Insulating panel and method for building and insulating walls and ceilings

Abstract

A method for manufacturing insulated structural panels for walls, roofs, ceilings, and floors with fixed structural members inserted in to machined cavities that allows for seamless joining of adjacent panels, all stud distances are at industry standard, for sheet hanging simultaneously with truss support without needing top plates for load distribution. The panels yield extreme insulation, sound attenuation, and structural values, while remaining light weight and economical. The composites are non out gassing and zero flame spread, also free from deterioration, and are air, vapor and moisture impermeable. Additional stiffener web is inserted at every four feet of height for higher shear, wind, snow, live and dead loads, and attached to the foundation with a “U” shaped steel channel or track secured with screws to the bottom and top of the panel. Track is also attached at doors and windows openings. All finishes, can be attached to the panels.

Description

This invention relates to building insulations and more particularly to an insulating panel and an insulating ceiling structure for a building. It also relates to a method for building and insulating a ceiling, a wall, a roof or a floor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different techniques and products already exist in the corresponding industry for insulating buildings. By insulation, we mean thermal insulation as well as sound insulation. In general the techniques and products used depend mostly on the structure to be insulated and are specifically adapted to either wall insulations, ceiling insulations, floor insulations or roof insulations. For example, the rigid insulating panels known in the corresponding industry, are constructed with very light gauge “u” channels molded in to the foam, the major draw back from this construction technique is that the process of manufacturing is slow thus more expensive, and it also requires the use of cementious glues, mainly used for the steel members to adhere to the foam. Another disadvantage encountered in these systems is that when a panel is altered (cut) in the field, additional engineering is required to validate its structural value, damage in transit is also known to occur and structural members loose the adhesion to the foam and weaken these panels. Further disadvantages are inherited from those panels design flows, the structural members are offered in two formats, either 24 inches, or 16 inches apart. In the 24 inches format it offers structural support for the trusses or joists, but it is not suited for the hanging of sheet or furnishing since the industry standard is 16 inches on center. The 16 inches format does not have the same disadvantage but it requires the addition of top plates to distribute the trusses loads, thus adding to the cost, complexity, and length of construction time. A further problem with this type of panels is that the mating of two consecutive panels requires two relief cutouts to meet one another and when even a small dimensional discrepancy exist the joint leaves a bumped joint or a depression that would show on the finishing surface.

In order to secure those panels to a wall, these panels have a surface provided by the very light gauge (24 gauge) steel members. The panels are then secured to the wall by means of screws. A drawback with this type of panel is that the time required for its installation is very long and it is thus very expensive. Another drawback is that the fasteners used to secure furnishing are fasten to the light gauge needing either additional sheet to strengthen the connection, or many screws distributed through a larger area, this is also time consuming and costly. Moreover, these types of insulating panels need to be constructed in various formats to be able to insulate ceilings because their structure is not adapted for securing or hanging any object under the ceiling, and need to be manufactured for each instance. This is one of the reasons why the insulating panels known in the industry, are not commonly used and are not practical to adapt to all formats of low rise construction. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need in the construction of buildings for a universal product that may be efficiently used for insulating either a wall, a ceiling, a roof or a floor, and this, at a low cost, not requiring adaptation or special design for different applications, or special engineering when the need for altering a panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a product that satisfies these needs. More particularly, an object of the present invention is to propose an insulating panel for a building structure, the panel having a rigid insulating body consisting of a solid core of polystyrene foam and a plurality of framing members made of steel, plastic, wood or any other structural strengthening material embedded in said body, each framing member are spaced at industry standard distances on center and offset with the opposite to allow direct support under the trusses thus adding the additional capability within the same design for industry standard sheet hanging, and truss support avoiding thermal bridging, (FIG. 1). This gives a supporting stud under every truss, thus not requiring top plates for load distribution. No glues are needed and the structural members can be modified without the loss of structural value. Additionally a reinforcement web is fitted every four feet in height securing the structural member in a cross pattern for added structural strength. Each of the framing members has a bottom surface flush with one of the outer surfaces of the panel.

Each of said arms being provided along the framing member with a plurality of machined grooves running vertically on both sides of the foam body, the foam body are produced in sections and a structural steel web is fitted securing the vertical studs at midway to add stiffness and stronger shear loads, (FIG. 4) (FIG. 4b) and thereby anchoring said framing member in said body. The bottom and top surfaces being adapted along its length to receive and hold a plurality of fasteners to secure the panel to a “u” channel and this to the building structure and to hang an object to the panel. Another object of the present invention is to propose an insulating ceiling structure for extending under the load-bearing structure of a building, the insulating ceiling structure comprising of: A first layer of panels, as described hereinabove. The bottom surface of the framing members of each of the panels opposing the load-bearing structure, and a first set of fasteners for securing the panels of the first layer to the load-bearing structure via the framing members. A third object of the present invention is to propose; a method for building and insulating a ceiling structure under the load-bearing structure of a building, the method comprising the step of: a) fixing a first layer of insulating panels as described hereinabove, to the load-bearing structure, the bottom surface of the framing members of each of said panels opposing the load-bearing structure (FIG. 5).

