CA2225952A1 - Wall panel and wall panelling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A building system that employs panelling preferably having a glass fibre core, and having an outer covering on one face surface. The covering rounds the corners of opposed edges of each panel and the panels are installed with their covered corners juxtaposed. A series of adjacent panels are contained between fixed rails of distorted "U" shaped cross-section that allow the panels to be slip-fitted into place to form a continuous wall.

Description

CA 0222~9~2 1997-12-24 TITLE: WALL PANEL AND WALL PANELLING SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE lNV~llON
This invention relates to wall panelling to provide a finished surface to walls within structures.
More particularly, it relates to panelling that is also insulative and can be used to cover surfaces in general.

BACKGROUND TO THE I-Nv~NllON
In conventional residential construction, the walls of the basement are typically constructed of cinder block or poured concrete. Basement space is later finished by installing an inner wall system over the concrete walls of the foundation. Sometimes only furring strips are required along the wall on which to nail wood panelling.
In some jurisdictions stud walls need to be constructed in front of concrete basement walls, primarily to provide space for installing thermal insulation, but also to serve as a supporting structure for mounting drywall or wood panelling.
Wall panels of the present invention are intended to be used on block, concrete or stud wall construction, and are an attractive alternative to drywall or wood panelling. A major application of the panelling system of the invention is for finishing basement areas, but it can also be used for partition walls and exterior walls (above CA 0222~9~2 1997-12-24 ground level) and to provide a finished surface in other building applications.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a wall panel and wall panelling system with unique, eye-pleasing appearance, combined with good thermal and sound insulation properties.
It is likewise an object of the present invention to provide a wall panel and wall panelling system which can be quickly installed with simple tools by persons of modest skill as, for example, by do-it-yourself home owners.
The foregoing objects are achieved by a light-weight, easy to handle and install, wall panelling system consisting of wall panels and a supporting structure. me invention in its general form will first be described, and then its implementation in terms of specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are intended to demonstrate the principle of the invention, and the manner of its implementation. The invention in its broadest and more specific forms will then be further described, and defined, in each of the individual claims which conclude this Specification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention comprises a rectangular panel in the form of an insulative panel core, peferably a glass fibre batt which is clad on at least one side with a bonded covering that wraps-around at least two opposed edges of CA 0222~9~2 1997-12-24 the panel. The invention also comprises guide rails that have a distorted "U" in cross-sectional shape, one leg of the "U" being longer than the other legs.
As an installed system, the panel is positioned with two opposed edges contained within two parallel rail elements, which rails have respectively a longer and shorter leg portion overlying the covered surface of the panel. Multiple panels are fitted adjacent each other between the rails with their covered edges juxtaposed. The rails are spaced so that the panels may be "slip-fitted"
into position between the rails.
The foregoing summarizes the principal features of the invention and some of its optional aspects. The invention may be further understood by the description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the drawings, which now follow.

SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 is a cross-section of a panel view taken along line A-A of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wall panel of present invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of two rails mounted adjacent to a wall.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a basement wall with a panel and rails of the invention present.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Wall Pan~l i-~ sho~n in Figures 1 & 2.
FiS~ a ~::~o~ ection viow ~ along li~e A-A of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is ~ perspeo~ive view of the w~ll of pr~Qnt in~rention.
Wall ~~ l 10 c~n~ s o~ gla~R :~ibre ~ Q~ate 1 and s~me ~o~ati~re ~in~l ~poly~rinyl chloridQ) i~a~ing 2, ~lued to gla~ ibr~ ~ r~te 1. Typical thiclcne~s H
o~ glas~ fibre subs~rate 1 s ~ . 5-inch, ~ it~ clensity ~p~ ox . 3 lbs~u . ft ~ Gla~ fibr~ substra~e 1 is made of ~lass fi}:~re~ wi~h 10 microns a~r~rage di~m~ter, ~onc~d together by ~rganic b~ r ~-r to form 801i~ fibre ma~trix .
B~nding agent i-~ thermo-setting resin of ur~a mo~3i fied ~h~n~l iC ~ype resin. Binder cont;ent is 1196~ ~or 1~5-inc h thiclc ~lass ~ibre BU~strate ~ ~n additional t:hermal insulation ~ralue o~erQd by thi~ wall ~~~el pro~uct i8 R-6 . ~ . This glasR fibre ~ubst~a~3 is of our cei~i~g til~ type produat. It i~ al80 po~sibl~ to u3e othe~
rigid gla~s fibre ~ ard ~o~ ts for Yome more specialized applications.
Poly~rinyl ch~ or~ d~ fac:ing ~ is glue~ to front face and two longer ~ide edge~ of rQctans~ular w~ll }~:ln~l ~3ubstrat~ herQ i-~ no f~;n~ Dlaterial c)n wall panel back ~ac~ and shortex sid~ ~dg~s. From strictly practical point of ~riQW not th~ wholQ g~as~ fi~re 8ub8trat~ 1 ~idQ Qdge thick~e~s ha~ to b~ n~cQYqarily cov~red wi~h vinyl ~h~a~hi ~ material . ~t was obs~r~red in model home applications that side edge overlapping o~ ap~rox. 2~3 of tot~l board thickne~ ~c ~ite ~atis~acto~y .
Vinyl facing i~ paintable and ws~ h~hle. Surl~ace either ~moo~h or textur~d. Differ~nt, attracti~o, deQp embo~ed d~3corati~re pattern~ avail~le, to suit ~lmost an~ taste. Pleasing ~pp~ nc~ and l~eel of ~i~
co~or'c i8 ~:rea~ed .
Wall panel with gla-~ fi}~e substrate will not ~upport mould, mil dew, or oth~ bacterial gro~th; ~rin~l f ,~i n~J
clcaans ~ i 1 y with houyehold dete~ t~ .
The r~ 19 ma~ be p~ O~.ri~ed in any 8iz~a, ~Ut a cn~on ~izo is 8-ft high by 1 or ~-ft wid~3.

