Patent ID: 8590217

Claim:
A drainage panel for a framed wall construction, said drainage panel being substantially rigid and comprising: a substantially water-resistant front surface; a plurality of spaced apart primary drainage channels recessed into said front surface to facilitate drainage of water between said drainage panel and a cladding material affixed to said front surface; a plurality of spaced apart secondary drainage channels recessed into said front surface, said secondary drainage channels extending obliquely between at least some adjacent pairs of the primary drainage channels in a manner such that the secondary drainage channels zigzag horizontally across the front surface; wherein said primary and secondary drainage channels are recessed into said front surface to define a plurality of raised upper lands, wherein the primary and secondary drainage channels are configured in a manner such that the density of the raised upper lands is greater along one or more vertical axis are adapted to that correspond to stud locations on a framed wall; wherein each raised upper land has an upper surface, wherein the combined area of the upper surface of the raised upper lands is greater than the area of the drainage channels; wherein said front surface is at least partially permeable to air and water vapor while being substantially impermeable to water in its liquid form, wherein the drainage panel provides structural support for the framed wall construction.