Patent Grant
10920428
The present disclosure relates to a composite siding panel that can be used on an exterior wall of a building such as a residential home. Methods and processes for making and/or using such siding panels are also disclosed.
In particular, the present disclosure provides for a composite siding panel including a siding member attached to a foam backing member using an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is configured in a specific manner so as to reduce “dimpling,” which can occur due to expansion related to sun exposure. Such a problem is particularly visible on siding panels of dark color.
Composite siding panels are known in the art. Vinyl siding is a popular choice because it is easily cleaned and it is resistant to deterioration. It may also be easily installed around windows and doors. Moreover, it may be produced in a variety of shapes and colors by known extrusion and molding processes at a relatively low cost per sheet or panel.
In many traditional composite siding panels, a vinyl siding member is attached to a foam backing member (a “backer”). An adhesive layer joins the front of the foam backing member to the siding member. In such composite siding panels, a visual defect known as “dimpling” has been identified. It is found to be most visible when the vinyl siding is a dark color, and when the siding panel is viewed at certain angles in bright sunlight and/or under certain temperature conditions. It would be desirable to provide composite siding panels that reduce such dimpling.
Disclosed in various embodiments herein are composite siding panels comprising a backing member and a siding member joined together by an adhesive layer. At least two different approaches have been found to reduce dimpling. In one approach, the sides of the adhesive layer are configured in a staggered or sawtooth pattern. In another approach, the adhesive layer is formed from a polyurethane that has an elongation factor of 1000% or more.
In some embodiments disclosed herein, the composite siding panel comprises a backing member, a siding member, and an adhesive layer. The backing member has a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite the first side edge. The siding member has a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite the first side edge. The adhesive layer joins the rear face of the siding member to the front face of the backing member. The adhesive layer comprises a central area having a first side edge and a second side edge, and a set of first fingers extending from the first side edge and spaced apart from each other.
In further embodiments, the adhesive layer also comprises a set of second fingers extending from the second side edge and spaced apart from each other. The first fingers and the second fingers form a staggered or sawtooth pattern on their respective sides of the central area of the adhesive layer.
In some embodiments, the first fingers and the second fingers are staggered relative to each other. In other embodiments, the first fingers and the second fingers are extend from the central area of the adhesive layer at the same height. The intervals between first fingers may be regular. The intervals between second fingers may also be regular.
The first side edge and the second side edge of the adhesive layer may be set back from the first side edge and the second side edge of the backing member by a distance of at least 5 inches. In more particular embodiments, the first side edge and the second side edge of the adhesive layer are set back from the first side edge and the second side edge of the backing member by a distance of 5 inches to 8 inches.
The first fingers and the second fingers may be set back from the first side edge and the second side edge of the backing member by a distance of at least 3.0 inches. The first fingers and the second fingers may have a length of at least 2 inches. The first fingers and the second fingers can more particularly have a length of 2 inches to 4.5 inches.
The first fingers and the second fingers may have a height of 2 inches or less. They may also have a height of at least 1 inch.
The adhesive layer may be made of a polyurethane having an elongation factor of 1000% or greater.
Also disclosed herein are embodiments where the composite siding panel comprises a backing member, a siding member, and an adhesive layer. The backing member has a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite the first side edge. The siding member has a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite the first side edge. The adhesive layer joins the rear face of the siding member to the front face of the backing member. The adhesive layer is made of a polyurethane having an elongation factor of 1000% or greater.
These and other non-limiting characteristics are more particularly described below.
The following is a brief description of the drawings, which are presented for the purposes of illustrating the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein and not for the purposes of limiting the same.
A more complete understanding of the components, panels, assemblies, and processes disclosed herein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings. These figures are merely schematic representations based on convenience and the ease of demonstrating the present disclosure, and are, therefore, not intended to indicate relative size and dimensions of the devices or components thereof and/or to define or limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments. In the drawings and the following description below, it is to be understood that like numeric designations refer to components of like function.
The present disclosure may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of desired embodiments and the examples included therein. In the following specification and the claims which follow, reference will be made to a number of terms which shall be defined to have the following meanings.
The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The term “comprising” is used herein as requiring the presence of the named components/steps and allowing the presence of other components/steps. The term “comprising” should be construed to include the term “consisting of”, which allows the presence of only the named components/steps, along with any impurities that might result from the manufacture of the named components/steps.
