GB2202248A

GB2202248A - Insulating board with raised rib on one face at the periphery

Info

Publication number: GB2202248A
Application number: GB08802603A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Joseph Nash
Original assignee: MAHONY JEREMIAH CHRISTOPHER O
Current assignee: MAHONY JEREMIAH CHRISTOPHER O
Priority date: 1987-02-06
Filing date: 1988-02-05
Publication date: 1988-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-02-05
Also published as: GB2202248B; IE58989B1; IE870322L; GB8802603D0

Abstract

A board 10 of thermal insulating material for use in a cavity wall is of substantially rectangular shape and has on at least one side 11 thereof a raised rib 12 which extends around the periphery of the board at or adjacent the edges 13 to 16 thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

INSULATION BOARD This invention relates to a board of insulating material suitable for use in'the'insulation of walls, floors and roofs in buildings. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to insulation boards of expanded polystyrene or similar insulating material, for example as sold under the Registered Trade Mark AEROBORD.

According to the present invention there is provided a board of thermal insulating material, wherein the board is of substantially rectangular shape and has integrally formed on at least one side thereof a raised rib which extends around the pheriphery of the board at or adjacent the edges thereof.

For example in use with a cavity wall the board is assembled edge to edge with like boards between the inner and outer leaves of a cavity wall, with the ribs engaging the outer face of the inner leaf which is conventionally of blockwork.

The advantage of the invention is that the ribs substantially allow entrapment of still air between the insulation board and the wall and the free circulation of air between the insulation boards and the inner leaf, since each peripheral rib together with the inner leaf and the board proper forms an isolated air entrapment compartment. This significantly increases the thermal insulation of the insulated wall construction.

The rib may be o triangular or truncated triangular cross-section, for example an equilateral triangle.

Alternatively the rib may be of rectangular crosssection.

The rib may be provided actually at the edges of the board, especially in the case of a rib of rectangular cross-section, or it may be disposed slightly inwardly of the edges. In the latter case, at least the ribs which are in a horizontal position when installed, may extend fully across the board such that the ribs extend beyond their junctions with the shorter rib portions of the board.

At least one pair of opposite edges of the board may be of complementary tongue and groove construction to facilitate fitting adjacent boards together.

The board is preferably made of moulded expanded polystyrene.

The invention further provides, in a cavity wall, an assembly of boards as above arranged edge to edge in both horizontal and vertical directions with the ribs thereof engaging the outer face of the inner leaf of the wall.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a board according to a first embodiment of the invention Figure 2 is a front view of the board of figure 1, Figures 2A and 2B respectively are cross-sectional views of the board of figures 1 and 2 taken along the lines A-A and B-B of Figure 2, Figure 2C is an enlarged detailed perspective view of part of the triangular rib of the board of figures 1 and 2, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a board with tongue and grooved edges according to a second embodiment of the invention, Figure 4 is a front view of the board of figure 3, Figure 5 is a front view of the top edge of a board similar to figures 3 and 4 provided with wall tie slots in the tongue thereof.

Figure 5A is a detailed perspective view of part of the board of figure 5, Figure 6 is a perspective view of a -board according to a third embodiment of the invention, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a board according to a third embodiment of the invention having a rib of rectangular cross-section, Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view of the board of figure 7 taken in the longer direction thereof, Figure 7B shows in cross-section a plurality of boards according to figure 7 stacked together for handling, Figure 8 is a front view of an assembly of boards according to figure 6 in a cavity wall, Figure 8A is a front view of an assembly of boards according to figure 7 in a cavity wall, Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of two boards according to figure 3 stacked together for handling, Figure lOA to loC are cross-sectional views of different shaped ribs which may be used in the invention, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of figure 8.

Referring first to figures 1 to 2C, a first embodiment of the invention comprises a board 10 of thermal insulating material for use in a cavity wall. The board 10 is of substantially rectangular shape and has on at least one side 11 thereof a raised rib 12 which extends around the periphery of the board immediately adjacent the edges 13 to 16 thereof, the rib 12 being of triangular crosssection and being formed integrally with and of the same material as the main body of the board.

In a second embodiment of the invention, figures 3 and 4, each pair of opposite edges of the board are of complementary tongue and groove construction. Thus the adjacent edges 13 and 16 each have a groove 17, while the adjacent edges 14 and 15 each have a tongue 18. This permits fitting the boards together and maintaining them in vertical alignment when assembled. It also eliminates cracks between adjacent boards which would reduce the degree of thermal insulation.

In figures 5 and 5A, the upper tongue 18, provided on the edge 15 of the board, has a series of wall tie location indicators 19, in this case in the form of slots. These serve the same function as the indicators subject of the aforementioned UK Patent Application No.

8525081, and are similarly spaced to the indicators there described. Naturally, indicators other than slots may pe used, as described in the aforementioned Patent Application.

The board shown in figure 6 is of similar construction to that of figure 1, but each rib portion adjacent a respective edge of the board extends fully to the edges of the board beyond its junctions with the rib portions perpendicular thereto. This will prevent such little air as is still able to circulate in the cavity wall outside the air entrapment compartments from so circulating. Since the air circulation direction of principal importance is vertical, if desired only the longer rib portions, i.e. those rib portions extending in the longer direction of the board, may extend beyond their junctions with the shorter rib portions fully to the shorter edges of the board.

In the embodiment of figures 7 and 7A, the rib 12 is here disposed actually at the edges of the board, and is of rectangular cross-section. Figure 7B shows a plurality of such boards stacked together for handling.

It will be observed that the flat top to the ribs 12 permits these to abut against an adjacent board without damage.

