U.S. patent application number 12/785660 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-30 for structural flooring panel and floor structure incorporating the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to THERMAPAN INDUSTRIES INC.. Invention is credited to Emil M. Taraba, Jeffrey M. Taraba.
Application Number | 20100325990 12/785660 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42664752 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100325990 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Taraba; Jeffrey M. ; et
al. |
December 30, 2010 |
STRUCTURAL FLOORING PANEL AND FLOOR STRUCTURE INCORPORATING THE
SAME
Abstract
A structural flooring panel comprises an upper sheet, a lower
sheet and a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs between the
sheets. The ribs are laterally spaced to define at least one
longitudinally extending, internal channel within the panel.
Inventors: |
Taraba; Jeffrey M.; (Niagara
Falls, CA) ; Taraba; Emil M.; (Fort Erie,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG BASILE
3001 WEST BIG BEAVER ROAD, SUITE 624
TROY
MI
48084
US
|
Assignee: |
THERMAPAN INDUSTRIES INC.
Fort Erie
CA
|
Family ID: |
42664752 |
Appl. No.: |
12/785660 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61180713 |
May 22, 2009 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/302.1 ;
52/309.16; 52/578; 52/783.1; 52/794.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 2/525 20130101;
E04B 5/48 20130101; E04C 2/365 20130101; E04C 2/34 20130101; E04B
5/12 20130101; E04C 2/523 20130101; E04F 15/102 20130101; E04C 2/50
20130101; E04C 2/521 20130101; Y02B 30/24 20130101; E04C 2/3405
20130101; Y02B 30/00 20130101; E04F 15/02038 20130101; F24D
2220/006 20130101; E04F 15/107 20130101; F24D 3/142 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/302.1 ;
52/783.1; 52/794.1; 52/309.16; 52/578 |
International
Class: |
E04C 2/34 20060101
E04C002/34; E04B 1/70 20060101 E04B001/70; E04B 1/74 20060101
E04B001/74; E04C 2/22 20060101 E04C002/22; E04C 2/38 20060101
E04C002/38 |
Claims
1. A structural flooring panel comprising: an upper sheet; a lower
sheet; and a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs between the
sheets, the ribs being laterally spaced to define at least one
longitudinally extending, internal channel within the panel.
2. A structural flooring panel according to claim 1, wherein said
ribs define a plurality of longitudinally extending, internal
channels within the panel.
3. A structural flooring panel according to claim 2, wherein said
internal channels are generally parallel.
4. A structural flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein said
internal channels extend generally the length of said panel.
5. A structural flooring panel according to claim 4, further
comprising at least one passage through at least one of said ribs
to bring adjacent internal channels into fluid communication.
6. A structural flooring panel according to claim 5, comprising at
least one passage through a plurality of ribs.
7. A structural flooring panel according to claim 6, wherein the
passages provided through the ribs are staggered.
8. A structural flooring panel according to claim 4, further
comprising at least one passage through at least one of said upper
and lower sheets, said at least one passage being in fluid
communication with an internal channel.
9. A structural flooring panel according to claim 8, comprising
passages through at least one of said upper and lower sheets, each
passage being in fluid communication with a respective one of said
internal channels.
10. A structural flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein each
of said upper and lower sheets is formed of one of oriented strand
board, plywood, fiberboard, particle-board, concrete sheet and
magnesium-based sheet.
11. A structural flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein at
least one of said ribs comprises: a pair of rib sheets; and
insulation between the rib sheets, each of the rib sheets being
bonded to an opposite side of the insulation.
12. A structural flooring panel according to claim 11, wherein the
rib sheets of the at least one rib are oriented so that the planes
of their major surfaces are generally perpendicular to the planes
of the major surfaces of the upper and lower sheets.
13. A structural flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein each
of said ribs comprises: a pair of rib sheets; and insulation
between the rib sheets, each of the rib sheets being bonded to an
opposite side of the insulation.
14. A structural flooring panel according to claim 13, wherein the
rib sheets of each rib are oriented so that the planes of their
major surfaces are generally perpendicular to the planes of the
major surfaces of the upper and lower sheets.
