Method, Kit and Armature for Assembling a Plurality of Slabs into a Decorative Bin, Cachepot, or the Likes

A method, kit and armature for assembling a number of upright slabs into a decorative enclosure are described herein. The armature includes a same number of armature elements than of slabs. A respective armature element is positioned at each intersection of two adjacent slabs. Each armature element includes a stopper for contacting onto one side face of corresponding slabs and a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper. The armature further includes a cable that is mounted into the cable-receiving member and that is then tensioned to add rigidity to the assembly. The kit includes the armature elements, the cable, elastic bands and attachments that cooperate with the elastic band for holding the slabs in the predetermined configuration prior and during assembly of the armature. A tensioning element can further be used to tension the cable.

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Description
FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to outdoor furniture and ornaments. More specifically, the present disclosure is concerned with a method, kit and armature for assembling a plurality of slabs into a decorative bin, cachepot, or the likes.

BACKGROUND

Outdoor decorative elements are usually made of one or a combination of the following materials: wood, concrete, metal or plastic. Among these materials, concrete presents the best durability/cost ratio.

The use of concrete in decorative bin, cachepot and the likes is presently prohibitive considering the casting cost, transportation, etc. The use of other materials results in an outdoor decorative element which is either less durable and/or less visually appealing.

SUMMARY

An object of illustrated embodiments is generally to provide a method, armature and kit for assembling slabs in a decorative bin, cachepot or the likes.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, there is provided armature for assembling a number of upright slabs into an enclosure; each of the slabs having two opposite faces; the armature comprising:

a same number of armature elements than of slabs, each adapted for positioning at an intersection of two adjacent slabs from the number of upright slabs; each of the armature elements including a stopper for abutting onto one of the opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs and a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs; the cable-receiving member being adapted for receiving an attachment cable;

whereby, in operation, the upright slabs are positioned end-to-end according to a predetermined geometry defining the enclosure, the armature elements are positioned at the intersection of corresponding two adjacent slabs; and the attachment cable is mounted to the cable-receiving members of the armature elements and then attached.

According to another illustrative embodiment, there is provided a kit for assembling a number of upright slabs into an enclosure; each of the slabs having two opposite faces; the kit comprising:

an attachment cable;

a same number of armature elements than of slabs; each of the armature elements being adapted for positioning at an intersection of two adjacent slabs and including a stopper for contacting onto one of the two opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs and a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs; the cable-receiving member being adapted for receiving a portion of the attachment cable;

whereby, in operation, the upright slabs are positioned end-to-end according to a predetermined geometry defining the enclosure, the armature elements are positioned at the intersection of corresponding two adjacent slabs; and the attachment cable is mounted to the cable-receiving members of the armature elements and then attached.

According to a further illustrative embodiment, there is provided, an enclosure comprising:

a number of upright slabs positioned in a closed end-to-end arrangement; each of the slabs having opposite faces;

an attachment cable; and

the same number of armature elements than of slabs; each armature elements being positioned at an intersection of two adjacent slabs; each of the armature elements including i) a stopper that contacts onto one of the opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs and ii) a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs for being tightly tied together by the attachment cable.

According to still another illustrative embodiment, there is provided a method of assembling upright slabs into an enclosure; each of the slabs having opposite faces; the method comprising:

positioning the slabs upright in an end-to-end arrangement;

positioning an armature element at each intersection of two adjacent slabs; each armature element including i) a stopper for contacting onto one of the opposite faces of a respective one of slabs and ii) an cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs; and

attaching together the armature elements by attaching the cable-receiving members using a cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slab assembly in the form of a decorative bin incorporating an armature for assembling upright slabs according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the slabs from FIG. 1, shown with an elastic band wrapped around;

FIG. 3 a perspective view illustrating the positioning of the slabs according to the predetermined geometrical arrangement using the elastic bands and attachments;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, further showing the positioning of the armature elements between the slabs;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4, further showing the mounting of a cable to the armature elements;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 5, further showing the tensioning of the cable using a tensioning element;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the armature elements;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a decorative bin according to a second illustrative embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a slab assembly in the form of a cachepot according to a third illustrative embodiment.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one”, but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more”, “at least one”, and “one or more than one”. Similarly, the word “another” may mean at least a second or more.