Numerical values should be understood to include numerical values which are the same when reduced to the same number of significant digits and numerical values which differ from the stated value by less than the experimental error of conventional measurement technique of the type described in the present application to determine the value.
All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the recited endpoint and independently combinable (for example, the range of “from 2 grams to 10 grams” is inclusive of the endpoints, 2 grams and 10 grams, and all the intermediate values).
The terms “substantially” and “about” can be used to include any numerical value that can vary without changing the basic function of that value. When used with a range, “substantially” and “about” also disclose the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints, e.g. “about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4.” The terms “substantially” and “about” may refer to plus or minus 10% of the indicated number. It is noted that when the term “substantially” is used in the context of describing the location of adhesive relative to edges of the backing member or the siding member, this term refers to +/−one-quarter of an inch (¼ inch).
The present disclosure refers to components as having a length, width, height, and thickness. It is noted that “length” and “width” are used interchangeably herein, or put another way, these terms refer to the same dimension or axis. It is also noted that the components of the present disclosure are three-dimensional, and as a result the terms “edge” and “face” may refer to the same component, depending on the perspective of that component in a given figure or drawing. For example, a face will have two dimensions when viewed head-on, but will appear to be an edge when viewed from the side.
It should be noted that many of the terms used herein are relative terms. For example, the terms “upper” and “lower” are relative to each other in location, i.e. an upper component is located at a higher elevation than a lower component in a given orientation, but these terms can change if the device is flipped. The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” are used to indicate direction relative to an absolute reference, i.e. ground level. The terms “above” and “below”, or “upwards” and “downwards” are also relative to an absolute reference; an upwards flow is always against the gravity of the earth.
The term “parallel” should be construed in its lay term as two edges or faces generally continuously having the same distance between them, and should not be strictly construed in mathematical terms as requiring that the two edges or faces cannot intersect when extended for an infinite distance. Similarly, the term “planar” should not be strictly construed as requiring that a given surface be perfectly flat.
The present disclosure relates to composite siding panels that reduce dimpling. For purposes of comparison,
Continuing, the backing member 310 is located behind the siding member 320, and has a rectangular shape. A first side face 316 of the backing member 310 is spaced apart or away from the first side edge 326 of the siding member 320. A second side face 318 of the backing member 310 is also spaced apart or away from the second side edge 328 of the siding member 320. Put another way, the side edges of the backing member are not aligned with the side edges of the siding member. Rather, the backing member 310 runs from a point short of the first side edge 326 of the siding member 320 to a point short of the second side edge 328 of the siding member 320. This results in a small “overhang” on each side, where the side edge of the siding member extends beyond the backing member. The overhangs are better seen in
An adhesive layer 315 is centrally located on the backing member 310 between the laterally-extending side edges 316, 318 thereof, and is spaced apart from those side edges. The adhesive layer joins the front face of the backing member 310 to the rear face of the siding member 320.
Referring now to
Because there are overhangs on both sides of the composite siding panel of
Again, dimpling is a visual defect.
It is believed that the appearance of dimples may be due to the overlap zone of adjacent composite panels. Referring back to
Starting first with the backing member, the backing member 100 has a rectangular shape. The backing member has a front face 102 and a rear face (not visible) that are located opposite each other. The front face of the backing member also has a top edge 103, a bottom edge 105, a first side edge 107, and a second side edge 109 that is spaced apart or away from the first side edge 107.
The adhesive layer 400 includes a central area 410 that has a rectangular shape. The central area 410 includes a top edge 413, a bottom edge 415, a first side edge 416, and a second side edge 418 that is spaced apart or away from the first side edge 416.
The top edge 413 of the central area may also be considered the top edge of the adhesive layer. The bottom edge 415 of the central area may also be considered the bottom edge of the adhesive layer. The top edge 413 of the adhesive layer is spaced apart from the top edge 103 of the backing member by a distance 113, which may range from 0.0 inches (i.e. no spacing at all) to 4 inches. The bottom edge 415 of the adhesive layer is spaced apart from the bottom edge 105 of the backing member by a distance 115, which may range from 0.0 inches (i.e. no spacing at all) to 0.75 inches.
The adhesive layer 400 also includes a plurality of first side fingers 420, which extend from the first side edge 416 of the central area. The adhesive layer 400 also includes a plurality of second side fingers 430, which extend from the second side edge 418 of the central area. These two pluralities of fingers are also referred to herein as two different sets of fingers. Each set or plurality of fingers contains at least two fingers.