Advantageously, an insulating panel according the present invention, allows a rapid, solid and easy installation of the panel to any vertical, horizontal or oblique structure. Thus, such an insulating panel may be used advantageously for an insulating any structure of a building, such as either the ceiling, the walls, the roof or the floors. Another advantage of the present invention is that the embedded framing members in the body of the panel are spaced offset to each other to allow industry standard sheet hanging, as well as industry standard structural trusses support. This been most advantageous in direct comparison to other panel systems in the industry. This feature allows to easily secure any trusses, sheathing covering, or any object, etc. directly to the panel very firmly. An unrestricted description of preferred embodiments will now be given with reference to the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of an insulating panel according to the present invention showing the two industry standard spacing for structural members;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wall assembly utilizing a plurality of panels and the top and bottom channel (112) for framing the multiple sections that can be cut on the field as standard practices.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an insulating room structure according to a preferred embodiment of the invention showing a seamless perfectly flat surfaces that are ideal for finishers.

FIGS. 4, 4a, 4b, 4c. Are isometric sectional views showing the stiffen web (106) and its embedment in to the foam core and attachment to the structural supporting members.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a roof panel and stiffener web assembly with a sectional view of the Trusses/Joist structure according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Insulating panel: Referring to FIG. 1. a preferred embodiment is shown therein of an insulating panel (102) for a building structure. This insulating panel (102) is of the type having a rigid insulating body and plurality of opposed structural members (104) (105), and connecting studs (103) at each ends. Plurality of vertical cavities (110) suited for electrical, telephone and data wiring. According to the present invention, on one hand allows a very large range of use for such a panel, and on the other hand, allows a very rapid installation at a low cost. In fact, an insulating panel according to the present invention may be used for insulating a wall as well as a ceiling or a roof or a floor.

The following description will now be more specifically directed to an insulating ceiling structure and to a method for insulating a ceiling with the panels described hereinbefore.

Insulating ceiling structure: Referring to FIG. 5, an insulating structure is illustrated therein for a ceiling and for extending under the load-bearing structure of a building. The load-bearing structure in FIG. 5 comprises the ceiling joists on both ends of the panel.

FIG. 5 also shows the rafters placement and assembly. The insulating ceiling structure comprises of a first layer of insulating panels as described hereinabove. Each panel is set such that the ends of the structural steel members are securely inserted and fastened to the “U” channels at both ends.

The insulating ceiling structure may further comprise an upper layer of panels between the load-bearing structure and the first layer of insulating panels. As can be appreciated, the insulating ceiling structure, as illustrated in FIG. 5, prevents the formation of thermal bridges between the interior and the exterior of the room to be insulated.

Another method according to the present invention may comprise the steps of: a) fixing an upper layer of plywood sheets to the load-bearing structure, fixing a first layer of insulating panels under the upper layer and fixing to the framing members of the first layer, a layer of sheathing comprising a plurality of sheathing panels for covering the first layer of panels. In this case the sheathing panels are fixed to the panels of the first layer by means of fasteners. As can be appreciated, the insulating panels according to the present invention, allows to rapidly and easily build different versions of insulating structures, depending on the insulation degree required by simply adding a layer of insulating panels to the structure. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise embodiment and that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An insulating panel for a building structure, the panel comprising of: A rigid body made of thermoplastic foam; two opposed outer surfaces; and a plurality of spaced-apart elongated framing members embedded in said body, each framing member having a U-shaped cross-section with a bottom surface parallel to both said outer surfaces and interconnecting a pair of oppositely disposed arms extending into the body, each of said arms being provided along the framing member with a plurality of grooves machined in to the foam of the body and thereby, anchoring said framing member in said body and held in position by the stiffener web (FIG. 4), the bottom surface being adapted along its length to receive and hold a plurality of fasteners to secure the panel to a “U” shaped steel channel and this to the building.

2. An insulating panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of each framing members is flush with one of said outer surfaces of the panel.

3. An insulating ceiling structure for installation under a load-bearing structure of a building, the insulating ceiling structure comprising: A first layer of panel as claimed in claim 2, the bottom surface of the framing members of each of said panels opposing the load-bearing structure; and a first set of fasteners for securing the panels of the first layer to the load-bearing structure via the framing members.

4. An insulating ceiling structure as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: A second layer of panels similar to the panels of the first layer, the bottom surface of the framing members of each said panels of the second layer opposing the first layer of panels, and a second set of fasteners for securing the panels of the second layer via the framing members thereof to the framing members of the first layer.

5. An insulating ceiling structure as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: A layer of sheathing comprising a plurality of sheathing panels for covering the second layer of panels; and a third set of fasteners for securing said sheathing panels to the second layer via the framing members thereof.

6. An insulating ceiling structure as claimed in claim 5 further comprising of: An upper layer of plywood sheet lying between the load bearing structure and the first layer of panels.