Patent Application
20230340789
The exterior roof and wall elements of buildings are comprised of multiple elements. The exterior walls include wall coverings that provide weather protection for the building. These coverings include but are not limited to veneers, siding, exterior insulation and finish systems, architectural trim, flashing, cladding, panels, wall shingles, wall shakes, wall tiles, and similar elements. The exterior walls also typically include a weather-resistant barrier or water-resistive barrier (WRB) beneath the cladding or siding as an example.
The roof similarly includes roof coverings that provide weather protection for the building. The roof covering, or roof assembly, may include flashing, roof shingles, roof shakes, roof tiles, roof panels, roll roofing, built-up roofing, thermoset roofing, liquid-applied roof coatings, sprayed polyurethane foam roofing, and thermoplastic roofing as examples. Roof underlayment may include roofing felt, and a variety of roll membrane products.
Wall and roof shingles, shakes, and tiles have historically been fabricated and installed as single units individually placed and secured with one or two fasteners. Shingles shakes, and tiles are often secured only to the underlying sheathing or to furring strips installed perpendicular to the roof or wall framing. They are often not secured to the framing members such as rafters, or wall framing such as studs.
Roof panels and wall cladding or siding often span over multiple framing members in the roof or wall and are attached to the frame of the structure typically through the sheathing. In cases, roof and wall panels are attached to furring strips. The furring strips are attached to the underlying framing through the sheathing.
The above-discussed wall coverings, roof coverings, and the assemblies on which they are mounted sometimes suffer from damage due to moisture and lack of ventilation and drainage behind the wall coverings or roof coverings. To reduce the potential for damage due to moisture and to improve the ventilation and drainage in roof and wall systems, embodiments of a geometric building panel system include at least one geometric building panel fabricated with a patterned edge(s) that, through the geometry of the edge of the geometric building panels, creates a ventilation and drainage path when the geometric building panels are installed at an angle to an underlying substrate. The geometric building panel systems and methods discussed herein may serve as a roof or wall covering. The geometric building panels of the systems discussed herein may be roof panels, roof shingles, roof shakes, roof tiles, wall shingles, walls siding, wall shakes, wall tiles, wall panels, or wall cladding. The geometric building panel(s) may be of one-piece construction, or may include multiple layers of the same or different material, wherein one of the layers includes the patterned edge to create the ventilation and drainage path. As used herein, the terms “geometric building panel,” “building panel,” “panel,” and the like are interchangeable unless otherwise specified or understood by those with ordinary skill in the art.
In a first aspect, a building panel for ventilation and drainage includes: a rear surface and a front surface having a drainage element thereon such that, when an additional building panel is installed and overlaps the building panel, the drainage element creates a ventilation and drainage path between the building panel and the additional building panel. The building panel may include a patterned edge spanning from the rear surface towards the front surface that, when the building panel is mounted at a substrate, creates a second ventilation and drainage path between the building panel and the substrate.
In a second aspect, a building panel for ventilation and drainage includes: a front surface and a rear surface aligned with respect to the front surface such that, when the building panel is mounted adjacent an additional building panel, the front surface and an additional front surface of the additional building panel are substantially parallel. The building panel may include a patterned edge spanning from the rear surface towards the front surface that, when the building panel is mounted at a substrate, creates a ventilation and drainage path between the building panel and the substrate or the building panel and an adjacent building panel.
In a third aspect, a building panel for ventilation and drainage includes a first panel portion defining a front surface of the building panel and a second panel portion defining a rear surface of the building panel. The building panel may include a patterned edge spanning from the rear surface towards the front surface that, when the building panel is mounted at a substrate, creates a ventilation and drainage path between the building panel and the substrate.
When each geometric building panel (102) is mounted at an angle (α) to the substrate (110) as shown, the geometric building panel system (100) creates a capillary break, drainage, and/or ventilation space, path or plane (112) where a top-portion of each geometric building panel (102) has a patterned edge (120) that, at least a part of, does not touch the substrate (110). The patterned edge (120) may have any shape of patterned edges discussed herein, including those shown in
As used herein, the term “patterned edge”, including the patterned edge (120), may indicate an uninterrupted and continuous outline, contour, and/or patterned perimeter along the edge of the geometric building panel to provide said capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation plane or path along the entire length of the geometric building panel. In at least some embodiments, the term “patterned edge” as used herein, including the patterned edge (120), means an interrupted contour along the edge of the geometric building panel. For example, the patterned edge may be interrupted at regular or irregular intervals to allow for stronger sections of edge or for fastener locations. The term “patterned edge” may refer to an edge of the geometric building panel, or a portion thereof, that spans from a rear surface of the geometric building panel towards a front surface of the geometric building panel. Thus, the term “patterned edge” indicates different structure than protrusions or channels/grooves that protrude from or recess into the rear surface of the geometric building panel. Accordingly, in at least some embodiments, a “patterned edge” as used herein may only provide said capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation plane or path when the geometric building panel is mounted at an angle with respect to a substrate at which the geometric building panel is mounted to.
