Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANEL SYSTEM
Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a structural insulated panel. The
present invention
relates more particularly to a structural insulated panel system for
assembling an insulated
enclosure. The present invention relates more particularly to a prefabricated
structural insulated
panel system that is quickly and easily assembled and readily accommodates
tolerance
variations.
Background
[0002] It is generally known to provide insulated panels or walls for
temperature controlled
storage areas (e.g. walk-in coolers, etc.) or for other structures or
enclosures where a thermal
boundary is desired. Such known walls or panels typically include wall or
paneling structures
where a layer of an insulation material is installed (e.g. blankets, sheets,
etc.) within a cavity of a
wall during construction of the wall or structure, or is applied (e.g.
spraying a foam material,
etc.) to a surface of the wall or structure after construction is complete.
Accordingly, it would be
desirable to provide a structural insulated panel system that provides pre-
fabricated structural
insulated panels that connect to one another rapidly, conveniently, and having
improved strength
and air-tightness qualities.
Summary
[0003] According to one embodiment, a structural insulated panel system
includes a frame
including a first vertical frame member and a second vertical frame member and
a top frame
member and a bottom frame member. A first siding member is attached to one
side of the frame
and a second siding member is attached to an opposite side of the frame to
form a cavity and an
insulation material is provided within the cavity. A tongue portion includes a
projection formed
from the first vertical frame member disposed laterally outward from one
vertical edge of the
first and second siding members. A groove portion includes a recess formed
from the second
vertical frame member disposed laterally inward from an opposite vertical edge
of the first and
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second siding members, so that the tongue portion from one panel is configured
to mate with the
groove portion of another panel to provide an assembly of multiple panels.
[0004] According to another embodiment, a prefabricated structural insulated
panel includes a
frame and a first siding member attached to a first side of the frame and a
second siding member
attached to a second side of the frame, and an insulation material provided
within a cavity
formed by the frame and the first and second siding members. The frame
includes a first vertical
member positioned outwardly of a vertical edge on one side of the first and
second siding
members to form a tongue portion, and a second vertical frame member is
positioned inwardly of
a vertical edge on an opposite side of the first and second siding members to
form a groove
portion.
[0005] According to another embodiment, a method of making a structural
insulated panel
system includes the steps of providing a frame including a first vertical
frame member and a
second vertical frame member and a top frame member and a bottom frame member,
attaching a
first siding member to one side of the frame and attaching a second siding
member to an opposite
side of the frame to form a cavity, injecting an insulation material into the
cavity, positioning the
first vertical member outwardly of a vertical edge on one side of the first
and second siding
members to form a tongue portion, and positioning a second vertical frame
member inwardly of
a vertical edge on an opposite side of the first and second siding members to
form a groove
portion.
Brief Description of the Drawines
[0006] FIGURES lA-1B are schematic images of a perspective view of a
conventional
structural insulated panel and connection device.
[0007] FIGURE 2A is a schematic image of a front elevation view of a
structural insulated
panel according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0008] FIGURE 2B is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated
panel along lines 2B-2B in FIGURE 2A, according to an exemplary embodiment.
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[0009] FIGURE 2C is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated
panel along lines 2C-2C in FIGURE 2A, according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0010] FIGURE 2D is a schematic image of an exploded perspective view of a
structural
insulated panel assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0011] FIGURE 3A is a schematic image of a perspective view of a structural
insulated corner
panel assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0012] FIGURE 3B is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated
corner panel assembly along lines 3B-3B in FIGURE 3A, according to an
exemplary
embodiment.
[0013] FIGURE 3C is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated
corner panel assembly along lines 3C-3C in FIGURE 3A, according to an
exemplary
embodiment.
