A STRUCTURAL COMPONENT FOR SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION PANELS AND A WALL COMPRISING THE SAME

Abstract

A structural component (100) for supporting construction panels is disclosed comprising an I-shaped strip having two parallel strips (P1. P2) and at least one strip (S1) perpendicular to (P1) and (P2). One or both the parallel strips (P1. P2) contain a plurality of substantially flat portions (110) and void portions (120) which alternate in a first direction X along the structural component (100). The flat portions (110) are configured to support the construction panel in plane contact while the void portions (120) are configured to support the construction panels in line contact. The void portions (120) reduce the thermal transmission of the structural component (100) by providing reduced thermal bridges in the transmission path of heat and reducing the contact surface area with adjoining adjacent materials. The structural component (100) described is a drywall stud or a spacer separating two parallelly bonded construction panels.

Claims

1-28. (canceled)

29. A structural component for supporting at least one construction panel, the structural component comprising: an I-shaped strip comprising two parallel strips P1, P2 and at least one strip SI perpendicular to P1 and P2, wherein at least one of the parallel strips P1, P2 contains a plurality of substantially flat portions and a plurality of void portions, which alternate in a first direction X along the structural component, wherein each of the void portions contains a convex profile bordered by the strip SI, wherein the strip SI comprises a plurality of alternating concave sections CI and convex sections C2; wherein each substantially flat portion is configured to support the at least one construction panel in plane contact.

30. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein each void portion is configured to support the at least one construction panel in line contact defined by a perimeter of the void portion.

31. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein each substantially flat portion is configured to enable screws or nails to fix and abut the at least one construction panel to the structural component.

32. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein one of the void portions is between each neighboring pair of the substantially flat portions.

33. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein a width of each void portion is greater than a width of each substantially flat portion, the width of each void portion and the width of each substantially flat portion being measured in a direction perpendicular to first direction X and parallel to P1 and P2.

34. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the parallel strips P1 and P2 each contain a plurality of alternating substantially flat portions and void portions, with the substantially flat portions of first parallel strip P1 being substantially parallel to the substantially flat portions of the second parallel strip P2.

35. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the parallel strips P1 and P2 each contain a plurality of alternating substantially flat portions and void portions, with the void portions of the first parallel strip P1 converging with the void portions of the second parallel strip P2.

36. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the perpendicular strip SI arises centrally between the two parallel strips P1, P2.

37. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the perpendicular strip SI arises along the peripheral edges of the two parallel strips P1, P2.

38. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the void portions are arranged at an interval D1 ranging between 30 mm to 75 mm.

39. The structural component as claimed in claim 38, wherein D1 is greater than or equal to the length L of the substantially flat portions.

40. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the substantially flat portions have a width W ranging between 30 mm to 100 mm to support the construction panel in plane contact, W being measured in a direction perpendicular to first direction X and parallel to P1 and P2.

41. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein at least at one end of at least one of P1 and P2 comprises the substantially flat portions.

42. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, having a thickness ranging between 0.4 mm to 1.7 mm.

43. The structural component 100 as claimed in claim 29 comprises plastic, polymer, cardboard, wood, steel or other metals.

44. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the I-shaped strip comprises a metal.

45. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the convex profile of each of the void portions is polygonal, elliptical, circular or hexagonal.

46. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the convex profile of each of the void portions is hexagonal.

47. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, which is manufactured in whole or in part by joining two identical or symmetrical parts.

48. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, in the form of a dry wall stud.

49. The structural component as claimed in claim 29, in the form of a spacer separating two parallel bonded construction panels.

50. A wall having a framing assembly comprising: a first horizontal framing member fixed to a floor; a second horizontal framing member substantially parallel to and spaced from the first horizontal framing member and fixed to a ceiling; a plurality of structural components as claimed in claim 29 spaced vertically and mounted to the first horizontal framing member at a bottom end thereof and to the second horizontal framing member at a top end thereof; and at least one construction panel, wherein each of the structural components is mounted such that substantially flat portions thereof abuts and supports the surface of the construction panel in plane contact and the void portions thereof abut and support the construction panels in line contact when the at least one construction panel is fixed to one or either sides of the framing assembly 500.

