Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02771435 2016-05-19
CA 2,771,435
Agent Ref: 76289/00023
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BUILDING SYSTEM WITH IMPROVED INSULATION MATERIAL
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of building
systems and, in
particular, to systems incorporating the use of improved materials for
insulating a section of a
building.
[0002] The invention has been developed specifically for use in connection
with internal
and external cladding systems and will be described primarily with reference
to this application.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0003] The following discussion of the prior art is intended to enable the
invention to be
placed in an appropriate technical context and to allow the advantages of it
to be fully
appreciated. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the
specification should in no
way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms
part of common
general knowledge in the field.
[0004] With the advent of new and improved cladding materials in a variety
of
geometrical forms, the popularity of frame plus cladding construction
techniques is increasing,
particularly in the residential market. At the same time there is increasing
demand for energy
efficient structures which necessitates, or at least encourages, use of
insulating materials
between the frame and the cladding of such structures.
[0005] One difficulty which arises in constructing some cladding systems,
is the need to
correctly align the mating surfaces of adjacent cladding panels on the frame,
and to maintain
this alignment after the erection process has been completed. In a cladding
system for a wall, it
is typically desired to fix the cladding panels to the frame such that a
substantially continuous
wall surface is defined by each array of panels, be they flat mounted panels
or long arrays of
panels to be mounted in an overlapping arrangement. However, using popular
soft foam
thermal insulating strips for example, it is often difficult to achieve such a
flat surface at the
adjoining or abutting edges of adjacent panels, which reduces the aesthetic
appeal provided by
the final wall. This difficulty arises, at least in part, due to the physical
properties of these soft
foam insulating strips and/or irregularities in the frame.
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[0006] Such misalignment of adjacent cladding panels can give rise to a
more
serious situation where the building section Is a floor of the building. In
particular, such
misalignment of adjacent panels or floor boards can give rise to undesirable
unevenness in flooring. While rigid polystyrene foam alternatives used for
walls and
high density rubber sheets used for floors reduce this problem to some extent,
they are =
slow to install and awkward to transport.
[0007] Mother issue which arises with the use of soft foam strips is that,
when
either hand or gun nailing the cladding panels to the frame, the nails are
often over
driven such that an indentation is formed in the cladding panel and the head
of the nail
sits beneath the surface of the panel, again reducing the aesthetic appeal
provided by
the wail.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate
one or
more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful
alternative.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to a first aspect of the Invention, there is provided a
building
section including:
a sub-structure;
a cladding member connected in fixed relation relative to the sub-structure;
and
an elongate, flexible insulating element, the insulating element having at
least
one insulating layer which is substantially Incompressible and which has a
substantially
constant density in the range of 200 kgfrn3 to 300 kg/m3, wherein the
insulating
element is disposed between the sub-structure and the cladding member for
damping
energy transfer between the cladding member and the sub-structure.
[0010] The term "substantially incompressible" is used herein to define at
least
one insulating layer of an insulating element which substantiallY resists
compression
during and after fixing between a sub-structure and a cladding member when
conventional fasteners are used to secure the cladding member to the sub-
structure
with the insulating element therebetween.
[0011] The term "cladding member is intended to include all internal or
external
wall, floor and ceiling covering panels and planks or opening covers such as
windows
and door frames, as may be secured to a structural frame to define a .building
envelope.
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pol 21 The substantially incompressible characteristic of the at least one
insulating layer results in this layer substantially maintaining its geometric
shape when
the cladding member is being connected to the sub-structure by fasteners which
pass
through the insulating element. Desirably, the at least one insulating layer
provides
support to the cladding member when the cladding member is being secured to
the sub-
structure. It will be appreciated that this enables cladding materials such as
fibre
cement panels to be nailed or screwed to the sub-structure using conventional
power
tools and the like by providing rear support to the material. Advantageously,
the
substantial incompressibility of the at least one insulating layer helps
facilitate the
erection of a building section having a substantially continuous cladding
surface at the
abutting edges of adjacent cladding members. The substantial incompressibility
of the
at least one insulating layer also helps to inhibit over driving fasteners
when using
conventional hand and power tools.
[0013] In certain preferred embodiments, the insulating element reduces the
transfer of thermal energy between the cladding member and the sub-structure.