Detailed Description
100141 Referring to FIGURES 2A-3C, a structural insulated panel system 100 for
use in
assembling an enclosure (e.g. walk-in cooler, refrigerated storage area, etc.)
or other type of
structure (e.g. residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, etc.)
having a thermal boundary is
shown according to one embodiment. The panels are prefabricated with a frame
and siding
arrangement that permits rapid and secure assembly of the panels to one
another (e.g. in a "plug-
and-play" type manner, etc.). The system includes a first type of panels
intended for use in
planar segments of an enclosure, such as for assembling walls, ceilings,
roofs, etc., and a second
type of panels intended for use in assembling corners or other suitable
junctions between the
walls, ceiling, or roof of the enclosure. The panels may be provided in a wide
variety of sizes
(e.g. height and width) that may be provided as "standard" sizes (such as
within a range of six
inches to 48 inches wide, and 8 to 10 feet high) or may also be provided in a
wide range of
custom order sizes (such as up to 12 feet wide and up to 16 feet high)
intended to suit a particular
application. The panels may also be provided in various thicknesses as
"standard" thicknesses
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corresponding to a range of desired thermal performance characteristics, or
may be provided in
custom thicknesses intended to suit a particular application. The thickness of
the panels may be
varied by changing the thickness of either or both of the siding and the
frame. Although the
system is shown and described by way of example as having rectangular shaped
panels and
right-angle corners, the system may be used with any of a wide variety of
shapes and corner
assembly configurations. Further, the panels may be modified for use in
particular areas of the
enclosure, such as for use as roof panels, etc. Accordingly, all such
modifications are intended to
be within the scope of the invention as disclosed in reference to the
embodiments illustrated and
described herein.
[0015] Referring to FIGURES lA-1B, a conventional structural insulated panel
and connection
device are shown. The conventional panels 10 are shown to include structural
frame pieces 12
that are flush with the edges of the siding portion 14 of the panels. The
conventional connection
device includes two wooden strips 16 (e.g. "splines") that are inserted within
slots 18 provided
along the frame pieces at the adjoining edge of each of the panels. The strips
are then fastened to
each of the panels (e.g. by nails or screws) to hold the panels together. The
conventional panels
and connection devices are generally difficult and time-consuming to assemble,
and do not
provide a desired ease-of-construction. The conventional panels are also
generally not well
suited to adjusting the width of the panels, for example when necessary to
accommodate
tolerance stack up when combining multiple panels together, or when necessary
to accommodate
the size requirements of the installation location. For example, when
additional width is desired,
the conventional panels often require extending the width of the strips
between two or more
panel joints to expand the width of the panel installation, and then filling
the gap between the
ends of the panels with a filler or spacer, which tends to weaken the strength
and sealing quality
of the joint(s). When reduced width is desired, the conventional panels often
require cutting or
trimming the adjoining edges of one or more panels to remove a desired width
(which results in
the slots becoming more shallow), and then cutting or trimming the strips to
fit within the
shallower slots to reduce the overall width of the panel installation, which
tends to weaken the
strength and sealing quality of the joint(s).
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[0016] Referring to FIGURES 2A-2C, a first type of prefabricated structural
insulated panels
110 and connection device 140 of the system 100 intended for use in assembling
wall, ceilings,
roofs, etc., is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Panels 110 are
shown to include a
frame 112 having first and second vertical frame members 113, 114 and a top
frame member 115
and a bottom frame member 115a, a first siding member 116, a second siding
member 120, and
an insulation fill material 130, and connection devices. According to one
embodiment, the frame
112 is formed from structural members, such as "2 x 4" wood lumber, although
other size lumber
(e.g. 2 x 2, 2 x 6, 2 x 8, etc.) may be used to provide panels having a
greater or lesser width (e.g.
thickness) to suit a desired thermal, fire and/or environmental boundary
performance. The frame
112 is also shown formed in the shape of a rectangle having two vertical and
two horizontal
structural members, each located generally along a perimeter of the panel.
However, additional
(i.e. internal) structural members may be included (e.g. within the perimeter
and extending side-
to-side and/or top-to-bottom and/or corner-to-corner) to provide additional
structural support as
desired for a particular application. According to alternative embodiments,
the structural
members of the frame may be provided by high density foam rails, particularly
where
exceptional insulating performance is desired. According to further
alternative embodiments, the
rails may be provided from a material such as steel, aluminum, or suitable
composites,
particularly where increased strength is desired or higher fire rating is
desired.
