SIDING HAVING BACKER
A siding-plus-backer paneling unit that may provide a valley in the backer for improved adhesion strength, a ridge on another side of the backer for enabling ventilation, and a recess in an end of the backer for improved mating of adjacent paneling units.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/320,169, filed Dec. 28, 2005, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/640,158, filed Dec. 29, 2004, and which is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/234,073, filed Sep. 23, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/688,750, filed Oct. 17, 2003, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to panels, such as vinyl siding, cellulosic composite siding, and fiber cement siding, and more particularly to panels having backers applied thereto, such backers for example comprising foam material. Examples of panels that may benefit from the present invention include siding panels, wall panels, and other similar, suitable, or conventional types of panels for building structures.
This application incorporates by reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,500 as background for the present application. By way of background, in order to enhance the thermal insulation of building structures, it is known to provide one or more layers or panels of insulating material between the vinyl facing panel and the building structure. The backing may also improve the structural characteristics of the siding panel. Known insulated siding systems exist in many different forms. For instance, it is known to nail large sheets of insulating material to the building structure and then install the siding over the insulating material. Another system places a panel of insulation material in a slot behind the vinyl facing panel. Yet another system pours foam filler into the back of a vinyl facing panel such that the foam filler conforms to the geometry of the vinyl facing panel.
The present invention provides an improved backer for use with panels. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include one or more new features not present in prior backers.
First, one or more “valleys” or recesses may be formed in a first side of the backer which adheres to the siding. These valleys may be useful for providing increased surface area in which glue or other adhesive can flow and thereby increase the adhesion strength of the backer to the siding panel.
Second, one or more ridges may be formed in a second side of the backer which is facing the wall of a building structure upon which the siding is being applied. The ridges may protrude slightly from the second side of the backer to create ventilation space between the non-ridged areas of the second side of the backer and the wall. Providing for ventilation may help to prevent or limit any accumulation of moisture between the wall and the backer.
Third, a mating recess may be formed in an end of the backer so that an adjacent siding panel with backer can be overlapped more easily. In this manner, better fitting seams may be formed between adjacent panels.
The present invention may be an improvement over known backing systems. One exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a siding unit, which is comprised of backing and a facing panel. Some of the advantages of the backed siding may include improved energy efficiency, reduced air infiltration, reduced curvature in the siding panels, and increased ease of installation. In addition, one embodiment of the backed siding of the present invention may have improved interlocking pieces and improved backing.
In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.
The present invention is directed to a backed paneling unit.
In
The backing portion 20 may be glued or otherwise laminated or adhered to the inside of the cover panel 30. For example, an adhesive may be used to bond a portion of a backed portion 20 to a portion of the inside of a facing panel 30.
In addition, the facing portion 30 may include an attachment strip 32 (e.g., a nailing strip), a tongue 34, and a groove 36. The facing panel 30 of the present invention has a portion 35 that rearwardly extends to attachment strip 32. The portion 35, alone or in combination with attachment strip 32, substantially covers the end or tip of the backing portion 20. More particularly, the portion 35 wraps around and abuts or is substantially adjacent to the end or tip of the backing portion 20. As a result, the portion 35 protects the end or tip of the backing portion 20 from damage, particularly during shipping and installation. In this example, the attachment strip 32 is substantially in the same plane and parallel to an adjacent portion of the rear side of the backing portion 20. A channel 37 on the bottom portion of the backing portion 20 may be adapted to interlock with, overlap, and/or extend over the nailing strip 32 of the facing panel 30 of a substantially similar siding unit 10. The nailing strip (also called a nailing hem) 32 may have a plurality of openings for receiving fasteners. Nails or any other suitable mechanical fastening means may be extended through apertures in the nailing strip 32 in order to secure the facing panel 30 to a building structure. As is shown in
The top or face portion of the siding unit 10 may have a facing panel 30, which completely covers the backing portion 20. A benefit of this feature is that the backing portion 20 is protected from breakage that may occur in shipping, handling, or installation if not substantially covered with a facing panel 30.
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The paneling unit of
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The top or face portion of the paneling units may be smooth or may have any number of finishes that are typically known by those in the art of manufacturing paneling. The finish may add contour and texture to simulate the appearance of wooden paneling.
