Patent Publication Number: US-6212845-B1

Title: Insulated wall and components therefor

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to novel wall structures for housing and other buildings and novel components therefor. 
     More particularly the invention relates to the creation of a wall structure of confined poured concrete which is fully insulated at the time of its erection and novel components for use in forming same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally poured concrete walls used, for example, as basement and other exterior walls for housing and other building structures involve the erection of suitable form work defining the wall shape, pouring concrete into the form work, and, when same is sufficiently set, removing the form work. 
     It has been proposed in European Patent Application EP O 1320 745 to erect a wall of hollow interlocking thermoplastic components which then can be filled with cementitious material if desired. 
     In my early PCT application PCT/CA94/00274, I disclosed an arrangement of extruded thermoplastic components which can be interlocked together to form a wall structure for receiving concrete therein with internal communication provided between the interlocking components so that concrete poured therein can flow therebetween to provide a thermoplastic wall structure held in interlocked relation and converted to a permanent wall by the concrete confined therein. 
     In all such previous wall structures, the need to insulate the walls against heat transfer requires the carrying out of entirely separate operations and procedures usually by different trades which add significantly to the building costs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to eliminating the aforesaid need to separately insulate building walls by creating the walls as fully insulated walls at the time of their erection. 
     According to the present invention, the novel insulated wall structure is formed with upright hollow thermoplastic extrusions connected together in a row, with the extrusions presenting a row of compartments adapted to receive concrete extending along the length of the wall structure and a row of compartments containing or adapted to receive insulation material also extending along the length of the wall along side or in parallel with said row of concrete receiving compartments whereby when said compartments adapted to receive concrete are filled with concrete and said insulation receiving compartments are filled with insulation, the insulation in said insulation receiving compartments is positioned to block heat transfer through the wall. 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the hollow thermoplastic extrusions are provided with interlocking means to interlock with adjoining extrusions and the row of concrete receiving compartments are in internal communication so that concrete can flow between compartments. 
     As will be understood, any suitable insulating material such as fiberglass or the like may be introduced into the insulation receiving compartments or the insulation receiving compartments may be filled with foamed insulation such as polyurethane foam or the like as desired. 
     The present invention also resides in providing novel wall forming units or components in the form of elongated hollow thermoplastic extrusions adapted to be assembled into a wall structure and having internal walls to provide the requisite concrete receiving and insulation receiving or containing compartments. 
     In this aspect of the invention, the novel wall forming units or components are in the form of an elongated hollow thermoplastic extrusion presenting two spaced walls which, when the unit or component is incorporated in an upright position into a wall structure, form upright exterior wall segments of the wall structure, the spaced walls being held in spaced relation by at least two transverse walls extending therebetween with at least one internal wall extending between the at least two transverse walls intermediate of the spaced walls to divide the interior of said unit or component into at least two compartments, one to receive concrete or the like, the other to receive insulating material to block heat transfer between said spaced walls. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the units or components are provided with interlocking means to interlock with adjoining components and the transverse walls of the component have openings therein providing communication with the interior of the concrete receiving compartment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a broken away perspective view illustrating the erection of an insulated basement wall in accordance with the invention utilizing novel wall forming components of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of a corner section of the wall of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a broken away perspective view of one of the wall forming panel extrusions according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a broken away perspective view of one of the extruded box connector wall forming components embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a broken away perspective view of one of the extruded wall forming corner components according to the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a broken away perspective view of the panel component of FIG. 3 with the insulation receiving compartments filled with insulation; 
     FIG. 7 is a broken away perspective view illustrating the panel component of FIG. 3 as it would appear in the finished wall with the insulation receiving compartments filled with insulation and the concrete receiving compartments filled with concrete, the adjoining components being omitted for sake of clarity. 
     FIG. 8 is a broken away perspective view of the box connector FIG. 4 as it would appear in the finished wall with the insulation receiving compartment filled with insulation and the concrete receiving compartment filled with concrete, the adjoining wall components being omitted for sake of clarity. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the corner component of FIG. 5 as it would appear in the finished wall with the insulation receiving compartments filled with insulation and the concrete receiving compartment being filled with concrete, the adjoining connected wall components being omitted for sake of clarity. 
