Construction panels

Abstract

A structural construction panel of the invention has an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, and an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer. Thermally insulating foam generally occupies space which is not otherwise occupied between the inner and outer layers. A fire-rated capacity is provided by a fire-rated board, rated to pass at least a 15-minute corner fire test, incorporated as part of the finally-completed panel. Such fire-rated board can be foam-based, or non-foam-based. The fire-rated board product, whether a foam-based product or a non-foam-based product, can be enclosed in the panel between the inner and outer layers. Where the board is non-foam-based, the fire-rated board can be disposed, as part of the panel, as one or both outer surfaces of the panel structure, optionally between studs which protrude from the inner layer.

1 . A construction panel, comprising:
 (a) an outer side of said construction panel being compatible with being used as an outward-facing side on a building, such outer side comprising an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer proximate or at a first outermost surface of said construction panel;   (b) an inner side of said construction panel compatible with being used as an inward-facing side on such building, such inner side comprising an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer proximate or at a second opposing outermost surface of said construction panel;   said construction panel having a height defined between a top and a bottom of said construction panel when said construction panel is in an upright use orientation, said construction panel further having a length, and a thickness between the outer side and the inner side,   (c) thermally insulating foam between said inner layer and said outer layer, said thermally insulating foam extending between the top of said construction panel and the bottom of said construction panel; and   (d) a fire-rated capacity provided by at least one of
 (i) a layer of at least 15-minute fire-rated non-foam-based board extending the full height and substantially the full length of said construction panel between said inner layer and said outer layer, and 
 (ii) said thermally-insulating foam between said inner layer and said outer layer comprising fire-rated foam-based board or block material. 
   
     
     
         2 . A construction panel as in  claim 1 , said fire-rated capacity comprising a said layer of at least 15-minute fire-rated non-foam-based board being disposed between said thermally insulating foam and at least one of said inner layer and said outer layer. 
     
     
         3 . A construction panel as in  claim 1 , said fire-rated capacity comprising a said layer of at least 15-minute fire-rated non-foam-based board being disposed between said thermally insulating foam and said inner layer. 
     
     
         4 . A construction panel, comprising:
 (a) an outer side of said construction panel being compatible with being used as an outward-facing side on a building, such outer side comprising an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer proximate or at a first outermost surface of said construction panel;   (b) an inner side of said construction panel compatible with being used as an inward-facing side on such building, such inner side comprising an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer proximate or at a second opposing outermost surface of said construction panel;   said construction panel having a height defined between a top and a bottom of said construction panel when said construction panel is in an upright use orientation, said construction panel further having a length, and a thickness between the outer side and the inner side,   (c) a plurality of elongate thermally insulating foam blocks extending along the height of said construction panel, said foam blocks having inner surfaces disposed toward the inward-facing side of said construction panel, outer surfaces facing toward the outward-facing side of said construction panel, and opposing side surfaces connecting the inner and outer surfaces, the inner, outer, and side surfaces of respective ones of said foam blocks defining perimeters of the respective said foam blocks, and   (d) a layer of fire-rated non-foam-based board disposed between the inner surfaces of said foam blocks and said inner layer as separate board elements overlying said foam blocks.   
     
     
         5 . A construction panel as in  claim 4 , fiber-reinforced polymeric wrapping layers extending onto the inner surfaces of the respective said foam blocks, said fire-rated capacity comprising multiple said separate non-foam-based board elements, disposed between the inner surfaces of multiple said foam blocks and corresponding said wrapping layers. 
     
     
         6 . A construction panel as in  claim 4 , said fire-rated boards being disposed in layer-to-layer contact with said foam blocks. 
     
