Vandalism-resistant insulating panels for building exteriors and building having vandalism-resistant thermally insulative walls

• US 8,287,671 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philadelphia University (Main Line Health System)
• Original Assignee: Philadelphia University (Main Line Health System)
• Inventors: Pastore, Christopher M., Twardowski, Thomas, Fleming, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Sing P
• Application Number:
  US12/426,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20090194231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 156/71, 156/77, 156/276, 156/278, 156/280, 427/180, 427/181, 427/200, 427/202, 427/206, 427/421.1, 427/427.1
• US Class Current: 156/71
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/0461 by having different chemical compositions in different places, e.g. having different concentrations of foaming agent, feeding one composition after the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1209 by impregnating a preformed part, e.g. a porous lining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/522 by spraying, e.g. by flame spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1162 Single bevel to bevel joints, e.g. mitre joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/14 the joint having the same thickness as the thickness of the parts to be joined B29C66/1142 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72327 consisting of natural products or their composites, not provided for in B29C66/72321 - B29C66/72324
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7234 comprising a barrier layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/80 slab-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/246 combinations of materials fully covered by E04C2/16 and E04C2/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249924 Noninterengaged fiber-containing paper-free web or sheet which is not of specified porosity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249955 Void-containing component partially impregnated with adjacent component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24996 With internal element bridging layers, nonplanar interface between layers, or intermediate layer of commingled adjacent foam layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249962 : Void-containing component has a continuous matrix of fibers only [e.g., porous paper, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 : Plural void-containing components

Abstract

A fire retardant thermally insulative, vandalism and damage resistant panel for the building exteriors includes a relatively low density foam layer having relatively high thermal resistivity, a relatively high density foam layer having relatively high impact strength and resistance to bending facingly contacting the low density foam layer, a porous fabric contacting the high density foam layer at a surface thereof facing oppositely from the low density foam, and a weather resistant, water impermeable exterior layer contacting the fabric at a surface facing in a direction opposite from where the high density foam contacts the fabric, where the high density foam substantially occupies at least parts of some of the pores of the fabric and the exterior layer material substantially occupies at least parts of at least some of the pores of the fabric such that sufficient pores of the fabric are filled with the high density foam, the exterior surface material and chemical reaction products thereof to create a bond between the exterior surface material and the high density foam.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a fire retardant, thermally insulative vandalism and damage resistant composite panel having a low density foam inner layer and a high density foam outer layer bounding and bonded to the inner layer at the interface therebetween that is undercut at an angle at opposing panel edges, for use as a portion of a building exterior, comprising the steps of:

a. supplying a viscous low density foam material, defining the foam inner layer of the panel, to an interior area of a frame in an amount sufficient to cover the interior area enclosed by the frame but insufficient to fill the frame;

b. supplying a viscous high density foam material, defining the foam outer layer of the panel, to the interior of the frame in an amount sufficient to contact and cover the low density foam material enclosed by the frame but insufficient to fill the frame;

c. contacting the entirety of an exposed surface of the high density foam within the frame with a fabric having sufficiently high porosity for migration thereinto of the high density foam material for mechanical bonding with the fabric before complete curing of the high density foam material occurs;

d. supplying an exterior material to the interior of the frame in an amount sufficient to cover the entirety of the fabric for migration into and through the fabric of a sufficient amount of the exterior material to mechanically bond with the fabric and high density foam and to chemically bond with the high density foam material at the previously exposed surface thereof before complete curing of the high density foam material occurs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is woven.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is knitted.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is a textile comprising threads or yarns made of materials selected from the group comprising cotton, wool, flax and polyester.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the fabric includes metallic strands.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is a single layer of woven or knitted textile material.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric comprises a plurality of layers of woven and/or knitted textile materials.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is less than about 150 denier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is from about 50 to about 1000 denier.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the fabric is at least two layers, and at least two of the layers are different materials.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the two layers is less than 150 denier.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein one of the layers is less than 150 denier.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the exterior material consists of stucco.

14. The method claim 13 wherein the latex is formulated with at least one modifier.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the modifier comprises a particulate.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the modifier further comprises a pigment.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the modifier yet further comprises a flow enhancer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the modifier comprises a flame retardant material.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the fabric is plurality of layers of a woven or knitted textile comprising threads or yarns made of materials selected from the group comprising cotton, wool, flax and polyester and includes metallic strands and is from about 100 to about 700denier, the exterior material comprises latex formulated with a modifier, the modifier comprising at least one particulate, at least one pigment, a flow enhancer and a flame retardant material.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning a fabric of layer on the low density foam material prior to supplying the high density foam material.

21. A method for fabricating a fire retardant, thermally insulative vandal and damage resistant composite panel for use as a portion of a building exterior, comprising the steps of:

a. applying a viscous low density foam material, which upon cure defines a foam inner layer of the panel, to a preselected area in an amount sufficient to cover the area;

b. applying a viscous high density foam material, which upon cure defines a foam outer layer of the panel, to the low density foam in an amount sufficient to overly the portion of the low density foam material covering the preselected area;

c. overlying an exposed surface of the high density foam facing oppositely from the low density foam with a fabric having sufficient porosity for migration of the viscous high density foam material into at least parts of at least some of the pores for mechanical bonding with the fabric before complete cure of the high density foam occurs; and

d. applying an exterior material to the fabric in an amount sufficient for migration of the exterior material into at least parts of at least some of the pores of the fabric to mechanically bond with the fabric and to mechanically and chemically bond with portions of the high density foam at least partially occupying at least some of the pores in the fabric before complete cure of the high density foam material.

22. A method for fabricating a fire retardant, thermally insulative vandal and damage resistant building exterior wall, comprising the steps of:

a. applying a viscous low density high thermal resistance foam material to an exteriorly facing surface of a building wall in an amount sufficient to cover at least a preselected portion of the surface with a preselected thickness of the low density high thermal resistance foam material;

b. applying a viscous high density foam material over the low density foam material in an amount sufficient to overlie the low density foam material covering the preselected portion of the exteriorly facing surface;

c. overlaying an exposed surface of the high density foam facing oppositely from the low density foam with a fabric having sufficient porosity for migration of the viscous high density foam material into at least parts of at least some of the pores for mechanical bonding with the fabric before complete cure of the high density foam material occurs; and

d. applying an exterior material to the fabric in an amount sufficient for migration of the exterior material into at least parts of at least some of the pores of the fabric to mechanically join the fabric and mechanically and chemically bond through the fabric with high density foam at least partially occupying at least some of the pores in the fabric before complete cure of the high density foam material.

23. A method for fabricating a fire retardant, thermally insulative vandalism and damage resistant composite panel for use as a portion of a building exterior, comprising the steps of:

a. supplying a viscous reinforced polyurethane foam material having a density of about two (2.0) pounds per cubic foot to the interior of a horizontal frame in an amount sufficient to cover the area enclosed by the frame to a thickness of between about one (1.0) to about one and one quarter (1¼

) inches of foam material;

b. supplying a viscous polyurethane foam material, having high impact strength, high resistance to bending when cured, and a density of about sixteen (16.0) pounds per cubic foot, to the interior of the frame in an amount sufficient to cover the lower density polyurethane foam material already enclosed by the frame with a thickness of between about one-quarter (0.25) to about one-half (0.5) inches of the second supplied material;

c. contacting an exposed surface of the second supplied higher density polyurethane foam within the frame with two layers of rib knitted fabric jersey providing relatively high porosity for migration into pores of the fabric of the second supplied higher density polyurethane foam material for mechanical bonding with the fabric before complete curing of the second supplied higher density polyurethane foam material occurs;

d. supplying an exterior material to the interior of the frame in an amount sufficient to cover the fabric for migration of the exterior material into and through the fabric to mechanically bond the fabric with the second supplied higher density polyurethane foam and to mechanically and chemically bond with the second supplied higher density polyurethane foam before cure of the second supplied polyurethane foam material occurs to an extent to preclude bonding thereof with the fabric and the second supplied polyurethane.