Façade, fastening system and method

Abstract

A façade comprises a façade panel, a fastening system and a support. The fastening system comprises a hanger having an upper leg with an abutment face facing the support and a through hole extending from the abutment face through the leg in a thickness direction, and a fixing element fastened to the support and having a shaft with a protruding portion protruding from the support in a protruding direction. The protruding portion extends through the through hole, allowing the upper leg to move with respect to the support along the protruding direction.

1 . A fastening system for fastening a façade panel to a support, comprising:
 a hanger configured to be fastened to the façade panel, the hanger having an upper leg, wherein the upper leg has an abutment face configured to face, or abut on, the support and is provided with a through hole extending from the abutment face through the upper leg in a thickness direction, wherein the through hole has a hole diameter across the thickness direction and a hole length along the thickness direction; 
 a fixing element configured to be fastened to the support, the fixing element having a shaft, the shaft comprising a protruding portion configured to protrude from the support in a protruding direction when the fixing element is fastened to the support and having a protruding-portion diameter across the protruding direction smaller than the hole diameter and a protruding-portion length along the protruding direction greater than the hole length; 
 wherein the protruding portion is configured to extend through the through hole when the abutment face faces or abuts on the support and the fixing element is fastened to the support. 
 
     
     
         2 . The fastening system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the shaft comprises a neck portion following, or joining, the protruding portion in the protruding direction and having a neck diameter smaller than the protruding-portion diameter and a neck length greater than the hole length,   the through hole, along an entire length of the through hole, is open to a lateral side of the upper leg through an opening having a cross-sectional width smaller than the protruding-portion diameter and greater than the neck diameter.   
     
     
         3 . The fastening system according to  claim 2 , wherein the fixing element comprises a head following, or joining, the neck portion in the protruding direction and having a head diameter across the protruding direction greater than the hole diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The fastening system according to  claim 3 , wherein the head has an end face facing in the protruding direction and provided with a receptacle for a driver. 
     
     
         5 . The fastening system according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises a fastening portion following, or joining, the protruding portion in a direction opposite to the protruding direction and configured to penetrate, or drill into, the support and fasten the fixing element to the support, wherein the shaft comprises a stop, or step, configured to abut on the support when the fixing element is fastened to the support. 
     
     
         6 . The fastening system according to  claim 5 , wherein the fastening portion comprises a thread, or a self-tapping thread. 
     
     
         7 . The fastening system according to  claim 5 , wherein the stop comprises a tapered chamfer. 
     
     
         8 . The fastening system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fixing element comprises a drill tip following, or joining, the protruding portion in a direction opposite to the protruding direction and configured to penetrate the support. 
     
     
         9 . The fastening system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hanger, or the upper leg, comprises an adjustment element configured to adjust a distance between the abutment face and the support in the protruding direction when the abutment face faces or abuts on the support. 
     
     
         10 . The fastening system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a panel fastener configured to fasten the hanger to the façade panel, wherein the upper leg protrudes from the façade panel in a direction transverse to the thickness direction when the hanger is fastened to the façade panel. 
     
     
         11 . The fastening system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hanger further comprises a lower leg protruding from the façade panel in a direction transverse to the thickness direction when the hanger is fastened to the façade panel and configured to abut on a lower portion of the support when the façade panel is fastened to the support. 
     
     
         12 . A façade comprising a façade panel, a fastening system according to  claim 1 , and a support, wherein the façade panel is attached to the support by the fastening system. 
     
     
         13 . The façade according to  claim 12 , wherein the support comprises a rail fastened to a wall of a building, wherein the hanger engages the rail, thereby attaching, or securing, the façade panel to the wall. 
     
     
         14 . A method of fastening a façade panel to a support, the method comprising:
 providing a hanger having an upper leg, wherein the upper leg has an abutment face and is provided with a through hole extending from the abutment face through the leg in a thickness direction, 
 fastening the hanger to a back side of the façade panel such that the upper leg protrudes from the façade panel, 
 positioning the hanger on the support such that the abutment face faces, or abuts on, the support, 
 providing a fixing element having a shaft, the shaft comprising a protruding portion, 
 inserting the fixing element through the through hole, 
 fastening the fixing element to the support such that the protruding portion protrudes from the support in a protruding direction, thereby allowing the upper leg to move with respect to the support along the protruding direction. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing the hanger, or the upper leg, with an adjustment element configured to adjust a distance between the abutment face and the support in the protruding direction when the abutment face faces or abuts on the support,   adjusting a horizontal position of the façade panel along the support before the fixing element is fastened to the support,   adjusting a vertical position of the façade panel along the support after the fixing element is fastened to the support.   
     
     
         16 . The fastening system according to  claim 2 , wherein the shaft comprises a fastening portion following, or joining, the protruding portion in a direction opposite to the protruding direction and configured to penetrate, or drill into, the support and fasten the fixing element to the support, wherein the shaft comprises a stop, or step, configured to abut on the support when the fixing element is fastened to the support. 
     
     
         17 . The fastening system according to  claim 6 , wherein the stop comprises a tapered chamfer. 
     
     
         18 . The fastening system according to  claim 2 , wherein the fixing element comprises a drill tip following, or joining, the protruding portion in a direction opposite to the protruding direction and configured to penetrate the support. 
     
     
         19 . The fastening system according to  claim 2 , wherein the hanger, or the upper leg, comprises an adjustment element configured to adjust a distance between the abutment face and the support in the protruding direction when the abutment face faces or abuts on the support. 
     
     
         20 . The fastening system according to  claim 2 , further comprising a panel fastener configured to fasten the hanger to the façade panel, wherein the upper leg protrudes from the façade panel in a direction transverse to the thickness direction when the hanger is fastened to the façade panel.