Process for making paneled walls having butt joints sealed by a double gasket assembly

Abstract

1. A process for making a paneled wall including a first wall panel module including a first wall panel and a double gasket assembly, a second wall panel, and a sealed abutment joint between the first wall panel and the second wall panel, the double gasket assembly including a compressible internal gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weather resistant gasket, the process including the steps of attaching the double gasket assembly to an end face of the first wall panel to form a first wall panel module, aligning the second wall panel to the first wall panel module, and compressing a gasket of the double gasket assembly between the end face of the first wall panel and the end face of the second wall panel to seal the abutment joint.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THEINVENTION. The present invention relates to a process for making walls including wall panels that utilize a double gasket assembly suitable for sealing abutment joints between wall panels in commercial and other constructions. This process can be particularly useful with prefabricated wall panels and in prefabricated wall assemblies in that the joint sealing mechanism can be pre-installed on the individual wall panels before the panels are assembled into the wall. As used herein, "panel" and "wall panel" are used interchangeably. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of Related Art In some buildings, exterior walls may be non-structural and may not carry significant structural loads other than the exterior wall's own weight. The primary function of these exterior walls is to provide protection from the elements. Such exterior walls may include a series of wall panels connected to a building support structure of columns and floors that carry most of the building's structural load. The wall panels are typically designed to resist air and water intrusion, absorb sway induced by wind and seismic forces acting on the building, withstand wind loads, and support their own weight. Although the individual panels may span multiple floors and have various lengths, sealing the butt joints between the panels, i.e., sealing the small gaps between the end faces of the individual panels in the final wall, presents a challenge. These sealed butt joints must meet design requirements associated with various building codes along with other desired performance expectations (e.g., thermal expansion and contraction, building sway and movement, water separation, and thermal efficiency).

[0003] The gaps between the end faces of individual wall panels, referred to interchangeably herein as "butt joints" or "inter-panel joints", have traditionally been sealed from the exterior of the building after the wall panels are in place and attached to the building support structure. In one conventional process, after the panels are installed, the gaps between the panels are sealed by first forcing a resilient support, known as a backer rod, into the gap from the exterior of the building. This backer rod then serves as a support for manually injecting a wet (liquid) sealant onto the outwardly facing surface of the backer rod from the exterior of the building. Optionally, if a double seal is desired, the inwardly facing surface of the backer rod can be additionally manually sealed from the interior of the building in a similar manner with a wet (liquid) sealant. The wet sealant fills at least a portion of the gap between the end faces of the two abutting panels and provides a substantially permanently fixed air-tight and water-tight seal supported by the backer rod when the sealant cures.

[0004] To create an effective air-tight and water-tight seal, advanced workmanship is required at considerable heights and in unfavorable weather conditions. Also, the long curing times of wet sealants can impact the construction process. All of these sealing operations on the exterior of multi-story walls after the walls are installed involve significant costs for worker lifts or scaffolding and associated safety concerns.

[0005] Therefore, what is needed is a method of sealing inter-panel joints that does not require extensive work on the exterior of the wall to seal the inter-panel joints after the panels are in place to form the wall. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a process for making a paneled wall having a sealed butt joint, the wall comprising a first wall panel module including a first wall panel and a double gasket assembly, a second wall panel, and a sealed butt joint between the first wall panel and the second wall panel; The dual gasket assembly includes a compressible inner gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weathering gasket; Each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel is rectangular and has a vertical height, a horizontal width and a thickness, and each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel further has a first major surface and an opposing second major surface; each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel additionally has a plurality of end faces, each end face having a length that is either a) the vertical height of the first wall panel or the second wall panel, or b) the horizontal width of the first wall panel or the second wall panel, each end face having a width that is the thickness of either the first wall panel or the second wall panel, each end face being generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface of the first wall panel or the second wall panel; The process is a) attaching a dual gasket assembly to one of a plurality of end faces of a first wall panel to form a first wall panel module; b) aligning the second wall panel with respect to the first wall panel module such that a first major surface of the first wall panel and a first major surface of the second wall panel lie in the same first plane, and an opposite second major surface of the first wall panel and an opposite second major surface of the second wall panel lie in the same second plane, forming a set of parallel major surface planes; and c) compressing both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weathering gasket of the dual gasket assembly between one of the plurality of end faces of the first wall panel and one of the plurality of end faces of the second wall panel to seal the abutment joint between the end faces. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a dual gasket assembly including a support joint, a compressible inner gasket, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an abutment joint between end faces of two panels having a length, width and thickness. [Diagram 3]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of one preferred embodiment of a support joint for a double gasket assembly, further having at least one groove channel for conducting water. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred double gasket assembly including a support joint, a compressible inner gasket, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket, further having at least one groove channel for conducting water. [Diagram 5] 13 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the bottom surface of the base of the support joint, where the attachment region is at least one protrusion. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building illustrating an example of multiple panels joined together to form a building envelope, where the panels are rectangular with sealed inter-panel joints between the panels. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one representation of a panel 1 having a rectilinear shape and six sides, including two main sides and four end sides. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a panel module including a panel and a double gasket assembly attached to an edge face of the panel. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a panel module including a panel and two double gasket assemblies attached to two end faces of the panel. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a drain line including a body having a mounting fitting, a water collection area, a drainage channel, and a compressible gasket having an external port. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a cutaway, partially assembled view of the installation and function of the drain line when combined with the double gasket assembly at the junction of the double gasket assembly. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a cutaway, partially assembled view of the installation and function of the drain line when combined with the double gasket assembly at the junction of the double gasket assembly. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a partial exploded view of joining two gaskets using a two-way gasket connector. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a fully exploded view of joining four gaskets using a four-way gasket connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The present invention relates to a sealing mechanism and method for sealing butt joints between panels, preferably inter-panel joints in commercial wall construction, and to products including such sealing mechanisms along with mechanisms for drainage of water that may accumulate at any of such joints. As used herein, the phrases "butt joint" and "inter-panel joint" are interchangeable and refer to the gap between the end faces of two adjacent panels, particularly in a wall system. The word panel is intended to include, but is not limited to, panels used as wall components in buildings. Panels can have any inorganic or organic material, including metal, glass, concrete, wood, and composite materials. Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, no limitations on the orientation, design, or shape of the panels are implied, and while many building walls are generally vertically oriented and rectangular in shape, the invention described herein can be applied to all inter-panel joints of any orientation or type useful in buildings. The invention described herein can further relate to joint sealing mechanisms pre-installed on individual panels before the panels are assembled into a wall.

[0009] Specifically, the inventions disclosed herein relate to double gasket assemblies for sealing one or more butt joints, and the use of the double gasket assemblies in panel modules and paneled walls systems, along with the panel modules and paneled walls and other components used in those walls, in addition to the processes for making all of these inventions. Additionally, the inventions disclosed herein include mechanisms specifically designed to manage and drain water that may inadvertently accumulate within the double gasket assemblies.

[0010] In some embodiments, these inventions are made at a building site and then used to construct the walls of a building, while in some embodiments, the inventions are prefabricated. By "prefabricated" we mean that the article is made at a manufacturing facility or some location that is separate from the building site where the walls will be erected. This allows economies of scale to be realized in the manufacture of the article, and also allows the article to be stored until it is ready for use, and then delivered to one or more building sites as and when needed. Intuitively, the use of prefabricated articles should reduce the time required to build and seal paneled walls at the building site.

[0011] 6 is a perspective view of a building 62 illustrating an example of a number of panels 60 (not all of which are labeled) coupled to the supporting structure of the building. In this view, the panels are rectangular with major (exterior) faces having a constant vertical height H and a constant horizontal width W, with inter-panel joints between the panels, represented in this view by inter-panel joints 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d.

[0012] The panels 60 are shown arranged in a side-by-side configuration. The panels can be in-line with one another as shown, or can be offset from one another (not shown). As depicted in this figure, the panels 60 are typically substantially duplicated or modular from one another. However, a building may include different panels, such as panels having different sizes, shapes, and / or configurations. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the panels 60 on one side of the building are smaller than the panels 66 (not all labeled) on the other side of the building.

