Structure having preinstalled utilities and amenities
A structure comprising a housing, utilities preinstalled through the housing, and at least one amenity preinstalled to the housing.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/163,610, filed Jun. 7, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDOne problem in the construction industry involves the unnecessarily inefficient and expensive nature of existing construction techniques. Commercial construction and renovation of large building structures still largely entail labor intensive on-site fabrication of the entire structure, utilities, and amenities—despite the wide-spread use of prefabricated structures in single-family residential construction. Hotel construction, for instance, generally requires complex on-site scheduling and cooperation of a dozen or more different trade classifications and utility systems in relatively close spatial relation. Such trades or systems include fire detection, fire suppression, gas, electrical, telephone, internet, water supply, waste return, climate control wiring, HVAC, data mining, and security.
Hotel construction and renovation in emerging markets is further complicated by the lack of experienced and skilled labor and supervision. Hotels are often constructed and renovated by relatively unskilled laborers under minimal coordination and sequencing of their efforts. The lack of proper sequencing of all of the different trades and utilities often leads to substandard construction quality and delayed completion. Where there is a lack of sequencing of the installation of the utility systems, the laborers must often route their work around, or through, previously installed work. For example, it is not uncommon for ductwork to be installed and subsequently cut or drilled through to accommodate the installation of fire suppression pipelines or electrical lines. These defects are then covered up by wallboard and go unnoticed until guests experience insufficient airflow, bursting of pipes, and failure of lighting. These problems typically result in unanticipated post-construction repair and maintenance (R&M) which severely depletes R&M budgets.
Such construction defects are extremely expensive since they must be repaired or heavily maintained. It is estimated that a typical 300 room hotel constructed in an emerging market country can cost as much as two to three million dollars per year to repair and maintain due to avoidable construction mistakes. In addition, there is an inherent lost opportunity cost of construction defects in emerging markets. This is because of the delay in completion due to a lack of coordination and because of the delay in having to repair the construction defects. As a result, a hotel may lose the opportunity to earn income during the time of the construction delay.
To illustrate, the time required to construct a new hotel in an emerging market country is typically 24 to 36 months, approximately 18 to 24 months of which involve post-structural work including routing and installing utilities and finishing the interior. Under adequately trained and supervised labor, it should only take about 6 to 12 months to perform the post-structural work. Thus, unnecessarily delayed construction may postpone the opening date of the hotel by about one year, thereby resulting in unnecessary labor costs and a lost opportunity of one year's worth of hotel business. For example, a typical 300 room hotel, at $150 per night multiplied by 365 days at 75% occupancy, equates to a lost opportunity of more than twelve million dollars in revenue, not including an additional year's worth of labor costs. So, construction of a single emerging market hotel can cost tens of millions of dollars more than planned including the repair, reconstruction, maintenance, lost opportunity, and labor costs. This cost is magnified for large hotel chains and real estate development entities that are developing dozens of hotels, commercial, and residential projects, around the globe at any given time.
Another problem, especially in the hotel industry, is the ordinary and sometimes downright unattractive appearance of typical hotel rooms. Hotel rooms are relatively indistinct from one another, even among hotel chain to hotel chain. Hotel guests instantly recognize the drab layout of state of the art hotel rooms that still only include a rectangular room with the obligatory bed, armoire, desk, coffee table and two chairs. Moreover, besides a fresh paint job and a change of some wall hangings, there are currently relatively few options for refreshing the look of the walls when a hotel room is renovated. Thus, there is relatively little in the way of current hotel room layouts and features that surprise and delight a hotel guest. A few hotel chains, however, have attempted to construct more modem hotels having rooms with non-rectangular layouts. Such an approach does provide variety, but typically involves more permanent structures and costly construction techniques.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a structure comprising a housing, utilities preinstalled through the housing, and at least one amenity preinstalled to the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGSFeatures and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
The present invention is not limited in its application to the details of any particular arrangement described or shown, since the present invention is capable of multitudes of embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. First, the principles of the present invention are described by referring to a few exemplary embodiments for simplicity and illustrative purposes. Although only a limited number of embodiments of the invention are particularly disclosed herein, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in all types of structures, including but not limited to luxury hotels, full service hotels, limited service hotels, resorts, timeshare units, cruise ships, yachts, boats, airplanes, buses, recreational vehicles, hospitals, offices, apartment buildings, mobile shelter units, and any other commercial or residential structures.
