Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – With synthetic resinous component – Foam
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-10-09
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
With synthetic resinous component
Foam
C052S309120, C052S309160, C052S309170, C052S600000, C052S612000, C052S745190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298622
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates, in a general aspect thereof, to a self-supporting construction element of expanded plastics material, in particular for manufacturing floor elements and walls of buildings in general.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-supporting construction element comprising:
a) a central body, substantially parallelepipedic in shape, provided with opposite faces;
b) at least one reinforcing section bar transversally extending across said central body between said faces and embedded in said expanded plastics.
Throughout the description and the appended claims, the terms: self-supporting construction element of expanded plastics, will be used to indicate a section member made of an expanded plastics material, such as expanded polystyrene, which possesses mechanical properties adapted to withstand without structural yielding all the strains applied thereon during its transportation and installation.
BACKGROUND ART
As is known, the use of construction elements made of expanded plastics, preferably expanded polystyrene, in the forms of boards or section members of suitable shape and size serving thermal and sound insulation functions, has long been accepted by the building industry.
It is also known that, in order to confer adequate self-supporting properties to such construction elements, one or more reinforcing section bars of a suitable shape must be incorporated into the mass of expanded plastics.
Thus, for example, European Patent EP 0 459 924 discloses a self-supporting construction element made of expanded plastics material, specifically a floor element, which comprises a substantially parallelepipedic central body in which a reinforcing section bar, made of a thin metal sheet shaped as an I-beam, is integrated during the molding step.
While construction elements of this kind have on the one hand a light weight, a comparative ease of installation and a low cost, on the other hand their application in the art and flexibility of use have been restrained heretofore by their poor fire-resisting properties.
This inadequate resistance to fire is essentially related to the fact that construction elements made of expanded plastics show an insufficient capability to securely hold outer covering layers, such as the plaster layers used for the outer surface finish.
When exposed to fire, in fact, the expanded plastics soon shrinks into a shapeless mass of reduced volume, with the ensuing separation of the outer covering layers and rapid collapse of the whole structure.
In addition, an undesirable separation of the outer covering layers may be caused in some instances by a premature “aging” of the plastics surface to which these coverings adhere, a separation which may be further fostered by exposure to heat sources, dusts, fumes, vapors, or chemical substances coming from a source close to the construction elements.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The technical problem underlying the present invention is, therefore, that of providing a self-supporting construction element made of expanded plastics, which allows to overcome the drawbacks mentioned hereinabove with respect to the cited prior art.
According to the invention, this problem is solved by a construction element of the type indicated above, which is characterized in that it further comprises a lath for supporting at least one layer of a suitable covering material, said lath being associated to a fin of said reinforcing section bar lying flush with and substantially parallel to at least one of the faces of said construction element.
In the following description and the subsequent claims, the terms: lath for supporting at least one covering layer, encompass not only conventional mesh—either smooth or provided with protruding ribs—obtained by stretching a suitably notched metal sheet, but also any sheet-like member adapted to support a suitable covering material.
Advantageously, the construction element of the invention may achieve at one time both adequate self-supporting features, as conferred thereon by the reinforcing section bar integrated within the mass of expanded plastics, and adequate fire-resisting properties thanks to the presence of the lath, which is securely held by the same reinforcing section bar.
This lath, in fact, is capable of supporting a covering layer constituted by a suitable construction material even in case of shrinking of the mass of plastics.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the lath comprises one or more portions extending flush on opposite lateral sides of the construction element, which may be embedded in and anchored also to the concrete used for incorporating and/or joining together one or more adjacent construction elements.
In addition, a lath thus held securely in place by the reinforcing section bar and/or by the concrete is able to effectively prevent any detachment of the covering layer, even in the presence of the aforementioned aging phenomena of the outer surface of the expanded plastics.
In order to improve to the maximum possible extent the fire-resisting properties of the construction element, the material of the covering layer associated to the lath is preferably selected from plaster, cement, or any other fire-retarding or fire-resistant material, such as composites of cement and reinforcing fibers of an appropriate nature.
Preferably, the reinforcing section bar is constituted by a material having suitable structural properties, such as cold rolled, preferably zinc-galvanized steel, shaped so as to be provided at one end with at least one fin perpendicularly extending from the central portion thereof.
For obvious reasons of manufacturing convenience and in order to lower production costs, the reinforcing section bar is preferably worked to a C, Z or H cross-sectional shape.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing section bar is longitudinally extending within the central body of the construction element along substantially the entire length thereof and is provided with a pair of fins perpendicularly extending from opposite sides of a central portion.
In this case, the fin which extends flush with the construction element serves the function of providing an adequate supporting surface onto which the lath may be secured, while the opposite fin advantageously carries out the function of improving the compression strength of the reinforcing section bar, thereby enhancing the self-supporting properties of the construction element.
Preferably, this second fin comprises a first rectilinear portion, substantially perpendicular to the central portion of the reinforcing section bar, and an end portion bent toward the central portion and forming with the first portion of the fin an angle (&agr;) ranging from 40° to 60° and, still more preferably, equal to about 45°.
Tests carried out by the Applicant have shown that this shape of the fin contributes to further stiffen the reinforcing section bar, and further improves the self-supporting and compression strength properties of the construction element.
Portions of predetermined length of this reinforcing section bar may be obtained by means of conventional bending and cutting operations, known per se, starting from a metal sheet having a height of from 150 to 250 mm and a thickness of from 0.4 to 1.2 mm and, still more preferably, of from 0.5 to 0.8 mm.
Preferably, the central portion of the reinforcing section bar will have, after bending, a height of from 100 to 200 mm, while the fin or opposite fins of the section bar will have a width of from 15 to 30 mm.
Where the reinforcing section bar has two opposite fins, the fin which will become fully embedded within. the expanded plastics material will have an overall width comprised between 18 and 22 mm.
Preferably, the first substantially rectilinear portion of said fin, lying perpendicularly to the central portion of the reinforcing section bar, preferably has a width of from 12 to 18 mm, while the remaining end portion thereof is bent towards the reinforcing section bar to form an angle of about 45°.
Preferably, furthermor
Friedman Carl D.
Plastedil S.A.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Wilkens Kevin D.
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