Building insulation and cladding system

Abstract

A building insulation and cladding system wherein a plurality of tracks are securable to a building exterior. A plurality of building structures each have a lower edge groove. A plurality of clips are configured to join two adjacent building structures and to secure the building structures to the tracks. The clips engage one of the plurality of tracks and include a rail to be received in the building structure lower edge groove and to support the building structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A building insulation and cladding system comprising:
 a plurality of tracks securable to a building exterior;   a plurality of building structures each having a lower edge groove; and   a plurality of clips configured to join two adjacent building structures and to secure the building structures to the tracks, said clips including:
 means for engaging one of the plurality of tracks, and 
 a rail to be received in the building structure lower edge groove and to support the building structure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  in which each clip further includes a shelf inward of the rail and each building structure further includes an inner lower edge to be seated on the clip shelf. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  in which the building structure further includes a top edge profile with at least a first and second ascending steps. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  in which each clip further includes lower teeth for engaging the second step. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  in which the building structure further includes an outer lower edge to be seated on or near the first step of a building structure beneath it. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  in the means for engaging includes upper and lower tabs engaging the track, the upper tab including an upward extension and the lower tab including a spring finger with a barb which catches the track. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  in which the track is a vertically disposed member with spaced slots therein and the clip means for engaging include spaced tabs inserted into the spaced slots. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  in which the clips are made of plastic. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  in which the track is a Z-girt. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  in which the building structure includes an insulative panel with an exterior epoxy coating. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  further including an insulative layer between the building structures and existing building sheathing. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  further including a breather layer behind the insulative layer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  further including a water-resistant barrier behind the insulative layer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  in which the building structures include a protective outer coating. 
     
     
         15 . A building insulation and cladding system comprising:
 a subframe for mounting to a building exterior and including:
 spaced vertically extending Z-shaped side tracks with front face clip slots, and 
 upper and lower subframe members connected between the spaced vertically extending Z-shaped side tracks; 
   a plurality of building structures each having a lower edge groove; and   a plurality of clips configured to join an upper building structure to an adjacent lower building structure and to secure both building structures to the subframe, said clips including:
 spaced tabs each received in a side track front face clip slot, and 
 a rail to be received in a building structure lower edge groove. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  further including an insulative panel between the spaced vertically extending Z-shaped side tracks. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  in which each clip further includes a shelf inward of the rail and each building structure further includes an inner lower edge to be seated on the clip shelf. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15  in which the building structures further include a top edge profile with at least a first and second, ascending steps. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  in which each clip further includes lower teeth for engaging the second step. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18  in which the building structures further include an outer lower edge to be seated the first step of the building structure beneath it. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18  in which there is an upper tab and a lower tab, the upper tab including an upward extension engaging the track and the lower tab including a spring finger with a barb which catches the track. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15  in which the clips are made of plastic. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16  further including a breather layer behind the insulative layer. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16  further including a water-resistant barrier behind the insulative panel. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 15  in which the building structures include a protective outer coating. 
     
     
         26 . A method of insulating and cladding a building exterior, the method comprising:
 mounting a subframe to a building exterior, the subframe including:   spaced vertically extending side tracks with a series of clip slots;   installing a plurality of clips into the subframe vertically extending side track clip slots; and   successively installing vertically adjacent building structures onto the clips while securing the building structures to the subframe.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  in which each clip includes a top rail and each building structure includes a lower edge groove seated on a clip rail. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  in which each clip further includes a shelf inward of the rail and each building structure further includes an inner lower edge to be seated on the clip shelf. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  in which the building structure further includes a top edge profile with at least a first and second ascending steps. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  in which each clip further includes a lower teeth for engaging the second step as the building structure top edge profile is pressed underneath the clip. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  in which the building structure further includes an outer lower edge to be seated on or near the first step. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  in which each clips includes upper and lower tabs engaging the track, the upper tab including an upward extension and the lower tab including a spring finger with a barb which catches the track. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26  in which each clip includes spaced tabs inserted into the spaced clip slots. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26  in which the clips are made of plastic. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 26  in which the track is a Z-girt. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26  in which the building structure includes an insulative panel with an exterior epoxy coating. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 26  further including installing an insulative layer between the building structure and existing building sheathing 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 26  further including installing a breather layer behind the insulative layer. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 21  further including installing a water-resistant barrier behind the insulative layer. 
     
     
         40 . A building insulation and cladding system comprising:
 a plurality of tracks securable to a building exterior;   a plurality of building structures each having:
 an upper edge with a first profile, and 
 a lower edge with a second profile; and 
   a plurality of clips configured to join two adjacent building structures and to secure the building structures to the tracks, said clips including:
 means for engaging the tracks, 
 a top surface profile complementary to the building structure lower edge second profile to support a building structure on the clip, and 
 a bottom surface profile complementary to the building structure upper edge first profile to snap fit a building structure under the clip. 
   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40  in which the clips top surface profile includes a rail and the building structures each have a lower edge second profile with a groove receiving the clip rail therein. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41  in which each clip top surface profile further includes a shelf inward of the rail and each building structure lower edge second profile further includes an inner lower edge to be seated on the clip shelf. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 40  in which the building structure upper edge first profile includes at least a first and second ascending steps. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43  in which each clip bottom surface profile includes bottom teeth for engaging the second step