Thermally adaptive wall covering

An exterior thermally adaptive wall covering operable to cover at least part of a wall and to move in response to a change in covering temperature, said wall covering comprising:

• a laminated composite panel including first and second panel layers and an intermediate connecting structure that connects the panel layers relative to one another along an interface defined between the panel layers,
• said panel defining an elongated attachment region along which the panel is configured to be attached to the wall,
• one of said panel layers generally overlying the other one of the panel layers when the attachment region is attached to the wall, with the other panel layer configured to generally face the wall,
• said first and second panel layers having, respectively, first and second coefficients of thermal expansion that are different from each other and cause expansion and contraction of the corresponding panel layers along the interface,
• said connecting structure permitting expansion and/or contraction of each panel layer relative to the other panel layer in response to the covering temperature change so that the panel flexes,
• said panel presenting a longitudinal axis,
• said layers being configured so that expansion and contraction of each panel layer occurs substantially along a direction generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, with the panel flexing about the longitudinal axis,
• said attachment region being formed by folding at least one of the panel layers onto itself so that the attachment region defines a hem margin that extends along the axis, with a remainder of the panel being cantilevered from the hem margin when the hem margin is attached to the wall,
• said first panel layer generally covering the second panel layer when the attachment region is attached to the wall,
• said second coefficient of thermal expansion of the second panel layer being greater than the first coefficient of thermal expansion of the first panel layer, with the remainder of the panel configured to flex away from the wall in response to an increasing covering temperature and configured to flex toward the wall in response to a decreasing covering temperature,
• said remainder of the panel presenting an outwardly facing exposed surface when the attachment region is attached to the wall,
• said exposed surface being generally planar when the covering temperature is at a predetermined operating temperature,
• said exposed surface being concave when the covering temperature is higher than the predetermined operating temperature,
• said exposed surface being convex when the covering temperature is lower than the predetermined operating temperature.

An exterior thermally adaptive wall covering operable to cover at least part of a wall and to move in response to a change in covering temperature, said wall covering comprising:

• a laminated composite panel including first and second panel layers and an intermediate connecting structure that connects the panel layers relative to one another along an interface defined between the panel layers,
• said panel defining an elongated attachment region along which the panel is configured to be attached to the wall,
• one of said panel layers generally overlying the other one of the panel layers when the attachment region is attached to the wall, with the other panel layer configured to generally face the wall,
• said first and second panel layers having, respectively, first and second coefficients of thermal expansion that are different from each other and cause expansion and contraction of the corresponding panel layers along the interface,
• said connecting structure permitting expansion and/or contraction of each panel layer relative to the other panel layer in response to the covering temperature change so that the panel flexes,
• multiple ones of said laminated composite panel,
• said multiple panels including a first panel and a second panel overlapping the first panel,
• said second coefficient of thermal expansion of the second panel layer being greater than the first coefficient of thermal expansion of the first panel layer, with part of the second panel being spaced from the corresponding attachment region and configured to shift away from the wall in response to an increasing covering temperature and configured to shift toward the wall in response to a decreasing covering temperature,
• said second panel being shiftable between an unsealed condition, where said part of the second panel is configured to be spaced from the first panel to define an opening therebetween, and a sealed condition, where said part of the second panel is configured to engage the first panel to close the opening,
• said second panel flexing into the sealed condition when the covering temperature reaches a sealing temperature below the predetermined operating temperature,
• said part of the second panel flexing in the sealed condition so that the exposed surface is convex.