U.S. patent application number 12/217901 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-14 for insulating prefab wall structure.
Invention is credited to Dany Lemay.
Application Number | 20100005746 12/217901 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41503870 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100005746 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lemay; Dany |
January 14, 2010 |
Insulating prefab wall structure
Abstract
The present invention describes a prefab wall structure which
provides a reduced thermal conductivity. More particularly, the
prefac wall structure comprises a stud assembly made of at least
two studs secured one to the other through a contact surface
lateral to said stud. This reduces the conductivity of the
temperature exchange throughout the wall.
Inventors: |
Lemay; Dany; (St-Romuald,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Dany Lemay
731 rue de l'Eglise
St-Romuald
QC
G6W 5M6
CA
|
Family ID: |
41503870 |
Appl. No.: |
12/217901 |
Filed: |
July 10, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/506.05 ;
52/741.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 2/386 20130101;
E04C 2/296 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/506.05 ;
52/741.4 |
International
Class: |
E04B 2/00 20060101
E04B002/00 |
Claims
1. A prefab wall structure comprising; a. two opposite first and
second side wall boards; b. a stud assembly comprising at least a
first and second stud member between the two opposite side wall
boards, the first stud member being secured with first side wall
board, the second stud member being secured with the second side
wall board, said first and second stud members being in contact one
to the other to form a surface of contact, the surface of contact
being non parallel to said first and second wall boards, thereby
defining with said first and second wall boards and a plurality of
stud assembly a plurality of cavities, wherein each cavity has a
depth higher to a thickness of each of said stud member, and has a
depth equivalent to the thickness of said stud assembly.
2. The prefab wall structure of claim 1, wherein said stud members
are perpendicularly secured with said wall boards in the sense of
the thickness of said wall structure.
3. The prefab wall structure of claim 1, wherein said cavity is
filled up with an insulating material.
4. The prefab wall structure of claim 1, wherein said studs member
in said stud assembly are separated by an insulating membrane.
5. The prefab wall structure of claim 1, wherein said studs member
in said stud assembly are separated by an intermediate member.
6. The prefab wall structure of claim 1, wherein said studs member
are 2''.times.4'' stud members.
7. A prefab wall structure comprising a stud assembly comprising at
least a first and second stud member between the two opposite side
wall boards, the first stud member being secured with first side
wall board, the second stud member being secured with the second
side wall board, said first and second stud members being in
contact one to the other to form a surface of contact, the surface
of contact being non parallel to said first and second wall boards,
thereby defining with said first and second wall boards and a
plurality of stud assembly a plurality of cavities, wherein each
cavity has a depth higher to a thickness of each of said stud
member, and has a depth equivalent to the thickness of said stud
assembly.
8. A method of manufacturing a prefab wall structure comprising the
steps of: a. fixing a stud member on a wall board to form a first
prewall structure; b. assembling the first prewall structure to a
second prevail struture by securing the stud member of a first
prewall structure with the stud member of second prewall structure,
the studs secured together forming a stud assembly, in manner to
obtain a prefab wall structure, thereby defining with said wall
boards of said first and second prewall structures and a plurality
of stud assembly a plurality of cavities, wherein each cavity has a
depth higher to a thickness of each of said stud member, and has a
depth equivalent to the thickness of said stud assembly
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said stud member is fixed
longitudinally to said wall board.
Description
[0001] The application claims priority to Canadian patent
application No. 2,592,722, filed on Jun. 29, 2007, which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a prefab wall panel to
build a prefab house, and more particularly, the present invention
relates to a prefab wall panel having available space between the
studs for the running of electrical wiring and plumbing
therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Prefab wall panels, prefab roof trusses and plywood
sheathing are often used to erect a house in a very short time with
few workers. Prefab building components are normally preferred by
the construction industry as they are assembled with approved
materials, according to controlled procedures and under the ideal
conditions of a well equipped shop. For these reasons, houses built
with prefab components are generally of a better quality than
conventional structures built outdoors on a construction site.
[0004] An important aspect of the quality of a house is the thermal
resistance of its structure. In that respect, home builder
associations as well as writers of national building codes specify
a minimum level of insulation to be installed in walls, ceilings
and around foundations of new houses. Normally the insulation
requirement for the walls of a house built in Canada for example,
varies between R-16 and R-27 depending on the number of degree-days
of a particular region.
