Panel wall construction having airtight joint and method of forming same

A panel wall construction comprising

• a pair of panels arranged with adjacent edges extending parallel and in closely spaced relation to one another, said panels each having a core and a pair of skins on opposite sides of the core defining the exterior surfaces of the panels,
• an elongate channel member extending between and receiving the adjacent edges of said panels and forming a joint between the panels, said channel member having respective pairs of opposing legs spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of the panels and receiving a respective panel therebetween, and means located between said pairs of opposing legs and defining respective abutments for limiting how far the panels may be received in the channel member,
• said panels which are received by said channel member having the core thereof recessed inwardly from the edges of the skins, with the skins extending into said channel member to a depth so that the edges of the skins thereof engage said abutments and with outer surface portions of the skins being positioned in opposing contacting relation with inner surface portions of the adjacent legs of the channel member, and with the recessed core forming an internal cavity extending longitudinally of the channel member, and
• an expanded foam filler material filling said internal cavity and also extending between said opposing contacting surface portions of the skins and the adjacent legs and adhering thereto and filling any cracks or gaps which may exist between the channel member and the skins of the panels so as to produce an airtight seal at the joint between the pair of panels, and also forming a bond between the panels and the channel member to provide enhanced structural strength in the joint.

A panel wall construction comprising

• a pair of insulated panels arranged with adjacent edges extending parallel and in closely spaced relation to one another, said panels each having an insulating core and a pair of parallel skins on opposite sides of the core defining the exterior surfaces of the panels,
• an elongate channel member extending between and receiving the adjacent edges of said panels and forming a joint between the panels, said channel member having respective pairs of opposing legs spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of the panels and extending along the edge of the panel overlying the outside surfaces of the skins and receiving a respective panel therebetween,
• the longitudinal edges of said panels which are received by said channel member having the insulating core thereof recessed inwardly from the edges of the skins, with the skins extending into said channel member and positioned in opposing contacting relation with the adjacent legs of the channel member, and with the recessed core of each panel forming an internal cavity extending longitudinally of the channel member,
• one pair of said opposing legs of the channel member extending at right angles to the other pair for interconnecting the pair of panels at right angles to one another, and the respective web portions extending between and interconnecting the opposing legs of each pair, and wherein the web portion for one pair of legs also serves as one of the legs of the other pair, and wherein said panels are received in the channel member to a depth so that the edges of the skins thereof engage said web portions, with the recessed cores of the panels spaced from the web portion and forming respective longitudinally extending cavities on opposite sides of said one web portion, and
• a hardened expanded foam insulating material filling said internal cavity and also filling any cracks or gaps which may exist between the opposing surface portions of the legs of said channel member and the adjacent portions of the skins of the panels to thereby produce an airtight seal at the joint between the pair of panels, and said expanded foam insulating material adhering to and forming a bond between said channel member and the panels to thereby provide enhanced structural strength in the joint.

An insulated building construction comprising

• a plurality of insulated panels arranged to form an enclosure having side walls and a roof, said panels each having an insulating core and a pair of parallel skins on opposite sides of the core defining the exterior surfaces of the panels,
• respective elongate channel members extending along the perimeter of each panel and receiving the adjacent edges of said panels and forming respective joints between the panels, said channel members each having respective pairs of opposing legs spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of the panels and closely receiving the respective panels therebetween,
• the edges of said panels which are received by said channel members having the insulating core thereof recessed inwardly from the edges of the skins, with the skins extending into the channel member and positioned in opposing contacting relation with the adjacent legs of the channel member, and with the recessed core of the respective panels forming a respective internal cavity extending longitudinally of the channel member, and with the respective elongate internal cavities formed along the perimeter of a panel being interconnected at opposite ends and communicating along the perimeter of the panel, and
• a hardened expanded foam insulating material filling said internal cavities and also filling any cracks or gaps which may exist between the channel members and the skins of the panels to thereby produce an airtight seal at the joints between adjacent panels, and said insulating material forming a bond between the channel member and the panels to thereby provide enhanced structural strength in the joint.

A panel wall construction comprising

• a pair of panels arranged with adjacent edges extending parallel and in closely spaced relation to one another, said panels each having a core and a pair of skins on opposite sides of the core defining the exterior surfaces of the panels,
• an elongate channel member extending between and receiving the adjacent edges of said panels and forming a joint between the panels, said channel member having respective pairs of opposing legs spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of the panels, each pair of legs receiving a respective panel therebetween, and said channel member including a web portion extending between and interconnecting at least one of said pairs of opposing legs,
• said panels which are received by said channel member having the core thereof recessed inwardly from the edges of the skins, with the skins extending into said channel member and positioned in opposing contacting relation with the adjacent legs of the channel member, and with the recessed cores of the respective panels which are received by said channel member forming respective internal cavities extending longitudinally of the channel member on opposite sides of said web portion,
• at least one hole formed in said channel member and penetrating said web portion and communicating with the respective cavities on opposite sides of said web portion to permit injecting a filler material into the respective cavities, and
• a filler material filling said internal cavities of the respective panels and also filling any cracks or gaps which may exist between the channel member and the skins of the respective panels so as to produce an airtight seal at the joint between the pair of panels.