[0013] This panel configuration in the building wall assembly shown in FIG. 6 illustrates four inter-panel joints 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d around one of the rectangular panels 60. In this configuration, the building wall assembly presents a substantially continuous exterior surface of the building. In other wall assemblies, the panels can be arranged such that only two inter-panel joints need to be sealed. For example, in one type of wall assembly, as shown in FIG. 6 as the bottom of the building 62, the individual panels 68 (not all of which are labeled) can be sized and positioned sufficiently such that the inter-panel joints are only vertically oriented joints, e.g., lines 69a and 69b. Conversely, the size and positioning of the panels can be such that the inter-panel joints are only horizontally oriented joints. Many combinations are possible, as are the orientations of the butt joints. The panels may span less than one floor, one floor, or more than one floor of the building. A wall assembly including wall panels may represent the entire envelope (or exterior facade) of a building, or simply a portion thereof.

[0014] Double Gasket Assembly Sealing inter-panel joints utilizes a double gasket assembly. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of a double gasket assembly 10 including a support joint 11, a compressible inner gasket 12, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket 14. The double gasket assembly further includes at least one channel for conducting water, which in this illustration includes an optional series of holes 15 for attaching the support joint to an end face.

[0015] The double gasket assembly is suitable for sealing an abutment joint 20 between the edges of two panels as shown in FIG. 2, the abutment joint having a length, a width and a thickness. For ease of illustration, FIG. 2 illustrates two panels rotated 90 degrees from a vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, the two panels having two main faces 21 and 22 with an abutment joint 20 (not drawn to scale) between the edges, the edges being perpendicular to the main faces of the panels. The length 23 of the abutment joint is the length of the larger sealable edge dimension measured parallel to the plane of the panels. The width 24 of the abutment joint is the smaller sealable edge dimension measured perpendicular to both the length 23 of the abutment joint and the plane of the panels, the width of the abutment joint being substantially the thickness of the panels, assuming that the abutment joint is between two panels of equal thickness. If the thicknesses of the two panels are different, the width of the abutment joint is the thickness of the thinner panel. The butt joint thickness 25 is the face-to-face distance between the two end faces to be sealed. Although not drawn to scale in FIG. 2 for ease of defining dimensions, the butt joint thickness 25 (the gap between the end faces when the panel is installed in a wall) can be much less than the butt joint width 24 (typically the width of the panel), and typically will be much less than the butt joint width 24. For example, the butt joint width 24 can be 4 to 8 inches, while the butt joint thickness 25 can be ½ to 1 inch.

[0016] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1, the double gasket assembly has a generally elongated rectangular footprint on an edge of a wall panel and is configured to be attached to the edge of the wall panel, and therefore has a length 16, width 17, and thickness 18 measured in a manner similar to the length 23, width 24, and thickness 25 of the butt joint. Specifically, the length 16 of the double gasket assembly 10 is the overall centerline length of the linear dimension of the double gasket assembly. All of the lengths, along with the individual lengths of the components of the double gasket assembly (support joint 11, compressible inner gasket 12, and compressible outer weather resistant gasket 14), are measured generally parallel to the length 23 of the butt joint being sealed. The length 16 of the double gasket assembly, or the length 16 of a portion of the double gasket assembly, can be greater than, equal to, or less than the length 23 of the butt joint. In particular, in some arrangements, it may be desirable for the length of the compressible inner gasket 12 and the compressible outer gasket 14 to be longer or shorter than any particular abutment joint length 23, and for the length of the support joint 11 to be the same or shorter than the abutment joint length 23. For example, it may be desirable to have the ends of two adjacent horizontally oriented compressible outer gaskets sealing two horizontal abutment joints between two sets of adjacent panels meet at the vertical abutment joint between the two sets of panels. Thus, each of the compressible outer gaskets may be slightly longer than the horizontal abutment joints they seal, with the actual length being determined by the width of the gasket connector used to connect the two gasket ends.

[0017] The width 17 of the double gasket assembly is the second largest linear dimension measured perpendicular to the length 16 of the double gasket assembly and parallel to the width 24 of the abutment joint. In some embodiments, the width 24 of the abutment joint is substantially greater than the width 17 of the double gasket assembly, and in some embodiments, the width 17 of the double gasket assembly is 50% or less of the width 24 of the abutment joint. In some embodiments, the width 17 of the double gasket assembly is 25% or less of the width 24 of the abutment joint.

[0018] The thickness 18 of the double gasket assembly is the thickness of the double gasket assembly. It is the distance between the outer contact surfaces of the gaskets, i.e., between the outermost portions of each gasket that contact the end faces of each panel that form the butt joint. As used herein, the term "original thickness" of the double gasket assembly is the thickness of the double gasket assembly before the gaskets are compressed. The double gasket assembly preferably has an original thickness 18 that is greater than the thickness 25 of the butt joint between the two wall panels.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional or end view of an embodiment of a support joint for a double gasket assembly. The support joint 30 includes an elongate body having a base 31, the base having a top surface 32 and a bottom surface 33, the top surface of the base having at least one groove channel 34 for conducting water. In this embodiment, the groove channel is formed between two weirs 35 on the top surface of the support joint. The top surface of the base further includes an inner gasket support 36 and an outer gasket support 37, the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support being separated by at least one groove channel 34 for conducting water. A compressible inner gasket is then attached to the inner gasket support and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket is attached to the outer gasket support (not shown with gaskets attached in FIG. 3). In the embodiment of Figure 3, both the inner gasket support 36 and the outer gasket support 37 have c-shaped gasket retaining cavities and c-shaped channels that run parallel to the length of the support joints of the double gasket assembly designed for use with a compressible inner gasket and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket, with each gasket having a matching T-shaped protrusion. In some embodiments, the support joints have a length parallel to the length of the double gasket assembly that corresponds to the length of the abutment joint between the end faces of the two wall panels to be sealed.

[0020] The bottom surface 33 of the base 31 of the support joint 30 has a contact area 38 for stabilizing the support joint on the end surface of one of the two wall panels. The bottom surface further has an attachment area for attaching the support joint to the end surface, the attachment area being at least one surface, protrusion, or cavity.

[0021] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 3, the entire bottom surface of the base is the contact area 38, with many different options for attachment areas being available. For example, if sufficient for the application, the support joint can be attached to the edge surface by applying an adhesive strip or adhesive foam to the bottom surface 33 of the support joint base in an attachment area that can be some or all of the support joint's contact area 38. Optionally, the support joint base contact area can have a set of holes 15 (Figure 1) extending from the top surface 32 to the bottom surface 33 for use with a set of fasteners (e.g., screws, nails, etc.) to secure the contact area to the edge surface of the panel, the holes being the attachment area.

[0022] Also shown in Figure 3 is an optional support joint feature 39, which may thicken the base at the groove channel for further reinforcement of the support joint, as indicated by the dotted lines. Additionally, if desired, the area may further include a V-notch extending the length of the support joint. A V-notch may be used in the absence of pre-drilled holes to prevent "walking" of self-drilling screw fasteners (such as self-tapping screws) when they are used to attach the support joint to an end face.

[0023] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred double gasket assembly 40 including a support joint 41, a compressible inner gasket 42, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket 43. In this embodiment, the compressible inner gasket 42 and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket 43 have a hollow flat hourglass shape, with the flat or straight side (contact surface) of the hourglass configured to match the planar end surface of the panel to be sealed. The compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket are attached to the support joint via gasket supports (45 and 46) at opposite ends of the support joint, and the inner gasket support 45 and the outer gasket support 46 are separated by at least one groove channel 44 for conducting water.

[0024] By mounting the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket on opposite sides of at least one groove, the advantage of a redundant gasket system is provided that further provides a mechanism for collecting and draining liquid water that may breach the compressible weather resistant outer gasket or condense between the gaskets, with the compressible weather resistant outer gasket generally facing the exterior environment of the wall, while the compressible inner gasket generally facing the interior environment of the wall.

