GB2499845A

GB2499845A - Wall panel with channels defining an arrangement of tile like areas

Info

Publication number: GB2499845A
Application number: GB1203707.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Robert William Fleet
Original assignee: POLYMER RECOVERY Ltd
Current assignee: POLYMER RECOVERY Ltd
Priority date: 2012-03-02
Filing date: 2012-03-02
Publication date: 2013-09-04
Also published as: GB201303678D0; EP2634325A3; GB2501970A; DK2634325T3; EP2634325B1; EP3575511A1; ES2761252T3; GB2501970B; EP2634325A2; GB201203707D0; PT2634325T

Abstract

The wall panel 1 includes a first major surface 7 having a pattern of channels 9 formed therein, wherein the pattern of channels define an arrangement of tile-like areas 5 in the first major surface. The first major surface 7 further includes a first peripheral portion having a first longitudinally truncated channel formation (15, 17, 19, 21). The panel may be vacuum molded from a plastics material. In use the panels may be secures using double sided tape. A wall panel system is also disclosed, where in use the longitudinally truncated channel formation of adjacent panels abut each other such that the joint appears the same as the pattern of channels.

Description

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WALL PANEL AND WALL PANEL SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a wall panel and a wall panel system.

Wall panels may be used in wet areas such as bathrooms, for example around a shower or a bath, as an alternative to tiling. They can be installed more quickly and easily than tiling 5 and require less maintenance.

Conventional wall panels can comprise flat sheets, for example of a plastics material, or can have a pattern formed therein. Typically a plurality of such sheets is required to cover a section of wall. However a problem with conventional wall panels is that when a pair of panels is located side by side such that their edges abut one another, a distinct joining line 10 is clearly visible. Traditional solutions to hide or disguise this joining line include using a separate joining profile such as a slotted elongate connector member. The connector member successfully hides the joining line however it is much more clearly visible than the joining line itself and therefore it is clear where the separate panels are located. An alternative approach is to use a sealant however with known arrangements it does not 15 provide a substantially uniform appearance to the surface of the sheets.

It is therefore desirable to provide a wall panel that is arranged such that when it is abutted to a similar adjacent wall panel, the joint is such that it appears similar to other parts of the wall panels, thereby disguising or hiding the joint.

When using wall panels in wet areas it is important that any join between adjacent wall 20 panels is watertight. This may be achieved by using a separate joining profile. One such join may comprise an aluminium or plastic extrusion having a generally right angled shape for use in corners or an "H" section for inline joints. Such joining profiles rely on the inherent elasticity/plasticity of the material forming the joining profile (i.e. the aluminium or plastic) to adapt to any variations in the wall panel thickness or the surface of the wall.

25 Unlike extrusion, conventional moulding or forming processes create slight variations in the thickness and contours of the wall panel. Further variation may be created when bonding layers together to create a panel and when panels are trimmed to achieve their target thickness. Plastered walls and walls in older buildings may also not be completely

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true, including portions which are not completely vertical or corners which do not join at exactly 90°. Conventional joining profiles may not adapt well to such variations, resulting information of a seal which is not watertight.

There can also be difficulties in mounting conventional wall panels onto uneven surfaces.

5 The present invention seeks to mitigate at least one of the problems mentioned above, or at least to provide an alternative wall panel and wall panel system to known panels and systems.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a wall panel a wall panel including a first major surface having a pattern of channels formed therein, said pattern of 10 channels defining an arrangement of tile-like areas in the first major surface, wherein the first major surface includes a first peripheral portion having a first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

Advantageously the wall panel can be arranged for use in a wet environment, such as a bathroom, shower room or similar. Having a longitudinally truncated channel formation at 15 a peripheral portion of the first major surface enables first and second wall panels to be abutted together so that their longitudinally truncated channel formations form a shape that is similar to one of the channels in the major surface. This provides a visual impression to a casual viewer of the wall panels of a substantially seamless seam between the two wall panels and thus provides an overall impression of a continuous tiled surface.

