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Cavity wall spacer, building structure and method

Cavity wall spacer, building structure and method description/claims

This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 07253268.2 entitled Cavity Wall Spacer, Building Structure, and Method, filed Aug. 20, 2007.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cavity wall spacer, a building structure and method.

2. Related Art

Many modern buildings for habitation are now constructed using cavity walls. Cavity walls are generally more effective for improving thermal insulation and inhibiting of moisture penetration compared to solid walls. Cavity walls consist of two walls or “leaves” of masonry separated by a cavity or gap. Typically, the walls are 100 mm thick, separated by a 50 mm gap. The walls may be constructed from bricks, concrete blocks, hollow clay bricks, timber framing, natural stone, or a combination of these materials. The exterior wall or leaf is usually constructed from bricks. The exterior leaf and the interior leaf are tied together at spaced intervals with wall ties spanning the cavity.

Disclosed herein is an improved cavity wall spacer.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cavity wall spacer for determining a separation of building elements of two leaves of a wall during construction, the cavity wall spacer comprising: a support body; and a plurality of spaced projections upstanding from the support body and operable to extend across a cavity between the two leaves, each projection having a recessed channel operable to inhibit transfer of moisture from one end of each projection to another.

The first aspect recognizes that a problem with the existing cavity wall spacers is that they either have no moisture barrier rib, in which case more moisture than may be desirable can track along the length of the projection from the external leaf to the internal leaf, or they have a moisture barrier rib and this causes moisture to gather and then drip into the cavity in the vicinity of the moisture barrier rib. Also, a problem with arrangements having moisture barrier ribs is that when the sheets of cavity wall spacers are stacked for storage or transport the packing density of the sheets is low since the barrier rib prevents close stacking of the sheets. Furthermore, these barrier ribs can become damaged.

Accordingly, the first aspect provides at least one projection, and more typically a plurality of projections, each having a recessed channel. The recessed channel or groove helps to prevent the passage of moisture along the length of the projection which provides an efficient way of preventing moisture traveling between the two leaves of the wall. Also, a recessed channel reduces the amount of moisture which drips into the cavity since the moisture is more likely to track back along the surface of the projection. Additionally, providing a recessed channel ensures no external obstruction on the projections which helps to achieve a significantly improved stacking density. Furthermore, the projections are less prone to any damage since there are no external protrusions.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel is operable to cause moisture flowing from one end of the projection to another to collect therein. Accordingly, the recessed channel provides a depression or gully into which any moisture traveling along the length of the projection may accumulate.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel is operable to cause the moisture collected therein to gather at a moisture-release point. Hence, the channel acts as a conduit along which the accumulated moisture may flow to a moisture-release point. It will be appreciated that in practice small droplets will accumulate in the recessed channel which will combine into larger droplets which, once a sufficient mass has been achieved, will overcome surface tension and will flow along the recessed channel under gravity to the underside of the recessed channel when installed in the cavity. The underside of the channel when installed in the cavity may provide two moisture-release points, one at each side of the recessed channel.

In one embodiment, each projection is tapered towards its distal end and the recessed channel is operable to direct moisture gathered at the moisture-release point towards that projection's proximal end. Hence, in a tapered arrangement, any moisture gathered at the moisture-release point (which is typically on the underside of the projection when installed in the cavity) will be likely to travel under gravity back along the outer surface of the projection back towards the support body rather than drip into the cavity itself.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel is located between proximal and distal ends of the projection.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel is located towards the distal end of the projection.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel is located in a distal face of the projection. Hence, rather than be located along the length of the projection, the recessed channel may be formed in the tip of the projection.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel extends at least partly circumferentially about the projection.

In one embodiment, the recessed channel extends entirely circumferentially about the projection.

In one embodiment, each projection has two converging lateral walls.

In one embodiment, each projection has a lenticular cross-section.

In one embodiment, each projection is hollow. It will be appreciated that providing a hollow projection increases the stacking density.

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