Thermal insulation pad and bracket assembly comprising such assembly

Abstract

A thermal insulation pad assembly comprising: a thermal insulation pad comprising a thermal insulation material for attachment between a bracket and substructure in a building cladding assembly; and a sleeve formed from cardboard. The sleeve may be used to retain the pad assembly on a foot of a bracket.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a thermal insulation pad. In particular to a thermal insulation pad for attachment between a bracket and substructure in a building cladding assembly.

[0002] The habitation of buildings represents a significant contributor of greenhouse gases. A high proportion of such emissions results from heating and cooling systems in those buildings. In the modern world, where policy makers are facing increasing public pressures with respect to climate change, new buildings (and older buildings subject to renovation) are generally required to satisfy stringent and evolving energy efficiency and insulation standards.

[0003] The use of exterior cladding assemblies comprising a framework structure coupled to the exterior wall of a building with exterior cladding panels connected to the framework are now well known. The exterior cladding panels can be engineered to provide various aesthetic characteristics in addition to useful thermal and weather resistant properties. For example, the cladding panels and frame structure can comprise a rain-screen system.

[0004] Historically, a shortcoming with these assemblies has been the connection between the exterior cladding framework structure and the exterior wall of the building, which has provided a thermal path for the escape of thermal energy.

[0005] As a solution to this problem it has been known to attach brackets forming part of the exterior cladding assemblies to the exterior walls of the building via thermal insulation layers. An exemplary system is known from GB 2559905 A. Whilst this has significantly improved thermal efficiencies with the insulation layer acting as a thermal break between the building and the cladding assembly, the present inventors have determined scope for improving the thermal efficiency of such systems.

[0006] The present invention arose in a bid to provide an improved building cladding assembly offering improved thermal performance.

[0007] According to the present invention in a first aspect, there is provided a thermal insulation pad assembly comprising: a thermal insulation pad for attachment between a bracket and substructure in a building cladding assembly, the thermal insulation pad comprising a thermal insulation material; and a sleeve formed from cardboard.

[0008] In the present context, the substructure may, for example, comprise a structural element forming part of the cladding assembly or may comprise the building.

[0009] According to the present invention in a yet further aspect, there is provided a bracket for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, the bracket comprising a foot having a contact face to face towards the substructure in use and a thermal insulation pad assembly, as defined above attached to the foot, such that the thermal insulation pad sits between the contact face and the substructure in use.

[0010] The thermal insulation pad preferably has a footprint substantially equal to the footprint of the foot.

[0011] Further, preferred, features are presented in the dependent claims.

[0012] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a thermal insulation pad suitable for use with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a thermal insulation pad assembly, in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, comprising the thermal insulation pad of Figure 1 and an attachment element in the form of a cardboard sleeve; Figure 3 shows a bracket, in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, which comprises the thermal insulation pad assembly of Figure 2 attached to a foot thereof; Figure 4 shows an alternative bracket, not in accordance with the present invention, for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, which comprises an alternative thermal insulation pad assembly in which the attachment element comprises adhesive; and Figures 5a and 5b show a bracket similar to that shown in Figure 4 but provided with an adaptor, wherein Figure 5a shows an exploded perspective view of the components and Figure 5b shows a perspective view of the assembled bracket.

[0013] With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a thermal insulation pad 1 for attachment between a bracket (6, Figures 3 and 4) and substructure (not shown) in a building cladding assembly (not shown), the pad comprising a thermal insulation material 2 and at least one spacing member 3 for maintaining a predetermined spacing between the bracket and substructure during use.

[0014] The thermal insulation material may comprise a fibrous material. In a particularly preferred arrangement, it comprises a silica aerogel. An exemplary silica aerogel comprises 'AEROGEL POLY' manufactured by AMA Composites S.r.l. The thermal insulation pad may be formed by cutting a sheet of suitable thickness to the required dimensions. It should be noted that a range of differently sized pads may be made available to suit a range of differently sized brackets. Note, for example, the differing pad sizes in Figures 3 and 4. In exemplary arrangements, the thermal insulation pad has an uncompressed thickness of 10mm. It could, however, be thicker or thinner, as appropriate.

[0015] The spacing member 3 is less compressible than the thermal insulation pad and, as discussed, acts to restrict compression of the thermal insulation material / pad in a thickness direction. For such purposes, the spacing member 3 preferably has a dimension substantially equal to the thickness of the thermal insulation material when the thermal insulation material is in an uncompressed state.

[0016] A plurality of spacing members 3 are provided, such that loads are balanced. Specifically, in the present arrangement, there are six spacing members 3 provided in an array. It should be appreciated that in alternative arrangements there may be more or less spacing members provided. The spacing members 3 comprise ceramic beads that have a thickness slightly less than the uncompressed thickness of the thermal insulation material 2 defining the thermal insulation pad. In alternative arrangements, the spacing members 3 may be otherwise formed and need not comprise ceramic material as long as they have suitable thermal insulation properties and are uncompressible under the required working loads. As best seen in Figure 1, there is a plurality of openings 4 provided for receiving the spacing members 3. Each of the openings 4 is arranged such that there is an interference fit between the opening 4 and the respective spacing member 3 received thereby. In alternative arrangements the openings 4 may be omitted or otherwise formed.

