Cladding installation system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cladding installation system 1 for buildings 2 . The system 1 has a cladding mounted assembly 3 for aiding cladding installation and a building mounted assembly 4 for aiding cladding installation. The cladding mounted assembly 3 having an arrangement 6 for locating the cladding 5 onto the building mounted assembly 4 and having an arrangement 50 for guiding cladding 5 into position relative to cladding 5 or building structure below and/or above. The building mounted assembly 4 having an arrangement 7 for guiding and locating the cladding 5 into a final in situ position on the building 2 and for supporting the weight of the cladding 5 in its final in situ position. The cladding installation system 1 is adapted for guiding, locating and securely mounting the cladding 5 to a building structure 2 simply by lowering the cladding 5 into its final in situ position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cladding installation system for a building, the cladding installation system comprising a cladding mounted assembly for aiding cladding installation and a building mounted assembly for aiding cladding installation, the cladding mounted assembly comprising means for locating the cladding onto the building mounted assembly and comprising means for guiding cladding into position relative to cladding or building structure below and/or above, the building mounted assembly comprising means for guiding and locating the cladding into a final in situ position on the building and for supporting the weight of the cladding in its final in situ position, the cladding installation system being adapted for guiding, locating and securely mounting the cladding to a building structure simply by lowering the cladding into its final in situ position. 
     
     
         2 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cladding installation system comprising drainage means for draining any moisture from the top of the building mounted assembly away from the building. 
     
     
         3 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 1  or  claim 2 , wherein the means for locating the cladding onto the building mounted assembly comprises a plurality of spaced apart mechanical coupling means formed for mechanical coupling with a plurality of spaced apart and correspondingly located mechanical coupling means of the building mounted assembly. 
     
     
         4 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the correspondingly located mechanical coupling means of the locating means of the cladding mounted assembly and the building mounted assembly comprise male and female mechanical coupling means. 
     
     
         5 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the female mechanical coupling means of the locating means of the cladding mounted assembly comprise protruding flanges having an aperture. 
     
     
         6 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 4  and  claim 5 , wherein the male mechanical coupling means of the building mounted assembly comprises a wall mounted bracket with an upwardly projecting locating spigot formed for passing through the aperture of the protruding flange. 
     
     
         7 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of preceding claims, wherein the means for guiding cladding into position relative to cladding or building structure below and/or above comprise at least one guide member on a lower portion and/or an upper portion of the cladding. 
     
     
         8 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of preceding claims, wherein the means for guiding cladding into position relative to cladding or building structure below and/or above comprise a plurality of guide members projecting beyond the lower portion and/or the upper portion of the cladding in a plane parallel to the vertical plane of the cladding. 
     
     
         9 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of guide members projecting beyond the lower portion and/or the upper portion of the cladding in a plane parallel to the vertical plane of the cladding are located on the internal surface of the cladding. 
     
     
         10 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of preceding claims, wherein the means for guiding cladding into position relative to cladding or building structure below and/or above are adapted to align the vertical outer planes of the cladding. 
     
     
         11 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of preceding claims, wherein the means for guiding cladding into position relative to cladding or building structure below and/or above comprise means for aligning the lateral edges of the cladding located one on top of the other. 
     
     
         12 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the means for aligning the lateral edges of cladding located one on top of the other comprises at least one guide member projecting beyond the upper portion of the lower cladding in a plane parallel to the vertical plane of the cladding, the guide member having a locating means formed for receiving a lateral edge alignment guide member disposed on a lower portion of cladding, the lateral edge alignment guide member being formed for engaging with the locating means of the cladding below. 
     
     
         13 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the building mounted assembly comprises means for allowing vertical adjustment of the building mounted assembly relative to the building. 
     
     
         14 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the building mounted assembly comprises means for allowing vertical adjustment of the cladding mounted assembly relative to the building mounted assembly and the building. 
     
     
         15 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the building mounted assembly comprises a building engagement portion configured to engage with the building structure when the building mounted assembly is fixed to a building structure. 
     
     
         16 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the building engagement portion comprises one or more elongate apertures for receiving fixing elements such as bolts to fix the building engagement portion to a surface, such as the surface of a floor slab. 
     
     
         17 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 15  or  claim 16 , wherein the building mounted assembly comprises a projection that projects from the building engagement portion and which is configured to fix a building mounting component to an intermediate mounting component and ultimately to the cladding mounted assembly. 
     
     
         18 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the intermediate mounting component comprises a saddle for sitting across the top of the projection. 
     
     
         19 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the building mounted assembly comprises mounting means; and wherein the mounting means comprises a grip means to prevent relative movement between the different components of the cladding installation system such as the building mounted assembly, the cladding mounted assembly and/or the intermediate mounting component/saddle, when the cladding installation system or component parts thereof is assembled. 
     
     
         20 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the grip means comprises a surface of the building mounted assembly having a topography that can engage with the topography of a surface of the intermediate mounting component/saddle, or with the topography of a surface of the cladding mounted assembly, in more than one configuration. 
     
     
         21 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cladding mounted assembly comprising means for locating the cladding onto the building mounted assembly, and wherein the means for locating comprising a cladding-panel mounting component having a first part for engaging with the intermediate mounting component or saddle and a second part for engaging with the cladding panel joined by a connecting part. 
     
     
         22 . A cladding installation system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cladding comprises a cladding panel having a frame and a backing member mounted on the frame. 
     
     
         23 . A cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of structural frame elements that are connected to one another and/or integrally formed with one another to define a frame. 
     
     
         24 . A method for cladding a building using a cladding installation system, the method comprising using a cladding mounted assembly for aiding cladding installation and using a building mounted assembly for aiding cladding installation, the cladding mounted assembly comprising means for locating the cladding onto the building mounted assembly and comprising means for guiding cladding into position relative to cladding or building structure below and/or above, the building mounted assembly comprising means for guiding and locating the cladding into a final in situ position on the building and for supporting the weight of the cladding in its final in situ position, the method comprising lowering the cladding and cladding mounted assembly towards the building mounted assembly so that the locating means of the cladding mounted assembly engages with the guiding and locating means of the building mounted assembly and so that the cladding guiding means of the cladding mounted assembly engages with the cladding or building structure below so that the cladding installation system guides, locates and securely mounts the cladding to a building structure simply by lowering the cladding towards the building mounted assembly into its final in situ position. 
     
     
         25 . A method for cladding a building using a cladding installation system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the method comprises fixing a cladding installation assembly to a cladding panel.