 is arranged narrower than that of the bottom side B thereof. Thereby, enhancing airtightness between the insulating panel I and the sealing 4, which leads to improving insulating effect. For instance, where the fixing clip 100 responds to the insulating panel I having one inch in thickness, the size of the entrance side A is arranged to be 0.98 inches or slightly smaller than the thickness of the insulating panel I while that of the bottom side B is arranged to be 1.24 inches or slightly larger than such thickness. Likewise, where the thickness of the insulating panel I is 2 inches, the A and B are arranged to be 1.96 inches and 2.16 inches respectively. Where such thickness is 3 inches, the A and B are arranged to be 2.85 inches and 3.28 inches respectively.

The air flow stoppage 6 is provided slantingly outwards from the coupling portion between the fixing portion 1 and the rise-up portion 2. Its material can be of soft texture in the same way as the sealing portion 4. A polyvinyl chloride resin of soft texture is exemplified herein.

The air flow stoppage 6 can be molded integrally with the fixing portion 1, the rise-up portion 2 and the holding portion 3. Preferably, those parts of different materials can be integrally molded through co-extrusion molding.

The air flow stoppage 6 plays the role of blocking the air prevalent between the wall-surfaced panel W and the insulating panel I from the external air, thereby, enhancing insulating performance and preventing dewing. When the fixing portion 1 is fixed to the wall-surfaced panel W, the air flow stoppage 6 elastically contacts with the wall-surfaced panel W so as to block the air prevalent between the fixing portion 1 and the wall-surfaced panel W from the external air. Since the air prevalent between the fixing portion 1 and the wall-surfaced panel W communicates with the air prevalent between the wall-surfaced panel W and the insulating panel 1 and with that prevalent between the groove 5 and the insulating panel I, the air prevalent between the insulating panel I and the wall-surfaced panel W is completely blocked from the external air by the air flow stoppage 6.

Now, with reference to FIG. 2A, a second fixing clip 200 being an I-shaped clip is illustrated. The second fixing clip 200 is an elongated member having I shape in cross section and can be mainly produced through extrusion molding of plastics. Polyvinyl chloride is exemplified herein for the material of this clip, though various materials are selectable.

The second fixing clip 200 is arranged with a female member 210 illustrated in FIG. 2B and a male member 220 illustrated in FIG. 2C combined together. The second fixing clip 200, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the same way as the first fixing clip 100, is intended for fixing the insulating panel I to the wall-surfaced panel W and comprises a fixing portion 1 to be fixed onto the wall-surfaced panel W, a rise-up portion 2 rising up from the fixing portion 1, a holding portion 3 formed bent from the tip end of the rise-up portion 2 and a sealing portion 4 formed at the tip end of the holding portion 3 and tilting towards the fixing portion 1 side.

The rise-up portion 2 is a portion rising up from the middle of the fixing portion 1 and the height corresponding to the rise-up is the same as or a bit larger than the thickness of the insulating panel I to be attached. To prevent the rise-up portion 2 from breakage arising from the fixing portion 1, the inner corner of the connecting portion between the fixing portion 1 and the rise-up portion 2 as well as that of the connection portion between the rise-up portion 2 and the holding portion 3 are shaped round.

The holding portion 3 is connected to the upper end of the rise-up portion 2 and extends to both sides with respect to the direction running along the fixing portion 1. The holding portion 3 of the fixing clip 200 as shown in FIG. 2A extends slightly slantingly to the fixing portion 1 side. The angle between the fixing portion and the holding portion 3 can be parallelwise as well differently from what is illustrated in FIG. 2A. A groove 5 is formed on both sides of the rise-up portion 2 by the fixing portion 1, the rise-up portion 2 and the holding portion 3, into which grooves the insulating panels I are inserted.

Where an angle of the holding portion 3 to the rise-up portion 2 is provided, it is preferred that the larger the thickness of the insulating panel I be, the larger such angle be. For instance, assuming that the tolerance of the thickness is 0.14 inches for the insulating panel I having one inch in thickness, there are some cases where such tolerance is 0.22 inches for that having 2 inches in thickness and 0.3 inches for that having 3 inches in thickness.

The sealing portion 4 plays the role of blocking the air within the groove 5 from the external air by elastically contacting with the surface of the insulating panel I in the state where the insulating panel I is inserted into the groove 5. Further, the elasticity of the sealing portion 4 shoves the insulating panel I inserted into the groove 5 onto the fixing portion 1 so as to be able to hold the insulating panel I in place.

It is preferred that the insulating panel I be disposed on the female member 210 before the male member 220 is fixed into the female member 210 and then the male member 220 be fixed thereinto. By inserting the male member 220 up to where the sealing portion 4 elastically contacts with the insulating panel I, it allows the air prevalent between the fixing clip 200 and the insulating panel I to be blocked from the external air. For the inserting method, such various means are thought up as frictional press fit, but snap fit engagement is adopted for the fixing clip 200 illustrated in FIG. 2A.

