Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for use in
wall construction around windows and doors and more
particularly to a device for providing an air-vapour barrier
across an airspace around a window or door jamb.
Background of the Invention
In order to ensure the fitting of doors and windows
during the construction (or reconstruction) of building walls,
it is usual to make a larger opening than required for the door
or window jamb (frame) thereby leaving an airspace between the
jamb and the internal wall studs and insulation (if any). This
airspace undesirably provides an air/vapour passageway from the
outside of the building to the inside of the building.
Therefore, while the airspace is necessary for the installation
of the door (or window) it provides an insulation problem once
the door has been installed.
In accordance with modern construction practices, it
is also usual to apply an air-vapour barrier sheet, in the form
of a plastic sheet (e.g. polyethylene) over the wall studs (and
insulation) and below the interior wall cladding (e.g. gypsum
board) to prevent outside air and moisture from passing through
the wall to the cladding and the interior of the building and
to prevent interior moisture and air from passing into the wall
cavity and outside. Such vapour-barrier sheet may be stapled
to the wall studs to secure it during the construction phase.
Since it is awkward to affix the air-vapour barrier sheet to a
window (or door) jamb, it is ordinarily only run over the
length of the wall studs/insulation to the start of the
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airspace thereby leaving a gap across the airspace through
which air and vapour may pass. Consequently, it is desirable
to provide a means by which the airspace between a window or
door jamb and the interior wall studs/insulation and air-vapour
barrier sheet (if any) may isolate the exterior from the
interior of the building.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with the invention, there is provided
an air-vapour barrier continuity device for installation across
an airspace between a door or window jamb and a wall stud or
rough sill. The continuity device comprises a flexible first
generally rectangular longitudinal planar member and a second
generally rectangular longitudinal planar member connected
thereto. The first member angularly connects at a first back
longitudinal edge thereof to the second member along a
longitudinal line of the second member. The first member
extends away from a front longitudinal edge of the second
member at an angle greater than 90 to provide biased contact
with the wall stud or rough sill upon installation whereupon
the second member lies adjacent an inner wall edge of the jamb.
The breadth of the first member is sufficient to extend from
the jamb across the airspace to the wall stud or rough sill.
Preferably, the air-vapour barrier continuity device
is formed as a single rectangular sheet of a polymeric
material, bent along a longitudinal line thereof, such that one
side forms the first member of the device and the second side
forms the second member. The angle between the first and
second members is preferably in the order of 95-110.
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The air-vapour barrier continuity device of the
present invention provides an effective and easy-to-install
means of "damming" an airspace around windows and doors. It
may be used with or without an air-vapour barrier sheet while
still providing a barrier across the airspace. Each end of the
device seals effectively on either side of the airspace, the
first end (i.e. the first member) being configured to be
securely biased against the first wall stud (or rough sill)
adjacent the airspace and the second end (i.e. the second
member) being configured to be secured to the door jamb.
Description of the Drawings
A preferred embodiment of the invention is described
in greater detail below with reference to the following
drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts
throughout.
Figure 1 shows a front view of an air-vapour barrier
continuity device in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a plan (i.e. top) view of the
air-vapour barrier continuity device of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a side view of the air-vapour barrier
continuity device of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of a window~to-wall
construction from the exterior to interior walls showing an
air-vapour continuity device in accordance with the invention
installed between the window jamb and a wall stud.
Figure 5 is a sectional side view of a window-to-wall
construction at the top of a window showing an air-vapour
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barrier continuity device in accordance with the invention
installed between the window jamb and the top rough sill.
Figure 6 is a front view of an upper right-hand side
corner of a window in which two air vapour-barrier continuity
device sections in accordance with the invention are installed
and joined together at the corner along line B-B.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate a
preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 shows a
front view of an air-vapour barrier continuity device 5 and
Figures 2 and 3 show the plan and side views, respectively.
Figures 2 and 3 do not indicate a specific length of the
continuity device; it may be manufactured in a variety of
lengths as desired, for example, 10 foot sections which may
then be cut to the appropriate length for any specific
application.