In
other preferred embodiments, the insulating element reduces the transfer of
acoustic
enemy between the cladding member and the sub-structure. Preferably, the
insulating
element reduces the transfer of both thermal and acoustic energy between the
cladding
member and the sub-structure. In some embodiments, the damping of energy
transfer
between the cladding member and the sub-structure is primarily effected by the
at least
one substantially Incompressible insulating layer. In other embodiments, the
damping
of energy transfer is achieved by the combination of the substantially
incompressible
insulating layer or layers and the remaining layer or layers of the insulating
element.
That is, in these embodiments, the damping of energy transfer is achieved by
the
insulating element as a whole.
[0014] The cladding member Is preferably connected to the sub-structure via
one or more fasteners. Preferably, the one or more fasteners securely engage
the sub-
structure and the cladding member. At least certain of the one or more
fasteners
preferably pass through the insulating element to hold the insulating element
in a
desired position relative to the cladding member/sub-structure. The fasteners
are
preferably selected from the group including nails, screws, staples and
rivets. However,
it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the fasteners are not
limited to those
listed here, and that any suitable fastener (including adhesives) may be used
to connect
the cladding member to the sub-structure.
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[0015] The at least one insulating layer is preferably formed of a foam,
more
preferably, a closed cell foam such as, for example, polyolefin. In some
preferred
forms, the foam is cross-linked. Suitable cross-linked foams include
polyurethane and
polystyrene. It will of course be appreciated that the closed cell and cross-
linked foams
are not limited to those listed here, and that other suitable foams may be
used.
=
[0016] In addition, it will also be appreciated that the insulating element
may, in
certain preferred forms, be a homogeneous element such that the overall
construction
results in a flexible, substantially incompressible insulating element
[0017] However, in other preferred embodiments, the insulating element may
be
a hybrid or composite element having two or more layers, at least one layer
being
formed of a material having at least one different physical property relative
to the
material used to form one or more of the other layers. For example, the
insulating
element may be a two-layer element having one layer which is relatively
'harder' than
the other. Alternatively, the Insulating element may be a three-layer element
in which
the outer layers are relatively 'harder' than the inner layer, or vice versa.
In such
embodiments, the first 'harder' layer or layers are substantially
incompressible and the
second 'softer' layer or layers can advantageously deform to account for, or
at least
reduce the effect of, irregularities in the sub-structure to provide a
substantially flat
surface across adjacent cladding panels. Accordingly, in embodiments having a
'softer'
outer layer, this layer preferably abuts the sub-structure. However, in other
embodiments the softer outer layer could abut the cladding member or another
intermediate member.
[0018] It will of course be appreciated that the insulating element could
be
embodied in many various differently layered constructions to suit a
particular building
application.
[0019] For multi-layered embodiments of the insulating element, one or more
of
the physical properties of density, hardness, compressive strength, thermal
conductivity, thermal resistance, cross-section and thickness of at least one
layer may
be configured to be different to that of another layer of the insulating
element. It will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that the physical properties which can
be varied
are not limited to those listed here_
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[00201 In'some embodiments of the insulating element having two or more
layers, the thickness of each layer is substantially the same. In other
embodiments, the
thickness of each layer is different relative to each other.
[00211 Preferably, the flexibility of the insulating element enables the
insulating
element to be wound along its longitudinal axis to form a (spiralled) roll of
the insulating
element for storage prior to use.
[0022] In other embodiments, the insulating element can be supplied as
substantially flat strips or "sticks" of a predetermined length. The
predetermined length
may be suitable for immediate use of the insulating element or for the
insulating
element to be readily cut-to-length, as desired. In some embodiments, the
sticks of the
insulating element have a length of approximately 3m. It will however be
appreciated
by those skilled in the art that the sticks can be supplied in any desired
length, including
lengths longer and shorter than 3m. For example, the insulating element could
be
supplied in lengths of, but not limited to,1 .0m, 12m, 1.5m, 1.8m, 2.0m, 2.4m,
2.5m,
2.75m, 3.5m, 4m, 4.5m, 6.0m or 6.0m.
