Background of the Invention Structural insulated wall panels of the type having a foam insulation laminated between two fiberglass mesh reinforced facing panels are well Imown. One such form of structural wall panel is disclosed in U. S. Patents Nos. 5,992, 110 and 6,065, 259. The panels of that patent provide the advantage of insulation and structural integrity, however, those panels have certain inherent limitations. For example, present construction techniques and panel integrity practically limit such structural panels to buildings of only one or two stories. Moreover, when the panels are joined, their straight edges abut in a seam. While an elongated or flat H-shaped connection is used at the seam and spans that seam, and while sufficient thermal seals at such are adequate, it is desired to enhance the resistance to thermal conductivity at seams in an insulated wall.

* Accordingly, it is one objective of the present invention to provide an insulated sheathing panel capable of use on single to multi-floor structures beyond two floors.

Another objective has been to provide a sheathing panel for use on a stud wall without thermal break and for eliminating a separate vapor barrier or "house warp".

Another objective of the invention has been to provide an insulated sheathing panel having a finish surface thereon for accepting a variety of finishes.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a sheathing panel for use with other sheathing panels on a stud wall with minimal panel-to-panel racking.

Summary of the Invention To these ends, a sheathing panel according to one embodiment of the invention contemplates a composite panel of an insulating foam member and a fiberglass reinforced cementitious facing member laminated to one side of the foam member. Two adjacent edges of the panel are defined by an extended flange of the foam member of about one half its thickness, while the same one half of its thickness, spaced from the cementitious facing, is recessed along the other two adjacent edges of the panel a distance similar to the flange extension of the other two edges. When the panels are joined edge-by-cooperating edge, the respective overlapping flanges and recessed areas are overlapped to form a ship-lap j oint of insulating members along the edges of abutting panels, resulting in the facings lying edge to edge and the insulating

members being overlapped at the seams. There are thus no thermal brealcs through the entire wall, and particularly, no thermal brealcs at the panel edge seams.

'Moreover, the insulating foam member is preferably of expanded or extruded polystyrene, providing a mold and mildew resistant substantially in excess of current stud wall techniques, but without use of a separate vapor barrier or"house wrap".

A variety of attaching mechanisms can be used to attach the panels onto the stud wall. These include, nails or screws directly through the panels and into the studs,"Z"-shaped clips of straight or tapered, plunge edge configuration, foam overlapping the flanges of the panel. These clips are nailed or screwed to a stud to hold the panels in place on a stud wall. Alternately, a longer elongated"Z"-shaped bar substantially extends along the front side of a flange. The"Z"-shaped bar is secured over the panel flange onto the studs.

Another relieved edge of another panel is positioned over both the clip or bar and so on, until a stud wall is fully sheathed. Screws or nails through the clips or bars and the flanges into the studs can also be used.

Thereafter, the overlapped seams are taped, a fiberglass mesh bathed in a curable base coat is laid over the panels, and a final color finish is applied.

No vapor barriers or house wrap is required. There are no thermal breaks or leads through the panels, and a wall of single or multiple levels over two floors high can be insulated, sheathed and easily finished, with the sheathing and insulation occurring in one step.

These and other objectives and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention and from the drawings in which: Description of the Drawings and of the Invention Fig. 1 is a perspective illustration of a panel according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the panel of Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the panel of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view in partial cross-section of two panels as in Figs. 1-3 on a stud, with part of an upper panel broken away to show a panel retaining clip according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 4 but showing an automate clip according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an elongated panel retaining bar according to the invention; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of two panels secured to a stud and similar to Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of two panels secured to a stud and similar to Fig.'5 ; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 7 and showing the final base coat covering the panels; and Fig. 10 is an elevational view of a wall to which panels according to the invention have been mounted.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Turning now to the drawings, there is shown therein an insulated sheathing panel 10, according to one embodiment of the invention. Panel 10 has two primary components, an insulating member 11 and a facing 12.

Insulating member 11 is preferably comprised of a polystyrene foam, of either expanded or extruded manufacture, such as that polystyrene manufactured by Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Michigan. Any suitable insulating material providing insulation, moisture resistance, workability and adhesive compatibility with facing 12, all as will be described, can be used. Insulating member 11 can be sawn, routed, cut or otherwise shaped as desired.

Facing 12 preferably comprises a cementitious panel with lightweight aggregate core and with mesh reinforced outer faces, all of lcnown manufacture. One form of such facing is sold by Fin-Pan, Inc. of Hamilton, Ohio under its brand mark, "UTIL-A-CRETE". Such facing and its manufacture is described in detail in one or more of United States Patents Nos. 4,023, 788; 4,420, 295; Re. 32,037 ; Re. 32, 038 and Re. 31,921, each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference as if fully set out herein. Facing 12 is sawable and nailable, an is useful in moist environments, since it is moisture-resistant.

'Facing 12 is preferably adhesively secured to insulating member 11 by any suitable adhesive media or process. One such suitable adhesive is a product marlceted by Bonsal of Charlotte, North Carolina under the brand name WP-6000.

This adhesive also performs as a vapor barrier, however, the adhesive used is not part of this invention.

A cured facing 12 can be so adhered to insulating member 11 or can be formed thereon by any suitable process as desired.

As will be described, panels 10 are particularly adapted for use as insulating sheathing on a stud wall presented as a plurality of metal or wood studs on typical 16 or 24 inch centers. Panels 10 provided an insulated, moisture-proof, sheathed stud wall, eliminating the need for any vapor barrier or"house wrap"when used in a residential or commercial building.

Panels 10 can be made in any suitable size. For example, panels 10 may be about 8 feet long and about 3 feet wide, although as will be described, panels 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention are 8 feet, 11/2 inches long and 3 feet, 1'4 inches wide.

Each panel 10 is, at least initially, of similar overall construction to each other panel 10. It will be appreciated that the panels 10 may be cut into appropriate lengths and widths, or have their edge structures trimmed as will be described, to fit a particular application.

It will also be generally appreciated that panels 10 are intended as being useful as insulated sheathing, and not as structural, weight-bearing building panels such as those shown, for example, in U. S. Patents Nos. 5,992, 110 and 6,065, 259.

Each of the panels 10, in use, is generally secured directly to a structural, weight bearing wall such as a stud wall defined by a plurality of studs S as noted above. While a wall comprising a plurality of stud wall mounted panels 10 does provide significant anti-"racking"characteristics, such panels are generally not intended as weight-bearing structural wall panels. Panels 10 are thus useful in single to multiple story applications when used on structural walls such as stud walls, for example, the panels 10 supported by the underlying stud wall structure or other wall structure..

Turning now to the preferred construction of each panel 10, facings 12 are preferably 8 feet long by 3 feet wide, or of any other suitable size. The insulating members, however, are each 11/2 inches longer in both dimensions. Figs. 1-3 illustrate the specific construction of the panels 10. An insulating member 11 has a major thickness with respective edges recessed or extended through a portion of about one-half the major thickness. Thus, insulating member 11 has extending flanges 14, 15 on two adjacent sides 16,17. And member 11 has recesses 19,20 through two adjacent sides 21,22. Flanges 14,15 are approximately as thick as recesses 19,20.

And each flange 14,15 extends about 11/2 inches from respective sides 16,17 of member 11 and from edges 25,26 of facing 12.

Recesses 19,20 are each formed about 11/2 inches inwardly of edges 21, 22 of member 11 and edges 27,28 of facing 12, as shown. Accordingly, and in other words, one-half the thickness of member 11, spaced from facing 12 by the other one-half the thickness of member 11, is offset from said other one-half thickness of member 11, and from facing 12, about 11/2 on all four sides of panel 10. Two adjacent

sides extend outwardly of facing 12 and define flanges 14,15 and the opposite two adjacent sides being disposed inwardly of facing 12 and defining recesses 19,20.

