U.S. patent application number 10/189846 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-08 for exterior siding panel with slidable fastening hem.
Invention is credited to Sicuranza, Rosario G..
Application Number | 20040003566 10/189846 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29999733 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040003566 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sicuranza, Rosario G. |
January 8, 2004 |
Exterior siding panel with slidable fastening hem
Abstract
A siding panel is provided including a body portion for covering
a structure's exterior, the body portion including a top lock
disposed at a first end, a bottom lock disposed at a second end,
and a connection member formed in a predetermined configuration;
and a fastening hem for supporting the body portion, the fastening
hem formed with a channel to receive the connection member to allow
the body portion to move relative to the fastening hem during
expansion and contraction when the siding panel is exposed to
temperature changes. This sliding-type connection allows for rapid
installation since the fastening hem can now be fastened tightly to
a building exterior using any type of rapid firing-type
installation device. Additionally, nailing slots of conventional
siding panels are no longer needed since the body of the siding
panel will float without movement of the fastening hem.
Inventors: |
Sicuranza, Rosario G.; (East
Quogue, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MICHAEL J. PORCO ESQ
CARTER,DELUCA,FARRELL&SCHMIDT LLP
445 BROAD HOLLOW ROAD SUITE 225
MELVILLE
NY
11747
US
|
Family ID: |
29999733 |
Appl. No.: |
10/189846 |
Filed: |
July 5, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/518 ; 52/519;
52/520; 52/543; 52/554; 52/578 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 13/0864
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/518 ; 52/520;
52/519; 52/543; 52/554; 52/578 |
International
Class: |
E04D 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A siding panel comprising: a body portion for covering a
structure's exterior, including a top lock disposed at a first end
and a bottom lock disposed at a second end, the body portion
including a connection member formed in a predetermined
configuration; and a fastening hem for supporting the body portion,
the fastening hem formed with a channel to receive the connection
member to allow the body portion to move relative to the fastening
hem.
2. The siding panel as in claim 1, wherein the connection member is
coupled to the top lock.
3. The siding panel as in claim 1, wherein the connection member is
disposed between the top lock and the bottom lock.
4. The siding panel as in claim 1, wherein the fastening hem
includes a fastening portion for fastening the siding panel to the
structure's exterior.
5. The siding panel as in claim 4, wherein the fastening portion of
the fastening hem includes a uniform fastening face.
6. The siding panel as in claim 1, wherein the body portion and
fastening hem are extruded from the same material.
7. The siding panel as in claim 1, wherein the body portion is
extruded from a first material and the fastening hem is extruded
from a second material.
8. The siding panel as in claim 1, further comprising a stop for
preventing over movement of the body portion.
9. A siding panel comprising: a body portion for covering a
structure's exterior, the body portion including a connection means
formed in a predetermined configuration; and a fastening hem for
supporting the body portion, the fastening hem formed with a
channel means for receiving the connection means to allow the body
portion to move relative to the fastening hem during expansion and
contraction.
10. The siding panel as in claim 9, further comprising a locking
means for interlocking the siding panel to other siding panels.
11. The siding panel as in claim 9, wherein the fastening hem
includes a fastening means for fastening the siding panel to the
structure's exterior.
12. The siding panel as in claim 11, wherein the fastening means of
the fastening hem includes a uniform fastening face.
13. The siding panel as in claim 9, further comprising a stopping
means for preventing over movement of the body portion.
14. A method for installing a siding panel to a structure's
exterior, comprising the steps of: providing a body portion of a
siding panel, including a top lock disposed at a first end and a
bottom lock disposed at a second end, the body portion including a
connection member formed in a predetermined configuration;
providing a fastening hem for supporting the body portion, the
fastening hem formed with a channel to receive the connection
member of the body portion; slidingly engaging the fastening hem to
the body portion to assemble the siding panel; and fastening the
siding panel to the structure's exterior, wherein the fastening hem
is tightly secured to the structure's exterior.
15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the fastening step further
comprises providing a rapid firing-type installation device.
16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the fastening hem includes a
fastening portion and the fastening step further comprises
fastening the siding panel at any point along the fastening
portion.
17. The method as in claim 14, wherein the providing a body portion
step further includes extruding the body portion from a first
material.
