Glass/polymer reinforcement backing for siding and compression packaging of siding backed with glass/polymer

Abstract

An acoustical and thermally absorbent composite formed of thermoplastic bonding materials and reinforcing fibers is provided. The reinforcing fibers are preferably wet use chopped strand glass fibers (WUCS). The thermoplastic bonding materials may be any thermoplastic or thermosetting material having a melting point less than the reinforcing fiber. The composite material may be formed by partially opening the WUCS fibers and bonding fibers, blending the reinforcement and bonding fibers, forming the reinforcement and bonding fibers into a sheet, and bonding the sheet. The composite material is a lofted insulation product that may be used as a reinforcement backing for cladding such as vinyl siding. The composite material may be affixed to the siding by ultrasonic welding. After the composite material has been affixed to the siding, the siding product may be vacuum packaged within an air-impervious material to reduce the storage and/or shipping space required for the siding product.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to siding products, and more particularly, to a composite material that includes wet reinforcement fibers and organic fibers. The composite material is used as a reinforcement backing for siding products and possesses improved sound absorption and thermal insulation. A method of forming the composite material and vacuum compressing the siding product containing the composite material is also provided. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Aluminum and vinyl siding has been used for years as exterior surface coverings on buildings such as residential homes to give the buildings aesthetically pleasing appearances. However, siding made of vinyl or metal has very little insulative properties. Thus, it is common practice to install an insulating board between the siding and the building frame. The insulating board is typically in the form of a core of a foamed polymeric material such...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is an advantage of the present invention that the physical properties of the composite material may be optimized and / or tailored by altering the weight, length, and / or diameter of the reinforcement and / or bonding fibers.

[0011] It is another advantage of the present invention that the composite material has a uniform or substantially uniform distribution of reinforcement fibers and bonding fibers that provides improved strength, acoustical and thermal properties, stiffness, impact resistance, and acoustical absorbance.

[0012] It is yet another advantage of the present invention that ultrasonically welding the composite material to the siding can be conducted in-line to increase the speed of manufacture.

[0013] It is a further advantage of the present invention that the degree of the ultrasonic weld can be varied to tune the bond strength between the composite material and the cladding according to customer specifications.

[0014] It is also an advantage of the present invention that the size of the packaging for the siding product and shipping and warehouse costs can be reduced by vacuum compressing the siding product. In addition, packaging material costs may also be reduced because less materials are needed to package the compressed, vacuum packaged siding product for shipping and storage.

[0015] It is also an advantage of the present invention that the composite material can be manufactured at lower costs because wet use chopped strand glass fibers are less expensive to manufacture than dry chopped fibers.

Problems solved by technology

However, siding made of vinyl or metal has very little insulative properties.

Although known insulated siding systems may provide improved thermal insulation properties over non-insulated siding systems, they still may allow significant air flow which may adversely affect the overall thermal properties of the building.

Such air filtration reduces the “R”-rating of the siding system.

In addition, the insulating board is typically attached to the siding by a thermosetting adhesive, which tends to degrade over time and exposure to the elements.

Another problem with the conventional insulation materials is that the vertical edges of adjacent vinyl siding panels may not lay flat as a result of the deformation of the shape of the vinyl siding due to improper manufacturing, handling, or installation.

Such deformations may subject the internal portion of the siding to water, dirt, and other debris.

The bacteria and mold may cause unpleasant odors and a discoloration in the insulating backing that may transfer to the siding.

Moreover, conventional foam insulating boards for backing residential siding does not provide sound absorbing properties.

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