Outer wall cladding system composed of a carrying structure and elongate outer wall cladding elements

Abstract

The present invention relates to an outer wall cladding system (1), comprising: a number of outer wall cladding elements (2), one or more bearing profiles (4) for bearing one or more outer wall cladding elements (2), which bearing profiles (4) are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure (5) and a number of attachment elements (6) which are configured to attach the outer wall cladding elements (2) to a bearing profile (4), wherein the longitudinal sides (3) of each outer wall cladding element (2) are provided with a longitudinally extending groove (7), wherein each attachment element (6) comprises a base body with a base surface (11) having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the base body is provided with first fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip (8) which adjoins the front edge, and with second fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip (8) which adjoins the rear edge, which first fixing means are configured to engage, with an engagement part (10), in a longitudinally extending groove (7) of one outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the one cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4), and which second fixing means are configured to engage, with an engagement part (10), in a longitudinally extending groove (7) of an adjacent outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the adjacent cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4).

Description

[0001] OUTER WALL CLADDING SYSTEM COMPOSED OF A CARRYING

[0002] STRUCTURE AND ELONGATE OUTER WALL CLADDING ELEMENTS

[0003] The present invention relates to an outer wall cladding system, comprising:

[0004] - a number of outer wall cladding elements, each comprising a front side, a rear side and two mutually opposite longitudinal sides;

[0005] - one or more bearing profiles for bearing one or more outer wall cladding elements, which bearing profiles are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure, such as for example an outer wall;

[0006] - a number of attachment elements which are configured to attach the outer wall cladding elements to a bearing profile.

[0007] The present invention relates in particular to an outer wall cladding system, the outer wall cladding elements of which are formed by elongate boards, preferably elongate wooden boards, in particular made of hardwood or preserved wood.

[0008] More and more often, outer walls of houses or other buildings are being provided with a wooden cladding which is attached to the outer wall in the form of boards made of e.g. hardwood or preserved wood. Often, the wooden cladding is an accent in combination with other materials, but in some cases an entire outer wall is clad with wood.

[0009] Traditionally, the boards are horizontally or vertically attached directly to the outer wall or to a carrying structure which is arranged on the outer wall, by means of nails or screws. This has the drawback that the fitted nails or screws remain visible in the fitted boards. In addition, it is not obvious to attach all nails or screws in a straight line. An additional drawback is the fact that it is difficult and time-consuming to replace a broken board.

[0010] EP 0 124 886 A2 describes an outer wall cladding system for a wall or ceiling, consisting of wooden panels which are provided with grooves on their longitudinal sides or wherein the panels are attached to profiles by means of claws which engage in the grooves. In order to achieve attachment, the claws are slidingly guided on the profiles and the profiles are attached to the wall of the ceiling by means of screws. A similar system is described in German Utility model DE 295 20 258 Ul.

[0011] DE 70 09 057 U describes a device for attaching a panel to a ceiling and / or wall or the like, wherein a double flange profile rail is provided in order to accommodate the panel, which acts on a further double flange profile rail with a pair of its flanges by means of a clamping device or is retained on a simple securing rail which can be attached directly to a wall or the like.

[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide a durable outer wall cladding system which can be installed relatively quickly, wherein the attachment means are no longer visible after the outer wall cladding elements have been attached.

[0013] The object of the invention is achieved by providing an outer wall cladding system, comprising: a number of outer wall cladding elements, each comprising a front side, a rear side and two mutually opposite longitudinal sides; one or more bearing profiles for bearing one or more outer wall cladding elements, which bearing profiles are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure; a number of attachment elements which are configured to attach the outer wall cladding elements to a bearing profile, wherein the longitudinal sides of each outer wall cladding element are provided with a longitudinally extending groove, each attachment element comprises a base body with a base surface having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the base body is provided with first fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip which adjoins the front edge with an upright part which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface and an engagement part which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, and with second fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip which adjoins the rear edge with an upright part which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface and an engagement part which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, which first fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part, in a longitudinally extending groove of one outer wall cladding element in order to attach the one cladding element to the bearing profile, and which second fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part, in a longitudinally extending groove of an adjacent outer wall cladding element in order to attach the adjacent cladding element to the bearing profile, as described in Claim 1. An outer wall cladding system constructed in this way makes it possible to easily fit outer wall cladding elements to a bearing structure, such as for example an outer wall, wherein the attachment means are virtually invisible. In order to ensure that the attachment means are even less visible, they are designed to be dark in colour, preferably black. Due to the fact that the attachment means are black and, after fitting to the bearing profile, cover part of the bearing profile, in particular the parts of the bearing profiles which are situated at the location of the joint between juxtaposed outer wall cladding elements, the bearing profile will be completely invisible, since the other parts of the bearing profile are covered by the fitted outer wall cladding elements. As a result thereof, the bearing profile does not have to be coloured and can remain in its ‘raw’ form, which is more attractive from an economic point of view.