[0017] Whilst in the present arrangement there is an array of spacing members 3, in alternative arrangements there may be a single spacing member 3 only. Where there is a single spacing member provided, it could take the form of a frame around the periphery of the thermal insulation material or it could comprise a suitable embedded member that provides multiple spaced points of support, received by a suitably formed opening or otherwise.

[0018] With reference to Figure 2, there is shown a thermal insulation pad assembly 10 in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention. This comprising a thermal insulation pad 1 and an attachment element 5 in the form of a cardboard sleeve for attaching the thermal insulation pad 1 (comprising the thermal insulation material 2 and the spacing members 3). With reference to Figure 3, the thermal insulation pad assembly 10 is shown attached to a bracket 6, in accordance with a second aspect of the invention, for use in a building cladding assembly.

[0019] The thermal insulation pad 1 is received by the sleeve 5 as shown in Figure 2. The sleeve 5 preferably comprises an opening 11 to allow (obstruction free) access to openings 9 in the foot 7 of the bracket 6, as seen in Figure 3. The sleeve has a greater depth than the thickness of the pad 1, such that there is a space 12 provided between the pad 1 and a face of the sleeve. In use, as seen in Figure 3, the sleeve is slid onto the foot 7 of the bracket 6, wherein the thermal insulation pad 1 contacts a contact face 8 of the foot 7 and the foot 7 is sandwiched between the pad 1 and the face of the sleeve (the upper face of the sleeve with the bracket 6 oriented as in Figure 3). The compressibility of the thermal insulation material 6 results in an interference fit.

[0020] Referring to Figure 4, an alternative form of attachment element of a bracket, not in accordance with the present invention, is an adhesive, wherein the thermal insulation pad 1 is adhered to the contact face 8 of the foot 7. The adhesive may be applied directly to the thermal insulation material 2 of the pad 1, or the pad 1 may be covered, for example by shrink wrapping in plastic, with the adhesive applied to the covering layer. An alternative form of cover may comprise a cardboard box that is suitably sized to receive the thermal insulation pad 1 with a snug fit.

[0021] Regardless of the form of attachment, it is preferable that the thermal insulation pad 1 has a footprint substantially equal to the footprint of the foot 7 of the bracket 6.

[0022] It should be noted that the form of the bracket 6 for forming part of a building cladding assembly is not limited to the arrangement shown. In the exemplary arrangement shown, the bracket 6 comprises the foot 7 and a neck that extends to a head that is provided at an opposite end of the neck to the foot, the head comprises a pair of opposed plates that are substantially parallel to one another and spaced from one another to provide a mouth for engaging a flange or tail part of a rail system that may in turn support external cladding panels.

[0023] With reference to Figures 5a and 5b, a further bracket is shown, which comprises the bracket 6, the thermal insulation pad 1 and an adaptor 13. The adaptor 13 comprises a plate formed of plastic, which comprises a support surface 14 for positioning in contact against the contact face of the foot 7 and an opposed surface for positioning against the thermal insulation pad 1, as seen in Figure 5b. A raised lip 15 extends around a perimeter of the plate to define a space for at least partially housing the foot 7, as again best seen in Figure 5b. The adaptor 13 may be arranged to snap fit to the foot 7. The thermal insulation pad 1 may be attached to the adaptor using adhesive or otherwise. Any of the above described arrangements that omit the adaptor may be modified by the inclusion of an adaptor.

[0024] Whilst a number of exemplary embodiments have been detailed above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made to those embodiments, without departing from the scope of the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A thermal insulation pad assembly comprising: a thermal insulation pad for attachment between a bracket and substructure in a building cladding assembly, the thermal insulation pad comprising a thermal insulation material; and a sleeve formed from cardboard.

2. A thermal insulation pad assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation material comprises a fibrous material.

3. A thermal insulation pad assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermal insulation material comprises a silica aerogel.

4. A thermal insulation pad assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sleeve has a greater depth than the thickness of the pad, such that there is a space provided between the pad and a face of the sleeve.

5. A bracket for attachment to a substructure in a building cladding assembly, the bracket comprising a foot having a contact face to face towards the substructure in use and a thermal insulation pad assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, attached to the foot, such that the thermal insulation pad sits between the contact face and the substructure in use.

6. A bracket as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the thermal insulation pad has a footprint substantially equal to the footprint of the foot.

7. A bracket as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, wherein the bracket has openings in the foot for receiving fastenings and wherein the sleeve comprises an opening to allow access to openings in the foot of the bracket.

8. A bracket as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the sleeve is slid onto the foot of the bracket and the thermal insulation pad contacts a contact face of the foot, with the foot 7 sandwiched between the pad 1 and a face of the sleeve.

9. A bracket as claimed in Claim 5, 6 or 7 further comprising an adaptor, wherein the adaptor comprises a plate, which comprises a support surface positioned in contact against the contact face of the foot and an opposed surface positioned against the thermal insulation pad.

10. A bracket as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the adaptor is formed of plastic.

11. A bracket as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, wherein the sleeve is slid onto the foot of the bracket and the adaptor and wherein the thermal insulation pad contacts the opposed surface of the adaptor, with the foot and adaptor sandwiched between the thermal insulation pad and a face of the sleeve.

12. A bracket as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the thermal insulation material has a compressibility which results in an interference fit.