초록 ▼

A structural wall panel includes an elongated shared structural framing member and one or more elongated intermediate structural framing members. An elongated top track is connected to a top end of each of the framing members. An inner sheet of suitable sheet material is secured to the framing membe

A structural wall panel includes an elongated shared structural framing member and one or more elongated intermediate structural framing members. An elongated top track is connected to a top end of each of the framing members. An inner sheet of suitable sheet material is secured to the framing members so as to form an inner face of the structural wall panel, while an outer sheet of suitable sheet material is secured to the framing members so as to form an outer face of the structural wall panel opposite the inner face. The elongated top track and inner and outer sheets are aligned on the framing members so as to form a male receiver at one lateral side of the panel and a female receiving structure along the opposite lateral side of the panel.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A panel for use in producing framed structural walls in building construction, the panel including: (a) an elongated shared structural framing member having a first face defining a first lateral side of the panel;(b) one or more elongated intermediate structural framing members, each elongated in

1. A panel for use in producing framed structural walls in building construction, the panel including: (a) an elongated shared structural framing member having a first face defining a first lateral side of the panel;(b) one or more elongated intermediate structural framing members, each elongated intermediate structural framing member extending substantially parallel to the shared structural framing member and being positioned in the panel at a respective location spaced apart from the first lateral side of the panel and a second lateral side of the panel;(c) an elongated top track including an elongated web part and two top track legs extending perpendicular to the web part so as to define a C-shaped cross-section, the elongated top track being positioned with the web part abutting a top end of the shared structural framing member and a respective top end of each intermediate structural framing member with each top track leg extending along a portion of the length of the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member with the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member being connected to the top track, a first end of the top track partially overlapping the top end of the shared structural framing member and a second end of the top track terminating at the second lateral side of the structural wall panel, the first and second ends of the top track having the C-shaped cross-section;(d) an inner sheet secured with a number of inner sheet fasteners to the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member so as to form an inner face of the structural wall panel; and(e) an outer sheet secured with a number of outer sheet fasteners to the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member so as to form an outer face of the structural wall panel, the inner sheet and outer sheet each including a respective first edge aligned with the first end of the top track and a respective second edge aligned with the second end of the top track at the second lateral side of the structural wall panel, the alignment of the respective first edge with the first end of the top track leaving a portion of the shared structural framing member protruding past the first end of the top track at the top end of the shared structural framing member and protruding past the respective first edge of the inner and outer sheet along the length of the shared structural framing member. 2. The panel of claim 1 further including: (a) a respective inner receiving slot associated with each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member, each respective inner receiving slot comprising a receiving space defined between the respective structural framing member and the inner sheet; and(b) a respective outer receiving slot associated with each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member, each respective outer receiving slot comprising a receiving space defined between the respective structural framing member and the outer sheet. 3. The panel of claim 2 further including: (a) a respective inner spacer located on an inner surface of each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member facing the inner sheet so as to prevent the inner sheet from laying flush against that surface and thereby forming the respective inner receiving slot; and(b) a respective outer spacer located on an outer surface of each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member facing the outer sheet so as to prevent the outer sheet from laying flush against that surface and thereby forming the respective outer receiving slot. 4. The panel of claim 3 wherein each respective inner spacer and each respective outer spacer includes a head of a respective fastener driven into the respective structural framing member. 5. The panel of claim 1 wherein the shared structural framing member has a width dimension in a plane of the panel that is greater than a width dimension of one or more intermediate structural framing members in the plane of the panel. 6. The panel of claim 1 wherein the first edge of the inner sheet aligns with a midpoint of an inner surface of the shared structural framing member and the first edge of the outer sheet aligns with a midpoint of an outer surface of the shared structural framing member. 7. The panel of claim 1 further including a header lying in a plane of the panel and being supported by two jack studs, and wherein the one or more intermediate structural framing members include a respective king stud at each end of the header. 8. The panel of claim 1 wherein the inner sheet comprises drywall and the outer sheet comprises engineered wood board. 