BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the technical field of construction materials and pertains more particularly to an insulated modular building panel.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a wide variety of systems for construction of both residential and commercial buildings. A continuing trend in the art has been to prefabricate units that may be assembled on site to form walls and roofs of buildings, and to reduce costs of both materials and labor. One system known in the art is termed ICF for Insulated Concrete forms. In ICF construction modular blocks of polystyrene foam are provided that may be assembled in a manner of LEGO blocks to provide a space between polystyrene facings to pour concrete. Rebar or other material may be placed within the space to reinforce the poured concrete, which when cured forms a reinforced concrete wall faced inside and outside with a layer of polystyrene foam.
The present inventors have developed a unique variation that provides a building panel having concrete faces on the outside and the inside surfaces and has a polystyrene foam core.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An insulated building panel, comprising a foam core having an upper and a lower surface and a first formwork screen affixed to the upper surface of the foam core. A second formwork screen may be affixed to the lower surface of the foam core and a first concrete layer is bonded to the upper surface of the foam core over the first formwork screen. Next, a second concrete layer may be bonded to the lower surface of the foam core over the second formwork screen, in this embodiment.
In one embodiment, the foam core of the insulated building panel may be made of expanded polystyrene (EPS). In another embodiment, the first and the second formwork screens are injection molded polymer structures comprising squared openings formed by miniature cross beams that have rectangular cross section, the cross beams meeting at intersections having openings orthogonal to a plane of the screen. Further, the formwork screens are affixed to the upper and lower surfaces of the foam core by fixation pins passed through the openings at the intersections and into the material of the foam core.
Additionally, in one embodiment, the formwork screens are retained by elongated retention elements hooked over cross beams of the first and the second formwork screens at outside edges of the formwork screens, holding the formwork screens against the upper and lower surfaces of the foam core. Elongated retention elements may be passed through the foam core orthogonal to the upper and lower surfaces, and hooking to cross beams of the formwork screens.
In one embodiment, the formwork panels are each assembled from four quarter regions, each quarter region having two plain edges at right angles with a plain corner, and two joinder edges at right angles, each joinder edge having cross beam extensions ending in fitting elements having a rectangular through hole. The framework panels may also be assembled by overlapping fitting elements at the ends of cross beam extensions of quarter regions with fitting elements of adjacent quarter regions and passing fixation pins through the openings in the overlapped fitting elements.
A method for making an insulated building panel, is also provided, comprising the steps of affixing a first formwork screen to an upper surface of a foam core, affixing a second formwork screen to a lower surface of the foam core, bonding a concrete layer to the upper surface of the foam core over the first formwork screen, and bonding a second concrete layer to the lower surface of the foam core over the second formwork screen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B are plan and edge views of a portion of a formwork screen in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a formwork screen assembled from a plurality of the portions shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a polymer foam panel in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a molded fixation pin in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a retainer element used in joining formwork screens to a plastic foam panel in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a foam panel with formwork screens ready to attach in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is an elevation view of formwork screens affixed to a foam panel in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8 is the assembly of FIG. 7 with edge retainers installed in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a form for adding concrete layers in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 10 is a cutaway view of the form of FIG. 9 with concrete layers added to the foam core in an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a finished insulated building panel in an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGS. 1A and 1B are plan and edge views of a portion 100 of a formwork screen in an embodiment of the present invention. Portion 100 is in one embodiment injection molded from polypropylene and presents an arrangement cross beams 101 of width D5 by depth D4. In this example D5 is 5 mm and D4 is 4 mm, The overall thickness of the screen portion is thus D4, in this example 4 mm, as shown in FIG. 1B. The squared openings are D1 by D2. In this example D1 and D2 are 110 mm and the openings are square. In alternative embodiments D2 might be greater or smaller than D1 making the openings rectangular.
