WO2004097142A1 - Method for the quick placement of interchangeable panels made of sheet-type structures - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the quick and practical placement of interchangeable panels made of sheet-type structures, characterized by the following successive stages: preparation of the panels (3) away from the place of placement; creation of fixing points (2) in the surface to be covered with panels (3); placement of panels on the fixing points (2); adjustment of detachable tiles for masking the fixing points (2).

Description

 METHOD OF QUICK LAYING OF INTERCHANGEABLE PANELS WITH SHEET STRUCTURES

The invention relates to a method for rapid installation of interchangeable panels structured in sheets, prefabricated, usable in building or public works for decorations or functional applications.

The installation of surface coverings such as tiles, frescoes, sound or thermal insulation panels, etc. is usually carried out by a worker operating on the installation site after the different materials have been supplied in unitary elements. Thus, for example, the manufacture of a bathroom tile requires the preparation of the wall for laying by patching, removing wallpaper ... then applying cement, and adjusting the different tiles one after the other according to the reason desired by the client. It should be noted that the worker generally works in difficult conditions to place elements in height, vertically or on inclined planes, or even in very delicate conditions when it is a question of affixing coatings on ceilings, roofs or in parts difficult to access. The cost of producing this type of coating is essentially linked to the exposure time and therefore to the workforce. The nuisance for the customer is significant both because of the soiling caused by the work and by the installation time required.

According to this traditional way of working, the laying of the covering is often considered final with regard to the work and the inconvenience caused by the breakage of the said covering for modification.

In the field of interior decorations and in particular of floors or walls, the same problems also arise. To date, there is no floor or wall covering element that can easily be replaced or modified. There is a need for floor tiles, decorations murals with different textures, materials, colors or patterns, interchangeable by removal and easy replacement.

In an attempt to resolve this difficulty, it was proposed in document US 4,177,305 interlocking patterns on complementary wall counterparts, thus providing modularity to interior decorations, however the patterns which can be obtained by this technique are limited and the coating is not completely renewable, since only part of the front face of the decoration can be modified.

Still in the field of interior decoration, there have been proposed in document US 3,721,050 modular panels to be placed on frames, however this system requires the installation of a rigid structure prior to the installation of the panels and the advantage of modularity is greatly penalized by this additional cost.

For exterior coverings, generally for functional purposes, the same need exists for a quick and practical installation without nuisance exists, in particular for the arrangement of panels usable as thermal or sound insulation, for roofing finishing plates, for the installation of photovoltaic sensor plates or solar panels ...

In the field of public works, it is sometimes advantageous to limit the exposure time of certain elements to the maximum, this is particularly the case for the installation of road slabs, decorative or utility paving, installation of round- points ... for which road traffic must not be permanently impeded.

Thus in different areas the installation of coatings generally generates considerable nuisance in terms of dust, dirt, long exposure time and often quality of the finish of the coating. In addition, the personnel in charge of these works work in difficult and painful conditions, sometimes causing problems. of security. All these drawbacks usually translate for the client into a high coating cost linked to labor time.

Current techniques do not provide a process for easily renewing coatings without major work, especially without destroying the surface. To date, individuals do not have the possibility of quickly and conveniently modifying, by themselves, the interior or exterior surface coatings of their dwellings such as tiles, wall decorations, floor tiles, etc.

The invention therefore aims to resolve these main difficulties by proposing a rapid and practical method of installing interchangeable panels structured in sheets, which method is characterized by the succession of the following steps:

- preparation of panels outside the installation site

- creation of fixing points in the surface to be covered with panels

- installation of the panels on the fixing points

- adjustment of removable tiles intended to hide the fixing points.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings which are given only by way of nonlimiting examples.

Figure 1 is a front view of a panel fixed to the installation site before adjusting the removable tiles on the fixing points.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a panel placed on a support and on which the removable tile masking the attachment has been glued. FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of a panel placed on a support and on which the removable tile has been fixed by means of magnets.

Thus Figure 1 shows the panel seen from the front, before installation of the removable tiles, the decorations 1 are represented in the form of a checkerboard. On the corners of the plate and in the middle of the long sides are located the fixing points 2 on which the removable masking tiles are placed. Depending on the size of the panel it may be necessary to add one or more fixing points arranged so as to distribute the stresses over the surface.

The fixing points 2 correspond to dowels with screws or any other equivalent device making it possible to support the weight of the panel against the load-bearing surface 3 to be coated and adapted to said surface.

The decorations 1 are fixed on a support plate 4 by means of an adhesive, a cement, a mastic or any other device adapted to the decoration to be placed and to the nature of the plate used. Said decorations can be tiles, ceramics, stones, bricks, glass, wood and in general any type of material. The dimensions of the decorations are not limited in size, the panels can have reduced dimensions to constitute a kitchen or bathroom tiling, or large, when it is a question of panels to be placed on roofs or facades. In the field of public works, the slabs supporting stones or other materials can be even more substantial.

