Concrete form panel having access openings

Abstract

Concrete form panels having a plurality of openings in the exterior flange and crossing interior ribs that provide access from an opening in the exterior flange to any interior section between the ribs. Wires, plumbing, and the like are run through the openings to reach any desired area of the back side of the panel while remaining wholly inside the confines of the form panel, thus reducing the likelihood of the wires or plumbing interfering with workers and equipment in the area behind the form panel. In combination with a backside cover, the openings create a plenum through which a fluid, such as heated or cooled air, is passed over the form to assist in the control of the temperature of concrete curing adjacent the form panel.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A concrete form panel, comprising: 
 (a) a face sheet;    (b) a flange extended rearwardly of the face sheet around the perimeter of the face sheet, comprising a pair of opposing side rails having a plurality of spaced apart openings and a pair of opposing end rails having a plurality of spaced apart openings;    (c) a grid, comprising a plurality of transverse ribs in contact with the face sheet and extended between the pair of opposing side rails of the flange, the transverse ribs having a plurality of spaced apart openings, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs in contact with the face sheet and extended between the pair of opposing end rails of the flange, the longitudinal ribs having a plurality of spaced apart openings; and    (d) the openings are positioned to provide access to all areas interior of the grid from any opening in the flange.    
     
     
         2 . A concrete form panel as defined in  claim 1  wherein said face sheet is rectangular.  
     
     
         3 . A concrete form panel as defined in  claim 2  wherein said face sheet is square.  
     
     
         4 . A concrete form panel as defined in  claim 1  wherein the number and location of the openings in the side rails corresponds to the number and location of the openings in the longitudinal ribs.  
     
     
         5 . A concrete form panel as defined in  claim 1  wherein the number and location of the openings in the end rails corresponds to the number and location of the openings in the transverse ribs.  
     
     
         6 . A concrete form panel as defined in  claim 1  wherein the openings are of a size to permit hand access through the openings.  
     
     
         7 . A concrete panel as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a cover substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the face sheet and overlying the ribs, and plugs for all but two of the openings in the flange to create a plenum through which the first of the remaining openings is in fluid communication with the second of the remaining openings.  
     
     
         8 . A concrete panel as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the first remaining opening is in a first side rail and the second remaining opening is in the opposite side rail, and further comprising plugs for all but one opening in each of the longitudinal ribs.  
     
     
         9 . A concrete panel as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the first remaining opening is in a first end rail and the second remaining opening is in the opposite end rail, and further comprising plugs for all but one opening in each of the transverse ribs