Construction panels, materials, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544579-B2
Application number	US-201816183239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Construction panels and other materials, methods for their manufacture, and systems and methods for monitoring environmental conditions with such panels are provided herein. The panels include a core having a first surface and an opposed second surface, and an environmental sensor assembly associated with the panel and configured to detect an environmental condition of the panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A building panel, comprising:
a panel comprising a panel core and having a first surface and an opposed second surface; and
an environmental sensor assembly comprising an antenna, a processing module, and a wireless communication module, the environmental sensor assembly being disposed wholly within the panel core or between the panel core and a facer material of the panel and configured to detect an environmental condition of the panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader,
wherein:
the environmental condition of the panel comprises temperature, pressure, or both,
the antenna has an antenna impedance operable to vary based on the environmental condition,
the processing module is coupled to the antenna and comprises a tuning module operable to (i) vary a reactive component impedance in order to change a system impedance comprising the antenna impedance and the reactive component impedance, and (ii) produce an impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance,
the wireless communication module is coupled to the processing module and is operable to communicate the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance to the reader, and
the data on the environmental condition comprises the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

2. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly comprises a passive radio frequency identification sensor.

3. The panel of claim 1 , wherein:
the antenna comprises a resistor inductor capacitor tuned circuit operable to convert the environmental condition into an impedance change, and
the processing module is coupled to the antenna and is operable to translate the impedance change into a sensor code by matching antenna impedance to die impedance.

4. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly further comprises a memory module operable to store the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

5. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel is selected from a gypsum panel, a fiber-reinforced gypsum panel, an isocyanurate panel, and a wood-based panel.

6. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel further comprises a facer material.

7. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly is self-supporting and passive.

8. A system for detecting an environmental condition at a panel, comprising:
at least one of the building panels of claim 1 ; and
at least one reader for receiving the data wirelessly communicated from the environmental sensor assembly.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a processing unit, wherein the reader is configured to communicate the data on the environmental condition to the processing unit, and the processing unit is operable to determine at least one condition status at the environmental sensor assembly from the data.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one reader comprises a powered reader mounted at a building containing the at least one building panel.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a building control system configured to receive information from the powered reader.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one reader comprises a handheld manual reader.

13. A flooring underlayment, comprising:
a gypsum and/or concrete flooring underlayment material; and
an environmental sensor assembly comprising an antenna, a processing module, and a wireless communication module, the environmental sensor assembly being disposed wholly within or on a surface of the underlayment material and configured to detect an environmental condition of the underlayment and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader,
wherein:
the environmental condition of the panel comprises temperature, pressure, or both,
the antenna has an antenna impedance operable to vary based on the environmental condition,
the processing module is coupled to the antenna and comprises a tuning module operable to (i) vary a reactive component impedance in order to change a system impedance comprising the antenna impedance and the reactive component impedance, and (ii) produce an impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance, the
wireless communication module is coupled to the processing module and is operable to communicate the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance to the reader, and
the data on the environmental condition comprises the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

14. The underlayment of claim 13 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly is self-supporting and passive.

15. The underlayment of claim 13 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly comprises a passive radio frequency identification sensor.

16. The underlayment of claim 13 , wherein:
the antenna comprises a resistor inductor capacitor tuned circuit operable to convert the environmental condition into an impedance change, and
the processing module is coupled to the antenna and is operable to translate the impedance change into a sensor code by matching antenna impedance to die impedance.

17. The underlayment of claim 13 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly further comprises a memory module operable to store the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

Assignees

• Georgia Pacific Gypsum Llc

Inventors

• Harrison Charles R
• Gollob Lawrence
• Shelton Clarence A
• Gilley Stuart Brandon
• Fierbaugh Timothy R

Classifications

• B32B13/04 Primary

  comprising such {water setting} substance as the main or only constituent of a layer, {which is} next to another layer of {the same or of} a {different material (next to a glass layer B32B17/06)} · CPC title

• B32B13/02

  with fibres or particles {being present as additives in the layer} · CPC title

• B32B2471/04

  Mats · CPC title

• B32B2262/101

  Glass fibres · CPC title

• B32B21/042

  of wood (B32B21/13 takes precedence) · CPC title