FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a composite honeycomb construction panel and a method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall using the composite honeycomb construction panel.

BACKGROUND
The traditional drywall construction system comprises three separate components including a partition wall, face material, support structure and filler material. All these components are provided with different coefficient of expansion and contraction strength which leads to development of cracks in wall. Additionally, the traditional drywall construction is a lengthy procedure which requires a lot of water for the installation. Hence, there is a need to provide an environmental-friendly, economical and modular construction panel which is a low-cost and low-maintenance substitute to the conventional building systems and further requires minimum labor for installation and application. Furthermore, with the critical crisis of natural resources growing by the day there is an urgent need to develop a sustainable solution to the conventional building systems and methods. Also, with the increasing demand for styling and designing, it is required to provide a building system which is adaptable to suit the application and flexible in style and design.

The style and design to building system can be provided by composite panels used in building system for construction. One such composite panel is disclosed in Chinese patent no. CN208152292U which teaches the construction of cellular blast wall comprising honeycomb construction panel made up of honeycomb core and honeycomb sheet layer.

The prefabricated honeycomb blast wall assembly by using honeycomb core, panel and connecting members is taught by Chinese patent no. CN 108179823A. The method for construction of honeycomb blast wall comprises sandwiching the honeycomb core between two panels and joining of these panels through connecting members like bolts, nuts and washers. The formed honeycomb layer is hexagonal foldable layer made up of metal or rigid polymer.

One more Chinese patent no. CN208152292U teaches a fabricated honeycomb explosion proof wall construction comprising honeycomb core layer, panel and connecting members. The honeycomb core layer is made up of metal or three-dimensional dense honeycomb cell which is made from hard polymer and filled with sand.

However, there has not been provided in the prior art a total integrated system of composite construction panels that functions as a modular building system for floors, walls, ceilings, trusses, and roof members that can replace other materials conventionally used in frame buildings. That is, the known building systems continue to use conventional materials, such as metal, structural graded lumber, non-biodegradable plastic, bricks, stones and chemical products. The supply of such conventional and natural building materials is being diminished largely due to the increasing global demand for buildings and other structures. Hence, conventional building methods are currently inadequate for protecting the quality of life and preserving the natural resources.

Another major drawback in providing modular structural members is ensuring the strength or structural integrity of the individual members or construction panels. A structural member fails when does not have the required structural integrity or strength to safely support a given load condition. The structural integrity of a composite structural member depends on a proper choice of materials for use in the member and on a meticulous control of the methods used to fabricate the materials into a finished structural member.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composite construction panel which has a high compressive strength and a low weight, is economical, sustainable and environmental-friendly, and modular for being adapted for use with other structural components.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a composite construction panel which functions as a modular building system for floors, walls, ceilings, trusses, and roof members.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a composite construction panel which requires minimum labor skills, is low maintenance and provides flexibility in style and design.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

SUMMARY
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a composite honeycomb construction panel comprising:
a honeycomb core including a plurality of honeycomb cells having a first side and a second side corresponding to opposite ends of said plurality of honeycomb cells;
at least one first board attached to said first side of said plurality of honeycomb cells; and
at least one second board attached to said second side of said plurality of honeycomb cells; wherein said first board and said second board sandwich said honeycomb core to provide a pre-fabricated and ready-to-assemble construction panel.

The honeycomb core is made from paper, preferably recycled paper. The first board and the second board are made of a material selected from cement, magnesium oxide, calcium silicate, medium-density fibreboard, high-density fibreboard, wood, engineered wood, plywood, block-board, stone, glass, plastic, fibre-reinforced plastic, metal, acrylic, gypsum, paper and coir board.

The first board is attached to said first side of said plurality of honeycomb cells by means of a first adhesive layer and said second board is attached to said second side of said plurality of honeycomb cells by means of a second adhesive layer.

The plurality of honeycomb cells are hexagonal with a thickness in the range of about 10 mm to 300 mm. The first board and said second board have a thickness in the range of about 6 mm to 30 mm.

According to an aspect of the present embodiment, the strength of said honeycomb core can be varied by selective orientation of short fibers in sheets of paper and the number of the sheets of paper comprising short fibers oriented in the specific direction.

Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall by using a composite construction honeycomb panel comprising the steps of:
fabricating said composite construction honeycomb panel by sandwiching a honeycomb core including a plurality of honeycomb cells between at least one first board and at least one second board by fixedly attaching said first board and said second board to the opposite ends of said plurality of honeycomb cells of said honeycomb core to obtain a pre-fabricated and ready-to-assemble composite construction honeycomb panel; and
assembling the eco-friendly drywall by attaching a plurality of said composite honeycomb construction panels.

The method comprises assembly the plurality of composite honeycomb construction panels by means of I-beam panels in which the I-beam panels are thinner than said composite honeycomb construction panels so as to slide between said construction panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGS. 1A & 1B illustrate the honeycomb core structure and cement fibre boards according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the composite honeycomb construction panel according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 3A, 3B & 3C illustrate a method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall using the composite honeycomb construction panel of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention will now be described with the help of limited embodiments and examples, such embodiments and examples must not, in any manner, be construed to limit the ambit and scope of the invention.

