Cladding system

Abstract

A cladding system for covering an exterior wall is provided. The cladding system includes a panel for assembling on the exterior wall and an anchor for securing the panel to the exterior wall. The panel has a body with channels formed on a rear side thereof for draining water on an interior surface of the channel which is spaced away from the exterior wall. The anchor comprises tabs for fitting in to the channels and preventing a pull-out and/or a push-in of the panel relative to the exterior wall. The anchor cooperates with the panel to direct water into the drainage channels, and to define a continuous drainage path from top to bottom of the cladding system.

1 . A cladding system for covering an exterior wall, the cladding system comprising:
 a panel assembled with other panels to cover the exterior wall, said panel comprising:
 a body having a front face for facing outward, a rear face for facing the exterior wall, and top, bottom and side faces for positioning proximate to edges of adjacent ones of the other panels; and 
 a plurality of drainage channels formed in the rear face of the body, said plurality of drainage channels each having an interior surface spaced apart from the rear face of the body, the channels defining a drainage plane between the front face and the rear face of the body; and 
   an anchor engaged with the panel for securing the panel to the exterior wall, said anchor having an elongated body having a plurality of tabs spaced-apart therealong; said tabs respectively fitting in corresponding ones of the drainage channels formed in the panel; and    wherein the elongated body of the anchor comprises a gutter portion for collecting liquid on the top face of the panel and directing the liquid to a nearest one of the drainage channels.   
     
     
         2 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the drainage channels in the panel comprises a slotted portion receiving one of the plurality of tabs therein. 
     
     
         3 . The cladding system of  claim 2  wherein the slotted portion is spaced apart from the interior surface of a corresponding drainage channel. 
     
     
         4 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tabs comprises an angled portion angled towards the interior surface of its corresponding drainage channel. 
     
     
         5 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of the panel comprises protrusions formed along the top face. 
     
     
         6 . The cladding system according to  claim 5  wherein the drainage channels open at least on the top face of the body, and the protrusions are positioned adjacent the openings of the drainage channels on the top face to block liquid from entering the drainage channels from the front face of the panel. 
     
     
         7 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , wherein the top face of the panel is sloped downwards from the rear face to the front face. 
     
     
         8 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , wherein the anchor further comprises a wall spacing element for spacing the rear face of the panel apart from the exterior wall when assembled on the exterior wall, to define a continuous air gap between the rear face of the panel and the exterior wall. 
     
     
         9 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , wherein the anchor further comprises a panel spacing element for spacing the top face of the panel apart from the bottom face of a panel vertically stacked thereon by at least 1 mm when assembled on the exterior wall. 
     
     
         10 . The cladding system according to  claim 9 , wherein the panel spacing element comprises wings extending from the elongated body of the anchor, said wings abutting the bottom face of the panel vertically stacked thereon when assembled on the exterior wall. 
     
     
         11 . The cladding system of  claim 1  wherein the anchor includes a wall engagement mechanism to allow securing the anchor to the exterior wall. 
     
     
         12 . The cladding system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an exterior wall, wherein the exterior wall comprises a weather resistant barrier having air leakage areas; wherein the panel further comprises a panel spacing element for maintaining a spacing between at least one of the faces of the panel and at least one face of an adjacent panel. 
     
     
         13 . A panel for assembling a cladding system on an exterior wall, said panel being securable to the exterior wall, the panel comprising:
 a panel body having a front face for facing outward, and a rear face for facing the wall, a top face, and a bottom face; the panel body having protrusions formed along the top face;   at least one drainage channel formed in the panel body, said at least one drainage channel having an interior surface spaced apart from the rear face of the panel body; and   an anchor engaged with the panel body and comprising at least one tab engaged in the at least one drainage channel formed in the panel body; and
 wherein the at least one drainage channel opens at least on the top face of the body, and the protrusions are positioned adjacent the opening of the at least one drainage channel on the top face to block liquid from entering the at least one drainage channel from the front face of the panel. 
   
     
     
         14 . The cladding system according to  claim 13 , wherein the anchor is made of a metal, and
 the panel body is a molded body.   
     
     
         15 . The cladding system of  claim 13  wherein the anchor includes a wall engagement mechanism to allow securing the anchor to the exterior wall. 
     
     
         16 . A cladding system having a top edge and a bottom edge assembled on a wall structure, the system comprising:
 a plurality of panels having drainage channels formed on rear sides thereof,   a plurality of anchors securing the plurality of panels to the wall structure, the anchors having a gutter portion extending laterally along a top side of the panels and directing fluid on the top side of the panels towards the drainage channels;   the plurality of panels defining a drainage plane spaced apart from the wall structure, the drainage plane comprising an uninterrupted path for liquid between the cladding system top edge to the cladding system bottom edge by fluid communication of the drainage channels and the gutter portions.   
     
     
         17 . The cladding system according to  claim 16 , wherein the rear sides of the panels are spaced apart from the wall structure, defining a continuous air gap between a rear side of the assembled panels and the wall structure. 
     
     
         18 . The cladding system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a weather resistant barrier having air leakage areas, the weather resistant barrier extending between the wall structure and the rear sides of the panels. 
     
     
         19 . The cladding system according to  claim 16 , wherein the panels are vertically stacked, and the drainage channels are aligned with one another. 
     
     
         20 . The cladding system according to  claim 16 , wherein the anchors are removably engaged with the panels.