WALL CLADDING DEVICE AND WALL THUS EQUIPPED

Abstract

The invention relates to a wall cladding device (1) comprising a load-bearing structure provided with means for fixing it to a wall, and cladding panels (5, 6) fixed to the load-bearing structure and having a visible external face. The panels (5, 6) are metal, folded into a V-shape along a diagonal, and are arranged in rows with the closed apex of the V of one folded panel (5, 6) and the open base of the V of another adjacent folded panel (6, 5) alternately defining the visible external face of each panel (5, 6). The invention also relates to a wall (1) provided with such a device. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: WALL CLADDING DEVICE AND WALL THUS EQUIPPED

[0001] The invention relates to a wall cladding device and to a wall thus equipped.

[0002] Here, the term wall refers to both an internal and external wall of a building, a facade of a building, a separation or retaining wall, a barrier, regardless of the material constituting the wall, namely concrete, wood, metal, bricks, cinder blocks, stones or a composite or polymer-based material.

[0003] It is known to clad walls with elements, hereafter referred to as panels, having a dual function: namely, to offer protection against the elements, or more generally against external aggressions, while giving the wall a particular visual appearance. For this purpose, it is known to use elements or panels having a color and / or a visible surface with a defined appearance and / or relief. Such a solution only allows for a single, specific visual appearance of the wall. A 3D-printed external wall panel and a 3D-printed internal wall panel connected by metal spacers are known from US-A-2022 106 790. Existing solutions, while providing protection for the wall, only offer a single, and permanent, visual appearance.

[0004] The invention aims to provide another solution allowing not only the protection of a wall from external aggressions, but also the provision of different visual aspects of the wall, without modification of the latter.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a wall cladding device comprising a load-bearing structure provided with means for fixing to a wall, cladding panels fixed to the load-bearing structure and each provided with a so-called visible external face, characterized in that the panels are metallic, in the shape of a parallelogram, folded in a V along a diagonal and in that the panels are arranged in rows with alternately the closed apex of the V of a folded panel and the open base of the V of another adjacent folded panel which define the visible external face of the panels.

[0006] Thanks to the invention, a wall can be clad with a plurality of rows of elements or panels having alternately a concave face when the open base of the folded panel is visible and a convex face when the top of the folded panel is visible. Such an alternation of rows of concave and convex elements makes it possible to obtain a visual appearance that differs depending on the position occupied by the observer in relation to the wall, without modification of the panels constituting the wall.

[0007] Depending on advantageous, but not mandatory, aspects, such a wall cladding device may include one or more of the following features:

[0008] The panels are made of the same monochrome metal, for example of folded lacquered aluminum.

[0009] The two parts of each V-folded panel form an angle between 55° and 65° with each other.

[0010] The two parts of each V-folded panel form an angle of 61° with each other.

[0011] Each panel is arranged angularly on the supporting structure, with an angle between 70° and 80], relative to the main plane of the wall.

[0012] Each panel is arranged on the supporting structure at an angle of 76° to the main plane of the wall.

[0013] Each panel has on the so-called inner face, opposite the visible outer face, at least two triangular tabs for fixing the panel to the supporting structure.

[0014] The panels located at the ends of the horizontal and / or vertical rows are of the same width as the other panels and of a length that is a multiple of the length of the other panels, for example half a length or a quarter of a length.

[0015] The invention also relates to a wall equipped with at least one cladding device conforming to any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0016] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] is a simplified perspective view of a wall equipped with a device a fixing casing conforming to an embodiment of the invention,

[0018] [Fig.2] is a perspective view, on a larger scale and from another angle of a part of the wall of the [Fig.1],

[0019] [Fig.3] is a top view, at a different scale, of an element or panel constituting the device illustrated in figures 1 and 2 before folding,

[0020] [Fig.4] is a top view and at another scale, according to arrow IV of the wall at the [Fig.l],

[0021] [Fig.5] is a side view along arrow V, at a different scale, of the wall of the [Fig. 1] and

[0022] [Fig.6] is a front view, at another scale, of the wall of [Fig.1].

