U.S. patent application number 11/875307 was filed with the patent office on 2009-04-23 for structural insulated panel system.
Invention is credited to Mark L. Finney, Steven D. Finney, John W. Houlihan-Mockoski, John P. Mathis.
Application Number | 20090100780 11/875307 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40562053 |
Filed Date | 2009-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090100780 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mathis; John P. ; et
al. |
April 23, 2009 |
STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANEL SYSTEM
Abstract
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 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.
Inventors: |
Mathis; John P.; (Covington,
GA) ; Houlihan-Mockoski; John W.; (Covington, GA)
; Finney; Mark L.; (Loganville, GA) ; Finney;
Steven D.; (Oxford, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY & LARDNER LLP
777 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202-5306
US
|
Family ID: |
40562053 |
Appl. No.: |
11/875307 |
Filed: |
October 19, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/578 ;
220/592.02; 52/745.19; 52/794.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 2/386 20130101;
E04C 2/296 20130101; E04B 1/14 20130101; F25D 23/063 20130101; E04B
1/6162 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/578 ;
220/592.02; 52/745.19; 52/794.1 |
International
Class: |
E04C 2/34 20060101
E04C002/34; E04B 2/90 20060101 E04B002/90; E04C 2/38 20060101
E04C002/38; F25D 23/06 20060101 F25D023/06; E04C 2/10 20060101
E04C002/10 |
Claims
1. A structural insulated panel system, comprising: 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 attached to at least a portion of one side of the
frame and a second siding member attached to at least a portion of
an opposite side of the frame, the frame and the first and second
siding members forming a cavity; an insulation material within the
cavity; a tongue portion comprising a projection formed from the
first vertical frame member disposed laterally outward from one
vertical edge of the first and second siding members; and a groove
portion comprising a recess formed from the second vertical frame
member disposed laterally inward from an opposite vertical edge of
the first and second siding members; wherein the tongue portion
from one panel is configured to mate with the groove portion of
another panel to provide an assembly of multiple panels.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a retractable fastener
having a hook portion and a pin portion and wherein the hook
portion is disposed within one of the first vertical frame member
and the second vertical frame member and the pin portion is
disposed within the other of the first vertical frame member and
the second vertical frame member.
3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a corner panel assembly
including a first corner panel and a second corner panel.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first corner panel includes a
groove portion and a tongue portion, and the second corner panel
includes a tongue portion and a flat surface.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the flat surface of the second
corner panel is configured to mate with the tongue portion of the
first corner panel to form the corner panel assembly.
6. A prefabricated structural insulated panel, comprising: a frame;
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; an
insulation material disposed within a cavity formed by the frame
and the first and second siding members; the frame comprising a
first vertical member disposed 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 disposed inwardly of a
vertical edge on an opposite side of the first and second siding
members to form a groove portion.
7. The panel of claim 6 wherein the frame comprises frame members
made from a material selected from the group consisting of wood and
high density foam.
8. The panel of claim 6 wherein the insulation material comprises a
polyurethane foam material injected into the cavity.
9. The panel of claim 6 further comprising a retractable fastener
integrated with the first and second vertical frame members.
10. The panel of claim 6 further comprising extension members
extending between the first vertical member and the vertical edge
on the one side of the first and second siding members.
11. The panel of claim 6 first vertical frame member of the tongue
portion comprises beveled edges.
12. A method of making a structural insulated panel system,
comprising: 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 at
least a portion of one side of the frame and attaching a second
siding member to at least a portion of 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.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of providing
a hook portion of a retractable fastener within one of the first
vertical frame member and the second vertical frame member and
providing a pin portion of the retractable fastener within the
other of the first vertical frame member and the second vertical
frame member.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of adjusting
a width of the panel system by removing a first portion of the
tongue portion, and removing a second portion of the first and
second siding members along the vertical edge on the opposite side
of the first and second siding members; the first portion and the
second portion having substantially the same thickness.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of adjusting
a width of the panel system by adding a shim to the tongue
portion.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of providing
a corner panel assembly including a first corner panel and a second
corner panel.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of providing a corner
panel assembly further includes providing a groove portion and a
tongue portion on the first corner panel, and providing a tongue
portion and a flat surface on the second corner panel, and wherein
the flat surface of the second corner panel is configured to mate
with the tongue portion of the first corner panel to form the
corner panel assembly.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of joining
the tongue portion of one panel to the groove portion of the first
corner panel, and joining the groove portion of another panel to
the tongue portion of the second corner panel assembly.
19. A walk-in cooler, comprising: at least two walls, each wall
comprising at least one prefabricated structural insulated panel;
and at least one corner panel assembly joining the at least two
walls; each prefabricated structural insulated panel comprising: 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 attached to at least a portion of one side of
the frame and a second siding member attached to at least a portion
of an opposite side of the frame, the frame and the first and
second siding members forming a cavity; an insulation material
within the cavity; a tongue portion comprising a projection formed
from the first vertical frame member disposed laterally outward
from one vertical edge of the first and second siding members; and
a groove portion comprising a recess formed from the second
vertical frame member disposed laterally inward from an opposite
vertical edge of the first and second siding members; the corner
panel assembly comprising: a first corner panel having a groove
portion and a tongue portion; a second corner panel having a tongue
portion and a flat surface; wherein the flat surface of the second
corner panel mates with the tongue portion of the first corner
panel to form the corner panel assembly; wherein the groove portion
of the first corner panel mates with a tongue portion of the
prefabricated structural insulated panel of one wall, and the
tongue portion of the second corner panel mates with the groove
portion of the prefabricated structural insulated panel of the
other wall.
20. The walk-in cooler of claim 19 further comprising a retractable
fastener having a hook and a pin and wherein the hook is disposed
within the tongue portion of the prefabricated structural insulated
panel and the tongue portion of the second corner panel, and the
pin is disposed within the groove portion of the prefabricated
structural insulated panel and the groove portion of the first
corner panel.
Description
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 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 DRAWINGS
[0006] FIGS. 1A-1B are schematic images of a perspective view of a
conventional structural insulated panel and connection device.
[0007] FIG. 2A is a schematic image of a front elevation view of a
structural insulated panel according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2C is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated panel along lines 2C-2C in FIG. 2A, according
to an exemplary embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 2D is a schematic image of an exploded perspective view
of a structural insulated panel assembly according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 3A is a schematic image of a perspective view of a
structural insulated corner panel assembly according to an
exemplary embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 3B is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated corner panel assembly along lines 3B-3B in
FIG. 3A, according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 3C is a schematic image of a cross sectional view of a
structural insulated corner panel assembly along lines 3C-3C in
FIG. 3A, according to an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 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
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.
[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1A-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).
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 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.times.4" wood lumber, although other
size lumber (e.g. 2.times.2, 2.times.6, 2.times.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.
[0016] 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 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 and/or 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.
[0017] Referring further to FIGS. 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", 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.
[0018] 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.times.4 wood lumber, width A is approximately
31/2 inches and distance B is approximately 17/8 inches and width C
is approximately 31/2 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.
[0019] 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.times.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 to the thickness of the filler
material in the groove portion, which may be readily filled with a
strip of siding material.
[0020] Referring further to FIGS. 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 Panelock.TM. 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.
[0021] 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 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.
[0022] 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.
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 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.
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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.
[0026] 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.
[0027] 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.
[0028] 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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