As illustrated, a flexible first generally
rectangular longitudinal planar member lO angularly connects at
a first back longitudinal edge 50 thereof to a second generally
rectangular longitudinal planar member 20 at an angle greater
than 90. The greater-than-90 angular connection provides a
close-fitting biased contact of the first member to the wall
stud when the continuity device 5 is installed. The connection
of the first member 10 to the second member 20 is along a
longitudinal line 40 of the second member 20, the longitudinal
line 40 being coincident with the second back longitudinal edge
of the second member 20 in the illustrated embodiment.
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The preferred air-vapour barrier continuity device is
integrally formed as a flexible generally rectangular
longitudinal polymeric (e.g. polyethylene) sheet bent along a
longitudinal line thereof such that one side forms the first
member 10 and the other side forms the second member 20. The
angle of the bend is greater than 90 and is preferably 100 as
shown in Figure 3. The method of manufacture of the
illustrated continuity device 5 is according to standard
profile extrusion methods of making such polymeric piece
items.
The continuity device 5 is installed during the
construction (or reconstruction) of a wall before the
air-vapour barrier sheet 80 and interior wall cladding 70 are
installed (but after the exterior wall 170, the door or window
150, the wall studs 110, the rough sill 115 and/or the
insulation 180 have been installed). As shown in Figures 4 and
5, to install the continuity device 5, the second member 20 is
affixed to the inner wall edge of the door jamb (i.e. at the
end of the jamb adjacent the interior wall section to be clad
with wall cladding 70). To fix the second member to the jamb,
it may be stapled 100 and/or caulked 130 (with a suitable
sealant) as shown in the drawings depending upon the materials
of the jamb and continuity device.
The first member 10 is of sufficient breadth to
extend from the jamb across the airspace 90 to the first wall
stud 110 (or rough sill 115) adjacent the airspace 90. The
second member 20 is positioned on the jamb 120 such that the
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first member 10 extends away from the jamb 120 a suitable
distance inwardly from the interior face 125 of the jamb that
the wall cladding 70 may be installed over the continuity
device 5 as shown. For a standard window jamb installation,
the breadth of the first and second members 10, 20 of the
continuity device 5 and the positioning of the same is roughly
as shown in Figures 4 and 5 (i.e. the wall cladding 70 being ~2"
thick and the first and second members 10, 20 being l~z" and ~2"
broad, respectively). However, the appropriate dimensions for
any given application may be readily perceived by a technician
desirous to use the invention.
At the corner locations of the window (or door), two
sections of the continuity device 5 along the top and side of
the window (or door) are trimmed during installation to 45
angles so that they match at the corner as shown in Figure 6.
To achieve good matching at the corners, the devices 5 are let
to overhang each other at the corner a distance approximately
equal to the breadth of the first members 10 of each device 5,
clipping off the ends of the second members 20 as required to
achieve this overlap. Once this is done there are two
thicknesses of first members 10 overlapping at the corner
section. These are then cut along line B-B shown in Figure 6
using a straight edge, cutting outwardly from the corner. The
resulting 45 cut of the two continuity device sections 5 will
match to provide a flush corner join which can then be caulked
using an appropriate sealant to join the two sections along the
45 line B-B.
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Once all sections of the continuity device 5 have
been installed around the window or door, a waterproof air-
vapour barrier sheet 80 may be caulked (i.e. sealingly
attached) to and around the perimeter of the continuity device
using an appropriate sealant 135 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6
to provide a continuous air-vapour barrier from the sheet 80 to
the jamb 120. The interior wall cladding 70 and window or door
trim 140 may then be installed in the conventional manner.
The above description of a preferred embodiment of
the continuity device of the invention is not intended to limit
the scope of the invention. Configurations and materials of
the continuity device, though different than those specified
above in connection with the preferred embodiment, may
nevertheless fall within the scope of the invention which is
defined by the appended claims. For example, instead of a
generally L-shaped configuration, a generally T-shaped
configuration might instead be elected. Similarly, there are a
variety of materials and sizes other than those described above
which might be suitably elected.
. . .