18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the providing a fastening
hem step further includes extruding the fastening hem from a second
material.
19. The method as in claim 14, wherein the connection member is
coupled to the top lock.
20. The siding panel as in claim 14, wherein the connection member
is disposed between the top lock and the bottom lock.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to building exterior
siding panels, and more particularly, to an exterior siding panel
including a body portion and a fastening hem which slidably engages
the body portion wherein the body portion is allowed to float
during expansion and contraction, due to temperature changes, in
relation to the fastening hem.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Vinyl siding has increasingly become the material of choice
for homeowners, remodeling contractors, architects and builders due
to its durability, low maintenance and cost effectiveness compared
to other siding products. Vinyl panels are generally extruded or
formed into panels 12 feet long and 8 or 10 inches wide, each panel
being profiled to simulate one or more rows of traditional lapped
wooden siding. The panels are made with a permanent coloring and
with a variety of textured surface finishes, ranging from matte
surfaces to deeply embossed wood grain surfaces.
[0005] Referring to FIG. 1A, a conventional panel of vinyl siding
10 is shown. The siding panel 10 includes a body portion 12 with at
least one face 14 to simulate clapboard and a nailing hem 16 for
fastening the siding panel 10 to an exterior of a building. The
nailing hem 16 includes a plurality of nailing slots 18 for
accepting fasteners 20, such as nails, screws, staples, etc. The
body portion 12 further includes a top lock formed at a juncture of
the body portion 12 and the nailing hem 16 and a bottom lock 24
formed at the end opposite the nailing hem 16.
[0006] When covering a building exterior, several rows of vinyl
siding are installed with the panels in overlapping and/or
interlocking rows starting from the bottom of a wall. A starter
strip is placed along the bottom of the wall, which resembles the
nailing hem and top lock portion of the panel described above. The
bottom lock 24 of the first panel 10 is inserted to the top lock of
the starter strip and the panel is pulled up and fastened to a wall
26. Similarly, the next panel is installed by inserting the bottom
lock 24 of a next panel into the top lock 22 of the first panel,
pulling up the panel and fastening it to the wall. This process is
repeated until the roofline is reached or, in the case of
installing vertical panels, until the next corner of the building
is reached.
[0007] However, care must be employed in fastening the panels to
the building exterior. Vinyl siding can expand and contact 1/2" or
more over a 12'6" length with changes in outdoor temperature.
Whether using a nail, screw, or staple to fasten the siding, an
installer must ensure that the siding can ride or float on the
fastener during periods of expansion and/or contraction. Initially,
referring to FIG. 1A, fasteners 20 must be centered in the nailing
slots 20 to allow the panels to move freely in a side-to-side
direction. Additionally, a head 28 of the fastener must not be
driven tightly, or driven "home", against the nailing hem. Tight
nailing, screwing or stapling will cause the vinyl siding to buckle
or bubble with changes in temperature. Therefore, an installer must
insure there is a minimum gap between the head 28 of the fastener
and the nailing hem 16. FIG. 1B illustrates a fastener 20, e.g., a
nail or screw, driven to leave a minimum distance, d, between the
head 28 of the fastener and the nailing hem 16. FIG. 1C illustrates
a staple 30 employed as the fastener, where it is centered in the
nailing slot 18 and not flush with the nailing hem 16 to ensure
float of the panel.
[0008] Since the fasteners must be centered and not driven flush,
rapid firing-type installation devices, such as power nailers,
screw guns and staple guns, are avoided. The customary practice is
to install each fastener manually one-by-one to ensure these
conditions are met, which becomes a long and tedious process when
covering a large residential house or structure. Thus, the
installation of conventional vinyl siding requires a large number
of labor hours resulting in increased cost to the end-user, e.g. a
homeowner or building owner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to
provide a new siding panel and siding system which can be quickly
installed using a rapid firing-type installation device.
[0010] It is another objective of the present invention to provide
a siding panel that can be fastened tightly to an exterior of a
building which allows a portion of the panel to expansion and
contract with temperature changes.