Figures 8 and 11 show, in a cavity wall, an assembly of boards as shown in figure 6 arranged edge to edge in both horizontal and vertical directions with the ribs 12 thereof engaging the outer face 20 of the inner leaf 21 of the wall (the outer leaf of the wall is not shown).

It will be observed that the board of figure 6 is in this case tongue and grooved in the manner of figures 3 and 4, and indeed such tongue and grooves may be provided on all the boards described herein.

Further, all the boards described herein may be provided with wall tie location indicators as shown in figures 5 and 5A, or in any manner described in the Specification of British Patent Application No. 8525081.

Returning to figures 8 and 11, the ribs 12 of the boards 10 are held ayainst the inner leaf 21 by conventional wall ties which are positioned at selected wall tie location indicators and extend between the inner and outer leaves of the cavity wall. Such fixing distorts to a slight extent the tips of the ribs 12, such that a good seal between the ribs and inner leaf is formed.

Figure 8A shows a similar assembly of boards of the type shown in figures 7 and 7A. These are secured in the cavity wall in a similar manner to the boards shown in figure 8, the flat tops of the ribs 12 engaging the inner leaf of the cavity wall.

In both cases, and in respect of the other boards herein described when similarly assembled, air entrapment compartments 30 are formed over the major area of the boards, each such compartment being the region within the peripheral rib 12 of each board bounded on one side by the inner leaf of the wall on the other by the side 11 of the main body of the board.

Whereas as shown in figure 7B a stacking of the boards shown in figure 7 may be accomplished without damage, a similar stacking of the boards with a triangular rib is likely to damage the tips of the ribs.

This may by overcome as shown in figure 9, where two slightly different sizes of rib are provided so that a pair of boards may be nested face to face for handling.

Naturally, the boards shown in figure 6 cannot be nested in this way.

Figures lOA to lOC are cross-sectional views to an enlarged scale of various types of triangular rib 12 which may be provided on the boards 10. The rib shown in figure lOA is substantially equilateral, whereas that shown in figure lOB has an angle at its apex which is greater. Finally, a truncated triangular form may be used, as shown in figure lOC. It is to be understood that these rib types are illustrative only, and a wide variety of cross-sections may be used. For example, a rectangular cross-sectional rib has already been described with reference to figures 7 and 7A.

All the boards described herein are preferably made from moulded expanded polystyrene, but other materials and manufacturiny techniques may be used.

Furthermore, in addition to the peripheral ribs described, the invention contemplates within its scope boards which have additional ribs or other formations for the purpose of strengthening the board and preventing warping.

In addition to the advantage of trapping still air and thereby improving the thermal insulation properties of the cavity wall, the boards according to the invention also have the advantage that the ribs intercept mortar droppings which would tend to rupture the insulation surface, and the air entrapment compartments 30 may be used to accommodate aluminium foil for reflecting heat back into the building.

Typical dimensions for the insulation boards described above are: Length: 1200 mm Width: 450 mm Thickness: 50 mm Height of ribs above board surface: 5 - 30 mm Minimum distance of rib in from edge: 4 mm While the present invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings solely in the context of the insulation of cavity walls in buildings it will be appreciated that the invention, as indicated at the outset, also has a clear application in both roof and floor construction where efficient insulation is also a factor. Further the invention has application not only to cavity wall insulation but also insulation applied externally or internally to outer walls of buildings.Provided one can in use substantially entrap still air between the insulation boards and the surface to be insulated and also substantially prevent the free circulation between the boards and the surface to be insulated by ensuring that each peripheral rib together with the board proper and the surface to be insulated forms an isolated air entrapment compartment one can significantly increase the thermal insulation of the surface in question. If the invention is used with an external wall of non-cavity construction then the insulation board would have to be provided with a panel face or plastered external rendering on the non-rib face of the board. On an insulation board for use with a non-cavity internal wall construction'a plasterboard could be provided on the nonrib face of the insulation board.

It is also envisaged that the insulation board may be provided with a plurality of spaced apart vertical ribs or horizontal ribs in combination with edge horizontal ribs or edge vertical ribs such that in use still air is entrapped between the insulation boards and the surface to be insulated and further air circulation between the boards and the surface to be insulated is substantially prevented.

Claims

1. A board of thermal insulating material, wherein the board is of substantially rectangular shape and has integrally formed on at least one side thereof a raised rib which extends around the periphery of the board at or adjacent the edges thereof.

2. An insulation board according to claim 1, wherein the rib is of triangular or truncated triangular cross-section.

3. An insulation board according to claim 1, wherein the rib is of rectangular cross-section.

4. An insulation board according to claim 3, wherein the rib is disposed at the edges of the board.

5. An insulation board according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the rib is disposed slightly inwardly of the edges of the board, and at least the longer rib portions extend beyond their junctions with the shorter rib portions fully to the shorter edges of the board.

6. An insulation board according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one pair of opposite edges of the board are of complementary tongue and groove construction.

7. An insulation board according to any preceding claim, further including a plurality of wall tie location indicators along at least one edge of the board.

8. An insulation board according to any preceding claim, wherein the board is made of moulded expanded polystyrene.

9. In a cavity wall, an assembly of boards as claimed in any preceding claim arranged edge to edge in both horizontal and vertical directions with the ribs thereof engaging the outer face of the inner leaf of the wall, whereby each rib together with the inner leaf and the said at least one side of the board forms an isolated air entrapment compartment.

10. A board of thermal insulating material for use in a cavity wall substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1-2C, Figures 3-5A and Figure 9, Figures 6-8A and Figure 11 and Figures 1UA-1OC.