20 Advantageously the first major surface can include a second peripheral portion having a second longitudinally truncated channel formation. Increasing the number of longitudinally truncated channel formations increases the number of sides on which the panel can form substantially seamless seams. The second longitudinally truncated channel formation can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinally truncated channel 25 formation. Having the second formation substantially perpendicular to the first formation enables substantially seamless side and top/bottom seams to be achieved.

Advantageously the wall panel can include a third peripheral portion having a third longitudinally truncated channel formation. The third longitudinally truncated channel

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formation can be arranged substantially parallel to the first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

Advantageously the wall panel can include a fourth peripheral portion having a fourth longitudinally truncated channel formation. The fourth longitudinally truncated channel 5 formation is arranged substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

The wall panel is typically substantially rectangular, although other arrangements are possible. In preferred embodiments the wall panel includes the first, second, third and fourth longitudinally truncated channel formations. The first and third formations are 10 arranged on opposite to one another, and the second and fourth formations are arranged opposite to one another. Advantageously the first and third longitudinally truncated channel formations are arranged substantially complementary to one another. That is, they each comprise opposite sides of a channel. Advantageously the second and fourth longitudinally truncated channel formations are arranged substantially complementary to 15 one another. That is, they each comprise opposite sides of a channel. In some embodiments all of the first, second, third and fourth longitudinally truncated channel formations are arranged substantially complementary to one another.

Advantageously the or each longitudinally truncated channel formation can comprise substantially one half of a channel. Having one half of a channel ensures that no special 20 matching of sides is required when mounting wall panels. However it will be appreciated by the skilled person that the longitudinally truncated channels can be formed complementary by having different proportions of a channel. That is, the longitudinal truncated formation can be formed using a non-central longitudinal channel axis such that greater, or less than, 50% of the channel is included in the formation. For example, in pairs 25 of complementary formations, one of the formations can have approximately 40% of the channel and the other formation can have approximately 60%, or any other suitable combination such as 45% and 55%, 30% and 70%. By truncated, it is not to be inferred that a full channel must first be formed and subsequently cut. A proportion of a channel can be manufactured from the outset in the moulding process. Of course, truncated can also 30 mean that a fully formed channel is formed initially and the wall panel is subsequently cut

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along the channel to form the truncated formation. This may happen, for example when the panel is being installed.

The channels can be arranged in a grid pattern in the first major surface. The grid pattern is visible when the first major surface is viewed in plan. This provides a traditional looking 5 tiled arrangement.

The pattern of channels includes first and second sets of channels. Advantageously the channels in the first set of channels can be arranged substantially parallel with the first longitudinally truncated channel formation. This provides a substantially continuous tiling appearance when two substantially rectangular wall panels are mounted side by side, for a 10 first seam orientation. Preferably the channels in the first set are arranged substantially uniformly spaced apart on the first major surface. Advantageously the channels in the second set of channels are arranged substantially parallel with the second longitudinally truncated channel formation. This provides a substantially continuous tiling appearance when two substantially rectangular wall panels are mounted side by side, for a second 15 seam orientation. The channels in the second set can be arranged substantially uniformly spaced apart on the first major surface. Thus the channels in the second set of channels can be arranged substantially perpendicularly to the channels in the first set of channels.

Advantageously at least one of the channels can have a substantially uniform transverse cross-section along at least part of the length of the channel. The transverse cross-section is 20 substantially uniform along substantially the full length of the channel, save those parts of the channel that are intersected by another channel. Advantageously at least some channels, and preferably each channel, is arranged in this manner.

At least one of the channels can includes first and second side walls. Preferably at least some of the channels, and preferably each of the channels, includes first and second side 25 walls. Advantageously at least one of the first and second side walls can have a curved profile. Advantageously at least one of the first and second side walls can include a substantially convex profile. This is particularly evident when viewed in transverse cross-section. Each of the first and second side walls can include a substantially convex profile.

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Advantageously at least one of the side walls blends into at least one of the adjacent tilelike areas.

At least one of the channels can include a base. Preferably at least some, and preferably each of the channels, includes the base. Advantageously the base can be substantially 5 concave. This is particularly evident when viewed in transverse cross-section.