15. A structural flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein at
least one rib comprises a slab of insulation, and a rib sheet
bonded to one side of the insulation.
16. A structural flooring panel according to claim 15, wherein the
rib sheet of the at least one rib is oriented so that the plane of
its major surface is generally perpendicular to the planes of the
major surfaces of the upper and lower sheets.
17. A structural flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein each
rib comprises a slab of insulation, and a rib sheet bonded to one
side of the insulation.
18. A structural flooring panel according to claim 17, wherein the
rib sheet of each rib is oriented so that the plane of its major
surface is generally perpendicular to the planes of the major
surfaces of the upper and lower sheets.
19. A structural flooring panel according to claim 13, wherein each
of said rib sheets is formed of one of oriented strand board,
particle-board, plywood and fiberboard.
20. A structural flooring panel according to claim 19 wherein said
insulation is formed of one of expanded polystyrene, honeycomb
cardboard, extruded polystyrene and polyurethane.
21. A structural flooring panel according to claim 17, wherein each
of said rib sheets is formed of one of oriented strand board,
particle-board, plywood and fiberboard.
22. A structural flooring panel according to claim 21 wherein said
insulation is formed of one of expanded polystyrene, honeycomb
cardboard, extruded polystyrene and polyurethane.
23. A floor structure comprising a plurality of abutting structural
flooring panels according to claim 2.
24. A floor structure according to claim 23 wherein said abutting
structural flooring panels are arranged side-by-side and
end-to-end.
25. A floor structure according to claim 24, wherein the internal
channels of end-to-end structural flooring panels are axially
aligned.
26. A floor structure according to claim 24, wherein the internal
channels of end-to-end structural flooring panels are axially
offset.
27. A floor structure according to claim 24, wherein abutting
structural flooring panels carry mating formations.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/180,713 to Taraba et al. filed on May 22, 2009,
the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to building
structures and in particular, to a structural flooring panel and to
a floor structure incorporating the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In residential homes and other building structures, floors
are typically constructed by fastening one or more sheets of a
wood-based material, such as plywood or oriented strand board
("OSB"), to laterally spaced, longitudinally extending lumber
joists. The joists are oriented to provide increased strength and
resist bending, as is known in the art.
[0004] Ducting for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning is
typically incorporated into the building structure once the floors
have been constructed. This involves affixing one or more primary
ventilation ducts to the underside of the joists, and running
secondary ducts stemming from the primary ducts between joists.
[0005] Recently, structural building panels have become an
increasingly common material for use in the construction of
residential homes and other building structures due to their low
cost, high strength, high energy efficiency, and ease of
installation. Structural insulated panels ("SIPs") are one form of
structural building panel, and have a sandwich-type structure
comprising two sheets typically of a wood-based material, such as
plywood or OSB, adhesively bonded to opposite sides of an inner
slab of foam insulation. Expanded polystyrene ("EPS") is typically
used for the foam insulation, with extruded polystyrene and
polyurethane foam sometimes being used. When used during the
construction of walls, the bonded sandwich structure of SIPs has
been demonstrated to provide comparable strength to conventional
walls comprising a lumber stud frame filled with fiberglass
insulation. SIPs are typically fabricated as sheets of a standard
size (e.g. 4 feet.times.8 feet), which can then be cut to size
on-site as needed prior to installation.
