NZ501470A - Reinforced plasterboard - Google Patents

Abstract

A reinforced plasterboard has a first external layer of paper (11), a core of a cementitious material (gypsum plaster)(15), at least one internal layer of a mesh reinforcement (7) embedded within an opposite side of the core and in contact with a further external layer of paper (2). A continuous board manufacturing process is disclosed.

Description

2 Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, a reinforced plasterboard including a first external layer of paper adjacent one side of a core of a cementitious material, at least one internal layer of a mesh reinforcement embedded within an opposite side of said core of cementitious material and a second external layer of paper immediately 10 adjacent to and in substantial contact with said mesh reinforcement.

Preferably, the mesh reinforcement includes an open weave glass fibre mesh.

Preferably, the cementitious material includes gypsum plaster.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method 15 of producing a reinforced plasterboard including providing a continuous feed of a cementitious slurry to spread over a first external layer of paper, a continuous feed of a second external layer of paper, a continuous feed of a reinforcing mesh so as to lie internally adjacent said second layer of paper, means for bringing said layers of paper, said 20 cementitious slurry and said reinforcing mesh together to result in said cementitious slurry setting between said external layers of papers with reinforcing mesh embedded on one side of said cementitious slurry and immediately adjacent to and in substantial contact with said second external layer of paper.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reinforced plasterboard and/or method of producing same, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 1 4 AUG 2001 PCT /NZ98/00105 3 Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1: shows very diagrammatically a production line for the continuous production of a reinforced plasterboard, according to one possible embodiment of the invention; and FIGURE 2: shows very diagrammatically a cross sectional view through a reinforced plasterboard according to one possible embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A continuous production line for the manufacturing of a reinforced plasterboard, and according to one possible embodiment of the invention, is referenced generally by arrow 1.

The manufacturing process is seen to involve in this particular embodiment the feeding of a back paper 2 along rollers 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the feeding of a reinforcing mesh 7 from roller 8, so as to lie adjacent the back paper 2, and in this embodiment contacting it.

The term "paper" is used throughout this specification to refer to any suitable outer facing material which is strong and may be a cardboard such as that made from recycled fibres which may include Kraft paper, or the like. The reinforcing mesh may be of any suitable type providing a required density and strength, but a glass fibre or plastics open weave mesh may be particularly suitable such as the commercially available CRENETE (trade mark) mesh.

Printed from Mimosa u? 4 a) A cementitious slurry 1 5 is shown being fed from a feeder 9 which distributes the slurry 1 5 across the width of a face paper 11, fed via rollers 12, 13 and 14. The slurry may be of any suitable type, but in one preferred embodiment of the invention, may be a gypsum or Portland 5 plaster. Suitable spreading means may be provided so as to ensure that the slurry 1 5 is distributed evenly across the width of the paper 11. Also guide means may be provided each side of the production line so as to turn up the sides of the paper 11 so as to form a trough in which the slurry 15 can be accommodated. It is envisaged that in one embodiment, 10 the turned up sides of the paper 11 may then be folded over and adhered to the back paper 2.

The process will suitably include heating means to facilitate the setting of the slurry 15 and also cutting means, so that the resultant 15 plasterboard can be cut into appropriate sizes.

It will be appreciated that although single layers of paper 2, 11 and reinforcing mesh 7b are shown being utilised any number of layers can be used as appropriate.

Referring to Figure 2, a reinforced plasterboard according to one possible embodiment of the invention is shown very diagrammatically with a face paper 11, a plaster core 15 such as gypsum plaster, a reinforcing mesh 7 and immediately adjacent thereto, a back paper layer 2. While in 25 setting, some of the plaster 15 will extrude through the openings in the mesh 7 and bond with the paper 2, the paper 7 may be positioned so as to be in substantial contact across the entire face of the back paper 2. In this way, the reinforcing mesh 7 is providing a substantial and uniform reinforcement of the plasterboard across the entire face defined by the 30 layer of paper 2 and will thus be able to contribute substantially to the impact resistance of the plasterboard.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 1 4 aug 2001 received 4A In our New Zealand divisional patent specification No. 506119 the mesh 7 is adjacent the paper 2 but is not in contact with it.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. ' < aug 2001 received Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Printed from Mimosa A reinforced plasterboard including a first external layer of paper adjacent one side of a core of a cementitious material, at least one internal layer of a mesh reinforcement embedded within an opposite side of said core of cementitious material and a second external layer of paper immediately adjacent to and in substantial contact with said mesh reinforcement.

A method of producing a reinforced plasterboard including providing a continuous feed of a cementitious slurry to spread over a first external layer of paper, a continuous feed of a second external layer of paper, a continuous feed of a reinforcing mesh so as to lie internally adjacent said second external layer of paper, means for bringing said layers of paper, said cementitious slurry and said reinforcing mesh together to result in said cementitious slurry setting between said external layers of papers with said reinforcing mesh embedded on one side of said cementitious slurry and immediately adjacent to and in substantial contact with said second external layer of paper.

A reinforced plasterboard as claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2 wherein said mesh reinforcement includes an open weave glass fibre mesh. A reinforced plasterboard as claimed in either of Claims 1 and 3, wherein said cementitious material includes gypsum plaster. A reinforced plasterboard as claimed in any one of Claims 1 and 3 and 4 wherein said paper includes a cardboard.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 1 4 aug 2001 received

Claims (1)

1. 5. r 6. A reinforced plasterboard as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said mesh reinforcement includes a plastics open weave mesh. 7. A method of producing a reinforced plasterboard as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the sides of the first external layer of paper are 10 turned up so as to form a trough in which the cementitious slurry can be accommodated. 8. A method of producing a reinforced plasterboard as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the said sides of the first external layer of paper are folded over and adhered to the second external layer of paper. 15 9. A method of producing a reinforced plasterboard as claimed in any one of Claims 2 and 7 and 8 and including heating means to facilitate the setting of the cementitious material. 10. A reinforced plasterboard substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. 20 11. A method of producing a reinforced plasterboard substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. 1 2. A reinforced plasterboard produced by the method of any one of Claims 2, 7 to 9 and 11. 25 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 'l 1 jun 2001 received WO 99/04112 PCT/NZ98/00105 1/2 Printed from Mimosa