US 4,641,469 · Granted 1987-02-10
The Sliding-Channel Panel That Reinvented How Insulation Gets Built
Imagine insulation panels with a special groove running down the back—like a track. This patent covers a clever clip-and-slide system that lets you lock the panel to a wall without traditional nails or screws that poke holes everywhere. The fastener grips a metal rod inside the groove, holding everything tight.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a prefabricated building panel designed with a channel (groove) carved into its back surface, paired with a rigidifying element that slides into that channel, and a fastener plate that locks the assembly to a substrate through sliding engagement with the element. What's protected here is the specific mechanism by which the panel attaches—the combination of the grooved back, the reinforcing rod, and the sliding fastener system that eliminates traditional penetrating fasteners.
Why it matters
This design solves a real problem in construction: how to attach insulation panels securely without drilling holes that compromise the insulation itself or weaken the panel. By using a hidden slot-and-clip system instead of nails or screws driven through the face, the panel stays intact and its thermal performance isn't compromised. The approach also speeds up installation since there's no drilling required, making it faster and cheaper for builders.
Real-world use
When a contractor installs rigid foam or fiberglass panels on a house's exterior walls, they're securing them with this groove-and-clip system rather than poking fasteners through the insulation itself, keeping the thermal barrier unbroken.
Original USPTO abstract
A building panel is provided having a channel in its back surface which matingly receives a rigidifying element. A fastener plate secures the panel to a substrate by slidable engagement with the rigidifying element.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 4,641,469
- Filing date
- 1985-07-18
- Grant date
- 1987-02-10
- Assignee
- Wood Edward F
- Inventor(s)
- WOOD; EDWARD F.
- CPC class
- E04D3/3602
Want to file your own patent?
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