Building surface system including vertical rails, and method of assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503851-B2
Application number	US-202318173163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2023
Priority date	Feb 23, 2022
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to building surface systems, for example, suitable for forming an internal or external surface of a building. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a building surface system including a support structure and a plurality of building surface products attached to the support structure. The support structure includes a first vertical rail that has a longitudinal section and a vertical receiving slot in the longitudinal section. A first building surface product includes a panel and a first attachment post extending outward from a rear surface of the panel. The first attachment post includes a shaft that extends through the vertical receiving slot of the first vertical rail such that the longitudinal section of the first vertical rail is clamped between a head of the first attachment post and the rear surface of the panel so as to secure the first building surface product against the support structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A building surface system comprising:
a support structure including a plurality of vertical rails that form a support surface, wherein the plurality of vertical rails comprises a first vertical rail including a longitudinal section and a vertical receiving slot in the longitudinal section; and a plurality of building surface products attached to the support structure, wherein the plurality of building surface products comprises a first building surface product including:
a substantially planar panel having a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a front surface, a rear surface, and a gypsum body between the front surface and rear surface, and
a first attachment post extending outward from the rear surface of the panel, the first attachment post including a shaft that penetrates the rear surface of the panel and a head that extends radially outward from the shaft at a distance from the rear surface of the panel, wherein the distance between the head and the rear surface of the panel is adjustable
wherein the shaft of the first attachment post of the first building surface product extends through the vertical receiving slot of the first vertical rail and the longitudinal section of the first vertical rail is clamped between the head of the first attachment post and the rear surface of the panel so as to secure the first building surface product against the support structure, wherein the shaft of the first attachment post is unsupported by a bottom of the vertical receiving slot of the first vertical rail.

2 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical receiving slot intersects a first opening, and wherein the first attachment post is insertable into the vertical receiving slot through the first opening.

3 . The building surface system according to claim 2 , wherein the first opening is formed as an aperture in the longitudinal section of the first rail, and wherein the aperture has a width that is greater than a width of the vertical receiving slot.

4 . The building surface system according to claim 3 , wherein the first building surface product includes a second attachment post extending outward from the rear surface of the panel, and wherein the vertical receiving slot intersects a second opening, and wherein the second attachment post is insertable into the vertical receiving slot through the second opening.

5 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the first vertical rail is configured as a flat plate.

6 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure includes a plurality of framing members comprising a first framing member, and wherein the first vertical rail includes a mounting section attached to the first framing member.

7 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the rear surface of the panel of the first building surface product abuts a front surface of the first vertical rail.

8 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of building surface products includes a second building surface product adjacent to the first building surface product, and wherein an attachment post of the second building surface product is received in the vertical receiving slot of the longitudinal section of the first vertical rail so as to secure the second building surface product against the support structure.

9 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical receiving slot of the first vertical rail includes a plurality of slot segments extending in a line along the longitudinal section.

10 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the first vertical rail is one of a column of vertical rails of the plurality of vertical rails.

11 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the vertical rails includes at least one vertical receiving slot, wherein each of the building surface products includes a plurality of attachment posts, and wherein each of the building surface products is secured to a portion of the vertical rails through engagement of the attachment posts with the vertical receiving slots.

12 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the gypsum body of the first building surface product includes a front layer and a reinforcing layer disposed behind the front layer,
wherein the first attachment post extends at least partially through the reinforcing layer.

13 . The building surface system according to claim 12 ,
wherein the reinforcing layer includes a first section along a first edge of the panel, and wherein the first section is disposed behind the front layer along the first edge; the gypsum body includes a first edge section between the front layer and the first section of the reinforcing layer at the first edge; and the front layer has a first tapered face along the first edge, the first section of the reinforcing layer has a tapered face along the first edge, and the first edge section has a triangular shape including a front face that is adjacent to the first tapered face of the front layer and a rear face that is adjacent to the tapered face of the first section of the reinforcing layer.

14 . The building surface system according to claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing layer includes a section along each edge of the panel.

15 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein the panel of the first building surface product includes a first receiver sleeve and the shaft of the first attachment post extends into the first receiver sleeve.

16 . The building surface system according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the shaft of the first attachment post is threaded.

17 . A method of forming a building surface system comprising:
a support structure including a plurality of vertical rails that form a support surface, wherein the plurality of vertical rails comprises a first vertical rail including a longitudinal section and a vertical receiving slot in the longitudinal section; and a plurality of building surface products attached to the support structure, wherein the plurality of building surface products comprises a first building surface product including:
a substantially planar panel having a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a front surface, a rear surface, and a gypsum body between the front surface and rear surface, and
a first attachment post extending outward from the rear surface of the panel, the first attachment post including a shaft that penetrates the rear surface of the panel and a head that extends radially outward from the shaft at a distance from the rear surface of the panel, wherein the distance between the head and the rear surface of the panel is adjustable
wherein the shaft of the first attachment post of the first building surface product extends through the vertical receiving slot of the first vertical rail and the longitudinal section of the first vertical rail is clamped between the head of the first attachment post and the rear surface of the panel so as to secure the first building surface product against the support structure, the method comprising: positioning the first building surface product in front of the support structure such that the rear surface of the panel of the first building surface product faces the support structure, a shaft of the first attachment post extends through the vertical receiving slot of the longitudinal section of the first vertical rail, and the head of the first attachment post is positio

Assignees

• Certainteed Gypsum Inc

Inventors

• Molony Evan
• Lentlie William
• Bruckerhoff Aaron
• Mingay Kallie Gray

Classifications

• E04B2002/0245

  Pegs or pins · CPC title

• E04B2002/7474

  using releasable connectors actuable with a key or a tool · CPC title

• E04B2002/7477

  Details of connections using screws or nails · CPC title

• E04F13/083

  Hooking means on the back side of the covering elements · CPC title

• E04F13/14

  stone or stone-like materials, e.g. ceramics {concrete,}; of glass {or with an outer layer of stone or stone-like materials or glass (E04F13/0864 takes precedence; producing shaped elements from concrete, ceramic compositions or other stone-like materials B28B; prefabricated panels in general E04C2/00)} · CPC title