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “include” and “includes”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contain” and “contains”), are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or process steps.

In the present specification in the appended claims, various terminology which is directional, geometrical and/or spatial in nature such as “longitudinal”, “horizontal”, “front”, rear”, “upwardly”, “downwardly”, etc. is used. It is to be understood that such terminology is used for ease of description and in a relative sense only and is not to be taken in any way as a limitation upon the scope of the present disclosure.

In the present specification in the appended claims, the expression “cable” should be construed in a broad way so as to include wire rope, cord, strap, cable and the likes and should not be limited to any particular material.

A slab assembly in the form of a decorative bin 10 according to a first illustrative embodiment is shown in FIG. 1.

The decorative bin 10 comprises a plurality of concrete slabs 12, for example of the patio type, that are positioned upright, a same number of armature elements 14 than of slabs 12, a cable 16 and a tensioning element 18.

The armature elements 14, together with the cable 16 and tensioning element 18 will be referred to as the armature of the slab assembly 10.

Each of the components of the armature, along with a method of assembling the concrete slabs in the decorative bin 10 or in any other decorative enclosure will now be described with more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, an elastic band 20 is positioned around each slab 12 adjacent an edge thereof. As will become more apparent upon reading the description of the assembly 10 below, the elastic band 20 can be positioned at any place around the slab 12.

The band 20 can be made of any material. According to another embodiment (not shown), a cable is used instead of a band. According to still another embodiment, the band or cable is not elastic.

Each slab 12 is generally rectangular in shape and has two opposite faces 22 and 24, wherein the faces to be positioned outside of the resulting enclosure will be referred herein as the outer or decorative face 24. The outer face 24 includes decorative and/or informative grooves, protrusions or a combination thereof. According to another embodiment, the inner face 22 also or alternatively includes such decorative and/or informative elements. According to still another embodiment, any one or both faces 22 and 24 are plain.

Also, the slabs 12 are not limited to the rectangular shape and can have any other geometry and sizes.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 3, the slabs 12 are positioned upright on a generally levelled surface so as to yield the desired angle therebetween. According to the first embodiment, such an angle is 108 degrees between two adjacent slabs 12 so that the resulting slab assembly defines a pentagon.

A slab assembly including slabs having different height (not shown) can be provided whenever the surface is unlevelled, or to yield variations in height along the resulting top perimeter edge of the slab assembly 10.

To contribute helping maintain the slabs 12 in place during their positioning in the predetermined configuration, attachment elements 26 (only two shown) are mounted to two consecutive bands 20 for their joining.

The attachment elements 26 are in the form of rigid U-shaped clips. More specifically, the clip 26 includes two distanced legs 28 defining a tapered opening 30 therebetween. According to a more specific embodiment, the clip 26 is made of a resilient material, such as a polymer or metal. The clip 26 is adapted to receive, at least partially, two adjacent bands 20.

According to other embodiment (not shown), the clips 26 are differently shaped than those illustrated. According to still another, the attachment elements are in the form of strings. The attachments can also be omitted.

The armature elements 14 are then positioned between two consecutive slabs 12 (see FIG. 4).

Turning now briefly to FIG. 7, the armature element 14 will be described in more detail.

The armature element 14 includes a generally flat L-shaped member 32, defined by an elongated plate having straight and bended portions 34 and 36. The element 14 further includes a second plate 38 having an opening which defines a hook 40. The second plate is mounted to the straight portion 34 of the member 32 perpendicularly therefrom and is secured using welding. According to another embodiment (not shown), the second plate 38 is configured so as to be secured to the member 32 using fasteners. According to still another embodiment, the second plate is integral the elongated plate.

As will be described hereinbelow in more detail, the hook 40 is provided to attach the cable 16 to the armature element 14. As such, the opening 40 in the second plate 38 can take any other form allowing receiving part of the cable 16.