51. The wall as claimed in claim 50, wherein for each of the structural components, one or more of the substantially flat portions proximal the bottom end thereof are fixed to the first horizontal framing member and wherein the one or more of the substantially flat portions proximal the top end thereof are fixed to the second horizontal framing member.

52. The wall as claimed in claim 50, wherein for each of the structural components, each of the void portions thereof encloses an air cavity bounded by lines of contact established by the corresponding convex profile thereof abutting the construction panel.

53. The wall as claimed in claim 50, having a heat transmittance (U-value) not exceeding 0.5 W/m.sup.2K.

54. The wall as claimed in claim 50, further comprising an insulation material interposed between the construction panel and the plurality of structural components.

55. The wall as claimed in claim 50, wherein the construction panel is a gypsum board or a fibre cement board.

56. A laminated construction panel assembly comprising two opposing construction panels separated and held together by a vertically-spaced plurality of structural components as claimed in claim 29, wherein for each of the structural components, the substantially flat portions thereof supports the construction panels in plane contact, and the void portions thereof support the construction panels in line contact defined by the perimeter of the corresponding void portions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention can be better understood, and its numerous features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and are not limited in the accompanying figures.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a structural component, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 2A illustrate fragmentary, front view of structural component, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 2B illustrate fragmentary, front view of structural component, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows the schematic of a structural component manufactured in part, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary perspective view of a structural component, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 5A illustrates a fragmentary, perspective view of a framing assembly comprising the structural component in said orientation, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 5B illustrates a fragmentary, perspective view of a framing assembly comprising the structural component in another orientation, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the connection of the structural component of FIG. 5A to the construction panel in a framing assembly; according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0025] FIG. 7 demonstrates a fragmentary, sectional view of a laminated construction panel, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

[0027] Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

[0028] Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of embodiment, as illustrated in the accompanying figures. As will be realized, the disclosure is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. Embodiments disclosed herein are related to a structural component that reduces thermal conductance of components in drywall systems by limiting the area of contact between the said structural component and adjoining materials. The structural component of the present disclosure achieves reduced surface contact with adjoining materials while the standardized structural dimensions may be maintained. This is advantageous for the use of the said structural component in conjunction with standardized components of the framing system.

[0030] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] As previously explained the structural component has specific features adapted to facilitate low thermal transmission and provides for attachment of construction board in such a manner as to achieve said reduced thermal conduction. Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a structural component 100 for supporting construction panels. The structural component 100 is I-shaped comprising two strips: first strip P1 and second strip P2. The strips P1, P2 are substantially parallel to one another and/or substantially equal in width, their length being equal to the length of the structural component 100 and therefore equivalent to the height of the wall being constructed. Interconnecting the strips P1, P2 is a perpendicularly rising strip S1. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows the perpendicular strip S1 to arise centrally there between the two parallel strips P1, P2. However, in alternate embodiments of the present disclosure, there can be two perpendicular strips S1, S1 (not shown) arising from respective peripheral edges of the strips P1, P2.

[0032] It can be seen that the strips P1, P2 have a number of alternating substantial flat portions 110 and void portions 120 formed along the length of the structural component 100 in a first direction X. The void portions 120 are formed by the perpendicular strip S1 being shaped into a convex profile 130. The strip S1 contains concave sections C1 and convex sections C2. Contrary to expectations, it has been found that the provision of void portions 120 do not significantly weaken the structural component 100 when compared to a conventional standard C stud used in construction industry. It is understood that the substantial flat portions 110 introduces sufficient resilience to the structural component 100 to retain the structural stability requirement. The substantial flat portions 110 contribute to the stiffness of the parallel strips P1, P2 making it easier to attach construction panels to them, for examples using screws. It is further understood that the void portions 120 reduce the thermal transmittance of the structural component 100 by providing reduced thermal bridges in the transmission path of heat and reducing the contact surface area with adjoining adjacent materials. The void portions 120 further reduce the material used in making the structural component 100.