[0014] An outer wall cladding system constructed in this way also makes it readily possible retrospectively to replace an outer wall cladding element, for example in case it should become damaged, by breaking or sawing through the attachment elements by means of which the cladding element to be replaced is attached to the bearing profile.

[0015] The outer wall cladding elements used are preferably elongate cladding elements, preferably made of hardwood, preserved wood or a composite material.

[0016] The bearing profile is a profile which extends in a longitudinal direction with a bottom surface and two mutually opposite side edges, wherein said attachment elements are slidable along the longitudinal axis of the bearing profile in said bearing profile. The bearing profile is preferably made of metal, preferably of aluminium. The bearing profile is only visible at the location of the joint between two attachment elements extending next to each other. The attachment elements also extend at the location of the joint, as a result of which they will hide the bearing profile from view, in particular if they are dark in colour. As a result thereof, the bearing profile does not have to be coloured and can be attached to the bearing structure in its original colour.

[0017] The attachment element is attached to the bearing profile by means of a click-fit connection. To this end, the bearing profile is delimited on either side by a holding edge, and the attachment element is provided with two click-fit legs which correspond with the holding edges of the bearing profile for click-fitting the attachment element behind the holding edges of the bearing profile to bring about the click-fit connection. The click-fit connection is dimensioned in such a way that it still allows a sliding motion of the attachment device along the longitudinal axis of the bearing profile. Due to the fact that the click-fit legs grasp behind the holding edges, an outer wall cladding element which is attached to the bearing profile by means of an attachment element of such a design will become more strongly attached in case of a displacement of the outer wall cladding element along a direction at right angles to the bearing profile. Such a displacement may occur when the wood, e.g. due to climate conditions, were to bend until, in particular the outer wall cladding element, acquires a convex shape.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the outer wall cladding system, the bottom surface comprises a central part which extends in a longitudinal direction and is delimited by two slots extending in a longitudinal direction, in which an anchoring screw is fittable to anchor the bearing profile to a bearing structure. The slot has a depth of only a few millimetres. By fitting the anchoring screw in such a slot, the fitted anchoring screws are no impediment for the attachment elements which are displaceable in the bearing profile.

[0019] The base body of the attachment element furthermore comprises a positioning foot which extends at the location of the bottom side of the base surface, wherein, in use, the positioning foot makes contact with the bottom surface of the bearing profile. Preferably, the positioning foot will only make contact with the central part. Due to the fact that the positioning foot only makes contact with the central part where there are no anchoring screws, as they are provided at the location of the slots described above, the attachment element will not get stuck to these anchoring screws when it slides in the bearing profile. With the outer wall cladding system according to the invention, the positioning foot comprises an opening suitable for accommodating an attachment means to fix the attachment element to the bearing profile. In addition to the opening in the positioning foot, an additional opening may optionally also be provided, in the centre of the base body. This additional opening is also suitable for accommodating an attachment means to fix the attachment element to the bearing profile.

[0020] In case the outer wall cladding elements are made from a natural material, such as in particular wood, they will expand and shrink due to weather conditions. In order to compensate for these movements of the material, every fixing lip is preferably of a resilient design in order to compensate for the shrinking and expanding of the outer wall cladding elements. More particularly, every fixing lip is made from a material with “memory properties”, so that the fixing lips can return to their original geometry after having been deformed when the outer wall cladding elements start to shrink again.

[0021] According to a specific embodiment of the outer wall cladding system according to the invention, every fixing lip is of identical design, with the first fixing means comprising two spaced-apart fixing lips, and with the second fixing means comprising two spaced-apart fixing lips. In a preferred form, a screw can be fitted in the intermediate space formed in order to further fix the adjacent cladding elements. In this case, the screw is then fitted in the longitudinal side of the outer wall cladding element. This applies in particular if the outer wall cladding elements extend vertically and are mounted at a certain height above the ground.

[0022] In a more specific embodiment of the outer wall cladding system according to the invention, the engagement parts of each fixing lip comprise a top and bottom surface, with the bottom surface being provided with one or more ridges which, in use, will prevent a displacement of the outer wall cladding elements in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the bearing profile.

