Wall patch systems and methods

Abstract

A patch system for patching a hole in a wall surface. The system comprises an original plate member, a surface sheet, and adhesive material. At least one scored line is formed on the original plate member. The original plate member may be broken along the at least one scored line to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members. The sub-plate members are smaller than the original plate member. The surface sheet defines first and second surfaces. The adhesive material secures the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet. The adhesive material further secures at least a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet to the wall surface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet are held in a desired position relative to the hole.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to systems and methods for patching holes in walls and, more specifically, to wall patch systems and methods that facilitate the repair of holes of various sizes in drywall material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The walls of building structures typically comprise a structural frame to which is attached two non-structural wall surfaces. Exterior walls typically comprise insulation, an exterior wall surface, and an interior wall surface. Interior walls typically comprise two interior wall surfaces.

The present invention may have broad application to a large number of surfaces, including certain types of exterior wall surfaces, but is of particular significance when applied to interior wall surfaces of a building structure. The present invention will thus be described herein in the context of repairing drywall material forming an interior wall surface, although the scope of the present invention shall be determined with reference to claims appended hereto and not the following detailed description of the invention.

Interior wall surfaces are typically formed by drywall material. Drywall material is a cementitious material having desirable fire resistance properties but which is relatively susceptible to damage from moisture and/or external forces. In addition, holes may be formed in drywall material to perform repair or maintenance of mechanical systems such as plumbing or electrical wiring within the wall. Whether formed by accident or on purpose, holes in drywall material are often patched.

Conventionally, a drywall patch comprises a structural portion that is attached to the drywall material around the hole and which bridges over the hole. A finish portion if the drywall is applied over the structural portion so that the drywall patch substantially matches the unrepaired drywall material surrounding the hole.

The need exists for improved drywall patch systems and methods that are relatively simple and easy to manufacture and distribute and which give the user substantial flexibility in use with minimum waste of materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be embodied as a patch system for patching a hole in a wall surface or a method using such a patch system. The patch system comprises an original plate member, a surface sheet, and adhesive material. At least one scored line is formed on the original plate member. The original plate member may be broken along the at least one scored line to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members. The sub-plate members are smaller than the original plate member. The surface sheet defines first and second surfaces. The adhesive material secures the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet. The adhesive material further secures at least a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet to the wall surface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet are held in a desired position relative to the hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a wall patch system of the present invention being used to cover a hole in a wall;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view depicting a plate member of the wall patch system of FIG. 1, where scored lines are formed on the plate member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plate member of FIG. 2 being broken along a scored line into two separate plate members;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the two separate plate members resulting after the step depicted in FIG. 3 is performed;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view depicting two separate plate members resulting after the plate member depicted in FIG. 4 is broken along a scored line;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the step of forming a plate assembly incorporating the plate member of FIGS. 2-4 and a mesh sheet;

FIG. 7 illustrates the step of securing the plate assembly of FIG. 6 over to the wall over the hole; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the step of covering the plate assembly with drywall mud and a finish coat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing, depicted at 20 therein is a wall patch system constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention. The wall patch system 20 is shown in the drawing covering a hole 22 formed in a section of drywall 24. The hole 22 may be purposely formed or may be formed by accident. In any event, the hole 22 should be repaired aesthetic and possibly functional reasons.

The drywall 24 is conventionally formed by drywall material that has been mudded and taped at the seams, primed, and coated with finish coat of texture material and/or paint. The drywall 24 is conventional and will be described herein only to the extent necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention.

The wall patch system 20 comprises a plate member 30 and a mesh sheet assembly 32. The plate member 30 can be made of any relatively rigid sheet material such as metal or plastic. Shown in FIG. 1 is an example plate member 30a made of a metal such as aluminum or steel and comprising a scored portion 34.

FIGS. 2-3 further illustrate that the plate member 30a may be formed from a larger plate member 30 comprising a plurality of scored portions 34a and 34b in the form of straight lines. Part of the material forming the plate member 30 is stamped, cut, or otherwise worked at the scored portions to create a weakened portion of the plate member 30. The example scored portions 34a and 34b divide the plate member into a plurality of plate portions 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d.

The larger plate member 30 may be used intact to cover a hole 22 of relatively large dimensions. In this case, the scored portions 34a and 34b are not used; these scored portions 34a and 34b do not affect the ability of the plate member 30 to function as the primary structural portion of a wall patch.

However, the scored portions 34 allow the larger plate member 30 to be separated by hand along either of the scored portions 34a and 34b into a plurality of intermediate-sized plate members such as the plate members 30a and 30b shown in FIG. 4. In particular, the user simply grasps the plate member 30 on either side of the desired score portion, in this case the scored portion 34a, and bends the plate member one or more times along the scored portion 34a until the plate member 30 breaks into the smaller plate members 30a and 30b. The plate portions 30a and 30b comprise score portions 34c and 34d, respectively.

As will be described in detail below, at least one of the intermediate plate members 30a and 30b may be sized and dimensioned to fit the dimensions of the hole 22 without excessive overlap beyond the edges of the hole 22. In this case, the plate members 30a and/or 30b may be used as shown in FIG. 4 to patch a hole 22 of appropriate dimensions.

If, however, the plate members 30a and 30b excessively overlap beyond the edges of the hole 22, either of these smaller plate members 30a or 30b may be broken along the score portions 34c and 34d into even smaller plate members 30c and 30d as shown in FIG. 4A. As an example, FIG. 4A depicts the situation in which the intermediate-sized plate member 30a is broken along the scored portion 34c to obtain the plate members 30c and 30d. In the example wall patch system 20, the scored portion 34c is located such that plate portion 36a is larger than the plate portion 36c, resulting in the plate member 30c being bigger than the plate member 30d.

The formation of the original scored portions 34a and 34b on the original plate member 30 thus provides the user with significant flexibility in providing a plate member 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, or 30d of appropriate size to efficiently cover holes 22 of a large range of sizes.

The process of covering the hole using a plate member 30 of an appropriate size will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate the mesh sheet assembly 32 comprises a mesh or surface sheet 40 and a release paper 42. The mesh sheet 40 comprises a mesh layer 50 and an adhesive layer 52. The mesh layer 50 is formed by a matrix of material defining openings or indentations that allow drywall mud or the like to grip the mesh layer 50 as will be described in further detail below. Typically, the mesh layer 50 is formed by a non-woven grid of bonded glass fibers, but other materials and configurations can be used to form the mesh layer 50. For example, the mesh layer 50 can be formed of metal, polymers, or other materials configured to form the desired openings or indentations by perforations, weaving, or the like.

The adhesive layer 52 may take the form of a solid layer of material to which the mesh layer 50 is attached. Alternatively, the adhesive layer 52 may be formed by spraying adhesive material in wet form onto the mesh layer 50 and allowing the adhesive material to dry in the form of an adhesive coating on one side of the mesh layer 50, in which case the adhesive layer 52 will not be solid. In the example mesh sheet 40, the adhesive layer 52 is sprayed onto the grid of glass fibers forming the mesh layer 50. The adhesive layer 52 should be formulated to bond securely both to the mesh layer and to drywall material, whether the drywall material is bare or coated with a finish coat.

The release paper 42 is formed of a material having at least one surface designed to stick to the adhesive layer 52 during transportation and storage during transportation and storage but which allows the release paper 42 to be peeled away from the adhesive layer 52 immediately prior to use. The release paper 52 prevents the adhesive layer 52 from inadvertently sticking to packaging materials and the plate member 30 prior to use. The release paper 52 also protects the adhesive layer 52 from contamination prior to use and during cutting of the mesh sheet 40 as will be described below.

Referring now again for a moment to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the hole 22 defines a hole surface area 60, a first hole perimeter area 62, and a second hole perimeter area 64. The example hole surface area 60 is an irregular closed shape defined by the actual surface area of the wall 24 removed to form the hole 22. The example first hole perimeter area 62 is a rectangular shape that surrounds the hole surface area 60. The example second hole perimeter area 64 is also a rectangular shape that surrounds the first hole perimeter area 62. As shown by broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 5, the plate member 30 is sized and dimensioned to match the first hole perimeter area 62, while the mesh sheet 40 is sized and dimensioned to match the second hole perimeter area.

The process of using the wall patch system 20 will now be described in further detail. First, the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 are determined based on the dimensions of the hole 22. The first hole perimeter area 62 should be slightly larger than the hole surface area 60 so that the plate member 30a has firm support around the entire hole 22. The exact dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 relative to the hole surface area 60 but can very depending upon the particular circumstances. For example, a larger hole may require more overlap of the plate member 30a with the wall 24 around the hole 22. The dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 should also be determined based on the sizes of the plate portions 36, both individually and added together.

Once the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 are determined, the plate member 30 may be separated into at least one piece corresponding to the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area if the original plate member 30 is too large. In the example system 20, the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 substantially match the area of the combined plate portions 36a and 36c. Accordingly, the plate member is bent along the scored portion 34a as shown in FIG. 3 to form the smaller plate members 30a and 30b shown in FIG. 4. The plate member 30a comprises the plate portions 36a and 36c and thus has substantially the same cross-sectional area as the first hole perimeter area 62.

Next, the dimensions of the second hole perimeter area 64 are determined. The dimensions of the second hole perimeter area 64 are determined based on the size of the first hole perimeter area 62. In particular, the mesh sheet 40 is cut to a size slightly larger than that of the plate member 30a. Again, the exact dimensions of the mesh sheet 40 are not critical. However, enough overlap should exist between the mesh sheet 40 and the wall 24 beyond the plate member 30a that the adhesive layer 52 securely holds the plate member 30a and the mesh layer 50 in place over the hole 22. A grid or design may be imprinted on the release paper 42 to facilitate the cutting of mesh sheet 40 to the appropriate size. As mentioned above, the mesh sheet 40 should be cut as part of the mesh sheet assembly 32 (with the release paper 42 attached), but the mesh sheet 42 may be cut with the release paper 42 removed.

After mesh sheet 40 is trimmed to the proper size as described above, the release paper 42 is removed (if not already removed). The plate member 30a is then brought into contact with the adhesive layer 52 such that the plate member 30a is attached to a central portion of the mesh sheet as shown in FIG. 6 to form a patch assembly 70.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the patch assembly 70 is then brought into contact with the wall 24 such that the plate member 30a covers the hole 22, with a portion of the plate member 30a preferably overlapping with the wall 24 around the entire hole 22. In this configuration, the adhesive layer 52 comes into contact with the wall 24 around the plate member 30a to hold the patch assembly 70 in place over the hole 22.

At this point, the hole 22 is patched. However, as shown in the close up of FIG. 8, drywall mud 80 is preferably placed over the patch assembly 70. While wet, the drywall mud 80 is feathered beyond the edges of the mesh sheet 40 and worked into the indentations formed by the mesh sheet. When the drywall mud 80 dries, the drywall mud 80 mechanically engages the holes and/or indentations formed by the mesh sheet 40 to hold the dried drywall mud in place. The drywall mud 80 is then typically sanded.

As shown in FIG. 8, a finish layer 90 is then typically formed over the dried drywall mud 80. The finish layer 90 typically comprises a layer of primer and paint and may also comprise conventional texture material if necessary to match a texture of the wall 22 surrounding the patch assembly 70.

Claims

1. A patch system for patching a hole in a wall surface, comprising: an original plate member on which is formed at least one scored line, where the original plate member may be broken along the at least one scored line to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members, and the sub-plate members are smaller than the original plate member; a surface sheet defining first and second surfaces; and adhesive material for securing the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet, and at least a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet to the wall surface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet are held in a desired position relative to the hole.

2. A patch system as recited in claim 1, in which a plurality of scored lines are formed on the original plate member, where the plurality of plate members allow the original plate member to be broken into more than two sub-plate members.

3. A patch system as recited in claim 1, in which the adhesive material is applied to the first surface of the surface sheet.

4. A patch system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a release sheet, where the adhesive material detachably attaches the release sheet to the first surface of the surface sheet

5. A patch system as recited in claim 4, in which the release sheet is removed before the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members is attached to the first surface of the surface sheet.

6. A patch system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a finish coat applied to at least the second surface of the surface sheet.

7. A patch system as recited in claim 6, where the finish coat comprises drywall mud.

8. A patch system as recited in claim 7, where the finish coat further comprises a finish layer.

9. A patch system as recited in claim 8, where the finish layer further comprises at least one coating selected from the group consisting of primer material, texture material, and paint material.

10. A patch system as recited in claim 1, in which the surface sheet is formed of mesh material.

11. A patch system as recited in claim 6, in which the surface sheet is formed of mesh material, where the mesh sheet is configured to engage the finish coat to secure at least a portion of the finish coat relative to the wall surface.

12. A method of patching a hole in a wall surface, comprising the steps of: providing an original plate member; scoring the original plate member to form at least one scored line on the original plate member; breaking the original plate member along the at least one scored line to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members, where the sub-plate members are smaller than the original plate member; providing a surface sheet defining first and second surfaces; and securing the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet, and securing at least a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet to the wall surface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet are held in a desired position relative to the hole.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, in which the step of scoring the original plate member comprises the step of forming a plurality of scored lines on the original plate member, where the plurality of plate members allow the original plate member to be broken into more than two sub-plate members.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of applying the adhesive material to the first surface of the surface sheet.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of: providing a release sheet; and detachably attaching the release sheet to the first surface of the surface sheet using the adhesive material.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the step of removing the release sheet before the step of attaching the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet.

17. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of applying a finish coat at least the second surface of the surface sheet.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, in which the step of applying the finish coat comprises the step of applying drywall mud to the second surface of the surface sheet.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, in which the step of applying the finish coat comprises the step of applying a finish layer.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, in which the step of applying the finish layer comprises the step of applying at least one coating selected from the group of coatings consisting of primer material, texture material, and paint material.

21. A method as recited in claim 12, in which the surface sheet is formed of mesh material.

22. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of forming the surface sheet of mesh material, where the mesh sheet is configured to engage the finish coat to secure at least a portion of the finish coat relative to the wall surface.