Insulating panel with alignment assembly and insulating panel assembly including same

Abstract

A rigid insulating panel has a plurality of surface elements and four edges. At least two of the four edges have a connecting member including a tongue and groove assembly engageable with the tongue and groove assembly of an adjacent insulating panel to maintain the panels in engagement. The connecting members of the at least two of the four edges further include an alignment assembly wherein at least one of the connecting members includes at least one alignment projection protruding in its groove and at least another one of the connecting members includes at least one alignment recess defined in its tongue. The at least one alignment projection is insertable in the at least one alignment recess to laterally align engaged ones of the adjacent insulating panels. A rigid insulating panel assembly includes at least two rigid insulating panels with the above characteristics.

1 . A rigid insulating panel engageable with an adjacent rigid insulating panel, the rigid insulating panel comprising:
 an insulating material core comprising:
 an upper surface and a lower surface; 
 a plurality of surface elements on at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface; and 
 four edges with at least two of the four edges comprising a connecting member including a tongue and groove assembly with an inner groove and an outer tongue engageable with the tongue and groove assembly of the adjacent rigid insulating panel to maintain the rigid insulating panels in engagement, the connecting members of the at least two of the four edges further comprising:
 an alignment assembly wherein at least one of the connecting members comprises at least one alignment projection protruding in a corresponding inner groove and at least another one of the connecting members comprises at least one alignment recess defined in a corresponding outer tongue, the at least one alignment projection being insertable in the at least one alignment recess to laterally align the adjacent insulating rigid insulating panels when engaged to one another. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the surface elements projects from the upper surface of the insulating material core of the rigid insulating panel. 
     
     
         3 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 2 , wherein each one of the surface elements comprises scalloped side walls and bevelled corners. 
     
     
         4 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 3 , wherein each one of the surface elements is substantially square shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 2 , wherein each one of the surface elements comprises side walls extending substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the insulating material core, along an entire height thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the four edges comprising a connecting member are opposed edges. 
     
     
         7 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the four edges of the insulating material core each comprise one of the connecting members, a first one of the edges and a second one of the edges each comprising a plurality of alignment projections, and a third one of the edges and a fourth one of the edges each comprising a plurality of alignment recesses. 
     
     
         8 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the inner groove and the outer tongue of each one of the connecting members are separated by a substantially S-shaped median wall defining consecutive convex and concave sections in the inner groove and the outer tongue. 
     
     
         9 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment projection and the at least one alignment recesses are substantially trapezoidally shaped. 
     
     
         10 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment projection extends from the outer tongue into the inner groove of each corresponding one of the connecting members. 
     
     
         11 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 10 , wherein a notch is defined in the outer tongue of each one of the connecting members including the at least one alignment projection extending from the outer tongue, on each side of the at least one alignment projection. 
     
     
         12 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the outer tongue and the inner groove extend substantially perpendicular to the upper surface and the lower surface of the insulating material core. 
     
     
         13 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the insulating material core and the surface elements is formed of one of expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate and phenolic foam. 
     
     
         14 . The rigid insulating panel of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating material core has an R-value of at least 2,5 (hr.ft 2 .° F.)/BTU.in. 
     
     
         15 . A rigid insulating panel assembly comprising:
 at least two rigid insulating panels engaged to one another, each one of the rigid insulating panels comprising:
 an insulating material core having an upper surface, a lower surface, a plurality of surface elements and four edges spaced apart from one another; 
 a connecting member defined in at least two of the four edges; each connecting member including a tongue and groove assembly with an inner groove and an outer tongue engageable with the tongue and groove assembly of an adjacent one of the at least two rigid insulating panels to maintain the rigid insulating panels in engagement; and 
 an alignment assembly defined in the connecting member of the at least two of the four edges, the alignment assembly comprising at least one alignment projection protruding in the inner groove of at least one of the connecting members defined in the at least two of the four edges and at least one alignment recess defined in the outer tongue of at least another one of the connecting member defined in the at least two of the four edges, the at least one alignment projection being insertable in the at least one alignment recess to laterally align the engaged adjacent rigid insulating panels. 
   
     
     
         16 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the surface elements protrude from the upper surface of each one of the at least two rigid insulating panels. 
     
     
         17 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 16 , wherein each one of the surface elements comprises scalloped side walls and bevelled corners. 
     
     
         18 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 16 , wherein each one of the surface elements comprises side walls extending substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the insulating material core, along an entire height thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the four edges of the insulating material core each comprise one of the connecting members, a first one of the edges and a second one of the edges each comprising a plurality of alignment projections, and a third one of the edges and a fourth one of the edges each comprising a plurality of alignment recesses. 
     
     
         20 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the inner groove and the outer tongue of each one of the connecting members are separated by a substantially S-shaped median wall defining consecutive convex and concave sections in the inner groove and the outer tongue. 
     
     
         21 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one alignment projection and the at least one alignment recesses are substantially trapezoidally shaped. 
     
     
         22 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one alignment projection extends from the outer tongue and into the inner groove of each corresponding one of the connecting members. 
     
     
         23 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 22 , wherein a notch is defined in the outer tongue of each one of the connecting members including the at least one alignment projection extending from the outer tongue, on each side of the at least one alignment projection. 
     
     
         24 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the outer tongue and the inner groove extend substantially perpendicular to the upper surface and the lower surface of the insulating material core of each one of the at least two rigid insulating panels. 
     
     
         25 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein each one of the insulating material core and the surface elements of each one of the at least two rigid insulating panels is formed of one of shaped expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate and phenolic foam. 
     
     
         26 . The rigid insulating panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the insulating material core of each one of the at least two rigid insulating panels has an R-value of at least 2.5 (hr.ft 2 .° F.)/BTU.in.