Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Composite prefabricated panel including adjunctive means – Sandwich or hollow with sheet-like facing members
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-29
2003-07-08
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Composite prefabricated panel including adjunctive means
Sandwich or hollow with sheet-like facing members
C052S783100, C052S800100, C052S800110, C052S269000, C052S281000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06588171
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to structural panels having a cellular core sandwiched between metal face sheets and surrounded by a frame, and to building structures that incorporate such panels.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The vast majority of residential building structures in the United States are currently constructed from a wooden frame composed of many pieces of lumber nailed to one another. This type of construction, often referred to as “stick” construction, is currently favored in part because of the ready availability of lumber, but its popularity also has to do with a lack of practical alternatives. The widespread use of stick construction exists despite known disadvantages of stick construction in comparison with alternative types of construction that have been developed. For instance, steel-frame structures, which are increasingly being used in commercial and in some residential structures, have a much greater strength potential than wood-frame structures, are not susceptible to rot or insect damage, and have a lower material cost than wood-frame structures.
Even though these advantages of steel-frame construction are known, the construction industry, particularly in residential construction, has not been quick to switch to steel-frame construction. The industry's resistance to change is due in large part to a lack of skilled workers who have experience in steel-frame construction. The resistance is also due, however, to the high labor cost that is incurred in assembling a steel-frame structure. Conventional steel-frame structures are assembled by using a very large number of screws for fixing the steel framing members to one another. The process of inserting screws is much slower than nailing, and so it typically takes considerably longer to assemble a traditional steel frame than to assemble a wood frame.
The present invention relates to building materials and structures representing alternatives to conventional stick construction. Various alternative building materials and techniques have been proposed in the prior art. For instance, many types of building panels having a cellular core and metal face sheets have been proposed for use in the construction of various types of building structures. To date, however, the widespread use of such panels for constructing structures such as residential houses has not occurred. This is at least partly because of the difficulty of attaching the panels to one another and to other parts of the structure. The panel-to-panel and panel-to-structure attachments desirably should avoid penetrating the face sheets with fasteners, since penetrations of the face sheets in the region of the core can allow water to infiltrate the core.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to improve upon traditional stick construction and to overcome the above-noted and other problems associated with constructing building structures from steel frames and/or cellular-core panels, by providing a panel and a building structure that facilitate assembly of the structure in a relatively simple manner without requiring a very large number of screws or other fasteners. The panel and structure also can achieve a higher strength than conventional wood-frame structures.
A panel in accordance with one embodiment of the invention comprises a core of cellular material, such as a honeycomb material, having a metal face sheet bonded to each of the opposite faces of the core. A side frame member is attached between the longitudinal edges of the face sheets along each of the two longitudinal edges of the core. Each of the side frame members defines a longitudinally extending protrusion and also defines a longitudinally extending recessed channel. The protrusion of each side frame member is aligned in the thickness direction of the panel with the channel of the other side frame member. Accordingly, two panels can be positioned with one side frame member of one panel opposing a side frame member of the other panel, and the protrusion of each side frame member can be inserted into the channel of the other side frame member, thus forming an interlocking panel joint between the panels. The interlocking side frame members prevent relative movement between the panels in at least the thickness direction. Preferably, the protrusions and channels extend along substantially the full longitudinal length of the panel. For convenience of manufacture, it is preferred to form the side frame members by roll-forming sheet metal.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the side frame members and the face sheets of the panel form interlocking connections. This is preferably achieved by forming an edge of a side frame member and the adjacent edge of the face sheet such that at least one of the edges is hook-shaped and engages the other edge.
The panel preferably also includes end frame members that extend along the transversely extending edges of the core and are affixed between the ends of the side frame members to form a frame enclosing the core. The end frame members can also form interlocking connections with at least one of the face sheets. Preferably, each end frame member defines an outwardly projecting flange that extends beyond the transverse edge of the core for attaching the panel to a structure. The panel can also include an additional reinforcing member that is attached between two of the frame members and divides the core into two separate portions. The end frame and reinforcing members advantageously comprise roll-formed sheet metal members.
In one embodiment, the panel comprises a roof panel for a roof of a building, and one face sheet forms an upper surface of the roof and has a configuration and appearance for simulating a conventional type of roofing material. The upper face sheet can be configured, for example, to simulate the appearance of shingles. Alternatively, the upper face sheet can have upstanding ridge-shaped portions for simulating standing seams such as are present on conventional metal roofs. The panel in this embodiment includes at least one ridge-shaped portion that defines a hollow cavity between the face sheet and the core. Preferably, the cavity of the ridge-shaped portion is filled with adhesive, and the adhesive also is disposed between the entire face of the core and the face sheet for bonding the face sheet to the core. By filling the cavity of the ridge-shaped portion with adhesive, the continuous adhesive layer between the face sheet and the core is not interrupted at the ridge-shaped portion of the face sheet.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the protrusions of the side frame members are longer in a transverse direction of the panel than a depth of the recessed channels in the transverse direction. Accordingly, when two panels are joined at their respective side frame members with the protrusion of one side frame member fully inserted into the channel of the other side frame member, a gap exists between opposing portions of the side frame members. A portion of a bracket can be inserted into this gap and affixed to the side frame member of one of the panels, and another portion of the bracket that projects out from the panel joint can be affixed to another part of a building structure, thereby attaching the panel to the structure. Such brackets can be used for attaching roof panels to walls and for attaching upper ends of panels to each other and to a ridge member at a ridge of the roof. The brackets thus enable the panels to be attached to the structure without penetrating the face sheets of the panels with fasteners.
A building structure in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention has a roof constructed of a plurality of panels oriented such that at least one interlocking panel joint between adjacent panels runs from an outer one of the walls toward a ridge of the roof. A bracket having a plate portion extends into a gap defined between the side frame members forming the at least one interlocking panel joint, and the plate portion of the bracket is attached to one of the si
Kuhn Howard A.
Pryor Jerry C.
Alston & Bird LLP
Friedman Carl D.
Scienda, LLC
Thissell Jennifer I.
LandOfFree
Cellular-core structural panel, and building structure... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cellular-core structural panel, and building structure..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cellular-core structural panel, and building structure... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3046906