[00231 Preferably, the density of the substantially incompressible
insulating
layer is in the range of about 205 kgIm3 to 255 kg/ms. In one particularly
preferred
embodiment, the density of the insulating layer is approximately 230 kg/m3. In
another
particularly preferred embodiment, the density of the insulating layer is
approximately
300 kgim3. It will be appreciated that the density of the insulating element
is not limited
to the values listed here, but rather will be selected to meet the insulating
requirements
of a particular application.
[0024] Preferably the insulating element (or at least one layer of the
insulating
element) has a hardness at least 60 HC , as measured under the Durorneter Type
hardness standard specified In ASTM 02240. In various other embodiments, the
insulating element (or at least one layer of the insulating element) may have
a hardness
of at least 80 HC , at least 100 HC or at least 200 HC .
[0026] The Insulating element (or the at least one insulating segment)
preferably
has a compressive strength in the range of approximately 200 to 400 kPa.
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[0026] The insulating element (or the at least one substantially
incompressible
Insulating layer) preferably has a constant thickness. Those skilled in the
art will
appreciate that the constant thickness of the insulating element (orthe at
least one
insulating layer) in combination with the substantially incompressible
property helps to
fix and maintain adjacent cladding members relative to the sub-structure such
that
abutting edges are not raised or lowered relative to each other but, rather
are
substantially flush with each other.
[0027] Preferably, the insulating element (orthe at least one insulating
layer)
has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.1 IN/rn=K. In certain preferred
embodiments,
the insulating element (or the at least one Insulating layer) has a thermal
conductivity of
less than 0.06 W/m=K. In one particularly preferred embodiment, the insulating
element
(or the at least one insulating layer) hes a thermal conductivity of
approximately
0.035 W/m.K.
(00281 Preferably, the insulating element (or the at least one insulating
layer) is
configured to have a thermal resistance, or R-value, of at least 0.1 K.m2AN,
more
preferably, at least 0.2 Km2NV. It will of course be appreciated that in other
forms, the
building section as a whole will be constructed to have a particular R-value
to meet the
building code of a particular jurisdiction. For example, in Australia the
building section
may be required to have an R-value of at least 0.2 K.m2/W, In New Zealand, the
building section may be required to have an R-value of at least 0.3 K.m2NV.
[0029] In certain preferred embodiments having a predetermined cross-
section
of constant width, the thermal resistance is determined by the thickness of
the insulating
element(or the at least one insulating layer). The thickness of the insulating
element (or
the at least one insulating layer) is preferably in the range of about 5 mm to
50 mm.
More preferably, the thickness of the insulating element (or the at least one
insulating
segment) is in the range of about 5 mm to 30mm. in particularly preferred
forms, the
. thickness of the insulating element (or the at least one insulating layer)
is in the range of
about 6 mm to 20 mm, with even more preferred forms in the range of 7 mm to 13
mm.
In one particularly preferred form, the thickness of the insulating element
(or the.at least
one Insulating layer) Is approximately 13 mm. In another particularly
preferred form, the
thickness of the insulating element (or the at least one insulating layer) Is
approximately
7.5 mm.
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[0030] Preferably, the insulating element (or the at least one
insulating layer)
defines a mounting surface for abutting one of the sub-structure and the
cladding
member. The insulating dement (or the at least one insulating layer)
preferably
includes an attaching means associated with the mounting surface for attaching
the
insulating element in position. In certain embodiments, the attaching means is
used to
attach the insulating element to the cladding member. In other embodiments,
the
attaching means is used to attach the insulating element to the sub-structure.
Preferably, the attaching means is a layer of adhesive applied to the mounting
surface
of the insulating elerhent(or the at least one insulating layer). Preferably,
the adhesive
is acrylic. In certain preferred forms, a layer of adhesive may also be
applied to a
surface of the insulating element (or the at least one insulating layer) which
is opposite
the mounting surface (i.e. the operative outer surface).
[0031] It will be appreciated that the adhesive layer on the
mounting surface
provides the insulating element with the characteristic of a self-adhesive
tape and thus
facilitates installing the insulating element in the desired position.
[0032] In those embodiments in which a layer of adhesive is also
applied to the
=
opposite surface to that of the mounting surface, this additional layer of
adhesive can be
=
used to hold the cladding members in a desired position relative to the sub-
structure (or
at least take some of their weight) to facilitate driving fasteners through
the cladding
members.