     FIG. 10 is a broken away perspective view of an extruded panel component as it would appear in a finished wall according to the invention having a single insulation receiving compartment filled with insulation and a single concrete receiving compartment filled concrete, the adjoining components being omitted for sake of clarity. 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view looking down on a section of a wall embodying the invention in which the wall forming components present central concrete receiving compartments bordered on each side by insulation. receiving compartments. 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of a segment of a wall structure according to the invention in which the wall forming components present a central insulation receiving compartment bordered on each side by concrete receiving compartments. 
     FIG. 13 is a broken away plan view of the section of a wall structure according to the invention in which individual insulation receiving and concrete receiving sections are integrated into the interlocked wall structure of the invention to provide an interlocked wall which presents a row of insulation receiving compartments filled with insulation bordering a row of concrete receiving compartments filled with concrete. 
     FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 showing another arrangement of components to provide an interlocked wall according to the invention presenting a row of insulation receiving compartments filled with insulation bordering a row of concrete receiving compartments filled with concrete. 
     FIG. 15 is a broken away perspective view illustrating the assembly of interlocking components corresponding to the components of FIGS. 3 and 4 in which the components comprise extrusions having a protective skin covering surfaces thereof which become exposed when the components are interlocked together for use in above ground insulated walls exposed to strong ultraviolet radiations and the like. 
     FIG. 16 is a broken away perspective view showing the assembly of wall forming components similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 but showing the insulation receiving compartments as having openings in the walls thereof to provide internal communication between these compartments as well as the openings in the concrete receiving compartments providing internal communication therebetween. 
     FIG. 17 is a broken away perspective view of a panel extrusion corresponding to FIG. 3 as it issues from the extruder but without the cut outs in the walls of the concrete receiving compartments. 
     FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a box connector corresponding to FIG. 4 as it issues from the extruder but without the cut outs in the walls of the concrete receiving compartment but showing the insulation receiving compartment filled with insulation. 
     FIG. 19 is a broken away perspective view of a narrow panel component similar to FIG. 10 as it issues from the extruder but without the cut outs in the walls of the concrete receiving compartment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the erection of an insulated basement wall embodying the invention employing novel wall forming components of the invention. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1 in erecting the basement wall generally designated at  1  an excavation  2  is made and preferably a poured concrete basement floor  3  is provided with upright reinforcing rods  4  arranged around the perimeter in appropriately spaced relation. 
     The wall illustrated in FIG. 1 is made up of wall forming panels  5 , wall forming members in the form of box connectors  6  and corner members  7  only one of which is shown. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the wall forming panels  5  comprises an elongated hollow extrusion of thermoplastic material of generally rectilinear form presenting opposing faces  8  and  9  which when the panel is integrated into the wall  1  form exterior faces of the wall. The faces  8  and  9  of the panel are formed with longitudinal grooves  10  adjacent to the edge or end walls  11  which complete the rectilinear form of the extrusion. 
     The walls  11  have a width slightly less than the spacing between the opposed walls  8  and  9  so that they form with the grooves  10  a tongue and groove interlock formation for interlocking engagement with an adjoining component in the form of a box connector  6  as hereinafter more fully explained. 
     The interior of the wall forming panel  5  is divided by partitions  12 ,  13  and  14  to divide the interior of the panel into compartments  15  adapted to receive concrete and compartments  16  adapted to receive an insulating material. 
     The edge or end walls  11  and the partitions  12  have material cut out therefrom to provide openings  17  of generally ovoid form to provide internal communication between the compartments  15  and between interlocked wall components as hereinafter more fully explained. 
     The wall forming panels  5  are preferably formed as extrusions of polyvinyl chloride using suitable fillers or reinforcing agents such as calcium carbonate as required. These extrusions are cut to a length corresponding to the desired height of the wall and in use are arranged in an upright position with the compartments  15  and  16  opening to the top and bottom of the wall. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the one of the box connectors  6  adapted to interlockingly engage with the wall forming panels  5 . 