[0005] A typical conventional prefab wall panel having an
insulation value of R-20 is built with nominal 2''.times.6'' wood
framing members covered on the outside surface with panels of
half-inch plywood or particleboard, half-inch fibreboard sheathing
and an exterior cladding. The space between the studs is completely
filled with batt type fibreglass insulation. The interior finish
may comprise another half-inch fibreboard insulation and a gypsum
board. This type of prefab wall panel is usually fabricated and
transported to a construction site without the batt insulation,
interior finish and exterior cladding.
[0006] A drawback of this type of construction is the fact that
each wall panel is relatively heavy to handle and erect on a floor
structure. Also, the batt insulation is still installed in the
usual manner, when the new building is closed-in.
[0007] As alternatives to the R-20 nominal 2''.times.6'' wall
structure, a number of different types of prefab wall panels are
made with a solid foam core encapsulating a smaller wood frame. A
first example of pre-insulated wall panel having a foam core is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,436 issued on Aug. 29, 1978 to
Adrien Berloty. This building panel comprises a wood frame which is
completely filled with foam. The foam forms a rigid block which
adheres to the frame. The continuity of the foam block in the frame
give the panel a good stability as well as excellent thermal
insulation.
[0008] A second example of a prefab wall panel having a foam core
is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,650 issued on Dec. 16, 1986
to Bert A. Parker. The document describes a structural insulated
panel system comprising a foam core having channels for receiving
framing studs or rafters. The foam core also has an overhanging
portion around its periphery for overlapping the framing members
along the edges thereof. The foam core completely covers the
framing members for efficiently sealing the wall from infiltration
of cold air inside the building.
[0009] A third example of a wall section having a foam core is
illustrated and described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,560 issued on
Oct. 11, 1994 to John J. Heydon. This invention discloses a
plurality of preformed foam blocks, wherein each block is fitted
between two adjacent vertical posts of a wall section. Each block
has a recess along the edge thereof for encapsulating one post and
for overlapping a portion of an adjacent foam block. The plurality
of interlocked foam blocks encapsulates completely all posts of a
wall framing.
[0010] Although a solid foam core has been preferred in the past
for obtaining high insulation value with a relatively thin wall
section, the foam core takes up all the hollow space between the
wall studs. Sub-trade workers such as electricians and plumbers
must use hot knives for cutting grooves through the foam core for
running plumbing piping and manifolds or an electrical system into
the insulated wall section.
[0011] For this reason, the work saved by carpenters for erecting a
foam filled wall structure is often offset by the additional
manpower required by sub-trade workers for grooving the insulation.
Hence, a need exists in the industry for a pre-insulated prefab
wall panel offering excellent thermal resistance as well as being
structurally compatible to the requirement of all tradesmen
involved in the construction of a building.
[0012] Another example if Canadian Pat. No. 1180528 is a structural
log-like member for use in constructing walls, having an outer
wooden wall and an inner wooden wall. Wooden spacer members connect
the inner and outer walls together in spaced-apart parallel
fashion. The spaces between the walls and spacer members can be
filled with an insulation material. In use, the structural members
can be stacked one on top of the other to form a wall.
[0013] Considering the state of the art presented above, it remains
highly desirable to be provided with new prefab wall structures
with insulating elements
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] One aim of the present invention is to provide a prefab wall
structure comprising;
a. two opposite first and second side wall boards; b. a stud
assembly comprising at least a first and second stud member between
the two opposite side wall boards, the first stud member being
secured with first side wall board, the second stud member being
secured with the second side wall board, the first and second stud
members being in contact one to the other to form a surface of
contact, the surface of contact being non parallel to the first and
second wall boards, thereby defining with said first and second
wall boards and a plurality of stud assembly a plurality of
cavities, wherein each cavity has a depth higher to a thickness of
each of the stud member, and has a depth equivalent to the
thickness of the stud assembly.
