Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Three-way corner construction – Floor supports walls
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-18
2003-06-17
Safavi, Michael (Department: 3673)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Three-way corner construction
Floor supports walls
C052S262000, C052S270000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578331
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to houses, more particularly to studless houses, specifically to structural wall panels for studless houses where such panels are water vapor barriers as well as being structural panels, and even more specifically to such studless houses where such panels are formed of oriented strand board.
The Leslie U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,453 issued Oct. 4, 1994 and is entitled Rapidly Erectable Housing Units. The disclosure and claims of this patent generally relate to interlocking connections, such as mortise and tenon structures, between two adjoining walls of the housing unit. This patent does not teach how to make the walls of the housing unit, but some suggestions exist as to how to make the walls. For example, the vertical lines of
FIG. 3
of this patent show that the outside walls of the housing unit are formed of sections, instead of being formed from one-piece. Further, the patent states that “the primary portions of the walls may be relatively thin in cross-section with additional strength being obtained through an appropriate header and if necessary base plate addition.”
FIGS. 1 and 2
of this patent show headers on the exterior walls. The patent also discloses that “such wall panels, headers and the like may be formed by using local material such as grasses, wood particles and various water resistant materials and even pressed to their flat condition through the use of relatively primitive practices such as positioning the material on a flat surface and thereafter covering the positioned material with another flat surface and pressing the same through any available weight. Obviously such processes may only find their applications in isolated areas and, perhaps, areas of particularly low income but this aspect is of import in considering the worth of any invention.”
In contrast to the embodiment of the present invention that includes headers, baseboards and firring strips on either face of an integral structural wall panel, the Leslie U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,453 does not teach that such integral structural wall panel runs from end to end of one wall of the house and that such integral structural wall panel runs from the bottom of the wall to the top of the wall. In short, the integral structural wall panel of the present invention is the wall of the house, with the headers, baseboards and firring strips making up a support arrangement for the integral wall panel. Advantages stem from the inclusion of a wall panel that is integral from end to end and from top to bottom. For example, water vapor permeance is minimized.
The Leslie U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,453 further does not teach another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment includes a relatively thick structural wall panel without the support arrangement of headers, baseboards and firring strips. This embodiment further minimizes water permeance because the wall panel here is, critically, at least about 1.3 inches thick. By the inclusion of a wall panel that is integral from end to end and from top to bottom, that is at least 1.3 inches thick, and that is formed of oriented strand board, a wall having a super low water vapor permeance, perhaps of at or less than about 0.1 perms, is obtained. The thickness of 1.3 inches further provides critical load functions. This embodiment includes two species: one species is formed of three layers of oriented strand board where each layer is about {fraction (7/16)}
th
inches thick (for a total thickness of more than 1.3 inches) and is integral from end to end and from top to bottom, and the other species is preferably only one layer at least 1.3 inches thick so as to be integral from face to face as well as being integral from end to end and from top to bottom.
Still further, the Leslie U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,453 does not teach the problems associated with conventional studded walls or associated with exterior walls which are put together in sections. Conventional, studded walls and sectioned walls are full of defects which allow heat to flow around and through insulation. Some of these defects are insulation voids, thermal bridges, air leaks, air intrusion, convective loops, and moisture.
An insulation void is an area where insulation has been left out. For example, if three percent of a wall is not covered by insulation, the R-value is purportedly reduced 17 percent. If five percent of a wall is not covered by insulation, the R-value is purportedly degraded by 25 percent. With the studless wall panel of the present invention, it is relatively easy to cover such a flat wall panel with insulation. Since it is relatively easy to cover the studless flat wall panel, it is less likely that the wall panel will have voids.
Thermal bridges are points or components that penetrate or bridge through the insulation layer. Studs act as thermal bridges, conducting heat around the insulation and through the wall. Top plates, bottom plates, corner framing, and window and door headers and frames also act as thermal bridges, but the stud is the main thermal bridge culprit.
Air intrusion is air leakage through a house. Air leakage may be infiltration or exfiltration. Air leakage is unintentional air flow. Ventilation is intentional air flow. One way to minimize air leakage is to enclose the house in a vapor barrier envelope, such as polyethylene sheeting. A house may be a “superinsulated” house where such house has an envelope of plastic sheeting which is a water vapor barrier. When such plastic sheeting is stretched between studs, and is often ripped by subcontractors and must be patched. Sectioned walls have leakage between the sections.
A convective loop defect is a channel or bypass that carries air from relatively warm to relatively cold locations. One type of convective loop is caused by the stud. The conventional way to install foil-backed fiberglass insulation is to staple it to the sides of the studs, creating an air space between the foil and the inner wall surface. This creates a channel through which air can flow up and circulate around the insulation, carrying heat with it. The present studless home therefore eliminates a common convective loop.
Moisture is problematic for at least two reasons. First, when any insulation becomes wet, it becomes less effective thermally. Second, wood and other materials, including insulation, may be damaged even after the wood, other material, or insulation dries out. Convection, a defect caused mainly by studs, in turn causes most moisture problems. Warm interior air leaks through the walls of a house, then cools and condenses when it reaches a relatively cool portion of the house. Convection is reduced or eliminated by a vapor barrier. One such vapor barrier is the wall panel of the present invention with or without a conventional vapor barrier such as polyethylene sheeting. The embodiment of the present invention having one wall panel of about {fraction (7/16)} inch in thickness and having the support network of headers, baseboards and firring strips includes a permeance value of about 1.95 perms. The embodiment of the present invention represented by the sandwich panel having three panels of a {fraction (7/16)} inch thickness (for a total thickness of about 1.3 inches) is projected to have a permeance value of about 0.5 perms. The embodiment of the present invention represented by the integral wall panel that has a thickness of at least 1.3 inches is projected to have a permeance value of about polyethylene sheeting, i.e. at or less than 0.1 perms. Any material with a permeance of less than 0.1 perms is considered to be a vapor retarder or vapor barrier effective for a superinsulated house.
It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention represented by the wall panel having the support network of headers, baseboards and firring strips in practice attains a permeance value at or better than polyethylene sheeting even though such wall panel may be only about {fraction (7/16)} inch thick. This is because polyethylene is easily torn or punctured by subcontractors and, subsequen
Leslie Robert H.
Leslie Robert J.
Haugen Law Firm PLLP
International Building Concepts, Ltd.
Safavi Michael
LandOfFree
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