FOLDABLE BUILDING UNITS
Prefabricated foldable building units are described that have one or more of the following advantages. They are more easily prefabricated, more easily transported to building sites without requiring special permits, unloadable and unfoldable at the building sites without using cranes (they can be unloaded using ground-level lifting rigs and unfolded using, for example, a cable mechanism), allow precise and fast completion at the building site, and allow significant reduction in the scope of work to be completed on-site, where costs and scheduling are far less manageable. Further, methods for unloading and unfolding foldable building units are described that obviate the need for one or more cranes that can be expensive and project-complicating, thereby opening up a significant percentage of building sites for placement of prefabricated foldable building units.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/245,162, filed Sep. 23, 2009, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/371,524 filed Aug. 6, 2010, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/371,540, filed Aug. 6, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/371,513, filed Aug. 6, 2010. The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONArchitectural structures, particularly residential buildings, are typically built on-site with each stage of the building process requiring to transport necessary materials and specific skilled labor to the site. The inherent cost inefficiency of this approach is well known in the art.
Thus, alternative approaches have been described aimed at providing economically priced housing. Some of these alternatives included prefabricating various parts of a building at a central facility, transporting the parts to a building site and then completing the assembly on-site. Other alternatives included prefabricating foldable building units at a central facility, transporting the foldable building units to a building site, unloading and unfolding the foldable building units on-site using cranes, and then completing the assembly on-site. However, it has been described that for a number of reasons, the installation cost of prefabricated non-foldable building units was substantial and, when added to the cost of manufacture and delivery, caused the total cost of these prefabricated non-foldable building units to rise to levels detrimental for competition with conventional construction. Previously described foldable building units have one or more of the following disadvantages. They require substantial work at the building site, substantial time for finishing at the building site, they are difficult to prefabricate, they do not allow precise unfolding and finishing at the building site, and they require cranes for unloading and unfolding at the building site. Cranes can be very expensive to employ, difficult to schedule, and are not even suitable for a significant percentage of building sites, thus, excluding these building sites for a substantial number of prefabricated foldable building units and often requiring home owners or developers of respective building sites to use conventional construction.
There is, therefore, a need for foldable building units that cost less, allow improved precision at the building site, are easier to prefabricate, transport, and unfold and finish quickly at the building site, and can be placed at building sites that were previously not suitable for placement of prefabricated foldable building units.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building unit. The foldable building unit includes a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with metal hinges. It further includes interior finish materials with indirect connection to the frame elements to reduce direct contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements. The frame elements are at least in part made of metal and the metal hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building unit that includes a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with offset hinges. The offset hinges are attached to metal parts of the frame elements and the offset hinges are adapted and positioned on the frame elements such that when folded, interior finish materials connected to the frame elements are offset from each other.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building unit that includes a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with metal hinges, wherein the frame elements are at least in part made of metal, the metal hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements, and the metal hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building that includes foldably connected finished wall panels, foldably connected finished floor panels, and foldably connected finished ceiling and/or roof panels. The foldable building in unfolded configuration is substantially in finished condition.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building having a structural frame adapted to be connected to ground-level lifting rigs to lift or lower the foldable building.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for unloading a foldable building unit from a transport vehicle. The method includes (a) placing ground-level lifting rigs next to the transport vehicle in positions adapted to allow attaching lifting members of the ground-level lifting rigs to the foldable building unit and to allow lifting of the foldable building unit; (b) attaching lifting members of the lifting rigs to the foldable building unit; (c) operating the lifting rigs to lift the foldable housing module off the transport vehicle; and (d) driving the transport vehicle to a location to remove the loading area of the transport vehicle from underneath the foldable housing module.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for unfolding a folded building unit. The method includes unfolding folded frame elements that are part of a structural frame of the folded building unit from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration using one or more of a cable mechanism, hydraulic mechanism or air actuation mechanism.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building comprising a core structure made of first frame elements in fixed connection, and second frame elements hingedly connected, directly or indirectly, to the core structure. The second frame elements are made of metal members, and the core structure and the second frame elements are part of the structural frame of the foldable building.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building unit comprising (a) a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with offset hinges, and (b) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the frame elements to reduce contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements, wherein the frame elements are at least in part made of metal, the offset hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements, and the offset hinges are adapted and positioned on the frame elements such that when folded, interior finish materials connected to the frame elements are offset from each other.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building unit comprising (a) a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with metal hinges, and (b) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the frame elements to reduce contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements, wherein the frame elements are at least in part made of metal, the metal hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements, and the metal hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building unit comprising (a) a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with offset hinges, and (b) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the frame elements to reduce contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements, wherein the frame elements are at least in part made of metal, the offset hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements, the offset hinges are adapted and positioned on the frame elements such that when folded, interior finish materials connected to the frame elements are offset from each other, and the offset hinges are metal hinges adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
