Patent ID: 8484931

Claim:
A wall cladding comprising: a first array of panels and a second array of panels, wherein the first array of panels is positioned in a horizontal abutting relationship with the second array of panels; each panel having: first and second major opposing faces; first and second major opposing edges; and a pair of opposing ends; each panel further having a first recess in its first major face adjacent the first major edge, said first recess defined by an interior horizontal surface extending horizontally from the first major face to a first depth in the panel and an interior vertical surface extending orthogonally from the interior horizontal surface to the first major edge; a first retaining formation formed on the first major edge; a second recess in its second major face adjacent to the second major edge, said second recess extending inwardly from the second major edge; and a second retaining formation formed on the innermost edge of the second recess formed along the second major edge thereby configured to form a recessed joint area resembling a recessed mortar joint between a first panel and a second panel in each array when the first retaining formation of the first panel inter-engages with the second retaining formation of the second panel, said recessed joint area having two spaced apart horizontal sidewalls and a vertical sidewall extending therebetween, said horizontal sidewalls are defined by the interior horizontal surface of the first panel and the second major edge of the second panel, said vertical sidewall defined by an exposed portion of the interior vertical surface of the first panel, and wherein the first recess serves to locate and retain the first panel in engaging alignment with the second panel such that the opposing ends of each panel are substantially aligned with the corresponding opposing ends of adjacent panels to form respective side edges of the first and second arrays of panels; and a vertical joining element configured to define a recessed joint intermediate the first array and the second array of panels, said vertical joining element comprising an elongate base and a raised rib formation that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base thereby dividing the base into two elongate portions, wherein each elongate portion is configured to contact the respective side edges of panels in the first and second arrays, wherein the raised rib formation has a height that is less than the thickness of the panels such that an upper surface of the raised rib formation provides an appearance of a recessed vertical masonry joint that corresponds with the depth of the recessed joint area between panels within the same array.