[0006] Structural building panels for use as flooring panels have
also been considered. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,287 to
Meadows discloses a prefabricated building panel including first
and second side panel members. A thermally insulating core is
disposed between the side panel members. A first panel end surface
includes a pair of spaced projections defining a channel-way. A
second panel end surface includes a pair of spaced channels and a
thermal barrier plug. Two adjacent building panels may be
interconnected by engaging the pair of spaced projections at the
first end of the first panel with the pair of spaced channels in
the second end of the second panel while simultaneously engaging
the thermally insulating plug at the second end of the second panel
in the channel-way at the first end of the first panel.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,521 to Brown et al. discloses a
structural sandwich panel wherein during fabrication, facing sheets
are placed in position in a containment form assembly and a foam
resin core material is injected between the facing sheets and
allowed to cure. The resultant structural sandwich panel includes
elongated recesses which form a joint for joining abutting
structural sandwich panels together and cam-locks to secure
adjoining structural sandwich panels together.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,621 to Porter discloses a generally flat
structural panel for building construction including an inner
insulating core such as plastic foam and a pair of opposed outer
facings, or sheets, bonded to the insulating core. One of the outer
facings is of gypsum composite, or gypsum fiberboard, while the
other outer facing is of oriented strand board (OSB) impregnated
with plastic, such as a polyisocyanurate or urethane resin. The
gypsum fiberboard forms the panel's inner surface, while the
plastic impregnated OSB forms the panel's outer surface. The
panel's outer facings provide high tensile strength, with the
gypsum fiberboard facing also affording high load bearing capacity
as well as resistant to fire, the environment, and insects. The
plastic impregnated OSB does not expand or contract with changes in
humidity to maintain a planar configuration for the structural
panel with a smooth, uniform surface for exterior finishing.
[0009] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0125042 to
Hughes et al. discloses a structural insulated laminated
construction panel for building structures comprising a rigid core
material layer, preferably an expanded polystyrene material, having
opposed flat parallel surfaces.
[0010] As will be appreciated, the structural building panels
described in the above references have a closed structure. As a
result when a floor structure is constructed using these structural
building panels, ducting for heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning cannot be readily integrated into the floor structure.
Consequently, all ducting must be affixed to the external surfaces
of the flooring structure. This adds to the total quantity of
material used in the construction of the building structure, and
increases its overall cost. Additionally, ducts that are affixed to
the external surfaces of the flooring structure can be bulky, and
can reduce the overhead clearance in rooms. As will be appreciated,
improvements in structural flooring panels are desired.
[0011] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a novel structural flooring panel and a novel floor
structure incorporating the same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Accordingly, in one aspect there is provided a structural
flooring panel comprising an upper sheet; a lower sheet; and a
plurality of longitudinally extending ribs between the sheets, the
ribs being laterally spaced to define at least one longitudinally
extending, internal channel within the panel.
[0013] In one embodiment, the ribs define a plurality of
longitudinally extending, internal channels within the panel, with
the internal channels being generally parallel. The internal
channels also extend generally the length of the panel.
[0014] In one embodiment, at least one passage is provided through
at least one of the ribs to bring adjacent internal channels into
fluid communication. In another embodiment, at least one passage is
provided through at least one of the upper and lower sheets, with
the at least one passage being in fluid communication with an
internal channel.
[0015] In one form, each of the ribs comprises a pair of rib sheets
and insulation between the rib sheets. Each of the rib sheets is
bonded to an opposite side of the insulation. The rib sheets of
each rib are oriented so that the planes of their major surfaces
are generally perpendicular to the planes of the major surfaces of
the upper and lower sheets. In another form, each rib comprises a
slab of insulation and a rib sheet bonded to one side of the slab
of insulation.
[0016] According to another aspect, a floor structure is provided
that comprises a plurality of abutting structural flooring panels
as described above. The abutting structural flooring panels are
arranged side-by-side and end-to-end. In one arrangement, the
internal channels of the end-to-end structural flooring panels are
axially aligned and in an alternative arrangement the internal
channels of the end-to-end structural flooring panels are axially
offset. The abutting structural flooring panels may also carry
mating formations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0018] FIG. 1a is a cross-sectional side view of a building
structure incorporating structural flooring panels;
[0019] FIG. 1b is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1a.