This construction allows each panel 10 to be intermeshed with adjacent panels 10 on each of its four sides in a"ship-lapped"or overlapping fashion. In such a combination of panels, edges 25-28 of facing 12 lie in abutting relation at adjacent respective edges, defining a seam at the abutting edge facings of adjacent panels 10.

While the word"abutting"is used above to generally describe the relationship of the two adjacent edges of two respective facings 12 of adjacent panels 10, the word"abutting"as used herein refers to edges of facings 12 which are either actually touching, or which are not actually touching but are at least slightly spaced apart in facing, nearly contacting, engagement. As such, the word"abutting"as used herein includes both contacting edges of facings 12 and proximately positioned respective edges of facing 12 in adjacent panels 10.

When panels 10 are applied to a stud wall, the seams defined by respective adjacent edges of facings 12 are overlapped in plan view by an insulating flange 14, 15 of one or the other of the adjacent panels 10. There is thus no"thermal brealc"or straight line passage through or between edges of adjacent panels 10 and which could facilitate undesirable thermal energy transmission between the panels.

Instead, the edge interface defined between each adjacent panel 10 defines a tortuous path, inhibiting thermal energy transfer, and enhancing consistent and homogeneous thermal insulating capacity of a stud wall sheathed by adjacent panels 10 mounted thereon.

Panels 10 are each independently secured to studs of a stud wall. To facilitate such attachment, the invention contemplates two attachment accessories,

clips 35, Figs. 4 and 5 or elongated bars 36, Fig. 6). Both clips 35 and bars 36 are in a"Z"-shaped form. Referring to Fig. 4, a clip 35 has a first leg 38 and a second leg 39, each parallel to the other and joined together by a bight 40.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, leg 38 is attache to a stud S. Bight 40 extends over an edge of flange 15 and leg 39 extends over a forward face of flange 15 toward panel 1 OB. Leg 38 is screwed, nailed or otherwise fastened to stud S. Leg 39 is screwed, nailed or otherwise fastened through flange 15 to stud S.

Thereafter, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, an upper panel 10C is positioned so its recess 19 receives flange 15 of panel 10B and bight 40 and leg 39 of clip 35. Panel 10C is then fastened to stud S by screws, nails or other fasteners which may extend through the facing 12 of panel 10 C, insulating member 11, legs 39 and/or 38 of clip 35 and into stud S.

Panels 10 may also be secured directly to stud S by screws, nails or other fasteners driven directly into the studs S through other portions of panels 10.

An alternate clip 35A is shown in Fig. 5 and 8 wherein leg 39 has a tapered end 42 for piercing insulating member 11 for added holding. Other elements of clip 35A are identical to clip 35.

An elongated"Z"-shaped bar 36 can be used in place of clips 35 or 35A. In Fig. 6, a"Z"-shaped bar 36 has a leg 45, a bight 46 and a leg 47. Preferably bar 36 is elongated to about 8 feet so one bar is used to extend 8 feet along a flange 15 of one panel 10, across portions of longitudinally aligned flanges 15 in adjacent panels 10. Leg 45 is screwed, nailed or otherwise secured to studs S (in similar fashion to leg 38 of clip 35) while leg 47 extends over a flange 15 of a panel 10. Bar 36 can be

fastened to as many studs S as it traverses, providing securement of panels 10 to a stud wall relatively independent of the stud spacing.

It will be appreciated that legs 38, 39 of clips 35 and leg 38 of clips 35A and legs 46,47 of bars 36, are each about 1 l/4 inches to 11/2 inches long, so as to cooperate with extension and depth of the respective flanges and recesses of the panels. Leg 39 of clip 35 has an extended tapered end 42 longer than about 1 inches so as to be of sufficient length to pierce insulating member 11.

