Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This Patent Cooperation Treaty application claims the benefit of United States Nonprovisional Patent Application Serial No. 17/742,670, filed on May 12, 2022, and Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/188,931, filed on May 14, 2021, which are incorporated herein in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to building structures, and more particularly, to a wall construction in combination with a framework to support file wall construction.

Background Art

Countless civilizations throughout history have blossomed by taking advantage of a geographical terrain that could meet die demands of die time. These demands follow certain predictable pattans, as they usually involved the search for the most primal human desires according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: food, water, and shelter. For diem, dealing with a thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, and other natural disasters meant a fight for survival against an omnipotent evil, commonly leading to the deaths of their family and friends. For this reason, ancient civilizations prescribed to die idea of protecting themselves from the environment and its devastating qualities. As Carl Sagan once said, “we've arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology,” and although these terms were not familiar then, science and technology were both employed by the first engineers of protective shelters.

According to the Roman architect Vitruvius, the earliest form of architecture was a frame of timber branches finished in mud, called a primitive hut. The Primitive Hut then became a concept that explored the relationship between man and the natural environment as the fundamental basis for the creation of architecture. As aforementioned, this relationship was not particularly forgiving, and the necessity for protection was what gave rise to architecture. Not only did design evolve into a more sophisticated and mathematical approach, but also did the science behind the materials used for construction. Early building materials were perishable, as humans utilized their surroundings to construct a shelter usually consisting of leaves, branches, animal hides, mud, etc. Through more trial and error, clay, stone, and timber became the staple materials for which to build a more durable and robust shelter. Centuries later, the vastly complicated science of synthetic materials meshed to create even stronger homes proper for the needs of the time.

Although the “needs of the time” have remained relatively constant throughout history, the impacts of the escalation of human population following the industrial revolution gave rise to new arid unexpected needs that demand the world's attention. The common one being climate change, with yearly increases in carbon dioxide levels and global temperature rise at unprecedented rates, the consequences on the environment are catastrophic and vast - so much so that it is impossible to detect every change occurring around the globe attributed to this phenomenon. One fact that scientists are certain of is the increased potency of natural disasters, more specifically of hurricanes. For these exceptionally destructive hurricanes to form, warm ocean water and humidity are necessary, and the warmer the ocean, the more powerful the storm. The site of impact of these hurricanes are the coastal shorelines, which create 40% of America's jobs and are responsible for 46% of America’s GDP. The economic impact of these strengthening storms is astounding, with some costing over 100 billion dollars in property damage along with slowing the economic performance of the affected areas. The technology for constructing protective shelters and houses around hurricane prone environments requires a dramatic change to withstand the new intensity of storms.

Accordingly, there is an established need for a wall construction designed to be waterproof and durable, especially to resist and withstand impact from airborne debris scattered about during serious weather events such as hurricanes.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a wall construction having a framework that employs a double-row of steel studs, in combination with a composite wall structure including an exterior wall formation and an interior wall formation separated by an insulation system that is directly mounted to the framework. The framework includes a first set or row of spaced-apart vertical frame members or outer steel studs and a second set or row of spaced-apart inner steel studs. The first row of outer studs and the second row of inner studs are staggered or offset from one another and also spaced-apart from one another. The insulation system includes a first exterior-facing M90-based backing board and a second interior-facing M90-based backing board. The pair of backing boards are spaced-apart and disposed on opposite sides of an inner stud. The exterior-facing backing board is located between an adjacent pair of outer studs. The space between the pair of spaced-apart boards filled with foam insulation. At the exterior side of the insulation system, an exterior covering board is adjacent the exterior-facing backing board. A coating is applied to the exterior covering board. At the interior side of the insulation system, a gypsum board is adjacent the interior-facing backing board.

Introducing a first embodiment of the invention, the present invention consists of a wall assembly, comprising: a framework; a wall construction supported by the framework; wherein the wall construction comprises: an insulation system including an inner insulation panel and an outer insulation panel spaced-apart from one another to define a cavity space therebetween, and further including insulation material disposed in the cavity space, an exterior wall formation including an exterior covering panel outwardly adjacent the outer insulation panel, and an interior wall formation including an interior panel inwardly adjacent the inner insulation panel.