The present invention advantageously provides a composite construction panel having numerous desirable properties making it suitable for building and construction such as substantial structural strength for bearing loads. The components of the panel are substantially made of environmentally friendly and recycled materials which are non-toxic, odourless and long-lasting. The composite construction panel can advantageously have its size and capacity for withstanding the structural stresses of compression, tension and bending mathematically increased or decreased by selectively specifying the various parameters of the panel components. The modularity of the panel advantageously provides a building material which is inexpensively and easily repaired/replaced when damaged.

An embodiment of the present invention teaches a pre-fabricated and pre-designed composite construction panel. The composite construction panel has two primary components - an inner core made of recycled paper honeycomb structure and outer face material is made of any constructional or structural material such as cement, magnesium oxide, calcium silicate, medium-density fiberboard, high-density fiberboard, wood, engineered wood, plywood, blockboard, stone, glass, plastic, fibre-reinforced plastic, metal, acrylic, gypsum, paper and coirboard.

The composite panel has the capacity to replace the traditional construction system and reducing carbon footprint on the planet. The panel largely focuses on environmental issue like increasing paper waste. Unlike the traditional drywall systems in which there are 3 separate components which create a partition wall, face material, support structure and filler material. All these 3 components have different coefficient of expansion and contraction. Therefore, higher tendency to develop cracks. The present embodiment combines all 3 components together and hence less tendency to develop cracks and higher strength. The paper honeycomb component solves the problem of insulation, acoustics and strength. Additionally, it is 100% recyclable.

The composite construction panel replaces non eco-friendly materials like wood, PUF, Rock Wool Mineral wool or EPS in their respective applications while preserving the key virtues of their usage in the concerned applications. The composite panel is an eco-friendly, versatile, flexible and lightweight material that has excellent compatibility with other materials and an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. It combines with plywood, steel, plastics, FRP and many other materials as its sandwich faces to form some of the strongest composite panels for its weight and dimensions. It is also more economical than most conventional materials. The panel is 100 % recyclable and bio-degradable. Furthermore, unlike the traditional processes, the installation process using the composite panel does not use water, thereby conserving the precious resource. The composite panel reduces carbon emission by 50% compared to the traditional brick/stone/ concrete construction. An added advantage of the present embodiment is the minimal or no construction residue during installation and assembly.

Accordingly one aspect the present invention provides a composite construction panel comprising a honeycomb core comprising a plurality of honeycomb cells and having first and second sides corresponding to opposing sides of the honeycomb cells, a first board having a first surface and a second surface on opposing sides thereof, and a second board having a first surface and a second surface on opposing sides thereof. The honeycomb core construction according to the invention is illustrated in the Figure 1A, referenced by numeral 10. The first board and the second board are illustrated in the FIGURE 1B, referenced by numerals 12 & 14, respectively. A first adhesive layer bonds the first surface of the first board 12 to the first side of the honeycomb core 10; and a second adhesive layer bonds the first surface of the second board to the second side of the honeycomb core. The first and second adhesive layers may be provided substantially continuous over the first surface of the first board 12 and the second board 14. Alternatively, the adhesive layers may only be present in the region of the webs of the honeycomb cores 10 so that the ends of the webs of the honeycomb cores 10 are adhesively bonded to the boards 12 & 14 by the adhesive layers.

The honeycomb core 10 has a thickness in the range of about 10 mm to 300 mm. The first board 12 and the second board 14 have a thickness in the range of about 6 mm to 30 mm. The honeycomb core 10 are paper honeycomb cores in a honeycomb structure, that is to say having hexagonal cells. Preferably, the honeycomb core 10 is made of recycled paper. The first board 12 and the second board 14 can be made of a material selected from cement board, magnesium oxide board, calcium silicate board, MDF, HDF, cement fibre, natural fibre, lumber, wood, stone, plywood, engineered wood, block board, polymer, glass fibre, glass, acrylic, paper, gypsum board, coir board, carbon fibre, metal, and the like. The outer board material can be selected based on user requirements and climatic conditions. The said panel can withstand all conditions of wind, rain, ?re, security and safety.

The honeycomb core 10 of the present invention can be designed to have a predetermined strength in any direction, by freely choosing the direction of orientation of short fibers in sheets of paper and the number of the sheets of paper comprising short fibers oriented in the specific direction. The kind of fiber constituting the paper used in the construction of the honeycomb can be determined depending on performance characteristics required for purpose of use of the honeycomb core. The fiber is preferably one which has high specific modulus and specific strength.

Figure 2 illustrates the composite paper honeycomb panel 20, according to the present invention. The composite paper honeycomb panel 20 comprises two components - the inner core that is a paper honeycomb structure made with paper, preferably recycled paper; and the outer faces are made from one or more materials selected from cement board, magnesium oxide board, calcium silicate board, MDF, HDF, cement fibre, natural fibre, lumber, wood, stone, plywood, engineered wood, block board, polymer, glass fibre, glass, acrylic, paper, gypsum board, coir board, carbon fibre, metal, and the like.