In use, panels 10 can be applied to a stud wall or other form of structural support wall in varied patterns or orientations. For example, in Fig. 10, panels lOB-lOG are intermeshed on a supporting wall in overlapped and staggered configuration, so that no vertical'seam in one horizontal course of panels is aligned with a vertical seam in another. Panels 1 OD and I OE form a horizontal lower course with the panels running horizontally in major length. Panel lOD is shortened with a left edge at the left end of the wall. The lefthand edge of panel l OD is trimmed so its entire edge of its insulating member and its facing are straight and coextensive, with no flange or recess. Lefthand edges of upper course panels 10B and lOG are similarly trimmed. Panel lOE is positioned adjacent panel lOD in the lower course and extends to the right, with other panels positioned horizontally in extension throughout the lower course length (other panels not shown). The righthand edges of panels 10 at the righthand edge of the wall are also preferably trimmed so the panel right hand edges are flat, without flange or recess.- The next upper and intermediate course of panels 1 OB, 1 OF reside on top of panels l OD, 1 OE with intersecting edges such as illustrated in Fig. 10. Further upper course panels 1 OG, l OC reside on the intermediate course of panels 1 OB, 1 OF

and so on, in like manner, each course being extended over the length of the desired sheathed wall.

One of the advantages of the panels 10 is that they comprise insulating sheathing secured to a stud or support wall. Accordingly, courses of panels are limited in number only by the strength of the underlying studs or support wall. The panels themselves are attached to the underlying structure and are not weight bearing themselves. They are thus usable on walls of single stories and on walls of two and many more stories as well. Nevertheless, the construction of panels 10 provide significant anti-racking support when attached to the support wall.

In addition, the moisture resistance to vapor transmission of the panels is so significant that an additional vapor barrier or house wrap film is eliminated.

Such barriers typically provide a resistance measured at 0.8 perms, while the panels 10 in such a wall provide a resistance measurement at 50. 0 perms, a substantial difference.

Moreover, significant insulative properties are provided. For example, in a panel 10 having 1 l/2 inch thick foam member 11, an"R"factor of 7.5 or greater is attained. An in a panel 10 having a two inch thick foam member 11, an"R"factor of 10.0 or greater is provided.

In this regard, panels 10 of 1% inch or 21/4 are contemplated, wherein the facing 12 is about l/4 inch thick and the foam about 11/2 to 2 inches thick. Panels of any appropriate foam member 11 thickness and facing 12 thickness can be provided.

In another aspect of the invention, a wall of panels 10 can be finished in a variety of ways. Preferably, as illustrated in Fig. 9, a mesh tape 50 is embedded in a waterproof adhesive media (such as a media sold under the mark WP-6000 by the

Bonsal Company of Charlotte, North Carolina) and taped over the seams defined at "abutting"edges of the facings 12. This media is vapor proof and provides and enhanced vapor barrier function to panels 10.

Thereafter, a cementitious base coat with an embedded mesh 51 is adhered over the panels 10 and tape 50. Coat 51 can thus be of the same construction as the mesh-reinforced faces of facing 12. Once that cures, a finished coat can be sprayed, brushed, troweled or floated out on coat 51 and in varied colors, textures and designs for a finished look. Panels 10 can thus comprise finished exterior wall facings, and they can be used interiorly as well as inside walls, such as in basements, t sub-level environments, and in other locations, to provide insulated, waterproof, finishable wall surfaces.

Advantages of the invention, many of which are noted above, are numerous. There is no thermal break between adjacent panels. The panel construction facilitates self registering during construction. The invention provides a sheathing panel useful in multiple floor environments and or both wood or metal studs. Where metal stud walls are concerned, the invention provides a sheathed, insulated, vapor proof wall with no organic components otherwise conducive to moisture, mold and mildew formation and retention. This invention constitutes significant improvement in this regard to current Exterior Insulating Finish Systems (EIFS) and their associated mold problems. No vapor barrier films or house wrap is required.

Moreover, the panels 10 of the invention are useful, not only on a"stud wall"but can be used over existing structures such as metal or steel buildings or buildings of other facings or wall finishes when upgrading, refinishing, insulating, vapor proofing or other objectives are desired.

These and other advantages and modifications will be appreciated without departing from the scope of the invention and applicant intends to be bound only by the claims appended hereto.