The member 32 is also not limited to the illustrated embodiment. More generally, the armature element 14 includes a stopper portion for contacting onto one or both of the two adjacent slabs 12 and a cable-receiving member for receiving the cable 16. The stopper can have any geometry allowing the armature element 14 to rest onto at least one of the slabs 12 when traction is exerted onto the cable-receiving element 38. The cable-receiving element is also so configured and so mounted to the member 32 so that it is mountable in the interstice 42 between two adjacent slabs 12 and so that it extends beyond the face 24 of the slab 12 when the member 32 abuts at least one of the slabs 12 on the other side thereof.

In some embodiments (not shown), depending for example on the geometry of the slabs 12 and/or of the hook, the hook is so mounted to the stopper so as to be hidden between the two adjacent slabs 12.

According to the first illustrated embodiment, the bended portion 36 of the member 32 acts as a cap that cover the interstice 42 so as to minimize the infiltration of rain, snow, dirt or of any object or substance in the interstice 42.

As shown in FIG. 5, once an armature element 14 is positioned at each intersection between two adjacent slabs 12, the cable 16 is mounted in each opening 40 in a sliding arrangement or fixedly.

With reference now to FIG. 6, the tensioning element 18 is then attached to both free ends of the cable 16. For that purpose, the cable 16 is provided with a preformed loop 44 at each end.

Using the tensioning element 18, the cable is taut so as to tight the contact between the slabs 12 bringing rigidity to the assembly 10.

According to the first illustrated embodiment, the tensioning element 18 is in the form of a well-known tension arm. Any other tensioning device can alternatively be provided between the two ends 44 of the cable 16.

According to another embodiment the tensioning element is in the form of a tension bar (not shown). According to such an embodiment, a loop is created or a ring is provided in or on the cable 22 to receive the tension bar. Tension is then applied on the cable 16 by lowering the tension bar, which can then be held in place by a locking washer or another similar means. Spacers can be added to provide more tension.

According to another embodiment (not shown), the tensioning element is omitted and both ends of the cable 16 are simply attached.

The attachments 26 and band 20 can then be removed, for example for aesthetic or safety reasons. According to a further embodiment, this last step is omitted.

As can be seen in FIG. 8, which illustrates a decorative bin 44 according to a second illustrative embodiment, the dimension an geometry of the armature elements 46 are adapted to the dimension and geometry of the slabs 48 used. Compared with the armature elements 12, the armature elements 46 are longer. The decorative bin 44 encloses a trash bin 49.

Also, the present armature allows assembling any number of slabs into a decorative enclosure and is not limited to assemble slabs into a pentagon configuration. FIG. 9 illustrates a cachepot 50 according to a third illustrative embodiment of a slab assembly. In FIG. 9, the slabs 52 are assembled so as to yield a cachepot having a generally rectangular shape. The cachepot further acts as an enclosure for a street lamp 54. As a further difference with the assembly 10, the slabs 52 show a different pattern on their decorative face.

The armature elements 14, the cable 16, tensioning element 18, bands 20 and attachments 26 together define a kit for assembling slabs into a decorative enclosure.

The above-described method, armature and kit for assembling a plurality of slabs can be used to create many complete or partial enclosures such as flower containers, decorative bins, a base for a pole such as a lamp post, or more generally any landscaping furniture.

It is to be noted that many modifications could be made to the armatures and slab assemblies described hereinabove and illustrated in the appended drawings. For example:

    • while the above embodiments referred to construction resulting of the assembly of patio slabs, other generally flat building elements can be used;
    • an armature according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the assembly of concrete building elements and can be used to assemble building elements made of any materials, such as, without limitations, a polymer, a ceramic, a metal, a composite material, etc.;
    • the building slabs or elements used can be provided with any or no pattern thereon;
    • the resulting slab assembly is not limited to having a regular geometry formed of identical slabs 12. One can adapt the armature element to accommodate slabs having other geometry;
    • the armature elements are not limited to a one-piece embodiment. It can also result from the assembly of two or more pieces assembled using fasteners, or any other mechanical cooperating means or process. According to such an embodiment, the cable-receiving member and stopper are two distinct pieces that can be assembled prior or during mounting of the slab assembly;
    • the armature elements can be provided with decorative patterns or imprints thereon (not shown).

While several embodiments have been described herein, it will be understood that further modifications are possible, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention, following in general the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as to come within knowledge or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An armature for assembling a number of upright slabs into an enclosure; each of the slabs having two opposite faces; the armature comprising: whereby, in operation, the upright slabs are positioned end-to-end according to a predetermined geometry defining the enclosure, the armature elements are positioned at the intersection of corresponding two adjacent slabs; and the attachment cable is mounted to the cable-receiving members of the armature elements and then attached.

a same number of armature elements than of slabs, each adapted for positioning at an intersection of two adjacent slabs from the number of upright slabs; each of the armature elements including a stopper for abutting onto one of the opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs and a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs; the cable-receiving member being adapted for receiving an attachment cable;

2. An armature as recited in claim 1, wherein the cable-receiving member is mounted to the stopper so as to extend beyond the other one of the two opposite faces when the stopper abuts the one of the opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs.

3. An armature as recited in claim 1, further comprising a tensioning element for tensioning the attachment cable received in the cable-receiving member.

4. An armature as recited in claim 1, wherein the stopper is in the form of a plate.

5. An armature as recited in claim 4, wherein the plate includes a bended portion that defines a cap for covering the intersection of the two adjacent slabs.

6. An armature as recited in claim 1, wherein each armature element further includes a plate mounted to the stopper for the insertion between the two adjacent slabs; the plate including a hole that defines the cable-receiving member.

7. A kit for assembling a number of upright slabs into an enclosure; each of the slabs having two opposite faces; the kit comprising: whereby, in operation, the upright slabs are positioned end-to-end according to a predetermined geometry defining the enclosure, the armature elements are positioned at the intersection of corresponding two adjacent slabs; and the attachment cable is mounted to the cable-receiving members of the armature elements and then attached.

an attachment cable;
a same number of armature elements than of slabs; each of the armature elements being adapted for positioning at an intersection of two adjacent slabs and including a stopper for contacting onto one of the two opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs and a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs; the cable-receiving member being adapted for receiving a portion of the attachment cable;

8. A kit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a tensioning element to be attached to the attachment cable at both end thereof for tensioning the cable.

9. A kit as recited in claim 7, further comprising i) a same number of bands than of slabs, each for surrounding a respective slab, and ii) attachments to tie the slabs together via the bands in a closed end-to-end arrangement.

10. A kit as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one attachment is a clip or a string.

11. An enclosure comprising:

a number of upright slabs positioned in a closed end-to-end arrangement; each of the slabs having opposite faces;
an attachment cable; and
the same number of armature elements than of slabs; each armature elements being positioned at an intersection of two adjacent slabs; each of the armature elements including i) a stopper that contacts onto one of the opposite faces of one of the two adjacent slabs and ii) a cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs for being tightly tied together by the attachment cable.

12. An enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein the slabs are made of concrete.

13. An enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein the closed end-to-end arrangement of the slabs defines a geometrical shape.

14. An enclosure as recited in claim 11 defining one of a decorative bin, a cachepot, a flower container, a base for post, and an outdoor piece of furniture.

15. A method of assembling upright slabs into an enclosure; each of the slabs having opposite faces; the method comprising:

positioning the slabs upright in an end-to-end arrangement;
positioning an armature element at each intersection of two adjacent slabs; each armature element including i) a stopper for contacting onto one of the opposite faces of a respective one of slabs and ii) an cable-receiving member mounted to the stopper for insertion between the two adjacent slabs; and
attaching together the armature elements by attaching the cable-receiving members using a cable.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising tensioning the cable attached to the cable-receiving members.

Patent History
Publication number: 20120279155
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 27, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 8, 2012
Inventor: Samy Mortreuil (Matagami)
Application Number: 13/458,203
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Tie Between Block-type Units (52/379); Vertical (52/745.09)
International Classification: E04B 1/16 (20060101);