Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02548587 2007-02-27
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REINFORCED SIDINGS
FIELI3 C)F"I'HE I) [SC:Lf3SURE
[0003) 7'he present disclosure rs iates generally to sidings and, niori
pdrt.icul arly, to
reinf6rcecE siclings.
$AC3tiÃ;ROUN'D
[0004) Insulated vinyl siding is known in the art. Some insulated vinyl
sidings comprise
contoured vinvl panels that are sceured to contoured foam insulations
byiiexibie
adhesive. These vinyl sidinii-s dre tvFaicali} installed onto structures..
such as houses, by
pasitionint, the ft:ana-sid: of the siding onto an exterior wall of the
ttouse; and,~riving a
nail through a nailing hem flf'the vinvt panel. The nail is sequentially
driven through the
lterr3 Qi"the vinvi panel, the insulation, and the wall, thereby securing the
siding to the
house.
[0005] These iypes oi irtsufate:d vinyl sidings, in which the vinyl panel is
secured to ttie
foam insulation by f3exible arihesive, permits the fbam insulation and the
vinyl panel to
indepe.nde.ntlti= expand ant3 contract with changes in temperature.
Unfortunately, the
disadvanta;e ofusinp such flexible adhesive is that the adhesive can telegraph
through
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the vinyl siding, thereby causing visible patterns on the
vinyl siding when installed onto the wall.
[0006] Additionally, the independent expansion and
contraction of the vinyl panel and the foam insulation
sometimes causes a separation of the vinyl panel from the
foam insulation. This phenomenon is also known as oil
canning.
[0007] Rather than using flexible adhesive, others have
proposed using a friction fit to secure the vinyl panel to
the foam insulation. For that approach, the vinyl panel is
fabricated with various lips or overhangs, such that the
foam insulation can be inserted into the lip or overhang.
Unfortunately, the fabrication of such lips and overhangs
adds to the total cost of production for the vinyl panels.
Also, the insertion of the foam insulation into the lip or
overhang results in added complexity in assembling the
contoured vinyl siding.
[0008] In view of these and other problems, a need exists
in the art.
SUMMARY
[0009] Sidings and various methods associated with
sidings are disclosed. Some embodiments, among others, of
the siding comprise an insulation and a panel. The
insulation and the panel are coupled to each other prior to
installation of the siding. This coupling is achieved by
non-adhesive coupling mechanisms.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an insulated vinyl siding panel,
comprising: a. a foam insulation having a contour; b. a
vinyl panel comprising (i) a nailing hem with a plurality of
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orifices; and (ii) a contour corresponding substantially to
the contour of the foam insulation; c. a mechanical fastener
stud comprising (i) a first end having a driving point being
driven through the foam insulation, the driving point
further being driven through the nailing hem, the driving
point being configured to fasten to the nailing hem; (ii) a
second end having a flat head, the flat head being
configured to fasten to the foam insulation; and (iii) a
shaft connecting the first end and second end; and d. the
mechanical fastener stud secures the foam insulation to the
vinyl panel while still permitting independent movement of
the foam insulation and the vinyl panel caused by
differential thermal expansion when temperatures fluctuate.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a siding comprising: a panel;
an insulation; and non-adhesive means for coupling the panel
to the insulation prior to installation of the siding.
According to still another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a siding comprising: a non-
adhesive coupling mechanism; a panel; and a reinforcement
mechanism being coupled to the panel by the non-adhesive
coupling mechanism, the reinforcement mechanism being
coupled to the panel prior to installation of the siding.
According to yet another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a siding comprising: a non-
adhesive coupling mechanism; an insulation; and a panel
being coupled to the insulation by the non-adhesive coupling
mechanism, the panel being coupled to the insulation prior
to installation of the siding.
According to a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a method for installing
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sidings, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a
siding having a panel and an insulation, the panel being
secured to the insulation by a non-adhesive coupling;
positioning the siding for installation; and securing the
siding to a structure.
According to yet a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a method for fabricating
sidings, the method comprising the steps of: providing an
insulation; providing a panel; and non-adhesively coupling
the insulation to the panel.