[0023] Figure 1 illustrates a wall 1, for example an exterior wall or a facade of a building, equipped, at least on one side, with a cladding device 2 conforming to an embodiment of the invention. Here, the device 2 covers the entire surface of the wall 1. Alternatively, only a portion of the wall 1 is equipped with the device 2. The device comprises a load-bearing structure 3, partially visible in [Fig. 1] and known in itself. According to a preferred embodiment, this structure consists of parallel metal profiles 4 arranged vertically or, more generally, along the longest dimension of the wall. Other profiles, not visible, connect the profiles 4 orthogonally. This creates a lattice or grid fixed, permanently or temporarily, to the wall 1.

[0024] In [Fig. 1], the wall 1 comprises seven vertical rows referenced R to R6 and five horizontal rows referenced R7 to RI1. The rows R to RI1 are formed by elements 5, 6, also referred to hereafter as panels. The panels 5 are said to be convex and the panels 6 are said to be concave. The rows R to RI1 are obtained by a regular alternation of panels 5 and 6.

[0025] As is more clearly shown in [Fig. 2], which is a partial illustration of the wall 1 on a larger scale, a convex panel 5 or a concave panel 6 is connected by its sides only to concave or convex panels 6 or 5. Thus, a panel 5 or 6 is surrounded by at least two panels 6 or 5 when it is located at a corner of the wall, or at most by four panels 6 or 5 when it is not part of an edge or a corner of the wall 1.

[0026] Figure 3 illustrates a panel 5 or 6 before folding. Here, panel 5 or 6 comprises A rectangular main body 7. Alternatively, the main body is square. In all cases, it is a parallelogram. The main body 7 defines the visible part of the panel 5 or 6 when the latter is fixed to the supporting structure. A fold line 8 is marked on the body 7. The fold line 8 corresponds to one of the diagonals of the body 7. When the triangular parts 9 and 10 are folded towards each other by folding the body 7 along the line 8, either a convex panel 5 or a concave panel 6 is obtained.

[0027] To obtain a convex panel 5, the folding is carried out according to the arrows F, whereas to obtain a concave panel 6, the folding is carried out in the opposite direction, according to the arrows FL. Thus, with a folding according to the arrows F, a panel 5 is produced whose body 7 is in V shape, the apex of the V being materialized by the fold line 8. The panel 5 is overall in an inverted V shape, the apex 8 being located above the average plane P7 of the main body 7 before the folding.

[0028] Conversely, when the folding is carried out according to the arrows Fl, it is the open base of the folded panel 6 that is located below the average plane P7. In other words, there is an alternation of positive and negative volumes with respect to an average plane, the volumes being identical.

[0029] In all cases, whether the direction of folding is according to arrows F or Fl, the angle A formed between the folded parts 9, 10 is between 55° and 65°. The angle A is advantageously 61°.

[0030] Each panel 5 or 6 is advantageously attached to the supporting structure in a removable manner by means of triangular tabs 11, 12 extending from the long sides 13, 14 of the main body 7. The tabs 11, 12 have hook-shaped cutouts 15 on their free edges, allowing the panel 5, 6 to be attached to the profiles of the supporting structure. The tabs 11, 12 are bent, for example along the arrows F, until they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the plane P7.

[0031] Two other tabs 16, 17 are located on the short sides of the main body 7. They are also triangular, but smaller than tabs 11, 12. When tabs 16, 17 are bent in the same direction as tabs 11, 12 and are parallel to each other, they define, together with tabs 11, 12 and the body 7, a volume in which technical elements such as cables, conduits, lighting and / or sound equipment, or other items can be placed. These items are thus positioned against the wall, behind panel 5 or 6, without being visible to an observer standing in front of the wall 1.

[0032] The tabs 16, 17, in addition to partially closing the opening between panel 5, 6 and wall 1, stiffen panel 5 in its folded configuration and hold tabs 11, 12 in the folded position. In all cases, each panel 5, 6, when hung by the hook-shaped cutouts 15 on the profiles of the supporting structure 3, is inclined with respect to the vertical or, more generally, with respect to the principal plane PI of wall 1. As shown in [Fig. 5], the inclination with respect to plane PI is identical for each panel 5 or 6. This inclination I is between 70° and 80°, advantageously close to 76°. The inclination I is oriented upwards or downwards, depending on the type of panel 5 (convex) or 6 (concave), due to the position of the folded tabs 11, 12.