Advantageously the width of the or each channel can be greater in the vicinity of a longitudinal channel opening than at the channel base. This helps to visually hide the seams, in particular having a relatively narrow concave base with convex sides provides good results.

10 Advantageously the wall panel can include a second major surface arranged opposite to the first major surface, wherein the second major surface includes a pattern of elongate protrusions arranged oppositely to the pattern of channels and longitudinally truncated channels, said pattern of elongate protrusions defining an arrangement of recessed areas in the second major surface. The recesses are located opposite to the tile-like areas. This 15 arrangement provides some stiffness to the wall panel and assists with mounting the wall on uneven surfaces since some of the unevenness, particularly localised unevenness, can be accommodated by the recesses. The depth of the wall panel in the region of the or each longitudinally truncated channel formation is substantially equal to the depth of the wall panel in the region of the channels.

20 Advantageously the wall panel can be made from sheet material. Advantageously the wall panel can be made from a single sheet of material. The wall panel is moulded, and is preferably moulded by a vacuum forming process. Other techniques such as hot or cold forming can be used. Since the panel is mould the channels formed comprise a continuous smooth surface, which is good for hygiene purposes since it is easier to clean and reduces 25 the ability of dirt and bacteria from gripping the surface. This feature is particularly effective when used in conjunction with channels having curved side walls and/or a curved base.

Advantageously wall panel is made from, or includes, a water impervious material. Typically the sheet material can be a plastics material such as ABS, acrylic, acrylic-capped

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ABS (sanitary grade), High Impact Styrene (HPS), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Polyvinylchloride (PVC), polycarbonate, or any other vacuum formable plastics material.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a wall panel system for use in a wet environment, such as a bathroom, said system including a plurality of wall panels 5 according to any configuration described herein, and means for attaching the wall panels to a surface, such as a bathroom wall.

The means for attaching the wall panels to a surface includes at least one of a double sided adhesive tape and an adhesive.

Advantageously a section of double sided adhesive tape is applied to a mounting surface 10 and first and second wall panels are mounted onto the mounting surface via the tape, the arrangement being such that a longitudinally truncated channel formation of the first wall panel abuts against a longitudinally truncated channel formation of the second wall panel. This also helps to provide a substantially waterproof seam.

Additionally or alternatively double sided adhesive tape, such as carpet tape, can be 15 applied to the recessed areas. This pulls the underside of the tile-like areas into contact with the mounting wall. This provides a larger area for the tape to grip and has the advantage that it reduces the hollow sound that can occur when the outer surface of the wall panel is tapped.

As a pre-mounting step, the system can include applying the adhesive to ribs formed on the 20 underside of the panels.

The system can further include sealing means for sealing gaps between the longitudinally truncated channel formations. The sealing means can comprise a settable gap filling sealant. A small bead of sealant is applied along the edge of the first wall panel. When the second wall panel is butted up against the first wall panel the sealant is forced upwards 25 towards the first major surface, thereby sealing any gaps between the first and second wall panels. This provides a substantially waterproof seal between the first and second wall panels.

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Advantageously at least some of the channels can be arranged substantially vertical when the first and second wall panels are mounted on the mounting surface. Advantageously the channels in the first set of channels are substantially vertical when installed.

Advantageously at least some of the channels are arranged substantially horizontal when 5 the first and second wall panels are mounted on the mounting surface. Advantageously the channels in the second set of channels are substantially horizontal when installed.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a wall panel for use in a wet environment, such as bathroom, said wall panel comprising a moulded sheet, said sheet including a first major surface and a second major surface arranged opposite to the first 10 major surface, wherein the first major surface includes a pattern of channels formed therein, said pattern of channels defining an arrangement of tile-like areas in the first major surface, and the second major surface includes a pattern of elongate protrusions arranged oppositely to the pattern of channels, said pattern of elongate protrusions defining an arrangement of recessed areas in the second major surface. The recesses are located 15 opposite to the tile-like areas. This arrangement provides some stiffness to the wall panel and assists with mounting the wall on uneven surfaces since some of the unevenness, particularly localised unevenness, can be accommodated by the recesses.