[0025] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, both the inner gasket support 45 and the outer gasket support 46 have c-shaped gasket retaining cavities, and the compressible inner gasket 42 and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket 43 each have a matching T-shaped projection 47 that seats within each c-shaped cavity. Figure 4 also illustrates an optional set of holes 49 through the base of the support joint for use with a set of fasteners (e.g., screws, nails, etc.) to secure the contact areas to the end faces of the panels. In some embodiments, the dual gasket assembly has a length that corresponds to the length of the abutment joint between two wall panels.

[0026] FIG. 4 further illustrates the width and thickness dimensions of the double gasket assembly, both of which can be measured perpendicular to the length of the double gasket assembly. The width of the double gasket assembly is dimension 400 in FIG. 4, the dimension parallel to the width dimension of the abutment joint to be sealed. The compressible inner gasket 42, the support joint 41, and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket 43 all contribute to the width of the double gasket assembly, i.e., the distance from the outer edge of the compressible inner gasket to the outer edge of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket, as shown. The original thickness of the double gasket assembly, i.e., the double gasket assembly with the gaskets in an uncompressed state, is also shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the double gasket assembly has a width measured perpendicular to both the length and thickness of the double gasket assembly, the width being measured from the maximum outer edge of the compressible inner gasket to the maximum outer edge of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket, which is generally less than the width of the abutment joint between the two wall panels.

[0027] The original thickness of the double gasket assembly is the thickness of the double gasket assembly prior to compression of the gaskets when sealing the butt joints. The original thickness is the distance between the outermost portions of each gasket that contact the edge of the panel, and is shown in FIG. 4 as dimension 401. In this figure, the flat edge shown on the compressible inner gasket and the flat edge shown on the compressible weather resistant outer gasket are the outermost portions from which the original thickness is measured. For purposes herein, the thickness of the double gasket assembly is measured excluding any protrusions extending from the base, i.e., only the measurements of the gaskets are considered. Additionally, although the figures show gaskets with flat faces, other shapes are possible, in which case the original thickness of the double gasket assembly is the maximum thickness of the uncompressed gasket measured perpendicular to the base of the support joint.

[0028] To form a seal, the double gasket assembly has an original thickness that is greater than the thickness of the butt joint between the two panels to be sealed. Once the double gasket assembly has sealed the butt joint between the two panels, the thickness of the installed double gasket assembly is preferably the same as the thickness of the butt joint between the two panels.

[0029] The inner gasket supports (36, 45) and the outer gasket supports (37, 46) are preferably integral with the support joint base. If desired, each of the gasket supports may be further integral with its associated gasket. However, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to only integrate the compressible inner gasket with the gasket support, while allowing the compressible weather resistant outer gasket to remain removable from the support so that it can be replaced as needed if it becomes weathered.

[0030] In the embodiment of the support joint and dual gasket assembly shown in Figures 3 and 4, each inner gasket support (36, 45) and outer gasket support (37, 46) has a gasket retaining cavity for mounting a compressible inner gasket 42 and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket 43, respectively, by means of a gasket retaining projection 47 extending from each respective gasket. However, either or both of the gasket supports in a pair have a gasket retaining projection for mounting a respective gasket, and each gasket has a corresponding cavity for seating the associated gasket retaining projection.

[0031] Specifically, in some embodiments, the compressible inner gasket of the dual gasket assembly comprises: i) a protrusion extending from an inner gasket support seated within a cavity in the compressible inner gasket; or ii) a projection extending from a compressible inner gasket seated within a cavity in the inner gasket support; The inner gasket support is attached to the inner gasket support by either

[0032] In some embodiments, the compressible weather resistant outer gasket of the dual gasket assembly comprises: i) a projection extending from an outer gasket support seated within a cavity in a compressible weather resistant outer gasket; or ii) Attached to the outer gasket support by projections extending from a compressible weather resistant outer gasket seated within cavities in the outer gasket support.

[0033] In some preferred embodiments, the internal gasket support and the external gasket support each have at least one projection or cavity for mounting of the gasket. As used herein, a "projection" extending from a part means that the part has an appendage extending (or protruding) from the part having a suitable size and shape that allows the appendage to be inserted into and seated in a suitable size and shape cavity in a second part to connect or attach the two parts to each other. In some embodiments, the projection can have any shape known as a dart and typically used for darts as known in the art, for example, an arrow shape, a tree shape, a barb shape, or a "T" shape. The cavity associated with each of these shapes is an opening in the part that allows the shape to enter and seat in the part.

[0034] "Seat" or "seated" means that the projection is mechanically held or fastened within the cavity to secure the projection within the cavity and connect or attach two parts to one another. Cavity means a pocket, channel, empty space, or hollowed-out space in the surface of a part having a suitable size and shape that can receive and seat a projection of suitable size and shape.

[0035] If projections and cavities are used, the double gasket assembly can then be attached to the end face of the panel, and the projections and cavities must properly attach each gasket and gasket support to one another, such that if the panel is moved, the gaskets will remain attached, and furthermore, the gaskets can be compressed between two adjacent end faces without either gasket becoming dislodged from its gasket support. Alternatively, the support joint can first be attached to the end face of the panel, and then the gaskets can be attached with any combination of projections and cavities, and again, the gaskets and gasket supports must properly attach with any combination of projections and cavities, such that if the panel is moved, the gaskets will remain attached, and furthermore, the gaskets can be compressed between two adjacent end faces without either gasket becoming dislodged from its gasket support.

[0036] Many different arrangements of the projections and cavities are possible. For example, a set of linearly arranged, individually spaced gasket darts and a set of matching linearly arranged, individually spaced gasket support cavities can be used with both linear arrangements oriented parallel to the channel when installed and extending substantially the length of the support joint, with the number of attachment points being determined by the gasket application. In a preferred embodiment, the projections are continuous projections, meaning that they extend substantially the length of the support joint oriented parallel to the channel when installed. Similarly, in a preferred embodiment, the cavities are continuous channels, meaning that, again, they extend substantially the length of the support joint oriented parallel to the channel when installed.

[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the projection may have a cross-sectional "T" shape and may be seated within a cavity having a cross-sectional "C" shape as illustrated by the cross-sectional views of the support joint and dual gasket assembly in Figures 3 and 4. The C-shaped cavity typically forms a channel on or in the support joint base, the channel being oriented parallel to the groove channel and preferably extending continuously along the length of the support joint base. Similarly, the associated gasket has a T-shaped projection that preferably extends continuously along the length of the gasket.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments, the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket have the same shape, one preferred shape is shown in FIG. 4 as a two-lobed, hollow, flat hourglass shape, with the flat or straight side of the hourglass configured to match the planar edge of the panel to be sealed. However, there is no requirement that the shape of the compressible inner gasket and the shape of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket be the same. Other gasket shapes and materials are also believed to be suitable for use in this application. It is believed that many different gasket materials can be used as gaskets in a double gasket assembly, having a round or nearly round cross-section, a curved cross-section, or a rectangular or nearly rectangular cross-section, or a combination thereof.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the geometry of the gaskets and gasket supports is configured such that both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible outer weather resistant gasket are not pressed against the end face of the wall panel when the dual gasket assembly is first or solely attached to that end face. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom contact surface 48 of each gasket aligns with the bottom surface of the base of the support joint. This facilitates installation of the dual gasket assembly onto the end face of the wall panel since it is not necessary to partially compress the gaskets during initial installation onto the first panel end face.

[0040] For example, with respect to the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 4, to install the dual gasket assembly on the end face of a wall panel, the support joint can first be attached to the end face, and then the T-shaped projection of the compressible inner gasket can be slid into the C-shaped inner gasket support of the support joint to attach the compressible inner gasket. The compressible weather resistant outer gasket can be attached to the outer gasket support in a similar manner. Because the bottom surface of the gasket is at most flush with the bottom surface of the support joint, the gasket can be slid into the C-shaped cavity in the support joint without substantial friction from the end face of the wall.