In an embodiment, the angle (α) of the geometric building panel (102) to the substrate (110) may be approximately five to ten degrees from vertical (plumb). Angles outside of five to ten degrees may be utilized without departing form the scope hereof. In at least one embodiment, the patterned edge (120) spans from a rear surface to a front surface of the geometric building panel (102).
The geometric building panel (102) lap over each other at the overlap region, the bottom of which is indicated by dashed line (114). Proximate areas of geometric building panel contact with the substrate, an optional fastening hole (116) may be provided through the geometric building panel (102) (e.g., defined by the geometric building panel (102)). The fastening hole (116) may be located within a region of the geometric building panel (102) where a longitudinal cross-section of the geometric building panel (102) crosses the fastening hole (116) also crosses the patterned edge (120). The geometric building panels (102) contact the substrate at discrete points or areas (118) and due to the angle at which the geometric building panels are mounted, the patterned edge (120) creates space or gap between the back of the geometric building panel and the substrate (110) along portions of the edge. In embodiments, spacing (119) between the points or areas (118) of contact may be less than or equal to three inches to allow for horizontal structural support of the siding. In embodiments, spacing (119) between the points or areas (118) of contact may be less than or equal to two inches to allow for horizontal structural support of the siding. In embodiments, the vertical height (121) e.g., height of the serrations, undulations, and/or crenellations, of the points or areas (118) may be less than or equal to three inches such that the patterned edge is less susceptible to breaking. In embodiments, the vertical height e.g., height of the serrations, undulations, and/or crenellations, of the points or areas (118) may be less than or equal to two inches such that the patterned edge is less susceptible to breaking. The geometric building panel or individual layers or portions may be of any thickness, including 1/32 inch, 1/16 inch, ⅛ inch, ¼ inch, ⅜ inch, ½ inch, and ⅝ inch.
In any of the above-described shapes of the patterned edges, spacing between the points or areas of contact (e.g., the upper-most edges of the shapes in any configuration shown in
Protrusion (770) may be embossed on the front face during manufacturing of the geometric building panel (702). This configuration provides a unique advantage in ventilation and drainage systems of siding panels. Particularly, fiber-cement siding panels are difficult to create patterns (e.g., the protrusion pattern) on both sides thereof. However, via embossing, stamping, or otherwise forming the pattern during buildup of the fiber cement panel (e.g., by putting a pattern on one of the rollers during a Hatcheck process) one can put a pattern on one side of the panel. The protrusion (770) may be the same material (e.g., integral to or added onto a main panel portion as a separate component but of the same material) as the body of the geometric building panel (702). The protrusion (770) may be different material than (e.g., added onto as a separate component) as the body of the geometric building panel (702).
The present application allows for a method of manufacture where the geometric building panel includes a patterned edge and also protrusions or channels on one face of the geometric building panel. This method of manufacture allows geometric building panels to be cut from larger panels in the manufacturing process. In the fiber cement Hatschek process, the individual geometric building panels may be cut using standard equipment but with the modification that the individual geometric building panels are cut from the large panel along a zig-zag or serrated line as an example. One face of the geometric building panel may include protrusions, easily manufactured using standard drum roller and patterning processes. A single serrated cut in the larger panel (e.g., to create the shape of geometric building panel (302(1)) creates patterned edges for two geometric building panels (one for adjacent geometric building panels during the manufacturing of the fiber cement siding). This greatly simplifies manufacturing while at the same time providing a product that has two planes of ventilation and drainage—one between the geometric building panel and the substrate, and one between the geometric building panel and an adjacent geometric building panel in lapped siding.
Although not shown, any other of the geometric building panels (702) in the geometric building panel system (700) may include said optional protrusion (770). The geometric building panels (702) are mounted at an angle to substrate or structure (740) (which may be substrate (110) discussed above) and are fastened with a standard fastener (750). The patterned edge (715) creates a capillary break, drainage, and/or ventilation space, path or plane (725) between the geometric building panels (702) and the substrate or structure (740).
In
In embodiments, the front panel portion (1002) and the rear panel portion (1004) may be of one-piece construction as defined above or may be separate pieces of the same or different materials. In embodiments, the front panel portion (1002) and the rear panel portion (1004) are different materials. In embodiments, the front panel portion (1002) is made of any one or more of fiber cement, clay, cement, cement based materials, concrete, asphalt, wood, wood based materials, wood fiber, oriented strand board, hardboard, high pressure laminate, PVC, plastic, rubber, foam, foam insulation, extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, fly-ash, waste materials, glass, glass fiber reinforced concrete and cement, glass fiber reinforced plastic, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, cellulose, insulation, and metal or any other material used in the fabrication of roof and wall cladding and coverings, and any combination thereof. In embodiments, the rear panel portion (1004) is made of any one or more of fiber cement, clay, cement, cement based materials, concrete, asphalt, wood, wood based materials, wood fiber, oriented strand board, hardboard, high pressure laminate, PVC, plastic, rubber, foam, foam insulation, extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, fly-ash, waste materials, glass, glass fiber reinforced concrete and cement, glass fiber reinforced plastic, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, cellulose, insulation, and metal or any other material used in the fabrication of roof and wall cladding and coverings, and any combination thereof. Any combination of the above-discussed materials for the front panel portion (1002) and the rear panel portion (1004) are contemplated by this disclosure. In a specific embodiment the front panel portion (1002) is fiber cement, and the rear panel portion (1004) is insulation. In a specific embodiment the front panel portion (1002) is wood, and the rear panel portion (1004) is insulation. In a specific embodiment the front panel portion (1002) is fiber cement, and the rear panel portion (1004) is foam. In a specific embodiment the front panel portion (1002) is wood, and the rear panel portion (1004) is foam. In a specific embodiment the front panel portion (1002) and the rear panel portion (1004) are of wood based hardboard.
In
The patterned edge (1305) of geometric building panels (1300) creates a capillary break, drainage, and/or ventilation space, path or plane (1320) between the geometric building panels (1300) and the substrate or structure (1306).
In
Combinations of Features and Advantages
Features described above as well as those claimed below may be combined in various ways without departing from the scope hereof. The following enumerated examples illustrate some possible, non-limiting combinations and additional features/advantages of any of the above-described embodiments shown and described with respect to the figures. In the following discussion, the terms “geometric building panels,” “geometric building panel system,” “patterned edge,” “protrusion,” refer to any of the corresponding features discussed above in any of the above-discussed embodiments unless otherwise stated.
In any embodiment discussed herein, the geometric building panels described herein can be used as a wall covering.
In any embodiment discussed herein, the geometric building panels described herein can be used as a roof covering.
In embodiments, the angle of the geometric building panels to a substrate to which they are mounted on may be approximately five to ten degrees from vertical (plumb). When installed as a system of overlapping geometric building panels, mounted at an angle to a substrate, the upper patterned edge of any one of the geometric building panels therein said installed system provide a continuous capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation plane or path between the substrate and the respective geometric building panel. In at least some embodiments, the patterned edge is uninterrupted and continuous along the edge of the geometric building panel to provide said capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation plane or path along the entire length of the geometric building panel. This approach advantageously eliminates ‘pinch-points’ in the system that can block or trap water and cause degradation of and damage to the wall panel/cladding/siding and/or the underlying substrate. The free movement of air and water around the limited contact points the patterned edge of the geometric building panel system allows moisture and humidity to disperse, reducing the risk of damage and degradation to moisture sensitive substrates and panels. The increased capacity of the geometric building panel system to disperse moisture and to dry provides durability benefits over the common wall and roofing coverings currently used, and further expands the materials that can be used for wall and roof coverings to a broader range of recycled, lower density, and non-traditional materials. As an example, some hardboard wall covering products with a history of moisture problems will benefit from the increased air flow, as will some siding and cladding products that tend to absorb and hold water in the wall or roof covering.
In at least some embodiments, the patterned edge is formed in the geometric building panel in a secondary manufacturing process. In at least some embodiments, the patterned edge is applied in a secondary manufacturing process.
Embodiments herein may enable the geometric building panel to be directly mounted to the underlying substrate (e.g., a sheathing panel with or without a WRB) and the patterned edge alone creates a drainage plane or path, a ventilation plane or path, or a capillary break between the geometric building panel and the substrate on which it is mounted without the use of separate channels, ridges, bumps, or cut-aways in the body of the geometric building panel.
Fastening of the geometric building panels may occur anywhere on or within the geometric building panels. Pre-manufactured fastening holes or notations may occur anywhere on or within the geometric building panels. To reduce the risk of panel breakage and to provide support, the general area of the patterned edge that is closest to touching, or touches, the underlying substrate, structure, sheathing, or WRB is the likely fastening point, and may include a fastening hole or notation indicating where to fasten the geometric building panels to the substrate. The fastening points may be any one or more of predetermined, pre-marked, pre-drilled, reinforced, or any combination thereof. The fastening point, hole, or notation, may be located within a region of the geometric building panel where a longitudinal cross-section of the geometric building panel crosses the fastening hole also crosses the patterned edge.
The geometric building panel system provides unique advantages to other cladding and roofing systems currently produced. When mounted at an angle, the patterned edge of the geometric building panel(s) creates portions of the geometric building panel that contact the underlying substrate or structure at discrete locations, with surrounding open spaces, or gaps that do not contact the underlying substrate or structure. The open spaces or gaps create a capillary break, a drainage path or plane, and a ventilation path or plane that improves the drainage and ventilation of the system. The open spaces or gaps created by the patterned edge are illustrated in the above-discussed figures, including, but not limited to,
The geometric building panels can either span over multiple framing bays similar to exterior siding or roof panels, or can be limited to smaller units that are not large enough to span over multiple framing bays or rafters similar to shingles, shakes, and tiles. Thus, in at least some embodiments, any of the above-discussed geometric building panels may be in the form of a patterned edge on individual roofing tiles or shakes that do not span across multiple rafters.
When the geometric building panels span over multiple framing members they provide an efficiency of installation advantage over individual shingles, shakes, and tiles as the speed of installation is greater per square foot for larger panel products. The drainage and ventilation feature is maintained in geometric building panels that extend over multiple framing bays. For each piece, the geometric building panels that span multiple framing bays provide multiple fastening locations to the frame of the building. Individual shingles, shakes, and tiles are fastened to the sheathing, or require additional furring systems to provide the same fastening strength that multi-framing bay cladding panels such as the larger geometric building panels may provide.
When the geometric building panels are used in a system of single shingles, shakes, or tiles, the geometric building panels also provide a capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation path or plane through the limited contact points of the shingles, shakes, or tiles. The capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation feature of the patterned edge is provided at the edge of the shingle, shake, or tile and the panel can be manufactured, flat, and planar, with a rectangular shape. The smaller sizes provide greater design pattern flexibility and ease of installation in irregular areas.
In both the smaller single shingles, shake or tiles and the larger multi-framing bay geometric building panels in the form of siding or cladding, the use of drainage and ventilation surface features on the exterior or interior face of the geometric building panel are not necessary to provide the drainage and ventilation feature of the patterned edge. The ‘exterior face’ is the face of the geometric building panel exposed to the exterior or atmosphere (e.g., visible or exposed when installed). The ‘interior face’ of the geometric building panel is the face of the geometric building panel exposed to the substrate, panel, or structure on which the geometric building panel is mounted. Similarly, the inner or rear face or surface of a geometric building panel faces the substrate, and the outer or front face or surface of a geometric building panel faces the exterior.
The geometric building panels provide a manufacturing and fabrication advantage over other drainage and ventilation panel designs that solely utilize bumps, ridges, indentations, cutaways or other features located on, or in the interior or exterior face of the geometric building panel as defined above. The geometric building panels can be manufactured as ‘flat’ panels without protrusions or cut outs on the exterior or interior face. Alternatively, the geometric building panels may include protrusions or cutouts on only the exterior face (e.g., one face of the geometric building panel) at an overlap location (e.g., as discussed above regarding protrusion (770)). The patterned edge of the flat geometric building panels can be subsequently cut or formed into or from the edge of the geometric building panels. The majority of siding and cladding panel manufacturing in wood based, fiber cement, plastic, fly-ash, metal, and composite panels are fabricated in industrial processes that produce ‘flat’ panels that are rectilinear in cross section. These industrial processes create board and panel products that are ‘flat’, particularly on the interior and exterior face similar to sawn boards, plywood panels, extruded boards, and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) panels. Currently the edges of the individual siding or cladding panels are cut through water jet, mechanical saws, or other means. To produce the patterned edge, the geometric building panel edges can be cut in an undulated, zigzag, scalloped, or other pattern as described herein.
The geometric building panels can be manufactured in the currently available industrial processes as the interior and exterior faces of the geometric building panels are flat similar to currently produced fiber cement, OSB, plywood, and hardboard products. In cross section, the geometric building panels may be rectilinear. The interior face of the geometric building panels that is mounted against the substrate or structure can be ‘flat’ or formed in one plane, and the drainage and ventilation feature provided only by the patterned edge. The geometric building panels and the patterned edge provide a ventilation, drainage, and/or capillary break mechanism without, necessarily, the use of raised or lowered elements in the interior or exterior faces of the geometric building panel.
Another benefit and advantage of the invention as described is that the geometric building panels can be easily stacked. As the geometric building panels do not necessarily require protrusions on their interior or exterior faces, the risk of damage to the geometric building panels in transport is reduced. In addition, the packaging of the geometric building panels is simplified and more efficient over panels that include raised drainage features in the interior or exterior face of the geometric building panels. The stacking efficiency is also a benefit is certain manufacturing processes that require curing, drying or autoclaving of the geometric building panels as the geometric building panels can be stacked efficiently.
The geometric building panels can be fabricated in one material and do not necessarily require laminates, reinforcements, or multiple layers. Alternately, the geometric building panels can be fabricated as a laminate of the same, similar, or different materials. The geometric building panels can be fabricated of composite materials in a single or multiple layers. The geometric building panels may have mesh, lath, and/or fabric reinforcement throughout the entire length and width of the geometric building panel, or may have said mesh, lath, and/or fabric reinforcement at just the patterned edge location.
The geometric building panels may include a portion adjacent the patterned edge that includes channels, bumps, squiggles, ridges, or other patterns. The channels, bumps, squiggles, ridges, or other patterns may follow a regular pattern, or may be random. Said channels, bumps, squiggles, ridges, or other patterns may be located at an overlap region between a first geometric building panel, and an adjacent geometric building panel lapped thereover. Thus, the channels, bumps, squiggles, ridges, or other patterns provide the advantage of providing a second ventilation and drainage path between an exterior or front surface of a first geometric building panel and a rear or interior surface of an adjacent overlapping geometric building panel.
The geometric building panel system has the advantage of providing a capillary break, ventilation and drainage in a system without necessarily introducing separate drainage mats or furring strips. This advantage simplifies the installation and reduces costs. The capillary break, ventilation and drainage mechanism is provided by the geometric building panels and patterned edge system without the labor and material costs of additional furring or drainage mats.
The geometric building panels may be of rigid or flexible materials. When fabricated of rigid materials, the geometric building panels eliminate the concerns of soft or flexible drainage mats which have reportedly lead to ‘blow-outs’ at the back side of conventional cladding panels when fastened over soft of flexible drainage mats.
The geometric building panels discussed herein may reduce energy costs by providing for the flow of air and subsequent cooling advantages for the walls and roofs of buildings. In addition, energy use and cost may be reduced by insulating geometric building panels, or insulating portions and/or layers of the geometric building panels, such as the layered panels shown in
In any of the above embodiments, the geometric building panels system may include multiple geometric building panels with patterned edge(s) mounted to a wall or roof. Where mounted on a wall, the installation may begin with a drainage and ventilation furring starter strip (as described in Norwood Architecture, Inc. patent application publication number 2020/0087928A1, filed Nov. 25, 2019 and which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) or with an alternate design to provide a capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation at the base of the wall assembly. Spacing between the substrate and first row (or other rows of siding) may be created/set by means other than a starter strip, such as washers, or double-headed washer fasteners (e.g., fastener (720) shown in
In an embodiment the geometric building panel system is incorporated into a system of wall or roof flashing and membranes to provide a capillary break, drainage, and/or ventilation and weather protection to the substrate and structure on which the geometric building panels are mounted.
The geometric building panels may be installed over a WRB and sheathing. The geometric building panels may be fastened to the metal, wood, concrete or other framing and sheathing system.
In an embodiment, the geometric building panels are lapped over each other. As the geometric building panels lap over each other, the thickness of the lower geometric building panel causes the upper geometric building panel to be installed at a slight angle to vertical. The thickness of the geometric building panels may vary and will include, but is not limited to, a thickness of one quarter of an inch, to one inch in thickness. The geometric building panels include a patterned edge or edges. In a lapped system, an upper geometric building panel may lap a lower geometric building panel such that the lower edge of the upper geometric building panel entirely covers the patterned edge of the lower geometric building panel. The uppermost points or edges of the patterned edge on the lower geometric building panel contacts the underlying substrate at discrete locations and does not contact the substrate at others as shown if
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels described herein can be extruded or fabricated with a rectilinear cross section. The interior face of the rectilinear section, facing the substrate or structure, and the exterior face of the geometric building panel, facing the exterior, may be parallel to each other. The exterior face may include additional architectural features such as grain patterns, moldings, decorative patterns, or simulations of brick, stone, or other traditional materials or roof and wall coverings.