According to still a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a method for fabricating
sidings, the method comprising: providing an insulation
having a contoured front side and a flat back side;
providing a panel having a contour corresponding
substantially to the contour of the insulation front side
and a nailing hem with a plurality of orifices; and non-
adhesively coupling the insulation to the panel so the
insulation and panel may move independently of each other,
wherein non-adhesively coupling the insulation to the panel
comprises driving a fastener through the insulation and the
panel.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a method for fabricating
sidings, the method comprising: providing an insulation
having an insulation front side, and an insulation back
side; providing a panel having a panel front side, a panel
back side, and at least one panel orifice; non-adhesively
coupling the insulation to the panel to permit the
insulation to move independently of the panel, wherein non-
adhesively coupling the insulation to the panel comprises:
detecting a location of at least one panel orifice; in
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response to detecting the location of at least one panel
orifice, driving a fastener through the insulation and the
panel orifice, wherein driving the fastener through the
insulation and panel orifice comprises: driving the fastener
through the insulation back side toward the insulation front
side; and driving the fastener through the panel back side
toward the panel front side.
According to yet another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided an insulated vinyl siding
panel, comprising: a. a foam insulation having a contour; b.
a vinyl panel comprising (i) a nailing hem with a plurality
of orifices; and (ii) a contour corresponding substantially
to the contour of the foam insulation; c. a mechanical
fastener stud comprising (i) a first end having a driving
point being driven through the foam insulation, the driving
point further being driven through the nailing hem, the
driving point being configured to fasten to the nailing hem;
(ii) a second end having a flat head, the flat head being
configured to fasten to the foam insulation; and (iii) a
shaft connecting the first end and second end; and d. the
mechanical fastener stud secures the foam insulation to the
vinyl panel while still permitting independent movement of
the foam insulation and the vinyl panel caused by
differential thermal expansion when temperatures fluctuate.
[0010] Other systems, devices, methods, features, and
advantages will be or become apparent to one with skill in
the art upon examination of the following drawings and
detailed description. It is intended that all such
additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be
included within this description, be within the scope of the
present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying
claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference
to the
following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to
scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the
present
disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate
corresponding
parts throughout the several views.
[0012] FIG. I shows a perspective view of an insulated siding.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the insulated siding of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIGS. 3A through 3D show an apparatus configured to mechanically fasten
an
insulation to a panel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments
as
illustrated in the drawings. While several embodiments are described in
connection with
these drawings, there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the embodiment
or
embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all
alternatives,
modifications, and equivalents.
[0016] As noted above, insulated vinyl sidings, in which the vinyl panel is
secured to the
foam insulation by flexible adhesive, is problematic for various reasons.
Various
embodiments, disclosed herein, seek to remedy the problems associated with
using
flexible adhesive.
[0017] For some embodiments, rather than simply using flexible adhesive to
secure a
vinyl panel to a foam insulation, a non-adhesive coupling mechanism is used to
couple
the vinyl panel to the foam insulation. Unlike the flexible adhesive, the non-
adhesive
coupling mechanism does not suffer from oil canning or other separation caused
by
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temperature fluctuations. As such, the non-adhesive coupling provides a robust
way of
securing the panel to the insulation, such that the structural integrity of
the siding is
relatively immune from temperature fluctuations.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an insulated siding. As shown in
FIG. 1, the
insulated siding includes a panel 110, which, in this embodiment, is a
contoured vinyl
panel. The siding further includes an insulation 130, which has a contour that
substantially corresponds to the contour of the panel 110. The panel 110
includes a
nailing hem 180 that has multiple orifices 150. Typically, when installing
sidings, nails
are drive through these orifices 150 to secure the siding to outer walls of
structures.
However, for some embodiments of the invention, the orifices 150 also
facilitate the
mechanical coupling of the panel 110 to the insulation 130.
