Patent ID: 8627625

Claim:
A masonry wall panel assembly comprising: a panel having: a front face having a plurality of horizontally extending contiguous channels wherein: each channel is bounded by respective upper and lower protruding ribs for fitting a row of bricks in the channel, a plurality of compressible retaining tabs positioned along the upper rib of each channel for retaining bricks inserted in the channels wherein: each tab projects from underneath the upper rib and extends frontward; and each tab has a front portion and a back portion; wherein the upper and lower ribs have a given thickness and the tabs extend the entire thickness of the upper rib they are projecting from and the thickness of the upper ribs decreases between the tabs; a plurality of bricks insertable within the channels, wherein each brick comprises: an upper side facing upward when the brick is inserted in one of the channels; an under side facing downward when the brick is inserted in one of the channels; a rear side facing the panel when the brick is inserted in one of the channels; a rear top edge intersecting the upper side and the rear side; at least one cavity on the upper side, wherein said at least one cavity opens out onto the rear side via an opened passage extending to the rear side or is closed; at least one compression area located on the upper side, in between the at least one cavity and the rear top edge; wherein in use, when one of said bricks is inserted into a channel of the panel, the brick is positioned such that at least one of said cavity on the upper side faces one or more tabs on the upper rib of the channel, such that the front portion of said one or more tab protrudes into a corresponding one of said cavity while the back portion compresses the compression area of the brick, thereby retaining the brick within the channel.