MODULAR COMPONENTS FOR BUILDING STRUCTURES
A method of constructing a first interior building structure includes providing a first panel, the first panel including a first plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures and providing a second panel, the second panel including a second plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures. A first mounting structure is mounted on at least one of the reinforcement structures of the first panel. A second mounting structure is mounted on at least one of the reinforcement structures of the second panel. The first panel is coupled to the second panel by interlocking the first mounting structure with the second mounting structure, wherein, when the first panel is mounted to the second panel, the first and the second mounting structures are hidden from an exterior of the first and the second panels.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/823,272, filed on Aug. 23, 2006, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDThe principles disclosed herein relate generally to modular components for constructing building structures such as cabinetry, desks, shelving, closet systems, and furniture, and, to a method of constructing building structures using modular components.
BACKGROUNDInterior building structures such as cabinetry and office furniture are generally constructed at a predetermined site such as a cabinetmaker's shop and delivered to the job site preassembled. Preassembled interior units are generally of a closed architecture design.
Preassembled interior building structures, wherein a majority of the components are integrally formed, tend to have some shortcomings. Some of these structures tend to be heavy and may be difficult to maneuver through doorways or around objects such as preexisting furniture or preexisting cabinets. Flexibility of design is limited generally to the preassembled form.
Another shortcoming of preassembled interior units is that, since the major components of a unit may be integrally formed, the entire unit may need to be replaced if damaged, rather than replacing only the damaged component.
What is desired is an open architecture design that allows the user or installer to customize the cabinetry, desk, shelving, closet system, or furniture to the desired end result.
SUMMARYAccording to one particular aspect, the principles disclosed herein relate to modular components for constructing building structures (e.g., interior building structures) such as cabinetry, desks, shelving, closet systems, and furniture.
According to another particular aspect, the disclosure herein relates to a method of constructing building structures, such as cabinetry, desks, shelving, furniture, walls, floors, etc., using modular components.
Using modular components to construct building structures promotes standardization of components for lower manufacturing costs, facilitates replacement and transport of the units and/or expands options for customization using open architecture by the end user.
A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individual features and combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The principles disclosed herein relate generally to modular components for constructing building structures, such as interior building structures including cabinetry, desks, shelving, and furniture, and, to a method of constructing building structures using modular components.
More particularly, the disclosure relates to lightweight, high-strength panels that are formed as modular, standardized components for constructing a variety of different building structures using similar panels. The panels are also configured to hide fastening hardware. The fastening hardware allows the finished product to be assembled on site, whether it is cabinetry, desks, office furniture, bookcases, closets, etc., while the hardware itself remains hidden.
The panel 10, as illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the panels 10 may be between 9 inches and 36 inches in width W and between 6 inches and 96 inches in length L. In other embodiments, the panels 10 may be between 9 inches and 48 inches in width W. The panels 10 may be provided at 1½ inch increments between the 9 inches and the 36 inches for the width W (or between the 9 inches and 48 inches for the width W) and may be provided at 1½ inch increments between the 6 inches and the 96 inches for the length L. In certain other embodiments, the panels 10 may be provided at 3 inch increments between the 9 inches and the 36 inches for the width W (or between the 9 inches and 48 inches for the width W) and may be provided at 3 inch increments between the 6 inches and the 96 inches for the length L.
The equal increments for the width W and the length L of the panels 10 promote standardization and modularity of the components when using the panels 10 to construct different types of building structures. It should also be noted that the increments the panels 10 are provided at in length L and in width W may be dictated by the thickness T of the panels 10 to promote standardization of the modular components. In certain embodiments, for example, wherein the panels 10 are 1½ inches in thickness T, the width W and the length L of the panels 10 may also be provided in 1½ inch increments. In other embodiments, wherein the panels 10 are ¾ inches in thickness T, the width W and the length L of the panels 10 may also be provided in ¾ inch increments. It will be understood that this is a preferred embodiment of the system, and, in other embodiments, the increments for the width W and the length L of the panels 10 do not necessarily have to be the same as the thickness T of the panels 10. The values given above are just example values and it should be understood that other width, length, spacing, thickness values and appropriate increment values may be used depending upon the purpose of the panels 10.
Still referring to
It should be understood that the increments for reinforcement structures 16 may also be dictated by the thickness T of the panels 10 as described above for the length L and the width W. In other embodiments, the increments of the reinforcement structures 16, as long as they are evenly spaced, may be different than the increments the length L and the width W are provided at for the panels 10. Having reinforcement structures 16 positioned at equal intervals promotes standardization and modularity of the components when customizing interior building structures.
As will be described hereinafter, the panels 10 can be used to modularly build interior building structures or be fastened to preexisting walls to form structures such as shelving, cabinetry, etc.
The predetermined increments for the panel widths W and the panel lengths L as well as the predetermined increments for the reinforcement structures 16 promote standardization and modularity of the panels 10 in constructing interior building structures. For example, if a portion of an interior building structure such as a desk formed from the panels 10 of the present disclosure gets damaged, only the damaged panel 10 would have to be replaced. The damaged panel 10 can be replaced with an identical panel 10 that is formed based on the same standard increments provided on the damaged panel.
Still referring to
The reinforcement structures 16 can be made of any solid material that fits the design needs of the customer. In one embodiment, the reinforcement structures 16 may be made from maple that has been molded to size.
Referring now to
The mounting bores 18 may be drilled through the composition board skins 12, 14 and into the reinforcement structures 16 to create a panel 10 that can accept the appropriate hardware for modular construction of the building structures, as will be described in further detail herein.
The system illustrated in the present disclosure provides the advantage of integrally adding modular components to existing components. In the prior art systems, for example, a shelving unit such as the unit 24 shown in
In building structures such as the ones shown in
The bolt 26 shown in
The bracket 34 includes a middle interlock portion 36 and two side mounting flanges 38. The mounting flanges 38 are provided with fastener openings 40 for fastening the bracket 34 to a panel 10. The middle portion 36 of the bracket 34 includes a longitudinal slot 42 for slidably receiving the head portion 28 of the bolt 26 shown in
As shown in
Once the brackets 34 are mounted on the panel 10, another panel 10 including the bolts 26 may be coupled to the panel 10 with the brackets 34, as shown in
The removable nosing 48 illustrated in
In the embodiment shown in
It should be noted that the removable nosing 48 is simply one example component that may be used to modularly vary the style of the furniture created with the panels 10. Other components are possible. It should also be noted that the hardware shown and the mounting method used to couple removable nosing 48 to the panel 10 is simply one example. Other hardware and mounting methods can be used with the modular components to instantly change the style of the building structures, wherein the hardware is hidden from view to create an attractive appearance.
As discussed above, in addition to constructing stand-alone structures, the panels 10 can also be mounted to preexisting walls to create certain other types of interior building structures such as shelving, cabinets, etc.
Once fastened to the panel 10, the wall bracket 54 and the panel 10 are slid over a rail 70 provided on the preexisting wall 58 and the bottom flange 68 of the wall bracket 56 is fastened to the wall 58. The rail 70 may be a two by two made of pine and may be fastened to the preexisting wall 58 through the studs to span the desired cabinet length. The exposed flange 68 can be covered with a composition board skin back. Screws can also be inserted through the panel 10 into the rail 70 for added stability.
The toe kick assembly 78 shown in
In
The flat rear 94 of the molded rail 92 is designed to be fastened to a preexisting wall. The molded rail 92 can be fastened to studs or other structural parts of the wall to provide a secure attachment. The recessed portion 91 is configured to leave a slot 99 between the wall and the panel 10. As will be described in further detail below, this slot 99 accommodates a spring clip 95 that is attached to the panel 10.
The vertical panel 10 is prepared by first shaping the rear vertical end 105 of the panel 10. As shown in
Before the spring clips 95 are fastened to the panels 10, as shown in
The molded rail 92, since oriented horizontally, allows the user to place a panel 10 at any horizontal location along the rail 92. The molded rails 92 can be sized according to need. The quick-attach hanging system including the molded rail 92, the panel 10 and the spring clip 95 provide a simple way to form vertical structures without the need for tools. Horizontal components can, then, be added to the vertical panels in accordance with the previous description above, such as by using bolts 26 within mounting bores 18, etc.
The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description. Many embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Claims
1. A method of constructing a first interior building structure comprising:
- providing a first panel, the first panel including a first plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures;
- providing a second panel, the second panel including a second plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures;
- providing a first mounting structure on at least one of the reinforcement structures of the first panel;
- providing a second mounting structure on at least one of the reinforcement structures of the second panel;
- coupling the first panel to the second panel by interlocking the first mounting structure with the second mounting structure, wherein, when the first panel is mounted to the second panel, the first and the second mounting structures are hidden from an exterior of the first and the second panels.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first mounting structure includes a bolt and the second mounting structure includes a bracket with a longitudinal slot for slidably receiving the bolt.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the bracket is mounted on a recess formed at an end of the panel so as to not protrude out from the end of the panel to hide the bracket from view when the first panel is mounted to the second panel.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first panel is between a range of 9 inches and 48 inches in width and between a range of 6 inches and 96 inches in length, and the panel includes a thickness, wherein the width and the length of the panel are provided in increments within the ranges for the length and the width, wherein the increments are determined by the thickness of the panel, wherein the increments are generally equal to a factor of the thickness of the panel.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the increments are generally equal to the thickness of the panel.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first panel and the second panel are coupled in a perpendicular configuration.
7. A modular building structure comprising:
- a first panel including a first plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures;
- a second panel including a second plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures;
- a first mounting structure mounted on at least one of the reinforcement structures of the first panel; and
- a second mounting structure mounted on at least one of the reinforcement structures of the second panel;
- wherein the first mounting structure is interlocked with the second mounting structure to couple the first panel to the second panel such that the first and the second mounting structures are hidden from an exterior of the first and the second panels when coupled.
8. A modular building structure according to claim 7, wherein the first mounting structure includes a bolt and the second mounting structure includes a bracket with a longitudinal slot for slidably receiving the bolt.
9. A modular building structure according to claim 8, wherein the bracket is mounted on a recess formed at an end of the second panel so as to not protrude out from the end of the second panel to hide the bracket from view when the first panel is mounted to the second panel.
10. A modular building structure according to claim 7, wherein the first panel is between a range of 9 inches and 48 inches in width and between a range of 6 inches and 96 inches in length, and the panel includes a thickness, wherein the width and the length of the panel are provided in increments within the ranges for the length and the width, wherein the increments are determined by the thickness of the panel, wherein the increments are generally equal to a factor of the thickness of the panel.
11. A modular building structure according to claim 10, wherein the increments are generally equal to the thickness of the panel.
12. A modular building structure according to claim 7, wherein the first panel and the second panel are coupled in a perpendicular configuration.
13. A method hanging a first panel to a preexisting wall, comprising:
- providing a first panel, the first panel including a first plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement structures;
- providing a horizontal rail;
- fastening the rail to the wall with fasteners;
- fastening a bracket to one of the reinforcement structures, wherein a portion of the bracket extends into the first panel and is hidden from view when the first panel is mounted to the wall; and
- capturing the horizontal rail by at least a portion of the bracket to frictionally hold the panel against the wall.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the first panel is hung horizontally with respect to the wall.
15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the first panel is hung vertically with respect to the wall.
16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising inserting a screw through a major face of the panel, through the bracket, and into the rail.
17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the bracket includes a C-shape.
18. A method according to claim 13, wherein the bracket includes a Z-shape.
19. A method according to claim 13, further comprising cutting a cut-out at a rear face of the panel and hanging the panel so as to receive the rail within the cut-out.
20. A method according to claim 13, wherein the first panel can be hung against the wall at an infinite number of different points along the horizontal rail.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 23, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 20, 2008
Inventors: Juten Robert (Duluth, MN), Ben Brintlinger (Duluth, MN)
Application Number: 11/844,104
International Classification: A47F 5/08 (20060101); A47G 29/08 (20060101);