The wall panel can be further arranged according to any configuration described herein.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with 20 reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wall panel in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of two of the wall panels of Figure 1 laid side by side, in a side abutting arrangement;

Figure 3a shows an enlarged view of the abutting sides of the two wall panels of 25 Figure 2;

Figure 3b shows an enlarged view of the abutting sides of the two wall panels of Figure 2 attached to a wall by a double side tape;

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Figure 3c shows an enlarged view of the wall panel of Figure 1 cut longitudinally along a groove to form a new side for engagement with the side of an adjacent wall panel;

Figures 4a and 4b show steps in the process of attaching the wall panels to a wall 5 using a double sided tape and a bead of sealant;

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the wall panels of Figure 2 two mounted on a wall in side abutting arrangement;

Figure 6a shows diagrammatically a wall panel location chart for eight wall panels; and

10 Figure 6b shows diagrammatically the overall appearance of the eight wall panels,

that is, with the joins between panels not easily visible.

Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a wall panel 1 in accordance with the invention. The wall panel 1 comprises a sheet 3 of a plastics material that has been vacuum formed to provide the sheet with a tile-like 5 formations on a major outer surface 7. Typically the sheet 3 is 15 ABS, acrylic or other similar plastics material, and preferably has a substantially uniform thickness of at least 0.5mm, and preferably is in the range 1mm to 4mm. In the example shown in Figure 1, the sheet 3 has a thickness of 2mm.

Typically the wall panel 1 is substantially rectangular in plan, however other shapes, such as triangles, hexagons, and pentagons are possible.

20 The vacuum forming process forms an arrangement of grooves 9 in the sheet 3. The grooves 9 are formed such that they indent the major outer surface 7 and form ribs 11 in a major inner surface 13, with recesses 13b therebetween. The depth of the indentation can be selected according to the thickness of the sheet and to provide the overall desired visual effect wall panel 1. For a sheet 3 having a thickness of around 2mm it is preferred to form 25 grooves 9 having a depth of around 1mm. This provides an overall wall panel depth of around 3mm, measured from the major outer surface 5 to tips of the ribs 11.

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Typically the arrangement of grooves 9, and hence ribs 11, define substantially rectangular tile-like formations 5. The tile-like formations 5 are preferably arranged in an array. For example, the wall panel 1 in Figure 6a is having a 4 x 4 array of rectangular tile-like formations 5. It will be apparent to the skilled person that the array can have any 5 practicable arrangement. Typically the array will include n columns of tile-like formations 5, where n is in the range 1 to 10, and m rows where m is in the range 1 to 10. However the wall panel 1 may include significantly more tile-like formations 5 than this, for example when providing a mosaic tile-like effect.

The grooves 9 are arranged to include a first set of grooves 9a, wherein each groove 9a in 10 the set is arranged substantially parallel to one another, and a second set of grooves 9b, wherein each groove 9b is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the first set of grooves 9a. That is, the first and second sets of grooves 9a,9b are arranged in the form of a grid.

The first set of grooves 9a is arranged substantially parallel to longitudinal side portions 15,17 of the wall panel 1. The second set of grooves 9b is arranged substantially parallel to 15 width side portions 19,21 of the wall panel 1.

The sides of each groove 9 are defined by first and second convex curvatures 7a,7b that curve downwards from the tile-like formations 5 towards the base of the groove 9. The base of the groove 9 is defined by a concave curvature 7c, which joins the convex curvatures 7a,7b together. The upper ends of the convex curvatures 7a,7b blend into 20 adjacent tile-like formations 5. The lower ends of the convex curvatures 7a,7b blend into the concave base 7c.

The maximum width of the grooves 9 in the example shown in Figure 1 is around 4mm. The minimum width is around 1mm. Preferably the width to depth ratio of the grooves 9 is around 1:4. Preferably each convex curvature 7a,7b has a cross-sectional radius of around 25 1mm.