[0033] The applicant noted that, surprisingly, such values ​​of the inclination I of the panels 5, 6 with respect to the plane PI associated with the values ​​of the bending angle A of the parts 9, 10 mentioned above and the type of mounting of the panels 5, 6 on the wall 1 makes it possible to obtain visual aspects of the wall 1 changing according to the position occupied by an observer with respect to the wall 1.

[0034] In particular, besides the specific values ​​of angle A and inclination I, the panels 5, 6 are mounted alternately on the wall 1 with the base B9 of a portion 9 of a panel 5 or 6 located opposite and adjacent to the base B10 of a portion 10 of a panel 6 or 5 located on a higher or lower horizontal row. In other words, not only is there a horizontal and vertical alternation of the panels 5, 6, but they are also arranged in a row in opposite directions.

[0035] Thus, when an observer is placed laterally to the wall 1, for example at 01 as illustrated in [Fig. 6], parts 9 and parts 10 of all the Panels 5 and 6, which are aligned along diagonals D, are, for example, darker than parts 9 and 10 of panels 5 and 6 aligned along a neighboring diagonal DI. The contrast is even more pronounced depending on the lighting on wall 1. In [Fig. 6], only two dark diagonals have been illustrated with hatching for clarity. It is understood that all the diagonals are affected.

[0036] When the observer moves to be substantially facing the wall 1, as in position 02, and then laterally to the other side, in 03, the contrast between the diagonals D and DI fades until it disappears. It is understood that the visual appearance thus changes with the position of the observer and the intensity and / or direction of the lighting on the wall 1.

[0037] Thanks to the invention, in addition to a wall protection function by the panels 5, 6, a particular visual aspect is achieved due to the positive and negative reliefs formed alternately by the panels 5, 6 and, on the other hand, a visual aspect that changes according to the position of the observer, the colour of the wall 1 evolving according to the place of observation of the wall 1. These characteristics are obtained by a particular geometric configuration of the panels 5, 6 and by a defined arrangement of the latter on the wall 1, the panels 5, 6 being aligned alternately in vertical and horizontal rows.

Claims

Demands

1. Cladding device (2) for a wall (1) comprising a load-bearing structure (3) provided with means for fixing to a wall (1), cladding panels (5, 6) fixed to the load-bearing structure (3) and each having a so-called visible external face, characterized in that the panels (5, 6) are metallic, parallelogram-shaped, folded (F, Fl) in V along a diagonal (8) and in that the panels (5, 6) are arranged in rows (r to RI 1) with alternately the closed apex (8) of the V of a folded panel (5, 6) and the open base (B9, B10) of the V of another adjacent folded panel (6, 5) which define the visible external face of the panels (5,6).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the panels (5, 6) are made of the same monochrome metal, for example of folded lacquered aluminum.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the two parts (9, 10) of each panel (5, 6) folded in V make an angle (A) between 55° and 65°.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the two parts (9, 10) of each panel (5, 6) folded in V make an angle (A) of 61° between them.

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each panel (5, 6) is arranged angularly on the supporting structure (3), with an angle (I) between 70° and 80°, with respect to the principal plane (PI) of the wall (1).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that each panel (5, 6) is arranged on the supporting structure (3) with an angle (I) of 76° with respect to the principal plane (PI) of the wall (1).

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each panel (5, 6) has on the so-called inner face, opposite the visible outer face, at least two triangular tabs (11, 12, 16, 17) for fixing the panel (5, 6) to the supporting structure (3).

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the panels (5, 6) located at the ends of the horizontal and / or vertical rows (R to R11) are of the same width as the other panels (5, 6) and of a length that is a multiple of the length of the other panels (5, 6), for example, half the length or a quarter of the length

9. Wall (1) equipped with at least one cladding device (2) conforming to any one of the preceding claims.

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