IE20040431A1 - A lintel - Google Patents

Abstract

A lintel for mounting above openings in solid wall structures. The lintel comprises two separate elongate members spaced apart to define a gap extending from a base to a top of the lintel in use. The gap prevents thermal bridging between the two elongate members. The gap is filled by air or by a thermal insulating material such as panel of polystyrene.

Description

A LINTEL The present invention relates to a lintel and in particular to a lintel for use with solid 5 wall structures.

Building blocks have been developed which allow solid walls to be built for structures such as houses in order to reduce the labour costs associated with building cavity walls. However, the use of traditional lintels above openings in solid walls is no longer viable due to problems associated with the cold bridging effect. Heat is conducted from inside a warm building through the traditional lintel to the outside if traditional lintels are mounted on a solid wall structure.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate cold bridging problems associated with standard lintels used above openings in solid wall structures.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a lintel for mounting above openings in 15 solid wall structures, the lintel comprising two separate elongate members spaced apart to define a gap extending from a base to a top of the lintel in use to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate members.

Preferably, the gap is an air gap to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate members.

Ideally, a thermal break means is disposed in the gap along the length of the lintel to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate members.

Preferably, the thermal break means is sandwiched between the two elongate members by a fastening means connected between the two elongate members.

Ideally, the elongate members have one of a c-shaped cross-section and an L25 shaped cross-section. The cross-section of the elongate members of the lintel is chosen depending on the length of the lintel and the load bearing on it. ηπ a ,,. 2...........................................

OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION UNDER SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL No. of IEF θ 4 0 4 3 f Alternatively, one of the elongate members has a c-shaped cross-section and the other elongate member has a L-shaped cross-section.

Ideally, the elongate members are manufactured from galvanised steel.

Preferably, the elongate members have a wall thickness in the range of 2mm to 4mm.

Ideally, the elongate members have a wall thickness of 3mm.

Ideally, the thermal break means is provided by polystyrene or some similar insulating material.

Preferably, the thermal insulating material has a thickness in the range of 4mm 6mm.

Ideally, the thermal insulating material is 5mm thick.

Preferably, the two elongate members are fastened together by rivets, screws or some similar fastening means.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example only three embodiments of lintel in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:Fig. 1 is a section view through a wall having a first embodiment of lintel fixed therein; Fig. 2 is a section view through a wall having a second embodiment of lintel fixed therein; Fig. 3 is an end view of two elongate members of the lintel of Fig.1; Fig. 4 is an end view of two elongate members of the lintel of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an end view of one elongate member having a c-shaped cross-section and the other elongate member having a L-shaped cross-section assembled together to form a third embodiment of lintel; and IE 0 4 0 4 3 1 Fig. 6 is a detail end view of two elongate L-section members sandwiching a thermal insulating material.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1 there is shown a first embodiment of lintel indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The lintel 1 comprises two elongate channel sections 2 spaced apart to define a gap 3 extending from a base 4 to a top 5 of the lintel 1 in use. The gap 3 acts as a thermal break to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate channel sections 2. A thermal break 7 is disposed in the gap 3 along the entire length of the lintel 1 to further prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate channel sections 2. The thermal break 7 is provided by a panel of insulating material such as polystyrene and is sandwiched between the two separate elongate channel sections 2 by fasteners such as rivets (see Figs 3 to 5) connected between the two channel sections 2. The channel sections 2 are located back to back with each channel section 2 opening towards an opposite side of a solid wall 9. Blocks 10 having a suitable width are built along openings 11 defined by the elongate channel sections 2. The top surface 12 of both elongate channel sections 2 define keying elements allowing mortar 14 to adhere thereto. The keying elements may include a roughened top surface 12 or openings defined in the top surface 12.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown a second embodiment of lintel 21 comprising two separate elongate L-sections 22 located back to back and being spaced apart to define a gap 23 extending from a base 24 to a top 25 of the lintel 21 in use. The gap 23 acts as a thermal break to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate Lsections 22. A thermal break 26 is disposed in the gap 23 along the length of the lintel 21 sandwiched between the two elongate L-sections 22 by fasteners such as rivets or screws connected between the two L-sections 22. In order to construct the lightweight solid wall 9, 28 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 blocks 29 having a width in the range of 215mm-250mm are used.

IE04 043 1 Referring to Fig. 3 there is shown two elongate channel sections 2 located back to back having a gap 3 extending from a base 4 to a top 5 of the lintel 1 in use. Fig. 4 shows two elongate L-sections 22 back to back and Fig. 5 shows an elongate channel section 2 and an elongate L-section 22 back to back. Rivets 31 are connected between each pair of sections 2, 22 of Figs. 3 to 5.

Referring to Fig. 6, there is shown a detail view of lintel 21 having a thermal break 26 such as polystyrene. The L-section 22 which opens internally into a room in a house for example may have the base 33 of the L-section 22 perforated to receive a plaster finish.

Variations and modifications can be made to the above without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

IB ® 4 Q 43 ι

Claims (14)

1. A lintel for mounting above openings in solid wall structures, the lintel comprising two separate elongate members spaced apart to define a gap extending from a base to a top of the lintel in use to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate members.

2. A lintel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gap is an air gap.

3. A lintel as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein thermal break means is disposed in the gap along the length of the lintel to prevent thermal bridging between the two elongate members.

4. A lintel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thermal break means is sandwiched between the two elongate members by a fastening means connected between the two elongate members.

5. A lintel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate members have one of a c-shaped cross-section and an L-shaped cross-section.

6. A lintel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the elongate members has a c-shaped cross-section and the other elongate member has a Lshaped cross-section.

7. A lintel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate members are manufactured from galvanised steel. IF 0 4 0 4 3 1

8. A lintel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate members have a wall thickness in the range of 2mm to 4mm.

9. A lintel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the elongate members have a wall thickness of 3mm.

10. A lintel as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the thermal break means is provided by polystyrene or some similar thermal insulating material.

11. A lintel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the thermal insulating material has a thickness in the range of 4mm - 6mm.

12. A lintel as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the thermal insulating material is 5mm thick.

13. A lintel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two elongate members are fastened together by rivets, screws or some similar fastening means.

14. A lintel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.