[0020] FIGS. 2a and 2b are side elevational and top plan views of a
floor structure formed of a plurality of abutting structural
flooring panels;
[0021] FIGS. 3a, 3b, and 3c are front elevational, top plan and
side elevational views, respectively, of one of the structural
flooring panels forming the floor structure of FIGS. 2a and 2b;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of
the structural flooring panel of FIGS. 3a to 3c;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the structural
flooring panel of FIGS. 3a to 3c;
[0024] FIGS. 6a and 6b are front elevational views of a joint
between two adjacent structural flooring panels forming part of the
floor structure of FIGS. 2a and 2b;
[0025] FIGS. 7a and 7b are front elevational views of site-crafted
joints between two adjacent structural flooring panels forming part
of a floor structure;
[0026] FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a portion of another
embodiment of a structural flooring panel;
[0027] FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 9c are front elevational, top plan and
side elevational views, respectively, of yet another embodiment of
a structural flooring panel;
[0028] FIGS. 10a, 10b, and 10c are front elevational, top plan and
side elevational views, respectively, of yet another embodiment of
a structural flooring panel;
[0029] FIGS. 11a, 11b, and 11c are front elevational, top plan and
side elevational views, respectively, of yet another embodiment of
a structural flooring panel; and
[0030] FIGS. 12a, 12b, and 12c are front elevational, top plan and
side elevational views, respectively, of still yet another
embodiment of a structural flooring panel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0031] The following discussion relates a structural flooring panel
for use in a building structure comprising two sheets separated by
a plurality of laterally spaced, generally parallel ribs. The ribs
are spaced so as to provide structural support for the structural
flooring panel and to define longitudinally extending, internal
channels within the structural flooring panel. A floor structure
can be easily and quickly assembled using the structural flooring
panels. Heated or cooled air can be forced through the internal
channels within the structural flooring panels to provide a heated
or cooled floor structure.
[0032] Turning now to FIGS. 1a to 2b, a building structure is shown
and is generally identified by reference numeral 10. In this
embodiment, the building structure 10 is a house and comprises a
foundation slab 12 surrounded by foundation walls 14 that are
supported on footings 16 below the foundation slab 12. First and
second floor structures 18 and 20 are provided within the building
structure 10 at different elevations and are surrounded by external
walls 22. Structural flooring panels 24 are used to construct the
floor structures 18 and 20. In particular, each floor structure
comprises an array of structural flooring panels 24 arranged
side-to-side and end-to end as best seen in FIG. 2a. The length of
each structural flooring panel 24 is selected so that the ends of
the structural flooring panel 24 are either supported by the
exterior walls 22 or by support beams 26 as shown in FIG. 2a.
[0033] Turning now to FIGS. 3a to 5 one of the structural flooring
panels 24 is better illustrated. As can be seen, structural
flooring panel 24 comprises an upper sheet 32 and a lower sheet 34
separated by a plurality of laterally and generally equally spaced,
longitudinally extending, generally parallel ribs 36 adhesively
bonded to the sheets. In the embodiment shown, sheets 32 and 34 are
formed of oriented strand board ("OSB") or other suitable material
such as for example plywood, medium density fiberboard,
particle-board, concrete sheet, magnesium-based sheet etc. The
spacing of the ribs 36 is selected so as to provide the structural
flooring panel 24 with sufficient structural support and resist
bending against vertically-imposed loads to comply with the
strength requirements of local building codes while at the same
time to define a plurality of longitudinally extending, internal
channels 38 within the structural flooring panel 24.
[0034] Each rib 36 has a "sandwich" structure comprising two rib
sheets 40, each of which is adhesively bonded to an opposite side
of a slab of insulation 42. In this embodiment, the rib sheets 40
are formed of a wood-based material, such as OSB, plywood,
fiberboard, particle-board etc. The insulation slab 42 is formed of
suitable material, such as expanded polystyrene, honeycomb
cardboard, extruded polystyrene, polyurethane foam, and the like.
The planes of the major surfaces of the rib sheets 40 are
perpendicular to the planes of the major surfaces of the upper and
lower sheets 32, 34. This orientation of each rib 36 relative to
the sheets 32 and 34 takes advantage of the high in-plane strength
of the rib sheets 40, which stiffens the structural flooring panel
24 and contributes to its high bending strength.