Each of the side portions 15,17,19,21 is formed by the vacuum forming process to be shaped similar to half a groove 9, when truncated along a longitudinal axis. Thus each side 15,17,19,21 comprises one convex side wall and part of the concave base. The effect of this is that when two wall panels 1 are abutted together so that their sides 15,17,19,21 abut,

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the two complementary sides 15,17,19,21 form a shape that is substantially the same as a groove 9 (shown in cross-section in Figures 3a to 3c and Figure 4b). This provides a visual impression along the joint that is very similar to the grooves 9 formed across the sheets 3. This makes it difficult for the joint to be detected on a casual inspection thus provides the 5 illusion that two adjacent wall panels are part of a continuous wall panel.

Also, the shape of the grooves 9, in particular having convex side walls helps to hide the location of the joint.

In use, at least one of the wall panels 1 is used to provide a tile effect covering for a surface, typically a bathroom wall 23, for example adjacent a shower or bath. The wall 10 panels 1 are typically arranged to provide a substantially waterproof barrier between a water source and the wall 23. In such arrangements, the wall panels 1 are made from a water impervious material and when at least two panels are joined together an appropriate waterproof seal is applied to prevent water ingress into the joint.

Typically a wall panel system includes a plurality of wall panels 1, means for attaching the 15 wall panels 1 to the wall, such as double sided adhesive tape 25 and/or an adhesive (not shown), and a settable gap filling sealant 27.

When installing the system, a strip of double sided adhesive tape 25 is applied to the wall 23 at each site of a joint between two adjacent wall panels 1. Typically each strip of tape 25 is attached to the wall 23 in a substantially vertical or horizontal orientation. Adhesive 20 is applied to the ribs 11 of a first wall panel 1, and the wall panel 1 is mounted such that at least one of the wall panel side portions 15,17,19,21 is mounted on the strip of tape 25. A bead of sealant 27 is placed along the tape 25 along the side portion 15,17,19,21 of the first wall panel 1. A second wall panel 1 is prepared for mounting on the wall 23 by applying adhesive to the ribs 11. The second wall panel 1 is mounted on the wall such that one of its 25 side portions 15,17,19,21 is mounted on the strip of tape 25 and such that it abuts the side portion of 15,17,19,21 of the first wall panel 1. This causes the bead of sealant 27 to be forced upwards towards the major outer surfaces 7 of the wall panels 1. The sealant 27 is smoothed off. The sealant prevents the ingress of water into the joint and thereby provides a watertight seal.

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The process is repeated for each additional wall panel 1 that is required.

The overall effect of the wall panel system is to provide wall panels where the joins between panels are not easily visible. This is illustrated by Figures 6a and 6b. Figure 6a shows the plan of where separate wall panels 1 are located, and Figure 6b shows the effect 5 after instalment, where the joins are not easily visible on casual viewing.

Another advantage of the system is that if the installer needs to cut a wall panel 1 to size, provided that he cuts the panel 1 along one of the channels 9, the overall visual effect is similar to that when placing two preformed panel wall sides together. The size of wall panels used in any installation can be selected from the most appropriate standard sizes 10 available, or where necessary bespoke panels can be formed.

It will be appreciated by the skilled person that the vacuum forming process can form the sides 15,17,19,21 so that some of the sides have a different proportion of the groove from others. For example some of the sides 15,17,19,21 can have around 60% of the groove when truncated along the longitudinal axis and others can have around 40%. The sides 15 having 40% will be complementary to the sides having 60% such that when complementary sides are abutted together, a whole groove 9 is formed thus giving substantially the same overall impression as when two sides having 50% of a groove are abutted together.

A wall panel for use in a domestic bathroom has a length 1, where 1 is typically in the range 20 500mm to 2500mm, and is preferably around 1250mm, and a width w, where w is typically in the range 500mm to 2500mm, and is preferably around 900mm.

It will be appreciated by the skilled person that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and includes variations which are within the scope of the appended claims. For example, techniques other than vacuum forming can be used to form the tile-like 25 appearance of the wall panel.

In the embodiment shown, the tile-like formations 5 have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in plan. Other shapes, and combinations of shapes are possible. For example, the tile-like formations can have a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or other similar shape.

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Similarly the wall panel shown also has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in plan. The wall panel can have a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or other similar shape.