Another embodiment of the present invention a foldable building comprising (a) a core structure made of first frame elements in fixed connection, (b) second frame elements hingedly connected, directly or indirectly, to the core structure, wherein the second frame elements are made of metal members, and the core structure and the second frame elements are part of the structural frame of the foldable building; and (c) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the second frame elements to reduce direct contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements, wherein one or more of the second frame elements are hingedly connected with offset hinges attached to the frame elements, and the offset hinges are adapted and positioned on the frame elements such that when folded, interior finish materials connected to the frame elements are offset from each other.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building comprising (a) a core structure made of first frame elements in fixed connection, (b) second frame elements hingedly connected, directly or indirectly, to the core structure, wherein the second frame elements are made of metal members, and the core structure and the second frame elements are part of the structural frame of the foldable building; and (c) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the second frame elements to reduce direct contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements, wherein one or more of the second frame elements are hingedly connected with metal hinges attached to the frame elements, and the metal hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a foldable building comprising (a) a core structure made of first frame elements in fixed connection, (b) second frame elements hingedly connected, directly or indirectly, to the core structure, wherein the second frame elements are made of metal members, and the core structure and the second frame elements are part of the structural frame of the foldable building; and (c) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the second frame elements to reduce direct contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements, wherein one or more of the second frame elements are hingedly connected with offset hinges attached to the frame elements, and the offset hinges are adapted and positioned on the frame elements such that when folded, interior finish materials connected to the frame elements are offset from each other, and the offset hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a combination of two or more, including all, of the above embodiments.
The foldable building units of the present invention have one or more of the following advantages. They are more easily prefabricated, allow more flexibility in building shapes including higher ceilings and larger spaces, reduce or eliminate material damage due to, for example, shipment, structural deflection, thermal flexure and contraction, and structural aging, more easily transportable to building sites without requiring special permits, unloadable and unfoldable at the building sites often without using cranes (they can be unloaded using ground-level lifting rigs and unfolded using, for example, a cable mechanism) and allow significant reduction and increased speed of work to be completed on-site, where typically costs and scheduling are far less manageable.
Additionally, as mentioned above, the methods for unloading and unfolding foldable building units of the present invention can obviate the need for cranes that can be expensive and project-complicating, thereby opening up a significant percentage of building sites for placement of prefabricated foldable building units.
The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention.
A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.
Although the teachings of the present invention are applicable to a wide variety of structures of different weight, size, shape and materials for a variety of diverse uses, for purposes of the following description, the present invention will be described in the context of prefabricated foldable building units.
The foldable buildings (and, more generally, foldable building units) of the present invention can be prefabricated such that the foldable buildings, after unfolding on the building site, are substantially in finished condition. That is, they do not require or significantly reduce the addition of further building sections such as wall panels, floor and roof sections, or the addition of interior and exterior finish materials with the exception of minor, non-structural finishing in areas required for folding movement. However, the prefabrication process can be reduced substantially, even to the extent that merely a foldable structural frame of the present invention is prefabricated and unfolded at the building site.
Further, all necessary mechanical and electrical systems for the residential or commercial foldable building, for example, all the required appliances and plumbing fixtures, can be installed in a core structure (i.e., a part of the structural frame of the foldable building that is made of frame elements that are not unfolded at the building site, typically, frame elements that share at least one fixed seam connection with another frame element) of the foldable building at the time of its prefabrication. At this point, the foldable building has been brought into finished condition and only requires connection to the local utilities, e.g. electricity and sewerage, and seam connections for it to be completed.
Use of appropriately dimensioned metal sections, more typically, hollow structural steel sections as shown in
Further, foldable structural frames substantially made of metal frame elements (e.g., made from hot-formed steel, for example, from hollow structural steel sections) can be prefabricated to superior tolerances such that a respective foldable building unit in substantially finished condition upon unfolding exhibits reduced or no gaps in the seam areas between foldably connected frame elements thereby reducing the work associated with on-site finishing of these seam areas.
Foldable building units, for example, the foldable buildings shown in
The foldable buildings of the present invention can be several stories high. With the use of a crane, multi-story structures can be built on-site by stacking separate foldable building units with a crane. In this arrangement, ceiling frame elements of the lower unfolded foldable building unit lie directly below floor frame elements of the upper foldable building unit. During prefabrication, appropriate openings can be included in the ceiling of the lower foldable building unit and in the floor of the upper foldable structure to accommodate a staircase, which can be installed in the lower foldable building unit during prefabrication.
Foldable building units of the present invention can unfold from one side of a core structure of the structural frame of the foldable building unit as shown, for example, in
Steel frame elements can be combined with wooden intermediate elements as shown in
It has been found that the use of powder actuated fasteners allows establishment of a strong connection between wooden intermediate elements and steel frame elements (in particular, made of hollow structural steel sections) quickly, reducing the prefabrication cost and providing significant connection strength.
