INTERLOCKING PANEL SYSTEM

Abstract

A system and method for interior construction of a wall having at least two panels that have an edge portion, and a joint insert for joining the panels. The panels are secured together by attaching a first insert portion of the joint insert to the edge portion of one panel and a second insert portion of the joint insert to the edge portion of the second panel. The joint insert may have a body that includes the first and second insert portions, and a cap attachable to the insert body. The system may obviate the need for wallboard installation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates generally to construction of walls and the like, and more particularly to a system of interlocking synthetic panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Certain aspects of the present invention are directed to a system for construction of a wall or the like, comprising at least one panel, having an edge portion, a joint insert for joining the panel with a second similar panel, and joining the panels by attaching a first insert portion of the joint insert to the edge portion of one panel and a second insert portion of the joint insert to the edge portion of the second panel to secure the panels to each other. In certain embodiments the joint insert may comprise an insert body that includes the first and second insert portions, and a cap attachable to the insert body.

In certain embodiments, the insert body may contain a cavity, and the cap may have a stem portion and a cover portion, the stem portion being received in the cavity to secure the cap to the insert body. In some embodiments, the stem portion may have one edge connected to the cover portion, and a second edge remote from the cover portion, with the second edge having a resilient structure to lock the second edge into the cavity to secure the cap to the insert body. In some embodiments, the cavity is open at one side to receive the cap and may comprises a wall at a second side opposite the first side, with the wall being constructed to permit passage of a fastener through the wall and into a wall structure (building structure) to which the panels are to be attached. The insert portions may have at least one gasket to provide a seal with the edge portions of the panels. In certain embodiments, the insert portions each have a front surface and a back surface, and at least one gasket is provided on one of the front and back surfaces. The insert portions may have the at least one gasket on the back surface, and have at least one additional gasket on the front surface.

In certain embodiments, the edge portions of the panels each define a recess to receive the insert portions of the joint insert, to secure the panels to the joint insert. Again, the panels may each comprise a front surface and a back surface, with the recess defined by a space between the front and back surfaces at the edge portion. In certain aspects the invention is directed to a wall or the like, comprising at least first and second panels, each having an edge portion, and a joint insert joining the first and second panels to each other, where the joint insert has a first insert portion attached to the edge portion of the one panel and a second insert portion attached to the edge portion of the second panel to secure the first and second panels to each other.

A wall constructed using such a system is also within the scope of the invention, as is a method of constructing such a wall using this system.

In additional aspects the invention is directed to a joint insert for use in construction of a wall or the like that comprises at least one panel, having an edge portion, and the joint insert comprising a body having a cavity formed therein and defined at least partially by a wall at one side and by an opening at a second, opposite side, and first and second insert portions secured to the body, for attachment to the edge portions of first and second panels. The joint insert may also have a cap having a portion received in the cavity and secured to the body.

Certain aspects of the present invention are directed to a method of constructing a wall or the like that comprises at least one panel having an edge portion, the method comprising steps of providing at least first and second such panels, and providing a joint insert that has first and second insert portions for attachment to the edge portion of the first and the second panels to secure the first and second panels to each other. The first insert portion is inserted into a recess in the edge portion of the first panel, and the second insert portion is inserted into a recess in the edge portion of the second panel, and the joint insert is secured to a building structure that is to support the wall. In certain embodiments the securing step may include placing a fastener through the joint insert body to secure the joint insert to the building structure, and optionally attaching a cap to the joint insert body to cover and conceal the fastener. In some embodiments, the method may include applying adhesive between the cap and the panels.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a view of two panels according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views of two portion of a joint insert according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the use of the joint insert to join two panels together.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the panels secured together, with the cap of the joint insert in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This disclosure relates to a system that preferably uses synthetic extruded panels, of e.g., PVC or polypropylene, for installation in a building interior, optionally without the need to install wallboard first.