     
         7 . A construction panel as in  claim 5 , said wrapping layers extending across the opposing side surfaces of said foam blocks, said wrapping layers, at the side surfaces having lengths extending along the height of said construction panel, and depths extending along the thickness of said construction panel, said wrapped foam blocks being in abutting side-by-side relationship with each other, said construction panel further comprising a plurality of studs spaced along the length of said construction panel, said studs extending along the height of said construction panel, and extending away from both said layer of fire-rated board and the outermost surface, a given said stud having first and second legs spaced from each other, and extending to an end panel, said stud legs having lengths extending along the height of said construction panel and depths extending from said end panel to the second outermost surface of said construction panel, at least one of said legs being aligned, along the length of the respective said leg, with the depth of a respective said wrapping layer, along the length of the respective said wrapping layer at a respective side of a corresponding one of said foam blocks, such that the respective leg of said stud acts as a depth extension of the respective said wrapping layer at the respective side of the respective said foam block and along the height of said construction panel. 
     
     
         8 . A construction panel as in  claim 4 , side edges of adjacent ones of said board elements being spaced from each other by at least about 0.05 inch (0.13 cm) at the side surfaces of said foam blocks. 
     
     
         9 . A construction panel as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of studs spaced along the length of said construction panel, said studs extending along the height of said construction panel, and extending away from the outermost surface. 
     
     
         10 . A construction panel as in  claim 9 , further comprising at least one of
 (A) a layer of at least 15-minute fire-rated board extending about said studs, and   (B) said studs comprising fire-rated polymeric-foam-based, stud cores.   
     
     
         11 . A construction panel as in  claim 9 , further comprising a layer of said fire-rated non-foam-based board extending about said studs and being disposed between a fiber-reinforced polymeric layer and core structures of said studs. 
     
     
         12 . A construction panel as in  claim 1 , said fire-rated capacity comprising a said layer of at least 15-minute fire-rated, non-foam-based, board, further comprising a second layer of at least 15-minute fire-rated, non-foam-based, board extending the full height and substantially the full length of said construction panel between said outer layer and said thermally insulating foam. 
     
     
         13 . A construction panel as in  claim 12 , said thermally insulating foam comprising a plurality of elongate foam blocks extending along the height of said construction panel, said foam blocks having inner surfaces disposed toward the inward-facing side of said construction panel, outer surfaces facing toward the outward-facing side of said construction panel, and opposing side surfaces connecting the inner and outer surfaces, the inner, outer, and side surfaces of respective ones of said foam blocks defining perimeters of the respective said foam blocks, said second layer of fire-rated, non-foam-based, board being disposed between the outer surfaces of said foam blocks and said outer layer as separate board elements overlying respective ones of said foam blocks. 
     
     
         14 . A construction panel as in  claim 13 , fiber-reinforced polymeric wrapping layers extending about the perimeters of said foam blocks on at least the outer surfaces, said separate board elements being disposed between the outer surfaces of said foam blocks and said wrapping layers. 
     
     
         15 . A construction panel as in  claim 13 , said fiber-reinforced polymeric wrapping layers further extending across the side surfaces, and to the inner surfaces of said foam blocks, further comprising a plurality of studs spaced along the length of said construction panel, said studs extending along the height of said construction panel, and extending away from both the inner surfaces of said foam blocks and the second outermost surface, a given said stud having first and second legs spaced from each other, and extending to an end panel, said stud legs having lengths extending along the height of said construction panel and depths extending from said end panel to the second outermost surface of said construction panel, one of said legs being aligned, along the length of said leg, with the depth of a respective said wrapping layer, along the length of the respective said wrapping layer at a respective side of a corresponding one of said foam blocks, such that the respective leg of said stud acts as a depth extension of the respective said wrapping layer at the respective side of the respective said foam block and along the height of said construction panel. 
     
