Building panel

Claim 2

An exterior wall panel adapted for assembly with other similar panels, and comprising a base of heat insulating material, said base having a generally regular polygonal configuration and having at least one side defining a projecting edge adapted to mate with a cavity defined in the adjacent side of an identical adjacent panel, said base having a rear face adapted for attachment to a structure or the like, and having a front face defining grooves oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to said projecting edge, and a polymer fortified cementitious facing on said front face of said base, said facing having a thickness in the range of 1/8to 1/2 inch, said facing including rearwardly projecting ribs integrally formed in the facing which ribs fill said grooves in the base to a depth at least as great as that of said facing thickness, and a layer of polymer material adhered to the facing, said front face of said base has a bevelled edge, and wherein said facing also includes a bevelled edge such that an overhanging portion of the facing projects inwardly thereof to further reinforce the base.

Claim 3

The exterior wall panel defined in claim 1 wherein said base is fabricated of an expanded polystyrene material.

Claim 4

The exterior wall panel of claim 1 further characterized by particles of stonelike consistency provided in said polymer material.

Claim 5

An exterior wall panel as defined in claim 1 wherein said regular polygonal configuration comprises a rectangular shape with at least one pair or adjacent sides of the rectangle defining said projecting edges, the other two adjacent sides defining complementary cavities for receiving the projecting edges of said adjacent panel.

Claim 6

The exterior wall panel defined in claim 1 wherein said regular polygonal configuration of said panel comprises a square equilateral shape with two adjacent sides defining said projecting edges and the other two adjacent sides defining complementary cavities for receiving the projecting edges of said adjacent panels.

Claim 7

The exterior wall panel defined in claim 4 wherein an additional set of grooves are oriented perpendicular to one of said cavity defining edges and perpendicular said first set of grooves oriented perpendicular said projecting edge whereby all of said grooves intersect one another in a grid like pattern.

Claim 8

An exterior wall panel adapted for assembly with other similar panels, and comprising a base of heat insulating material said base having a generally regular polygonal configuration and having at least one side defining a projecting edge adapted to mate with a cavity defined in the adjacent side of an identical adjacent panel, said base having a rear face adapted for attachment to a structure or the like, and having a front face defining grooves oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to said projecting edge, and a polymer fortified cementitious facing on said front face of said base, said facing having a thickness in the range of 1/8 to 1/2inch, said facing including rearwardly projecting ribs integrally formed in the facing which ribs fill said grooves in the base to a depth at least as great as that of said facing thickness, and a layer of binder material adhered to the facing, and granules entrained in said layer.

Claim 9

An exterior wall panel adapted for assembly with other similar panels, and comprising a base of heat insulating material said base having a generally regular polygonal configuration and having at least one side defining a projecting edge adapted to mate with a cavity defined in the adjacent side of an identical adjacent panel, said base having a rear face adapted for attachment to a structure or the like, and having a front face defining grooves oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to said projecting edge, and a polymer fortified cementitious facing on said front face of said base, said facing having a thickness in the range of 1/8 to 1/2inch, said facing including rearwardly projecting ribs integrally formed in the facing which ribs fill said grooves in the base to a depth at least as great as that of said facing thickness, and a layer of binder material adhered to the facing, and granules entrained in said layer.

Claim 10

The exterior wall panel of claim 7 wherein said binder material comprises an acrylic compound, and wherein said granules comprise an aggregate of stonelike consistency.

Claim 11

An exterior wall panel adapted for assembly with other similar panels, and comprising a base of heat insulating material, said base having a generally regular polygonal configuration and having at least one side defining a projecting edge adapted to mate with a cavity defined in the adjacent side of an identical adjacent panel, said base having a rear face adapted for attachment to a structure or the like, and having a front face defining grooves oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to said projecting edge, and a polymer fortified cementitious facing on said front face of said base, said facing having a thickness in the range of 1/8 to 1/2 inch, said facing including rearwardly projecting ribs integrally formed in the facing which ribs fill said grooves in the base to a depth at least as great as that of said facing thickness, said front face of said base has a bevelled edge, and wherein said facing also facing projects inwardly thereof to further reinforce the base and said bevelled edge including a concave or grooved portion, said bevelled edge of said facing being of complementary convex cross section.

Claim 12

An exterior wall panel adapted for assembly with other similar panels, and comprising a base of heat insulating material, said base having a generally regular polygonal configuration and having at least one side defining a projecting edge adapted to mate with a cavity defined in the adjacent side of an identical adjacent panel, said base having a rear face adapted for attachment to a structure or the like, and having a front face defining grooves oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to said projecting edge, and a polymer fortified cementitious facing on said front face of said base, said facing having a thickness in the range of 1/8 to 1/2 inch, said facing including rearwardly projecting ribs integrally formed in the facing which ribs fill said grooves in the base to a depth at least as great as that of said facing thickness, said front face of said base has a bevelled edge, and wherein said facing also facing projects inwardly thereof to further reinforce the base and said bevelled edge including a concave or grooved portion, said bevelled edge of said facing being of complementary convex cross section.

Claim 13

The exterior wall panel defined in claim 9 wherein an additional set of grooves are oriented perpendicular to one of said cavity defining edges and perpendicular said first set of grooves oriented perpendicular said projecting edge whereby all of said grooves intersect one another in a grid like pattern.

Claim 14

The exterior wall panel defined in claim 10 wherein said base bevelled edges all include concave or grooved portions, and said bevelled edge of said facing being of complementary convex cross section.

Claim 15

The exterior wall panel of claim 9 further characterized by a layer of polymer material adhered to the facing.

Claim 16

The exterior wall panel of claim 9 further characterized by a layer of binder material adhered to the facing, and granules entrained in said layer.