As stated above, certain embodiments of the present invention involve a system of panels and joint inserts that may be used to join the panels together. An example of two such panels 10 is shown in FIG. 1. In this example, each panel 10 is made from a fluted polypropylene core or substrate 12, to one side of which is secured a layer of fiber reinforced plastic (“FRP”) 18. This side will sometimes be termed the “front” or the “finish” side of the panels 10, and it is expected that this surface is the one that will be visible to occupants of the space once the wall is built. The finish side face may include decoration of various sorts, including texturing, other patterning or colorizing, as desired. The substrate 12 may be manufactured in known fashion, e.g., by extrusion, and in the illustrated embodiment has front and back surfaces 14 and 16, and the space between them is divided into cells or channels 20 whose walls 22 are of the same material as the front and back surfaces 14 and 16 are made of.

As shown, one edge of each panel 10 is shown as having the front and back surfaces 14 and 16 defining a U-shaped trough or groove 24 between them, a similar structure being present at the opposite side of each panel 10 (not shown). These two edges are those at which the panels 10 are joined together, and will often be referred to herein as the “edge portions” 26 of the panels 10. The remaining two edges of each panel 10 may be left as shown, with the substrate 12 (including the multiple cells or channels 20) and the finish side face visible in cross-section, or alternatively, can if desired by closed off with a capping layer (not illustrated).

The other major element of the system in this embodiment is a joint insert 30, which is used to join two panels 10 together side by side in a common plane. In this embodiment the joint insert 30 has two parts 40 and 60, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of these parts may be made by extrusion of polypropylene or another polymeric material, and cut to the same length as the panels 10.

In this embodiment, the body 40 of the insert joint (the part shown in FIG. 2) is formed with a central trough or cavity 42 in what is shown as the upper side (and which will become the side nearer the room interior after installation), with the bottom of the trough 42 formed by a wall or web 44 of the polymeric material and the top largely open but with a slight neck or narrowing 46 as compared with the interior of the trough 42. Extending outward to each side from the trough 42 are insert portions 48. In this embodiment each insert portion 48 has a cross-section rather like a capital D, and in any event is shaped to fit within the open U-shaped groove 24 described above that is at each side edge portion 26 of the panels 10. The insert portions 48 are shaped, also, so as to have sufficient mechanical strength to be received and held securely within the panel edge portions 26.

The insert portions 48 are each provided with gaskets 50, which in the case of this embodiment are four in number, shaped as parallel ridges that extend along the length of the joint insert body 40, two on the top surface and two on the bottom surface of each insert portion 48. (After construction of the wall, of course, these “top” and “bottom” surfaces will be the “front” and “rear” surfaces.) Resiliency of the gaskets 50 assists in retaining the insert portions 48 securely in the edge portions 26 of the panels 10, and also provides a seal sufficient to inhibit the passage of water or humidity from one side of the wall to the other through the joint structure. A variation of this structure is shown in FIG. 4, where the lower surface of each insert portion 48 has only a single gasket 52, although the single gasket 52 is wider, having a width side-to-side that is at least equal to the area occupied by the two upper-surface gaskets 50 together with the space between them. Other numbers, sizes and locations of gaskets for the joint insert can be used without departing from the broad scope of the invention, however.

The second part of the joint insert 30 is the cap 60, shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment the cap 60 may be thought of broadly as having a T-shape cross-section, in that its top 62 extends horizontally outward from a narrower middle part 64. The upper, horizontal part 62 of the T, also called the “cover portion” herein, is shown as being wider than the middle part 64, although the relation between these widths may be varied without departing from the broad scope of the invention (and this is true, in fact, of all the proportions described). The cover portion 62 could be made fully as narrow as the middle part 64 if desired, but the extension of the cover portion 62 outward from the middle part 64 is advantageous, as described below.

The middle portion 64 of the cap, also called the “stem” portion of the T herein, is formed by two walls 66 with an open trough 68 between them. (The open portion of the interior need not be as large as shown, or the interior may be solid, provided that the cap is sufficiently flexible to be inserted into its place in the insert body 40.) In their upper portions the walls 66 are parallel, but toward their lower, free ends 70 the walls 66 approach each other before turning outward and away from each other at the ends 70. The cap 60 may also be provided with gaskets (not illustrated) to assist in making the joint as thoroughly water- and moisture-proof as possible.