Generally, each finger 420, 430 extending from the first side edge and the second side edge has the same dimensions, and thus the dimensions are described with reference to a first side finger only. However, this is not required. Each finger 420, 430 has a length 423 (measured in the direction between the side edges of the backing member) and a height 425 (measured in the direction between the top end and the bottom edge of the backing member). The length 423 is, in embodiments, at least 1 inch, or from 1 inch to 3 inches. In particular embodiments, the length of each finger is at least 4 inches, and in more specific embodiments can be from 1 inch to 4.5 inches, or from 4 inches to 4.5 inches. The height 425 of each finger can be at least 1 inch, or 2 inches or less, or from 1 inch to 2 inches. It is noted that the fingers are illustrated here as having a rectangular shape. However, it is contemplated that other shapes could potentially be used, such as circular, triangular, elliptical, etc. In addition, the adhesive is generally continuous for the entire length of the finger.
The first side edge 416 and the second side edge 418 of the central area of the adhesive layer are set back from the first side edge 107 and the second side edge 109 of the backing member. This setback is indicated with reference numeral 417. In embodiments, the setback 417 is a distance of at least 5 inches. In more particular embodiments, the setback 417 has a distance of 5 inches to 8 inches, or 5 inches to 6 inches.
Each finger 420, 430 extends laterally from the side edges of the central area 410. Put another way, the first side fingers 420 and the second side fingers 430 are also set back from the first side edge 107 and the second side edge 109 of the backing member. This setback is indicated with reference numeral 441. In embodiments, the setback 441 is a distance of at least 3.0 inches, including from 3.0 inches to 4.0 inches. In more particular embodiments, the setback 441 has a distance of 3.5 inches to 4.0 inches.
In addition, the fingers 420, 430 are spaced vertically apart from each other on their respective sides. The intervals are indicated with reference numeral 440. The height 443 of each interval is a non-zero value, and is generally the same height as finger height 425. In particular embodiments, the height of each interval is a minimum of 0.25 inches. In particular embodiments, the intervals between fingers are regular intervals.
In
The siding member 200 can have any desired shape or size, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and usually have a length of several feet. In this regard, the siding member 200 can have any suitable configuration, profile, or contour suitable for a given application. The siding member 200 can be formed from any suitable material, namely a material suitable as an aesthetic outer surface of a building or the like. In particular embodiments, the siding member 200 can be formed of vinyl, polypropylene, aluminum, steel, fiberglass, engineered wood, or fiber cement. It is contemplated that the siding member 200 could have some other polymeric veneer profile. It is contemplated that the siding member 200 will be composed of a suitable polymeric material, with vinyl materials being particularly suitable. The siding member 200 can have any suitable thickness, but is usually less than 0.1 inches. Usually, the structural strength of the backing member 100 is such that the need for structural strength and integrity of the siding member 200 is minimized. It is contemplated that the siding member 200 can be composed of any suitable sheet or film stock material. Materials of choice typically will be materials resistant to extremes in the external environment over the life of the siding system. Non-limiting examples of environmental challenges include extremes in temperature, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, and/or certain levels of impact and vibrational challenges due to wind and the like. In this regard, it is contemplated that the siding member 200 will be composed of any suitable polymeric, metal, plastic (e.g., fiber-reinforced plastic), composite wood, or cementitious material capable of providing suitable environmental resistance and durability.
The backing member 200 of this exemplary embodiment includes a laterally-extending relief channel 122 defined in the rear face 104 and located proximate a bottom end 112 of the backing member 100. The relief channel 122 generally runs from the first side face to the second side face of the backing member 100, and is configured to be complementary to the top end 110 of a longitudinally adjacent backing member located below it, or in other words so the top end fits in the relief channel 122. In this embodiment, they are shaped in the form of a tongue 110 and a groove 122, which are used to join adjacent panels together vertically. The backing member 100 also has a contour 140 defined therein.
Referring now to both
The backing member 100 can be molded to any desired shape or size, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and usually have a length of several feet. In particular embodiments, the backing member 100 can be composed of closed-cell expanded foam, such as a polymeric foam like expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. In other embodiments, the backing member 100 can be formed from wire-fabricated foam.