In a second aspect, the framework includes a first row' of spaced-apart outer studs and a second row of spaced-apart inner studs, wherein the first row of outer studs and the second row of inner studs are offset from one another. In one form, the second row' of inner studs are disposed in the cavity space between the inner insulation panel and the outer insulation panel of the insulation system, In another form, the outer insulation panel extends between an adjacent pair of first row outer studs.

In another aspect, at least one of the first row of outer studs and the second row' of inner studs is attached to a base beam lagged to a foundation. Each one of the first row of outer studs and the second row' of inner studs includes a respective steel stud member.

In another aspect, the exterior wall formation further includes a layer of coating applied to the exterior covering panel. The layer of coating is waterproof and fireproof. The exterior covering panel includes a high strength, water resistant board in one form, a layer of polyurea is applied to the exterior covering panel prior to application of the coating layer. in yet another aspect, the interior panel of the interior wall formation has a gypsum- based composition. The interior wall formation further includes a layer of semi-gloss, high wear resistant paint applied to the gypsum-based interior panel. in vet another aspect, the insulation material includes foam insulation. in yet another aspect, each of the inner insulation panel and the outer insulation panel includes a respective M90 board. At least one strip of mesh tape is applied to each of the inner insulation panel and the outer insulation panel.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow. Brief Description of the Drawings

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 presents a perspective, exploded, sectional view showing a first embodiment of the wall construction of the present invention, illustrating the exterior side wall components of the wall construction; FIG. 2 presents a perspective view of an insulation panel according to the first embodiment of the wall construction of the present invention, illustrating further the application of mesh tape to the insulation panel:

FIG. 3 presents a lateral, cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the wall construction of the present invention, illustrating placement of an exemplary window within the wall construction;

FIG. 4 presents an expanded view of a portion of the wall construction shown in FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment of the wall construction of the present invention, illustrating the combination of exterior side and interior side wail components forming the full wall construction; and

FIG. 5 presents an upper perspective, sectional, partial cut-away view showing the first embodiment of the wall construction of the present invention, illustrating the integration of stud frame members into the wall construction.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Detailed of Embodiments

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, winch is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description, it is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed toward a wall construction having a framework that employs a double-row of steel studs, in combination with a composite wall structure including an exterior wall formation and an interior wall formation separated by an insulation system that is directly mounted to the framework.

Referring initially to FIG. 5, a wall construction or assembly is generally illustrated at 100, according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The wall assembly 100 is supported on a foundation 200, such as a concrete structure or other suitable conventional formation. As discussed further, wall assembly 100 is depicted in the figures in sectional form, so that an entire wall or side of a building would be constructed using the form of wall assembly 100 as a basic building unit. The wall assembly 100 forms a barrier or interface between an exterior area 102 (e.g., outside) and an intenor area 104 (e.g., living quarters) of a dwelling or occupant structure, such as a residential, multi-family, or commercial building.

The wall assembly 100 includes a framework generally illustrated at 200 and a multi- layered, composite wall structure generally illustrated at 110, which is supported by framework 200. The composite wall structure 110 includes an insulation system generally illustrated at 12.0 occupying a generally intermediate position in wall structure 110, an exterior-side wall formation generally illustrated at 130 located at an exterior side of insulation system 120, and an interior-side wall formation generally illustrated at 140 located at an interior side of insulation system 120.

The framework 200 includes a first set or row of spaced-apart outer studs (two shown in FIG. 5, 202-1 and 202-2) and a second set or row of spaced-apart inner studs (one shown in FIG. 5, 204-1 , and two shown in FIG, 1, 204-1 and 204-2), The framework 200 is located at the periphery of the building under construction and defines the supporting structure on which wall assembly 100 is built. As discussed further, the first row of outer studs 202-1,2 provide the support for the exterior-side wall formation 130, while the second row of inner studs 204-1,2 provides the support for the interior-side wall formation 140. Although only two outer studs 202-1,2 are shown in FIG. 5, this is merely illustrative and should not be considered in limitation of the present invention. Instead, the first set of outer studs would encompass an arrangement of multiple individual outer studs (such as 202-1 and 202-2) arranged peripherally about the edge or border of a building where the wall assembly 100 is to be located. Likewise, although only a single inner stud 204-1 is shown in FIG. 5, this is merely illustrative and should not be considered in limitation of the present invention. Instead, the second set of inner studs would encompass an arrangement of multiple individual inner studs (such as 204-1 and 204-2) arranged peripherally about the edge or border of a building where the wall assembly 100 is to be located.

