Modular cladding panels for buildings and associated methods

Abstract

A system ( 10 ) for covering an exterior external surface of a building includes cladding alignment features attached to the external surface of the building according to a predetermined pattern and cladding panels ( 100 ). Each cladding panel includes a structural frame ( 130 ), a substrate ( 110 ) attached to a first, external, surface of the structural frame, and fasteners ( 200 ) that are formed on a second, internal, surface of the structural frame. The fasteners are arranged according to the same predetermined pattern as the cladding alignment features, such that each of fasteners can be aligned with and attached to a corresponding one of the cladding alignment features. Each of the fasteners is attachable to a corresponding one of the plurality of cladding alignment features. The building is formed from multiple modular units assembled together. Each of the plurality of cladding panels is affixed to one or more of the modular units.

1 . A cladding panel for covering an external surface of a building, the cladding panel comprising:
 a structural frame;   a substrate attached to a first, external, surface of the structural frame; and   a plurality of fasteners that are formed on a second, internal, surface of the structural frame, the plurality of fasteners being arranged according to a predetermined pattern;   wherein each of the plurality of fasteners is configured for attachment to a corresponding one of a plurality of cladding alignment features attached on the external surface of the building; and   wherein the plurality of cladding alignment features are arranged on the external surface of the building according to the predetermined pattern, such that each of the plurality of fasteners is configured for alignment with, and attachment to, one of the plurality of cladding alignment features.   
     
     
         2 . The cladding panel of  claim 1 , comprising one or more openings formed entirely through a thickness of the substrate, each of the one or more openings corresponding to an opening formed in the external surface of the building. 
     
     
         3 . The cladding panel of  claim 1 , comprising a siding material attached to a surface of the substrate that is opposite a surface of the substrate by which the substrate is attached to the structural frame. 
     
     
         4 . The cladding panel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of fasteners comprises a tapered slot;   each of the plurality of cladding alignment features comprises an alignment peg;   each alignment peg comprises a collar and a head attached to an end of the collar, the head having a width that is greater than a width of the collar; and   the width of the head is greater than a width of a narrow end of the tapered slot.   
     
     
         5 . The cladding panel of  claim 4 , wherein each tapered slot is oriented such that, when the cladding panel is affixed to the building, the alignment peg is moved into the narrow end of the tapered slot and held in place by a gravitational force. 
     
     
         6 . The cladding panel of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a waterproof finish panel. 
     
     
         7 . The cladding panel of  claim 1 , comprising a gap between the substrate and the external surface of the building when the cladding panel is installed on an exterior surface of the building. 
     
     
         8 . The cladding panel of  claim 7 , wherein the gap is filled, either partially or entirely, with a rigid insulation layer. 
     
     
         9 . The cladding panel of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fasteners are formed in the second surface of the structural frame in a unitary manner. 
     
     
         10 . A system for covering an external surface of a building, the system comprising:
 a plurality of cladding alignment features attached to the external surface of the building according to a predetermined pattern; and   a plurality of cladding panels, each of the plurality of cladding panels comprising:
 a structural frame; 
 a substrate attached to a first, external, surface of the structural frame; and 
 a plurality of fasteners that are formed on a second, internal, surface of the structural frame, the plurality of fasteners being arranged according to the predetermined pattern, such that each of the plurality of fasteners is configured for alignment with one of the plurality of cladding alignment features; 
 wherein each of the plurality of fasteners is configured for attachment to a corresponding one of the plurality of cladding alignment features. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the building comprises a plurality of modular units assembled together to form the building, and wherein one or more of the cladding panels has a width of at least two of the plurality of modular units that are laterally adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the building comprises a plurality of modular units assembled together to form the building, and wherein each of the plurality of cladding panels is configured for affixing to one or more of the plurality of modular units. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of connectors affixed to exterior surfaces of each of the plurality of modular units, wherein the plurality of cladding alignment features are rigidly attached to and extend from the connectors for engagement with the fasteners, and wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of connectors interlock with each other to secure adjacent ones of the plurality of modular units together. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein one or more of the plurality of cladding panels comprises one or more openings formed entirely through a thickness of the substrate thereof, each of the one or more openings corresponding to an opening formed in the external surface of the building. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of cladding panels comprises a siding material attached to a surface of the substrate that is opposite a surface of the substrate by which the substrate is attached to the structural frame. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 for one or more of the plurality of cladding panels, each of the plurality of fasteners comprises a tapered slot;   each of the plurality of cladding alignment features comprises an alignment peg;   each alignment peg comprises a collar and a head attached to an end of the collar, the head having a width that is greater than a width of the collar; and   the width of the head is greater than a width of a narrow end of the tapered slot.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein each tapered slot is oriented such that, when one of the plurality of cladding panels is affixed to the external surface of the building, the alignment peg is moved into the narrow end of the tapered slot and held in place by a gravitational force. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate comprises a waterproof finish panel. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of cladding panels comprises a gap between the substrate and the external surface of the building when the plurality of cladding panels is installed on an exterior surface of the building. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the gap is filled, either partially or entirely, with a rigid insulation layer. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of fasteners are integrally formed in the second surface of the structural frame. 
     