Continuing,
The example illustrated in
The presence of the fingers of the adhesive layer reduces or prevents dimpling. In this regard, referring to
The adhesive layer of the present disclosure is generally applied to the front face of the backing member. In particularly desired embodiments, the adhesive layer is formed using an adhesive that is not a pressure sensitive adhesive. Rather, the adhesive is a reactive hot melt adhesive. In particular embodiments, the adhesive is a polyurethane that has an elongation factor of 1000% or more, as measured according to ASTM D412-16. Such an adhesive is available from Henkel under the trade name Technomelt® PUR 7517 Clear, which is a polyurethane having an elongation factor of 1250%. In contrast, prior adhesives had an elongation factor of at most 600%. Technomelt® PUR 7517 Clear also has a viscosity of 10,000 centipoise (cps) at 275° F.; a tensile strength of 1100 psi measured according to ASTM D412-16; and a 100% modulus of 750 psi measured according to ASTM D412-16. Technomelt® PUR 7517 Clear contains 60 wt % to 100 wt % of an isocyanate terminated urethane polymer; 1 wt % to 5 wt % of methylene bis(phenylisocyanate); and 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of methylene bisphenyl isocyanate. Another such adhesive is available from Henkel under the trade name Technomelt® PUR 7117, which has the same properties as Technomelt® PUR 7517 and is believed to contain the same ingredients (i.e. an isocyanate terminated urethane polymer, methylene bis(phenylisocyanate, and methylene bisphenyl isocyanate).
The adhesive layer can be applied by any suitable method. The adhesive layer joins the rear face of the siding member to the front face of the backing member. The central area of the adhesive layer can be continuous or discontinuous, while the fingers are continuous. Again, it is noted that the margin of error for applying adhesive to the desired locations is ±¼ inch. Spray deposition can be utilized as well as methods such as extrusion, roller coating, curtain coating, and the like. In certain applications, it is contemplated that the adhesive can be applied by a suitable spray applicator to provide a thin uniform adhesive coating over the tough durable skin of the backing member. The backing member may have a smooth surface finish that fits snuggly with the siding member, thereby increasing adhesive mileage and reducing adhesive quantities, with the resulting bond being stronger.
Some other less suitable materials for the adhesive may include continuously flexible non-latex adhesives, such as thermoplastic PSAs, UV curable adhesives and hot melt adhesives, such as polyamines and urethanes, glue, thermosetting or thermoplastic adhesives, or pressure sensitive adhesives. Non-limiting examples of suitable spray thermoplastic adhesive coating materials include those commercially available from National Starch under the trade name DUROTAK, or available from Henkel under the trade name Technomelt® PUR 9011.
Because they are to be attached to each other, the rear face 204 of the siding member 200 is generally shaped complementary to the front face 102 of the backing member 100, as previously explained. It is contemplated that the backing member 100 can be shaped to have a suitable configuration complementary to the configuration of the siding member 200. Suitable configurations are depicted in the various drawings, though other suitable configurations are possible, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The degree of correspondence between the shape of the siding member 200 and the shape of the backing member 100, including any contours defined in either, can be at any degree from approximate to exact depending on various factors, including but not limited to the material type and/or thickness of the siding member 200.
The siding member can be attached to the backing member in a wide variety of fashions. It is contemplated that connection can occur at any time between manufacture and installation such that the siding member and the backing member are joined to one another in the installed or “in use” configuration.
The following examples are presented to illustrate the composite panels described herein, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.
Multiple composite siding panels were made with various setbacks for the central area and the fingers (relative to the side edges of the backing member). As a control, a composite siding panel with an adhesive setback of 2.5 inches (i.e. no fingers) was used. The composite siding panels were then exposed to sunlight over the course of a day, and dimpling was measured. Dimpling was measured visually, and was a yes/no measurement (either it occurred or it did not). The adhesive used to join the backing member to the siding member was PURHM QR9011. The results are provided in the table below:
Two composite siding panels were made using different adhesives, then exposed to sunlight over the course of a day, and dimpling was measured. The adhesives used to join the backing member to the siding member were Technomelt® PUR 9011 (elongation factor below 600%) and Technomelt® PUR 7517 Clear (elongation factor of 1250%). The results are provided in the table below:
The present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the present disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/665,898 filed May 2, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9080081 | Toyoda | Jul 2015 | B2 |
| 20040166294 | Dalvey | Aug 2004 | A1 |
| 20180202167 | Culpepper | Jul 2018 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190338532 A1 | Nov 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62665898 | May 2018 | US |
