Insulated building block

Claim 2

An insulating building block, comprising: a member having top and bottom faces, and front and back faces; said member having a spaced apart pair of insulation spaces for receiving insulation material, said insulation spaces extending through said member between said top and bottom faces of said member; and said member having at least one vent space extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member, said vent space being interposed between said insulating spaces and said front face of said member; wherein said at least one vent space and said insulation spaces each have a width measured in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to said front face of said member, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than said width of said vent spaces for maximizing space available for receiving the insulating material; wherein said vent space comprises a pair of generally V-shaped ends and substantially parallel front and back sides extending between said ends of said vent space.

Claim 3

The insulating building block of claim 1 wherein a central divider wall is formed between said pair of insulation spaces.

Claim 4

The insulating building block of claim 2 wherein said central divider wall is positioned approximately halfway between side faces of said member.

Claim 5

The insulating building block of claim 2 wherein a handle passage is formed through said central divider wall.

Claim 6

The insulating building block of claim 4 wherein said handle passage extends between. said insulation spaces of said member.

Claim 7

The insulating building block of claim 4 wherein said handle passage is defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, and a pair of side surfaces, said upper surface having a convex shape toward said handle passage.

Claim 8

The insulating building block of claim 4 wherein said handle passage is located approximately halfway between said top and bottom faces of said member.

Claim 9

The insulating building block of claim 1 wherein said width of said insulating spaces is greater than approximately two times said width of said at least one vent space.

Claim 10

The insulating building block of claim 1 , wherein said top and bottom faces are substantially parallel to one another, and wherein said front and back faces are substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to said top and bottom faces.

Claim 11

The insulating building block of claim 1 , wherein each of said insulation spaces has a pair of substantially parallel short sides and a pair of substantially parallel long sides extending substantially perpendicular to said short sides of the respective insulating space.

Claim 12

The insulating building block of claim 1 , wherein an insulating material substantially fills each of said insulating spaces.

Claim 13

The insulating building block of claim 1 , wherein said member has two vent spaces, one of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent one of said insulating spaces and the other of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent the other of said insulating spaces.

Claim 14

An insulating building block system, comprising: a member having substantially parallel generally rectangular planar top and bottom faces, substantially parallel generally rectangular planar front and back faces substantially perpendicular to said top and bottom faces of said block, and a pair of substantially parallel generally rectangular planar side faces substantially perpendicular to said top, bottom, front and back faces of said member; said member having a spaced apart pair of generally rectangular insulation spaces extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member; each of said insulation spaces having a pair of substantially parallel short sides and a pair of substantially parallel long sides extending substantially perpendicular to said short sides of the respective insulating space; said short sides of said insulation spaces being substantially parallel to said side faces of said member; said long sides of said insulation spaces being substantially parallel to said front and back faces of said member; an insulating material substantially filling each of said insulating spaces, said insulating material being selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, rock wool, cellulose, vermiculite, perlite, foamed urethane or shredded foamed polystyrene; said member having a spaced apart pair of vent spaces extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member, said vent spaces being interposed between said insulating spaces and said front face of said member for intercepting moisture movement from said front face of said member toward said insulation spaces in said member, one of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent to one of said insulating spaces and the other of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent the other of said insulating spaces; wherein a central divider wall is formed between said pair of vent spaces and between said pair of insulation spaces, said central divider wall extending between said front and back faces of said member, said central divider wall being positioned approximately halfway between said side faces of said member; wherein a handle passage is formed through said central divider wall, said handle passage extending between said insulation spaces of said member, said handle passage having an upper surface and a lower surface and a pair of side surfaces, said upper surface having a convex shape toward said handle passage, said handle passage being located approximately halfway between said top and bottom faces of said member; wherein each of said vent spaces is spaced about ½ inch from said adjacent insulating space; said vent spaces each including a pair of generally V-shaped ends and substantially parallel front and back sides extending between said ends of the respective vent space; said front and back sides of said vent spaces being substantially parallel to said front and back faces of said member; wherein said insulating material has an R-value greater than an R-value of air such that said R value of each of said insulating spaces is greater than an R-value of said vent spaces; and wherein said vent spaces and said insulation spaces each have a width measured in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to said front face of said member, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than said width of said vent spaces for maximizing space available for receiving said insulating material, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than approximately two times said width of said vent spaces.