Furthermore, numerous specific details are set forth to convey with reasonable clarity the inventor's possession of the present invention, how to make and/or use the present invention, and the best mode in carrying out the present invention known to the inventor at the time of application. It will, however, be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. Finally, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Thus, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Generally shown in the Figures, are embodiments of the present invention that relate generally to structures, and more particularly to prefabricated structures or substructures for installation within a larger structure that is under construction or renovation. A substructure in the form of a barrier is provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The term barrier means a partition, divider, wall, floor, ceiling, or any portions thereof. The room of the embodiment shown is a hotel room, but is not limited only thereto as mentioned above. The term prefabricated encompasses something that is partially prefabricated as well as something that is entirely prefabricated. Thus, the invention may assume various orientations and be embodied in different forms without departing from the inventive aspects defined in the claims.
Referring now in detail to the Figures, there is shown in
In one embodiment, the wall 12 generally includes an underlying chassis or frame 14, an insulation panel 16 attached to the frame 14, and a facade 18 attached to the frame 14. Together, the frame 14 and the facade 18 define a housing, but it is contemplated that such a housing could instead be molded either entirely as one unit or molded in subsections from a plastic and/or composite material.
The wall 12 also includes several amenities preinstalled thereto including, but not limited to, a stowable desk 20, a stowable video display 22, an integrated armoire 24 with drawers, retractable privacy screens 26, video screens 28, a backdrop 30, and a closet 32 with a closet rod 34 and door 36. The desk 20 can be pivotably mounted to a portion of the wall 12 such that the desk 20 can pivot between an open and usable position into the room 10 and a closed and stowed position within an empty portion of the wall 12. Likewise, the video display can be retractably mounted to a portion of the wall 12, such as on a retractable support arm, such that the video display 22 can extend from a stowed position within an empty portion of the wall 12 to an extended position into the room 10.
The term “preinstall” encompasses not only the attachment of a separate amenity to the wall 12 but also includes integral fabrication of an amenity directly to the wall 12 itself. The wall 12 may also include other built-in amenities such as a mirror, refrigerator, sink, mini-bar, exercise equipment, television, baby changing table, ironing board, and various furniture (none shown). All of the amenities may be manually or automatically deployed, as will be described below.
The wall 12 cooperates with other inventive features of the room 10 to further provide a unique experience for a guest. For instance, a reflecting area 41 is defined by the retractable screens 26, the wall 12, and other room structure as shown. The reflecting area 41 includes a work surface 45 and video display 47 and may be used for meditation, for teleconferencing, etc. The room 10 also includes a hospitality video display 49 that welcomes a guest to the room 10 and that a guest uses to place guest service orders, specify room preferences, etc.
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Furthermore, a user interface 52 is provided for two-way communication and control with respect to the wall 12. First, the user interface 52 is used to control the amenities of the wall 12, including the climate settings and the stowing, opening, and closing of panels, drawers, doors, and the like. Also, the user interface 52 is used to display any information to a guest including dining menus, wake up time, movie selections, etc. The user interface 52 is a tactile-technology input device that can be used individually or in conjunction with the video display 22 to order guest service, to adjust the climate of the room, to navigate the internet as displayed on the large video display 22, to activate and listen to audio devices, to make telephone calls, etc. The user interface 52 is wire and/or wirelessly integrated electronically with the wall 12 and is supported by software that can be upgraded as amenities of the wall 12 are upgraded. Alternatively, a touch screen panel and/or interactive voice device (not shown) could be used instead of the tactile user interface 52 to provide communication and control between a guest and the wall 12.
The wall 12 may include a control module (not shown) that is integrated within the wall 12 and/or to the user interface device 52. The control module may be configured to provide a control mechanism for the audio-visual equipment, the HVAC system, Internet, telecommunications, and other utilities and amenities provided within the wall 12. The control module may be implemented with a microprocessor, a digital signal processor or other similar computing device. The control module would include appropriate memory devices to provide storage and execution space for software providing the functionality of the control module.
The control module may also be configured to provide monitoring services. More particularly, the control module may include sensors interfaced with the utilities that service the room, sensors monitoring the environment of the room and other information gathering devices appropriate for guest services. The control module may then collect data such as water pressure, electrical power usage, HVAC efficiency, telecommunication traffic quality, etc. The control module may be further configured to interface with a building maintenance service system of the hotel. Accordingly, the control module enables two way communication between the guest and the wall 12, such as providing alarm signals to a guest.
