Flashing member and wall structure utilizing the same

Claim 2

A flashing member formed from sheet material and having a generally Z-shaped transverse profile, said flashing member comprising: a horizontal leg having a rear edge and a contoured forward edge, said horizontal leg presenting alternating narrow sections and wide sections along the length thereof; a rear leg extending upwardly from said rear edge; and a forward leg extending downwardly from said contoured forward edge and following the contour thereof.

Claim 3

The flashing member of claim 1 where said sheet material comprises a weather resistant plastic.

Claim 4

The flashing member of claim 1 wherein said rear leg and said forward leg are co-extensive in length with said horizontal leg.

Claim 5

The flashing member of claim 1 including spaced-apart, parallel ribs extending along the length of said rear leg and providing a sealant receiving channel therebetween.

Claim 6

The flashing member of claim 1 wherein said forward leg is inclined inwardly beneath said contoured forward edge.

Claim 7

The flashing member of claim 1 wherein at one end of said flashing member, corresponding transverse strips of the rear, horizontal and forward legs are offset from the exterior surfaces of the legs by one sheet thickness, whereby said flashing member is adapted to be assembled in end-to-end overlapping relation with others of said flashing member.

Claim 8

A Z-shaped flashing member formed from sheet material and including a horizontal leg having a forward leg and a rear leg extending in opposite directions from opposite longitudinal edges of said horizontal leg, said rear leg including: a first end presenting a pair of upper and lower end segments, the upper end segment being flush with said rear leg, and the lower end segment being offset from said rear leg by one sheet thickness; an opposite second end presenting a pair of upper and lower end segments, the upper end segments being offset from said rear leg by one sheet thickness, and the lower end sEgment being flush with said rear leg; said upper and lower end segments of each said pair presenting adjacent edges extending parallel with said horizontal legs; a web connecting said adjacent edges of one said pair of upper and lower end segments; and the adjacent edges of the other said pair of upper and lower end segments being spaced-apart and defining a slot open at one end of said rear leg and adapted to receive the web presented at the end of an adjacent flashing member.

Claim 9

A Z-shaped flashing member formed from sheet material and including a horizontal leg having a forward leg and a rear leg extending in opposite directions from opposite longitudinal edges of said horizontal leg, said rear leg including: a first end presenting a pair of upper and lower end segments, the upper end segment being flush with said rear leg, and the lower end segment being offset from said rear leg by one sheet thickness; an opposite second end presenting a pair of upper and lower end segments, the upper end segments being offset from said rear leg by one sheet thickness, and the lower end sEgment being flush with said rear leg; said upper and lower end segments of each said pair presenting adjacent edges extending parallel with said horizontal legs; a web connecting said adjacent edges of one said pair of upper and lower end segments; and the adjacent edges of the other said pair of upper and lower end segments being spaced-apart and defining a slot open at one end of said rear leg and adapted to receive the web presented at the end of an adjacent flashing member.

Claim 10

The flashing member of claim 7 wherein end segments of said horizontal leg and said forward leg adjacent to said first end of said rear leg are offset from the exterior surfaces of said horizontal leg and said forward leg by one sheet thickness whereby said flashing member is adapted to be assembled in end-to-end overlapped and interlocked relation with others of said flashing member.

Claim 11

The flashing member of claim 7 including spaced-apart, upper and lower ribs extending along the length of said rear leg and providing a sealant receiving channel therebetween.

Claim 12

The flashing member of claim 9 wherein the surfaces of said upper and lower ribs, said lower end segment of said first end of said rear leg, and said upper end segment of said opposite second end said rear leg reside in a common plane.

Claim 13

A building wall structure including vertically presented upper and lower building panels having panel end portions overlapping a horizontal member of a building structural framework, said upper and lower building panels presenting confronting upper and lower transverse panel ends; said panels comprising a liner sheet, a profiled facing sheet, and an insulating core, said profile facing sheet presenting alternating crests and valleys and inclined webs connecting adjacent ones of said crests and said valleys; fastener means for securing between of said panel end portions to said horizontal member; a flashing member extending the width of said upper and lower transverse panel ends and including a horizontal leg positioned between said confronting upper and lower transverse panel ends, and presenting a forward edge outboard of said profiled facing sheet, said forward edge having a contour corresponding to that of said profiled facing sheets; a rear leg extending upwardly between the panel end portion of said upper panel and said horizontal member; and a forward leg extending downwardly from said forward edge and following the contour thereof.

Claim 14

A building wall structure including vertically presented upper and lower building panels having panel end portions overlapping a horizontal member of a building structural framework, said upper and lower building panels presenting confronting upper and lower transverse panel ends; said panels comprising a liner sheet, a profiled facing sheet, and an insulating core, said profile facing sheet presenting alternating crests and valleys and inclined webs connecting adjacent ones of said crests and said valleys; fastener means for securing between of said panel end portions to said horizontal member; a flashing member extending the width of said upper and lower transverse panel ends and including a horizontal leg positioned between said confronting upper and lower transverse panel ends, and presenting a forward edge outboard of said profiled facing sheet, said forward edge having a contour corresponding to that of said profiled facing sheets; a rear leg extending upwardly between the panel end portion of said upper panel and said horizontal member; and a forward leg extending downwardly from said forward edge and following the contour thereof.

Claim 15

The wall structure of claim 11 wherein the fastener means which secures the upper panel end portion to said horizontal member also secures said rear leg to said horizontal member.

Claim 16

The wall structure of claim 11 wherein said rear leg and said forward leg are co-extensive in length with said horizontal leg.

Claim 17

The wall structure of claim 11 wherein the fastener means for the panel end portion of said lower panel is hidden from view by said forward leg.

Claim 18

The wall structure of claim 11 wherein said insulating core comprises a closed cell foamed plastic which substantially entirely fills the space between the liner sheet and the facing sheet of each of said panels at the transverse ends thereof.

Claim 19

The wall structure of claim 11 wherein said forward leg is inclined inwardly beneath said forward edge and presents a lower edge approximate to the profiled facing sheet of said lower panel.

Claim 20

The wall structure of claim 16 wherein the fastener means which secures the panel end portion of said lower panel to said subgirt also secured said forward leg to said horizontal member.

Claim 21

The wall structure of claim 11 including spaced-apart parallel ribs formed along the length of said rear leg and providing a channel therebetween, and a sealant disposed along the length of said channel and engaged by said liner sheet.