[0035] Opposite sides of the upper and lower sheets 32 and 34 carry
formations so that when the structural flooring panel 24 is brought
side-to-side with another similar structural flooring panel, the
formations on the upper and lower sheets of the abutting structural
flooring panels mate. In particular, a longitudinally extending
tongue 44 is provided on one side of the upper sheet 32 and a
longitudinally extending groove 46 is provided in the opposite side
of the upper sheet 32. The side of the lower sheet 34 beneath the
tongue 44 is notched to define a lower lap member 48 while the side
of the lower sheet 34 beneath the groove 46 is notched to define an
upper lap member 50.
[0036] FIGS. 6a and 6b show the joint between two adjacent
structural flooring panels 24 when arranged in a side-by-side
manner. As can be seen, when the two structural flooring panels 24
are positioned with their longitudinal sides in an abutting
relationship, the abutting sides of the upper sheets 32 form a
tongue-and-groove joint and the abutting sides of the lower sheets
34 form a ship lap joint.
[0037] The end-to-end arrangement of the structural flooring panels
24 is typically chosen so that corresponding longitudinally
extending, internal channels 38 of the structural flooring panels
are axially aligned thereby to provide continuous internal channels
38 across the floor structure. However, it will be appreciated that
the structural flooring panels 24 may be alternatively arranged in
a non-aligned, axially offset or "staggered" pattern, provided
internal channels 38 of the abutting structural flooring panels 24
are in fluid communication.
[0038] The longitudinally extending, internal channels 38 within
the structural flooring panels 24 provide passageways for services.
In the building structure 10 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the
longitudinally extending, internal channels 38 are used as
ventilation ducts. To that end, turning back to FIG. 1a, it can be
seen that a heated forced air source 60, such as a furnace, rests
on the foundation slab 12. A feed conduit 62 extends from the
heated forced air source 60 and delivers heated forced air to the
longitudinally extending, internal channels 38 of the structural
flooring panels 24. A cold air return conduit 64 returns forced air
exiting the opposite ends of the longitudinally extending, internal
channels 38 back to the heated forced air source 60. The flow of
heated air through the internal channels 38 results in heated floor
structures. Once heated, the structural flooring panels 24 also
radiate heat into the interior of the building structure 10.
[0039] FIG. 1b better illustrates the fluid connections between the
floor structures 18 and 20 and heated forced air source 60. Heated
air generated by the heated forced air source 60 is transported
through the feed conduit 62 into a manifold duct 70, which runs the
length of the foundation wall 14 and along the underside of the
floor structure 18. Manifold duct 70 is in fluid communication with
a plurality of holes (not shown) formed in the lower sheets 34 of
the structural flooring panels 24 that are aligned with the
internal channels 38. Manifold duct 70 is also in fluid
communication with one or more minor ducts 72. Each minor duct 72
passes through the floor structure 18 and into a respective wall
duct 74. The wall ducts 74 are formed between an external wall 22
of the building structure 10 and an interior skin 76, which in the
embodiment shown is drywall. The width of each wall duct 74 is
defined by a pair of studs mounted vertically against the external
wall 22, and to which interior skin 76 is fastened. Each wall duct
74 is in fluid communication with structural flooring panels 24
forming the upper floor structure 20 of the building structure 10,
through holes formed in the underside of each lower sheet that are
aligned with the internal channels 38. Reciprocal arrangements (not
shown) exist for returning cold air flow, which is directed back to
the heated forced air source 60 through the cold air return conduit
64.
[0040] Structural flooring panels 24 may be fabricated in standard
sizes. For example, in the embodiment shown, each structural
flooring panel 24 has dimensions 4'.times.8'.times.10'' (width by
length by thickness), however, structural flooring panels 24 may
also be fabricated in other sizes such as 4'.times.16', or
4'.times.20', for example. It will be appreciated that as the
fabricated length of a structural flooring panel 24 is increased,
its strength can also be increased as desired by increasing the
height of the ribs 36, by reducing the spacing of the ribs 36,
and/or by increasing the width of each rib 36, and more
specifically by increasing the thicknesses of the insulation slab
42 and/or the rib sheets 40. Additionally, the strength of the
structural flooring panel 24 can be increased by strengthening
either sheet 32 or 34, such as by increasing the thickness of the
sheet 32 and/or sheet 34 or by using sheets 32, 34 formed of a
stronger material.