Referring now to
The frame 14 can be composed of subsections, subassemblies, or subframes that assemble together side-by-side, one on top of another, or any combination thereof. For example, the frame 14 shown is an assembly of vertically oriented and free-standing subframes 42A-42C that are connected together in any fashion such as by welding, by adhesive, or with fasteners like nuts and bolts. The frame 14 can be constructed of any number of subframes or can be instead be constructed as a single large integral frame. Each of the subframes 42A-42C are constructed of various vertical members or struts 44 and horizontal members or cross-members 46. The struts 44 and cross-members 46 can be of various lengths, bends, and cross-sectional geometries including square tube-stock. It is contemplated that the subframes 42A-42C can be formed from metal, wood, plastic, composite, etc to facilitate wall designs having compound curves or other complex geometry.
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In conclusion, the present invention solves several problems in the prior art of construction and renovation. The present invention is a high quality substructure that can be prefabricated by highly skilled tradespeople off-site, and can then be delivered in whole or in part to a construction site for relatively unskilled tradespeople to quickly and reliably install and connect to utility supply lines of a larger structure. The combination of the high quality substructure and the quick and reliable on-site installation eliminates unanticipated post-construction R&M, thereby saving millions of dollars in labor, material, and lost opportunity costs.
Simultaneously, the substructure of the present invention provides a multitude of built-in amenities that results in an efficient, space-saving room layout that is unique and more attractive than existing room layouts. Furthermore, the appearance of the substructure can easily be varied from room to room or easily redecorated in accord with typical room redecoration schedules.
While the present invention has been described in terms of a limited number of embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. In other words, the teachings of the present invention encompass any reasonable substitutions or equivalents of claim limitations. For example, the structure, materials, sizes, and shapes of the individual components could be modified, or substituted with other similar structure, materials, sizes, and shapes. One specific example includes exchanging the wall panels as disclosed with ceiling or floor tiles for substructure embodiments involving ceilings or floors. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other applications, including those outside of the hotel industry, are possible with this invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to only hotels. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
Claims
1. A structure adapted for introduction as a substantially complete unit within a larger structure which is under construction or renovation so as to partially delimit a room within the larger structure, comprising:
- an at least partially prefabricated wall adapted for back-to-back arrangement with another wall;
- a plurality of amenities preinstalled or applied to the prefabricated wall; and
- utilities preinstalled to and extending within the prefabricated wall.
2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the amenities include at least one of a desk, a video display, an armoire, a privacy screen, a video screen, a backdrop, and a closet.
3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the amenities include a desk and a video display, and wherein at least one of the desk and the video display is stowable.
4. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the amenities include an armoire, and wherein the armoire is integrated with the prefabricated wall.
5. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the amenities include the privacy screen, and wherein the privacy screen is retractable.
6. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the desk is movable between an open and useable position within the room and a closed and stowed position within the wall.
7. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the video display is retractably mounted to a portion of the prefabricated wall so as to be extendable between a stored position within an empty portion of the wall and an extended position within the room.
8. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially prefabricated wall includes a housing, and wherein the housing includes a frame and a facade attached to the frame.
9. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the utilities include any of wires, conduit, piping, ductwork, a conveyance for water, air, gas, or steam, cable for electricity, telephone, Internet, or television, fire detection or climate control wiring, fire suppression material, waste return, and ductwork.
10. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the utilities are defined by an arrangement of pipes and conduit that terminate in service outlets.
11. The structure according to claim 10, wherein the service outlets are provided for a sprinkler, a smoke detector, a fire alarm, and a motion sensor.
12. The structure according to claim 11, wherein the service outlets further include any of an electrical outlet, a telephone jack, a television jack, and a switch.
13. The structure according to claim 11, wherein a portion at least one of the utilities terminates with a climate control unit.
14. The structure according to claim 13, wherein the at least partially prefabricated wall includes a climate control unit vent.
15. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the amenities further include at least one of a mirror, a refrigerator, a sink, a bar, exercise equipment, a television, a baby changing table, an ironing board, and furniture.
16. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the amenities include a desk, an armoire, and a closet.
17. The structure according to claim 15, wherein at least one amenity is automatically deployed.
18. The structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one insulation panel is adapted to be sandwiched between the at least partially prefabricated wall and the wall of the adjacent room.
19. The structure according to claim 8, wherein the frame is configured so that the at least partially prefabricated wall is free-standing and self-supporting.
20. The structure according to claim 8, wherein the frame includes a plurality of separately mounted subframes.
21. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the other wall is a wall of an adjacent room.
Type: Application
Filed: May 5, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 14, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Jose Travez (Falls Church, VA), Italo Travez (Ashburn, VA)
Application Number: 11/418,257
International Classification: E04H 6/00 (20060101);