The indirect connection shown in
Indirect connections of interior and/or exterior finishing materials to metal frame elements (particularly, frame elements made of structural steel sections) are one aspect of a “multi-tolerance” building approach that disaggregates and cushions brittle or otherwise fragile finish materials from the vibrational, kinetic and settling forces applied to the structural frame during shipping, setting, unfolding and settling of the prefabricated foldable building units. A second aspect of a multi-tolerance building approach is provided by the offset hinges of the present invention which are specifically engineered to safely nest hingedly (i.e., foldably connected with one or more hinges) connected frame elements at a designed distance away from its neighboring frame element, allowing, for example, for thicker wall depths and thus the prefabricated inclusion of finish materials. This is associated with a significant reduction in the scope of work to be completed on-site, where costs and scheduling are far less manageable. Thus, foldable building units of the present invention can include final interior finishing, such as trim, gypsum board, paint or wallpaper.
The three-axis step-out hinges provide folding flexibility and can increase the packing/folding degree of a foldable building unit.
A foldable connection between two substantially finished wall panels can include one or more, typically, at least two hinges, that can be configured and positioned as shown, for example, in
The hinged wall detail of
The foldable building units of the present invention can be adapted to accommodate unfolding using a robust, cost-effective cable mechanism enabling the smooth and facile unfolding of prefabricated homes, on-site, without the need for a crane or cranes which can be expensive and project complicating.
Specifically, foldable structural frames of the present invention can include frame elements made at least in part of materials with point load strengths adapted for point loading arising from pulling the respective frame elements with a device such as a cable hoist.
The use of ground-level rigs of the present invention can have several advantages compared to the use of cranes for unloading foldable building units including the following. Ground-level lifting rigs can be used for unloading foldable building units on building sites that are not suited for the use of cranes or even accessible by cranes. Further, ground-level rigs can be transported along with the folded building unit on the transport vehicle, thus, allowing unloading at any desired time without advance scheduling (as is typically required if cranes are used).
A “foldable building unit” as used to herein, is a part of a building or an entire building, wherein the part or entire building are foldable, that is, can be folded from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration and vice versa. For example, a foldable building unit can be one or more foldable rooms of a building, a foldable story of a building, or an entire foldable building. Preferably, the foldable building unit is an entire foldable building. A foldable part of a building or an entire foldable building can be several stories high in unfolded configuration, typically, however, more typically, one or two stories high. A foldable building unit in “unfolded configuration” is a foldable building unit in which the foldably connected frame elements have been unfolded into positions that can be maintained in the finished condition of the foldable building unit. A foldable building unit in “folded configuration” is a foldable building unit in which foldably connected frame elements are folded into positions suitable for uploading, transport, and/or unloading of the building unit. The foldable building or foldable building unit can be a commercial or residential building.
The present invention also encompasses buildings that are more than two stories high. Such buildings can be built from one unfolding building unit or from a plurality of foldable building units, for example, each foldable building unit being typically one or two stories of the final multi-story building. Typically, in many locations, use of a crane is not desirable due to associated cost and possible crane scheduling difficulties. However, if buildings with more than two stories are to be set up on the building site, more typically, a crane can be employed.
Foldable buildings of the present invention can have one or more rooms.
A “structural frame” as used herein, refers to the totality of members of a foldable building unit that are primarily responsible for providing structural stability of the foldable building unit in folded, partially unfolded and unfolded configuration, and which transmit loads (e.g., static, dynamic, and/or vibrational loads) to the ground. A structural frame of a foldable building unit can be made at least in part of frame elements that are foldably connected. Other parts of the structural frame can be connected in fixed relative positions. Typically, a structural frame can comprise both, foldably connected frame elements and frame elements in fixed relative positions. However, the structural frame can also consist entirely of foldably connected frame elements. Structural frames can include members that are made of a plurality of materials in various forms and dimensions. Suitable materials that can be used include but are not limited to wood, metal (e.g., aluminum or steel) and polymers. Suitable forms include but are not limited to I-beams, wide-flange beams, angles, hollow structural sections and channel sections. The selection of a material, form and dimension for a given structural part or member of a structural frame is interdependent and depends on factors such as the position of the structural part or member in the structural frame, and whether the member is part of a frame element that is foldably connected.
A “frame element” as used herein, refers, to an element of a structural frame of a foldable building unit that includes a plurality of members that form a closed or open frame. Typically, the members form a closed frame. However, the members can also form an open frame, or have additional members as shown attached thereto. Typically, frame elements that are foldably connected through hinges are made at least in part of metal, wherein the hinges are attached to metal parts, for example, a metal member, of the frame elements. Frame elements can include one or more members made of metal, typically, at least the member to which a hinge is attached is made of metal. Suitable metals include but are not limited to aluminum and steel. Preferably, the metal members are made from hot-formed steel. Suitable hot-formed steel includes hollow structural steel sections, I-beams and steel channels (typically, C-shaped cross-section). Typically, the hot-formed, steel is a hollow structural steel section or a steel channel. Steel members can be connected, for example, by welding to form a steel frame element.