     
         16 . A construction panel, comprising:
 (a) an outer side of said construction panel, compatible with being used as an outward-facing side on a building, such outer side comprising an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer proximate or at a first outermost surface of said construction panel;   (b) an inner side of said construction panel, compatible with being used as an inward-facing side on such building, such inner side comprising an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer proximate or at a second opposing outermost surface of said construction panel;   said construction panel having a height defined between a top and a bottom of said construction panel when said construction panel is in an upright use orientation, said construction panel further having a length, and a thickness between the outer side and the inner side,   (c) thermally insulating foam between said inner layer and said outer layer, said thermally insulating foam extending between the top of said construction panel and the bottom of said construction panel;   (d) a plurality of studs spaced along the length of said construction panel, said studs extending along the height of said construction panel, and extending away from both of said inner and outer layers;   (e) channels being defined between respective ones of said studs, a given such channel extending on first and second opposing sides thereof to adjacent ones of said studs, on a third side across the second outermost surface, and such channel being open on a fourth side opposing the third side; and   (f) non-foam-based boards, having at least 15-minute fire ratings, extending the full height and substantially the full length of said construction panel in the respective channels at or proximate the second outermost surface, sides of said fire-rated boards being disposed proximate sides of respective ones of said studs.   
     
     
         17 . A construction panel as in  claim 16 , further comprising a second layer of said at least 15-minute fire-rated board extending the full height and substantially. the full length of said construction panel at or proximate the first outermost surface and outwardly of said outer layer. 
     
     
         18 . A construction panel as in  claim 16 , said thermally insulating foam comprising a plurality of elongate foam blocks extending along the height of said construction panel, said foam blocks having inner surfaces disposed toward the inward-facing side of said construction panel, outer surfaces facing toward the outwardly-facing side of said construction panel, and opposing side surfaces connecting the inner and outer surfaces, the inner, outer, and side surfaces of respective ones of said foam blocks defining perimeters of the respective said foam blocks, said wrapping layers, at the side surfaces having lengths extending along the height of said construction panel, and depths extending along the thickness of said construction panel, said foam blocks being in abutting side-by-side relationship with each other, said construction panel further comprising a plurality of studs spaced along the length of said construction panel, said studs extending along the height of said construction panel, and extending away from both of said first and second outermost surfaces, a given said stud having first and second legs spaced from each other, and extending to an end panel, said stud legs having lengths extending along the height of said construction panel and depths extending from said end panel to the second outermost surface of said construction panel, one of said legs being aligned, along the length of a respective said wrapping layer at a respective side of a corresponding one of said foam blocks, such that the respective leg of said stud acts as a depth extension of the respective said wrapping layer at the respective side of the respective said foam block and along the height of said construction panel. 
     
     
         19 . A construction panel as in  claim 18 , further comprising a layer of said at least 15-minute fire-rated board extending about said studs. 
     
     
         20 . A construction panel, comprising:
 (a) an outer side of construction panel, compatible with being used as an outward-facing side on a building, such outer side comprising a first outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer;   (b) an inner side of said construction panel, compatible with being used as an inwardly-facing side on such building, such inner side comprising a second outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer,   said construction panel having a height defined between a top and a bottom of said construction panel when said construction panel is in an upright use orientation, said construction panel further having a length, and a thickness between the outer side and the inner side, said outer layer and said inner layer defining a panel body therebetween,   (c) thermally insulating foam between said inner layer and said outer layer, said thermally insulating foam extending between the top of said construction panel and the bottom of said construction panel;   (d) first and second boards, having at least 15-minute fire ratings, extending the full height and substantially the full length of said construction panel and overlying said respective outer and inner layers respectively so as to enclose substantially all of said panel body therebetween; and   (e) a plurality of studs on the inner side of said construction panel, and mounted to said second board, said studs being spaced along the length of said construction panel, said second board being disposed between said inner layer and said studs.   
     
     
         21 . A construction panel as in  claim 20 , further comprising a layer of said at least 15-minute fire-rated board extending about said studs. 
     
     
         22 . A wall structure fabricated using a plurality of construction panels as in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         23 . A wall structure fabricated using a plurality of construction panels as in  claim 4 . 
     
     
         24 . A wall structure fabricated using a plurality of construction panels as in  claim 15 . 
     
     
         25 . A wall structure fabricated using a plurality of construction panels as in  claim 19 .