The female member 210 illustrated in FIG. 2B is an elongated member having T shape in cross section and comprises a fixing portion 1 and a rise-up portion 2 being a first rise-up portion. The difference with the first fixing clip 100 lies in that the rise-up portion 2 rises up from the middle of the fixing portion 1. Moreover, the rise-up portion 2 is composed of two ribs 21 and 21, between which ribs there are provided wedge-shaped notches 22. By the wedge-shaped projections 23 of the male member 220 being engaged into such wedge-shaped notches 22, the male member 220 can be fixed at an arbitrary height against the female member 210.

The foregoing wedge shape is such a shape as having a perpendicularly rising-up portion and a slantingly tilting portion, in which the perpendicularly rising-up portions are engaged into the corresponding wedge-shaped projections 23 so as to prevent disengagement. Such various shapes as an isosceles triangle and an equilateral triangle are adoptable for such wedge shape, but the isosceles triangle is preferred due to the resulting better engagement.

The length of the wedge-shaped portion is arranged to be that corresponding to the integral multiplication of 0.25 inches. For instance, assuming that three wedges have 0.25 inches in length, twelve wedges which are four times as many as three wedges have one inch in length, thereby, various thickness sized insulating panels I being advantageously addressed. With this wedge-shaped projection 23, it can be cut off where the wedge shape is thinned out. Various thickness sized insulating panels I can be addressed by partially cutting one male part 220 without using plural molds.

The tip end of the rise-up portion 2 is provided with unfolding portions 25 and 25 making the relative angle of 90 degrees between them. Since the female member 210 is lower than the insulating panels I, upon two insulating panels I being attached, the rise-up portion 2 results in being hidden in a gap between those insulating panels I, in which state when the male member 220 is attached, there are some cases where the male member 220 is mistakenly slid between the rise-up portion 2 and the insulating panel I. Such unfolding portions 25 and 25 are the ploy to securely attach the male member 220 to the female member 210, thereby, operability improving. The relative angle between the unfolding portions 25 and 25 and their height are adjustable where necessary.

The male member 220 illustrated in FIG. 2C is an elongated member having T shape in cross section and comprises a rise-up portion 2 being a second rise-up portion, a holding portion 3 and a sealing portion 4. The rise-up portion 2 is composed of the sole rib 24 and provided with wedge-shaped projections 23 on both sides thereof. These wedge-shaped projections 23 engage into the wedge-shaped notches 22 of the female member 210, thereby, the male member 220 being mated into the female member 210.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified example of the fixing clip or a second fixing clip 201 to be used for attaching two or more insulating panels I in juxtaposition. With the second fixing clip 201 according to the modified example, the female and male members are integrally formed, in which the rise-up portion 2 rises up not from the middle of the fixing portion 1, but from one end thereof. According to this modified example, due to integral molding, it can dispense with mounting the male member afterwards and by mounting the insulating panels I into the grooves 5 making the most of the elasticity of the rise-up portion 2, those panels can be firmly fixed with the holding portions 4.

With reference to FIG. 4, it shows the state where two insulating panels I are attached to the wall-surfaced panel W using three first fixing clips 100 provided right and left and on the lower side with respect to the drawing sheet and the sole second fixing clip 200. To note, where three or more insulating panels I are attached, the number and length of the first and second fixing clips 100 and 200 should be adjusted.

As for the attaching steps, first, the first J-shaped fixing clip 100 is disposed in parallel with the floor surface with respect to the wall-surfaced panel W. The fixing portion 1 shoved on the wall-surfaced panel W is fixed with such fixing means as a nail gun and nails. Making the air flow stoppage 6 contact with the wall-surfaced panel W prevents the generation of the air flow between the first fixing clip 100 and the wall-surfaced panel W.

Then, the female member 210 of the second I-shaped fixing clip 200 is vertically disposed reaching up to the ceiling according to the width of the insulating panels I with respect to the wall-surfaced panel W. The similar methods to those for the first fixing clip 100 are adoptable for fixing the female member.

Subsequently, the first J-shaped fixing clips 100 are oppositely disposed and fixed on the right and left sides with respect to the wall-surfaced panel. The insulating panel I is attached between the first fixing clips 100 on the right and left sides respectively and the female member 210. As for the attaching method, the insulating panel I may well be slidably inserted from the diagonal and transverse direction with respect to the groove 5 of the first fixing clip 100 or mounted from the frontal direction with respect to the drawing sheet by elastically flexing the holding portion 3. However, to improve insulating performance, due attention should be paid such that the sealing portion 4 does not turn up from the insulating panel I.

Lastly, the male member 220 of the second fixing clip 200 is attached. It is preferable that both ends of the male member 220 be slid under the holding portions 3 of a pair of the first fixing clips 100.

In this way, anybody can readily attach the insulating panels I without using any complicated tools or following any complicated steps. To note, it is illustrated in FIG. 4 that the upper ends of the insulating panels I contact with the ceiling surface without the first J-shaped fixing clips 100 being attached to the upper parts of the panels, but the first fixing clips 100 may well be attached to such upper parts.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been presented herein, to which the present invention is not limited, but can be modified or changed without deviating from the claimed subject matters. Several aspects of the present invention as mentioned above are just intended for presenting the best mode of carrying out the invention, to which the present invention is not necessarily limited.