[0019] Additionally, the siding of FIG. I includes locking contours 160, 170,
which are
used to mate contiguous sidings. For some embodiments, the insulation 130 is
contoured
so that a ledge 140 is formed at one end of the insulation 130. This ledge 140
permits
contiguous pieces of insulation to overlap with each other, thereby reducing
the potential
for gaps between adjacent pieces of insulation 130. It should be noted that,
while FIG. 1
shows a recessed ledge 140, for other embodiments, the ledge 140 may be raised
above
the level of the panel 110 or, alternatively, may be configured to be flush
with the level of
the panel 110. Since the mating of contiguous sidings is known in the art, no
further
discussion of such mating is provided here.
[0020] The insulated siding of FIG. 1 also includes a flexible adhesive 120,
which is
known in the art. The flexible adhesive 120 provides additional security in
coupling the
panel 110 with the insulation 130. However, it should be appreciated that the
flexible
adhesive 120 in FIG. 1 is optional, insofar as the non-adhesive coupling
mechanism 200,
shown in FIG. 2, sufficiently secures the panel 110 with the insulation 130.
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[0021] While a vinyl panel is shown in FIG. 1, it should be appreciated that,
for other
embodiments, the panel 110 can be metal (e.g., steel, aluminum, or other known
metallic
substance), composite, wood, or other lcnown substances that are typically
used, or can be
used, for siding materials. Additionally, while the panel 110 of FIG. 1 is
shown to be a
contoured panel, for other embodiments, the panel 110 need not be contoured
but can be a
flat panel.
[0022] Also, while the insulation 130, in some embodiments, is foam
insulation, it should
be appreciated that other types of insulation can be used without detracting
from the
scope of the disclosure. For example, the insulation can be cardboard or other
known
materials that are used, and can be used, for insulation. In addition, the
insulation 130 can
incorporate flame-retardant materials to improve fire safety related to the
siding.
Furthermore, the insulation 130 can optionally include termite treatment to
deter infection
of the siding by termites.
[0023] For yet other embodiments, the insulation can be substituted with a non-
insulating
material that is simply provided to increase the structural rigidity of the
panel 110. In that
regard, the panel 110 can be mechanically fastened to a structural
reinforcement material.
For yet other embodiments, the insulation 130 can also function as the
structural
reinforcement material. Such structural enforcement material provides impact
resistance
to the panel 110, thereby providing a stronger product.
[0024] Turning now to FIG. 2, a side view of the insulated siding of FIG. 1 is
shown with
a non-adhesive coupling mechanism 200. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the non-
adhesive
coupling mechanism 200 is a stud (shown shaded in FIG. 2) having a pointed
driving end
220 and a flat head 210. Such studs are commonly known in the industry as
"Christmas
tree fasteners," since their profiles appear similar to the profiles of
Christmas trees. The
pointed driving end 220, for some embodiments, is driven through the siding
from the
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insulation 130 side to the panel 110 side. In that regard, for such
embodiments, the stud
is driven in the opposite direction from a nail that will eventually be driven
through the
siding during installation. In other words, while a nail is driven from the
panel 110 side
to the insulation 130 side during installation of the siding, the stud is
driven in the
opposite direction to secure the panel 110 to the insulation 130. It should be
appreciated
that, for other embodiments, the fastener may optionally have fins that
extrude from the
shaft of the stud. For such embodiments, the fins assist in securing the panel
110 to the
insulation 130.
[0025] For the embodiment using the stud 200, the stud 200 is aligned to one
of the
orifices 150 of the nailing hem 180. Thus, once aligned, the stud 200 is
driven through
the nailing hem 180 of the panel 110 from the insulation side. For some
embodiments,
the pointed driving end 220 is flanged so that, once the stud 200 is driven
through the
orifice 150, the force applied to the panel 110 by the flange, and the
opposing force
applied to the insulation 130 by the head, 210 results in a securing of the
panel 110 to the
insulation 130.
