Fully insulated timber frame building panel system

Abstract

A fully insulated timber frame building panel system incorporating wall, ceiling and floor panels of varying dimensions which are made up of vertical timbers 20 and horizontal timbers 34 & 36 sheathed both sides 21 & 22 to create a cavity which is filled with expanding polyurethane insulation 27. Breather membrane 24 is then attached to the external face of the panel and heat reflecting membrane 25 to the internal face. Battens 23 & 38 are applied to the internal face of the panel, which is then sheathed in gypsum based boards 32 to form an air gap 29. Extruded polyurethane insulation 26 is fixed to the panel through the breather membrane 24. External cladding 31 is always fixed to the timber frame to create a cavity 30. This external cladding can be of a variety of materials.

1 . A corner joint arrangement between first and second insulated timber framed building panels, each of said panels comprising a first facing surface and a first edge surface, wherein the corner joint arrangement comprises a projection which projects outwardly from the first facing surface of the second panel received in a channel defined by the first panel, said channel extending along the first edge surface of the first panel, wherein said first edge surface of the second panel is provided with a layer of heat insulating material. 
   
   
       2 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second panels comprises interior and exterior sheathing board layers with a first layer of heat insulating material interposed between said sheathing board layers. 
   
   
       3 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 2 , wherein adjacent edges of the interior and exterior sheathing board layers of the first panel overlie said first layer of heat insulating material of the first panel by a predetermined distance to define said channel between the sheathing board layers extending along the first edge surface of the first panel. 
   
   
       4 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 3 , wherein the adjacent edges of the interior and exterior sheathing board layers of the first panel abut the first facing surface of the second panel. 
   
   
       5 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein said projection is provided near the edge surface of the second panel. 
   
   
       6 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein said channel has a depth which is approximately equal to a height of said projection. 
   
   
       7 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein a plane of the first facing surface of the first panel is preferably substantially perpendicular to a plane of the first facing surface of the second panel. 
   
   
       8 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second panels is an insulated timber framed building panel comprising interior and exterior sheathing board layers with a first layer of heat insulating material interposed between said sheathing board layers, wherein a breathable membrane layer is provided on an exterior side of the exterior sheathing board layer and a second layer of heat insulating material is provided on an exterior side of said breathable membrane layer. 
   
   
       9 . A corner joint arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second panels is an insulated timber framed building panel comprising interior and exterior sheathing board layers with a first layer of heat insulating material interposed between said sheathing board layers, wherein a breathable membrane layer is provided on an exterior side of the exterior sheathing board layer and a second layer of heat insulating material is provided on an exterior side of said breathable membrane layer, wherein a heat reflecting membrane layer is provided on an interior side of the interior sheathing board layer, and wherein a further interior sheathing board layer is provided a distance from an interior side of said heat reflecting membrane layer to define a second heat insulating air gap between the further interior sheathing board layer and the heat reflecting membrane layer. 
   
   
       10 . A method for constructing a corner joint arrangement between first and second insulated timber framed building panels, each of said panels comprising a first facing surface and a first edge surface, and said first edge surface of the second panel being provided with a layer of heat insulating material, wherein the method comprises inserting a projection which projects outwardly from the first facing surface of the second panel into a channel defined by the first panel, said channel extending along the first edge surface of the first panel. 
   
   
       11 . A method for fabricating an insulated timber framed building panel comprised of providing spaced apart interior and exterior sheathing board layers with a cavity defined between said interior and exterior sheathing board layers, providing a first layer of heat insulating material in said cavity, providing a breathable membrane layer on an exterior side of the exterior sheathing board layer and providing a second layer of heat insulating material on an exterior side of said breathable membrane layer. 
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the first layer of insulating material is provided by injecting a liquid form of the insulating material into the cavity and allowing the liquid insulating material to solidify within the cavity. 
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises providing a heat reflecting membrane layer on an interior side of the interior sheathing board layer. 
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises providing a further interior sheathing board layer a distance from an interior side of said heat reflecting membrane layer to define a second heat insulating air gap between the further interior sheathing board layer and the heat reflecting membrane layer.