     
         22 . A method of covering an external surface of a building, the method comprising:
 producing a plurality of cladding panels, each of the plurality of cladding panels comprising:
 a structural frame; 
 a substrate attached to a first, external, surface of the structural frame; and 
 a plurality of fasteners that are formed on a second, internal, surface of the structural frame, the plurality of fasteners being arranged according to a predetermined pattern; 
   arranging a plurality of cladding alignment features on the external surface of the building according to the predetermined pattern;   aligning each of the plurality of fasteners with a corresponding one of the plurality of cladding alignment features on the external surface of the building; and   attaching each of the plurality of fasteners to the corresponding one of the plurality of cladding alignment features.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein producing the plurality of cladding panels comprises, for one or more of the plurality of cladding panels, forming one or more openings through an entire thickness of the substrate, each of the one or more openings corresponding to an opening formed in the external surface of the building. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising attaching a siding material to a surface of the substrate that is opposite a surface of the substrate by which the substrate is attached to the structural frame. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the building comprises a plurality of modular units assembled together to form the building. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of cladding alignment features are rigidly attached to connectors affixed to exterior surfaces of each of the plurality of modular units. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein:
 for one or more of the plurality of cladding panels, each of the plurality of fasteners comprises a tapered slot;   each of the plurality of cladding alignment features comprises an alignment peg;   each alignment peg comprises a collar and a head attached to an end of the collar, the head having a width that is greater than a width of the collar; and   the width of the head is greater than a width of a narrow end of the tapered slot.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising orienting each tapered slot such that, when the plurality of cladding panels is affixed to the building, the alignment peg is moved into the narrow end of the tapered slot and held in place by a gravitational force. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the substrate comprises a waterproof finish panel. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of cladding panels is attached to the building such that a gap exists between the substrate and the external surface of the building. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , comprising filling the gap, either partially or entirely, with a rigid insulation layer. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein each of the plurality of fasteners is formed in the second surface of the structural frame in a unitary manner. 
     
     
         33 . A building comprising:
 a plurality of modular units assembled together to form the building;   a plurality of connectors affixed to exterior surfaces of each of the plurality of modular units, the plurality of connectors comprising a plurality of cladding alignment features, wherein the plurality of cladding alignment features are rigidly attached to and extend from an external surface of the building according to a predetermined pattern; and   a plurality of cladding panels, each of the plurality of cladding panels comprising:
 a structural frame; 
 a substrate attached to a first, external, surface of the structural frame; and 
 a plurality of fasteners that are formed on a second, internal, surface of the structural frame, the plurality of fasteners being arranged according to the predetermined pattern, such that each of the plurality of fasteners is configured for alignment with one of the plurality of cladding alignment features; 
 wherein each of the plurality of fasteners is configured for attachment to a corresponding one of the plurality of cladding alignment features; 
   wherein each of the plurality of cladding panels is affixed to one or more of the plurality of modular units.   
     
     
         34 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein the building comprises a plurality of modular units assembled together to form the building. 
     
     
         35 . The building of  claim 34 , comprising a plurality of connectors affixed to exterior surfaces of each of the plurality of modular units, wherein the plurality of cladding alignment features are rigidly attached to and extend from the connectors for engagement with the fasteners, and wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of connectors interlock with each other to secure adjacent ones of the plurality of modular units together. 
     
     
         36 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein one or more of the plurality of cladding panels comprises one or more openings formed entirely through a thickness of the substrate thereof, each of the one or more openings corresponding to an opening formed in the external surface of the building. 
     
     
         37 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein each of the plurality of cladding panels comprises a siding material attached to a surface of the substrate that is opposite a surface of the substrate by which the substrate is attached to the structural frame. 
     
     
         38 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein:
 for one or more of the plurality of cladding panels, each of the plurality of fasteners comprises a tapered slot;   each of the plurality of cladding alignment features comprises an alignment peg;   each alignment peg comprises a collar and a head attached to an end of the collar, the head having a width that is greater than a width of the collar; and   the width of the head is greater than a width of a narrow end of the tapered slot.   
     
     
         39 . The building of  claim 38 , wherein each tapered slot is oriented such that, when one of the plurality of cladding panels is affixed to the external surface of the building, the alignment peg is moved into the narrow end of the tapered slot and held in place by a gravitational force. 
     
     
         40 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein the substrate comprises a waterproof finish panel. 
     
     
         41 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein each of the plurality of cladding panels comprises a gap between the substrate and the external surface of the building when the plurality of cladding panels is installed on the exterior surface of the building. 
     
     
         42 . The building of  claim 41 , wherein the gap is filled, either partially or entirely, with a rigid insulation layer. 
     
     
         43 . The building of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of fasteners are integrally formed in the second surface of the structural frame.