[0011] To achieve the above and other objects, a new and improved
siding panel with a slidable fastening hem is provided. The present
invention employs a sliding-type connection between the fastening
hem and the siding body. The sliding-type connection allows for the
type of riding effect that takes place during expansion and
contraction when the siding is exposed to temperature changes. This
sliding-type connection allows for rapid installation since the
fastening hem can now be fastened tightly to a building exterior
using any type of rapid firing-type installation device.
Additionally, nailing slots of conventional siding panels are no
longer needed since the body of the siding will float without
movement of the fastening hem. The siding panel with slidable
fastening hem of the present invention will dramatically increase
the installation speed of vinyl siding due to the elimination of
tedious hand nail time which was required to center the fasteners
and to ensure the fasteners were not driven flush or tight.
[0012] According to an aspect of the present invention, a siding
panel is provided including a body portion for covering a
structure's exterior, including a top lock disposed at a first end
and a bottom lock disposed at a second end, the body portion
including a connection member formed in a predetermined
configuration; and a fastening hem for supporting the body portion,
the fastening hem formed with a channel to receive the connection
member to allow the body portion to move relative to the fastening
hem.
[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the connection
member is coupled to the top lock, while in another aspect, the
connection member is disposed between the top lock and the bottom
lock.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
siding panel is provided including a body portion for covering a
structure's exterior, the body portion including a connection means
formed in a predetermined configuration; and a fastening hem for
supporting the body portion, the fastening hem formed with a
channel means for receiving the connection means to allow the body
portion to move relative to the fastening hem during expansion and
contraction. Furthermore, the siding panel includes a locking means
for interlocking the siding panel to other siding panels.
[0015] In a further aspect of the present invention, a method for
installing a siding panel to a structure's exterior includes the
steps of providing a body portion of a siding panel, including a
top lock disposed at a first end and a bottom lock disposed at a
second end, the body portion including a connection member formed
in a predetermined configuration; providing a fastening hem for
supporting the body portion, the fastening hem formed with a
channel to receive the connection member of the body portion;
slidingly engaging the fastening hem to the body portion to
assemble the siding panel; and fastening the siding panel to the
structure's exterior, wherein the fastening hem is tightly secured
to the structure's exterior. The method further includes providing
a rapid firing-type installation device.
[0016] In a further aspect of the present invention, the method
provides, wherein the fastening hem includes a fastening portion,
the fastening step further includes fastening the siding panel at
any point along the fastening portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0018] FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a conventional panel
of vinyl siding fastened to an exterior of a building;
[0019] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the conventional panel
of vinyl siding shown in FIG. 1A taken along line 1B-1B, where the
siding is fastened by a nail;
[0020] FIG. 1C is a view of a nailing hem of a panel of vinyl
siding fastened by a staple in a conventional fashion;
[0021] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a siding panel with a
slidable fastening hem in accordance with the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 2B is an exploded view of the siding panel shown in
FIG. 2A including a slidable fastening hem and a body portion;
[0023] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the vinyl siding panel
shown in FIG. 2A taken along line 2C-2C;
[0024] FIGS. 3A through 3E illustrate various embodiments of the
siding panel with slidable fastening hem in accordance with the
present invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the present
invention where a sliding connection is located below a top lock of
the panel; and
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates a partial view of a siding panel in
accordance with the present invention where the siding panel is
installed in a vertical orientation and a stop is employed to
prevent over sliding of the body portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, well-known functions or constructions
are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention
in unnecessary detail.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 2A through 2C, a new and improved siding
panel 100 for building exteriors is provided. The siding panel 100
of the present invention includes a body portion 112 for covering a
structure's exterior and a fastening hem 116 for supporting the
body portion 112 and fastening the siding panel 100 to the
structure's exterior. The body portion 112 is formed with at least
one face 114 depending on a desired profile of the siding panel;
for example, the panel 100 shown in FIG. 2A includes two faces to
resemble two slats of wood. The body further includes a top lock
122 and a bottom lock 124 for interlocking the siding panel 100
with either a starter strip or other siding panels.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 2B, the body portion 112 includes a
connection member 132 formed in a predetermined configuration. The
connection member 132 allows the body portion 112 to be coupled to
the fastening hem 116. The fastening hem 116 includes a fastening
portion 134 with a fastening face 136 for receiving fasteners and a
channel 138 for receiving the connection member 132 of the body
portion. As can be seen from FIGS. 2A through 2C, the channel 138
is formed in a configuration complementary to the configuration of
the connection member 132 as to accept the connection member 132 in
a sliding engagement. In this manner, the body portion 112 of the
siding panel 100 of the present invention is allowed to float, or
move from side-to-side as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2A, in
relation to the fastening hem 116 during expansion and contraction
when exposed to temperature changes.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 2C, the siding panel 100 of the present
invention is shown in an installed state. When installing the
siding panel 100, tedious hand nailing is no longer required for a
successful installation. Since the body portion 112 can move
relative to the fastening hem 116, the fastening hem 116 can be
rigidly fixed and, therefore, any fastener 120 used can be driven
tight or flush to an exterior wall 126 of a structure. For example
in FIG. 2C, the fastening hem 116 is shown flush to the exterior
wall 126 tightly held in place by a head 128 of a nail. This will
allow the use of any type of rapid firing-type installation device,
such as a pneumatic nail gun, a roofing nail gun, a screw gun, a
staple guns or any device capable of installing a plurality of
fasteners in a rapid manner.