[0033] In embodiments in which certain fasteners pass through
the insulating
element, the adhesive layer works in combination with these fasteners to
secure the
insulating element relative to the cladding member/sub-structure.
10034] In certain preferred forms, the insulating element has a
plurality of
markings or indicia, the markings being spaced relative to one another on the
operative
outer surface of the insulating element for facilitating alignment of the
cladding
members relative to the sub-structure. That is, the markings act as a depth
gauge
during construction of the building section. Preferably, the markings are
configured
such that when a top edge of a cladding member is aligned with a marking it
follows that
the cladding member is correctly aligned relative to the sub-structure, in
use. In some
forms, the markings are spaced relative to one another to suit a cladding
member of a
particular size or shape. In other forms, the insulating element can have two
or more
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.
sets of markings, each set being configured to facilitate alignment of
cladding members
of a particular size or shape. For example, the insulating element could have
three sets
of markings including a first set for plank-style cladding members, a second
set for
sheet-style cladding members and a third set for board-style cladding members.
It will
be appreciated that pairs of insulating 'elements with corresponding markings
are
preferably used to facilitate the alignment of the cladding members. That is,
a first
insulating element is applied to a first member of the sub-structure and a
second
insulating element is applied to a second member of the sub-structure whereby
the top
= edge of the cladding member can be aligned with a marking on the first
insulating
element and a corresponding marking on the second insulating element so that
the
cladding member is correctly aligned relative to the sub-structure.
[0035] Preferably, the sub-structure Is a frame having a plurality
of frame
members. The frame is preferably one or a wall frame, a sub-floor frame, a
ceiling
frame (including eaves) and a roof frame. However, it will be appreciated by
those
=
skilled In the art that the present invention is not limited to the sub-
structures listed here.
[0036] In certain embodiments, each frame member is formed of metal.
Preferably, the metal is steel. in other embodiments, the metal is aluminium.
In other
preferred embodiments, the frame members are formed of timber.
[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the insulating element is
close-fittingly
disposed between the sub-structure and the cladding member. In other
embodiments,
the sub-structure Includes an intermediate support member connected to a frame
member, the support member being arranged intermediate the frame member and
the
cladding member such that the insulating element is sandwiched between the
frame
member and the support .member or between the support member and the cladding
=
member. in certain embodiments, a first insulating element is provided between
the
frame member and the support member and a second insulating element is
provided
between the support member and the cladding member.
[0038] The intermediate support member is preferably a top-hat
batten, the top-
hat batten having a base, two webs extending from the base and a flange
associated
with the distal end of each web. Preferably, an insulating element is
associated with the
base and each flange.
=
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[0039] It will be appreciate that, in those embodiments in which the frame
is a
sub-floor frame, the insulating element primarily provides acoustic
insulation. Similarly,
it will also be appreciated that in those embodiments in which the frame is a
wall or
ceiling frame, the insulating element is usually selected primarily to provide
thermal
insulation.
=
[0040] Preferably, the insulating element is attached to one of the frame
members of the sub-structure. More preferably, the Insulating element is
attached to
the frame member by the adhesive. The insulating element preferably extends in
a
direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the
respective frame
member. Preferably, an insulating element is attached to one or more of the
substantially vertical frame members of the sub-structure. In some
embodiments, an
insulating element is attached to each substantially vertical frame member. in
certain
embodiments, an insulating element is also applied to at least one of the
substantially
horizontal frame members.
[0041] The width of the insulating element (or the at least one insulating
layer)
may be greater than or less than the width of the associated frame member to
which it
is attached. In certain embodiments, the width of the insulating element (or
the at least
one insulating layer) is substantially the same as the width of the associated
frame
member. In the event that double-framing is used, an insulating element may be
applied to each frame member.
[0042] Preferably, the cladding member is a cladding panel, the cladding
panel
defining a cladding surface for the building section. It will be appreciated
that the
cladding member can be an internal cladding member or an external cladding
member.