S~ ting S~ture Supporting strUc~ure ~or wall r~ 9 i~3 ~xtr~mely simplQ and consi~t~ of t~o type~ of ~-~hap~d in cro~s-oe~tion plaRtic mo~lding ~rip-q or l; n~ e ~ ~r one i~ u~ed a~ ~ ~ottom holdQr, ~hile the bigger one i~
to be placed in ext~eme ~op po~ition on the s~-~d wall.
Fig. 3 ~hows bo~h bottom z~ncl ~Op J-moulding8 in crosg-section, :~nd in rel ati~ ang~m~nt they are put ~n the wall.
Bott~l moulding ~rip 20 ha~ ~ront leg 3 ~nd Dack leg 4, both legs 3 ~nd 4 are j~i nsd tog~3ther by an int~ te m~er 5. Back leg 4 i~ ~lightly long~r than front l~g 3 to allow for con~nie~t bottom moulding 20 attac~men~ to stud wall bS~ n~5 of mails or wood -~crews i~or ~ A\~ ~e. Bottom moulding strip o~
lin~ 1 20 can be pro~ ~ with a sf3ries of holes 6 fc~r ea~iQr installatic)n.
~op moulcling st~ip 30 i~ ba~ all~r the ~me a~ bc~tcm mou~ding ~trip 20, the only dl~rence is that it ha~
to be slightly ~leeper due to the ~hn~ c~ue of wall p~nel in~tallat~on on a s~ud w~tl.
Prima~ ti~n of plastic moulding t~t~ip8 i8 obviously to hold all wall p~ 8 ~o~e~her, but if ~o~ct~y m~ h~ and coor~inat~d l;hey could al~o ~c,v_~ ~n eye pleasin~ ~sual el~m~nt contri3:uting to ove~all ~r~~~ranc:e~

Wall Panelling Installa~ion ypical in~t~llation pro~ e ~or ~aYe~en~ area i~
~ollows .
Tn con~entional resi~en~ial con~truction, the wall~ of ba~ement are either p~ured corlçr~te ~r ci~er block.
Ontario Building Code requires ba~ement a~e~ wall~ to be thermally in~ulated (R-12 ~Al tvalue), 90 practic:al way of doing i~ i~ to build an inte~a~ stud wall structure arolmd ba~nent wallc~, using ~ n~a~d 2-inch by 4-in~h ns~i nz~l si~e wood ~tud~ ~me~al studs probab~y also pe~Litted in b~nt a~ea). This auxiliary 4truc~ture conveniently accQ~m~-tes 3. 5-inch ' 6 th~olc, R-12 gl a~ f~Dre insu~l ation bat~ ~ho~e insu~ation product~ . ~inc~3 gla~ ~ibr~ lose~ it~
~h~Al inQu}ation~propertie~3 wh~n wet, i~ has to be protected again~t any wa~er ~rapo.~ nsation, and it i~ done }:~ ins~alling vapour barri~r ~typic:ally polye~hylene film) on a~r~ady insu~ated -~tucl ~Yall~
Abow d~Acription was gi~en here ~ust to lndicate what has to b~ d~ne beforQ ba~ment area i9 con~id~ared ready i~or wall ~el 1 ing in~t~llation~ but all this work sllould in prindple ]:~Q don~ by a contractor, a~d is not per ~e p~rt of wall E~s~n-~l in~tallation pro~e~ e~
Having ~as~ment stud wall in~ul~te~i anc3 ~ove~ed with ~r~o~r barri0~, one can sta~t w~ll r~n~lling ~ob.
Opt~ onally 1/4-inc:h thick ~an~~~~d hardboard ~rQadily ~vaila~le in 4-ft by B-f~t boards) csn b~ d fir~t to ~tud wall bef~ore installing wal~ panelling. Thi~
h~rdboar:i will ~dcl to ov-~ all wal~ structure rigidity, and be~ides being -Qtr~ct~ral sti~f~ner, it will al90 er~e a~ con~renient load carrying h~ in~, ju~t in ca~e ~ome~-htr~ hea~rier has to be hung bQtween ~tucl~ on Bot~c~m moulding strip ~0 ~a3 to be cut to length, and later attached diractly to studs or 'co har~ rd, d~r-n.ti ng on option chosen. Its lonS~er leg 4 ha~3 to ~e in conta~t ~ith hardb~d o~ ~t~d wall plane, while interm~diate ~em~er 5 ~ouches fini ~hed ba~ ent floor Bottom moul~inS~ ~trip ~0 i9 nailed or ~crewed to hardboard or st~d ~all.
~op moulding strip 30 i~ to be installed horizontally, a~ ~peci~ac ~rtical di~tanc~ from the bottom moulding str~p 20. Tc~~ ~oulding ~trip 30 int~m~diata m~m~er (i.~a. part join~n~ ~ont and ~ac:k leg) h~s tc~
positio~ed at lea-~t a~ the com~ined wall r~n~l heis~h~
~let's say 8-ft) and bOttCDI moul~ing ~trip 20 i~ron~ leg t (probably somQ~hinS~ li3ce l-inch lip should ~e enough) di~tance :~rom bott~ mo~ldin~ ~trip 2û
inte~m~diate m~h~ ~. For ~tric~ly practical rea~ons thi~ minimum di~tance should be slightly enlarged to add ease to w~ll r~ tal latio~. Front l~ag of top moulding ~trip 30 has to b~ app ~riately lt~nger th~n it~ bottom mouldins~ strip 20 co~nte~part.

W~ll panels ~re easily in~talled ~y first eng~ging wall panel top, l-ft o~ 2-f~ w~ fa~ed edge, into top mou~ding 30 J--~h~~d recei~ring ca~rity, in prin~iple pushing it firmly in ~ill it ba~ically r~asists any further ~pwar~l ~v~ment, then pu~hing thQ whole wall r~nell ~lightly ~o:~wa~d to lay ~1a~ again~t hard~oard or ~tud w~ urface, and ~inally ~ttin~ wall panel drop lund~r it~ own we~ight, o~ hslping by ~lightly forcing it down, i~to an open rec~i~ing c~vi ty of J- QhA~-~ bott~m movlding ~t,rip ~0~ Next, this iust inn~ted wall p:~n~l, has to be gently p~hed ho:rizontally t~ po~itivaly ~ouch ~re~iou~ly p~ wall ~-n-~l along 8-ft high v~rtical fac~d edge~ A~ter aome minor adju~ ment~ a~nd A'~ nm~ntS, stud wall is ready to -n~rt next wall Final wall panel arrangement i~ ~howTl in ~rtical c~ro~ tion in Fig. 4.

CONCLUSION
The foregoing has constituted a description of specific embodiments showing how the invention may be applied and put into use. These embodiments are only exemplary. The invention in its broadest, and more specific aspects, is further described and defined in the claims which now follow.
These claims, and the language used therein, are to be understood in terms of the variants of the invention which have been described. They are not to be restricted to such variants, but are to be read as covering the full scope of the invention as is implicit within the invention and the disclosure that has been provided herein.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY ARE CLAIMED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A panelling system comprising:
(1) multiple generally rectangular panels each having two face surfaces containing an insulative core and two pairs of opposed parallel edges defining the boundaries of each of the face surfaces and delimiting outer edge surfaces for the panel;
(2) a covering bonded to one of the face surfaces of the panel, with such covering extending around at least two of the opposed edges on at least one face of each panel to overly a portion of the respective edge surfaces adjacent such parallel edges; and (3) first and second parallel rails each of generally "U" shaped cross-section, both having one leg of the "U" longer than the other wherein multiple panels are positioned between said rails, contained by a shorter leg of the "U" of the first rail and the longer leg of the "U" of the second leg, which legs both overlie the covering on the face surface of each panel, and wherein the covered edges of each of the panels are juxtaposed to an adjacent covered edge.