Vented insulation panel with reflecting surface

Abstract

A thermally insulative building construction panel ( 10 ) is comprised of a first or top sheet ( 20 ) that is a rigid nail-anchoring material; a second sheet ( 22 ) comprised of aluminum foil firmly adhered to the top sheet ( 20 ); and, a third or bottom sheet ( 26 ) comprised of an insulation material comprising low density foam insulation. A plurality of spacer members ( 24 ) are sandwiched in fixed positions between the second sheet ( 22 ) and the third (bottom) sheet ( 26 ) for defining air channels ( 25 ) between the sheets and between the spacer members themselves to permit multi-dimensional air flow substantially throughout the panel. In a first example embodiment, plural discrete spacer members are arranged in a pattern such that, for the discrete spacer members arranged in any direction of alignment, an air channel extends perpendicular to the direction of alignment. In a second example embodiment, elongated plural spacer members are configured to permit multi-dimensional air flow substantially throughout the panel by having a surface thereof formed in a square wave shape with alternating crests and troughs which essentially repeat along a major dimension of the spacer member. In a third example embodiment, panels of either the first example embodiment or the second example embodiment have their first sheet formed with a smaller surface area than the third sheet to facilitate formation of an expansion gap between adjacent panels.

1 . A thermally insulative building construction panel comprising: 
 a first sheet comprising a rigid nail-anchoring material;    a second sheet comprising a layer of aluminum foil that is securely adhered to the first sheet;    a third sheet comprising an insulation material;    plural discrete spacer members connected in fixed positions between the second sheet and the third sheet for defining air channels between the sheets and between the spacer members themselves, the plural discrete spacer members being arranged in a pattern to permit multi-dimensional air flow substantially throughout the panel, the pattern being such that, for the discrete spacer members arranged in an any direction of alignment, an air channel extends perpendicular to the direction of alignment.    
   
   
       2 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of aluminum foil has a shiny surface which faces toward the air channels.  
   
   
       3 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet has a density in excess of 25 pounds/cubic foot and the third sheet has a density less than 5 pounds/cubic foot and having an insulative “R” value in excess of 3.0 per inch thickness.  
   
   
       4 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet comprises of a material selected from the group consisting of plywood, Waferboard, oriented strand board, and particle board.  
   
   
       5 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the second sheet is uniformly adhered to the top sheet.  
   
   
       6 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the third sheet is comprised of an insulation material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane modified polyisocyanurate foam, polyurethane foam, phenolic-formaldehyde foam, and polystyrene foam.  
   
   
       7 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer members are comprised of at least one material selected from the group consisting of solid wood, the materials of  claim 2 , the materials of  claim 4 , and a prefabricated metal material.  
   
   
       8 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer members are at least one-inch thick.  
   
   
       9 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer members are arranged in a rectangular matrix.  
   
   
       10 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer members are set back from along one or more edges of the panel.  
   
   
       11 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet has a smaller surface area than the third sheet to facilitate formation of an expansion gap between adjacent panels.  
   
   
       12 . A thermally insulative building construction panel comprising: 
 a first sheet comprising a rigid nail-anchoring material;    a second sheet comprising a layer of aluminum foil that is securely adhered to the first sheet;    a third sheet comprising an insulation material;    plural spacer members connected in fixed positions between the second sheet and the third sheet for defining air channels between the sheets and between the spacer members themselves, the plural spacer members being configured to permit multi-dimensional air flow substantially throughout the panel, the plural spacer members having a surface thereof formed in a square wave shape with alternating crests and troughs which essentially repeat along a major dimension of the spacer member.    
   
   
       13 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the first sheet has a density in excess of 25 pounds/cubic foot and the third sheet has a density less than 5 pounds/cubic foot and having an insulative “R” value in excess of 3.0 per inch thickness.  
   
   
       14 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the first sheet comprises of a material selected from the group consisting of plywood, Waferboard, oriented strand board, and particle board.  
   
   
       15 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the second sheet is uniformly adhered to the top sheet.  
   
   
       16 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the third sheet is comprised of an insulation material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane modified polyisocyanurate foam, polyurethane foam, phenolic-formaldehyde foam, and polystyrene foam.  
   
   
       17 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the spacer members are comprised of at least one material selected from the group consisting of solid wood, the materials of  claim 2 , the materials of  claim 4 , and a prefabricated metal material.  
   
   
       18 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the spacer members are at least one-inch thick.  
   
   
       19 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the first sheet has a smaller surface area than the third sheet to facilitate formation of an expansion gap between adjacent panels.  
   
   
       20 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein each trough extends to a depth of approximately one half the thickness of the spacer member to define one of the air channels through the spacer member in a length direction of the panel.  
   
   
       21 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the crests and troughs have essentially a same periodicity or length along a width dimension of the panel, except for two extreme-most crests and troughs at each end thereof.  
   
   
       22 . The panel of  claim 12 , wherein the layer of aluminum foil has a shiny surface which faces toward the air channels.