There are nine intersections of different forms in screen portion 100, labeled variously 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 and 108. Intersection 105 and 106, for example, have rounded inner corners and a rectangular opening through the polypropylene material at the intersection. This rectangular opening is for passage of a fixation pin, described in enabling detail below.
Portion 100 has two plain edges intersecting at a plain corner labeled C, and shortened beams 101 extending from two joinder edges, the shortened beams ending in a plurality of fitting elements 102. Each fitting element 102 is round with a rectangular opening through the round form. The dimension from a center of an edge beam 101 to a center of fitting elements 102 in every instance is D3. Beam extensions 112 are one half the length of the width or length of one squared opening of the screen. In this example D3 is one half of D1 and D2, the significance will become apparent in description following.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a formwork screen 110 assembled from four identical portions 100. Portion 100 in the orientation shown in FIG. 1A forms a lower right hand quarter section of the overall formwork screen 110 in FIG. 2. Portion 100 as seen in FIG. 1A rotated ninety degrees Counterclockwise forms an upper right hand quarter section of the formwork screen 110. The rotation moves the corner C to the upper right corner of the formwork screen 110. Another rotation of a portion 100 provides the upper left quadrant of the formwork screen 110, and another provides the lower left quadrant.
It may be seen in FIG. 1A that each portion 100 has eight fitting elements 102 at the ends of beam extensions 112. In re-orienting each of four portions 100 to make formwork screen 111 the fitting elements of each screen portion are positioned over the fitting elements 102 of the adjacent portions 100. In FIG. 2 no means of connecting the portions 100 is indicated, but the connection is illustrated and described in following description below.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an expanded polystyrene (EPS) block 300 in an embodiment of the invention. Block 300 is shown as a square, or substantially square shape. One with skill understands the present invention may be derived in different shapes that are nestable together, such as a rectangle, triangle, hexagon, octagon, and rhombus, for example. Block 300 becomes an insulating core of a concrete-faced building block in an embodiment of the invention, as is described below. In one embodiment EPS block 300 has a length and width W the same as the length and width of formwork screen 111 of FIG. 2. In one example the length and width are each 870 mm. which in English measurement is about 35 inches. In one embodiment the thickness T of EPS block is about 150 mm, or approximately 6 inches in English measure. I alternative embodiments T may be more or less than 100 mm. Although specific examples of measurements have been presented, one with skill understands the block 300 may scale larger or smaller with the relation between measurements remaining substantially the same.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fixation pin 400 adapted to pin formwork screens 111 to opposite surfaces of EPS block 300. Fixation pin 400 in this example has a head 401 with a width D6 and a depth D7. A region just under head 401 has a width D8. D8 in this example is a bit less than a length of the rectangular opening through formwork screen 111 at any one of fitting elements 102 and D7 is a bit less than the width of the rectangular opening in fitting element 102. This circumstance provides for fixation pin 400 to be inserted through the rectangular opening in any one of fitting elements 102 until an underside of head 401 contacts a top surface of the formwork screen at the fitting element 102. Fixation pin 400 has a series of retention flaps 402 implemented on opposite sides of a stem 403, such that in insertion the retention flaps may bend inward and then flex outward again. The fixation pin has a length D9.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a retainer element 500 adapted to hold two formwork screens to surfaces of an EPS block. Retainer element 500 has a beam 501 of a square cross section of about 4 mm×4 mm in this example. The length D10 is the thickness of the EPS block. There is a square hook 502 on one end and a round hook 503 on the other.
Referring again to FIG. 2 illustrating the formwork screen 111 in plan view, a user may insert fixation pins 400 through the rectangular openings in each of the fitting elements 102 of the four portions 100, joining overlapping elements 102, to fix the portions 100 into the formwork screen 111. Once a fixation pin 400 is fully inserted, the retention flaps 402 prevent the fixation pin from being withdrawn.