     The box connector like the wall panels  5  and as well the corner members  7  are formed as longitudinal extrusions of thermoplastic material preferably PVC with suitable fillers or reinforcing agents such as calcium carbonate to give appropriate stability and strength as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Box connector  6  again has a generally rectilinear profile presenting opposed faces  18  and  19  which are adapted to form exterior wall segments when the box connector is connected into a wall structure as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     The opposed walls  17  and  18  are connected by transverse walls, or webs  20  to define the hollow configuration of the box connector while a wall or web  21  extending between the walls  20  divide the interior of the box connector into two compartments, a larger compartment  22  adapted to receive concrete and a smaller compartment  23  adapted to receive insulation material. 
     The walls  18  and  19  extend outwardly beyond the transverse walls  20  and have at their extremities inturned fingers  24  which provide locking fingers to engage in the longitudinal grooves  10  of the wall forming panels  5 . 
     The transverse walls or webs  20  have material cut out therefrom to provide openings  25  corresponding to the openings  17  in the wall forming panels  5  so that when the box connectors are interlockingly engaged with the panels communication is provided therethrough with the interior of the panels to allow for the concrete introduced into the wall structure, preferably into the box connectors to flow internally through the wall. 
     The box connectors  6  preferably are formed with spaced undercut rails  26  for slideable engagement with a suitable channel member, not shown, whereby an isolated compartment can be provided to receive wiring and the like which can be kept out of contact with concrete in the compartment  22 . 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the corner member  7  which comprises an elongated extrusion of the same thermoplastic material as the wall forming panels  5  and box connectors  6 . 
     Again the corner extrusion  7  is of hollow rectilinear form and has two solid walls  27  and  28  which are at right angular relation to each other and which, when the corner member is incorporated into a wall structure as illustrated at  1 , form exterior walls of the structure. 
     Right angular walls or webs  29  complete the hollow form of the corner extrusion  7 , the interior of which is divided into a main compartment  30  by the rectangularly arranged walls or webs  29 . An angled wall or web  32  connecting the corner juncture of the outside walls  27  and  28  and the corner juncture of the walls  29  defines a pair of compartments  33 . 
     The compartments  33  are adapted to receive an insulating material while the main compartment  30  is adapted to receive concrete which can flow into the compartment from adjoining interconnected panel members through the openings  34  in the walls  29 . 
     The corner members  7  are provided with interlocking means similar to the box connectors  4  for engaging in the grooves of the panel members  5 . In this connection, the walls  27  and  28  of the corner member opposite their corner juncture extend outwardly beyond the walls  29  and terminate in inturned locking fingers  35  while the walls  29  extend outwardly beyond their juncture  36  and present corresponding inturned locking fingers  37 . 
     The opposing inturned locking fingers  35  and  37  are adapted to slidingly interlock in the longitudinal grooves on opposite sides of the wall panels  5  as illustrated in FIG.  2 . 
     It will be understood that the compartmentalized extrusions  5 ,  6  and  7  will be transported to the job site and erected into the desired wall structure, or a portion thereof, before concrete is introduced into the concrete receiving compartments. Normally however the insulation receiving compartments will be filled with insulation material following the extrusion process and prior to delivery to the job site. 
     Thus for example as illustrated in FIG. 6 the wall forming panel  5  has the compartments  16  filled with insulating material  38  of any suitable material such as fiber glass, rock wool and the like or polyurethene or similar material may be foamed into these compartments. 
     Thus normally the wall forming components as comprised for example by the wall forming panels  5 , box connectors  6 , and corner members  7  will be shipped to the job site as insulation containing components ready to be assembled in interlocking engagement as illustrated in FIG. 2 into the desired wall formation. It will be noted that the arrangement of the insulation receiving compartments  16 ,  23  and  33  of these wall forming members  5 ,  6  and  7  are all disposed in a position to block heat transfer through from the outside of the wall structure  1  to the interior of the wall structure. 
     When the wall or an appropriate portion of the wall has been assembled together, concrete is introduced, preferably into the box connectors  6  which have been sleeved down unto the reinforcing rods  4  in the basement wall illustrated in FIG. 1, and this concrete can flow laterally internally of the wall through the various openings  17 ,  25  and  34  to fill the interior of the wall and convert same into a concrete encased fully insulated wall structure. 