The support plate 4 is adapted in nature and dimensions to the decor to be supported, the material of this plate can be aluminum, stainless steel, composite materials, fibrous supports, agglomerates, cement, etc. as needed.

Depending on the type of decoration produced, it is sometimes necessary to carry out a surface finish 5 between the decorations, such as a joint, a putty, the placement of a strip, etc. this finish can advantageously be carried out in the workshop. but in certain cases it is necessary to carry it out after the installation of the panel.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the leaf appearance of the panels according to two methods of placing the masking tiles, which tiles are intended to cover the fixing points 2.

The panels shown in section in Figures 2 and 3 contain the following sheets:

- An external sheet, visible when the panel is installed, representing a layer called decor 1,

a layer underlying this decoration 1 consisting of a permanent adhesive 8, or, in the case of removable tiles, of an element allowing a possibly non-permanent fixing of said removable tiles,

a support 4 of the decoration set receiving the adhesive and supporting the weight of the decoration,

- a sheet 6 interfacing between the support 4 and the surface to be coated 3.

FIG. 2 shows a tile fixed by an adhesive 9 against the support plate 4. The adjacent decorations 1 being glued with a permanent adhesive 8 adapted to the type of decoration to be placed. In this figure, the fixing 2 is carried out by means of a screw placed in the supporting surface 3 to be coated.

In Figures 2 and 3 there is shown the sheet 6 constituting an essential element of the invention. This sheet serving as an interface between the support plate 4 and the support surface 3 to be coated is made of a deformable material to adapt to the support surface. Said sheet 6 can have different functions depending on the type of surface coating, in the case of a tile to be laid in a bathroom on a smooth chipboard it can be made of a waterproof foam providing a water barrier and to water vapor. In the case of an interior wall panel the sheet 6 can be constituted by a thermal and phonic insulator of the expanded polystyrene type. In the case of covering an irregular surface, it may be a deformable foam making it possible to compensate for the flatness of the surface.

This sheet 6 serving as an interface is entirely specific to the invention and the advantages which it brings cannot be obtained in the traditional way.

FIG. 3 illustrates the fixing of a removable tile of the decoration 1 by a magnetic process. On the support plate 4 is positioned on the surface a ferromagnetic metallic element 10 counterparting with a magnet 11 disposed on the surface of the removable tile.

It can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the removable tile has an internal recess 7 intended to receive the external end of the fixing 2 and complementary to the latter, for perfect positioning of the tile.

Which removable tile is advantageously located on the decor side by a visible or invisible sign, such as initials, mark, mark in UV ink, etc. so that subsequent disassembly of the panel can be carried out without breakage. Indeed, and contrary to current practice, disassembly is a simple and quick operation since it suffices to remove the masking tiles, unscrew or undo the fasteners, remove the panel and place another with the same holes, to change scenery.

The assembly, decorations 1 and surface finish 5, glue 8, support plate 4 and sheet 6, forms the panel before laying, which panel is prepared in the workshop in the weeks preceding the installation to the exact dimensions of the surface to be covered. .

The ready-to-install panels constitute the unitary elements of the surface covering. The variable dimensions of said panels and their shapes can be optimized using specific calculation software to adapt to the surfaces to be covered, thus avoiding waste of materials and defective, or visually unpleasant fittings, which defects are inherent in manual installation.

According to the invention and advantageously compared to the prior art, the surface coating is prepared in the workshop, flat, in an optimal configuration for obtaining both in terms of productivity and quality of production. It is conceivable to manufacture this preparation prior to installation in a fully automated manner, on a production line, using suitable software and automata.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the coating of a building facade is obtained by bringing to the installation site the panels structured in sheets prepared beforehand in the workshop and with the dimensions adjusted to completely cover the surface considered.

The panels are made of false plastic stones, forming the decoration 1, fixed on an aluminum support 4 by means of a permanent adhesive 8, the sheet 6 serving as an interface with the facade covered with a coating is a thin sheet of polystyrene so as to compensate for surface flatness defects and serve as thermal insulation.

The fixing points are made in the facade by drilling and introducing suitable dowels.

The panels are arranged and fixed with screws of large diameters.

The removable tiles used to hide the fixing points are adjusted and sealed on the facade using a sealant. These removable plates are marked with a discreet logo representing the manufacturer's logo, affixed in the corners of the plates concerned.

The time required for installation on site is very short; it essentially corresponds to the measurement and drilling time of the surface to install the fixing points. Subsequent disassembly of the panels will be carried out by removing the marked plates, unscrewing the fasteners and replacing the panels, all in a very short time.

