Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Barrier or major section mounted for in situ repositioning;... – Roof movable as entity relative to its substructure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-03
2004-03-16
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Barrier or major section mounted for in situ repositioning;...
Roof movable as entity relative to its substructure
C052S071000, C052S079500, C052S093200, C052S640000, C052S646000, C403S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705051
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel method of transporting a prefabricated building module from a plant to a building site, and an apparatus for mounting a roof of the module to permit movement of the roof between a horizontal position during transport and,a raised position at the building site.
2. Description of Related Art
The construction of modular building structures, which are fabricated at a housing plant, is limited by applicable laws and regulations. The United States housing industry, which includes HUD-code homes and modular housing, is controlled by laws that limit the dimensions of products that can be shipped over the interstate highways. These limitations include width restrictions to insure vehicular safety, height restrictions to clear overhead obstructions, and length restrictions of the modular unit and transporter.
Typically manufactured HUD homes and modular homes include three dimensional “boxes or modules” that are shipped over the road, and thus are confronted with the continuing problem of the regulatory shipping limitations. Accordingly, the most economical roof designs have generally-been limited to low and medium pitched roofs. Also, the height limitations impose constraints on the design of the building structures, and the building structures have taken on the connotations associated with the homes produced by the earlier mobile home industry. Various solutions have been proposed, such as entirely independent roof sections and saddle roofs that hang over the side of the module. However, shipping independent roof sections substantially increases the construction and transportation costs, and saddle roof designs consume a portion of the over-the-road regulatory width, thereby reducing the allocable width of the module living space. Both of these methods have limitations and increase the cost of equivalent floor area in the building structures.
Furthermore, the applicable laws have created several limitations within the modular housing industry such as:
1. The dimensional geometry of the shipped product is restricted to widths of 12 feet, 14 feet, and 16 feet (under controlled conditions); heights of 14 feet, which includes either the transporter or wheel and rail assemblies; and lengths of 80 feet.
2. The traffic flow patterns within the housing plans are restricted, which causes stairways to the second floor of 12 foot and 14 foot wide modules to be L-shaped with landings and returns. This is necessary to fit the stair within the restricted-module widths, which must ultimately terminate near the center of the second floor traffic pattern.
3. The lengths of the modules are required to be extended, in the only dimension available, in order to overcome the limitations o f the width of the module. This is necessary to encapsulate more floor area. Also, as the lengths of the modules have been extended upward in excess of 70 feet, the modules have been exposed Ito increased flexure during shipping and handling, resulting in increased damage to both the structure and interior finishes of the module.
4. The extended module lengths have created awkward planning constraints that require the main front entrances of the homes to be located near the center of the modules in order to minimize the length of hallways and to improve efficient access to rooms at the ends of the modules.
5. The extended module lengths have necessitated that the slope direction of the major roof be 90 degrees with respect to the length of the module in order to remain below the shipping height limitations. By employing multiple roof panels, which are folded during shipping and unfolded and tilted up during the erection process, the housing industry has successfully created techniques that achieve up to 12/12 roof pitches. However, this requires the production of additional multiple panels and substantially increases costs. Furthermore, this process exposes the module to potential weather damage during the erection procedure.
6. The total width of one and two story homes is limited to two modules having a combined width of approximately 28 feet. This is necessary in order to avoid the creation of saw-tooth roof configurations, which are created by joining more than two modules. Saw-tooth roof configurations are inconsistent with the aesthetics of traditional home designs. Furthermore, limiting the house width to two module widths, avoids the complicated water drainage problems created by the long valleys of saw-tooth roofs. Some patio homes have been produced in contemporary plans by sliding and offsetting the modules in a direction parallel to their longitudinal dimension, thereby reducing the problems associated with the saw-tooth roofs. However, this has been accomplished by increasing the exterior wall area, which inherently increases the heating and cooling costs.
The above-discussed limitations have affected not only the housing product itself, but have also imposed restrictions on the siting of the homes on the lots. The positioning of the front entrances near the center of the modules, as previously explained, has in most designs, required that the lengthened modules be sited parallel to the front lot line. This is necessary to avoid the alternative positioning at 90 degrees to the front lot line, which would place the front entrance adjacent to the side lot line and thereby provide inadequate visibility from the street. Further, the lengthened modules require wider lots, which inherently increases the infrastructure cost of the lots. Also, the present lengthened modules are not compatible with the concept of clustered housing on smaller lots, which is being promoted today in order to reduce housing costs. The clustered housing concept requires housing products that can more effectively utilize the depth of the lots without placing the front entrances adjacent to the side lot lines.
The HUD-code home and modular housing industries of today have evolved from a combination of the mobile home industry of the 1950's and on-site construction. Planning, with the assistance of computers, has enabled module producers to offer a range of customization within the above-described constraints. Although the production of the modular homes occurs in the controlled environment of a plant, the homes are still constructed with conventional materials, in much the same way as in the mobile home industry of the 1950's and the frame construction of site-built homes.
The evolution of the modular production process has occurred without recognizing and utilizing the accomplishments and techniques of the automotive industry. A new approach could find new techniques, solve the problems created by the limitations discussed above, and enhance all aspects of the housing products while reducing costs.
By recognizing and utilizing advances in the automotive industry, the scale of the planning component in the housing industry can be increased from the historic 2×4 wood stud to a functional module. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a completely new approach to the structure for roofing modules that will overcome most of the previously discussed limitations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to meet future needs, the present invention provides an industrialized housing system, a system of standardized spatial modules of varying functional and utilitarian use, and modules that can be selected and composed by the consumer so as to create unlimited house designs. This will meet the consumer's spatial, cost, and aesthetic needs. Also, coupling option and finish packages for selection by the consumer, will add to the customization.
The present invention is effective to increase the scale of the manufactured component to that of functional modules that can be arranged in the field to permit unlimited single and multi-family housing designs and provide the consumer with unlimited house planning capabilities and greatly reduced housing costs.
More particularly, the present invention provides a novel roof couplin
Friedman Carl D.
Slack Naoko
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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