More particularly, the cladding member may be internal or external wall
sheeting, a
ceiling sheet or floor boards. It will also be appreciated that the cladding
member can
be formed of any suitable cladding material and is preferably formed of one of
fibre
cement, polystyrene, timber, gypsum board and metal.
[0043] Preferably, the building system includes sarking for inhibiting the
passage of liquid through the building section, the salting being arranged
between the
sub-structure and the cladding member. In some preferred embodiments, the
salting is
arranged to be between the sub-structure and the insulating element. In other
preferred
embodiments, the sarking is arranged to be between the insulating element and
the
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cladding member. The sarking is preferably a membrane of flexible, vapour
permeable
material. In various embodiments, some of the one or more fasteners are used
to
secure the sarking in place relative to the cladding member. In other
embodiments, a
separate fastening means is used to secure the sarking in place. The building
section
may also include some form of rigid air barrier lining.
[00441 It will be appreciated that when strips of the insulating element
are
applied to the sub-structure, the cladding members will be spaced from the sub-
structure such that a cavity or void is formed between the cladding member and
the
plane on which the mounting surface of the insulating element lies. In certain
embodiments, the cavity or void improves the overall efficiency of the
insulation
associated with the building section by improving the R-value of the building
section
anchor acts as a drainage passage through which rainwater may pass or
evaporate so
that this water is not trapped inside the building section. That is, the
cavity or void
facilitates moisture management within the building section and thus reduces
or delays
the onset of water damage, advantageously improving the durability of the
building
section. The thickness of the cavity or void is preferably at least 6 mm. When
the
thickness of the cavity is 6 mm or greater, the benefit of the moisture
management
characteristic is most noticeable.
10445] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method of
constructing a building section, the method including;
erecting a sub-structure;
connecting a cladding member in fixed relation relative to the sub-structure;
and
arranging an elongate, flexible insulating element between the sub-structure
and
the cladding member for damping energy transfer between the cladding member
and
the sub-structure, the insulating element having at least one insulating layer
which is
substantially incompressible and which has a substantially constant density in
the range
of 200 kgim3 to 300 kg/m3, wherein the insulating element is disposed between
the
sub-structure and the cladding member for damping energy transfer between the
cladding member and the sub-structure.
[0046] In some embodiments, the body of the insulating element is a -
homogenous construction. In other embodiments, the bOdy of the insulating
element Is
a multi-layered construction. In layered embodiments of the insulating element
the
body at least one layer is formed of a material having at least one different
physical
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property relative to the material used to form one or more of the other layer
or layers.
The use of multi-layered insulating elements advantageously enables an
insulating
element to be constructed so as to be suitable for use with particular
cladding and
framing materials, to account for irregularities in the cladding and/or
framing materials,
to account for expected environmental conditions and/or to suit the method of
constiuction used for erecting the building section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00471 A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by
way
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
[00481 FIG. I is a schematic front view of a building section according to
the
Invention;
[00491 FIG. 2 is a plan view of the building section of FIG. ^I;
100501 FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of the building
section;.
[0051] FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of a frame of the building
section:
[0052] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a roll the insulating element of
the
building section; and
=
10053] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the insulating element
showing the
layer of adhesive on the mounting surface.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0054] Referring to the drawings, the building section 'I includes a sub-
structure
in the form of a frame 2. The frame 2 is formed from a series of
interconnected frame
members 3 including a plurality of substantially vertical frame members and a
plurality
of substantially horizontal frame members. As will be described in greater
detail below,
the frame members 3 may be made from timber or metal such as steel.
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[0055] For the sake of clarity, the following description will be made with
reference to a wall frame. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate
that the
frame 2 may be a section of any suitable building frame including a wall
frame, a sub-
flocr frame, a ceiling frame and a roof frame. It will be further appreciated
by those
skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the sub-
structures listed here.
In addition, it is to be understood that certain frames may be inclined,
rather than being
arranged to lie in a substantially vertical or horizontal plane.
=
[0056] As most clearly shown in FIG. f, a plurality of cladding members in
the
form of fibre cement cladding panels 4 are connected in fixed relation
relative to the
frame 2 by fasteners 5. As will be described in greater detail below, the
plurality of
cladding panels 4 form a cladding or wall surface 6 for the building section
1. To
facilitate connection of the panels 4 to the frame 2 of the wall section, each
cladding
panel 4 preferably spans two or more of the frame members 3.
