Structural panel

• US 4,348,442 A
• Filed: 04/22/1981
• Issued: 09/07/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Irving E. Figge
• Original Assignee: Irving E. Figge
• Inventors: Figge, Irving E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lesmes, George F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Alexander S.
• Application Number:
  US06/256,630
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 428/73, 428/72, 428/76, 428/120, 428/178, 428/180, 428/183, 428/184, 428/186, 428/116, 428/119, 52/792, 108/56.1, 24/213 B
• US Class Current: 428/72
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2315/06 Concrete
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2315/085 Glass fiber cloth or fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/3405 spaced apart by profiled spacer sheets
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2002/3422 with polygonal dimples
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2002/3433 with dimples extending from both sides of the spacer sheet
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2002/3472 with multiple layers of profiled spacer sheets
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/503 having conduits formed by paired plates, only one of which is plane
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/11 using shaped bodies, e.g. concrete elements, foamed elements or moulded box-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/234 including elements cooperating to form cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/239 Complete cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 Forming, or cooperating to form cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24669 Aligned or parallel nonplanarities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24678 Waffle-form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24702 with locally deformed crests or intersecting series of corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24727 with planar component

Abstract

A structural panel comprises truncated polyhedral elements projecting from a base sheet, with the base sheet and truncation surfaces providing increased bonding areas for external face sheets. Mass produced, identical panels which are nestable for shipping and storage may be combined in an interlocking arrangement to form a combined panel which is nearly isotropic in its reaction to external loads.

Claims

1. A combined structural panel comprising:

at least two, substantially duplicate, single structural panels, each of said single structural panels comprising a base sheet, plural generally polyhedral-shaped load bearing elements protruding from said base sheet;

each of said elements comprising a base attached to said base sheet, a truncated apex, and face structure connecting said base and said truncated apex;

at least one of said single panels inverted with respect to at least one other of said single panels to define respective, opposing top and bottom panels, respectively, such that the elements of said top and bottom panels have their respective elements protruding in opposite directions;

said elements of each single panel further comprising large and small elements, said large elements having a base-to-truncated apex height greater than that of said small elements, said large and small elements of each of said top and bottom panels alternately arranged such that truncated apexes of said small elements of opposing single panels abut and truncated apexes of said large elements of a single panel abut the base of the opposing single panel.

2. A combined structural panel as in claim 1, wherein each of said elements is generally tetrahedronal-shaped.

3. A combined structural panel as in claim 1, wherein said face structure comprises:

truncated, generally planar surface, face intersections defining quasi-faces and wherein at least one of said large element quasi-faces of said top panel abut at least one of said large element quasi-faces of said bottom panel to provide interlocking and internal load bearing support for said combined structural panel in directions generally parallel to said bases.

4. A combined structural panel as in claim 3, wherein each of said elements is generally tetrahedronal-shaped.

5. A combined strutural panel as in claim 1, wherein said face structure comprises:

altered intersections of faces of said elements, each of said altered intersections being stepped to provide corners protruding inwardly of said elements and corners protruding outwardly of said elements such that said inwardly and outwardly protruding corners are mated to provide interlocking of said structural panels at least in a direction generally parallel to said bases.

6. A combined structural panel as in claim 5, wherein each of said elements is generally tetrahedronal-shaped.

7. A combined structural panel as in claim 1, and further comprising a first face sheet attached to at least one side of said combined panel.

8. A combined structural panel as in claim 7, and further comprising a second face sheet attached to the other side of said panel.

9. A combined structural panel as in claim 8, and further comprising a third face sheet enclosing the periphery of said panel.

10. A combined structural panel as in claim 1, wherein said face structure of each large element comprises at least three faces, said large elements of each single panel having equal dimensions and arranged in longitudinal rows, each row of said large elements being in offset sequential relation to the large elements in an adjacent row, such that two sides of all large elements are disposed in oppositely inclining, parallel planes and the remaining sides of all of said large elements are disposed in parallel longitudinal planes, such that any three of said planes intersecting encloses said large elements above said base sheet with each of said intersecting planes containing a face of each large element, whereby three-axis stability is provided for said combined structural panel.