Air permeable cladding panel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cladding material, for a building or other construction. The cladding material comprises an outer air permeable cover ( 3 ) an inner air permeable cover ( 4 ) and an intermediate layer ( 2 ). The intermediate layer has a graduated filtering profile for allowing selective particle filtration, thereby enhancing filtration through depth and hence delay clogging.

1 . A cladding material comprising:—
 an outer air permeable cover;    an inner air permeable cover; and    an intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer is provided with a graduated filtering profile.    
   
   
       2 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the filtering characteristics of the intermediate layer are such as to trap relatively large particles towards the outer cover end of the intermediate layer and to trap relatively smaller particles towards the inner cover end of the intermediate layer.  
   
   
       3 . A cladding material according to  claim 1  wherein the intermediate layer has thermal and/or sound insulating properties.  
   
   
       4 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises one or more of:—mineral wool, wet-blown cellulose and glass wool.  
   
   
       5 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is provided in the form of one or more of:—membranes, fibres, pulp or cellular based (foam or sponge) materials, or modified aerated concrete.  
   
   
       6 . A cladding material according to  claim 5 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises fibres.  
   
   
       7 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the cladding material comprises filter materials for one or more of:—particulate emissions, gas pollutants, chemical agents and biological agents.  
   
   
       8 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the cladding material is provided in the form of panel units.  
   
   
       9 . A cladding material according to  claim 8 , wherein the panel units are provided in modular format.  
   
   
       10 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is formed of a plurality of one or more separate filter layers, of different filtering characteristics.  
   
   
       11 . A cladding material according to  claim 10 , wherein each filter layer of the intermediate layer is selected to extract a specified range of particle sizes, gaseous pollutants, chemical pollutants, and/or biological agents.  
   
   
       12 . A cladding material according to  claim 11 , wherein the separate filter layers of the intermediate layer together define substantially the complete filter spectrum of particulate and other pollution.  
   
   
       13 . A cladding material according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is formed of a single filter layer, whose filtering characteristics vary across its thickness.  
   
   
       14 . A cladding material according to claim  13 , wherein the or each filter layer of the intermediate layer is independently replaceable.  
   
   
       15 . A cladding material according to  claim 13 , wherein the or each filter layer of the intermediate layer comprises one or more disposable filter elements.  
   
   
       16 . A cladding system for cladding a building or other construction at a particular location, comprising the steps of:—
 a) identifying the nature of pollutants at that location;    b) establishing an appropriate filter configuration for that building or other construction at that location;    c) forming cladding panel units for the building or other construction, the panel units having a graduated filtering profile across their thickness according to the filter configuration; and    d) applying the panel units to the building or other construction.    
   
   
       17 . A building or other construction comprising a plurality of panels formed of cladding material according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       18 . A building or other construction cladding layer for use in the cladding material according to  claim 1  comprising a graduated filter profile.  
   
   
       19 . A building cladding panel comprising:—
 an air-permeable material, the material further being configured to filter out harmful chemical and/or biological agents.    
   
   
       20 . A system for improving air quality in a particular location, the system comprising the steps of:—
 a) placing at that location a building or other construction adopting air permeable cladding material; the cladding material comprising a filtration layer for removing one or more of:—particulate emissions, gas pollutants, chemical agents and biological agents as air passes from the exterior of the building or other construction to its interior; and    b) arranging for filtered air from within the building or other construction to pass to the exterior of the building or other construction.    
   
   
       21 . A system for improving air quality according to  claim 20 , comprising a cladding material including: 
 an outer air permeable cover;    an inner air permeable cover: and    an intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer is provided with a graduated filtering profile.    
   
   
       22 . A durable cladding material comprising:—
 an outer air permeable weatherproof cover;    an inner air permeable wearing surface cover; and    an intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer is provided with a graduated filtering profile for the removal of one or more particulate, gaseous, chemical and biological pollutants and contaminants.    
   
   
       23 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       24 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       25 . (Cancelled)