100171 First and second siding members 116, 120 are attached on opposite sides
(e.g. front and
back, inside and outside, etc.) of the frame 112 to provide a structural panel
having a cavity 118
defined by the siding members 116, 120 and the frame 112 (or multiple cavities
in the event that
the panel includes one or more internal structural members). The siding
members may be
provided as any type of siding having a desired strength and appearance for a
particular
application. According to one embodiment, the siding members are oriented
strand board (OSB)
having a thickness of approximately 7/16 inches (or other thicknesses as
determined by
performance specifications for a particular enclosure), but may be other types
of panels or siding
having any suitable thickness and desired architectural appearance to provide
a desired thermal,
fire and/or environmental boundary performance and appearance for use in a
particular
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application. For example, the siding members may include (or be formed from,
or have applied
thereto) a fire resistant or fire retardant material, and/or an antibacterial
or antimicrobial
treatment. Further, multiple skin options may be used with varying materials
andlor thicknesses
to provide specific or custom-tailored thermal, fire, or environmental
performance boundaries.
The siding members may be attached to the frame using any suitable method and
components
such as nails, screws, staples, adhesive (glue, etc.) or combination thereof,
to provide a panel
"shell". The cavity(ies) 118 of the shell are then filled with the insulation
material 130 to
provide the first type of structural insulated panel. According to one
embodiment, the insulation
material is a polyurethane foam that is injected into the cavity(ies) through
a suitable small hole
(not shown) cut or drilled into one of the siding members at a location
corresponding to a
generally central location of the cavity. The polyurethane foam is injected
into the one or more
cavities to provide a desired density corresponding to the desired thermal
performance
characteristic of the panel. According to one embodiment, the density of the
insulation foam
material is within a range of approximately 2.0 - 2.6 pounds per cubic foot.
(0018] Referring further to FIGURES 2A-2C, a connection device 140 for joining
the
structural insulated panels 110 of the system 100 is shown according to an
exemplary
embodiment. Connection device 140 includes a projection (e.g. tab, male
portion, etc. - shown
as a tongue portion 142) and a receptacle (e.g. pocket, recess, female
portion, etc. - shown as a
groove portion 144) that are integrally formed as part of the panel 110
through an arrangement of
the frame members 113, 114 and siding members 116, 120 relative to one
another. Tongue
portion 142 having a width A is formed by placing or extending one vertical
frame member 114
laterally outward a distance B beyond the side edges 117, 121 of siding
members 116, 120. In
order to obtain a tongue portion having a desired extension distance B, the
frame member 114
may be located laterally outward and beyond the side edges 117, 121, in which
case extension
members 126 (e.g. spacers, bridges, etc.) may be provided to extend the
location of the frame
member 114 beyond the side edges 117, 121. Alternatively, the outwardly
extending frame
member may overlap the side edges and be attached directly to the siding
members. According
to another alternative embodiment, multiple vertical frame members may be used
(e.g. "stacked",
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etc.) to obtain the desired extension distance for the tongue portion and the
extension members
may be eliminated. According to one embodiment, the outward vertical edges on
frame member
114 may be beveled or chamfered to enhance the ease of tongue and groove
assembly of the
panels during field construction.
[00191 Groove portion 144 having a width C is formed by placing or retracting
(e.g. insetting,
etc.) the vertical frame member 113 laterally inward a distance D within the
side edges 118, 122
of siding members 116, 120. According to one embodiment where the frame
members are 2 x 4
wood lumber, width A is approximately 3-1/2 inches and distance B is
approximately 1-7/8
inches and width C is approximately 3-1/2 inches and distance D is
approximately 2 inches.
However, other distances that provide desired joint strength and leak
tightness characteristics
may be used. For example, according to alternative embodiments, the distance
dimensions for
the tongue and groove portions may be within the range of approximately 1/2
inch to 6 inches.