In use, one of the insert portions 58 of the joint insert body 40 is placed in the groove or trough 24 at the edge portion 26 of one of the panels 10, and the other insert portion 48 is placed in the groove or trough 24 of the edge portion 26 of the other panel 10, as indicated by the horizontal heavy arrows. In this embodiment the insert portions 48 of the joint insert body 40 are of a size and shape that causes them to fit snugly in the panel edge-portion grooves 24, and the resilience of the material of the gaskets 50, 52 assists in ensuring that the insert body 48 is firmly secured to both panels 10. It is possible to place adhesive, caulking or both in the panel edges as well, and it is within the broad scope of the invention to do so, although the inventors particularly contemplate that the structures disclosed herein make that additional step unnecessary.

The panels 10 may themselves be provided with metal or other fasteners (not illustrated) on their rear surface 16 to enable them to be attached to the building structural elements, or more broadly to an underlying surface, such as of wallboard. It is intended, however, that in certain embodiments the installation of drywall prior to installing the panels 10 and joint inserts 30 described herein may be dispensed with altogether. The wall or web 44 at the bottom of the trough or cavity 42 of the insert body 40 is preferably provided with apertures 54 through which fasteners 56 such as nails or screws can be passed, to secure the joint insert 39 to the building structure. Alternatively, the wall or web 44 of the central trough 42 of the insert body 40 may have thinned areas, rather than apertures, for facilitating the passage of such fasteners through the wall, or in some embodiments the material of the wall 44 may itself be such as to enable such fasteners to penetrate even without a pre-formed hole or thin area.

By applying nails or other suitable fasteners 56 in this fashion after the two panels 10 have been secured together by the insert joint body 40, the resulting paneling assembly is secured to the building, to form a portion of a wall. It is however also within the scope of the invention to place the insert portion 48 into one panel 10, secure the joint insert 30 to the building structure, and then attach the second panel 10 to the joint insert 30, if for any reason that procedure is preferred.

Once both panels 10 are securely attached to the joint insert 30, and the panel assembly is attached to the building structure by nails or screws 56 as illustrated, the cap 60 of the joint insert 30 is put in place. As shown most clearly in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the stem 64 of the cap 60 is placed into the open top 46 of the space or trough 42 of the insert body 40, between the two panel edge portions 26, and is received in the cavity or trough 42 in the central portion of the insert body 40. The above-described shape of the lower ends 70 of the cap stem 64 causes the flared outward-turned ends 70 to be received and held by the sides of the top opening 46 of the trough or cavity 42. It is preferred that the shape of this flaring enables the lower or free ends 70 of the cap walls 66 to engage with the neck 46 of the insert body cavity 42 to provide an element of locking to hold the cap 60 in place as shown in FIG. 5.

In addition, adhesive 72 may be applied to the finish side face 18 at the joint cap 60, immobilizing the cap 60 and providing additional protection against the penetration of moisture into the joint. Preferably, however, the adhesive 72 may be provided in place as part of the joint cap 60, simplifying the installation procedure by making the step of adding the adhesive in the field unnecessary.

Among other advantages of this system are that (1) mechanical fasteners are not visible, and (2) the joints may have gasket locking on the substrate, preventing water and moisture from getting behind the panel, (3) the panels 10 can be installed directly on building studs without drywall, and (4) the panels 10 have an interlocking structure (they interlock with each other) and are easy to install, and (5) the finish side face may be fiber reinforced plastic, although other materials may be used, such as non-fiber reinforced plastics, including thermoset or thermoplastic materials. The panels and joint insert system may be suitably used as an interior wall system, and may be particularly suitable for use in commercial retail construction.

The substrate 12 may have an internal structure other than the fluted structure shown and described herein. Also, it is within the broad scope of the invention to make the joint insert 30 integral with a panel 10. In such a case, the panel core 12 is extruded so that one edge portion 26 is not the open groove or trough 24 as shown here, but has the form of the joint insert body. If this is done, one step is eliminated from the installation process. In such a case the edge portion so formed would of course have only one insert portion, i.e., the portion intended to be received in the edge-portion groove of the next panel.