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Claims

1. A wall panel including a first major surface having a pattern of channels formed therein, said pattern of channels defining an arrangement of tile-like areas in the first major surface, wherein the first major surface includes a first peripheral portion having a first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

2. A wall panel according to claim 1, wherein the first major surface includes a second peripheral portion having a second longitudinally truncated channel formation.

3. A wall panel according to claim 2, wherein the second longitudinally truncated channel formation is arranged substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

4. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall panel includes a third peripheral portion having a third longitudinally truncated channel formation.

5. A wall panel according to claim 4, wherein the third longitudinally truncated channel formation is arranged substantially parallel to the first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

6. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall panel includes a fourth peripheral portion having a fourth longitudinally truncated channel formation.

7. A wall panel according to claim 6, wherein the fourth longitudinally truncated channel formation is arranged substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

8. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each longitudinally truncated channel formation comprises substantially one half of a channel.

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9. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the channels are arranged in a grid pattern in the first major surface.

10. A wall panel according to any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the pattern of channels includes first and second sets of channels.

11. A wall panel according to claim 10, wherein the channels in the first set of channels are arranged substantially parallel with the first longitudinally truncated channel formation.

12. A wall panel according to claim 10 or 11, when dependent on claim 2 or 3, wherein the channels in the second set of channels are arranged substantially parallel with the second longitudinally truncated channel formation.

13. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the channels has a substantially uniform transverse cross-section along at least part of the length of the channel.

14. A wall panel according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the channels includes first and second side walls.

15. A wall panel according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second side walls has a curved profile.

16. A wall panel according to claim 14 or 15, wherein at least one of the first and second side walls includes a substantially convex profile.

17. A wall panel according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein at least one of the side walls blends into at least one adjacent tile-like areas.

18. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the channels includes a base.

19. A wall panel according to claim 18, wherein the base is substantially concave. This is particularly evident when viewed in transverse cross-section.

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20. A wall panel according to 18 or 19 when dependent on claims 14 to 17, wherein the width of the or each channel is greater in the vicinity of a longitudinal channel opening than at the channel base.

21. A wall panel according to any of the preceding claims, including a second major surface arranged opposite to the first major surface, wherein the second major surface includes a pattern of elongate protrusions arranged oppositely to the pattern of channels and longitudinally truncated channels, said pattern of elongate protrusions defining an arrangement of recessed areas in the second major surface.

22. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall panel is made from sheet material. Advantageously the wall panel is made from a single sheet of material.

23. A wall panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall panel is moulded, and is preferably moulded by a vacuum forming process.

24. A wall panel system for use in a wet environment, such as a bathroom, said system including a plurality of wall panels according to any one of the proceeding claims, and means for attaching the wall panels to a surface, such as a bathroom wall.

25. A wall panel system according to claim 24, wherein the means for attaching the wall panels to a surface includes at least one of a double sided adhesive tape and an adhesive.

26. A wall panel system according to claim 25, wherein a section of double sided adhesive tape is applied to a mounting surface and first and second wall panels are mounted onto the mounting surface via the tape, the arrangement being such that a longitudinally truncated channel formation of the first wall panel abuts against a longitudinally truncated channel formation of the second wall panel.

27. A wall panel system according to any one of claims 24 to 26, including sealing means for sealing gaps between the longitudinally truncated channel formations.

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28. A wall panel system according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein at least some of the channels are arranged substantially vertical when the first and second wall panels are mounted on the mounting surface.

29. A wall panel system according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein at least some of the channels are arranged substantially horizontal when the first and second wall panels are mounted on the mounting surface.

30. A wall panel for use in a wet environment, such as bathroom, said wall panel comprising a moulded sheet, said sheet including a first major surface and a second major surface arranged opposite to the first major surface, wherein the first major surface includes a pattern of channels formed therein, said pattern of channels defining an arrangement of tile-like areas in the first major surface, and the second major surface includes a pattern of elongate protrusions arranged oppositely to the pattern of channels, said pattern of elongate protrusions defining an arrangement of recessed areas in the second major surface.

31. A wall panel according to claim 30, further arranged according to any one of claims 1 to 23.