[0026] While the embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the flat head 210 of the stud 200
being
flush with the insulation 130, it should be appreciated that the stud 200 need
not be driven
so far into the insulation 130, for other embodiments. In other words, unlike
the
embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it is also contemplated that the stud 200 can
extend beyond
the back surface of the insulation 130. For yet other embodiments, the stud
200 can also
be driven further into the insulation 130 to form a depression at the location
of the stud
200.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, flexible adhesive 120 can be used in conjunction
with the
stud 200 to secure the panel 110 to the insulation 130. Since flexible
adhesives are
known in the art, further discussion of flexible adhesives is omitted here.
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[0028] As can be appreciated, the dimensions of the stud 200 can be altered,
depending
on the thickness of the insulation 130, the size of the orifice 150, and
various other
factors. Additionally, while a stud 200 having a head 210 and a point 220 are
shown, it
should be appreciated that the non-adhesive coupling mechanism can be a
different type
of mechanical fastener, such as, for example, a bolt, a clip, a staple, a
screw, a nail, any
other known mechanism, or a combination thereof. Even among these selections
of
fasteners, it should be appreciated that different types of bolts, clips,
screws, or other
variants of such fasteners can be used to non-adhesively couple the insulation
130 to the
panel 110. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the fasteners can be
fabricated from
plastic, wood, metal, rubber, a composite material, or any combination
thereof.
[0029] By using non-adhesive coupling mechanisms, such as that shown in FIG.
2, the
problems concomitant to flexible adhesives can be largely avoided.
[0030] Various embodiments of the invention also include methods for
fabricating the
sidings shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As such, some embodiments, among others,
include the
steps of providing an insulation and a panel, and non-adhesively coupling the
insulation
to the panel. The process of fabricating the siding of FIG. 2 can be automated
by
carrying the insulation 130 and the panel 110 along a conveyor, registering
the location of
the orifice 150, and appropriately timing the driving of the stud 200 so that
it is driven
through the orifice 150 of the panel.
[0031] For some embodiments, the process can be accomplished by modifying
known
equipment, such as, for example, the apparatus described in U.S. Patent
Numbers
6,199,740 and 6,343,730, both titled "Pneumatic Fastener Inserter and Hopper
for Same,"
invented by Benes et al., and assigned to Waitt/Fremont Machine LLC (Fremont,
NE),
hereinafter referred to simply as the "pneumatic gun." Since the pneumatic gun
is
described in great detail in the above-referenced patents, and is generally
known to those
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of skill in the art, only relevant modifications to the pneumatic gun are
described in detail
below. U.S. Patent Numbers 6,199,740 and 6,343,730 are incorporated herein by
reference, as if set forth in their entireties.
[0032] FIGS. 3A through 3D show an apparatus configured to mechanically fasten
an
insulation to a panel. Specifically, FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a
modified
pneumatic gun 315; FIG. 3B shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 3A; FIG.
3C
shows a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 3A; and FIG. 3D shows a front view
of the
apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0033] The apparatus of FIGS. 3A through 3D show a modified pneumatic gun 315
that
is configured to insert fasteners into foam-insulated vinyl siding 100.
However, it should
be appreciated that such an apparatus can be readily modified to accommodate
other
types of insulation or reinforcement and other types of panels.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3A through 3D, for some embodiments, the pneumatic
gun
315 can be modified so that it is coupled to a conveyor 305 that advances the
siding 100.
In one embodiment, among others, the conveyor 305 moves the siding 100 past
the
pneumatic gun 315, so that the pneumatic gun 305 can fire fasteners into the
siding 100,
preferably, through the nailing hem of the siding.
[0035] The conveyor 305 includes a guide rail 310. Preferably, the siding 100
travels
along the guide rail 310, so that the siding 100 will be aligned to a fixed
position along
the length of the conveyor 305. The guide rail 310 thereby aligns the siding
100 to the
pneumatic gun 315 so that the position of the nailing hem is at a fixed
distance from the
pneumatic gun 315. In other words, the guide rail 310 assists in positioning
the
pneumatic gun 315 such that the fastener will be driven through substantially
the center of
any given nailing hem.