[0023] With the outer wall cladding system according to the invention, outer wall cladding elements of different widths can be combined due to the fact that the attachment elements can be moved to the correct position based on the width of the outer wall cladding element to be attached.

[0024] According to the present invention, the outer wall cladding system as described in the present patent text is also suitable for use as a floor-covering system, in particular a patio construction. Such a floor-covering system also falls within the scope of protection of the present invention. Where appropriate, the bearing profile will have to be designed to be stronger, because it has to be able to bear a greater load. Thus, the bearing profile preferably comprises a square base body with a top and bottom wall which are placed a distance apart, wherein the aforementioned bottom surface then forms part of the respective top wall. Such a patio construction may then be described as follows:

[0025] Patio system, comprising:

[0026] - a number of patio-cladding elements, each comprising a front side, a rear side and two mutually opposite longitudinal sides;

[0027] - one or more bearing profiles for bearing one or more patio-cladding elements, which bearing profiles are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure, preferably a floor surface;

[0028] - a number of attachment elements which are configured to attach the patiocladding elements to a bearing profile, wherein the longitudinal sides of each patio-cladding element are provided with a longitudinally extending groove, each attachment element comprises a base body with a base surface having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the base body is provided with first fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip which adjoins the front edge with an upright part which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface and an engagement part which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, and with second fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip which adjoins the rear edge with an upright part which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface and an engagement part which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, which first fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part, in a longitudinally extending groove of one outer wall cladding element to attach the one outer wall cladding element to the bearing profile, and which second fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part, in a longitudinally extending groove of an adjacent outer wall cladding element to attach the adjacent patio-cladding element to the bearing profile, wherein the bearing profile is a profile which extends in a longitudinal direction and has a bottom surface and two mutually opposite side edges, wherein said attachment elements are slidable in said bearing profile along the longitudinal axis of the bearing profile, wherein the attachment element is attachable to the bearing profile by means of a click-fit connection, the bearing profile is delimited on either side by a holding edge, and wherein the attachment element is provided with two click-fit legs which correspond with the holding edges of the bearing profile for click-fitting the attachment element behind the holding edges of the bearing profile to bring about the click-fit connection, wherein the base body comprises a positioning foot which extends at the location of the bottom side of the base surface, and wherein, in use, the positioning foot makes contact with the bottom surface of the bearing profile, and wherein the positioning foot comprises an opening suitable for accommodating an attachment means to fix the attachment element to the bearing profile.

[0029] With a patio system (patio construction), the patio-cladding elements used and the attachment elements used are designed in the same way as described for the outer wall cladding system and consequently comprise all characterizing features as described.

[0030] In an alternative embodiment, the outer wall cladding system as described in the present patent text may also be used to produce a ceiling construction.

[0031] In order to further illustrate the properties of the present invention and to indicate additional advantages and features thereof, there now follows a more detailed description of the outer wall cladding system according to the invention and the method for producing an outer wall according to the invention. It will be clear that nothing in the following description may be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of protection of the invention as laid down by the claims.

[0032] In this description, reference numerals and letters are used to refer to the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1: is a front view of a possible embodiment of the outer wall cladding system according to the invention, with the bearing profdes extending horizontally and the outer wall cladding elements extending vertically;

[0033] - Fig. 2: is a plan view of an attachment element which is arranged in a bearing profde;

[0034] Figs. 3 to 7: diagrammatically show how an outer wall cladding element is attached to a bearing profde by means of an attachment element;

[0035] Fig. 8: is a perspective view of a part of a bearing profde of the outer wall cladding system according to the invention;

[0036] Fig. 9: shows a cross section of the bearing profde;

[0037] Fig. 10: is a plan view of the attachment element;

[0038] - Fig. 11 : shows a perspective view of an outer wall cladding system according to the invention under construction, with one outer wall cladding element already having been installed;

[0039] - Fig. 12: is a perspective view of a patio construction based on the outer wall cladding system according to the invention;

[0040] - Fig. 13: is a perspective view of a bearing profde suitable for patio construction as illustrated in Fig. 12;

[0041] Fig. 14: shows a cross section of the bearing profde illustrated in Fig. 13.

[0042] The outer wall cladding system (1) according to the invention and as diagrammatically illustrated (except for the attachment elements) in Fig. 1 is composed of, inter alia, the following components: a number of outer wall cladding elements (2), each comprising a front side, a rear side and two mutually opposite longitudinal sides (3); one or more bearing profiles (4) for bearing one or more outer wall cladding elements (2), which bearing profiles (4) are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure (5); a number of attachment elements (6) which are configured to attach the outer wall cladding elements (2) to a bearing profile (4).

[0043] As can be seen from Fig. 1, the outer wall cladding is formed by a series of spacedapart juxtaposed, horizontally extending bearing profiles (4) which run parallel to each other and are attached to a bearing structure (5) by means of screws, such as for example an outer wall. In the illustrated example, the bearing profiles (4) are placed horizontally and the outer wall cladding elements (2), in the form of wooden boards, are attached thereto in such a way that they extend vertically. Obviously, the bearing profiles (4) may also be placed vertically, in which case the outer wall cladding elements (2) then extend horizontally.

[0044] The outer wall cladding elements (2) used are preferably elongate cladding elements, such as boards, which cladding elements are preferably made of hardwood, preserved wood or a composite material. The cladding elements preferably have a length of between 1 metre and 6 metres, and a width of between 25 mm and 160 mm. The cladding elements preferably have a thickness of at least 15 mm and at most 160 mm.

[0045] The longitudinal sides (3) of each outer wall cladding element (2), such as, inter alia, visible in Figs. 3 to 7, are provided with a longitudinally extending groove (7). This groove (7) is arranged in the longitudinal side in such a way that the side surface, being the bottom side surface of the longitudinal side which extends under the created groove (7), is recessed with respect to the side surface, being the top side surface, of the longitudinal side which extends above the created groove (7). In practice, the bottom side surface will be recessed 3 mm or 4 mm with respect to the top side surface. As standard, the groove is 9 mm deep, measured from the bottom side surface, and 4 mm wide.

[0046] The bearing profiles (4) are single-part profiles which extend in a longitudinal direction and are made of metal, preferably aluminium. As is illustrated in Fig. 8, slots (17) are provided in the bottom surface (12) of the bearing profile (4), which extend in a longitudinal direction. In order to anchor the former to a bearing structure, screws are provided at the location of these slots (17). In this way, they do not form obstacle for the attachment elements (6) by means of which outer wall cladding elements (2) are installed on the bearing profile (4).

[0047] As is clearly visible in Fig. 8, the side edges (13) of the bearing profile (4) are of a stepped design. In this case, each side edge (13), viewed from the bottom surface, comprises an upright leg which extends at right angles to the bottom surface, a leg which is directed at right angles to said upright leg, and another upright leg which extends at right angles to the previous transversely directed leg. In this way, a so- called holding edge (14) is formed on either side of the bearing profile (4), behind which a part, in particular the click-fit legs (15), of the attachment element (6) engage.

[0048] Each attachment element (6) comprises, and as is visible, inter alia, in Fig. 10, a base body with a base surface (11) having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the base body is provided with first fixing means in the form of two fixing lips (8) which adjoin the front edge and each have an upright part (9) which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface, and an engagement part (10) which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, and with second fixing means in the form of two fixing lips (8) which adjoin the rear edge and each have an upright part (9) which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface, and an engagement part (10) which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface. In this case, the first fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement parts (10) of the fixing lips, in the longitudinally extending groove (7) of one outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the one outer wall cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4), and the second fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement parts (10) of the respective fixing lips (8), in the longitudinally extending groove (7) of an adjacent outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the adjacent outer wall cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4).

[0049] All fixing lips which form part of the same attachment element are of identical design, preferably made of a resilient material, or, more particularly, made of a material having memory properties. Each attachment element comprises a first pair of fixing lips which form the first fixing means and a second pair of fixing lips which form the second fixing means. There is a certain distance between the fixing lips of the first pair of and the fixing lips of the second pair, which distance is determined by the width of the base body. The respective distance is preferably between 7 mm and 20 mm. This distance, together with the material from which they are made, also ensures that the mutually facing fixing lips can move towards each other or away from each other in order thus to compensate for e.g. expansion of the wood from which the outer wall cladding elements are made. In practice, the fixing elements of a different pair are spaced apart by a(n intermediate) distance of 8 mm, 14 mm or 19 mm. The respective distance will also determine the joint width between juxtaposed outer wall cladding elements.

[0050] Due to the fact that the fixing lips of an identical pair are spaced apart by a certain distance, an intermediate space is formed. In the formed intermediate space, a screw, may optionally be fitted in order thus to further fix adjacent cladding elements. In this case, the screw is fitted in the longitudinal side of the outer wall cladding element. This applies in particular when the outer wall cladding elements extend vertically and are installed at a certain height above the ground.

[0051] The attachment element (6) is attached to the bearing profile (4) by means of a click- fit connection. As can be seen in Fig. 11, the attachment element (6) is to this end provided with two click-fit legs (15) which correspond with the holding edges (14) of the bearing profile (4) for click-fitting the attachment element (6) behind the holding edges (14) of the bearing profile (4) to bring about the click- fit connection. The click-fit connection is dimensioned so that it still allows a sliding motion of the attachment device along the longitudinal axis of the bearing profile.

[0052] As can inter alia be seen in Fig. 2, the base body of the attachment element (6) furthermore comprises a positioning foot (18) which is inseparably connected to the base body and extends at the location of the bottom side of the base surface. In use, the positioning foot (18) makes contact with the bottom surface (12) of the bearing profile. Preferably, the positioning foot will only make contact with the central part. Due to the fact that the positioning foot only makes contact with the central part, which does not have any anchoring screws as these are provided at the location of the above-described slots, the attachment element will not get stuck to these anchoring screws when it slides in the bearing profile. The positioning foot (18) is also provided with an opening (19) suitable for accommodating an attachment means to fix the attachment element to the bearing profile. In addition to the opening (19) in the positioning foot (18), an additional opening (20) may optionally also be provided in the centre of the base body. This additional opening (20) is also suitable for accommodating an attachment means in order to fix the attachment element to the bearing profile.

[0053] In order to attach a first outer wall cladding element, attachment elements (6) are arranged in the various fitted bearing profiles (see Fig. 3). These attachment elements (6) are dimensioned so that they can be fixed in a clamping manner in the bearing profiles. Once they have been fitted in the bearing profile, they can still be moved along the longitudinal direction of the bearing profile. Subsequently, as is illustrated in Fig. 4, a first outer wall cladding element (2) is fitted to the bearing profile in such a way that the engagement parts (10) of the fixing lips (8) of the fitted attachment element engage in the longitudinally extending groove (7) of the first outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the one outer wall cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4). After the first outer wall cladding element has been attached, a next attachment element (6) is click-fitted to the bearing profile (see Fig. 5) and displaced until it engages, with the engagement parts of the fixing lips (8) of the first fixing means, in the other longitudinally extending groove (7) of the cladding element fitted previously (see Figs. 5 and 6). As is illustrated in Fig. 7, this (next) attachment element (6) may be fixed to the bearing profile by means of a screw. When a second cladding element is fitted next to the first cladding element, the engagement parts (10) of the fixing lips (8) of the second fixing means of the fitted (next) cladding element will engage in the one longitudinally extending groove (7) of the second cladding element in order to attach the second outer wall cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4).

[0054] The significant advantage of the outer wall cladding system (1) according to the invention is that it provides an invisible attachment means by means of attachment elements (6) which are fitted to the various bearing profiles (4) by means of a click- fit connection. After the attachment elements (6) have been fitted to the bearing profile, they can still be moved to a desired position. Not every attachment element has to be fixed further via a separate attachment means, such as for example a screw. In practice, only every 4 to 5 attachment elements which are provided in the same bearing profile, will one be fixed to the bearing profile by means of a separate attachment means. The outer wall cladding system as described above may also be used as a floorcovering system, in particular a patio construction (21) or patio system, provided that the bearing profile (4) is stronger. A possible embodiment of such a patio construction is illustrated in Fig. 12.

[0055] The respective patio construction (21) comprises: a number of patio-cladding elements (22), each comprising a front side, a rear side and two mutually opposite longitudinal sides; one or more bearing profiles (4) for bearing one or more patio-cladding elements (22), which bearing profiles (4) are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure (5); a number of attachment elements which are configured to attach the outer wall cladding elements to the bearing profile (4).

[0056] The respective bearing profile (4), a possible embodiment of which is illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, is a profile which extends in a longitudinal direction and preferably comprises a square base body, which delimits an interior space, having two mutually opposite side edges (13), having a top and bottom wall which are fitted a distance apart and are connected to each other by means of two transverse legs which extend parallel to each other and at right angles to the top and bottom wall. The top side of the top wall of the profile forms a bottom surface (12).

[0057] The longitudinal sides of each patio-cladding element (22) are provided with a longitudinally extending groove, and each attachment element comprises a base body with a base surface having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the base body is provided with first fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip (8) which adjoins the front edge with an upright part (9) which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface, and an engagement part (10) which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, and with second fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip (8) which adjoins the rear edge with an upright part (9) which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface, and an engagement part (10) which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, which first fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part (10), in a longitudinally extending groove (7) of one patio-cladding element (22) in order to attach the one patio-cladding element (22) to the bearing profile (4), and which second fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part (10), in a longitudinally extending groove (7) of an adjacent patio-cladding element (22) in order to attach the adjacent patio-cladding element (22) to the bearing profile (4), wherein said attachment elements (6) are slidable in said bearing profile (4) along the longitudinal axis of the bearing profile (4), wherein the attachment element (6) is attachable to the bearing profile (4) by means of a click-fit connection, the bearing profile (4) is delimited on either side by a holding edge (14), and that the attachment element (6) is provided with two click-fit legs (15) which correspond with the holding edges (14) of the bearing profile (4) for click- fitting the attachment element (6) behind the holding edges (14) of the bearing profile (4) to bring about the click-fit connection, that the base body comprises a positioning foot (18) which extends at the bottom side of the base surface, and wherein, in use, the positioning foot (18) makes contact with the bottom surface (12) of the bearing profile (4), and wherein the positioning foot (18) comprises an opening (19) suitable for accommodating an attachment means to fix the attachment element (6) to the bearing profile (4).

[0058] With a patio construction constructed in this way, the attachment means are virtually invisible.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 27 March 2025 (27.03.2025)1. Outer wall cladding system (1), comprising: a number of outer wall cladding elements (2), each comprising a front side, a rear side and two mutually opposite longitudinal sides (3); one or more bearing profiles (4) for bearing one or more outer wall cladding elements (2), which bearing profiles (4) are suitable to be anchored to a bearing structure (5); a number of attachment elements (6) which are configured to attach the outer wall cladding elements (2) to a bearing profile (4), wherein the longitudinal sides (3) of each outer wall cladding element (2) are provided with a longitudinally extending groove (7), each attachment element (6) comprises a base body with a base surface (11) having a front edge and a rear edge, the base body comprises a positioning foot (18) which extends at the location of the bottom side of the base surface, wherein the base body is provided with first fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip (8) which adjoins the front edge with an upright part (9) which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface and an engagement part (10) which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, and with second fixing means in the form of at least one fixing lip (8) which adjoins the rear edge with an upright part (9) which extends perpendicularly to or nearly perpendicularly to the base surface and an engagement part which adjoins the upright part and extends parallel to or nearly parallel to the base surface, which first fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part (10), in a longitudinally extending groove (7) of one outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the one cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4), and which second fixing means are configured to engage, with the engagement part (10), in a longitudinally extending groove (7) of an adjacent outer wall cladding element (2) in order to attach the adjacent cladding element (2) to the bearing profile (4) characterized in that the bearing profile (4) is a profile which extends in a longitudinal direction with a bottom surface (12) and two mutually opposite side edges (13), wherein said attachment elements (6) are slidable along thelongitudinal axis of the bearing profile (4) in said bearing profile (4), wherein the attachment element (6) is attachable to the bearing profile (4) by means of a click-fit connection, the bearing profile (4) is delimited on either side by a holding edge (14), and in that the attachment element (6) is provided with two click-fit legs (15) which correspond with the holding edges (14) of the bearing profile (4) for click-fitting the attachment element (6) behind the holding edges (14) of the bearing profile (4) to bring about the click- fit connection, and wherein, in use, the positioning foot (18) makes contact with the bottom surface (12) of the bearing profile (4), and wherein the positioning foot (18) comprises an opening (19) suitable for accommodating an attachment means to fix the attachment element (6) to the bearing profile (4).

2. Outer wall cladding system (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bottom surface (12) comprises a central part (16) which extends in a longitudinal direction and is delimited by two slots (17) extending in a longitudinal direction, in which an anchoring screw is fittable to anchor the bearing profile (4) to a bearing structure (5).

3. Outer wall cladding system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that every fixing lip (8) is of a resilient design in order to compensate for the shrinking and expanding of the outer wall cladding elements (2).

4. Outer wall cladding system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that every fixing lip (8) is of identical design, in that the first fixing means comprise two spaced apart fixing lips (8), and in that the second fixing means comprise two spaced-apart fixing lips (8).

5. Outer wall cladding system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the engagement parts (10) of each fixing lip (8) comprise a top and bottom surface, with the bottom surface being provided with one or more ridges which, in use, will prevent a displacement of the outer wall claddingelements (2) in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the bearing profile (4).

Images