Wall panel system with snap-on clip

• US 8,316,599 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firestone Building Products Company LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Firestone Building Products Company LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Griffiths, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Herring, Brent W
• Application Number:
  US12/416,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20090241456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 522/35, 525/060.1, 525/060.6, 525/060.8, 525/10, 525/12, 524/891, 524/892, 242/95, 242/97, 244/58, 428/491, 428/222.11, 428/316.7
• US Class Current: 52/235
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0825 engaging side holes preformed into the covering elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0889 characterised by the joints between neighbouring elements, e.g. with joint fillings or with tongue and groove connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/12 of metal or with an outer layer of metal or enameled metal E04F13/0864 takes precedence

Abstract

A wall panel system includes at least one wall panel, each edge of the panel having a flange. At least one flange, and preferably two opposing flanges, have at least one slot therein. Each slot is mated with a clip having two extensions laterally spaced from one another, one of said extensions having a latch member protruding in a direction toward the other of said extensions, such that the clip is secured to the flange by virtue of the latch member mating with the slot. The clip may then be attached to a building surface or intermediary mounting apparatus by a fastener to secure the wall panel thereto.

Claims

1. An attachment system for a wall panel system having wall panels, the attachment system comprising:

a plurality of holes in flanges of said wall panels;

clips mated with each of said holes, said clips having a generally planar fastening plate with a first extension and a second extension extending therefrom, said first and second extensions spaced from one another by a distance d₁, said second extension carrying a latch member that protrudes toward said first extension and is received in one of said holes, said latch member extending from said second extension a distance d₂ that is less than d₁, wherein said latch member and said second extension form an end surface angled relative to and facing away from said fastening plate said holes being wider than said latch members of said clips to allow for thermal cycling of said wall panel system.

2. The attachment system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mounting rails attached to a building surface proximate said flanges in said wall panels, where said fastening plates of said clips are secured to said mounting rails by a fastener.

3. The attachment system of claim 1, where said clips are secured to said flanges of said wall panels without the use of mechanical fasteners.

4. The attachment system of claim 1, where said second extension is flexible and resilient to allow the clip to be inserted over the flange of the wall panel.

5. A wall panel system for attachment to a building surface, the wall panel system comprising

a wall panel having two opposing flanges extending from opposing edges of the panel;

at least one slot in each of said flanges;

a clip mated with each of said slots, said clips having two extensions laterally spaced from one another by a distance d₁ creating a gap, one of said extensions carrying a latch member that protrudes toward the other of said extensions and into said gap a distance d₂ that is less than d₁, said latch member having an angled end surface relative to and facing away from said fastening plate;

wherein said wall panel is attached to a surface by said clips mated with said slots in said flange, said latch members extending into said slots to secure said clips to said flange, and wherein said slots are wider than said latch members of said clips to allow for thermal expansion of said wall panel.

6. The wall panel system of claim 5, wherein flanges extend from four edges of the wall panel.

7. The wall panel system of claim 5, further comprising a mounting rail attached to said surface, where said clips are secured to said mounting rail by a fastener.

8. The wall panel system of claim 7, further comprising shims positioned between the building surface and said mounting rail.

9. The wall panel system of claim 5, wherein said clips are directly secured to the building surface by a fastener.

10. The wall panel system of claim 5, wherein said clips are mated with said slots in said flange without the use of a fastener.

11. The wall panel system of claim 5, wherein a plurality of said wall panels are positioned adjacent to one another and have a gap therebetween.

12. The wall panel system of claim 5, wherein a sealant is provided in said gap between adjacent wall panels.