[0041] Alternatively, both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weatherproof outer gasket can be attached to the support joint by sliding each T-shaped gasket projection into the associated C-shaped gasket support at the support joint to create a fully assembled gasket assembly, and the support joint can then be attached to the end face of the wall panel. Again, the base surface of the gasket is at most flush with the bottom surface of the support joint, so the double gasket assembly can be attached without first forcing the gasket against the end face of the wall. Both of these techniques allow for easier and more accurate positioning of the double gasket assembly on the end face of the wall. Furthermore, this preferred gasket configuration still provides for proper sealing of the abutment joint when both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weatherproof outer gasket are later compressed against both end faces of the abutment joint by contact with a second end face from another wall to completely seal the abutment joint.

[0042] The compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket can comprise any resilient material made into a compressible form that can provide adequate sealing and is durable enough to withstand the rigors of construction. Also, certain panel applications may have additional preferred requirements for the gasket material, such as thermal expansion and contraction properties within a certain range, and the ability to remain flexible over time and changing temperatures to accommodate building sway and movement. It is also desirable for the compressible weather resistant outer gasket to have suitable weather resistant properties, such as preferably not being overly affected by water and / or ultraviolet light.

[0043] Resilient materials contemplated as suitable for use in the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket can include elastomeric and rubber materials, including silicone and modified silicone elastomers, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, and other compressible crosslinked elastomers, as well as other flexible polyurethanes and polyethylenes, etc. The compressible form of the gasket can include an open center and relatively hollow or hollow lobed structure, as shown in the present figure, or various types of closed cell foams.

[0044] Because the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket in the double gasket assembly are significantly compressed within the sealed butt joint, an open-center, relatively hollow, or hollow-lobed gasket structure is preferred in many embodiments. Specifically, the gaskets in the double gasket assembly are preferably permanently compressible such that the thickness of the double gasket assembly in its compressed state at the sealed butt joint is at least 80% of its original thickness, preferably at least 75% of its original thickness, and most preferably at least 50% of its original thickness at the sealed butt joint.

[0045] The bottom surface of the base of the support joint for the double gasket assembly has a contact area for stabilizing the support joint on the edge surface of the panel. The bottom surface of the base further has an attachment area for attaching the support joint to the edge surface, the attachment area being at least one surface, protrusion, or cavity.

[0046] The attachment area being "at least one surface" is meant to apply to support joints that require additional fasteners or adhesives to attach a portion of the contact area of ​​the support joint to the edge surface of the panel. Examples of such joints are shown in Figures 3 and 4, where the attachment area is part of the bottom surface 33 of the support joint, a surface that is also part of the contact area 38 of the support joint in these figures.

[0047] In many embodiments, the contact area for stabilizing the support joint on an end surface is larger than the attachment area for attaching the support joint to said end surface, especially when the support joint is attached to the end surface using an attachment area that is a protrusion or a cavity. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the bottom surface of the base of a support joint where the attachment area is at least one protrusion. The support joint 50 has a groove channel 55 formed by two weirs 57 and has two gasket supports 59 with darts, which further form two other optional channels 56 that may also be used for drainage. As shown, the support joint 50 has a base attachment area 51 with at least one protrusion 52 that attaches the support joint to the end surface 53 of the panel (dotted line showing the location of the end surface of the panel). The attachment area is considered to be the area on the bottom surface of the base in the plane of the bottom surface of the base that provides for the attachment of the support joint to the end surface.

[0048] The protrusion 52 shown in Figure 5 has a chamfered "T" shape designed to slide or fit into a C-shaped channel (or cavity) in a panel end face 53. Additionally, Figure 5 illustrates a support joint where the contact area 54 for stabilizing the support joint on the panel end face and the base attachment area 51 are not identical.

[0049] Alternatively, the support joint can have an attachment area which is a cavity in the support joint base suitable for attaching the support joint to an end face of the panel via a joint retaining protrusion on the wall panel. In this embodiment, the joint retaining protrusion extends from the panel end face and the base attachment area of ​​the support joint is taken as the area of ​​the entrance opening into the cavity in the support joint base, in the plane of the bottom surface of the base.

[0050] In some embodiments, the double gasket assembly is adapted to seal an abutment joint between a first surface area of ​​a first end face of a first panel and a second surface area of ​​a second end face of a second panel. In the first panel, the first surface area to be sealed is generally a rectangular area on the first end face, having a major axis with a first surface length and a minor axis with a first surface width, and in the second panel, the second surface area to be sealed is also generally a rectangular area on the second end face, having a major axis with a second surface length and a minor axis with a second surface width. In some embodiments, at least one groove channel for conducting water has a length equal to the first surface length of the first surface area.

[0051] 7 is a perspective view of a panel 71 having a rectilinear shape, the panel having six sides. The six sides include two main sides and four end sides. A first main side 72, which is the front side of the panel, and a second main side 73, which is the back side of the panel, are shown. When the panel is used in the construction of a building, generally the first main side 72 (or front side) is the side of the panel that is either exposed to the weather or is the side that faces most closely to the exterior of the building, while the opposite second main side 73 (or back side) is the side of the panel that is either the interior wall of the building or is the side that faces most closely to the interior of the building.

[0052] The double gasket assembly is used to seal an abutment joint between a first end face of a first panel and a second end face of a second panel by sealing a first surface area of ​​the first end face of the first panel against a second surface area of ​​the second end face of the second panel. FIG. 7 illustrates a first surface area to be sealed on a first panel, which is the shaded area on the first end face of the first panel. The first surface area has a major axis having a first surface length and a minor axis having a first surface width, the major axis being the longer dimension of the surface area on that end face and the minor axis being the shorter dimension of the surface area on that same end face. Additionally, although not illustrated, a second surface area to be sealed on a second end face of a second panel similarly has a major axis having a second surface length and a minor axis having a second surface width, the major axis being the longer dimension of the surface area on that end face and the minor axis being the shorter dimension of the surface area on that same end face.

[0053] Finally, the gap between this first surface area of ​​the first end face of the first panel and the second surface area of ​​the second end face of the second panel is sealed through the use of a double gasket assembly. However, for clarity, the features of the first panel are described first.

[0054] 7 illustrates a first end surface 74 of a first panel, the first end surface having a first end surface area designated by corner point ABCD. The first end surface is perpendicular or generally perpendicular to both a first major surface 72 and an opposing second major surface 73 of the first panel, the first end surface having a first surface area 75 to be sealed, designated by corner point AEFD.

[0055] The use of the phrase "surface area to be sealed" refers to the surface area on the end face of the panel that includes at least partial contact with the double gasket assembly after the gasket assembly is fully installed between the end faces of the two panels, thereby sealing the abutment gap. The double gasket assembly does not need to contact the entire width of the end face to seal the abutment joint. In many cases, the width of the double gasket assembly is not as wide as the thickness of the panel, and it is generally desirable for the double gasket assembly to be positioned adjacent the exterior surface (major surface 72) of the panel and the wall, rather than adjacent the interior surface (major surface 73) of the panel and the wall, to seal the area shown by shading in FIG. 7. In some embodiments, it is desirable for the double gasket assembly to be positioned flush with the exterior surface (major surface 72) of the panel, providing a substantially continuous surface appearance to the wall. In some other embodiments, it is desirable for the double gasket assembly to be recessed inwardly from the exterior surface of the wall between the panels, rather than flush with the exterior surface of the panel, to provide a wall surface with a more defined boundary of the panels and joints, if this is a desired aesthetic appearance.

[0056] The first surface area 75 to be sealed further has a first surface length, represented by the distance between points AD or EF, since the surface is generally rectangular, and a first surface width, represented by the distance between points AE or DF, since the surface is also generally rectangular. Furthermore, the surface area 75 to be sealed shown in FIG. 7 is a preferred embodiment, and generally, the surface area 75 to be sealed has a first surface width AE or DF that is smaller than the width AB or DC of the entire first edge, and the surface area 75 to be sealed is located closer to the front side (major surface 72) of the panel than it is closer to the back side (major surface 73) of the panel. However, the first surface width AE or DF of the surface area 75 can be as wide as the first edge 74, or the first surface width AE or DF can be positioned anywhere within the width of the first edge 74.

