Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INSULATED WALL STRUCTURE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to insulated wall structures, and prefab wall
panel to build a
construction, and particularly to insulated walls of buildings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prefab wall panels, prefab roof trusses and plywood sheathing are often used
to erect a
house in a very short time with few workers. Prefab building components are
normally
preferred by the construction industry as they are assembled with approved
materials,
according to controlled procedures and under the ideal conditions of a well
equipped
shop. For these reasons, houses built with prefab components are generally of
a better
quality than conventional structures built outdoors on a construction site.
An important aspect of the quality of a house is the thermal resistance of its
structure. In
that respect, home builder associations as well as writers of national
building codes
specify a minimum level of insulation to be installed in walls, ceilings and
around
foundations of new houses. Normally the insulation requirement for the walls
of a house
built in Canada for example, varies between R-16 and R-27 depending on the
number of
degree-days of a particular region.
A typical conventional prefab wall panel having an insulation value of R-20 is
built with
nominal 2"×6" wood framing members covered on the outside surface with
panels
of half-inch plywood or particleboard, half-inch fibreboard sheathing and an
exterior
cladding. The space between the studs is completely filled with batt type
fibreglass
insulation. The interior finish may comprise half-inch fibreboard insulation
and a gypsum
board. This type of prefab wall panel is usually fabricated and transported to
a
construction site without the batt insulation, interior finish and exterior
cladding.
A drawback of this type of construction is the fact that each wall panel is
relatively heavy
to handle and erect on a floor structure. Also, the batt insulation is still
installed in the
usual manner, when the new building is closed-in.
As alternatives to the R-20 nominal 2"×6" wall structure, a number of
different
types of prefab wall panels are made with a solid foam core encapsulating a
smaller wood
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frame. A first example of pre-insulated wall panel having a foam core is
described in U.S.
Pat. No. 4,109,436 issued on Aug. 29, 1978 to Adrien Berloty. This building
panel
comprises a wood frame which is completely filled with foam. The foam forms a
rigid
block which adheres to the frame. The continuity of the foam block in the
frame give the
panel a good stability as well as excellent thermal insulation.
A second example of a prefab wall panel having a foam core is disclosed in the
U.S. Pat.
No. 4,628,650 issued on Dec. 16, 1986 to Bert A. Parker. The document
describes a
structural insulated panel system comprising a foam core having channels for
receiving
fratning studs or rafters. The foam core also has an overhanging portion
around its
periphery for overlapping the framing members along the edges thereof. The
foam core
completely covers the framing members for efficiently sealing the wall from
infiltration
of cold air inside the building.
A third example of a wall section having a foam core is illustrated and
described in the
U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,560 issued on Oct. 11, 1994 to John J. Heydon. This
invention
discloses a plurality of preformed foam blocks, wherein each block is fitted
between two
adjacent vertical posts of a wall section. Each block has a recess along the
edge thereof
for encapsulating one post and for overlapping a portion of an adjacent foam
block. The
plurality of interlocked foam blocks encapsulates completely all posts of a
wall framing.
Although a solid foam core has been preferred in the past for obtaining high
insulation
value with a relatively thin wall section, the foam core takes up all the
hollow space
between the wall studs. Sub-trade workers such as electricians and plumbers
must use hot
knives for cutting grooves through the foam core for running plumbing piping
and
manifolds or an electrical system into the insulated wall section.
For this reason, the work saved by carpenters for erecting a foam filled wall
structure is
often offset by the additional manpower required by sub-trade workers for
grooving the
insulation. Hence, a need exists in the industry for a pre-insulated prefab
wall panel
offering excellent thermal resistance as well as being structurally compatible
to the
requirement of all tradesmen involved in the construction of a building.
Another exemple if Canadian Pat. No. 1180528 is a structural log-like member
for use in
constructing walls, having an outer wooden wall and an inner wooden wall.
Wooden
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spacer members connect the inner and outer walls together in spaced-apart
parallel
fashion. The spaces between the walls and spacer members can be filled with an
insulation material. In use, the structural members can be stacked one on top
of the other
to form a wall.
Considering the state of the art presented above, it remains highly desirable
to be
provided with new prefab wall structures with insulating elements
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aim of the present invention is to provide an insulated wall structure
having a body
of insulating material, the body having a front face, a back face, and two
opposite mating
sides, each mating side mating with the opposite mating side of another
insulated wall
structure for mating assembly in a wall section, and a structural member
extending along
at least one of the two opposite mating sides of the insulated wall structure.
In accordance with the present invention, in the insulated wall structure, the
body can
have a facing layer of insulating material covering the structural members
when two or
more adjacent wall panels are matingly adjoined into a wall section.
The person skilled in the art the present invention pertains will understand
that the
structural member of an insulated wall structure mates with the structural
member of
another insulated wall structure without offsetting to form a wall section.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a wall section comprising
at least two
insulated wall structures, each insulated wall structure having a body of
insulating
material, the body having a front face, a back face, and two opposite mating
sides, each
mating side mating with the opposite mating side of another insulated wall
structure for
mating assembly in a wall section, and a structural member extending along at
least one
of the two opposite mating sides of the insulated wall structure
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig 1 is a top plan view of a wall portion comprising two wall structures
adjoined side by
side.
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It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are
identified by like
reference numerals.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are
shown.
This invention, may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should
not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these
embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully
convey the
scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
In FIG. 1 two insulated wall structure 11, 11' are assembled to form a wall
portion 10.
The insulated wall structure 11 generally has a body 16 and two structural
members 12
and 14, each structural member being positioned to form opposite mating sides
18 and 20
of the insulated wall structure 11. Insulated wall structure 11' having mating
sides 22 and
24 is builded as is the insulated wall structure 11. The body 16 represents
the portion of
most insulating material of the wall structure 11. A body 16 made of a self-
supporting
insulating material having desired insulating characteristics can be used. In
the illustrated
example, Type 1 polystyrene is used, but other insulating materials can also
be used, such
as polyisocyanurate, polyurethane, or any insulating material preferably rigid
enough to
be self supporting.
The body 16 also includes a structural member covering extension 26. Thereby,
when
two or more wall structures 11 and 11' are adjoined, a continuous facing 28 of
insulating
material is provided, covering the structural members 12 and 14. This
increases the
thermal resistance of a wall when compared to a wall in which the structural
members are
con covered by insulating material. The body 16 and structural covering
extension 26 can
form a single peace, or can be two parts in contact on to the other.
In this example, the structural member 12 of the insulated wall structure 11
mates and is
aligned with the structural member 22 of the insulated wall structure 11'.
Structural
member 12 is generally not laterally offset, but preferably in an end-to-end
configuration.
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In the illustrated embodiment, the structural members 12, 14, 22 and 24 are 2
X 4 wood
boards, having a depth of 8.9 cm (3.5 inches) and completely overlap.
Also in the example, the insulated wall structures 11 and 11' are covered on a
common
face by a covering panel 30, and on the opposite face by spacing members 34
supporting
themselves another spacing member 32 perpendicularly secured to spacing
members 34.
For example, spacing member 32 can be a 4 x 8 feet panel, or alternatively a 1
x 4 inches
panel. Each spacing member is generally made of wood.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the prefab wall
structure can
be of, for example but not limited to, 1 to 5 ft width, for making the wall
part below or
above a window or an aperture.
It will be noted that various additional alternatives to the structural
members described
above are also possible.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments
thereof,
it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this
application is
intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention
following, in
general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from
the present
disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which
the
invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features
hereinbefore set forth,
and as follows in the scope of the appended claims.