[0041] As floor areas can be of any size and shape, structural
flooring panels 24 can be readily cut to size on-site as needed to
construct the floor structure. A structural flooring panel 24 may
be cut vertically through its thickness without significant loss of
structural integrity. Such cutting may however result in loss of
the joining formations provided on the upper and lower sheets 32
and 34. In this event, further modifications can be made to a cut
structural flooring panel 24 to enable joining with other
structural flooring panels. FIG. 7a shows a "site-crafted" joint
between two adjacent side-by-side structural flooring panels 24, in
which a lumber spline 80 is inserted into one of the structural
flooring panels 24 and generally parallel to the ribs 36. In this
example, the tongue 44 and groove 46 of the upper sheets 32 of the
structural flooring panels 24, and the lower and upper lap members
48 and 50 of the lower sheets 34 of the structural flooring panels
24, have been removed as a result of cutting, leaving flat surfaces
at the sides of the sheets 32 and 34. The lumber spline 80 is
positioned midway between the abutting sides of the sheets 32 and
34 so as to form a butt joint between the structural flooring
panels 24. In the embodiment shown, lumber spline 80 is oriented
generally parallel to the ribs 36 but non-parallel orientations may
be used. The sheets 32 and 34 are fastened to the lumber spline 80
using screws, nails, adhesive or other suitable fasteners.
[0042] FIG. 7b shows an alternative site-crafted joint between two
side-by-side cut structural flooring panels 24, in which a lumber
spline 80 is similarly inserted into one of the structural flooring
panels parallel to the ribs 36. In this embodiment, rather than
leaving the abutting sides of the structural flooring panel sheets
flat, the abutting sides of the upper and lower sheets are
appropriately notched to form lower and upper lap members 48 and
50. The lumber spline 80 is positioned midway between the abutting
sides of the sheets and the sheets are suitably fastened to the
lumber spline as described above.
[0043] Structural flooring panel 24 can also be modified on-site to
provide additional support for point or local loads imposed upon
the structural flooring panel 24, as needed. FIG. 8 shows a
structural flooring panel 24 in which two lumber sections 90 are
inserted into an internal channel 38 to provide local reinforcement
between a pair of the ribs 36. In the embodiment shown, each lumber
section 62 is a section of a lumber board, and has a length
selected to provide an adequately-sized area of reinforcement
within the structural flooring panel 24, as desired.
[0044] FIGS. 9a to 9c show another embodiment of a structural
flooring panel, generally indicated by reference numeral 124.
Structural flooring panel 124 in this embodiment similarly
comprises an upper sheet 132, a lower sheet 134 and a plurality of
laterally spaced, generally parallel ribs 136 bonded to the sheets.
Each rib 136 comprises a pair of rib sheets 140, each of which is
adhesively bonded to an opposite side of a foam insulation slab
142. Cross-ducts 168 are formed in the ribs 136 to enable fluid
communication between adjacent internal channels 138 within the
structural flooring panel 124. In the embodiment shown, the
cross-ducts 168 are circular bores provided through each rib 136 at
spaced locations. The bores are arranged within structural flooring
panel 124 in a staggered pattern. As will be appreciated, the
cross-ducts 168 can improve the temperature uniformity within the
structural flooring panel 124 when non-room temperature air is
forced through the internal channels 138.
[0045] FIGS. 10a to 10b show yet another embodiment of a structural
flooring panel, generally indicated by reference numeral 224.
Structural flooring panel 224 in this embodiment similarly
comprises an upper sheet 232, a lower sheet 234 and a plurality of
laterally spaced, generally parallel ribs 236 bonded to the sheets.
Each rib 236 comprises a pair of rib sheets 240, each of which is
adhesively bonded to an opposite side of a foam insulation slab
242. Vents 270 for allowing forced air provided to the internal
channels of the structural flooring panel to escape into the
interior of the building structure are formed in the structural
flooring panel 224. In the embodiment shown, one vent 270 is formed
in the upper sheet 232 in line with one of the internal channels
238 and one vent is formed in the lower sheet 234 in line with
another of the internal channels 238.
