Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Wall – ceiling – or floor designed for utilities – Completed accessible continous trench duct type
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-18
2001-02-20
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Wall, ceiling, or floor designed for utilities
Completed accessible continous trench duct type
C052S220100, C052S421000, C052S718040, C052S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189269
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to the provision of novel structural system and structural components therefor, their method of manufacture, and structures formed therefrom. More particularly, the invention relates to the provision of novel interlocking thermoplastic structural components which can be mass produced at low cost and which can be quickly and easily interlocked together to erect a wide range of structures which will require minimal maintenance and will be safe from termites, corrosion, rust or rot and will be highly resistant to the effects of weathering.
Further, the invention relates to the provision of such novel structural components which include hollow components adapted to accept concrete or other material therein to enable a structure erected therefrom to be anchored to a base and converted into a permanent and essentially indestructible structure which will withstand earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural phenomena. The invention also relates to the method of producing such components.
While the structural components of the invention can be used in the erection of a wide range of structures, it is of particular note that their existence now enables low cost durable or permanent housing to be provided for the masses throughout the word regardless of the climatic conditions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
While the use of plastic to form wall panels or the like for use in building construction has been proposed, such panels have not had the necessary load bearing or other structural requirements to form practical structures which could be mass produced at low cost and quickly easily assembled to erect durable low cost structures and, in particular, low cost housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,839, for instance, discloses a plastic panel fabricated from separate panel members, preferably formed of polyvinyl chloride which snap together to form a thin wall panel. The panels in turn are formed to snap together to provide a wall structure. Such fabricated panels are inherently weak and lack the strength and load bearing capacity to form adequate structural components for use for instance in the forming of the walls and roof of a practical durable building.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,507 discloses the use of tongue and grooved individually prefabricated panels said to be preferably of plastic which are bonded or glued together and used particularly for the forming of basement walls. Such panels do not permit of high speed production and are not capable of being quickly and easily interlocked together in the erection of a house or other structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,091 discloses a hollow panel member having a width of about one and one-half inches (1½″) and a complicated interior formed by pultrusion, a process involving drawing long glass strands and a plastic binding material forcefully through a die under heat to form the glass strands into a compacted glass mat bound together by the plastic material. Such a process is prohibitively slow and expensive and the panels themselves do not provide acceptable or practical structures for forming the walls and roofing of a housing system such as contemplated by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resides in one of its aspects in the providing of novel thermoplastic structural components which can be quickly and easily interconnected to erect a wide range of structures from simple walls, fences, and enclosures, to complete houses or buildings, said thermoplastic structural components incorporating a reinforcing constituent imparting structural strength and expansion control thereto and flowable with the thermoplastic material through an extrusion die, said components being extruded into an integral essentially rigid structural shape having the reinforcing constituent distributed throughout the thermoplastic material, said structural components being configured to present means for interconnection with adjoining structural components so that they can be easily and quickly locked together in the erection of the structure desired.
The structural components according to the invention include extruded hollow panels, extruded hollow panel box connectors or columns, extruded hollow beams and adapters, and extruded panel connectors, all of which are provided with integrally formed means to enable interlocking connection with adjoining structural components for quick and easy assembly into the structure being erected.
Also according to the invention, the hollow wall panels and columns have a structural strength to accept the pouring of concrete or the like therein without deformation to provide permanent essentially indestructible wall structures.
In the case of the erection of a house or building, it will be understood that with the walls of the house or building erected on a concrete pad with the wall panels and/or wall panel connecting columns of the invention anchored with concrete to the pad a permanent roof supporting wall structure resistant to tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural phenomena is provided.
In its preferred form, the invention resides in forming the structural thermoplastic components aforesaid by extruding such components to have a thermoplastic core or substrate having reinforcing glass fibers anchored in and distributed therethroughout imparting tensile strength and expansion control thereto while co-extruding a smooth thermoplastic skin on the exposed exterior surfaces of said core, the said skin embedding and interlocking with glass fiber portions that are exposed at the interface between said reinforced core and said skin
In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, the thermoplastic skin provides an attractive maintenance free smooth surface adding to the appearance and ease of handling and interlocking the structural components as well as providing an impact resistant surface protecting the glass fiber reinforced core and the embedded glass fibers against external shock. Moreover, the thermoplastic skin can be colored as desired and provided with appropriate ultra violet protective agents as will be understood to protect such color and prevent weathering.
The structural system of the invention has particular value in the housing field whereby a house or building may be constructed on a concrete pad and formed of interconnected extruded structural components including hollow wall and roof panels and connecting columns having thermoplastic substrates reinforced with glass fibers anchored thereto and dispersed there throughout, the substrates being covered with a smooth thermoplastic impact resistant skin. The wall panels are anchored to the concrete pad by concrete introduced internally into said hollow wall panels and/or connecting columns as desired. It will also be understood that if desired the house structure, including the walls and roof, can be clad with any decorative exterior as desired.
The invention further resides in the method of forming the structural components by coextruding the smooth thermoplastic and the reinforced thermoplastic substrate to facilitate extrusion and to effect the bonding therebetween.
These and other features of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
According to an aspect of the invention, a thermoplastic wall forming member is provided with a pair of spaced apart rails for securing a wiring channel interiorly of a hollow wall structure which is formed by the wall forming member and other wall forming members. When the wiring channel is secured to the wall forming member, it provides an isolated compartment within the formed wall structure. The wall structure can then be filled with material such as concrete or the like outwardly around and without entering the wiring channel leaving an unobstructed wiring raceway within the wall structure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2297887 (1942-10-01), Hall et al.
patent: 2326361 (1943-08-01), Jacobsen
patent: 2406501 (1946-08-01), Kratzmaier
patent: 3037590 (1962-06-01), Pavlecka
pa
Glessner Brian E.
Royal Building Systems (CDN) Limited
Stephan Beth A.
LandOfFree
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