Further, each panel is shown to also include a horizontal groove portion 128
along a bottom of
the panel 110 for use in positioning and retaining the panel over a sill plate
(or other suitable
structure - not shown) at the field installation location. The bottom frame
member may also
include a dado (e.g. groove, trench, slot, recess, etc.) to adapt the panel
for sill plate bolt/nut
clearance.
[0020] The tongue and groove portions 142, 144 of each panel 110 are also
configured to
accommodate the need to expand or contract the overall width of an assembly of
panels. For
example, in the illustrated embodiment using 2 x 4 lumber and OSB siding
members, a reduction
in panel width may be accomplished by cutting-off up to 1 inch from the
outward face of vertical
frame member 114 of tongue portion 142 and cutting the same amount from the
edges 118, 122
of the siding members 116, 120 extending from the groove portion 144 on the
adjoining panel
110 and assembling the two panels 110 together. Similarly, an expansion in
panel width may be
accomplished by attaching up to 1 inch of filler material (e.g. wood strip,
blocks, spacer, shim,
etc.) to the vertical frame member 113 in the groove 144 and then assembling
the two panels
together; a strip or gap may remain between the siding members on the two
panels corresponding
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to the thickness of the filler material in the groove portion, which may be
readily filled with a
strip of siding material.
[0021] Referring further to FIGURES 2A-2C, the connection device 140 may also
include a
retractable fastener 150, such as a cam-lock type connector for drawing
together and locking the
tongue portion 142 and groove portion 144 into engagement with one another.
According to one
embodiment, the retractable fastener 150 includes a hook-and-pin device where
a pin 152 is
recessed into the vertical frame member 114 of the tongue portion 142 and a
retractable hook
154 is recessed into the vertical frame member 113 of the groove portion 144.
The hook 154
may be extended and retracted using a suitable tool, such as a T-wrench or
hexagonal wrench
extended through a suitable access hole (not shown) cut or drilled into the
siding member 120
and frame member 113 to extend and retract the hook 154. According to a
preferred
embodiment, the retractable fastener 150 is a Kason PanelockTM fastener
commercially available
from Kason Industries, Inc. According to alternative embodiments, the
orientation of the pin and
the hook on the tongue and groove portions may be reversed, and multiple
retractable fasteners
may be provided on each of the tongue and groove portions to provide increased
strength and air
tightness at the joint between the panels.
[0022] Two or more of the structural insulated panels 110 (having any desired
width) may be
assembled together by mating (e.g. joining, nesting, connecting, etc.) the
tongue portion 142 and
groove portion 144 of adjacent panels 110 to provide an extended assembly of
multiple panels
such as may be used for a wall, floor, ceiling or roof of an enclosure. As the
tongue portion 142
of a first panel 110 is inserted into the groove portion 144 of a second panel
110, the siding
members 116, 120 corresponding to the groove 144 of the second panel 110
overlie the vertical
frame member 114 of the tongue portion 142 on the frame 112 of the first panel
110. For
embodiments that include retractable fasteners 150, the hook 154 from one
panel 110 is extended
and placed in position over the pin 152 on the other panel 110 as the tongue
and groove portions
142, 144 are joined, then a suitable tool is inserted through an access hole
(not shown) in one of
the siding members to actuate the hook 154 to a closed position that captures
and draws the pin
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152 to "pull" and lock the two panels 110 together into a tight fitting
engagement. The access
hole may be subsequently filled with a suitable insulating material.
[0023] The panels may then be more permanently joined by fastening the siding
members 116,
120 of the groove portion 144 to the vertical frame member 114 of the tongue
portion 142 using
suitable components (e.g. nails, screws, staples, adhesives, etc.). According
to one embodiment,
prior to mating of the tongue portion 142 and the groove portion 144, a layer
(e.g. "bead", etc.)
of a sealant (not shown) may be provided along the height of the vertical
frame member 114 of
tongue portion 142 and/or the vertical frame member 113 of groove portion 144
to enhance the
air-tightness of the joint between the panels 110 (e.g. in the manner of a
gasket or weather-strip
or the like). The sealant may be an adhesive material or have adhesive
qualities, and may also
have desired thermal insulation properties. According to one embodiment, the
sealant is a
polyurethane foam material that may be compressed between the tongue portion
142 and the
groove portion 144 during assembly of the panels 110 to one another.