[0015] Another aim of the present invention is to provide a prefab
wall structure comprising a stud assembly comprising at least a
first and second stud member between the two opposite side wall
boards, the first stud member being secured with first side wall
board, the second stud member being secured with the second side
wall board, the first and second stud members being in contact one
to the other to form a surface of contact, the surface of contact
being non parallel to the first and second wall boards, thereby
defining with the first and second wall boards and a plurality of
stud assembly a plurality of cavities, wherein each cavity has a
depth higher to a thickness of each of the stud member, and has a
depth equivalent to the thickness of the stud assembly.
[0016] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a
method of manufacturing a prefab wall structure comprising the
steps of:
[0017] fixing a stud member on a wall board to form a first prewall
structure;
[0018] assembling the first prewall structure to a second prevail
struture by securing the stud member of a first prewall structure
with the stud member of second prewall structure, the studs secured
together forming a stud assembly, in manner to obtain a prefab wall
structure, thereby defining with the wall boards of the first and
second prewall structures and a plurality of stud assembly a
plurality of cavities, wherein each cavity has a depth higher to a
thickness of each of the stud member, and has a depth equivalent to
the thickness of the stud assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a cross section of two prefab wall panels before
assembling (1a) and after assembling (1b) of the preferred
embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross section of two prefab wall panels before
assembling (2a) and forming a corner section after assembling (2b);
and
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a enlargement of the gap between the ends
of two prefab wall panels.
[0022] It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like
features are identified by like reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention,
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, the prefab wall structure 8 of the
preferred embodiment has a wood structure made of nominal
2''.times.4'' members. The structure comprises vertical studs 10
spaced at 16'' intervals, and which can be fixed to top and bottom
rail members. The prefab wall of the preferred embodiment, as is
illustrated in FIG. 1a can be of different length, varying from for
example, but not limited to, 2 to 16 ft., and a wood frame height
of 953/4'', measured between the top rail and bottom rail. The
studs are covered by panels 14 and 16, normally made of gypsum, or
of wood, or any other material well known in the art. The studs 10,
11, 12 and 13 are in contact by one longitudinal surface 20 with a
panel, the other surfaces remaining free into the space 24 formed
between panels 14 and 16. A stud 10 in contact with one panel is in
a non-longitudinal or non-continuous contact perpendicularly to the
prefab wall with another stud 11 in contact with panel 16 on the
prefab wall side opposite to panel 14. More than one pair of studs
10 and 11 can be put into a prefal wall structure depending on the
dimension or strength of the wall desired. Also, the studs 10 and
11 can be separated at the contact surface between each another by
an insulating membrane. The studs can alternatively be in contact
one to the other through a intermediate member which can be of the
same or partial longitudinal length of the studs. A trap member 18
can then be put in one panel 14 or 16 before placing a third panel
26. The panel 26 can be a finishing panel of gypsum, or an
insulating foam board, or a any finishing material fixed
thereon.
[0025] The prefab wall structure 8 comprised of end studs 12 and
13, which when a wall is assembled, become in contact in the same
manner than studs 10 and 11, with a gap E closed, as illustrated in
FIG. 1b.
[0026] The person skilled in the art will know that cavities 24 can
remain empty, or filled up with any insulating materials known in
the building and house construction field.
[0027] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the prefab wall structure can be of, for example but not limited
to, 1 to 5 ft, for making the wall part below a window or an
aperture.
[0028] FIGS. 2a and 2b show prefab wall structures 8 assembled to
form a corner wall. The gap G formed between the wall structures is
tightly closed after assembling.
[0029] The contact configuration of the studs forming a stud
assembly permits to reduce the perpendicular thermal transmission
normally found with one piece studs. The thermic bridge is
therefore broken as illustrated in FIG. 3, where the surface of
contact C between the two studs is not perpendicullar to the ends
26 of the studs 12 and 13, the thermal transmission reduction
improved, while the rigidity and solidity of the wall formed of
prefab wall panels of the invention are even higher than the
regulatory limits established in most countries. The present prefab
wall panels improve the transmission resistance of cold as well as
hot temperature through the walls.
[0030] The present invention will be more readily understood by
referring to the following examples which are given to illustrate
the invention rather than to limit its scope.
[0031] While the invention has been described in connection with
specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is
capable of further modifications and this application is intended
to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention
following, in general, the principles of the invention and
including such departures from the present disclosure as come
within known or customary practice within the art to which the
invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features
hereinbefore set forth, and as follows in the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *