Patent Application
20210010274
The present disclosure relates generally to siding panels. The present disclosure relates more particularly to reinforced siding panels and method of manufacture.
Vinyl siding is commonly used in construction as the exterior cladding for homes and other structures, and has the advantage of low maintenance, easier installation, and high resistance to weathering when compared to composite siding. Vinyl siding is easily applied by home remodelers and do-it-yourselfers. Adjacent panels are overlapped side by side along a surface, creating a number of overlapped or “lapped” areas once installed. Ideally, the overlap/lap appearance should not be noticeable, and should remain so over time. However, the method by which the siding panels are manufactured, as well as defects or damage to the siding panels prior to installation can lead to poor lap appearance both initially and over time.
In order to provide vinyl siding panels a more updated and sophisticated look, and to standardize sizing, some vinyl siding panels can be made with wider profiles. These updated vinyl panels are often backed with a reinforcement or support member to provide additional rigidity to the thin panels. The support member is generally secured to the siding panel using an adhesive. The specific application and placement of the adhesive and support member have been found to have a significant effect on lap appearance.
One aspect of the disclosure is a method for manufacturing a siding panel comprising:
providing a siding panel having a front face, a rear face, top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;
providing a support member having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, a second side edge, a first face, and a second face;
applying adhesive on a first face of the support member from the first side edge of the support member to the second side edge of the support member;
placing the support member on the rear face of the siding panel; and
completely securing the first side edge and the second side edge of the support member to the adhesive; thus laminating the support member to the siding panel, such that the adhesive directly laminates the first edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween.
In certain embodiments, the adhesive is applied over at least one of the side edges of the support member.
Another aspect of the disclosure is a siding panel as described herein. The siding panel includes:
a front face;
a rear face having a support member completely secured thereto, the support member having adhesive on a first face of the support member from a first side edge of the support member to a second side edge thereof, such that the adhesive directly laminates the first side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween;
a top edge including a nail hem;
a bottom edge;
a first side edge; and
a second side edge;
wherein the support member ends below the nail hem
In certain embodiments of the methods and panels described here, the support member is positioned such that it extends substantially from the first side edge of the siding panel (e.g., within ¼ inch) to about ½ in. to about 2¼ in. away from the second side edge of the siding panel. However, in other embodiments, the support member is positioned such that each of the first and second side edges of the support panel is positioned within about ½ inch to about 2¼ inches way from the respective side edge of the siding panel.
Additional aspects of the disclosure will be evident from the disclosure herein.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the methods and devices of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and sizes of various elements may be distorted for clarity. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiment(s) of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation of the disclosure.
The present inventors have noted disadvantages of conventional methods of manufacturing reinforced siding panels. Generally, the reinforced panels include a reinforcement or support member secured to the back of the panel by an adhesive. The adhesive is typically placed in the center of the support member and set back from each side edge, leaving about 2 inches between the adhesive and each side edge of the support member. Therefore, the panels are bi-directional and can be installed on either side of an existing or previously installed panel, which can be helpful if an installer wishes to hide the overlap of the panels in lesser seen areas of the surface. To install the panels, the side edge of one panel is overlapped with a side edge of an adjacent panel by placing the side edge between the support member and rear face of the adjacent panel, and the two panels are then pushed together. Therefore, in such conventional panels, the edge of the support member cannot be fully adhered to the rear face of the panel, in order to allow space for an adjacent panel edge to be inserted. The support member also extends above the top edge and nail hem of the panel to provide insulation for the siding panels. The portion of the support member that extends over the nail hem is not secured to the panel with the adhesive. This lapping style creates initial and long-term lap appearance challenges, particularly for thinner, reinforced siding.
The present inventors have noted that the installation of typical reinforced panels as described above is difficult and time consuming to install, due to the force required to fit an edge of one panel into the small area between the support member and rear face of an adjacent panel. The present inventors have also noted that the placement of the adhesive, while ensuring that the support member is completely secured to the rear face of the siding panel, also plays a large role in increased quality of the siding panels before and after installation, as well as improved overlap appearance in comparison to the traditional lapping method.
Accordingly, one aspect of the disclosure is a method of manufacturing a siding panel with an attached support member by placing adhesive all the way up to, and in some cases even over, one or both of the side edges of the support member. Accordingly, in certain aspects of the disclosure, the adhesive directly laminates the edges of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween. The present inventors have noted that even a small margin of error (e.g., of 3/16 inch) is unacceptable. Rather, there can be no measurable setback of the adhesive with respect to the siding panel. As mentioned above, the placement of the adhesive in this manner can lead to increased quality of the siding panels before and after the initial installation, as well as the same satisfactory overlap appearance after being exposed to extreme temperature conditions. Additionally, ensuring that the support member is and remains completely secured or adhered to the rear face of the panel also leads to retaining high quality lap appearance over time. The present inventors have determined that even a small gap in adhesion at side edges of a support member can result in unsatisfactory appearance over time when the siding panel is installed on a wall.
One embodiment of such a method is described with respect to
The siding panel 100 further includes a top edge 106 and a bottom edge 108 opposite the top edge. As shown in
Referring to
In certain embodiments as otherwise described herein, the support member 114 is secured to the rear face 104 of the siding panel 100 using an adhesive (not shown). In certain embodiments as otherwise disclosed herein, an example adhesive may include a hot melt moisture cured adhesive. In other embodiments, any hot melt moisture cured adhesives, any hot melt adhesives, any pressure-sensitive adhesives, any contact adhesives, any adhesive films, any solvent-based adhesives, any two-part adhesives, any water-based adhesives, any cyanoacrylate adhesives or combinations thereof may be used. The adhesive may be applied in any known manner, such as by a roller, sprayed on, extrusion, slot-die coating, etc.
The support member 114 is then placed on the siding panel 100 with the adhesive side facing the rear face 104 of the panel 100. The support member 114 is placed on the rear face 104 of the siding panel so the support member extends from the first side edge 110 of the panel to about % in. to about 2¼ in. away from the second side edge 112 of the panel. The siding panel 100 and the support member 114 are then laminated together. There is no set back area between the placement of the adhesive and the support member 114 on the panel 100. It should be understood that in instances where adhesive does not cover the entire rear face 104, such as a spray or other method of application that includes small areas not covered, the support member will not adhere to the portion(s) of the rear face that contain(s) no adhesive.
Additionally, after the placement of the adhesive, the siding panel should be applied to the adhesive side of the support member 114 in a timely manner so that the support member can fully and completely adhere to the rear face 104. More specifically, both side edges of the support member 114 should be completely adhered to the rear face 104. In some embodiments, the adhesive has a short timeframe between when it is applied and when it cools and hardens. Once the adhesive hardens, some or all of the adhesion properties may be lost. Therefore, during the manufacturing process, the support member 114 should be secured to the adhesive during the short timeframe before the adhesive hardens and cools.
As shown in
As noted above, in certain embodiments, the first edge of the support member is disposed substantially at the first edge of the siding panel. In certain embodiments, the first edge of the support member is flush with the first edge of the siding panel. However, there can be some lateral distance between these first edges. For example, in certain embodiments, the first edge of the support member is within ¼ inch of the first edge of the siding panel, e.g., in one embodiment with the siding panel extending beyond the support member, and in another embodiment with the support member extending beyond siding panel.
As noted above, the first edge of the support member is directly laminated to the siding panel with no gap therebetween. That is, at the first edge of the support member, the adhesive completely fills the interface between the support member and the siding panel. For example, in certain embodiments, the adhesive completely fills the interface between the first edge of the support member and the siding panel for a distance of at least one inch (i.e., as measured toward the second edge). In certain embodiments, as noted above, the adhesive is disposed over the first side edge of the support member (e.g., on a lateral surface thereof). And in certain embodiments, (e.g., when the first edge of the siding panel extends beyond the first end of the support member), the adhesive extends along the side panel beyond the second edge of the support member.
As noted above, the second edge of the support member is directly laminated to the siding panel with no gap therebetween. That is, at the second edge of the support member, the adhesive completely fills the interface between the support member and the siding panel. That is, there is no manufacturing tolerance for the disposition of adhesive to fail to completely adhere the second edge of the support member to the siding panel. For example, in certain embodiments, the adhesive completely fills the interface between the second edge of the support member and the siding panel for a distance of at least one inch (i.e., as measured toward the first edge). In certain embodiments, as noted above, the adhesive is disposed over the second side edge of the support member (e.g., on a lateral surface thereof). And in certain embodiments, the adhesive extends along the side panel beyond the second edge of the support member (e.g., by at least 1/16 inch, or even by at least ⅛ inch).
In certain embodiments, as described above, the support member is positioned such that it extends substantially from the first side edge of the siding panel (e.g., within ¼ inch) to about ½ in. to about 2¼ in. away from the second side edge of the siding panel.
However, in other embodiments, the support member is positioned such that each of the first and second side edges of the support panel is positioned within about % inch to about 2¼ inches way from the respective side edge of the siding panel. In such embodiments, when the panel is to be installed, one edge of the siding panel can be trimmed back so the first edge of the support member is substantially in alignment with the first edge of the siding panel (e.g., within ¼ inch thereof). Such panels can be sued with lapping in either direction, to be selected by the end user by selecting which end to trim off.
While the siding panels shown herein are shaped to appear like two planks of siding, the person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other shapes can be used, e.g., to appear like a single plank of siding, or to appear like more than two planks of siding.
The siding panel of
Another aspect of the disclosure is a kit of siding panels. The kit includes a plurality of (e.g., at least 10, at least 20, or at least 30) siding panels as otherwise described herein. Notably, the kit does not include a siding panel for which the adhesive does not directly laminate the first edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween. That is, the kit includes no siding panels for which an adhesive setback up to 3/16 of an inch is acceptable; rather, each and every siding panel of the kit has the first side edge and the second side edge completely adhered to the siding panel.
Another aspect of the disclosure is a method for manufacturing a kit of siding panels as otherwise described herein. The method includes manufacturing a plurality of siding panels, for each siding panel, the manufacturing including:
Another aspect of the disclosure is a method for manufacturing a plurality of siding panels (e.g., at least 20 siding panels, at least 50 siding panels, or at least 100 siding panels) as otherwise descrbed herein:
manufacturing a plurality of siding panels, for each siding panel, the manufacturing including:
providing a siding panel having a front face, a rear face, top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;
providing a support member having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, a second side edge, a first face, and a second face;
applying adhesive on a first face of the support member from the first side edge of the support member to the second side edge of the support member;
placing the support member on the rear face of the siding panel; and
securing the first side edge and the second side edge of the support member to the adhesive; thus
laminating the support member to the siding panel,
In at least 90% (e.g., at least 95%) of the manufactured siding panels the adhesive directly laminates the first edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween. That is, the process is performed such that there are fewer than 10% (e.g., fewer than 5%) of the manufactured panels for which there is a measurable adhesive gap at the first side edge and the second side edge of the support member. Critically, the process is performed such that there is no substantial manufacturing tolerance for an adhesive setback (i.e., not even 3/16 of an inch). Rather, the process is performed such that it reproducibly provides siding panels in which there is no measurable adhesive gap at the first side edge and the second side edge of the support member. This can be done, e.g., by over-applying the adhesive so that it goes over the side edges of the support member, as described above.
In various embodiments as otherwise described herein, the support member 114 may be made of any conventional material that can provide rigidity to the siding panel 100. For example, the support member 114 may be made of foam, fiber, mesh, acrylic, polymer, polymer composite, metal, wood, rubber, mineral-filled material, composite material, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the support member 114 can be made of any material not susceptible to moisture absorption. In certain embodiments, the support member 114 may be made of any material having a coefficient of linear expansion similar to (e.g., within 15%, within 10%, or even within 5% of) the coefficient of linear expansion of vinyl, or of whatever material the siding panel itself is made.
Notably, testing has shown that the siding panels manufactured according to the above method have a better initial lap appearance, as well as a better lap appearance over time and when exposed to extreme temperatures than the same siding panels when the adhesive was not placed all the way to the edge, and when the support member was not completely secured to the rear face by the adhesive. Some example test results are shown in
In one example, cyclic heat testing was performed. Ten (10) heat cycles were conducted, with the siding panels starting at room temperature, about 75° F., then slowly being heated up to 160° F. and cooled to 75° F. before the next heat cycle. The heating was performed at a slow rate consistent with standard ASTM D7793. The panels that had adhesive placed all the way to the end of one side of the panel (both sides edges of the foam), and where the support member was allowed to completely adhere to the adhesive, had a better overall performance and lap appearance as compared to the panels that did not include adhesive all the way to the side edge or both side edges of the foam, or where the support member was not fully and completely stuck to the rear face of the panel. As shown in
It should be understood that the siding panels disclosed herein can be made by any known method, such as a known extrusion process, with a common panel size of 8 inches wide by 12 feet long, although other lengths and widths can be used as appropriate.
As the person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the siding panels disclosed herein may be made of conventional materials. For example, the siding panels may be constructed of vinyl, PVC, polymer, polypropylene, acrylic, Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA), fiberglass, aluminum, steel, any other plastic, or metal, or combinations thereof, or any other material that requires the siding panels to overlap during installation. Conventional methodologies for siding construction can be used in the siding panels as described herein.
It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, any suitable fastening mechanism may be used to secure the support member to the rear face 104. For example, in some embodiments, the support member 114 may be fused to, poured onto, co-extruded, laminated, welded, mechanically joined, or injection molded onto the rear face 104 of the siding panel 100.
Additional aspects of the disclosure are provided by the following enumerated embodiments, which can be combined and permuted in any number and in any combination that is not technically or logically inconsistent.
Embodiment 1. A method manufacturing a siding panel, the method comprising:
providing a siding panel having a front face, a rear face, top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;
providing a support member having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, a second side edge, a first face, and a second face;
applying adhesive on a first face of the support member from the first side edge of the support member to the second side edge of the support member;
placing the support member on the rear face of the siding panel;
completely securing the two side edges of a support member to the adhesive; thus
laminating the support member to the siding panel, such that the adhesive directly laminates the first edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween.
Embodiment 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the support member is placed such that it extends substantially from the first side edge of the siding panel (e.g., within ¼ inch) to about ½ in. to about 2¼ in. away from the second side edge of the siding panel.
Embodiment 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the support member is placed such that each of the first and second side edges of the support panel is positioned within about ½ inch to about 2¼ inches way from the respective side edge of the siding panel.
Embodiment 4. The method of any of claims 1-3, further comprising applying the adhesive over at least one of the side edges of the support member.
Embodiment 5. The method of any of claims 1-4, further comprising applying the adhesive over both side edges of the support member.
Embodiment 6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the support member comprises foam, fiber, mesh, acrylic, polymer, polymer composite, metal, wood, rubber, mineral-filled material, composite material, or combinations thereof.
Embodiment 7. The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein the support member comprises a foam material.
Embodiment 8. The method of any of claims 1-7, wherein the top edge of the siding panel includes a nail hem.
Embodiment 9. The method of any of claims 1-8, wherein the support member extends from about ¼ in. to about 5 in. below the top edge of the siding panel to about 0 in. to 8 in. away from the bottom edge of the siding panel.
Embodiment 10. The method of any of claims 1-9, wherein the thickness of a largest section of the support member is in the range of about ⅛ in. to about ¾ in.
Embodiment 11. The method of any of claims 1-10, wherein the length of the support member is in the range of about 2 in. to about 24 in.
Embodiment 12. The method of any of claims 1-11, wherein the front face of the siding panel comprises an upper region and a lower region.
Embodiment 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the width of the upper region is in the range of about 2 in. to about 10 in.
Embodiment 14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein the width of the lower region is in the range of about 2 in. to about 10 in.
Embodiment 15. The method of any of claims 1-14, wherein the adhesive comprises a hot melt moisture cured adhesive, a hot melt adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, a contact adhesive, a adhesive film, a solvent-based adhesive, a two-part adhesive, a water-based adhesive, a cyanoacrylate adhesive, or combinations thereof.
Embodiment 16. The method of any of claims 1-15, wherein the siding panel is constructed of vinyl, PVC, polymer, polypropylene, acrylic, Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA), fiberglass, aluminum, steel, any other plastic, or metal, or combinations thereof.
Embodiment 17. The method of any of claims 1-16, wherein the support member is constructed of a material having a coefficient of linear expansion similar to the coefficient of linear expansion of the material of the siding panel.
Embodiment 18. A method for installing the siding panel claimed in any of claims 1-17.
Embodiment 19. A siding panel comprising:
a front face;
a rear face having a support member completely secured thereto, the support member having adhesive on a first face of the support member from a first side edge of the support member to a second side edge of the support member, such that the adhesive directly laminates the first side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween;
a top edge including a nail hem;
a bottom edge;
a first side edge; and
a second side edge, and
wherein the support member ends below the nail hem.
Embodiment 20. The siding panel of claim 19, wherein the support member extends substantially from the first side edge of the siding panel (e.g., within ¼ inch) to about % in. to about 2¼ in. away from the second side edge.
Embodiment 21. The siding panel of claim 19, wherein the support member is placed such that each of the first and second side edges of the support panel is positioned within about ½ inch to about 2¼ inches way from the respective side edge of the siding panel.
Embodiment 22. The siding panel of any of claims 19-21, wherein the support member extends from about ¼ in. to about 5 in. below the top edge of the siding panel to about 0 in. to 8 in. away from the bottom edge of the siding panel.
Embodiment 23. The siding panel of any of claims 19-22, wherein the adhesive is applied over at least one side edge of the support member.
Embodiment 24. The siding panel of any of claims 19-23 wherein the adhesive is applied over both side edges of the support member.
Embodiment 25. The siding panel of any of claims 19-24, wherein the support member comprises a foam, fiber, mesh, acrylic, polymer, polymer composite, metal, wood, rubber, mineral-filled material, composite material, or combinations thereof.
Embodiment 26. The siding panel of any of claims 19-25, wherein the length of the support member is in the range of about 2 in. to about 24 in.
Embodiment 27. The siding panel of any of claims 19-26, wherein both side edges of the support member are secured to the rear face of the siding panel.
Embodiment 28. The siding panel of any of claims 19-27, wherein the thickness of a largest section of the support member is in the range of about ⅛ in. to about ¾ in.
Embodiment 29. The siding panel of any of claims 19-28, wherein the siding panel is constructed of vinyl, PVC, polymer, polypropylene, acrylic, Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA), fiberglass, aluminum, steel, any other plastic, or metal, or combinations thereof.
Embodiment 30. The siding panel of any of claims 19-29, wherein the support member is constructed of a material having a coefficient of linear expansion similar to the coefficient of linear expansion of the material of the siding panel.
Embodiment 31. A method for installing the siding panel claimed in any of claims 19-30.
Embodiment 32. A method for manufacturing the siding panel claimed in any of claims 19-31.
Embodiment 33. A kit of siding panels, the kit including a plurality of (e.g., at least 10, at least 20, or at least 30) siding panels of any of claims 19-31, wherein the kit does not include a siding panel for which the adhesive does not directly laminate the first edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween and the second side edge of the support member to the siding panel with no gap therebetween.
Embodiment 34. A method for manufacturing a kit of siding panels as claimed in any of claims 19-31, comprising:
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the processes and devices described here without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover such modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/370,492, filed Mar. 29, 2019, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/651,097, filed Mar. 31, 2018, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62651097 | Mar 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16370492 | Mar 2019 | US |
| Child | 17034791 | US |
