Drainage place for exterior wall product

• US 20050081468A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progressive Foam Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Progressive Foam Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Culpepper, Patrick M., Wilson, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/528
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/76 specifically with respect to heat only heat insulation in general F16L59/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/007 Outer coverings for walls with ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0846 the fastening elements engaging holes or grooves in the side faces of the covering elements E04F13/0835 and E04F13/0839 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0864 composed of superposed elements which overlap each other and of which the flat outer surface includes an acute angle with the surface to cover
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0876 the covering layer comprising mutual alignment or interlocking means
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0892 with means for aligning the outer surfaces of the covering elements E04F13/0894 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a drainage system of an exterior wall of a building comprising insulation having a rear face for contact with the exterior wall of the building and a drainage plane positioned on the rear face for removal of water from the exterior wall.

Claims

1. A siding panel for mounting on an exterior wall of a building comprising:

a panel backing including a rear face mountable on the exterior wall, the rear face including a plurality of grooves operable to remove water from a surface of the exterior wall; and

a siding component mountable on the panel backing.

2. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the panel backing further comprises a foam panel backing.

3. The siding panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise a plurality of grooves integrally formed into the rear face of the foam panel backing.

4. The siding panel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise a plurality of grooves cut into the rear face of the foam panel backing.

5. The siding panel of claim 4, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise a plurality of grooves cut into the rear face of the foam panel backing using hot wires.

6. The siding panel of claim 2, wherein the foam panel backing further comprises a contoured foam panel backing having a front face contoured complementary to a rear face of the siding component.

7. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise:

a plurality of drainage grooves formed on the rear face; and

a plurality of exit grooves positioned on a pocket formed proximate to a bottom edge of the rear face so that the exit grooves intersect the drainage grooves for facilitating the removal of water from the surface of the exterior wall.

8. The siding panel of claim 7, wherein the plurality of drainage grooves further comprise a network of grooves positioned in a diamond shaped grid pattern.

9. The siding panel of claim 7, wherein the plurality of drainage grooves further comprise a network of parallel grooves oriented in a diagonal pattern.

10. The siding panel of claim 7, wherein the plurality of drainage grooves further comprise a network of parallel grooves oriented in a vertical pattern.

11. The siding panel of claim 7, wherein the plurality of drainage grooves further comprise a network of grooves positioned in a square grid pattern oriented at an angle of forty-five degrees (45°

) from vertical.

12. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise each groove having a tapered bottom for increased water flow due to reduced surface tension.

13. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise each groove having a rounded bottom for increased water flow due to reduced surface tension.

14. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves further comprise each groove having a tapered edge to encourage water to flow freely into the groove.

15. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the siding component further comprises a plurality of apertures to channel water from the plurality of grooves of the panel backing to an exterior surface of the siding.

16. The siding panel of claim 12, wherein the plurality of apertures further comprise a plurality of weep holes.

17. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the siding component further comprises a nail strip including a plurality of nail apertures for securing the siding to the exterior wall of the building.

18. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein the siding component further comprises:

a locking lip located proximate to a top edge of the siding panel;

a locking flange located proximate to a bottom edge of the siding panel and configured to operably engage the locking lip of an adjacent siding panel.

19. In an insulation backing for use with siding products, the insulation backing having a rear face, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of drainage grooves located in the rear face; and

at least one exit groove located in the rear face, the at least one exit groove forming a path for the flow of water from the plurality of drainage grooves to an area external of the rear face of the insulation backing when the insulation backing is in a mounted position.

20. The improvement according to claim 19, wherein the insulation backing further comprises a contoured foam backing.

21. The improvement according to claim 19, further comprising:

a siding component adhesively fixed to the insulation backing and forming a composite siding panel.

22. The improvement according to claim 21, wherein the siding component further comprises a plurality of apertures forming a path for the flow of water from the plurality of drainage grooves to an exterior surface of the siding component.

23. The improvement according to claim 21, wherein the insulation backing further comprises a foam backing having a front face contoured to a shape of the siding component.

24. A method for making a siding panel for mounting on an exterior wall of a building comprising the steps of:

forming a panel backing having a flat rear face mountable on the exterior wall, the rear face including a plurality of grooves operable to remove water from a surface of the exterior wall; and

mounting a siding component on the panel backing.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of forming the plurality of grooves further comprises molding the plurality of grooves into the rear face.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of forming the plurality of grooves further comprises cutting the plurality of grooves into the rear face.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of cutting the plurality of grooves into the rear face further comprises cutting the plurality of grooves into the rear face using a plurality of hot wires.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of mounting the siding component further comprises forming a siding component.