[0033] The convex profile 130 of the void portion 120 according to multiple embodiments of the present invention can be polygonal, elliptical, circular or hexagonal shaped. In the illustrated embodiments, the void portions 120 are preferred to be hexagonal. However, other profile shapes may be utilized in conjunction with appropriate materials and the illustrated embodiments are not to be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention. The shape and configuration of the void portion 120 can be adjusted to any shape or depth in order to achieve the desired objectives.

[0034] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the substantially flat portions 110 of first parallel strip P1 is substantially parallel to the substantially flat portions 110 of the second parallel strip P2 so as to form forms an I-shape with the perpendicular S1. Likewise, the void portions 120 of the first parallel strip P1 converging with the void portions 120 of the second parallel strip P2. However, in alternate embodiments, only one of the strips P1, P2 can be designed to have the alternating substantial flat portions 110 and void portions 120 formed along the length of the structural component 100 in the first direction X. In such an embodiment, the void portions 120 are present on one of the strips P1 or P2 while the corresponding portion opposite the said strip is closed and not void. While the structural component 100 of such an embodiment also contributes to reducing the thermal transmission, its U-value may not be as low as that of a structural component bearing void portions on both the parallel strips P1, P2 for obvious reasons.

[0035] The preferred dimensions of the structural component 100 are as follows: The width of each void portion 120 is greater than the width of flat portions 110. Both the width of the void portion 120 and the width of flat portions 110 are measured in a direction perpendicular to the first direction X and parallel to P1 and P2. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, a void portion 120 is present between neighboring pairs of substantial flat portions 110. Hence, the distance D1 between consecutive void portions 120 along the direction of the first axis X ranges between 30 mm to 75 mm. The substantial flat portions 110 has a width W ranging between 30 mm to 100 mm. The length L of the substantial flat portions 110 may be less or equal to the distance D1 between two consecutive void portions 120.

[0036] In certain embodiments of the present invention, where the length L of substantial flat portions 110 is less than the distance D1, then the flat portions 110 may be formed centrally, or towards either sides of the adjacent void portions 120. Two such embodiments are shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B which demonstrate the two-dimensional front view of the exemplary structural component 100. While FIG. 2B shows the substantial flat portions 110 to be central to the neighboring void portions 120, FIG. 2A shows the substantial flat portion 110 to be more closely position towards one of the void portions 120. In such cases the substantial flat portions 110 are linked to the void portions 120 by additional stretch of materials having reduced width when compared to W.

[0037] According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distance D1 between two consecutive void portions 120 is equal to the length L of the substantial flat portions 110.

[0038] The thickness of the strips P1, P2, S1 or sheet members forming the structural component 100 varies from 0.4 mm to 1.7 mm in conjunction with the appropriate material used for making the structural component 100. The structural component 100 can be made from plastic, polymer, cardboard, wood, steel or other metals such as gauge galvanized steel or a combination thereof. Likewise, the structural component 100 can be manufactured in whole or in part through a roll forming process, yet again decided in conjunction with the appropriate material making the structural component 100. Alternatively, a stamping process can be used to manufacture the structural component 100 in whole or in part. Alternatively, the structural component 100 can even be manufactured in whole or in part by 3-D printing process.

[0039] The structural component 100 can be manufactured by a process, for example, that includes passing a sheet of any of the above said material from a coil through a series of form rollers that create the structural shape of the structural component 100. The dimensions of the flat portions 110, void portions 120, depth of the strip S1 and profile shapes of the void can all be adjusted to accommodate any desired design variations that enhances the thermal performance, cost reduction, structural enhancement or any other desired objective not currently realized.

[0040] In an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure, the structural component 100 can be made by joining two identical parts 50, 50 of the said component 100 formed when the component 100 is cut across its central axis denoted by dotted lines C-C in FIG. 1. In such an embodiment as schematically shown in FIG. 3, the void portions 120 are halved, such that when the two identical parts 50, 50 are brought together with their corresponding concave sections C1 adjacent to each other, the respective convex sections C2 form a complete void portion 120. In such an embodiment, the identical parts 50, 50 can be joined together by mechanical fasteners or adhesive fasteners or other conventional means of fastening depending on the material making the identical parts 50, 50. In embodiments, involving a single perpendicular strip S1, the identical parts 50, 50 are joined, fastened, crimped or glued at the said perpendicular strip S1 such that the strips abut each other. In embodiments, involving two perpendicular strips S1, S1, the identical parts 50, 50 are joined, fastened or crimped or clinched or joined by sheet metal joining techniques to form an enclosed structure formed by the adjacently placed portions of the two perpendicular strips S1, S1.

