Patent ID: 7980037

Claim:
The wall covering for mounting on a support surface comprising: a plurality of panels each having a body portion formed with simulated building elements, said panels each having upper and lower marginal edge regions; said panels being mountable on said support surface in a plurality of horizontal courses with said panels in a first horizontal course having a lower marginal edge region overlying an upper marginal edge region of a previously mounted panel in a second course positioned below the first horizontal course; said upper marginal edge region of each panel having a continuous upper interlock flange positioned in forwardly and downwardly directed relation to the upper marginal edge region and extending substantially the length of the panel, said lower marginal edge region of each panel having at least one lower elongated interlock flange positioned in rearwardly and upwardly directed relation from a lower marginal edge region of the panel and disposed substantially the length of the panel; said at least one lower interlock flange being engageable with said continuous upper interlock flange of the previously mounted panel in the second horizontal course as an incident to upward movement of the panel with respect to the previously mounted panel for positively securing together the overlying upper and lower marginal edge regions of the panels when mounted on the support surface; and said overlying upper and lower marginal edge regions having detents adapted for positive snap action engagement as an incident to engagement of said upper and lower interlock flanges upon upward movement of an overlying lower marginal edge region of a panel into a mounted position, said detents being disposed above a lower peripheral edge of the lower marginal edge region such that the overlying lower marginal edge region covers and hides the detents from viewing from a front side of the mounted panels; in which said at least one lower interlock flange is supported by a plurality of laterally-spaced vertical plates integrally formed on a rear side of said panel which support the lower interlock flange in spaced relation to the rear side of the panel and which define air and liquid flow passages through said at least one lower interlock flange and along the rear side of the panel.