Abstract:
An apparatus and method for constructing pre-insulated structural panels is disclosed that has a tongue and groove assembly arrangement. Each panel may include one or more c-channels or profiles embedded in expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam to provide structural integrity to the panels, and resulting wall. The panels may be covered with siding, stucco, or similar materials. A chase may be formed horizontally in the panels to provide a wiring conduit through the panel. The panel may also provide when assembled, a vertical chase formed between the mated panels along the length of the panel for wiring. Acoustical properties may be formed in the surface of the EPS portions to provided added acoustical damping measures.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation application of prior copending U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 12/614,005, filed Nov. 6, 2009 which claims benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application 61/138,803 filed Dec. 18, 2008, entitled PRE-INSULATED STRUCTURAL BUILDING PANELS and also from U.S. Provisional Application 61/227,586 filed Jul. 22, 2009, entitled INSULATED STRUCTURAL WALL SYSTEM, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for pre-insulted structural panels. More particularly, the invention is directed to pre-insulated structural building panels configured with vertical support members, acoustical aspects and wiring friendly features, among other aspects. 
     2. Related Art 
     Building construction often employs pre-manufactured components such as building panels that may be assembled in the field to create walls and perimeters of buildings of all sorts. Often the components may include expandable polystyrene foam (EPS), or similar material. The EPS material may provide thermal insulating properties to a degree related to the thickness of the EPS panel. 
     Moreover, the various types of building components currently available typically have limited features that assist in the installation of the components or finishing off of the building wall surfaces and/or related building functions. Moreover, the currently available products provide limited acoustical dampening aspects. 
     Furthermore, current building components are often of relatively small size and may require multiple components to create a vertical dimension in the height of a wall, which may require extra installation time and costs. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus that provides a pre-insulated building panel with improved features to reduce installation costs and time, while providing improved structural integrity to the resulting wall. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention meets the foregoing need and provides a method and apparatus for constructing a pre-insulated structural panel that includes vertical c-channels or profiles spaced apart for imparting structural integrity to the panel and the c-channels embedded in EPS foam to create the panel. One side of the panel may be configured with a tongue shaped edge that runs along one side of the panel. On the other side of the panel a groove shaped edge may be formed to mate with the tongue shaped edge of another panel when two panels are arranged side-by-side to form a wall section. A fastening plate may be employed to fasten two panels together when placed side-by-side. 
     In one aspect, a horizontal chase may be provided from one side of the panel to the other side to permit running of wiring through the panel and in a resulting wall. The chase of one panel aligns with a respective chase in another panel when installed. Moreover, a vertical chase may be provided between mated panels proximate the tongue and groove mated surfaces for running wiring or for providing an additional a structural member for added structural strength. 
     In another aspect, an apparatus for a pre-insulated building component is provided that includes a plurality of vertical support channels embedded in an insulating material to produce a first panel and a second panel, a groove end configured in one side of each panel, and a tongue end configured in another side of each panel, wherein the tongue end of the first panel mates with the groove end of the second panel to form a wall section. 
     In another aspect, an apparatus for a pre-insulated building component is provided that includes means for constructing an expandable polystyrene (EPS) wall section, wherein the means for constructing includes a means for attaching finishing materials at spaced apart intervals and the means for attaching provides lateral force resistance to the EPS wall section, means for accepting electrical wiring laterally through the interior of the EPS wall section and means for securing the wall section at a bottom end and at a top end, wherein the means for securing at the bottom end and the top end are connected by a means for connecting that traverses an entire height of the wall section. 
     In another aspect, a method for providing a pre-insulated building component is provided that includes providing a plurality of vertical support channels embedded in an insulating material to produce a first panel and a second panel, providing a groove end configured in one side of each panel, and providing a tongue end configured in another side of each panel, wherein the tongue end of the first panel mates with the groove end of the second panel to form a wall section. 
     Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention and the various ways in which it may be practiced. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates in perspective view a pre-insulated structural panel configured according to principles of the invention; 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a frontal view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  illustrates a first side-view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1A , configured according to principles of the invention; 
         FIG. 1D  illustrates a second side-view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1E  illustrates an end-view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a front-view of an embodiment of a plurality of pre-insulated structural panels of  FIG. 1A  configured to form a wall, according to principles of the invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3A  is an illustration showing an embodiment of a wall section comprising a plurality of pre-insulated structural building panels constructed according to principles of the invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a top view of a section of a base plate and/or a header plate with attaching mechanisms, constructed according to principles of the invention; and 
         FIG. 3C  is an end-on view of the section of  FIG. 3B . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a pre-insulated structural building panel, constructed according to principles of the invention, generally denoted by reference numeral  100 . The pre-insulated structural building panel  100  includes a plurality of c-channels  105  that runs the extent of the length (L) of the panel  100 . The panel  100  is typically installed with the length (L) oriented vertically, as shown perhaps more clearly in relation to  FIG. 2A . The plurality of c-channels  105  may comprise steel channels having lips  135  formed in the sides of the c-channels  105  to embed the c-channels  105  into the expandable polystyrene (EPS)  140  during fabrication of the panels  100 . The EPS provides substantial structural support in combination with the c-channels  105 . In some embodiments, the c-channels  105  may comprise any metal or plastic type material. During fabrication or molding, the EPS may be injected or molded between opposing c-channels  105  located on both sides of the panel  100 , and also continuously between the c-channels  105 , whereby the EPS may be substantially continuous along the entire length and height of the panel  100  including between the opposing c-channels. 
     The panel  100  may be constructed to nearly any required dimension in thickness (t), width (w) and length (L). Common dimensions include about 4, about 8, about 10 or about 12 foot length, 4-6 inch thickness, and 4-6 feet width. But, nearly any dimensionality may be constructed, according to the application need or customer requirements. 
     The c-channels  105  may be placed at any spacing intervals, such as 4 foot centers, for example, and any spacing to imitate common (or traditional) spacing for “studs.” Two-foot center-to-center spacing is also quite common, as is 16 inch spacing. Nearly any spacing, including irregular spacing, may be provided. The c-channels  105  may comprise structural members to facilitate attaching finishing materials such as dry wall, panels, wood siding, vinyl siding, fiber-cement such as Hardiplank®, and the like. The surfaces of the panel  100  may be covered with stucco, gunite, resins, paints, or similar materials, as needed. The c-channels  105  laterally support the EPS and provide substantial weight bearing capability to support the building load generally and to provide attachment capability for siding materials. 
     A tongue side  110  and a groove side  120  may be formed along the length (L) of the panel  100 , and configured to form a tongue-in-groove assembly when two or more panels  100  are arranged side-by-side, to form a wall section  200  such as shown in relation to  FIG. 2A , for example. The tongue side  110  is configured to mate with the groove side  120  of another panel. When so mated, a vertical chase  150  may be formed between the respective tongue and the groove edges as an interior chase along the length (L) of the mated panels  100 . The vertical chase  150  may be about one inch in width (i.e., between the lateral tongue edge and the lateral groove edge) to permit installation of wiring between the mated panels  100 . Alternatively, a structural strengthening member or stabilizer, such as a metal bar, perhaps having a length of about (L), may be inserted into the vertical chase  150  to provide added strength to the resulting wall, such as for added load bearing capacity, for example. An example of a structural strengthening member is described more fully in relation to  FIG. 3 , below. 
     A horizontal chase  130  (as viewed when installed) may be formed (but not always necessary) during the molding fabrication process and configured to extend from the tongue side  110  to the groove side  120 , through the interior of the panel  100 . The horizontal chase  130  may be about 1½ inches in diameter, but any diameter suitable for a particular application may be constructed. This horizontal chase  130  may provide for accepting wiring runs such as electrical wiring (or perhaps even plumbing) so it may be inserted into or through the panel  100  at the building site to provide power and/or communications, for example. A chase  130  of one panel  100  may align with the chase of an adjacent panel  100 , so that wiring may run substantially unimpeded through multiple panels  100 . The horizontal chase  130  may be configured with a tapered opening  115 , as a lead-in for aiding in guiding inserted wires into the horizontal chase  130 , also assisting running of the wire from one panel  100  to an adjacent panel  100 . 
     The EPS portions  140  of the panels  100  may be molded to hold c-channels  105  in place relative to one another using molding techniques of various types. The EPS portions  140  provide substantial structural strength in combination with the c-channels  105 . The EPS portions  140  may be constructed with acoustical protrusions  125  on the outer surface of the EPS. The acoustical protrusions  125  may be about ⅛ inch in height, but may vary some. The acoustical protrusions  125  may provide a spacing factor or gap between the EPS outer surface and any applied siding or covering such as dry wall, for example. The extra spacing provided by the acoustical protrusions  125  significantly reduces acoustical noise from penetrating through a finished wall. The acoustical protrusions  125  may be spaced at regular (or perhaps irregular) intervals such as 2 inches, or so, from one another, but can vary, along an extent of a panel so that a sound barrier is also created in a vertical sense so that sound may be prevented, or at least reduced, in propagation ability in a vertical sense along the EPS surface. That is, the series of acoustical protrusions  125  may also inhibit sound propagation laterally along the EPS outer surface, in addition to creating a dampening effect by creation of the space factor or gap. Such a space factor or gap may be created between the EPS foam and any applied finishing materials such as dry wall sheet, siding, or finishing panels, for example, so that the protrusions  125  formed along the width of the EPS portions  140  thereby inhibit sound travel along the surface of the panel, especially, but not limited to, in a vertical sense. 
       FIG. 2A  is a side view of a plurality of pre-insulated structural building panels  100 , configured to form a wall section  200 . The wall section  200  may be arranged so that a tongue side  110  is mated with a groove side  120  of another panel  100 . A fastening plate  160  may be used to fasten the plurality of panels  100  together. 
       FIG. 3A  is an illustration of an embodiment of a wall section comprising a plurality of pre-insulated structural building panels constructed according to principles of the invention, the wall section generally denoted by reference numeral  300 . The pre-insulated structural building panels  305 ,  310  comprising the wall section  300  are shown in two different lengths, for example 4 foot panels and 8 foot panels, arranged in a checkerboard fashion, with a longer size panel  310  layered on top of a shorter panel  305  (the pair shown in the left-hand side of  FIG. 3A ), and then the pair coupled laterally by tongue-in-groove mating, as described previously, with a second pair of panels (the pair shown in the right-hand side in  FIG. 3A ). The second pair of panels includes a shorter panel  305  layered on top of a longer panel  310 . The tongue-in-groove arrangement may be configured to form a vertical chase  150  for receiving a structural strengthening member  330 , such as a metal bar, that may extend the entire height of the layered panels (in this example, about 12 feet of extent). In this way, extra strengthening and/or extra stabilizing characteristics may be provided to enhance structural integrity of the side-by-side sets of panels. The checkerboard pattern itself also provides additional resistance to lateral movement of the panels  100 . The panels  305 ,  310  may comprise any embodiments of panel  100 . Panels  305  and  310  are shown in  FIG. 3A  without any c-channels  105  (and several other features of  FIGS. 1A-1C ) to permit enhancement of particular features being described in relation to  FIG. 3A , but the c-channels  105  (and the other features of  FIGS. 1A-1C ) may be interpreted as being included in the embodiment of  FIG. 3A . 
     Further, an optional based plate  320 , mountable to a floor or other surface, may have lips  322  configured to receive the lower side of the respective lower panels  305 ,  310 . The base plate  320  may serve at least in part to stabilize the wall section  300  to a floor, or similar surface, and may be of any length to match any number of side-by-side panels being installed for an application. The base plate  320  may be configured with one or more attaching mechanisms  335  (see the top view of the base plate/header plate as shown in  FIG. 3B ), which may be holes, to secure the structural strengthening member  330  to the base plate  320 . Moreover, an optional header plate  325  may be employed at the top of the upper panels  305 ,  310  to provide added structural integrity at the top of the wall section  300 . The header plate  325  may be configured similarly to the base plate  320 , as shown in relation to the end-on view of  FIG. 3C . The header  325  may also have lips  322  and may also have attaching mechanism  335  to receive the structural strengthening member  330 . The header  325  may be secured to an appropriate structure for securing the wall section  300  at the top and may be of any length to match any number of side-by-side panels being installed for an application. The structural strengthening member  330  may be cut to length, as needed, which may be more than 12 feet in this example. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications in the spirit and scope of the appended claims. These examples given above are merely illustrative and are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all possible designs, embodiments, applications or modifications of the invention.