Fastener for lightweight concrete panel and panel assembly

Abstract

The lightweight concrete panel is comprised of a thin concrete slab, a standard steel stud frame, optional insulation strips to increase its thermal performance for exterior wall applications, and specially engineered blind rivets or screws that connect the thin concrete slab to the metal frame. The specially engineered blind rivet has a protruding and shaped head that acts as an anchor when embedded in the hardened concrete slab and has an optional elastic cover in its embedded head to allow slight movement of the concrete slab. The engineered screw with an elastic cover can also be used as the connecting device that allow slight movement of the concrete slab.

1 . A lightweight and thermal efficient concrete panel comprising: (a) a concrete slab; (b) a standard metal stud frame with a plurality of parallel spaced apart steel stud members;
 (c) insulating strips with adhesive backing; and (d) anchoring blind rivets with protruding head or engineered screws with elastic cover as the concrete-to-frame connecting devices.   
     
     
         2 . A lightweight and thermal efficient concrete panel according to  claim 1  wherein the insulating strips with adhesive backing are made of any extrudable insulating material having thickness at least 1/16″ and width equal to or greater than the stud flange. 
     
     
         3 . A lightweight and thermal efficient concrete panel according to  claim 1  wherein the metal stud members of the standard metal stud frame are the standard C-section or U-section studs with pre-punched holes for anchoring blind rivets or screws to go through. 
     
     
         4 . A lightweight and thermal efficient concrete panel according to  claim 1  wherein the anchoring blind rivet is made of any type of steel, has a protruding and shaped head that effectively acts as anchor embedded in the concrete slab, and has an optional elastic cover over its head that allows the concrete slab to move slightly. 
     
     
         5 . A lightweight and thermal efficient concrete panel according to  claim 1  wherein the engineered screw has an elastic cover over its embedded head to allow slight movement of the concrete slab. 
     
     
         6 . A lightweight concrete panel comprising: (a) a concrete slab; (b) a standard metal stud frame with a plurality of parallel spaced apart steel stud members; and (c) anchoring blind rivets with protruding head or engineered screws with elastic covers as the concrete-to-frame connecting devices. 
     
     
         7 . A lightweight concrete panel according to  claim 6  wherein the metal stud members of the standard metal stud frame are the standard C-section or U-section studs with pre-punched holes for anchoring blind rivets or screws to go through. 
     
     
         8 . A lightweight concrete panel according to  claim 6  wherein the anchoring blind rivet is made of any type of steel, has a protruding and shaped head that effectively acts as an anchor embedded in the concrete slab, and has an optional elastic cover over its head that allow the concrete slab to move slightly. 
     
     
         9 . A lightweight concrete panel according to  claim 6  wherein the engineered screw has an elastic cover over its embedded head to allow slight movement of the concrete slab. 
     
     
         10 . A steel blind rivet used as a concrete-to-steel frame connecting device wherein the anchoring blind rivet attached to the steel frame has a protruding and shaped head that effectively acts as an anchor when the head is embedded in the concrete. 
     
     
         11 . The anchoring blind rivet according to  claim 10  wherein the anchoring blind rivet has an elastic cover over the embedded head to allow slight movement in the concrete slab. 
     
     
         12 . The anchoring blind rivet according to  claim 10  wherein the anchoring blind rivet body is comprised of two ordinary blind rivet bodies where the main smaller rivet body fits inside the larger and shorter rivet body with heads in opposite end to form the protruding rivet head of the anchoring blind rivet. 
     
     
         13 . The anchoring blind rivet according to  claim 10  wherein the anchoring blind rivet body is comprised of a shorter slotted pin or sleeve wrapped tightly over the longer blind rivet body to form the protruding rivet head of the anchoring blind rivet. 
     
     
         14 . The anchoring blind rivet according to  claim 10  wherein the anchoring blind rivet body is one piece having smaller outside diameter portion at the expandable end, then steps up to a larger diameter portion at the protruding end. 
     
     
         15 . A bent steel anchoring bracket used as a concrete-to-steel frame connecting device wherein the anchoring bracket is fastened to steel frame via ordinary blind rivets and wherein the bent ends of the anchoring bracket have various shapes to anchor itself in the concrete.