Construction panel having overlapping edges and foam backing

Claim 2

A PREFABRICATED PANEL OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM WIDTH AND THICKNESS, ADAPTED TO BE ADHESIVELY AFFIXED TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE AND TO INTERLOCK WITH AN ADJACENT PANEL OF THE SAME TYPE, COMPRISING A FOAMED SHEET OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL; A RIGID FACING SHEET BONDED TO THE FOAMED SHEET ON ONE SIDE THEREOF LEAVING ONE SURFACE OF THE FOAMED SHEET EXPOSED; AN INTEGRAL, SHEET-FORM PLANR FLANGE MEMBER ALONG ONE EDGE OF THE FACING SHEET AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE FOREMOST UNDERLYING EDGE OF THE FOAMED SHEET AND HAVING ITS SURFACES COPLANAR WITH THE SURFACES OF SAID FACING SHEET; AND AN INTEGRAL, DEBOSSED FLANGE MEMBER ALONG A FACING SHEET EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID PLANAR FLANGE MEMBER EXTENDING BEYOND THE FORMOST UNDERLYING EDGE OF THE FOAMED SHEET, THE DEPTH OF DEBOSSMENT OF SAID DEBOSSED FLANGE MEMBER BEING SUFFICIENT TO ACCEPT THE THICKNESS OF SAID COPOLANAR FLANGE, WHEREBY SAID PLANAR FLANGE MEMBER OVERLAPS A DEBOSSED FLANGE MEMBER OF AN ADJACENT PANEL OF THE SAME TYPE AND ENGAGES ONLY THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID DEBOSSED FLANGE WHEN ADJACENT PANELS ARE INTERLOCKED.

Claim 3

A prefabricated panel according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the debossed flange is substantially coplanar with the exposed surface of the foamed sheet.

Claim 4

A prefabricated panel according to claim 1, having a coplanar flange along two sides of the panel and having a debossed flange along the other two sides of the panel.

Claim 5

A prefabricated panel according to claim 1, wherein said foamed sheet is composed of polystyrene.

Claim 6

A prefabricated panel according to claim 1, wherein said facing sheet is composed of fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin.

Claim 7

In combination, means defining a support surface and a plurality of abutting, interlocked prefabricated panels, each panel comprising a foamed sheet of a plastic material; a rigid facing sheet bonded to the foamed sheet on one side thereof leaving one surface of said foamed sheet exposed; an integral, sheet-form planar flange member along one edge of the facing sheet and extending beyond the foremost underlying edge of the foamed sheet and having its surfaces coplanar with the surfaces of said facing sheet; and an integral, debossed flange member along a facing sheet edge substantially parallel to said planar flange member extending beyond the foremost underlying edge of the foamed sheet, the depth of debossment of said debossed flange member being sufficient to accept the thickness of said coplanar flange, the exposed side of each of said foamed sheets being adhesively affixed to said supporting surface, and the planar flange member of each panel overlapping the debossed flange member of an adjacent panel and engaging only the outer surface of said debossed flange.

Claim 8

In combination, means defining a support surface and a plurality of abutting, interlocked prefabricated panels, each panel comprising a foamed sheet of a plastic material; a rigid facing sheet bonded to the foamed sheet on one side thereof leaving one surface of said foamed sheet exposed; an integral, sheet-form planar flange member along one edge of the facing sheet and extending beyond the foremost underlying edge of the foamed sheet and having its surfaces coplanar with the surfaces of said facing sheet; and an integral, debossed flange member along a facing sheet edge substantially parallel to said planar flange member extending beyond the foremost underlying edge of the foamed sheet, the depth of debossment of said debossed flange member being sufficient to accept the thickness of said coplanar flange, the exposed side of each of said foamed sheets being adhesively affixed to said supporting surface, and the planar flange member of each panel overlapping the debossed flange member of an adjacent panel and engaging only the outer surface of said debossed flange.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive affixing the surface of each foamed sheet to said supporting surface is a mastic-type adhesive.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 6, wherein said foamed sheet is composed of polystyrene.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 6, wherein said facing sheet is composed of fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 6, wherein said debossed flanges have nails disposed therethrough, the ends of said nails being disposed in said supporting surface, whereby said debossed flanges are additionally affixed to said supporting surface.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 6, wherein an adhesive is provided between each debossed flange and coplanar flange of soft and tacky consistency whereby longitudinal movement between adjacent panels may take place while maintaining said flanges in sealed condition.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 6, wherein the edge of each coplanar flange is spaced apart from the shoulder formed at the proximal edge of the adjacent debossed flange, and a filling material is positioned in the space therebetween having its outer surface coplanar with the surfaces of said coplanar flange and the adjacent panel.