A next step in creating an insulated building panel according to an embodiment of the invention is to affix a formwork screen 111 to each of the upper and lower surfaces of EPS block 300 of FIG. 3. The width W and length L of EPS block 300 is made to be the same as the overall width and length of formwork screen 111 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 illustrates an EPS block 300 in a horizontal aspect with formwork screens 111 placed one above and one below. Each of the formwork screens has fixation pins 400 inserted through at least each overlapping pair of fitting elements 102, and the formwork screens are positioned such that the fixation pins extend toward the EPS block. Formwork screens are now affixed to the opposite surfaces of the EPS block by pressing the fixation pins 400 into the foam EPS block. This may be done by placing the formwork screens onto the surfaces of the EPS block and urging each fixation pin into the EPS block. Alternatively, the lower formwork screen may be supported on a flat surface, and the EPS block may be pressed down onto the formwork screen, inserting all of the fixation pins of the one formwork screen into the EPS block in one operation. The second screen may then be supported on the flat surface and the EPS block with the first screen affixed may be flipped over, and pressed onto the second formwork screen. In an alternative method the separate regions 100 for a formwork screen 111 may be positioned over an EPS block with fitting elements 102 overlapping, and fixation pins may be pressed through the fitting elements and into the EPS block one at a time.
FIG. 7 illustrates an elevation view of EPS block 300 with formwork screens 111 affixed on both sides.
Once the formwork screens are affixed to the EPS block, the formwork screens on opposite sides of the block may be fastened together on the edges of the block and through the EPS block with retainers 500 illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 illustrates EPS block 300 with formwork screens 111 affixed by fixation pins to opposite sides of the block, and retainers 500 added to hold the formwork screens together. FIG. 8 shows four retainers 500 along a forward edge and a retainer on each end representing retainers added down the side edges. Retainers are also placed along the rear edge (not seen in FIG. 8) and may also be added through the EPS block at various places, hooking between beams 101 of the formwork screens. For the outside edges a user hooks the square hook over a beam 101 and then the round hook of the retainer over a beam 101 on the opposite formwork screen.
A last step in the creation of an insulated building panel in an embodiment of the invention is to apply a layer of concrete to each side of the EPS block with the formwork screens affixed to the block. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a form 900 having side walls 901 and 903, end walls 902 and 904, and a planar base plate 905. In one embodiment form 900 is constructed such that the sides may be lifted from the base or removed from the form. The internal depth of form 900 is labeled D11, and in this example is made to be the thickness of the EPS foam block plus twice the thickness of a layer of concrete to be added to each surface of the EPS block to make a finished insulated building panel according to an embodiment of the invention.
In one embodiment the thickness of the EPS block is about 100 mm, and the added thickness of each layer of concrete is to be about 15 mm, making the full thickness of a finished panel 130 mm which is about 0.43 ft. in English measure. The dimensions may vary in other embodiments and are not limiting to the scope of the invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross section of form 900 through both sides and the base plate, the section taken just inside end wall 902. In a process of adding concrete layers to the EPS block assembly, firstly a layer of concrete 1002 of a depth, in this example, of about 15 mm is poured into form 900 and troweled smooth. In alternative embodiments, 1002 may be more or less than 15 mm. In a next step, an assembly 1001 of the EPS foam block with the formwork screens affixed, this being the assembly described above with reference to FIG. 8, is placed in the form over the layer of concrete 1002 on base plate 905 and pressed firmly into the concrete layer. Then a second upper layer of concrete 1003 is poured and troweled into place and smoothed. After a period of time allowing the concrete layers to set, the form is opened, and a finished insulated building panel is removed.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an insulated building panel 1100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The panel comprises an EPS foam core 300 with formwork screens affixed, the formwork screens retained by retainers 500, and two layers 1002 and 1003 of concrete bonded to the foam core by the formwork screens. The insulated building panels are useful in construction of both residential and commercial buildings.
The skilled person will understand that the processes and apparatus described are exemplary, and not limiting to the scope of the invention. There are variations in both the apparatus and the methods that might be implemented within the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the claims that follow.
Patent Application
20240279928