[0057] In a typical straight wall construction, a first major surface 72 of a first panel lies in an exterior plane extending in all directions from the panel, and the first major surfaces of the multiple other such panels form an exterior wall surface. Similarly, an opposite second major surface 73 of the first panel lies in an interior plane extending in all directions from the panel, and the second major surfaces of the multiple other such panels form an interior wall surface.

[0058] Wall Panel Module The present invention also relates to a wall panel module including a first wall panel and a double gasket assembly attached to the first wall panel. The first wall panel has a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, the first major surface and the second major surface lying in a set of parallel planes, and the first wall panel further has a first end surface that is generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface. In some preferred embodiments, the panel has a rectilinear shape and has six sides, including two major surfaces and four end surfaces.

[0059] The double gasket assembly attached to the wall panel is adapted to seal an abutment joint between end faces of two wall panels, the abutment joint having a length, width and depth. The double gasket assembly includes a support joint, a compressible inner gasket and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket. The support joint of the double gasket assembly includes a base, the base having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of the base optionally but preferably having at least one groove channel for conducting water. The top surface further includes an inner gasket support and an outer gasket support, the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support being at opposite ends of the base, and if at least one groove channel is present, the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support are separated by the at least one groove channel.

[0060] The compressible inner gasket is attached to the inner gasket support and the compressible weathering outer gasket is attached to the outer gasket support of each support joint, each compressible inner gasket and each compressible weathering outer gasket having a length that is a gasket length parallel to the length of the double gasket assembly. Additionally, the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weathering outer gasket are mounted to the support joint with the compressible inner gasket length and the compressible weathering outer gasket length parallel to each other, which lengths are also parallel to the length of the double gasket assembly, both gaskets being further bounded by a pair of parallel planes extending from the first major surface and the second major surface of the first wall panel to form each double gasket assembly. The bottom surface of each support joint base further has an attachment area, and each double gasket assembly is attached to an end surface of the first wall panel via said attachment area.

[0061] Figure 8 is a diagram of a wall panel module 80 including a panel 81 and a single double gasket assembly 82 attached to an end face 83 of the panel. Figure 8, like Figure 7, illustrates that the double gasket assembly does not need to contact the entire width of the end face to seal the abutment joint. As shown in Figure 8, the width of the double gasket assembly is not as wide as the width of the end face (the thickness of the panel), and rather than being located adjacent to the opposite inner face of the panel, the double gasket assembly is located adjacent to the outer face 84 of the panel, sealing an area similar to the shaded area shown in Figure 7 by corner point AEFD.

[0062] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly having an attachment area that includes at least one surface, protrusion, or cavity. In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly, wherein the inner gasket support and the compressible inner gasket of the double gasket assembly are integral.

[0063] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly, the compressible inner gasket comprising: i) a protrusion extending from an inner gasket support seated within a cavity in the compressible inner gasket; or ii) Attached to the internal gasket support by either a projection extending from a compressible internal gasket seated within a cavity in the internal gasket support.

[0064] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a dual gasket assembly, the compressible weather resistant outer gasket comprising: i) a projection extending from an outer gasket support seated within a cavity in a compressible weather resistant outer gasket; or ii) Attached to the outer gasket support by projections extending from a compressible weather resistant outer gasket seated within cavities in the outer gasket support.

[0065] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly with a support joint, the contact area for stabilizing the support joint of the double gasket assembly on the panel end face being greater than the attachment area for attaching the support joint to said end face.

[0066] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly having a length corresponding to the length of the abutment joint to be sealed between two wall panels.

[0067] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly having a support joint with a length corresponding to the length of the abutment joint between two wall panels.

[0068] In some embodiments, the wall panel module has a double gasket assembly that has a width that is less than the width of the abutment joint between the two wall panels.

[0069] Although not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein with respect to the double gasket assembly or any of its components apply equally to wall panel modules that include the double gasket assembly.

[0070] Wall panel module including multiple double gasket assemblies In some embodiments, the wall panel module may include a first wall panel and a plurality of double gasket assemblies attached to the first wall panel, the first wall panel having a first major surface and an opposing second major surface, the first major surface and the second major surface lying in a set of parallel planes. The first wall panel further has a plurality of end surfaces that are generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposing second major surface, each end surface having an end width that is the thickness of the first panel and an end length that is the length of the end surface perpendicular to the end width. Each of the double gasket assemblies attached to the first wall panel is adapted to seal an end surface or an abutment joint between the first wall panel and another wall panel, the abutment joint having a length, width and depth determined by the dimensions of the individual wall panels to be sealed. As previously described herein, each double gasket assembly includes a support joint, a compressible inner gasket, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket, each support joint including a base, the base having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface further including an inner gasket support and an outer gasket support at opposite ends of the support joint. Preferably, the top surface of each base of the support joint further includes at least one groove channel for conducting water, the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support being separated by the at least one groove channel.

[0071] The compressible inner gasket is attached to the inner gasket support and the compressible weathering outer gasket is attached to the outer gasket support of each support joint, each compressible inner gasket and each compressible weathering outer gasket having a length that is a gasket length parallel to the length of the double gasket assembly. Additionally, the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weathering outer gasket are mounted to the support joint with the compressible inner gasket length and the compressible weathering outer gasket length parallel to each other, which lengths are also parallel to the length of the double gasket assembly, both gaskets being further bounded by a pair of parallel planes extending from the first major surface and the second major surface of the first wall panel to form each double gasket assembly. The bottom surface of each support joint base further has an attachment area, and each double gasket assembly is attached to an end surface of the first wall panel via said attachment area.

[0072] Although not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein with respect to a double gasket assembly or a wall panel module including a double gasket assembly, or any of its components, apply equally to a wall panel module including multiple double gasket assemblies.

[0073] The building 62 shown in FIG. 6 includes a plurality of panels 60 with a plurality of inter-panel joints shown, each joint being located between each pair of panels. Representative joints in this figure are inter-panel joints 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d shown around the periphery of one of the rectangular panels 60. 64a and 64c represent vertically oriented inter-panel joints, while 64b and 64d represent horizontally oriented inter-panel joints. In some wall constructions, modular units that can be used interchangeably are required. A wall panel module including a wall panel and one or more double gasket assemblies attached to the wall panel can provide such a modular unit. Many types of such modular wall panel modules are possible. For example, a wall panel module can include a rectangular panel, with each of the four end faces having a double gasket assembly attached thereto, for a total of four double gasket assemblies in the wall panel module. However, a more practical wall panel module, especially for a building 62 as shown in FIG. 6 and taking into account the desire for a replaceable panel module, is a wall panel module having two double gasket assemblies attached to the wall panel. Since many wall panels are rectangular with one side longer than the other, a wall panel module including a single double gasket assembly attached horizontally and a single double gasket assembly attached vertically (attached to each end face that is perpendicular to each other) can provide a useful and replaceable modular wall panel. For example, FIG. 9 is a diagram of a wall panel module 90 including a panel 91 and two double gasket assemblies 92 attached to two end faces of the panel, specifically the vertical and horizontal end faces of the panel. FIG. 9, like FIGS. 7 and 8, illustrates that the double gasket assemblies do not need to contact the entire width of the end faces to seal the abutting joint. As in FIG. 8, the width of each double gasket assembly is not as wide as the width of each end face (the thickness of the panel), and each double gasket assembly is positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the panel rather than adjacent to the opposite interior surface of the panel, sealing an area similar to the shaded area indicated by corner point AEFD in FIG.

[0074] Process for making wall panel modules The present invention also relates to a process for making a wall panel module including a wall panel and a double gasket assembly, the process comprising: a) forming a first double gasket assembly including a compressible inner gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket, each of the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket having a length that is a gasket length parallel to a length of the double gasket assembly, the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket being attached to the support joint with the compressible inner gasket length and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket length parallel to one another; b) providing a first wall panel having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, the first major surface and the second major surface lying in a set of parallel planes, the first wall panel further having a first edge surface that is generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface, the first edge surface having an edge length that is a height of the first panel and an edge width that is a thickness of the first panel; c) positioning the first double gasket assembly adjacent to a first end face of the first panel within an area bounded by a set of parallel planes, where a length of the compressible inner gasket and a length of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket are parallel to the end face length, both gaskets being further bounded by a set of parallel planes; and d) attaching the support joint of the first double gasket assembly to the first end surface of the first wall panel to form a wall panel module.

