Ventilated batten

Abstract

Editorial note 2026204229 Please Note , There is a discontinuity in page numbering. The abstract should be page 8 not page 7. claim page 8 should be claim page 7 Editorial note 7 Abstract A batten comprising a raised surface and one or more side flanges configured to receive one or more fastening elements for fastening the batten to an underlying structure. One or more angled side walls extend between the raised surface and the one or more side flanges wherein the one or more angled side walls comprise a plurality of apertures configured to allow airflow to pass therethrough. Abstract 20 26 20 42 29 01 J un 2 02 6 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 6 2 0 4 2 2 9 0 1 J u n 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 6 2 0 4 2 2 9 0 1 J u n

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to battens. In particular, the present invention relates to a ventilated batten to enable airflow between support components of a building.

[0002] The invention has been developed primarily for use within roofs and walls of a building, such as for example between an external cladding and a wall frame and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use. Background Art

[0003] Any reference to background or related art, including to any documents, herein is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present disclosure only and shall not be considered as an admission that such background or related art forms part of the prior art, or that such background or related art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the relevant field in Australia or in any other country.

[0004] Battens, typically formed from steel, are widely used in wall construction as framing members that provide a fixing surface for cladding materials and assist in transferring loads to the underlying primary structure. Conventional battens are generally manufactured from lightweight galvanised steel and are installed horizontally or vertically to structural substrates such as studs, concrete walls, or masonry.

[0005] In many buildings, particularly across varying climate zones, it is desirable to provide ventilation pathways behind external wall cladding to reduce the risk of condensation, mould growth, and moisture-related structural deterioration. However, conventional battens used to mount cladding typically do not incorporate features that facilitate airflow. As a result, additional spacers, packers, or separate components are often required to create a ventilated cavity behind the cladding, which can increase installation time, construction costs, and the likelihood of installation errors.

[0006] While certain ventilated cavity systems have been developed, such systems commonly rely on multiple separate components or are not optimised for structural compatibility with steel cladding installations. Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved batten that is straightforward to install and capable of providing both structural support for cladding and integrated ventilation functionality within a single element. 2026204229   01 Jun 2026

[0007] It would thus be desirable to provide a ventilated batten that enables airflow behind the external cladding of a building that ameliorates some of the problems, drawbacks, or shortcomings associated with the prior art, or provides an effective alternative. Summary of the Disclosure

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide the public with a useful alternative.

[0009] In an aspect of the invention, there is provided a batten, comprising: a raised surface; one or more side flanges configured to receive one or more fastening elements for fastening the batten to an underlying structure; and one or more angled side walls extending between the raised surface and the one or more side flanges; wherein the one or more angled side walls comprise a plurality of apertures configured to allow airflow to pass therethrough.

[0010] In an embodiment, the plurality of apertures comprises a mesh adapted to minimise flow of particulate matter through the plurality of apertures.

[0011] In an embodiment, the batten comprises one or more offset flanges configured to create a ventilation gap between the batten and the underlying structure.

[0012] In an embodiment, the ventilation gap is between 20 mm and 35 mm.

[0013] In an embodiment, the batten is integrally formed.

[0014] In an embodiment, the batten is formed from galvanised steel. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] The above and further features of the present disclosure are more fully described in the following description of several non-limiting embodiments thereof. This description is included for the purposes of exemplifying the disclosure. It should not be understood as a restriction on the summary or description of the disclosure as set out above. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs designate like parts and in which: 2026204229   01 Jun 2026 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ventilated batten according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the ventilated batten of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the ventilated batten of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a ventilated batten according to another preferred embodiment of the invention; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a ventilated batter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0016] The accompanying drawing figures are included to provide further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation thereof. Other embodiments of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

[0017] It will be appreciated that common and / or well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. It will also be understood that certain actions and / or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence may not actually be required. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0018] With reference to Figures 1-3, there is provided a batten 10 comprising a plurality of apertures 12A-D disposed along its longitudinal axis that act as ventilation elements. It is to be appreciated that in the illustrated embodiments that only half of the batten 10 is shown; however, those skilled in the art would appreciate that the batten 10 is substantially symmetrical and that therefore a further plurality of ventilation elements would be similarly disposed opposite the first set of plurality of ventilation elements 12A-D. In preference, the batten 10 is formed from a cold-rolled galvanised steel, or equivalent corrosion-resistant materials known in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of apertures 12A-D may comprise a mesh or filter applied thereto, so as to minimise the flow of dust, unwanted particulate matter, insects, and the like. 2026204229   01 Jun 2026

[0019] The plurality of ventilation elements may, in a preferred embodiment have a height of about 24 mm. In the shown embodiment, the plurality of ventilation elements are provided substantially trapezoidal in shape, with adjacent edges of the plurality of ventilation elements diagonal with respect to an adjacent ventilation element. A spacing in between adjacent diagonal edges of adjacent ventilation elements may be about 16 mm. It has been found that by incorporating diagonal edges at the ends of the ventilation elements, such that the ventilation elements are substantially trapezoidal, the overall structural strength of the batten 10 is increased while still providing sufficient space for air to flow through.