[0057] The type of fasteners 5 used to secure the panels 4 to the frame 2
will be
primarily determined by the type of material of the frame members 3. That is,
fasteners
in the form of screws, nails or staples can be used to securely fasten the
cladding
panels 4 to a timber frame. However, to fasten the panels 4 to a metal frame,
it may be
necessary to employ screws or rivets. Anotherfactor determining the type of
fastener
that can be used is the material of the cladding panels. Again, as will be
described in
detail below, the present invention advantageously enables cladding materials,
such as
the fibre cement panels 4, to be readily nailed or screwed to the frame 2
using
conventional power tools and the like.
100581 In order to provide thermal and/or acoustic insulation to the wail
section
1, an elongate, flexible insulating element in the form of a foam tape 7 is
arranged along
the length of at least some of the substantially vertical frame members 3.
[00591 For the sake of clarity, the following description will be made with
reference to a homogenous substantially incompressible insulating element.
However,
it will be readily appreciated that the insulating element is not limited to
such forms and
can advantageously be embodied as a hybrid or composite construction having
primary
layers formed of a substantially incompressible insulating material and second
layers
formed a material which can deform to account for irregularities in the sub-
structure or
cladding materials.
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[00601 The insulating foam tape 7 is applied in strips and positioned to
extend in
a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated
frame member
3. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a strip of foam tape 7 is applied
to each
vertical frame member 3. However, it will be appreciated that in certain
embodiments, it
may be sufficient to apply strips of foam tape 7 to only a selected few of the
vertical
frame members 3. In yet further embodiments such as that shown in FIG. 4, a
strip of
foam tape 7 can be applied to each vertical and horizontal frame member 3.
[0061] As most clearly shown in FIG. 2, the foam tape 7 has a
rectangular
cross-section with a constant thickness along the length of the strip. The
insulating
= foam tape 7 defines a mounting surface 8 on which an attaching means in
the form of a
layer of acrylic adhesive 9 is applied. The adhesive 9 enables the foam tape 7
to be
readily adhered to the relevant frame member 3 in the desired position. It
will therefore
be appreciated that the adhesive layer 9 provides the foam tape 7 with the
characteristic of a self-adhesive tape. In some embodiments, a removable
backing strip
(not shown) covers the mounting surface 8 to protect the layer of adhesive 9
from dust
and other debris during storage of the foam tape 7 prior to use.
[00821 The insulating tape 7 is preferably formed of a closed cell,
cross-linked
foam such as, for example, polyolefin. The insulating element is substantially
incompressible such that the Insulating element substantially maintains its
geometric
shape when the cladding member is being fastened to the frame. This property
enables
the insulating element to provide support to the cladding material when the
cladding
member Is being secured to the sub-structure.
(00831 It will be appreciated that it is this property of substantially
incompressibility which enables relatively brittle cladding materials to be
nailed or
screwed to the frame 2 using power tools and the like. For example, a nail-gun
can
conveniently be employed to efficiently fasten the panels 4 to the frame 2,
without
significant variations in the level or degree of compression of the foam tape
7 at the
various locations at which the fasteners have been placed.
= [0064] The significant lack of compression of the foam tape 7
in combination
with the degree to which this compression is consistent at the various
fastening
locations is particularly advantageous at the adjoiningfabufting edges of
adjacent
=
cladding panels 4. That is, the substantial incompressibility of the foam tape
7
AMENDED SHEET
IPP.A/AU
CA 02771435 2012-02-17
PCT/AU2010/001065
Received 07/12/2011
=
facilitates the erection of a building section 1 having a substantially flush
wall surface 6
at the abutting edges of adjacent cladding panels. In other words, the
adjoining or
abutting edges are not significantly raised or lowered relative to each other
as a result
of the fastening process. To achieve the required degree of incompressibility,
the
poiyolefin preferably has a substantially constant density of about 230 kg/rns
10%.
