Building element for a structural building panel

摘要

A building element that is an elongated extrusion of plastics material. The element can be used to form straight or curved walls. A number of elements are secured together by transverse relative movement and snap engagement of flanges in a recess. In one embodiment the element has a longitudinally extending seal projection that aids in sealingly connecting engaged elements.

主权项

1. An extruded hollow longitudinally elongated building element into which concrete is to be poured, the building element being extruded so as to be integrally formed and comprising:
a pair of longitudinally, extending spaced side walls which are longitudinally coextensive and longitudinally parallel; a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced transverse webs joining the side walls, the webs including a first and a second web; a pair of longitudinally extending grooves, each of the grooves being formed in a respective one of the side walls; a pair of longitudinally extending end flanges, each of the end flanges extending from a respective one of the side walls; a pair of longitudinal surfaces that diverge from the first web toward the grooves; a sealing projection extending from each end flange and extending longitudinally thereof; wherein the end flanges each include a first portion extending from a respective one of the side walls, and a second portion extending transversely from the first portion, with the second portion of each end flange being positioned and configured to engage a respective one of the grooves of a respective one of the end flanges of a like element, and the end flanges are resiliently deformed by engagement with the longitudinal diverging surfaces of the like element, so that when the end flanges are moved in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal diverging surfaces of the like element, snap engagement of each end flange is allowed in the respective one of the grooves to thereby secure the building element and the like element together by snap engagement, and with the sealing projection of each end flange extending transversely from the respective one of the end flanges toward the other like element to aid in sealingly connecting the building element and like element; wherein the sealing projection of each end flange extends from the second portion of that end flange; and wherein the sealing projection is a first sealing projection and each groove is provided by a groove providing portion extending longitudinally of the building element, each groove providing portion having a further sealing projection extending longitudinally of the building element and extending into the respective groove so as to be operatively associated with the first sealing projection of the second portion to aid in sealingly connecting the building element and like element.