Composite insulating panel

1. A composite insulating panel, comprising:

a backing member including a front face, a rear face, a top face, and a bottom face comprising a front section and a rear section, wherein a groove is defined in the bottom face between the front and rear sections; and

a siding member including an upper strip and a lower end including a bottom lip;

wherein at least a substantial portion of the front face of the backing member is bonded to a rear face of the siding member;

wherein the bottom lip extends rearward from the lower end of the siding member and is located adjacent to the front section of the bottom face of the backing member;

wherein a projection extends upward from the top face of the backing member, the projection having a front face, a rear face, and a top face which is angled downwards from the front face of the projection to the rear face of the projection, with the front face of the projection being aligned with the front face of the backing member; and

wherein the rear face of the projection is offset from the rear face of the backing member;

wherein a tongue is defined in combination by the projection of the backing member and the upper strip of the siding member, the tongue being adapted to engage in a groove of a backing member of an associated adjacent composite insulating panel; and

wherein the top face of the backing member is not covered by the siding member.

2. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the siding member further comprises a ledge connected to a rearward edge of the bottom lip and extending upward abutting a front face of the groove.

3. The composite insulating panel of claim 2 , wherein the ledge does not extend beyond a rear bottom face of the rear section of the backing member.

4. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the groove is not abutted by any portion of the siding member.

5. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the siding member further comprises a nailing divot located below the upper strip.

6. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the front section of the bottom face of the backing member extends downward beyond the rear section of the bottom face of the backing member.

7. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the nailing divot is formed of at least two layers of different materials.

8. The composite insulating panel of claim 7 , wherein the at least two layers of different materials are formed by co-extrusion.

9. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the composite insulating panel can pass ASTM D3679 surface distortion standards when tested at 170° F.

10. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the groove has a front face, a rear face, and an upper face that connects the front face of the groove to the rear face of the groove, the upper face forming an acute angle with the front face, and the front face and the rear face being generally parallel to each other.

11. The composite insulating panel of claim 10 , wherein the siding member further comprises a groove lining extending from a free edge of the bottom lip, the groove lining comprising a forward face abutting the front face of the groove and a rearward face abutting the rear face of the groove.

12. The composite insulating panel of claim 1 , wherein the backing member has a first thickness measured as a distance between the rear face of the backing member and the front face of the backing member at the nailing divot, and a second thickness measured as a distance between the rear face of the backing member and the front face of the backing member at a closed end of the groove; and

wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

13. The insulating panel of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness of the backing member is from about 0.25:1 to about 0.75:1.

14. The composite insulating panel of claim 5 , wherein the siding member further comprises a veneer having a front face, and wherein the nailing divot is recessed relative to the front face of the veneer.

15. An insulated siding system comprising a first composite panel and a second composite panel;

wherein the first composite panel and the second composite panel both comprise:

a backing member including a front face, a rear face, a top face, and a bottom face comprising a front section and a rear section, wherein a groove is defined in the bottom face between the front and rear sections; and

a siding member including an upper strip and a lower end including a bottom lip;

wherein at least a substantial portion of the front face of the backing member is bonded to a rear face of the siding member;

wherein the bottom lip extends rearward from the lower end of the siding member and is located adjacent to the front section of the bottom face of the backing member;

wherein a projection extends upward from the top face of the backing member, the projection having a front face, a rear face, and a top face which is angled downwards from the front face of the projection to the rear face of the projection, with the front face of the projection being aligned with the front face of the backing member; and

wherein the rear face of the projection is offset from the rear face of the backing member;

wherein a tongue is defined in combination by the projection of the backing member and the upper strip of the siding member;

wherein the tongue of the first composite panel engages the groove of the second composite panel; and

wherein the top face of the backing member is not covered by the siding member;

wherein (a) back-to-front air movement through the system is reduced by at least 40%, or (b) the system has a windload resistance of at least 60 lbs per square inch when tested according to ASTM D5206 with the backing members having a thickness of 1.25 inches or less.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the siding member of the first composite panel and the siding member of the second composite panel both further comprise a ledge connected to a rearward edge of the bottom lip and extending upward abutting a front face of the groove.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ledge does not extend beyond a rear bottom face of the rear section of the backing member.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the groove of both the first composite panel and the second composite panel is not abutted by any portion of the siding member.