[0075] In some embodiments of this process, the support joint of the dual gasket assembly includes a base, the base having a top and a bottom, the top further having an inner gasket support and an outer gasket support at opposite ends of the support joint, the compressible inner gasket is attached to the inner gasket support and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket is attached to the outer gasket support, and the bottom surface of the support joint base further includes an attachment area for attaching the support joint to the first end surface of the first wall panel.

[0076] In some embodiments of this process, the top surface of the base of the support joint further comprises at least one groove channel for directing water, and the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support are separated by said at least one groove channel. Further, the support joint of the double gasket assembly can be attached to the first end surface of the first wall panel by an attachment region of the double gasket assembly.

[0077] If desired, in this process, the inner gasket support and the compressible inner gasket of the dual gasket assembly can be integral. Alternatively, the compressible inner gasket can be i) a protrusion extending from an inner gasket support seated within a cavity in the compressible inner gasket; or ii) It can be attached to the internal gasket support by either a projection extending from a compressible internal gasket seated within a cavity in the internal gasket support.

[0078] In this process, the compressible weather-resistant outer gasket is i) a projection extending from an outer gasket support seated within a cavity in a compressible weather resistant outer gasket; or ii) It may be attached to the outer gasket support by projections extending from a compressible weather resistant outer gasket seated within cavities in the outer gasket support.

[0079] In some embodiments of the process, a contact area for stabilizing the support joint on the end face is larger than an attachment area for attaching the support joint to the end face. Further, in the process, the support joint of the double gasket assembly can have a length corresponding to an end face length of the first end face, and the double gasket assembly can have a width smaller than an end face width length of the first end face.

[0080] While not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein for a double gasket assembly, or a wall panel module including a double gasket assembly, or a wall panel module including a plurality of double gasket assemblies, or any of the components thereof, apply equally to the process of making a wall panel module including a double gasket assembly.

[0081] In some embodiments, the process can further be used to make a wall panel module including a plurality of double gasket assemblies. Specifically, in some embodiments, the present invention relates to a process for making a wall panel module including a wall panel and a plurality of double gasket assemblies, the process comprising: a) forming a plurality of dual gasket assemblies, each dual gasket assembly including a compressible inner gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weathering outer gasket, each of the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weathering outer gasket having a length that is a gasket length parallel to a length of the dual gasket assembly, the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weathering outer gasket being attached to the support joint with the compressible inner gasket length and the compressible weathering outer gasket length parallel to one another; b) providing a first wall panel having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, the first major surface and the second major surface lying in a set of parallel planes, the first wall panel further having a plurality of edge surfaces that are generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface, each edge surface having an edge length that is either a vertical length or a horizontal length of the first panel, and an edge width that is a thickness of the first panel; c) positioning each double gasket assembly adjacent one of the end faces of the first panel within an area bounded by a set of parallel planes, where a length of the compressible inner gasket and a length of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket are parallel to the end face lengths, both gaskets being further bounded by a set of parallel planes; and d) attaching a support joint of each double gasket assembly to said end surface to form a wall panel module.

[0082] Although not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein with respect to any of the components or steps used in the process of making a wall panel that includes a double gasket assembly may be equally applicable to the process of making a wall panel that includes multiple double gasket assemblies.

[0083] Another embodiment of a process for making a wall panel module including a wall panel and a double gasket assembly comprises: a) providing a first wall panel having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, the first major surface and the second major surface lying in a set of parallel planes, the first wall panel further having a first edge surface that is generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface, the first edge surface having an edge length that is a height of the first panel and an edge width that is a thickness of the first panel; b) providing a support joint for the double gasket assembly, the support joint having a length that is parallel to a length of the double gasket assembly, the support joint including a base, the base having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface further including an inner gasket support and an outer gasket support at opposite ends of the support joint, the bottom surface of the support joint base further including an attachment area for attaching the support joint to a first end surface of the first wall panel; c) attaching a support joint of the first double gasket assembly to a first end face of the first wall panel, the length of the support joint being parallel to the end length of the first end face; and d) attaching the compressible inner gasket to the inner gasket support and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket to the outer gasket support, wherein the length of the compressible inner gasket and the length of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket are parallel to the end face length, and both gaskets are further bounded by the set of parallel planes.

[0084] In this process, the upper surface of the base of the support joint can further include at least one groove channel for conducting water, and the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support are separated by the at least one groove channel. Additionally, in this process, the support joint can be attached to the first end surface of the first wall panel by an attachment region.

[0085] In this process, the compressible inner gasket i) a protrusion extending from an inner gasket support seated within a cavity in the compressible inner gasket; or ii) a projection extending from a compressible inner gasket seated within a cavity in the inner gasket support; The inner gasket support may be attached to the inner gasket support by either

[0086] Similarly, in this process, the compressible weather-resistant outer gasket is i) a projection extending from an outer gasket support seated within a cavity in a compressible weather resistant outer gasket; or ii) a projection extending from a compressible weather resistant outer gasket seated within a cavity in the outer gasket support; The gasket can be attached to an external support by

[0087] In this process, the contact area for stabilizing the support joint on the end face can be larger than the attachment area for attaching the support joint to said end face. Furthermore, in this process, the support joint of the double gasket assembly can have a length corresponding to the end face length of the first end face, and after assembly, the double gasket assembly can have a width smaller than the end face width length of the first end face. Any other features or elements described herein with respect to the double gasket assembly, the wall panel, or the wall panel module can be used in the process of making the panel module.

[0088] In another embodiment, the process can be used to make a wall panel module including a plurality of double gasket assemblies. Specifically, in some embodiments, the present invention relates to a process for making a wall panel module including a wall panel and a plurality of double gasket assemblies, the process comprising: a) providing a first wall panel having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, the first major surface and the second major surface lying in a set of parallel planes, the first wall panel further having a plurality of edge surfaces that are generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface, each edge surface having an edge length that is either a vertical length or a horizontal length of the first panel, and an edge width that is a thickness of the first panel; b) providing a plurality of double gasket assembly support joints, each support joint having a length, the support joint including a base, the base having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface further including an inner gasket support and an outer gasket support at opposite ends of the support joint, the bottom surface of the support joint further including an attachment area for attaching the support joint to one of the end surfaces of the first wall panel; c) attaching each support joint to one of the end faces of the first wall panel, the length of the support joint being parallel to the end face length of the end face; d) at each support joint, attaching a compressible inner gasket to the inner gasket support and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket to the outer gasket support, wherein the length of the compressible inner gasket and the length of the compressible weather resistant outer gasket are parallel to the end face length, and both gaskets are further bounded by the set of parallel planes to form a dual gasket assembly that is attached to the end face.

[0089] Although not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein with respect to any of the components or steps used in the process of making a wall panel that includes a double gasket assembly may be equally applicable to the process of making a wall panel that includes multiple double gasket assemblies.

[0090] Drainage lines and gasket connectors In some embodiments, the wall system further comprises a drainage line for draining water from the double gasket assembly or from the multiple double gasket assemblies. As previously disclosed herein, the double gasket assembly is suitable for sealing the butt joint between two wall panels, the double gasket assembly comprises a support joint, a compressible inner gasket, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket, the support joint comprises a base, the base having a bottom surface and a top surface. Additionally, the bottom surface of the base has a contact area for stabilizing the support joint on an end surface of one of the two wall panels, the support joint further comprises an attachment area for attaching the support joint to said end surface, the top surface of the base comprises an inner gasket support and an outer gasket support, the top surface further comprises at least one groove channel for conducting water, the inner gasket support and the outer gasket support being separated by said at least one groove channel with the compressible inner gasket attached to the inner gasket support and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket attached to the outer gasket support.