The panels of this system may be used with mechanical fasteners, stud adhesives, metal corner guards and sealants as needed or convenient. Again, the panels may be installed directly on metal or wood studs by means of stud adhesive and mechanical fasteners, after first being assembled with the joint inserts.

The following ASTM standards are incorporated herein by reference: ASTM D5319, ASTM D695, ASTM C365, ASTM D256, ASTM D5420, ASTM D2583, ASTM E84, ASTM D790, ASTM D638, ASTM D696, ASTM D570 and ASTM D4812.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein by way of example, the scope of the invention is not limited to the structures and methods shown and described, and many variations of those structures and methods will now be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the details specifically shown or described herein, but encompasses the full scope of what is disclosed herein and enabled by the present disclosure, within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for construction of a wall or the like, comprising: at least one panel, having an edge portion;a joint insert for joining said at least one panel with a second similar panel,wherein said joint insert has a first insert portion for attachment to said edge portion of said one panel and a second insert portion for attachment to said edge portion of said second similar panel to secure said first and second panels to each other.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said joint insert comprises an insert body that includes said first and second insert portions, and a cap attachable to said insert body.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said insert body contains a cavity, and said cap has a stem portion and a cover portion, said stem portion being received in said cavity to secure said cap to said insert body.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said stem portion has one edge connected to said cover portion, and a second edge remote from said cover portion, said second edge having a resilient structure to lock said second edge into said cavity to secure said cap to said insert body.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein said cavity is open at one side to receive said cap and comprises a wall at a second side opposite said first side, said wall being constructed to permit passage of a fastener through said wall and into a wall structure to which said panels are to be attached.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said edge portions of said first and said second panels each define a recess to receive said first and said second insert portions of said joint insert, respectively, to secure said panels to said joint insert.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said first and said second panels each comprise a front surface and a back surface, and wherein said recess is defined by a space between said front surface and said back surface at said edge portion.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said joint insert has at least one gasket to provide a seal with said edge portions of said panels.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one gasket includes at least one gasket on each insert portion.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one gasket is located on one of said insert body and said cap.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein said insert portions each have a front surface and a back surface, and wherein said at least one gasket is provided on one of said front and back surfaces.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said insert portions have said at least one gasket on said back surface of said insert portions, and have at least one additional gasket on said front surface of said insert portions.

13. A wall or the like, comprising: at least first and second panels, each having an edge portion;a joint insert joining said first and said second panels to each other,wherein said joint insert has a first insert portion attached to said edge portion of said one panel and a second insert portion attached to said edge portion of said second similar panel to secure said first and second panels to each other.

14. A joint insert for use in construction of a wall or the like, the wall comprising at least one panel, having an edge portion, and said joint insert comprising: a body, having a cavity formed therein, said cavity being defined at least partially by a wall at one side and by an opening at a second side opposite said one side;a first insert portion secured to said body, for attachment to the edge portion of one panel; a second insert portion secured to said body, for attachment to the edge portion of the second panel; anda cap having a portion received in said cavity and secured to said body.

15. A method of constructing a wall or the like, comprising the steps of: providing at least first and second panels, each having an edge portion;providing a joint insert, wherein the joint insert has a first insert portion for attachment to the edge portion of one panel and a second insert portion for attachment to the edge portion of the second panel to secure the first and second panels to each other;inserting the first insert portion into a recess in the edge portion of the first panel and the second insert portion into a recess in the edge portion of the second panel; andsecuring the joint insert to a building structure to support the wall.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the joint insert has a body that comprises the first and second insert portions, and a cap, said method further comprising attaching the cap to the body of the insert joint.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said securing step comprises placing a fastener through the joint insert body to secure the joint insert to the building structure, and wherein said step of attaching the cap results in covering and concealing the fastener.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the cap has a stem that is received in the joint insert body once the cap is attached to the insert joint body, and a cover portion connected to the stem, and wherein after said step of attaching the cap to the joint insert body, the cover portion overlies the first panel and the second panel.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising applying adhesive between the cap and the panels.