[0020] It is to be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to providing ventilation elements in trapezoidal form. Other ventilation elements, such as for example horizontal slots, staggered perforations, or apertures of different shapes may be used instead, without deviating from the scope of the invention. Referring to Figure 5, the ventilation elements 12 may for example be provided in along the length of the batten 10 as triangular apertures of alternating orientation. Minor triangular apertures 13 may be provided at the ends of the length of the steel batten 10 in order to maximise the area for air to flow through.

[0021] As most clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the batten 10 comprises a substantially A-shaped profile, which, in an in-use orientation comprises a central raised surface 14, alternatively referred herein as the spine 14, which extends along the longitudinal axis of the batten 10. The spine 14 is configured to receive a cladding attachment, as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art.

[0022] The transverse ends of the spine 14 extend into downwardly and outwardly sloping edge walls 16, which terminate in horizontal side flanges 18. The edge walls 16 contain the plurality of apertures 12A-D. In a preferred embodiment, the wall thickness of the spine 14, the sloping edge walls 16, and the horizontal side flanges 18 is between 1.2 mm to 1.6 mm. The side flanges 18 allow for the batten 10 to be fastened to an underlying structure, such as for example to a timber or steel frame through the use of nails, threads, and / or screws. The side flanges 18 in preference are 25 mm in width, which advantageously provide a ventilation gap of 25 mm between installed cladding and the surrounding building wrap. An angle between the side flanges 18 and the edge walls 16 may be about 110°.

[0023] The cross-sectional profile of the batten 10 defines an air cavity 20 between the cladding and the underlying wall surface when installed. The profile geometry may be formed such that a portion of the batten is offset from the substrate, thereby creating a ventilation space along the length of the batten 10.

[0024] It is therefore to be appreciated that the present invention provides for a ventilated batten 10 that is integrally formed, easy to install, and provides for ventilation pathways to allow airflow behind 2026204229   01 Jun 2026 external wall cladding, thereby reducing the risk of condensation, mould, and / or structural damage to the building.

[0025] In an embodiment, the batten 10 may comprise one or more offset flanges (not pictured), such that the side flanges 18 are not flush with the underlying surface. In this manner, a ventilation gap between the batten and the underlying wall wrap or insulation is produced, thereby improving airflow within the wall cavity. In preference, the ventilation gap may be between 20 mm and 35 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation gap may be about 25 mm. List of Components 10      batten 12A-D apertures 13 triangular apertures 14      spine 16      edge walls 18       side flanges 20       air cavity

[0026] Although specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternative and / or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that each exemplary embodiment is an example only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

[0027] It will also be appreciated that, unless the context requires otherwise, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "include", "including", "contain", "containing", "have", "having", and any variations thereof, used in this document are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus, or system described 2026204229   01 Jun 2026 herein is not limited to the features, integers, parts, elements, or steps recited but may include other features, integers, parts, elements, or steps not expressly listed and / or inherent to such process, method, device, apparatus, or system. Further, the terms "a" and "an" used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their objects. In addition, any reference to positional terms, such as “lower” and “upper”, used in the above description are to be taken in context of the embodiments depicted in the figures, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention to the literal interpretation of the term but rather as would be understood by the skilled addressee in the appropriate context.

[0028] The phrase “and / or”, as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and / or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and / or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

Claims

1. A batten, comprising:a raised surface;one or more side flanges configured to receive one or more fastening elements for fastening the batten to an underlying structure; andone or more angled side walls extending between the raised surface and the one or more side flanges;wherein the one or more angled side walls comprise a plurality of apertures configured to allow airflow to pass therethrough;the apertures being angular apertures, each aperture having opposed diagonal end edges, wherein the diagonal end edges of adjacent apertures are oppositely inclined..

2. The batten as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a mesh adapted to minimise flow of particulate matter through the plurality of apertures.

3. The batten as in any one of the previous claims, comprising one or more offset flanges configured to create a ventilation gap between the batten and the underlying structure.

4. The batten as in claim 3, wherein the ventilation gap is between 20 mm and 35 mm.

5. The batten as in any one of the previous claims, wherein the batten is integrally formed.

6. The batten as in any one of the previous claims, formed from galvanised steel.

7. The batten of any one of the previous claims, wherein the plurality of apertures compriseapertures of alternating orientation.

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