[0091] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the drain line 100 includes a body having a mounting attachment 101 for mounting to a support joint of a double gasket assembly, the body further having a water collection area 102, a drainage channel 103, and a compressible gasket 104 having an external port 105, the water collection area being in fluid communication with the external port in the compressible gasket through the drainage channel to allow water to move by gravity from the water collection area to and through the external port. The compressible gasket 104 shown in Figures 10 and 11 has a hollow, flattened hourglass shape with two hollow lobes. One of the lobes further has an external port 105 through which water will eventually exit the wall. While these figures illustrate one preferred compressible gasket shape, other shapes are possible.

[0092] The drain line has a mounting accessory for attachment of the water line body to the support joint of the double gasket assembly. In some embodiments, the mounting accessory includes at least one cavity or protrusion that matches a cavity or protrusion in the support joint. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, in some embodiments, the drain line can have a mounting accessory 101 having a structure for attaching the water line body to a vertically oriented support joint 111 of a vertically oriented double gasket assembly 112 with the water line collection area at a higher vertical height than the external port in the compressible gasket of the water line body. As shown, the mounting accessory 101 is a T-shaped protrusion sized to fit into a C-shaped external gasket support on the support joint base. Preferably, the drain line is attached to the support joint via an external gasket support on the support joint base. In this embodiment, the drain line is installed using a process that involves attaching a dual gasket assembly vertically to the end face of the panel, with the compressible weather resistant outer gasket cut to a short length, i.e., shorter than the support joint, so that the compressible gasket of the drain line can be installed to the remaining length of the support joint.

[0093] Preferably, the compressible gasket of the drain line further includes at least one cavity or protrusion for aligning the compressible gasket of the drain line with the compressible weatherproof outer gasket attached to the vertically oriented support joint of the vertically oriented double gasket assembly. The embodiment shown in FIG. 10 includes an insertable protrusion 106 that can seat in a lobe of a similarly shaped hollow compressible weatherproof outer gasket attached to a support joint below the drain line. FIGS. 11 and 12 are shown partially assembled, but without compression of the gasket for clarity, and with a portion of the gasket removed to allow viewing inside the junction of the double gasket assembly with respect to the water line placement. Additionally, a portion of the gasket is cut away to show how the insertable protrusion 106 is inserted.

[0094] In some embodiments, the body of the drain line 100 has a collection area 102 that is an open-topped funnel-shaped hopper with a three-walled rectangular inlet in fluid communication with a drain channel 103 that terminates in an outlet 107 that is in fluid communication with an external port 105 of a compressible gasket 104. The collection area 102 is therefore in fluid communication with the external port 105 by a passage using the drain channel 103, the outlet 107, and the compressible gasket 104. The passage through the compressible gasket 104 can be achieved using a sloped passage through the gasket, or in some preferred embodiments, the compressible gasket with the external port simply has a hollow center. This allows water to collect in the water collection area 102 and then flow down, preferably by gravity, into the drainage channel 103 and through the outlet 107 where it flows into and falls down the length of the hollow compressible gasket 104, where it can flow out through the external port 105 in the gasket.

[0095] In a preferred embodiment, the collection area of ​​the drain line is in fluid communication with at least one groove channel of the double gasket assembly. The arrangement shown in FIG. 12 illustrates the preferred arrangement and function of the drain line. As shown, the collection area 120 of the drain line is aligned with and centered below the groove channel 121 in the vertically oriented support joint of the double gasket assembly for the abutment joint, which is directly above the drain line. In this view, a portion of the gasket attached to the double gasket assembly has been removed to show the alignment and the preference for the horizontal dimension of the top of the drain line to be sized to extend from one gasket support to the other, meaning that water between the gasket supports can drop into the collection area 120. Additionally, in this embodiment, the open top of the collection area 120 of the drain line is aligned above the groove channel 122 of the horizontally oriented support joint of the double gasket assembly used to seal the abutment joint directly horizontally adjacent to the drain line. There may also be a similar horizontally oriented support joint and double gasket assembly, not shown, for sealing the abutment joint directly horizontally adjacent to the drain line, but on the opposite side of the drain line. It will be seen that the water in the horizontal channel 122 (or its associated horizontal channel on the opposite side of the drain line shown) is not collected in a particular catchment area 120 of the drain line shown. Instead, when enough water accumulates in the horizontal channel 122 (or its associated horizontal channel on the opposite side of the drain line shown) that displaces the water by leveling, the water will move to the end of the channel and fall downward through the channel 123, as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 12. The water that falls into the channel 123 may be collected by another catchment area of ​​a second drain line located below the catchment area 120 and removed through that second drain line, which may be positioned at the next junction of the double gasket assembly. It can therefore be seen that the drain line shown in FIG. 12 can in fact remove water from any number of double gasket assemblies, both vertically oriented and horizontally oriented, sealing abutting joints above the junction of the joints that include the illustrated drain line.

[0096] The drain lines are preferably made from a resilient material, such as a resilient material that is compatible with and similar to the materials used to manufacture the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket. Such materials can include elastomeric and rubber materials, including silicone and modified silicone elastomers, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, and other compressible crosslinked elastomers, as well as other flexible polyurethanes and polyethylenes.

[0097] While not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein for any of the components or steps can be applied to the process of making a paneled wall having sealed butt joints.

[0098] Panelled wall system The present invention also relates to a paneled wall having a sealed butt joint, the wall including a first wall panel, a double gasket assembly, a second wall panel, and a sealed butt joint between the first and second wall panels formed by the double gasket assembly. The double gasket assembly includes a compressible inner gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket as described herein. Each of the first and second wall panels further has a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, and each of the first and second wall panels further has a plurality of end surfaces, each end surface being generally perpendicular to both the first major surface and the opposite second major surface of the first or second wall panel, respectively. The double gasket assembly is attached only to the first end surface of the first wall panel by the support joint.

[0099] Both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible outer weatherproof gasket of the dual gasket assembly of the first wall panel module contact and are compressed between both the first end face of the first wall panel and the first end face of the second wall panel to seal the abutment joint between said end faces.

[0100] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a paneled wall having a sealed butt joint, the wall including a first wall panel module including a first wall panel and a double gasket assembly, a second wall panel, and a sealed butt joint between the first and second wall panels. This embodiment is particularly useful when the paneled wall is made from prefabricated wall panel modules.

[0101] A paneled wall has an abutment joint that includes a single double gasket assembly between a first wall panel and a second wall panel that form an abutment joint, with the support joint of the single double gasket assembly attached to one end face of the first wall panel. However, in some embodiments, such as shown in Figure 9, the first wall panel further includes a second double gasket assembly, again attached to a second end face of the first wall panel by a support joint in the second double gasket assembly.

[0102] Continuing with this exemplary description using two wall panels, in some embodiments, each of the first and second wall panels is a rectangular panel having a vertical height, a horizontal width, and a thickness. Thus, each of the first and second wall panels has a total of four end faces, and each wall panel can include at least two double gasket assemblies, each double gasket assembly attached to one of the four end faces of each panel by a support joint in each double gasket assembly.

[0103] In some embodiments of the paneled wall, each of the first and second wall panels are aligned such that a first major surface of the first wall panel and a first major surface of the second wall panel lie in the same first plane, and an opposing second major surface of the first wall panel and an opposing second major surface of the second wall panel lie in the same second plane, forming a pair of parallel major surface planes.

[0104] In some embodiments, paneled walls having sealed butt joints can include inserting other types of gaskets in addition to or instead of drain lines, including gasket connectors that do not have any provision for drainage, which have a shape that matches the shape of the junction of multiple inter-panel joints or the type of connection to be made, and, if desired, are coextensive with the exterior surface of the paneled wall when installed within the paneled wall.

