Structural panel system

• US 6,233,892 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sci-Tech Building System, LLC, TYCO Distributors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Namlyt Company
• Inventors: Tylman, Vincent R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YIP, WINNIE S
• Application Number:
  US09/366,253
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 523/094, 523/095, 523/097, 523/091.2, 523/091.5, 523/091.7, 524/08, 524/041, 524/11, 525/881, 527/941, 527/911, 527/951, 527/961, 527/461, 527/421.3, 527/831, 527/831.1, 528/001.1
• US Class Current: 52/309.12
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 7/22 the slabs having insulating properties, e.g. laminated with layers of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/292 composed of insulating material and sheet metal
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 3/365 by simple overlapping of the marginal portions with use of separate connecting elements, e.g. hooks or bolts for corrugated sheets
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 3/366 by closing the space between the slabs or sheets by gutters, bulges, or bridging elements, e.g. strips

Abstract

A structural panel system that has two skin members that are separated by a plurality of semi-flexible support members disposed therebetween. The support members and the skin members are adhered together by a semi-flexible core member. The outer skin member is movable relative to the inner skin member. The first skin member may be perforated and encapsulated by either the core member or a cementitious material to provide a variety of panel surfaces.

Claims

1. A structural panel system, comprising:

a first skin member;

a second skin member spaced apart from the first skin member, the second skin member having a plurality of perforation openings defined therein;

a plurality of elongate support members each having long and narrow sides and, attached to the first and second skin members with the long and narrow sides substantially parallel to the first and second skin members, the support members being spaced apart so that the support members and the skin members define a plurality of spaces therebetween;

a cementitious material cast around the second skin member to enclose the second skin member so that both an exterior face and an interior face of the second skin member are covered by a layer of the cementitious material; and

a semi-rigid foam core member disposed in the spaces, the semi-rigid foam core member being adhered to the support members, the first skin member, and the cementitious material.

2. The structural panel system according to claim 1 wherein the support members are attached to the first and second skin members by a very high-bond tape member.

3. The structural panel system according to claim 1 wherein the first skin member is bonded with a tape to the support members.

4. The structural panel system according to claim 1 wherein the first skin member is perforated, a semi-rigid foam material of which the core member is made encloses the first skin member and extends along an outside of the first skin member.

5. The structural panel system according to claim 4 wherein the foam material on the outside of the second skin member forms a bonding surface and a third skin member is bonded to the bonding surface.

6. The structural panel system according to claim 1 wherein the second skin member is movable relative to the first skin member.

7. The second panel system according to claim 1 wherein the cementitious material has a longitudinal ridge that protrudes outwardly and a ridge cap is placed on top of the longitudinal ridge.

8. A structural panel system, comprising:

a first skin member;

a second skin member spaced apart from the first skin member;

a plurality of elongate support members each having respective long and narrow sides thereof attached to the first and second skin members, the long and narrow sides of the support members being substantially parallel to the first and second skin members, the support members being spaced apart along the first and second skin members so as to define a plurality of spaced bounded on two sides by the first and second skin members and bounded on two other sides by the support members; and

the first skin member, the second skin member and the plurality of support members being adhered together into a structural unit by a core of semi-rigid foam material disposed in the spaces and encapsulating the support members.

9. The structural panel system according to claim 8 wherein the support members are made of a semi-flexible material so that the second skin member is movable relative to the first skin member.

10. The structural panel system according to claim 8 wherein each of the support members has a plurality of openings defined therein.

11. The structural panel system according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the skin members has a ribbed profile and is made of a high tensile steel material.

12. The structural panel system according to claim 8 wherein the second skin member has a plurality of openings defined therein.

13. The structural panel system according to claim 12 wherein the foam material of which the core member is made permeates the second skin member to form a core member surface on an outside of the second skin member.

14. The structural panel system according to claim 12 wherein the foam material of which the core member is made permeates the second skin member and bonds to a third skin member.

15. The structural panel system according to claim 12 wherein a cementitious material is cast around the second skin member to enclose the second skin member so that both an exterior face and an interior face of the second skin member are covered by a layer of the cementitious material.

16. The structural panel system according to claim 8 wherein the support members have different heights so that a first thickness at a middle portion of the structural panel system is different from a second thickness at an end of the structural panel system.

17. The structural panel system according to claim 8 wherein the core member is made of a semi-flexible polyurethane foam material.

18. A structural panel system according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of support members comprises a connecting member having a first end and an opposite second end, a first side member attached to the first end, and a second side member attached to the second end, the first and second side members being perpendicular to the connecting member and extending along an entire length of each support member and including the long and narrow sides thereof, and wherein the connecting member extends from the first skin member to the second skin member and the first and second side members are substantially parallel to and extend along the first and second skin members, respectively.

19. A structural panel system according to claim 8, wherein the second skin member is perforated and the semi-rigid foam material of which the core is made encloses the second skin member and extends along an outside of the second skin member.

20. In combination, two of the panel systems of claim 8, wherein a first one of the two structural panel systems is attached to a second one of the two structural panel systems along a respective confronting side of the two structural panel systems, the core of each of said two structural panel systems protruding toward the other of said two structural panel systems and the cores being in mating contact with each other, and wherein each of the two structural panel systems has along the confronting side thereof a male rib on one of its first and second skin members and a corresponding female segment on the other of its first and second skin members, the male rib of each of the two structural panel systems being matingly located in the female segment of the other of the two structural panel systems, the two structural panel systems thereby defining a first internal gutter between the core members and the first skin members and a second internal gutter between the core members and the second skin members of the two structural panel systems.