Modular wall panel with integrated channels

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a prefabricated wall panel that is made from materials which are otherwise waste products in the agricultural and forestry industry. Each wall panel includes lateral and longitudinal channels with a step in the sidewalls thereof to accommodate installation of various items. Some of the sidewalls may also include an additional step further recessed into the channel to accommodate other items. Regardless of the number channels and steps therein, the wall panels are also devoid of any shear sharp corner, such that a curved section is provided between each transition to allow for easier manufacturing with composite materials.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wall system, comprising:
 a panel comprising a front face, a back face, a top end, a bottom end and a pair of opposing side ends, wherein the top end and bottom end are spaced by a panel height, wherein the pair of opposing side ends are spaced by a panel width, and wherein the front face and the back face are spaced by a panel total thickness;   a longitudinal channel recessed a longitudinal channel depth from the front face of the panel, wherein the longitudinal channel spans the panel height between the top end and the bottom end;   a plurality of lateral channels recessed a lateral channel depth from the front face of the panel, wherein the lateral channel spans the panel width between the opposing side ends, wherein each of the longitudinal channel and the lateral channels further comprise a trough between a pair of opposing sidewalls spaced by a channel width, wherein the opposing sidewalls are comprised of opposing longitudinal sidewalls for the longitudinal channel and opposing lateral sidewalls for the lateral channels, wherein each of the sidewalls span the corresponding channel depth between a sidewall proximal end connected to the front face and a sidewall distal end connected to the respective trough, wherein the opposing sidewalls form peripheral boundaries of a plurality of front face sections having an area, and wherein at least one half of the area of the front face sections is comprised of a flat surface; and   a plurality of channel transitions between the longitudinal channel and the lateral channels, a plurality of proximal sidewall transitions between the respective proximal ends of each sidewall and the front face of the panel, and a plurality of distal sidewall transitions between the respective distal ends of each sidewall and the corresponding troughs, and wherein each of the channel transitions, the proximal sidewall transitions, and the distal sidewall transitions comprise a curved section devoid of a sharp corner.   
     
     
         2 . The wall system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first step, wherein the first step is recessed a first step depth from the front face within each of the opposing longitudinal sidewalls and the opposing lateral sidewalls. 
     
     
         3 . The wall system of  claim 2 , wherein the step depth is less than one half the corresponding longitudinal channel depth. 
     
     
         4 . The wall system of  claim 2 , wherein the second step is recessed a second step depth from the front face within at least one of the opposing longitudinal sidewalls and the opposing lateral sidewalls, and wherein the second step is positioned at a location between the first step and one of the corresponding longitudinal trough and the corresponding lateral troughs. 
     
     
         5 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the flat surface of the front face sections is devoid of any ridge or groove. 
     
     
         6 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the curved sections of each of the plurality of channel transitions further comprise a radius of curvature, wherein a curve-thickness ratio between the radius of curvature and a material thickness of the panel is within a range between 0.5:1 and 20:1, inclusive. 
     
     
         7 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the opposing longitudinal sidewalls comprise a straight longitudinal sidewall section between the channel transitions, wherein the opposing lateral sidewalls comprise a straight lateral sidewall section between the channel transitions, and wherein the straight longitudinal sidewall section and the straight lateral sidewall section are each greater in length than the curved section of the channel transitions. 
     
     
         8 . The wall system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of opposing indents in corresponding opposing sidewalls, wherein each of the indents comprises an indent face recessed an indent distance from the sidewall proximal end and a pair of opposing indent sidewalls spanning the indent distance between the sidewall proximal end and the indent face. 
     
     
         9 . A wall system, comprising:
 a panel comprising a front face, a back face, a top end, a bottom end and a pair of opposing side ends, wherein the top end and bottom end are spaced by a panel height, wherein the pair of opposing side ends are spaced by a panel width, and wherein the front face and back face are spaced by a panel total thickness;   a longitudinal channel recessed a longitudinal channel depth from the front face of the panel, wherein the longitudinal channel spans the panel height between the top end and the bottom end;   a plurality of lateral channels recessed a lateral channel depth from the front face of the panel, wherein the lateral channel spans the panel width between the opposing side ends, wherein the longitudinal channel and the lateral channels respectively comprise a longitudinal trough and a lateral trough between a pair of corresponding opposing sidewalls spaced by a channel width, and wherein each of the opposing sidewalls span the corresponding channel depth between a sidewall proximal end connected to the front face and a sidewall distal end connected to the respective longitudinal trough and lateral trough; and   an indent within at least one of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the indent comprises a indent face recessed an indent distance from the sidewall proximal end and a pair of opposing indent sidewalls spanning the indent distance between the sidewall proximal end and the indent face.   
     
