Prefabricated insulating panels

A panel system comprising:

• a panel body having front, back, longitudinal side and lateral side surfaces;
• at least one channel into said back surface of said panel body parallel to said longitudinal side and extending from one lateral side to the other;
• a rigidifying means for strengthening said body panel disposed within said channel;
• a fastening means to be mounted to a substrate for affixing said panel to said substrate, said fastening means slidingly engaging said panel between said rigidifying means and said panel body.

A panel system comprising:

• a panel body having front, back, longitudinal side and lateral side surfaces, said panel body being formed of a foam insulating material and coated with a cementitious facing on said front, longitudinal side and lateral side surfaces;
• at least one channel into said back surface of said panel body parallel to said longitudinal side and extending from one lateral side to the other;
• a rigidifying means for strengthening said body panel disposed within said channel;
• and
• a fastening means to be mounted to a substrate for affixing said panel to said substrate by slidingly engaging said rigidifying means, said fastening means includes a flat plate and fastener wherein said plate is disposed between said rigidifying means and said panel body channel, the surface area about said channel being free of said cementitious coating and said surface area being deformed beneath said rigidifying means by said plate.

A method of affixing a panel comprising:

• first forming a channel in a back surface of a panel body, said channel including a portion within the panel body which extends laterally with respect to the the length of the channel;
• slidably inserting a flanged rigidifying means for strengthening said panel body into said channel;
• applying a fastening means to a substrate;
• slidably engaging said fastening means with respect to said rigidifying means for affixing said panel onto said substrate.

A method of affixing a panel comprising:

• forming channels in a back surface of a panel body by wire cutting, said channels including two oppositely facing L-shaped grooves;
• inserting a rigidifying means for strengthening said panel body into said channel, said rigidifying means having oppositely facing integral L-shaped flanges and being slidably disposed within said L-shaped grooves;
• and
• applying a fastening means to a substrate and sliding said panel onto said fastening means to affix said panel onto said substrate, said fastening means including a plate which slides in between said rigidifying means and the channel area of said panel body, wherein said channel area is free of cementitious material and said plate deforms an area of said panel body channel in between said rigidifying means.

An exterior insulating construction panel, applied to a building surface as an independent unit, comprising:

• a panel member having at least one preformed channel across a surface of said panel member, a portion of said channel extending into said panel member at an angle with respect to said panel surface;
• a rigidifying member matingly received within said panel member so as to provide structural rigidity and support for said panel member;
• and
• fastening means matingly received within said rigidifying member for securing said panel member to said building surface without creating a thermally conductive path from ambient atmosphere to said building surface.

In an exterior structural construction, for insulating a building surface, formed from a plurality of independent structural units each having an exposed exterior face and being mounted directly to said building surface, the improvements being said unit construction and mounting arrangement to said building surface, comprising:

• a preformed channel formed across a first surface of each of said units which is to be directly adjacent said building surface, said channel extending inwardly from said first surfaces, partially through said units and at an angle from the surface normal;
• a rigidifying element matingly received and co-extensive within said channel with respect to said units so as to provide structural rigidity and support for each of said units;
• and
• fastener means cooperatively associated with and for securing said rigidifying element to said building surface without creating a thermally conductive path through said untis from said exterior said to said building surface.