[0105] 13 and 14 illustrate two of many possible types of gasket connectors. Each of the gasket connectors includes at least one cavity or protrusion for joining the ends of a compressible gasket, especially if the compressible gasket has a hollow center. In some embodiments, the gasket connector has at least two protrusions for attaching the ends of two separate compressible gaskets. FIG. 13 is a partially exploded view of joining two gaskets using a two-way gasket connector 130. The two-way gasket connector 130 includes a body 131 with a set of two insertable protrusions 132 that can seat in lobes between two similarly shaped hollow gaskets 133 to join the two gaskets together. The gasket connector can be used in conjunction with either the compressible inner gasket or the compressible weather resistant outer gasket, or both gaskets of a dual gasket assembly.

[0106] In some embodiments, the gasket connector has at least four protrusions for attaching the ends of four separate compressible gaskets. Figure 14 is a fully exploded view of joining four gaskets using a four-way gasket connector 140. The four-way gasket connector 140 includes a body 141 with four sets of two insertable protrusions 142 (only two of the four are noted in the figure) that can seat in lobes between four similarly shaped hollow gaskets 143 to join the four gaskets together. Again, the gasket connector being joined can be either the compressible inner gasket or the compressible weather resistant outer gasket, or both gaskets of a dual gasket assembly.

[0107] The gasket connector is preferably made from a resilient material, such as a resilient material that is compatible with and similar to the materials used to manufacture the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather resistant outer gasket. Such materials can include elastomeric and rubber materials, including silicone and modified silicone elastomers, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, and other compressible crosslinked elastomers, as well as other flexible polyurethanes and polyethylenes.

[0108] While not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein for either the panel module or the double gasket assembly or any component or step for creating a sealed butt joint may be applied to a paneled wall system having a paneled wall with a sealed butt joint.

[0109] Process for making paneled walls with sealed butt joints In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a process for making a paneled wall having a sealed butt joint, the wall comprising a first wall panel module including a first wall panel and a double gasket assembly, a second wall panel, and a sealed butt joint between the first wall panel and the second wall panel. As previously described herein, the double gasket assembly includes a compressible inner gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weather resistant outer gasket. Each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel is a rectangular panel having a vertical height, a horizontal width, and a thickness, and each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel further has a first major surface and an opposite second major surface. Each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel additionally has a plurality of end faces, each end face having a length that is either a) the vertical height of the first wall panel or the second wall panel, or b) the horizontal width of the first wall panel or the second wall panel. Each end face also has a width that is the thickness of either the first wall panel or the second wall panel, and each end face is generally perpendicular to both the first end face and the opposite second end face of the first wall panel or the second wall panel.

[0110] The process for making a paneled wall having sealed butt joints comprises: a) attaching a dual gasket assembly to a first end surface of a first wall panel to form a first wall panel module; b) positioning the second wall panel relative to the first wall panel module such that a first major surface of the first wall panel and a first major surface of the second wall panel lie in the same first plane, an opposing second major surface of the first wall panel and an opposing second major surface of the second wall panel lie in the same second plane, and both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible outer weather resistant gasket of the dual gasket assembly contact and are compressed between both the first end surface of the first wall panel and the first end surface of the second wall panel to seal the abutment joint between said end surfaces.

[0111] Positioning of the second wall panel can be accomplished in stages, as desired. For example, the second wall panel can first be positioned to align the first and second panels in the same plane, but without compressing or completely compressing the gasket of the double gasket assembly between the panels. The second wall panel can then be further positioned in the plane to compress both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible outer weather resistant gasket of the double gasket assembly between both the first end face of the first wall panel and the first end face of the second wall panel to seal the abutting joint between said ends.

[0112] In some embodiments, the process of making a paneled wall with sealed butt joints can further include inserting a drain line at the junction of multiple double gasket assemblies for draining water from one or more double gasket assemblies, as previously described herein. As shown in a preferred embodiment in Figures 10, 11, and 12, the drain line 100 includes a body having a mounting attachment 101 for mounting to a support joint of the double gasket assembly, the body further having a water collection area 102, a drainage channel 103, and a compressible gasket 104 having an external port 105, the water collection area in fluid communication with the external port in the compressible gasket via the drainage channel to allow water to move by gravity from the water collection area to and through the external port, the compressible gasket preferably being coextensive with the exterior surface of the paneled wall.

[0113] The process of making a paneled wall may further include installing a drain line at the junction of a plurality of double gasket assemblies for draining water from one or more double gasket assemblies, as described hereinabove and shown in Figures 10, 11, and 12. Additionally or alternatively, the process of making a paneled wall may include installing a gasket connector at the junction of a plurality of double gasket assemblies, as described hereinabove, the gasket connector having at least one cavity or protrusion for joining ends of two compressible gaskets together. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 13, the gasket connector may have at least two protrusions for attaching ends of two compressible gaskets, while in other embodiments, the gasket connector as shown in Figure 14 may have at least four protrusions for attaching ends of four compressible gaskets.

[0114] While not repeated herein for the sake of brevity, any of the features, options, and elements described herein for any of the components or steps can be applied to the process of making a paneled wall having sealed butt joints.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing a paneled wall having a sealed abutment joint, wherein the wall includes a first wall panel module comprising a first wall panel and a double gasket assembly, a second wall panel, and a sealed abutment joint between the first wall panel and the second wall panel. The double gasket assembly includes a compressible inner gasket, a support joint, and a compressible weather-resistant gasket. Each of the first and second wall panels is rectangular and has a vertical height, a horizontal width, and a thickness, and each of the first and second wall panels further has a first main surface and a second main surface on the opposite side. Each of the first and second wall panels additionally has a plurality of end faces, each end face having a length that is either a) the vertical height of the first or second wall panel, or b) the horizontal width of the first or second wall panel, each end face having a width that is the thickness of either the first or second wall panel, and each end face is substantially perpendicular to both the first main surface and the opposite second main surface of the first or second wall panel. The aforementioned process, a) The step of attaching the double gasket assembly to one of the plurality of end faces of the first wall panel to form a first wall panel module, b) Aligning the second wall panel with respect to the first wall panel module such that the first main surface of the first wall panel and the first main surface of the second wall panel are located in the same first plane, and the opposite second main surface of the first wall panel and the opposite second main surface of the second wall panel are located in the same second plane, forming a pair of parallel main planes; c) The step of compressing both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather-resistant gasket of the double gasket assembly between one of the plurality of end faces of the first wall panel and one of the plurality of end faces of the second wall panel to seal the abutment joint between the end faces. A process that includes this.

2. a) The process according to claim 1, wherein in addition to attaching the double gasket assembly to one end face of the first wall panel, the process further comprises attaching similar individual double gasket assemblies to one, two, or three further end faces of the first wall panel to form a first wall panel module having a plurality of double gasket assemblies.

3. The process according to claim 2, further comprising one or more wall panels and a sealed abutment joint between the first wall panel and all of the one or more wall panels, Each of the one or more wall panels is rectangular and has a vertical height, a horizontal width, and a thickness, and each of the one or more wall panels further has a first main surface and a second main surface on the opposite side. Each of the one or more wall panels has a plurality of end faces, each end face having a length that is either a) the vertical height of each of the one or more wall panels, or b) the horizontal width of each of the one or more wall panels, each end face of each of the one or more wall panels has a width that is the thickness of each of the one or more wall panels, and each end face is substantially perpendicular to both the first main surface and the opposite second main surface of the first or second wall panel. The aforementioned process, d) Aligning each of the one or more wall panels with respect to the first wall module such that the first main surface of the first wall panel and the first main surface of each of the one or more wall panels are located in the same first plane, and the opposite second main surface of the first wall panel and the opposite second main surface of each of the one or more wall panels are located in the same second plane, forming a pair of parallel planes. e) Compressing both the compressible inner gasket and the compressible weather-resistant gasket of each double gasket assembly between one of the end faces of the first wall panel and one end face of each of the one or more wall panels to seal each abutment joint between the end faces. A process that includes further repeating steps.

4. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the step of inserting a drainage pipe for draining from one or more double gasket assemblies at the confluence of a plurality of double gasket assemblies.

5. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the step of inserting a gasket connector having at least one cavity or projection for joining the ends of two compressible gaskets together at the confluence of a plurality of double gasket assemblies.

Images