The outer studs 202-1 ,2 and inner studs 204-1.2 are vertical frame members preferably formed of steel, which have high strength and are corrosion resistant. In one form, the outer studs 202-1,2 and inner studs 204-1,2 are cold-formed steel structural members capable of withstanding significant wind loads. In one preferred arrangement, the first row' of outer studs 202-1,2 and the second row' of inner studs 204-1,2 are staggered or offset from one another. For example, as shown, inner stud 204-1 is intermediate the pair of adjacent outer studs 202-1,2. The steel stud framework 200 offers significant protection when confronted with high wind strength turbulence, such as that occurring during category 4 and 5 hurricanes. Another advantage of framework 200 is that the entire composite wall assembly 100 is mounted to and supported by the individual steel studs of framework 200. in particular, the wall formation 130 disposed at the exterior side of composite wall structure 110 is mounted to the set of outer studs 202-1,2, while the wall formation 140 disposed at the interior side of composite wall structure 110 is mounted to the set of inner studs 204-1,2. In this manner, each side of the wall assembly 100 is supported by its own section (half) of framework 200.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the insulation system 120 includes a pair of inner insulation panel 122 and outer insulation panel 124 spaced-apart from one another. In one form, each one of the inner insulation panel 122 and outer insulation panel 124 is made of an M90-based board. The pair of spaced-apart inner insulation panel 122 and outer insulation panel 124 defines a cavity space between them that is filled with insulation material 126, such as foam. The insulation material 126 is preferably a high R-value foam material to provide maximum energy efficiency and low moisture penetration. The insulation system 120 provides an insulative barrier between the exterior-side wall formation 130 and the interior- side wall formation 140 of composite wall structure 110. In particular, the exterior-side wall formation 130 is outwardly adjacent the outer insulation panel 124, while the interior-side wall formation 140 is inwardly adjacent the inner insulation panel 122.

As shown, the second row of inner framework studs 204-1 (FIG. 5) is located in the cavity space defined between the pair of inner insulation panel 122 and outer insulation panel 124. In this position, the studs 204-1 are surrounded by the insulation material 126. Accordingly, in the second row of spaced-apart inner studs 204-1 and 204-2 (FIG. 1), the space between adjacent inner studs 204-1,2 is filled with insulation 126, forming a continuous structure along the border of the building consisting of a sequence of spaced-apart inner studs 204-1,2 with alternating fill-in insulation material 126 located between adjacent pairs of inner studs 204-1,2. This interstitial filling of the intervening space between adjacent inner studs 204-1,2 is illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring still to FIGS. 4 and 5, the inner insulation panel 122 is mounted to an interior-facing side of inner stud 204-1, while outer insulation panel 124 is mounted to an exterior-facing side of inner stud 204-1. This mounting can be accomplished in any suitable manner well known to those skilled in the art, but preferably includes a type of riveting or screw-type fitting adequate for use as a steel fastener that securely fastens the insulation panels 122, 124 to inner stud 204-1. In one form, the outer insulation panel 124 extends between an adjacent pair of first row outer studs 202-1 ,2, effectively forming a closed structural shell configured by the combination of outer framework studs 202-1,2 and outer insulation panel 124 spanning between them.

The interior-side wall formation 140 of composite wall structure 110 includes an interior panel 142 disposed immediately inwardly adjacent, and mounted, to inner insulation panel 122 at its interior-facing side. In this manner, the interior-side wall formation 140 is secured to the framework 200 at its second row of inner studs 204, via the intermediate fastening of inner insulation panel 122 to inner studs 204. Any suitable means can be used to mount interior panel 142 to inner insulation panel 122. Additionally, interior panel 142 can be fastened directly to inner stud 204 (via screws that penetrate inner insulation panel 122), an option that further secures the interior-side wall formation 140 to inner framework studs 204- 1,2. In one form, the interior panel 142 has a gypsum-based composition. The interior-side wall formation 140 further includes a layer 144 of semi-gloss, high wear resistant paint applied to the gypsum-based intenor panel 142. The inner side of interior panel 142 faces the interior area 104.