In an embodiment the patterned edge of the any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may include any of multiple shapes or patterns described herein. Examples of these edges are shown in
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels described herein are not rectilinear in cross section. In this embodiment the cross section of the geometric building panel is an irregular polygon. In an embodiment the irregular polygon includes, when mounted on a structure an exterior face that is vertical (plumb) or horizontal (level). As shown in
Although the geometric building panels do not require reinforcement, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may include metal, fiberglass, carbon, or other reinforcement including but not limited to mesh, lath, or mats of these materials. The reinforcement may be surface applied or may be embedded in the geometric building panel. The reinforcement may cover all or a portion of the geometric building panel. The reinforcement may be located proximate only the expected fastening locations of the geometric building panel as shown in
In an embodiment, the patterned edge of any of a geometric building panel may be manufactured as a stand-alone product as shown in
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be fabricated from any one or more of fiber cement, clay, cement, cement based materials, concrete, asphalt, wood, wood based materials, wood fiber, oriented strand board, hardboard, high pressure laminate, PVC, plastic, rubber, foam, foam insulation, extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, fly-ash, waste materials, glass, glass fiber reinforced concrete and cement, glass fiber reinforced plastic, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, cellulose, insulation, and metal or any other material used in the fabrication of roof and wall cladding and coverings, and any combination thereof. In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be any one or more of extruded, molded, milled, stamped, pressed, embossed, sawn, laminated, machined, layered, glued, fused, autoclaved, mechanically joined, formed, or any combination thereof.
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may include a fastening hole. Any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may include an optional fastening zone along which the geometric building panels may be fastened to the substrate or structure. The zone provides a defined area to allow fastening without positioning or cutting the geometric building panels to align with underlying framing or structure. The zone may occur at any area or portion of the geometric building panel may follow the Patterned Edge.
In an embodiment any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may include surface features such as bumps, protrusions, cutaways, ridges, valleys, and other elements on either the interior or exterior face of the geometric building panel that when combined with the patterned edge(s) provide additional capillary break, drainage and/or ventilation spaces, paths or planes. The surface features may be located between the geometric building panel and the substrate or structure on which the geometric building panels are mounted. The surface features may be located between two geometric building panels as shown in
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be hung in a manner as to create a gap between the faces of the panels.
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be laminated with a drainage mat, drainage screen, or drainage material.
In an embodiment any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be fastened with double headed fasteners, screws with washers, or fasteners with an offset feature as shown in
In an embodiment, the any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be of varying shapes, and sizes.
In an embodiment, any of the geometric building panels discussed herein do not span between framing members.
In an embodiment, to further increase the capillary break, ventilation and/or drainage spaces, paths or planes the geometric building panels discussed herein may be mounted on furring, batten(s), blocking, strapping, purlins, or sub-framing.
In an embodiment the patterned edge(s) of any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be out of plane with the main body of the geometric building panel.
In an embodiment the patterned edge(s) of any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be on one or more edges of the geometric building panel.
In an embodiment any of the geometric building panels discussed herein may be fabricated through an extrusion process. In the extrusion process the geometric building panels may vary in thickness at portions of the cross section of the geometric building panel. An extrusion process typically utilizes a die, through which material is pressed to create a shape. The cross section of opening in the die may vary to create a geometric building panel with a cross section that is irregular in shape.
In an embodiment, the patterned edge of the geometric building panels is of increased thickness as compared to the balance, or rest of the geometric building panel at the fastening location to provide additional support for fastening.
In an embodiment any of the geometric building panels discussed herein are mounted as a roof panel system. When mounted as roof panels, the geometric building panels may be installed at an angle of approximately five to ten degrees from the surface of the underlayment of the roof. The geometric building panel system comprised of geometric building panels provides improved capillary break, ventilation and/or drainage spaces, paths or planes between the roof covering and the roof substrate or structure.
Changes may be made in the above methods and systems without departing from the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This application benefits from and claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/054,098, filed on Jul. 20, 2020. This application also benefits from and claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/055,133, filed on Jul. 22, 2020. The disclosures of each of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2021/042430 | 7/20/2021 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63054098 | Jul 2020 | US | |
| 63055133 | Jul 2020 | US |