Claim 15

An insulating building block system, comprising: a member having substantially parallel generally rectangular planar top and bottom faces, substantially parallel generally rectangular planar front and back faces substantially perpendicular to said top and bottom faces of said block, and a pair of substantially parallel generally rectangular planar side faces substantially perpendicular to said top, bottom, front and back faces of said member; said member having a spaced apart pair of generally rectangular insulation spaces extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member; each of said insulation spaces having a pair of substantially parallel short sides and a pair of substantially parallel long sides extending substantially perpendicular to said short sides of the respective insulating space; said short sides of said insulation spaces being substantially parallel to said side faces of said member; said long sides of said insulation spaces being substantially parallel to said front and back faces of said member; an insulating material substantially filling each of said insulating spaces, said insulating material being selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, rock wool, cellulose, vermiculite, perlite, foamed urethane or shredded foamed polystyrene; said member having a spaced apart pair of vent spaces extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member, said vent spaces being interposed between said insulating spaces and said front face of said member for intercepting moisture movement from said front face of said member toward said insulation spaces in said member, one of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent to one of said insulating spaces and the other of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent the other of said insulating spaces; wherein a central divider wall is formed between said pair of vent spaces and between said pair of insulation spaces, said central divider wall extending between said front and back faces of said member, said central divider wall being positioned approximately halfway between said side faces of said member; wherein a handle passage is formed through said central divider wall, said handle passage extending between said insulation spaces of said member, said handle passage having an upper surface and a lower surface and a pair of side surfaces, said upper surface having a convex shape toward said handle passage, said handle passage being located approximately halfway between said top and bottom faces of said member; wherein each of said vent spaces is spaced about ½ inch from said adjacent insulating space; said vent spaces each including a pair of generally V-shaped ends and substantially parallel front and back sides extending between said ends of the respective vent space; said front and back sides of said vent spaces being substantially parallel to said front and back faces of said member; wherein said insulating material has an R-value greater than an R-value of air such that said R value of each of said insulating spaces is greater than an R-value of said vent spaces; and wherein said vent spaces and said insulation spaces each have a width measured in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to said front face of said member, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than said width of said vent spaces for maximizing space available for receiving said insulating material, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than approximately two times said width of said vent spaces.

Claim 16

An insulating building block, comprising: a member having top and bottom faces, and front and back faces; said member having a spaced apart pair of insulation spaces for receiving insulation material, said insulation spaces extending through said member between said top and bottom faces of said member; and said member having at least one vent space extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member, said vent space being interposed between said insulating spaces and said front face of said member; wherein said at least one vent space and said insulation spaces each have a width measured in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to said front face of said member, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than said width of said vent spaces for maximizing space available for receiving the insulating material; wherein a central divider wall is formed between said pair of insulation spaces; wherein a handle passage is formed through said central divider wall; and wherein said handle passage is defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, and a pair of side surfaces, said upper surface having a convex shape toward said handle passage.

Claim 17

An insulating building block, comprising: a member having top and bottom faces, and front and back faces; said member having a spaced apart pair of insulation spaces for receiving insulation material, said insulation spaces extending through said member between said top and bottom faces of said member; and said member having at least one vent space extending therethrough between said top and bottom faces of said member, said vent space being interposed between said insulating spaces and said front face of said member; wherein said at least one vent space and said insulation spaces each have a width measured in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to said front face of said member, said width of said insulating spaces being greater than said width of said vent spaces for maximizing space available for receiving the insulating material; wherein a central divider wall is formed between said pair of insulation spaces; wherein a handle passage is formed through said central divider wall; and wherein said handle passage is defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, and a pair of side surfaces, said upper surface having a convex shape toward said handle passage.

Claim 18

The insulating building block of claim 14 , wherein each of said insulation spaces has a pair of substantially parallel short sides and a pair of substantially parallel long sides extending substantially perpendicular to said short sides of the respective insulating space.

Claim 19

The insulating building block of claim 14 wherein said handle passage extends between said insulation spaces of said member.

Claim 20

The insulating building block of claim 14 wherein said handle passage is located approximately halfway between said top and bottom faces of said member.

Claim 21

The insulating building block of claim 14 , wherein said top and bottom faces are substantially parallel to one another, and wherein said front and back faces are substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to said top and bottom faces.

Claim 22

The insulating building block of claim 14 , wherein an insulating material substantially fills each of said insulating spaces.

Claim 23

The insulating building block of claim 14 , wherein said member has two vent spaces, one of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent one of said insulating spaces and the other of said vent spaces being positioned adjacent the other of said insulating spaces.