The paneling units of the present invention may be of various lengths, heights, and thicknesses. The particular dimensions of a panel of the present invention may be selected to suit a particular application. Some exemplary embodiments of a paneling unit of the present invention may be approximately 15 to 18 inches in height. However, as just mentioned, it should also be recognized that a paneling unit of the present invention may have any desired dimensions including a height up to or in excess of 50 inches.
The paneling units as described herein may be formed from a polymer such as a vinyl material. Other materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, other plastics and polymers, polymer composites (such as polymer reinforced with fibers or other particles of glass, graphite, wood, flax, other cellulosic materials, or other inorganic or organic materials), metals (such as aluminum or polymer coated metal), or other similar or suitable materials may also be used. The paneling may be molded, extruded, roll-formed from a flat sheet, or formed by any other suitable manufacturing technique.
Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optional or preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect the described invention. Many of those variations and modifications will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A siding panel unit for a wall of a structure, comprising:
- a vinyl panel; and
- a backing portion secured to said vinyl panel, said backing portion comprised of:
- a first side secured to and adjacent said vinyl panel; and
- a second side adapted to be situated adjacent to said wall;
- wherein a recess is formed on said first side of said backing portion, which is adapted to receive a vinyl panel of an adjacent panel unit such that said vinyl panel of said adjacent panel unit is situated between said vinyl panel and said first side of said backing portion.
2. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said first side comprises at least one valley adapted to receive adhesive for securing said backing portion to said vinyl panel.
3. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said vinyl panel comprises a cellulosic composite.
4. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said backing portion is comprised of foamed plastic.
5. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said second side comprises at least one ridge adapted to space said second side apart from said wall to enable ventilation between said backing portion and said wall once said panel unit is secured to said wall.
6. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said second side comprises at least one channel adapted to facilitate water escape.
7. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said second side comprises at least one ridge and at least one channel relative to a primary surface, said at least one ridge and said at least one channel adapted to space said second side apart from said wall once said siding panel unit is secured to said wall.
8. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said recess has a width of about 0.05 inch.
9. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said recess has a depth of about 2.0 inches.
10. The siding panel unit of claim 1 wherein said recess starts about 1.250 inches from a top of said backing portion.
11. A siding panel unit for a wall of a structure, comprising:
- a facing panel; and
- a backing portion secured to said facing panel such that a relief zone is formed along an edge of said panel unit between said facing panel and said backing portion, said relief zone adapted to receive a facing panel of an adjacent panel unit such that said facing panel of said adjacent panel unit is situated between said facing panel and said backing portion of said siding panel unit.
12. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said backing portion comprises at least one valley adapted to receive adhesive for securing said backing portion to said facing panel.
13. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said backing portion is comprised of foamed plastic.
14. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said facing panel is comprised of vinyl.
15. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said backing portion comprises at least one ridge adapted to space said backing portion apart from said wall to enable ventilation between said backing portion and said wall once said panel unit is secured to said wall.
16. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said backing portion comprises at least one channel adapted to facilitate water escape.
17. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said relief zone has a width of about 0.05 inch.
18. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said relief zone has a depth of about 2.0 inches.
19. The siding panel unit of claim 11 wherein said relief zone starts about 1.250 inches from a top of said backing portion.
20. A siding panel unit for a wall of a structure, comprising:
- a vinyl panel; and
- a foamed plastic backing portion secured to said vinyl panel, said backing portion comprising at least one ridge or at least one channel relative to a primary surface, said at least one ridge or said at least one channel adapted to space said backing portion apart from said wall once said siding panel unit is secured to said wall;
- wherein a relief zone is formed along an edge of said panel unit between said vinyl panel and said backing portion, said relief zone adapted to receive a vinyl panel of an adjacent panel unit such that said vinyl panel of said adjacent panel unit is situated between said vinyl panel and said backing portion of said siding panel unit.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 24, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 15, 2012
Inventors: Paul J. Mollinger (Blacklick, OH), Paul R. Pelfrey (Wheelersburg, OH), Larry R. Fairbanks (Columbus, OH)
Application Number: 13/557,203
International Classification: E04F 13/21 (20060101); E04B 1/64 (20060101); E04F 17/00 (20060101);