[0031] Additionally, since the fastening hem 116 will not float,
conventional nailing slots are not necessary. As is shown in FIG.
2B, the fastening face 136 is uniform and does not include any
nailing slots or fastening guides. Therefore, fasteners can be
installed at any point in the fastening face 136 of the fastening
hem 116. Since care is no longer needed to center fasteners and to
prevent the fasteners from being driven tightly, the labor hours
required for a siding installation are dramatically decreased.
[0032] It is to be understood that the connection member 132 of the
body portion 112 and the channel 138 of the fastening hem 116 are
to be configured so the channel 138 positively holds the connection
member 132 to support the body portion 112 while allowing the
connection member 132 to float within the channel 138. FIGS. 3A
through 3E illustrate various embodiments of the siding panel in
accordance with the present invention with various configurations
of the connection member 132 and channel 138. Additionally, FIG. 4
illustrates a further embodiment where the connection member 132
and channel 138 are located below the top lock 122 of the panel.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described
with reference to several embodiments thereof, it is to be
understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such
embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications within the
scope of the appended claims.
[0033] As is common in the industry, the siding panels described
herein can be composed of a variety of plastic materials.
Preferably, the panels are made from a PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
plastic resin that's heated until molten and then extruded into
sheets. The sheets are then embossed with a brushed or wood-grain
pattern that provides textual interest and dulls the PVC's
inherently shiny and synthetic-looking surface. While still hot,
the sheets are formed into a variety of siding panel profiles. It
is to be understood that the body portion and fastening hem of the
present invention may be extruded from the same material or
different materials, for example, the fastening hem may be formed
from a material more receptive to puncture as in when being driven
by a nail, screw, staple or other fastening means. It is to be
further understood that the body portion and fastening hem may be
formed from materials other than plastic, such as aluminum, rubber,
etc, and the panel being assembled with two different materials,
for example, a panel may have a vinyl body portion and a rubber
fastening hem. Once the body portion and fastening hem are formed,
the siding panel can be easily assembled by slidingly engaging the
fastening hem to the body portion.
[0034] While the embodiments described herein are siding panels
with a top lock and a bottom lock which extend horizontally along a
wall, it is contemplated to be within the scope of the invention to
apply the slidable fastening hem to any attachment area of building
panels that may be differently oriented when installed. For example
as shown in FIG. 5, the slidable fastening hem 216 may be used in a
vertical siding application which employ right and left locks 222
on a siding panel 200. In the vertical siding application, a stop
250 may also be employed to prevent the body portion 212 from
completely sliding out of the fastening hem 216. The stop 250 may
be formed as part of the fastening hem or as part of the body
portion, or may be external to the siding panel, for example, a
pin, nail or other means, which is installed in proximity to the
connection of the fastening hem and body portion to prevent the
body portion from over sliding. Furthermore, the slidable fastening
hem may be used to join an end of a siding panel with a trim piece,
commonly used in siding installations around doors, windows and
corners.
[0035] While the invention has been shown and described with
reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form
and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *