Patent Publication Number: US-2009235604-A1

Title: Architectural material

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a panel material, more particularly to a panel material including a laminated panel having a board and a metal sheet with a bent segment fitted into a recess in the board. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a laminated panel of a conventional architectural material  1  that includes a board  11  having first and second surfaces  112 ,  111 , a first metal sheet  12  that is attached to the first surface  112  of the board  11  and that has a main segment  122  and an end segment  121 , and a second metal sheet  13  having a main segment  131  attached to the second surface  111  of the board  11 , and an extension  132  extending from the main segment  131 . The main segment  122  of the first metal sheet  12  has a height relative to the second surface  111  of the board  11  greater than that of the end segment  121  of the first metal sheet  12 , and cooperates with the end segment  121  to define an insert recess  124 . 
     In use, when two of the laminated panels of the architectural material  1  are assembled together, the extension  132  of the second metal sheet  13  of one of the laminated panels is fitted into the insert recess  124  in the first metal sheet  12  of the other of the laminated panels. The conventional architectural material  1  is disadvantageous in that rain water or moisture tends to penetrate into the insert recess  124 , thereby resulting in corrosion of cut ends  1211  of the end segments  121  of the first metal sheet  12  and cut ends  133  of the extensions  132  of the second metal sheet  13  of the laminated panels. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a panel material that can overcome the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art. 
     According to the present invention, a panel material comprises a laminated panel including a board and first and second metal sheets. The board has opposite first and second surfaces, and is formed with a board recess indented from the first surface. The first metal sheet is attached to the first surface of the board, and has a main segment, an end segment, and a bent segment that extends between and that is bent from the main segment and the end segment so as to protrude therefrom and that is fitted into the board recess. The second metal sheet has a main segment that is attached to the second surface of the board, and an extension that extends laterally from the main segment, that is disposed to extend laterally of the board, and that has a main portion and a folded end portion extending from the main portion and having first and second segments overlapping each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary sectional view of a laminated panel of a conventional architectural material; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary assembled sectional view illustrating the configuration of two assembled laminated panels of the conventional architectural material; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment of a laminated panel of a panel material according to this invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary assembled sectional view illustrating the configuration of two assembled laminated panels of the panel material of the preferred embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the preferred embodiment of a panel material, such as an architecture material, according to this invention. 
     The architectural material includes a laminated panel  2  including a board  23  and first and second metal sheets  21 ,  22 . The board  23  has opposite first and second surfaces  232 ,  231 , and is formed with a board recess  233  indented from the first surface  232 . The first metal sheet  21  is attached to the first surface  232  of the board  23 , and has a main segment  212 , an end segment  211 , and a bent segment  213  that extends between and that is bent from the main segment  212  and the end segment  211  so as to protrude therefrom and that is fitted into the board recess  233 . The second metal sheet  22  has a main segment  221  that is attached to the second surface  231  of the board  23 , and an extension  222  that extends laterally from the main segment  221 , that is disposed to extend laterally of the board  23 , and that has a main portion  223  and a folded end portion  224  extending from the main portion  223  and having first and second segments  2241 ,  2242  overlapping each other. 
     In this embodiment, the first surface  232  of the board  23  has a main section  2321 , an end section  2322 , and a recessed section  2323  that defines the board recess  233  and that extends between and that cooperates with the main section  2321  and the end section  2322  to define first and second steps  2324 ,  2325 , respectively. The first and second steps  2324 ,  2325  are proximate to the main and end sections  2321 ,  2322 , respectively. The first step  2324  has a height relative to a bottom of the recessed section  2323  that is greater than that of the second step  2325 . 
     Preferably, the first and second metal sheets  21 ,  22  are made from a material selected from the group consisting of a zinc-plated steel sheet, an aluminum-plated steel sheet, an aluminum zinc-plated steel sheet, an aluminum zinc magnesium-plated steel sheet, a paint coated steel sheet, a paint coated aluminum alloy sheet, and combinations thereof. 
     Preferably, the board  23  is made from a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and combinations thereof. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the configuration of an architectural material assembly including two of the laminated panels  2  (referred hereinafter as first and second laminated panels  2 ) of the preferred embodiment. In the architectural material assembly, the bent segment  213  of the first metal sheet  21  of each of the first and second laminated panels  2  defines an insert hole  214 . The folded end portion  224  of the extension  222  of the second metal sheet  22  of one of the first and second laminated panels  2  is fitted into the insert hole  214  in the first metal sheet  21  of the other of the first and second laminated panels  2 . 
     The main portion  223  of the extension  222  of the second metal sheet  22  of one of the first and second laminated panels  2  overlaps the end segment  211  of the first metal sheet  21  of the other of the first and second laminated panels  2 . 
     Each of the first and second metal sheets  21 ,  22  of each of the first and second laminated panels  2  has an outer surface  215 . The outer surface  215  at the main segment  212  of the first metal sheet  21  of one of the first and second laminated panels  2  is flush with the outer surface  215  at the main segment  221 , the main portion  223  of the extension  222  and the first segment  2241  of the folded end portion  224  of the extension  222  of the second metal sheet  22  of the other of the first and second laminated panels  2 . 
     With the inclusion of the bent segment  213  of the first metal sheet  21  and the folded end portion  224  of the extension  222  of the second metal sheet  22  in the laminated panel  2  of the architectural material of this invention, the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art can be alleviated. 
     With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as recited in the appended claims. 
     extension  132  of the second metal sheet  13  of one of the laminated panels is fitted into the insert recess  124  in the first metal sheet  12  of the other of the laminated panels. The conventional architectural material  1  is disadvantageous in that rain water or moisture tends to penetrate into the insert recess  124 , thereby resulting in corrosion of cut ends  1211  of the end segments  121  of the first metal sheet  12  and cut ends  133  of the extensions  132  of the second metal sheet  13  of the laminated panels.