Panel for thin bricks and related systems and methods of use

• US 7,121,051 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Old Mill Brick Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Garrick Hunsaker
• Inventors: Hunsaker, Garrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, YVONNE MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US10/364,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 523/111, 523/14, 523/15, 523/44, 523/63, 523/84, 523/85, 523/86, 523/87, 523/89, 523/90, 525/09, 527/451, 527/451.3, 527/451.9, 527/471.1, 527/471.2, 525/821, 525/891, 525/911, 525/921, 527/471.3, 523/113
• US Class Current: 52/314
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0862 composed of a number of elements which are identical or not, e.g. carried by a common web, support plate or grid
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/147 with an outer layer imitating natural stone, brick work or the like

Abstract

A thin brick panel system and method of forming a thin brick wall includes an expanded polystyrene foam panel having a plurality of laterally extending channels formed therein for receiving a plurality of thin brick units. The thin brick units are bonded to the channels in the foam panel and the seams between adjacent bricks are filled with a mortar that bonds to the foam panel. The foam panel may be attached to a substrate with an adhesive as well as fasteners. Strips of a mesh fabric may span several panels to bind the panels together to form a structurally sound thin brick wall.

Claims

1. A method for forming a wall of thin bricks, comprising the steps of:

providing a panel having a front side and a back side, the front side defining a plurality of laterally extending channels defined by a plurality of laterally extending spacing members, each channel having a substantially flat portion positioned between two of the spacing members, wherein the panel has one or more recesses on the back side, and wherein the one or more recesses are sized and shaped to substantially match the shape of one or more existing architectural features;

applying an adhesive to the channels;

pressing a plurality of thin brick units having a width less than the width of the channels and a thickness greater than the height of the spacing members into the adhesive such that the thin bricks form rows in the channels; and

applying mortar to the joints between the rows of thin brick units such that the mortar is in contact with a thin brick unit, an adjacent spacing member, and a part of the substantially flat portion of an adjacent channel.

2. A method for forming a wall of thin bricks, comprising the steps of:

providing a panel having a front side and a back side, the front side defining a plurality of laterally extending channels defined by a plurality of laterally extending spacing members, each channel having a substantially flat portion positioned between two of the spacing members;

applying an adhesive to the channels;

pressing a plurality of thin brick units having a width less than the width of the channels and a thickness greater than the height of the spacing members into the adhesive such that the thin bricks form rows in the channels, wherein the panel has a thicker portion such that thin brick units applied to the thicker portion sit protruded from other thin brick units; and

applying mortar to the joints between the rows of thin brick units such that the mortar is in contact with a thin brick unit, an adjacent spacing member, and a part of the substantially flat portion of an adjacent channel.