[0041] In the above said embodiment, the substantially flat portions 110 of one identical part 50 is substantially parallel to the substantially flat portions 110 of the second identical part 50 so as to form an I-shape with the perpendicular S1. Likewise, the void portions 120 of the identical part 50 converges with the void portions 120 of the second identical part 50 thereby completing the void of any desired shape.

[0042] In all embodiments of the present invention, the substantial flat portions 110 of the structural component 100 is configured to support construction panels in plane contact. While the void portions 120 of the structural component 100 is configured to support construction panels in line contact defined by the perimeter of the void portions 120 bordered by the strip S1. Hence the void portions 120 significantly contribute to reducing the contact surface area between the structural component 100 and adjoining material viz., construction panels.

[0043] The heat transferred, over a given time span, must depend, both on the temperature gradient across the structural component 100, and also the volume of material providing a heat transfer path. The void portions 120 provide the smallest volume of material at the said locations, for transmission of heat across the structural component 100. Thus whatever heat gradient exists across the structural component 100, heat transmission from one edge to the other of the structural component 100 must be restricted to whatever heat values can be transmitted at the perimeter of the void portions 120.

[0044] The reduction in heat transmission values for the structural component 100 compared with conventional standard C studs, from one edge to the other of the stud, can be seen from the following table 1 which compares two external wall systems (comprising two boards, stone wool insulation, two air gaps, and metal stud) (with thermal bridging) using the calculation method of ISO 6946:2007. The conventional standard C studs and the structural component 100 being made from steel.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Heat Transmission Value Width U-value Conventional standard C 70 mm 0.67 W/m.sup.2K stud Structural Component 100 70 mm 0.42 W/m.sup.2K

[0045] According to multiple embodiments of the present invention, the structural component 100 is a drywall stud or a spacer separating two parallelly bonded construction panels.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the structural component 100 according to the present invention in which insulation strips 140 can be seen attached to the substantial flat portions 110 of the structural component 100. The insulation strip 140 can be applied on substantial flat portions 110 of one or both strips P1, P2 by adhesive, staples, nails or other similar fasteners. The insulation strip 140 helps in further reducing the conduction gains from the structural component 100 to the adjoining materials. The insulation strip 140 can be made of wood, plastic, or other materials that can function as both a thermal insulated barrier, fire resistant and exhibit characteristics that would allow conventional nailing. This can allow the use of nail guns and other automated tools normally used for attaching the structural members together and sheathing to portions of structural members.

[0047] Any conventional insulation materials such as Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) or other traditionally known insulation material can be used for this purpose. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, an e.g. 4 mm thick EPDM sheet is adhesively bonded to the substantial flat portions 110 of both the parallel strips P1, P2 on-site. In another exemplary embodiment, adhesion is done by spraying super 77? marketed by 3M directly on the surface of the substantial flat portions 110.

[0048] In yet another alternative embodiment, heat or sound absorbing materials can be displaced in the void portions 120 substantially filling the space bordered by the strip S1. Such sound absorbing material can be fibreglass insulation, spun bonded polyester wool, stone wool insulation or any other suitable material and can reduce the sound transmission across the structural component 100 by approximately 1 dB or 2 dB.

[0049] Because the design of the structural component 100 restricts heat transfer without significantly damaging the mechanical strength compared to a conventional standard C studs, the structural component 100 of the present invention is greatly superior to conventional standard C studs.

[0050] FIG. 5A shows a schematic of a framing assembly 500 of a construction wall comprising the structural component 100 of the present invention, according to one embodiment of the present teaching. The framing assembly 500 comprises two parallel horizontal framing members viz., a floor channel 200 fastened to the floor 210 and a ceiling channel 300 fastened to the ceiling 310. The fastening is typically accomplished by mechanical fasteners. The structural components 100 of the present invention are vertically spaced and mounted to the floor channel 200 at its bottom end and to the ceiling channel 300 at its top end. A construction panel 400 is generally affixed to at least one face of the framing assembly 500 using mechanical fasteners. In said embodiment, the structural components 100 are mounted such that the substantially flat portions 110 abut and support the surface of the construction panel 400 in plane contact and the void portions 120 abut and support the construction panels 400 in line contact when the construction panel 400 is fixed to one or either sides of the framing assembly 500.