The composite paper honeycomb panel 20 replaces the traditional construction materials, reduces the carbon footprint, is light-weight, affordable and modular. The application of such panels requires minimum labor skills, thus empowering people to build their own homes. The composite paper honeycomb panel 20 is an eco-friendly, versatile, ?exible and lightweight material that has excellent compatibility with other materials and an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. It combines with other structural materials to form a strong composite panel.

The composite honeycomb panels can be prefabricated and designed to suit the end user's daily needs. Once the panel’s lifecycle is over it can be recycled leaving no carbon footprint. All the structural components used in the panel are completely recyclable.

As illustrated in Figure 1B the paper honeycomb core 10 is sandwiched between two boards’ first board 12 and second board 14 by pasting with PVA based resin to form the composite paper honeycomb construction panel 20. A method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall using the composite paper honeycomb construction panel 20 of the present invention is illustrated in the Figure 3. Two composite panels 20a & 20b are assembled by means of an I-beam panel 22, as seen from Figs. 3A, 3B & 3C, to obtain the eco-friendly drywall 30. The I-beam panel 22 is thinner than the composite panels 20a & 20b in order to smoothly slide between the composite panels 20a & 20b.

Technical advantages of the eco-friendly drywall 30 comprising the composite paper honeycomb panel 20, include:
a) It provides signi?cant time-saving at assembling the panels compared to the traditional brick & mortar system;
b) It provides a weight reduction of approximately 50 – 70 %;
c) It provides a material reduction of approximately 40 - 70%;
d) It provides a price reduction of approximately 10 - 30%;
e) It reduces the number of panels required;
f) It provides improved aesthetics at affordable costs;
g) It is easier to handle and transport;
h) It has a long durability;
i) It has excellent strength to weight ratio;
j) It preserves natural resources and is 100% recyclable;
k) It provides a high load bearing capacity; and
l) It is modular so easily replaceable.

Embodiment of the present invention is applicable over a wide number of uses and other embodiments may be developed beyond the embodiment discussed herein. Only the most preferred embodiments and their uses have been described herein, illustrating the advantages over the prior art obtained through the present invention; the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments or their specified uses. Thus, the forms of the invention are to be taken as illustrative only and other embodiments may be selected without departing from the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that additional changes and modifications, within the scope of the invention, will be apparent to one skilled in the art and that various modifications may fall within the scope of the invention.

We Claim:

1. A composite honeycomb construction panel comprising:
a honeycomb core including a plurality of honeycomb cells having a first side and a second side corresponding to opposite ends of said plurality of honeycomb cells;
at least one first board attached to said first side of said plurality of honeycomb cells; and
at least one second board attached to said second side of said plurality of honeycomb cells; wherein said first board and said second board sandwich said honeycomb core to provide a pre-fabricated and ready-to-assemble construction panel.

2. The composite honeycomb construction panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said honeycomb core is made of paper.

3. The composite honeycomb construction panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first board and said second board are made of a material selected from cement, magnesium oxide, calcium silicate, medium-density fibreboard, high-density fibreboard, wood, engineered wood, plywood, block-board, stone, glass, plastic, fibre-reinforced plastic, metal, acrylic, gypsum, paper and coir board.

4. The composite honeycomb construction panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first board is attached to said first side of said plurality of honeycomb cells by means of a first adhesive layer, and said second board is attached to said second side of said plurality of honeycomb cells by means of a second adhesive layer.

5. The composite honeycomb construction panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of honeycomb cells are hexagonal with a thickness in the range of about 10 mm to 300 mm.

6. The composite honeycomb construction panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first board and said second board have a thickness in the range of about 6 mm to 30 mm.

7. The composite construction honeycomb panel as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein strength of said honeycomb core can be varied by selective orientation of short fibres in sheets of paper and the number of the sheets of paper comprising short fibres oriented in the specific direction.

8. A method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall by using a composite construction honeycomb panel comprising the steps of:
fabricating said composite construction honeycomb panel by sandwiching a honeycomb core including a plurality of honeycomb cells between at least one first board and at least one second board by fixedly attaching said first board and said second board to the opposite ends of said plurality of honeycomb cells of said honeycomb core to obtain a pre-fabricated and ready-to-assemble composite construction honeycomb panel; and
assembling the eco-friendly drywall by attaching a plurality of said composite honeycomb construction panels.

9. The method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall as claimed in claim 8, wherein said plurality of composite honeycomb construction panels are assembled by means of I-beam panels in which the I-beam panels are thinner than said composite honeycomb construction panels so as to slide between said construction panels.

10. The method for constructing an eco-friendly drywall as claimed in claim 8, wherein said honeycomb core is made of paper and said first board and said second board are made of a material selected from cement, magnesium oxide, calcium silicate, medium-density fiberboard, high-density fiberboard, wood, engineered wood, plywood, blockboard, stone, glass, plastic, fibre-reinforced plastic, metal, acrylic, gypsum, paper and coirboard.