[00651 In the form shown in the drawings, the width of the foam tape 7 is
less
than -that of the associated frame member to which It Is attached. In the
illustrated
embodiments, the width of the foam tape 7 is approximately 45mm. The thickness
of
the foam tape is approximately 13mm 0.16mm. It will be appreciated that the
tape
may be formed in various widths with the thickness of the tape then being
selected to
provide the insulating tape with a thermal resistance of at least 0.2 K.m2NV
(or a thermal
conductivity of <0.06W/m.K).
[00661 Each strip of foam tape 7 is adhered directly to the respective
frame
member 3 by the layer of adhesive 9. A fibre cement cladding panel 4 is then
held in
position relative to the frame 2, against the foam tape 7. The panel 4 Is then
secured in
.the desired position such that each strip of foam tape 7 is disposed between
the frame
2 and the associated panel 4. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, at least some of the
fasteners
pass through the foam tape 7. The adhesive 9 works in combination with these
fasteners to securely hold the strip of foam tape 7 relative to the cladding
member 4 and
frame 2.
[0087] In the cladded wall section 1 shown in the drawings, the foam tape 7
forms a thermal breakfor damping thermal transfer between the cladding panels
4 and
the frame 2 to reduce thermal losses through the wall section 1.
(00681 It will be appreciated that in those embodiments in which the frame
is a
roof or ceiling frame, the insulating element again primarily provides thermal
insulation.
However, in those embodiments in which the frame is a sub-floor frame, the
insulating
element primarily provides acoustic insulation. In certain applications,
including those
listed above, the foam tape can provide both thermal and acoustic insulation
for the
building section 1 and therefore reduce energy losses. It will be further
appreciated that
the foam tape 7 may also provide a degree of moisture management for the
building
section.
AMENDED SHEET
1TYP / TT
CA 02771435 2012-02-17
PCT/AU2010/001065
Received 07/12/2011
- 15 -
[0069] In some preferred embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the foam
tape 4
Is close-fittingly disposed between the frame 2 and the cladding panel 4.
[0070] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the frame 2 includes an
elongate intermediate support member in the form of atop-hat batten 10. The
top-hat
batten 10 has a base 11, two webs 12 extending from the base 11 and a flange
13
associated with the distal end of each web 12.
[0071] Again referring to FIG_ 3, the top-hat batten 10 is arranged to
extend
substantially parallel to a vertical frame member 3 such that the base 11
overlies the
associated frame member 3. In this embodiment, the base 11 of the top-hat
batten 10
is securely fastened to the associated frame member 3 and the cladding pane! 4
is
fastened to the webs 12 of the top-hat batten 10. A strip of foam tape 7 is
sandwiched
between the frame member Sand the base 11 of the top-hat batten 10. A strip of
foam
tape 7 is also sandwiched between each web 12 and the cladding panel 4. In
this
embodiment, the three strips of foam tape 7 act in combination to provide the
desired
insulation for damping enemy transfer through the building sectionel .
100721 In other embodiments, a strip of foam tape 7 may be disposed between
the base 11 and the associated frame member 3 only, with no foam tape being
applied
between the Webs and the cladding panel 4.
100731 Referring now to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the flexibility of the
insulating
foam tape 7 advantageously enables the tape to be wound along its longitudinal
axis to
form a spiralled roll 14 of the self-adhesive insulating tape 7 for storage
prior to use. It
will be appreciated that such a roll 14 of self-adhesive insulating tape 7 is
compact,
convenient to store and easily handled during installation as a thermal break.
[0074] Accordingly, it is an advantage of at least a preferred embodiment
of the
invention to provide a building section 1 having an elongate, flexible
insulating element
which enables adjacent deciding panels to lie in substantially the same plane
such that
the edges of adjacent panels are not raised relative to one another.
100751 It is another advantage of at least a preferred embodiment of the
invention to provide an elongate, flexible self-adhesive insulating element 7
which can
be wound along its longitudinal axis to form a compact spiralled roll 14 for
storage and
AMENDED SHEET
1PEA/AU
CA 02771435 2012-02-17
PCVAU2010/001065
Received 07/12/2011
- 15a
efficient handling and transport of the insulating element. In these and other
respects,
the invention represents a practical and commercially significant improvement
over the
prior art.
[00761 Although the invention has been described with reference to specific
examples it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention
may be
embodied in many other forms.
=
=
AMENDED SHEET
TDPA/ATT