     For purposes of illustration, one of the panels  5  is shown isolated out of the finished wall structure with the adjoining box connectors removed to show how the concrete  39  fills the concrete receiving compartments  15  while the insulation receiving compartments are shown as filled with insulation  38  of cellular form. 
     It will be understood that reinforcing rods  40  running longitudinally of the wall may be employed as desired for added structural strength of the wall. 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 of a box connector  6  isolated from the wall showing its compartment  22  filled with concrete and its compartment  23  filled with insulating material. 
     Similarly FIG. 9 illustrates a corner member  7  isolated from the wall and after its compartment  30  has been filled with concrete. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a wall forming panel member  41  having a single concrete receiving compartment  42  and a single insulation receiving compartment  43 , but otherwise the same as panel  5  being provided with locking grooves  44  and openings  45  opening into the interior of the concrete receiving chamber  42 . As illustrated, the chamber  42  is shown as filled with concrete  39  and the insulation receiving compartment  43  filled with insulation  38  as it would appear with the panel  41  incorporated into a finished wall structure. 
     While it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to specific dimensions of the wall forming components such as the panels  5 , box connectors  6  and corner members  7  and the walls formed thereby when same are interlockingly engaged, testing has shown that an efficiently insulated permanent wall of great strength is provided with the width of the components between their walls which become exterior walls when they are assembled into the wall formation is of the order of 8 inches. Thus the spacing between walls  8  and  9  of the panels  5  and the walls  18 ,  19  of the box connectors  6  would be of the order of 8 inches. The thickness of these walls  8 ,  9 ,  18  and  19  would be of the order of {fraction (1/10)}th of an inch. 
     Of the 8 inches of width of the components, the insulation compartments, eg. compartments  16  of the wall forming panels, compartments  23  of the box connectors, would occupy of the order of 2 inches while the concrete receiving compartments of these members  15  and  22  respectively have a width occupying the rest of the space being of the order of 6 inches. 
     It will be understood that the narrow wall forming panel members  41 , and the corner member  7 , will have similar dimensions to provide for an insulation barrier having a thickness of the order of 2 inches and providing, when the concrete compartments are filled with concrete, a concrete core of the order of 6 inches. 
     The walls or webs of the components such as the webs  20  and  21  of the wall forming panels  5  which divide the components into internal compartments may have a thickness somewhat less than the walls, such as  8  and  9 , which become external walls of the wall structure. 
     It will be understood that the components of the invention can be interlockingly connected into a wall formation with the insulation containing compartments either at the outside of the wall or the inside of the wall as desired. 
     While the invention in its basic form provides wall forming components which, when interlocked together as illustrated in FIG. 2, provide a single row of insulation containing compartments arranged to block heat transfer through the wall between the exterior and inner surfaces and single row of intercommunicating concrete receiving compartments to be filled with concrete, other walls embodying the invention, such as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, can also be provided. In each case there is provided a concrete encased insulated wall without the need for additional insulation. 
     In FIG. 11, the wall structure designated at  46  is comprised of panels  47  and box connectors  48  interlocked together in the same manner as the panels  5 , and box connectors  6 , shown in FIG. 2, but differ from these panels  5  and  6  by the provision of two spaced rows of insulation receiving compartments  49  which, in the completed wall, are filled with insulation material  50 , and a central row of concrete receiving compartments  51  which, in the completed wall, are filled with concrete  52  interposed between the insulation compartments  49 . As in the case of the components  5  and  6 , the concrete receiving compartments will be in communication with each other through suitable openings (not shown) corresponding to the openings  17 . 
     FIG. 12 is the reverse of FIG. 11 in which the panels  53  and box connectors  54  present a central row of insulation receiving compartments  55  bordered on each side by rows of concrete receiving compartments  56 . In the completed wall, the compartments  55  will be filled with insulation material  57  and the concrete compartments filled with concrete  58  with the compartments  56  providing for flow of concrete internally and through to adjoining compartments. 
     In an alternative arrangement illustrated in FIG. 13, an interlocking wall embodying the invention is formed by the utilization of a box connector  59  having an insulation compartment filled with insulation indicated at  60  and a concrete receiving compartment  61  adapted to be filled with concrete  62 . 