[0051] The construction panel 400 is screwed to the substantial flat portions 110 at predetermined intervals and the substantially flat portions 110 at the bottom end of the structural components 100 are fixed to the floor channel 200 and at the top end of the structural components 100 are fixed to the ceiling channel 300, as demonstrated in the schematic shown in FIG. 6. In such an arrangement, the void portions 120 of the structural component 100 encloses an air cavity bounded by lines of contact established by the convex profile 130 abutting the construction panel 400. It is through this air cavity that the structural component 100 provides the reduced thermal transmittance to the framing assembly 500.

[0052] The strip S1 present perpendicularly there between the two parallel strips P1, P2 at the substantial flat portions 110 provides the necessary resilience to the structural components 100 against deflection, bending or breakage during fastening activities. The air cavity establishes a reduced contact area between the structural component 100 and the adjoining construction panels 400 that results from the incorporation of void portions 120 whereby thermal transmission due to conductivity is decreased. In other words, by incorporating structural components 100 into a framing assembly, the cumulative insulation value for said framing assembly is improved. Furthermore, the improvement is achieved without necessitating a dimensional modification of standardized framing systems or creating an obstruction for commonly used fastening devices.

[0053] In optional embodiments, an insulation material can be positioned within the air cavity formed by the void portions 120, the channels 200, 300 and the construction panel 400 and/or any conventional insulation materials such as Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) sheet can be adhesively bonded to the substantial flat portions 110 of both the parallel strips P1, P2. Such embodiments further contribute to decreasing sound and heat transmission through the framing assembly 500.

[0054] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the structural components 100 can be mounted in an orientation in which the void portion 120 abut the support the surface of the construction panel 400 in plane contact and the substantial flat portions 110 lie between lie there between the two construction panels 400 affixed to the framing assembly 500, as is illustrated in the schematic shown in FIG. 5B. Herein the construction panel 400 is screwed to the void portions 120 of the structural components 100 as can be seen in the call out image A. Such an orientation also reduces the contact surface area between the structural component 100 and the adjacent adjoining construction board 400 and thereby provides reduction in thermal conductivity gains.

[0055] The construction panel 400, according to multiple embodiments of the present invention is gypsum board or fiber cement board. In alternate embodiments, reinforced gypsum boards can also be used.

[0056] Yet another application area for the structural component 100 of the present invention is the use of it as a spacer for making prefabricated laminated construction panels 600 comprised of two opposing construction panels 400 separated and held together by a plurality of structural components 100 there between adhesively or otherwise bonded to the construction panels 400 as shown in the schematic shown in FIG. 7. It can be seen that the substantially flat portions 110 of the structural components 100 support the construction panels in plane contact and the void portions 120 support the construction panels in line contact defined by the perimeter of the void portions 120.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Deflection Testing:

[0057] A structural component 100 with 70 mm width and base material (sheet metal) thickness of 1.25 mm was obtained by simulation modeling using ANSYS software. For comparative analysis a conventional standard C stud was also modelled with 70 mm width and base metal thickness of 1 mm. A framing system comprising the said structural component and another comparative framing system with the conventional standard C stud were modelled at 2400 mm?1200 mm. an equal pressure of 350 Pa was applied on both the framing systems and the corresponding deflection seen in the systems were recorded and are tabulated below in Table 2:

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Deflection Testing Results System height System width Deflection in (mm) in (mm) in (mm) Conventional standard C 2400 1200 8.25 stud Structural Component 100 8.04

[0058] It can be understood from the above values that the structural component 100 in spite of having void portions 120 as against the expected meets the structural stability requirement as that of a conventional standard C stud.