     
         10 . The wall system of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of channel transitions between the longitudinal channel and the lateral channels, a plurality of proximal sidewall transitions between the respective proximal ends of each sidewall and the front face of the panel, a plurality of distal sidewall transitions between the respective distal ends of each sidewall and the corresponding longitudinal trough and lateral trough, a plurality of step transitions between the first step and the corresponding sidewall the first steps, and wherein each of the channel transitions, the proximal sidewall transitions, the distal sidewall transitions, the step transitions comprise a curved section devoid of a sharp corner. 
     
     
         11 . The wall system of  claim 9 , further comprising a first step recessed a step depth from the front face within each of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the step depth is less than one half the corresponding longitudinal channel depth and the lateral channel depth spanned by the respective opposing sidewalls. 
     
     
         12 . The wall system of  claim 11 , further comprising a second step recessed a second step depth from the front face within at least one of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the second step is positioned at a location between the first step and one of the corresponding longitudinal trough and lateral troughs, and wherein each of the first step and the second step further comprise an inner edge and an outer edge radially spaced a step width. 
     
     
         13 . The wall system of  claim 9 , further comprising a pair of opposing indents in corresponding opposing sidewalls. 
     
     
         14 . The wall system of  claim 9 , wherein the opposing indent sidewalls are spaced by an indent width, wherein the indent face spans the indent width, wherein each of the indent sidewalls and the indent face further comprise an indent top edge and an indent bottom edge spaced by an indent depth, and wherein the indent depth is no greater than the corresponding longitudinal channel depth and the corresponding lateral channel depth. 
     
     
         15 . The wall system of  claim 9 , wherein the opposing sidewalls form the boundaries of a plurality of front face sections having an area, and wherein at least one half of the area of the front face sections is comprised of a flat surface devoid of any ridge or groove. 
     
     
         16 . A wall system, comprising:
 a panel comprising a front face, a back face, a top end, a bottom end and a pair of opposing side ends, wherein the top end and the bottom end are spaced by a panel height, wherein the pair of opposing side ends are spaced by a panel width, and wherein the front face and the back face are spaced by a panel total thickness;   a longitudinal channel recessed a longitudinal channel depth from the front face of the panel, and wherein the longitudinal channel spans the panel height between the top end and the bottom end;   a plurality of lateral channels recessed a lateral channel depth from the front face of the panel, wherein the lateral channel spans the panel width between the opposing side ends, wherein the longitudinal channel and the lateral channels further comprise a trough between a respective pair of opposing longitudinal sidewalls and a pair of opposing lateral sidewalls spaced by a channel width, and wherein each of the sidewalls span the corresponding channel depth between a sidewall proximal end connected to the front face and a sidewall distal end connected to the trough; and   a first step recessed a step depth from the front face within each of the opposing longitudinal sidewalls and the opposing lateral side walls.   
     
     
         17 . The wall system of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of channel transitions between the longitudinal channel and the lateral channels, a plurality of proximal sidewall transitions between the respective proximal ends of each sidewall and the front face of the panel, and a plurality of distal sidewall transitions between the respective sidewall distal ends of each sidewall and the corresponding troughs, wherein each of the channel transitions, the proximal sidewall transitions, and the distal sidewall transitions comprise a curved section devoid of a sharp corner. 
     
     
         18 . The wall system of  claim 16 , further comprising a second step recessed a second step depth from the front face within at least one of the opposing longitudinal sidewalls and the opposing lateral sidewalls, and wherein the second step is positioned at a location between the first step and one of the corresponding longitudinal troughs and the corresponding lateral troughs. 
     
     
         19 . The wall system of  claim 16 , further comprising an indent within at least one of the opposing longitudinal sidewalls and the opposing lateral sidewalls, wherein the indent comprises a indent face recessed an indent distance from the sidewall proximal end and a pair of opposing indent sidewalls spanning the indent distance between the sidewall proximal end and the indent face. 
     
     
         20 . The wall system of  claim 16 , wherein the panel is further comprised of an organic-based composite material comprising a plurality of multi-layer strands and an adhesive between the multi-layer strands, wherein the panel further comprises a recessed section proximate to at least one of the bottom end and the top end, wherein the recessed section comprises a recessed face recessed a section depth from the front face and a section sidewall spanning the section depth between the recessed face and the front face, and wherein the section sidewall is spaced from the bottom end and at least one of the side end of the panel.