     The box connector  59  has at each side thereof projections  63  in line with the exterior faces  64  of the box connector and terminating in inturned locking Figures  65  and as well an extension  66  in line with the wall  67  dividing the insulation  60  from the concrete  62 . The extension  66  has a pair of fingers  68  one facing and arranged to cooperate with one of the locking fingers  65  and the other facing and adapted to cooperate with the other locking finger  65 . 
     In this case, a separate insulation panel  69  filled with insulation material  70  and provided with locking grooves  71  is adapted to be slideably interlocked with the one set of locking fingers  65  and  68  as illustrated. 
     A separate hollow panel  72  provided with compartments  73  for receiving concrete is also provided with grooves  74  which are adapted to slideably interlock with the other pair of fingers  65  and  68  as illustrated. Again the box connectors  59  containing the insulation  60  are interlockingly engaged with the insulation containing panels  69  and the concrete receiving panels  72  into a interlocked wall formation ready to receive concrete  62  poured into the box connector, it being understood that the box connector and panels  72  will be provided with the requisite openings to allow internal flow of concrete both internally of the components and of the wall to result in an integral concrete encased insulated wall structure. 
     FIG. 14 shows another alternative arrangement in which a box connector  75  having an insulation receiving chamber  76  is used to connect together concrete receiving panels  72 ′ corresponding to the panels  72  of FIG.  13  and an extrusion  77  having grooves  78  for interlocking engagement with fingers  79  of the box connector  75  and end legs  80  and intermediate legs  81  to define when interlocked in conjunction with the panels  72 ′ compartments which can be filled with insulating material  82 . 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating wall panels  5 ′ and box connector  6 ′ that are the same as wall panels  5  and box connectors  6  except that they are coextruded to provide a thin covering skin or cap stock  83  on surfaces which become exterior surfaces of the wall formed thereby when they are interlockingly connected. This cap stock may be PVC or other suitable thermoplastic material and may contain additives to provide resistance to ultraviolet radiations, weathering and impact as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The components  5 ′ and  6 ′ and corresponding corner elements not shown are for use in erecting above ground external walls that are subjected to excessive weathering and ultraviolet radiation. In addition, the cap stock  83  can incorporate colouring agents to provide an exterior colour if desired. 
     FIG. 16 illustrates wall forming panels  5   b  corresponding to wall forming panel  5  and box connector  6   b  corresponding to box connector  6  differing only in that holes  84  are provided to afford communication interiorly between the insulation compartments  16   b  of the panels and as well communication between the interlocked components with the insulation receiving compartment  23   b  of the box connector  6   b.    
     With this arrangement, insulation can be foamed into the wall structure when it is interlocked to flow between the compartments  16   b  and  23   b  in the same manner that concrete can be introduced into the box connector  6   b  and flow into the interlocked panels  5   b.    
     FIG. 17 illustrates a wall forming panel  5   c  which corresponds in all respects to wall forming panel  5  as it issues from the extruder but without, or before, any coring so that no openings corresponding to the openings  17  in panel  5  have been provided. However the panel does have concrete receiving compartments  15   c  and insulation receiving compartments  16   c  arranged to block heat transfer through the panel. 
     FIG. 18 illustrates a box connector  6   c  which is in all respects the same as box connector  6  as it issues from the extruder but without, or before, any coring so that no openings corresponding to the openings  25  are provided into the interior of the concrete receiving compartment  22   c.    
     FIG. 19 illustrates a short wall forming panel  41   b  corresponding in every respect to wall forming panel  41  as it issues from the extruder but without, or before, any coring so that no openings corresponding to the openings  45  in panel  41  are present. 
     It will be understood that the wall panel of FIG. 17 ( 5   c ), the box connector of FIG. 18 ( 6   c ), and the small panel of FIG. 19 ( 41   b ) without being cored can be interconnected by tie rods or the like (not shown) into a connected wall formation to provide an insulated wall when the respective insulation receiving compartments are filled with insulation but that concrete would have to be poured individually into the concrete receiving compartments or into such of them as desired. 
     Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.