Example 2

Thermal Transmission Testing

[0059] A prototype comprising the structural component 100 was made as per the teachings of the preset invention and experiments were conducted to understand the heat transmission through the structural component 100. The prototype was prepared at 1?1 m using gypsum board fixed on either sides of the structural component 100. IR lamp was used to heat the structural component 100 from one side of the gypsum board for about 20 minutes. The temperature variation across the structural component 100 were captured using an IR camera. The same experimental set up was repeated with a prototype comprising a conventional standard C stud. The temperature measurement was repeated at different points on the gypsum board and the values are tabulated below in Table 3:

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Temperature (? C.) Conventional Measurement standard C Structural points stud Component 100 Variation Point 1 26.6 25.5 1.1 Point 2 28.0 26.2 1.8 Point 3 26.3 25.6 0.7

[0060] Thus the structural component 100 proposed in the present invention can be seen to reduce the surface temperature by 1.8? C. at measurement point 2. The experiment above is conducted using an IR lamp that provides a single point source of heating, whereas in reality the heating would be uniform across the construction board affixed to the structural component 100 and will result in further reduction in surface temperature.

Industrial Applications

[0061] Thus the structural component 100 of the present invention is an economic (in terms of energy saving) component capable of reducing thermal loss and gain through conductivity with adjacent adjoining materials. In addition, the structural component 100 herein possess the following advantages: [0062] The structural component 100 of the invention to be used in conjunction with currently existing industry standardized framing systems without necessitating a modification of other system components; [0063] The substantial flat portions 110 allow the width of structural component 100 to remain consistent with standardized structural dimensions for commonly used framing members; [0064] The structural component 100 readily accommodates the use of mechanical fastening devices thereby eliminating deflection, bending or breakage of these devices due to any obstructions owing to its design; [0065] Although the structural component 100 may cost slightly more to make, they have additional benefits, such as being easier and quicker to install, and can be made of significantly thinner gauge, thus using less material, than simple C-section studs and as well retain structural stability in spite of the material reduction.

[0066] The structural component 100 of the present disclosure finds application in building constructions not limiting to commercial and residential spaces. The structural component 100 described in the present disclosure ensures reduced thermal transmission and enhanced structural performance with slight increase in material usage (which has scope for further optimization). Further provides ease of manufacture, ease of transport and is cost effective. No additional assembly tools or accessories are required for the assembly of the framing assembly described in the present disclosure.

[0067] Having thus described the invention with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

[0068] Note that not all of the activities described above in the general description or the examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those described. Still further, the order in which activities are listed is not necessarily the order in which they are performed.

[0069] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims.

[0070] The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The specification and illustrations are not intended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use the structures or methods described herein. Certain features, that are for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in a sub combination. Further, reference to values stated in ranges includes each and every value within that range. Many other embodiments may be apparent to skilled artisans only after reading this specification. Other embodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such that a structural substitution, logical substitution, or another change may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0071] The description in combination with the figures is provided to assist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein, is provided to assist in describing the teachings, and should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainly be used in this application.

[0072] As used herein, the terms comprises, comprising, includes, including, has, having or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is not necessarily limited only to those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, or refers to an inclusive-or and not to an exclusive-or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

[0073] Also, the use of a or an is employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural, or vice versa, unless it is clear that it is meant otherwise. For example, when a single item is described herein, more than one item may be used in place of a single item. Similarly, where more than one item is described herein, a single item may be substituted for that more than one item.

[0074] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. To the extent that certain details regarding specific materials and processing acts are not described, such details may include conventional approaches, which may be found in reference books and other sources within the manufacturing arts.

[0075] While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.

LIST OF ELEMENTS

[0076] 100 Structural Component [0077] P1, P2 Parallel Strip [0078] S1 Perpendicular Strip [0079] 110 Substantial Flat Portions [0080] 120 Void Portions [0081] 130 Convex Profile [0082] 140 Insulation Material [0083] 200 Floor Channel [0084] 210 Floor [0085] 300 Ceiling Channel [0086] 310 Ceiling [0087] 400 Construction Panel [0088] 500 Framing Assembly [0089] 600 Laminated Construction Panel [0090] D1 Distance between Consecutive Void Portions [0091] L Length of the Substantial Flat Portions [0092] W Width of the Substantial Flat Portions [0093] X First Axis