The exterior-side wall formation 130 of composite wall structure 110 includes an exterior covering panel 132 disposed immediately outwardly adjacent to outer insulation panel 124 at its exterior-facing side. In this position, the exterior covering panel 132 covers the outer insulation panel 124 of insulation system 120. The exterior covering panel 132 is mounted at its vertical lateral edges to the pair of outer framework studs 202-1,2 at their outer faces, in this manner, the exterior-side wall formation 130 is directly secured to the framework 200 at its first row of outer studs 202-1,2. In one form, the exterior covering panel 132 includes a high strength, water resistant board. Additionally, the exterior-side wall formation 130 preferably includes a layer of coating 134 applied to the exterior covering panel 132. The layer of coating 134 is preferably waterproof and fireproof, capable of sealing the structure to wind and moisture intrusion. In one form, a layer of poly urea is applied to the exterior covering panel 132 prior to application of the overlying coating layer 134. The outer, coated side of exterior covering panel 132 faces the exterior area 102. A suitable exterior paint (not shown) may he applied to coating 134 as a finish.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, at least one strip of adhesive mesh tape 136 is applied to each of the inner insulation panel 122 and the outer insulation panel 124. The mesh tape 136 can be supplied in a conventional form such as a roll (FIG. 2). An adequate amount of mesh tape 136 can be dispensed from the roll and applied in a horizontal direction across the outer face of outer insulation panel 124. More than one strip of mesh tape 136 can be disposed on insulation panels 122, 124. The mesh tape 136 can provide a level of reinforcement to help maintain the structural integrity of insulation panels 122, 124.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the framework 200 preferably includes at least one base beam 210 laid along the periphery of the building under construction. For example, base beam 210 would be laid on a poured concrete slab 302 of foundation 300. The vertical frame members (studs) of framework 200 are mounted at their lower ends to base beam 210. in particular, both the first row of outer studs 202-1,2 and the second row of inner studs 204-1,2 are mounted at their lower, bottom ends to base beam 210. This mounting can utilize high tensile strength screws, for example, or any other conventional means. The steel base beam 210 is lagged to foundation 302, which permits forces experienced by the composite wall structure 110 to be transmitted to the vertical studs (202-1,2 and 204-1,2) via the wall-to-stud connection and then transferred from the vertical studs to the foundation 302 via base beam 210. in this manner, the composite wail structure 110 does not have to fully absorb impact forces; rather, the forces are loaded onto the foundation 302 where they can more readily be distributed and absorbed without affecting the integrity of the building, particularly the wall structure. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary arrangement of how a window' 400 would fit into composite wall structure 110. The interior flooring may be provided by high strength floor panels 402 screwed to the concrete slab 302 of foundation 300, using corrosion resistant fasteners.

It should be apparent that the depiction in FIG. 5 is illustrative of a sectional unit and should not be understood as representing the entire, complete, fully assembled structure of a building, as constructed according to the present invention. For example, the exterior-side wall formation 130 of a complete assembly would include an arrangement of adjacent, side- by-side exterior covering panels 132 mounted to the outer framework studs 202-1,2 to form a continuous exterior wall structure. Additionally, the interior-side wall formation 140 of a complete assembly would include an arrangement of side-by-side interior panels 142 each mounted to a respective inner framework stud 204-1,2 Moreover, the illustrated insulation system 120 would be extended around the periphery of the building to form a continuous insulating barrier having an arrangement of outer insulation panels 124 each extending between a respective pair of outer framework studs 202-1,2.

In summary , the present invention is directed to a wall construction having a framework that employs a double-row of steel studs, in combination with a composite wall structure including an exterior wall formation and an interior wall formation separated by an insulation system that is directly mounted to the framework. In one exemplar}' embodiment, the wall construction may include an exterior wall comprising of steel studs providing voids, and foam insulation filling said voids, steel-backed sheathing panel to provide shear strength, steel-backed insulation panel, waterproof and fireproof polyurea membrane coating, and exterior paint (optional) or stucco (optional).

Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, it is understood that any of the features presented in the embodiments may be integrated into any of the other embodiments unless explicitly stated otherwise. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.