9. The panel of claim 1 wherein the inner sheet comprises drywall and the outer sheet comprises drywall. 10. A method of construction employing a number of panels to produce a framed structural wall, wherein each panel includes: (i) an elongated shared structural framing member having a first face defining a first lateral side of the panel;(ii) one or more elongated intermediate structural framing members, each elongated intermediate structural framing member extending substantially parallel to the shared structural framing member and being positioned in the panel at a respective location spaced apart from the first lateral side of the panel and a second lateral side of the panel;(iii) an elongated top track including an elongated web part and two top track legs extending perpendicular to the web part so as to define a C-shaped cross-section, the elongated top track being positioned with the web part abutting a top end of the shared structural framing member and a respective top end of each intermediate structural framing member with each top track leg extending along a portion of the length of the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member with the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member being connected to the top track, a first end of the top track partially overlapping the top end of the shared structural framing member and a second end of the top track terminating at the second lateral side of the structural wall panel, the first and second ends of the top track having the C-shaped cross-section;(iv) an inner sheet secured with a number of inner sheet fasteners to the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member so as to form an inner face of the structural wall panel; and(v) an outer sheet secured with a number of outer sheet fasteners to the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member so as to form an outer face of the structural wall panel, the inner sheet and outer sheet each including a respective first edge aligned with the first end of the top track and a respective second edge aligned with the second end of the top track at the second lateral side of the structural wall panel, the alignment of the respective first edge with the first end of the top track leaving a portion of the shared structural framing member protruding past the first end of the top track at the top end of the shared structural framing member and protruding past the respective first edge of the inner and outer sheet along the length of the shared structural framing member,the method including: (a) securing an elongated bottom track on a suitable foundation surface to define the position of a wall section for a building, the bottom track defining at least two panel locations, each panel location for receiving a respective one of the panels; (b) positioning a first one of the panels in an installation orientation at a first panel location on the bottom track, the installation orientation comprising an orientation in which athe bottom side of the respective panel aligns with the bottom track and the panel extends substantially vertically from the bottom track; (c) positioning an additional one of the panels in the installation orientation at each remaining panel location so that the shared structural framing member of one of two adjacent panels is received between the respective inner and outer sheet second edges of the other of the two adjacent panels and with the respective inner and outer sheet second edges of one of two adjacent structural wall panels abutting the respective inner and outer sheet first edges of the other of the two adjacent panels; (d) securing the bottom of each panel in the installation orientation at the respective panel location to the bottom track; (e) for each pair of two adjacent panels, driving a respective fastener through the inner sheet of one panel into the shared structural framing member of the adjacent panel at spaced apart locations along the shared structural framing member and including a location through the respective top track leg of the one panel; and (f) for each pair of two adjacent panels, driving a respective fastener through the outer sheet of the one panel into the shared structural framing member of the adjacent panel at spaced apart locations along the shared structural framing member and including a location through the respective top track leg of the one panel. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein: (a) the bottom track includes laterally spaced apart upwardly extending strap members at least at framing member securing points along the length of the bottom track, each framing member securing point aligning with a respective shared structural framing member or a respective intermediate structural framing member of one of the panels at a respective panel location along the bottom track;(b) each panel includes: (i) a respective inner receiving slot associated with each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member, each respective inner receiving slot comprising a receiving space defined between the respective structural framing member and the inner sheet, and(ii) a respective outer receiving slot associated with each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member, each respective outer receiving slot comprising a receiving space defined between the respective structural framing member and the outer sheet;(c) positioning a respective one of the panels in the installation orientation at a respective panel location includes sliding a respective strap member into each inner receiving slot of that panel and sliding a respective strap member into each outer receiving slot of that panel; and(d) securing the bottom of a respective panel to the bottom track includes driving a respective fastener through the respective inner sheet or outer sheet, through the respective strap member, and into the respective intermediate structural framing member or shared structural framing member at that location along the bottom track. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein: (a) the elongated bottom track includes a web part and two leg parts, each leg part extending perpendicular to the web part at a respective edge of the web part so that the elongated bottom track forms a C-shaped cross section; and(b) the leg parts of the bottom track form the strap members. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein: (a) the elongated bottom track includes a length of spacer material with a number of C-shaped strap elements spaced apart along the length of spacer material so as to coincide with the position of each intermediate structural framing member and each shared structural framing member of a respective panel, each C-shaped strap element including a base part and two parallel legs; and(b) the legs of the C-shaped strap elements form the strap members. 14. The method of claim 11 wherein: (a) the elongated bottom track includes a length of channel material having a web part and two leg parts, each leg part extending perpendicular to the web part at a respective edge of the web part so that the channel material forms a C-shaped cross section; and(b) the elongated bottom track further includes a length of spacer material having a face abutting the channel material web section with the two strap sections extending away from the spacer material. 15. The method of claim 10 further including securing an elongated top member over the wall panels secured to the bottom track by driving a respective fastener through the top member and into the top track of the respective structural wall panels at spaced apart locations along the adjacent structural wall panels. 16. The method of claim 10 wherein: (a) the elongated bottom track includes a number of strap elements spaced apart along the length of the bottom track so as to coincide with the position of each intermediate structural framing member and each shared structural framing member of a respective panel, each strap element including a base part secured to the foundation and a leg part extending upwardly from the foundation; and(b) the leg part of each strap element forms a respective strap member. 17. The method of claim 10 wherein the bottom track includes a corner structure location at an end of the bottom track adjacent to a final panel location, and further including positioning a corner structure in the corner structure location, with a shared framing member extending vertically and providing a male connector portion facing along one direction to be received between the inner and outer sheets of an adjacent one of the panels, and a female receiver structure extending at a right angle to the direction in which the male connector faces in position to receive a male connector of another adjacent panel. 18. A panel for use in producing framed structural walls in building construction, the panel including: (a) an elongated shared structural framing member having a first face defining a first lateral side of the panel;(b) one or more elongated intermediate structural framing members, each elongated intermediate structural framing member extending substantially parallel to the shared structural framing member and being positioned in the panel at a location spaced apart from the first lateral side of the panel and a second lateral side of the panel;(c) an elongated top track connected to a top end of each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member and including a first end located at an intermediate point of the top end of the shared structural framing member and a second end terminating at the second lateral side of the panel;(d) a first sheet secured with a number of first sheet fasteners to the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member so as to form a first face of the panel, the first sheet including a first edge aligned in an intermediate position along the length of the shared structural framing member and a second edge aligned with the second end of the top track at the second lateral side of the panel, the position of the first edge of the first sheet and the first end of the top track relative to the shared structural framing member leaving a portion of the shared structural framing member protruding past the first end of the top track at the top end of the shared structural framing member and protruding from the first edge of the first sheet along the length of the shared structural framing member;(e) a portion of the first sheet adjacent to the second edge of the first sheet together with the second end of the top track forming a female receiver for receiving a portion of the shared structural framing member of an adjacent panel; and(f) a bottom receiver structure associated with a bottom end of each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member for receiving a portion of a bottom track to secure the panel to a foundation. 19. The panel of claim 18 further including: (a) a second sheet secured with a number of second sheet fasteners to the shared structural framing member and each intermediate structural framing member so as to form a second face of the panel, the second sheet including a first edge aligned in a respective intermediate position along the length of the shared structural framing member and a second edge aligned with the second end of the top track at the second lateral side of the panel; and(b) wherein a portion of the second sheet adjacent to the second edge of the first sheet cooperates with the first sheet and the top track to form the female receiver, and wherein the position of the first edge of the second sheet leaves the shared structural framing member protruding past the first edge of the second sheet. 20. The panel of claim 18 wherein the bottom receiver structure includes a respective first receiving slot associated with each intermediate structural framing member and the shared structural framing member, each respective first receiving slot comprising a strap receiving space defined between the respective structural framing member and the first sheet.