[0046] FIGS. 11a to 11c show yet another embodiment of a structural
flooring panel, generally indicated by reference numeral 324.
Structural flooring panel 324 in this embodiment similarly
comprises an upper sheet 332, a lower sheet 334 and a plurality of
laterally spaced, generally parallel ribs 336 bonded to the sheets.
Each rib 236 comprises a pair of rib sheets 340, each of which is
adhesively bonded to an opposite side of a foam insulation slab
340. A baffle 374 is positioned within one internal channel 338,
which partially obstructs that internal channel and thereby reduces
the quantity of air flow along that internal channel. A plug 376 is
positioned within another internal channel 338 to completely
obstruct that channel and thereby block all air flow along that
internal channel. In the embodiment shown, baffle 374 and plug 376
are pieces of lumber boards.
[0047] FIGS. 12a to 12c show still yet another embodiment of a
structural flooring panel, generally indicated by reference numeral
424. Structural flooring panel 424 in this embodiment similarly
comprises an upper sheet 432, a lower sheet 434 and a plurality of
laterally spaced, generally parallel ribs 436 bonded to the sheets.
Each rib 436 comprises a single rib sheet 440 adhesively bonded to
one side of a foam insulation slab 442. The use of only a single
rib sheet, instead of two rib sheets, allows structural flooring
panel 424 to be fabricated using a smaller quantity of material,
resulting in a lower cost of fabrication.
[0048] Although the internal channels of the structural flooring
panels described above are used to channel heated forced air
through the structural flooring panels, the internal channels of
the structural flooring panels may be used to channel cooled air or
ambient air through the structural flooring panels. In this case, a
cooled forced air unit such as an air conditioner or an ambient
forced air unit such as a blower may be used to provide the forced
cooled air or forced ambient air to the structural flooring panels.
Of course, one flooring structure may be provided with one type of
forced air while another flooring structure may be provided with
another type of forced air. Alternatively, some of the internal
channels of a structural flooring panel may be provided with one
type of forced air while other internal channels of the structural
flooring panel may be provided with another type of forced air.
[0049] Rather than acting as ventilation ducts or in addition to
acting as ventilation ducts, the internal channels of the
structural flooring panels may also be used to accommodate conduits
through which utilities such as plumbing and/or electrical wiring
may be run. For example, the internal channels may accommodate
plumbing for a sprinkler system and/or conduit for electric wiring.
Alternatively or in conjunction with the sprinkler system piping
and/or conduit, the internal channels may accommodate piping for a
radiant hot water system and/or other desired services.
[0050] If desired, the upper sheet, lower sheet, and/or rib sheets
may be made from a fire-proof material (e.g. "Blaze Guard") or
treated with a fire proof material so as to increase the resistance
of the structural flooring panel to fire.
[0051] In the embodiments described above, the structural flooring
panels are shown as comprising either cross-ducts, vents, or
baffles and plugs, or none of these features. Those of skill in the
art will appreciate that the structural flooring panels may
comprise a combination of these features.
[0052] Although the structural flooring panels are described as
comprising ribs having a "sandwich" structure, those of skill in
the art will appreciate that the ribs may take other forms. For
example, the ribs may comprise boards or joists formed of suitable
material. If desired, the spacing between the ribs and/or the
longitudinal orientations of the ribs may vary resulting in
internal channels with different dimensions.
[0053] In the embodiments described above, the structural flooring
panels comprise first and second sheets formed of the same
material. Those of skill in the art however will appreciate that
the first and second sheets may be formed of different
materials.
[0054] Although specific joints between adjacent structural
flooring panels are shown and described, those of skill in the art
will appreciate that alternative joints between adjacent structural
flooring panels may be employed.
[0055] While the structural flooring panels are described as being
fabricated in sizes of 4'.times.8'.times.10'', 4'.times.16'
(.times.10''), or 4'.times.20' (.times.10''), those of skill in the
art will appreciate that the structural flooring panels may
fabricated in virtually any shape or size.
[0056] Although embodiments have been described above with
reference to the accompanying drawings, those of skill in the art
will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by
the appended claims.
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