Wire clip mounting system for structural panels

Abstract

For mounting a structural panel to a wall, a wire clip is provided having a bail portion formed in an annular shape for insertion of a fastener element and fastening into an anchor member of the wall, and an arm portion extending from the bail portion having a linear shape for insertion into the inner core of the panel at an exposed lateral edge. The bail portion is offset from the arm portion both in a lateral direction and in a thickness direction of the panel so as to position the bail portion toward the wall anchor member when the arm portion is inserted into the inner core of the panel. The invention also includes the related method for mounting a structural panel to a wall using the wire clip device. In the preferred method, the panel is of the type having outer metal face sheets adhesively bonded to an inner plastic corrugated core formed with undulating corrugation spaces into which the arm portions of the wire clips are inserted. For mounting adjacent panels at a joint, respective sets of wire clips have their arm portions inserted into the inner cores of the adjacent panels and have their bail portions fastened with fastener elements along a centerline of the joint. The panels can be installed to form hair line joints by undercutting an overhanging front face on one panel, or to form outside or inside corners by cutting into a rear surface and bending the front surface of the panel to form the corner.