According to another example, the process for producing a roundabout in the city center requiring the installation of a tiled assembly representing the city's coat of arms is carried out according to the invention by the following steps:

• preparation in the workshop of panels structured in sheets with preparation of the decoration on different complementary plates, which panels being made up of granite tiles making up the decoration 1 and fixed on a support plate 4 consisting of a concrete slab cast using a mortar deposited in a thin layer. On the cement plate, on the side intended to be in contact with the ground is affixed a rubberized coating intended to absorb shocks and road noise.

• The fixing points are made by drilling holes of large diameters in order to position metal rods in the ground and avoid movement of the panels after installation.

• The panels are arranged and adjusted on the fixing points.

• The removable tiles provided for covering the fixing points are arranged and glued using a thin cemented layer.

Said tiles are marked with the coat of arms of the municipality placed on the surface of the decor.

Such a coating is very quick to install and requires the circulation to be interrupted for only a few hours, unlike the time required for laying conventional tiles of the same type. Furthermore, the decor can easily be modified by replacing the panels and thus make it possible to present various patterns or information as required. The advantages of such a method of installing interchangeable panels structured in sheets are multiple, and correspond in particular to:

- significant savings in time at the installation site and therefore in costly labor,

- an installation facilitated to the maximum since it suffices to correctly position the fixing points intended to receive the panels,

- a meticulous finish since the panels to be assembled are manufactured and controlled in the workshop under favorable working conditions for optimal execution of the client's request, in particular with regard to complex decorations such as mosaics or sophisticated patterns,

- high modularity and removal for changing the coating extremely easy, since it suffices to remove the removable tiles identified to access the panel fasteners. Thus individuals can themselves apply new coatings after a first installation, they just need to order the new surface from the metric references of the previous one,

- A possibility of bringing new functionalities to surfaces, for example by the use of a waterproof sheet, a thermal or sound insulator, etc.

- A possibility of covering any surface with many types of decor, various colors and textures and various materials, if this is mechanically possible on the fixing points.

Several variants of the method are possible, it may in particular be imagined additional systems of the staple type for securing the panels to one another or of panels which are arranged in relation to each other by interlocking complementary parts without departing from the scope of the invention. Likewise, the fixing devices, the constituent materials of the support or of the decorations, the adhesives, can be very varied.

A larger number of sheets can also be envisaged, in particular it may sometimes be necessary to fix the sheet 6 on the support 4 by means of an additional layer of adhesive or have a support plate 4 already itself of structure multilayers.

The decorations are modular at will.

In the context of the invention it is also possible to envisage placing in the sheet structure of the panel different types of conduits for electricity, water, sheaths or sheaths, etc.

Different finishes of the edges of the panels and of the entire covering laid can be imagined without departing from the scope of the invention.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown by way of examples, but it also includes all the technical equivalents and their combinations.

Claims

1- Quick and practical installation process for interchangeable panels structured in sheets, characterized by the following sequence of steps: - preparation of panels outside the installation site, which interchangeable panels comprising at least: • An external sheet, visible when the panel is installed, representing a layer called decor (1), A layer underlying this decoration (1) consisting of a permanent adhesive (8), and, in the case of removable tiles, of an element allowing non-permanent fixing, of said removable tiles, A support plate (4) of the decor assembly (1) receiving the adhesive (8) and supporting the weight of the decor (1), A sheet (6) acting as an interface between the support (4) and the surface to be coated (3), - creation of fixing points (2) in the surface to be coated with panels (3), - installation of the panels on the fixing points (2), - adjustment of the removable tiles, the visible face of which forms an integral part of the decoration (1), so as to hide the fixing points (2). Which tiles have an internal recess (7) which allows a complementary adjustment with the fixing points (2). 2- A method of rapid installation of interchangeable panels structured in sheets according to claim 1 wherein the sheet (6) in contact with the surface to be coated (3) is specifically adapted for said surface. 3- A method of rapid installation of interchangeable panels structured in sheets according to claim 2 wherein the sheet (6) in contact with the surface to be coated (3) allows to adapt the panel on a rough or non-planar surface. 4- A method of rapid installation of interchangeable panels structured in sheets according to claim 2 wherein the sheet (6) in contact with the surface to be coated (3) allows to bring a new functionality to the surface, such as sealing, insulation thermal or phonic, etc. 5- A method of rapid installation of interchangeable panels structured in sheets according to claim 1 in which the removable tiles which mask the fixing points (2) are identified on the decorative face (1), visible when the panel is fixed, by means of '' an acronym, of a visible or invisible mark, to allow a subsequent removal of the coating. 6- A method of rapid installation of interchangeable panels structured in sheets according to claim 1 in which the removable tiles which mask the fixing points (2) are fixed to the support (4) by means of a magnetic assembly. 7- A method of rapid change of interchangeable panels structured in sheets according to claim 1 characterized by the following steps: - removal of removable tiles masking the fasteners (2) - disassembly of the fixings (2) and removal of the panels - replacement of panels and reassembly of fixings (2) - adjustment of the removable tiles intended to hide the fixing points (2).