Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Three-way corner construction – Floor supports walls
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-29
2004-10-12
Glessner, Brian E. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Three-way corner construction
Floor supports walls
C052S236700, C052S236900, C052S266000, C052S271000, C052S274000, C052S293200, C052S592600, C446S085000, C446S124000, C446S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802160
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a new type of building structure, and in particular, to a building structure which is constructed from discrete modular building elements thereby facilitating a variety of configurations or designs of building structure.
BACKGROUND ART
Currently, many building structures are constructed using a large number of small individual components. This practice requires significant time, effort and skill to bring to completion even a comparatively minor building structure such as a house. In attempting to overcome this and other drawbacks, building structures utilising modular building components have been devised and are known. However, many of these prefabricated or modular components have simply transferred the time, effort and skill from the building location to a factory location. Transporting prefabricated or modular components from a factory location to a building location results in an additional cost to the overall expense of erecting the building structure, which may only prove commercially viable for kit homes.
Furthermore, simply transferring the manufacture or construction of prefabricated or modular components to a building site may significantly reduce the cost of building structures below that which is incurred by manufacturing prefabricated or modular components in a factory. However, the components must be capable of being satisfactorily manufactured at the building site where limited facilities are available.
Many various types of building structures utilising modular components or elements have been proposed. Due to the complexity and variation associated with constructing a building structure none of these previous systems overcome all of the problems associated with erecting a building structure.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3950902 discloses a concrete structure constructed from a single basic, monolithic pre-cast modular concrete beam. Each beam is an elongated concrete member having a generally rectangular cross-section, and having a central aperture extending through the length of said beam. However, these concrete structures are limited to relatively small buildings, for example houses, where a relatively high structural integrity is not required. Hence, the modular concrete beam may be comparatively small in dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5072554 discloses a prefabricated modular building structure which is constructed of a plurality of panels. Vertical panels are interlocked by sliding a built in flange on each panel into a built in channel member on an adjacent panel. The specification is directed towards a single layer of vertical panels only, and foundations are not utilised due to the modular storage building being of a relatively small size. Therefore, this invention is still limited in its scope of overcoming the problems associated with modular building structures.
The problems associated with providing a flexible and stable modular building structure are complex, this is attested to by the fact that although a significant effort has been made to solve the problems, the modular or prefabricated building industries have only captured and extremely small percentage of the housing market, perhaps as little as 8%, after many decades. The complexities present can impose a height restriction on many forms of modular building structures.
This identifies a need for an improved type of modular building structure which overcomes the problems inherent in the prior art
The present invention seeks to provide an improved modular building structure which includes only a limited number of basic modular elements which can be used for foundations, walls, floors, ceilings, etc., that can be mass produced on-site or at a factory if desired, but does not require the construction of specialised or expensive factories.
Furthermore the present invention seeks to provide, inter alia: modular elements which can be used to construct a wide variety of plans or designs of building structures and meet a wide range of structural requirements; which may also be reinforced to resist any dynamic force; that his fire proof, rock proof and vermin proof; that can be produced from a few locally available materials; that can be lifted and handled by available inexpensive mobile machinery; and may be put together in a simple manner, which may utilise relatively unskilled labour.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide these and other features providing an improved and flexible building structure which is constructed from discrete modular building elements.
It should be noted that in this specification reference to the term ‘building structure’ is a reference to a real and effective building structure, that is a full-scale building structure. The term ‘building structure’ is not intended to include within its scope a toy, miniature or model building.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention according to one aspect seeks to provide a building structure formed from modular building elements, wherein the building structure includes:
first modular building elements provided with protrusions for interconnection with at least one socket beam; and
second modular building elements; and
socket beams provided with at least two holes, slots or recesses for receiving protrusions from first modular building elements, the holes, slots or recesses located near or at the mid-section of a surface of a socket beam; and
whereby a socket beam forms an interconnection with at least two first modular building elements, the first modular building elements being held laterally abutted to each other as a result of the mutual interconnection of respective protrusions with holes, slots or recesses of the socket beam, and, at least one second modular building element associates with the socket beam and first modular building element interconnection; such that,
a socket beam and at least two first modular building elements and at least one second modular building element form a configuration unit, the configuration unit able to engage or abut other adjacent configuration units in a side by side fashion such that the second modular building elements define a substantially planar surface, and whereby first modular building elements abut adjacent first modular building elements, second modular building elements abut adjacent second modular building elements and a socket beam abuts adjacent socket beams.
In another preferred form of the invention it is sought to provide a building structure wherein a second modular building element has at least one edge supported by a portion of the socket beam with which it associates. In a particular embodiment the configuration unit is able to engage or abut other adjacent configuration units in a one atop the other fashion to provide a multi-storey building structure. The present invention according to another aspect seeks to provide a foundation structure is provided and at least one of the components of the building structure associates with the foundation structure. The present invention according to yet another aspect seeks to provide a foundation support socket beam associates with the foundation structure, the foundation support socket beam able to interconnect with a foundation first modular building element, and at least one socket beam able to interconnect with the foundation first modular building element. There is also sought to be provided a foundation second modular building element associates with the foundation structure, the foundation second modular building element able to receive at least one first modular building element.
In a preferred form, a first modular building element is a wall panel, and a second modular building element is a floor panel or a ceiling panel. Also preferably, the socket beam has a substantially flat upper surface, part of which assists to support the second modular building elements, and a lower surface provided with a central recess, in addition to the at least two holes, slots or recesses for receiving protrusions from first modular building elements, into which part of a lower fir
Harambasic Bahra
Harambasic Dzevad
Glessner Brian E.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
Wrigley Barbara A.
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