[0024] Referring to FIGURES 3A-3C, a structural insulated panel corner
assembly 160 of the
system 110 is provided for use in corner locations of an enclosure or other
structure, according to
an exemplary embodiment. Corner assembly 160 includes a first corner panel 162
and a second
corner panel 180. First corner panel 162 and second corner panel 180 are
similar to panel 110 as
previously described (including an insulation fill material 130), but include
additional features
adapted to form a corner assembly. First corner panel 162 includes a groove
portion 164 on one
vertical side (shown as a "free" side, adapted to engage a tongue portion 142
from a panel 110 in
a wall section of an enclosure), and a tongue portion 166 on an opposite
vertical side, where the
tongue portion 166 is formed by an extension of siding member 168 that extends
beyond vertical
frame member 172. The second corner panel 180 includes a tongue portion 182
formed from a
vertical frame member 192 on one vertical side (shown as a "free" side,
adapted to engage a
groove portion 144 from a panel 110 in a wall section of an enclosure), and a
flat surface 184 on
an opposite vertical side, where a frame member 186 is generally flush with
the edges of the
siding members 188, 190.
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[0025] The first and second corner panels 162 and 180 are readily assembled by
mating the flat
surface 184 of the second corner panel 180 with the tongue portion 166 of the
first corner panel
162, and joining them with suitable fastening components (as previously
described). According
to alternative embodiments, the free side of the first and second panels may
be provided with
either a tongue portion or a groove portion as appropriate for mating with
other panels of the
enclosure. The first and second corner panels of the corner assembly may also
include
retractable fasteners as previously described.
[0026] According to any preferred embodiment, the structural insulated panel
system provides
a system of panels for use in planar segments and corner assemblies of an
enclosure having a
thermal boundary, and connectors that are provided as integral members of the
prefabricated
panel. The panels are formed as a single integrated unit to include a frame
and siding members
that are arranged to form a tongue and groove portion on each panel. The
tongue and groove
members of the frame and the siding members form a shell with one or more
cavities that are
filled with a thermal insulation material to provide stand-alone panels that
are readily
connectable to one another in a simplified and expedient manner. The panels of
the assembly are
conveniently and readily assembled into a desired structure or enclosure by
mating the tongue
and groove portions of the various panels and securing them in place, without
the use of
additional strips or splines. The widths of the panels may also be adjusted in
a simple manner to
accommodate tolerance variations or unanticipated conditions at an
installation location.
[0027] It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of
the elements of the
structural insulated panel system as shown schematically in the FIGURES is
illustrative only.
Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this
disclosure, those skilled
in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many
modifications are possible
(e.g., variations in location and orientation of tongue and groove portions,
locations of retractable
fasteners, configurations of panel elements in corner assemblies, etc.)
without materially
departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter
recited.
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[0028] It should also be noted that the system may include any suitable type
of siding members
attached to frame members made from wood, foam or other suitable material to
form one or
more cavities filled with any type of suitable thermal insulation material,
where the frame and
siding members of the panel are arranged to provide a tongue and groove type
fastening system
for joining the panel segments together and may further include retractable
fasteners for further
strengthening joints between the panels. Further, the frame members may
include one or more
internal members forming multiple cavities within a shell of the panel for
filling with the
insulation material. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be
included within the
scope of the present invention. Other substitutions, modifications, changes
and omissions may
be made in the design, construction, assembly, and arrangement of the
preferred and other
exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present
invention.
[00291 The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or
re-sequenced
according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any means-plus-function
clause is intended
to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function
and not only structural
equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions,
modifications, changes and
omissions may be made in the design, operating configuration and arrangement
of the preferred
and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the
present inventions as
expressed in the appended claims.
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