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[0036] To insert the fastener into the siding 100, for some embodiments, the
head 320 of
the pneumatic gun 315 is mounted below the conveyor 305, as shown in FIGS. 3B
and
3D, at a fixed offset from the guide rail 310. Preferably, the fixed offset is
equal to the
distance of the nailing hem from the edge of the siding 100. In other words,
the head 320
of the pneumatic gun 315 is mounted so that the fastener will be driven
through the
nailing hem as the siding 100 travels along the guide rail 310 of the conveyor
305.
[0037] For those embodiments in which the head 320 of the pneumatic gun 315 is
located
below the conveyor 305, a bracket 325 is situated above the conveyor 305. The
bracket
325 applies a counterforce to the siding 100. In that regard, as the fastener
is driven from
the insulation-side, through the insulation, and subsequently through the
nailing hem of
the panel, the bracket 325 applies a stabilizing force to the panel-side,
thereby
substantially preventing the siding 100 from becoming misaligned from the
guide rail
310. In other words, as the fastener applies a force to the insulation-side
during insertion,
the bracket 325 applies a substantially equal force to the panel-side. These
two
countervailing forces maintain a substantial equilibrium to keep the siding
100 from being
jolted off of the conveyor 305.
[0038] In order to completely automate the process, sensors (not shown) can be
mounted
on the conveyor 305 for some embodiments. For those embodiments, the sensors
can
detect the location of the nailing hem as the siding 100 travels along the
conveyor 305.
The speed of the conveyor 305 can be adjusted accordingly so that the fastener
can be
driven through approximately the center of the nailing hem.
[0039] For some embodiments, multiple pneumatic guns can be mounted onto a
single
conveyor unit, thereby permitting multiple substantially-concurrent insertions
of
fasteners. For yet other embodiments, the head of the pneumatic gun can be
mounted
onto servo mechanisms, thereby permitting lateral and transverse movements of
the head.
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This permits fine or coarse adjustments of the location of the fastener with
reference to
the siding.
[0040] It should be appreciated that the entire process may be computerized so
as to
minimize human interaction. In that regard, the speed of the conveyor, the
location of the
pneumatic gun, the size of the fasteners, the relative force of the pneumatic
gun, and a
host of other variables can be adjusted to optimize the process by which the
fasteners are
driven into the siding. Since such optimization parameters are readily
ascertainable with
minimal experimentation, such optimizations are not discussed herein.
[0041] Also, while a particular embodiment using the pneumatic gun is
described above,
it should be appreciated that comparable processes can be developed for other
fastening
mechanisms. Since the application to other fasteners is relatively straight-
forward,
discussion of such processes is omitted here.
[0042] Various embodiments of the invention also include methods for
installing the
sidings shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As such, some embodiments, among others,
include the
steps of obtaining a siding in which a panel and an insulation are secured to
each other by
a non-adhesive coupling, positioning the siding at a given location on a wall,
and securing
the siding to the wall. Typically, the siding can be secured to the wall by
driving a nail
through one or more orifices in the nailing hem.
[0043] It should be appreciated that the structure, on which the siding is
mounted, can be
a residential building (e.g., house, apartment, condominium, etc.) or a
commercial
building (e.g., warehouse, garage, etc.). In fact, the sidings can be mounted
onto any
building structure that is commonly known in the art.
[0044] Although exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will
be clear
to those of ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications,
or alterations
to the disclosure as described may be made. For example, while various
mechanical
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fasteners are recited for the non-adhesive coupling, it should be appreciated
that other
mechanical fasteners can be used to secure the panel to the insulation.
Similarly, while
vinyl siding is shown to clearly illustrate various embodiments of the
invention, it should
be appreciated that the panel need not be fabricated from vinyl, but may be
fabricated
from other known materials, such as metals, plastics, composites, etc., which
can be used
in the industry for siding. Additionally, while foam insulation is disclosed
for some
embodiments, it should be appreciated that other embodiments can include other
insulating or non-insulating material. All such changes, modifications, and
alterations
should therefore be seen as within the scope of the disclosure.
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