Frame elements can include parts or have elements attached to them that enable automatic guidance of the relative movement of foldably connected frame elements during folding and/or unfolding.
Frame elements can further include parts or have elements attached to them that enable automatic locking or bolting of foldably connected frame elements in selected folding configurations.
Interior and exterior finish materials can be attached to the structural frame, and, specifically, frame elements of the structural frame. Interior finish materials include but are not limited to wall finishing (for example, gypsum board and Advantech® sheathing), ceiling finishing and floor finishing (for example, Advantech® sheathing with Bamboo flooring on top. Exterior finishing elements include but are not limited to siding and roofing.
For finish materials, and, in particular, interior finish materials, it has been found that “indirect connection” to the frame elements to reduce contact, partially or entirely, of the interior finish materials with the frame elements is advantageous for one or more of the following reasons. Reduced contact can (a) reduce the transfer of structural stresses from one or more frame elements of the structural frame to the often fragile and brittle interior finish materials thereby reducing or eliminating significant damage (such as dry wall cracking) of the interior finish materials, in particular, during folding, uploading, transporting, unloading and/or unfolding of the foldable building unit, (b) reduce or eliminate the exposure of the interior finish materials to water, for example, water that can condensate on metal parts of the frame elements, and (c) reduce heat transfer between the inside of the finished building unit to the outside of the finished building unit.
Thus, generally, it is preferred to use indirect rather than direct connections of finish materials, particularly, interior finish materials with respective frame elements. However, even though indirect connections are typically preferred, not all connections between interior finish material and a respective frame element have to be indirect.
Indirect connections are particularly preferable for frame elements made entirely from metal, that is, metal frame elements. However, even though “indirect connections” are favorable, direct connections (e.g., glue, screws, nails etc.) can also be present, even to metal parts of the frame elements.
Indirect connections can be provided through intermediate elements. Intermediate elements can be made of a plurality of materials. Preferably, intermediate elements are made, at least in part, of materials that have a force cushioning effect, that is, force cushioning elements such as, for example, wood, sprayed foam, and light-gauge aluminum studs. Typically, an intermediate element is positioned and dimensioned such that it can connect or can be connected (e.g., using powder-actuated fasteners or self-tapping screws) to the frame element through one area of the intermediate element (e.g., through one side of the intermediate element) and that it can be connected to the finish material, particularly, the interior finish material (for example, using nails or screws) through another area of the intermediate element (e.g., through another side of the intermediate element). Even more preferably, intermediate elements are entirely made of force cushioning materials such as wood. Foldable building units of the present invention can include wall panels, roof and floor sections that are in substantially finished condition, that is, with the exception of unfinished areas dimensioned to accommodate folding of the frame elements, and unfinished areas due to wall connection seams (i.e., seams between walls that are not connected but upon unfolding jointly form a wall), these wall panels, roof and floor sections are finished.
“Finished panels” as referred to herein, are panels that include frame elements and interior finish materials connected (typically, indirectly) to them, and can also include elements such as doors and windows. Finished panels can be, for example, finished wall panels, finished floor panels, finished ceiling panels and finished roof panels.
“Metal hinges” as referred to herein, refers to hinges in which at least the load bearing parts (including hinge leaves, hinge knuckles and hinge pin(s)) are made of metal. Preferably, the entire hinge is made of metal. Preferably, the metal is steel.
“Offset hinges” as referred to herein, are hinges that include at least two hinge leaves that are foldably connected and provide an offset between the two hinge leaves in folded configuration. Offset hinges can include two hinge leaves that are foldably connected around one, two, three or more axes. An offset set hinge that provides for one axis of rotation is hereinafter also referred to as a “fixed-axis hinge.” Preferably, fixed-axis hinge is made of two hinge leaves that have extended hinge knuckles attached thereto, wherein the extended hinge knuckles extend around a hinge pin to foldably connect the hinge leaves. For an offset hinge, the extension provided by each of the extended hinge knuckles can be of the same length or they can be different. Typically, the extension provided by each of the extended hinge knuckles of an offset hinge is the same. Extended hinge knuckles of different extension lengths can be desired if, for example, the thicknesses of two frame element that are to be foldably connected is different. The larger the extensions provided by the extended hinge knuckles of an offset hinge are, the larger can be the offset between interior finish materials connected (typically, indirectly) to the frame elements.
Typically, at least the load bearing parts (including hinge leaves, extended hinge knuckles, and hinge pin(s)) of offset hinges are made of metal. Preferably, the entire offset hinge is made of metal. Preferably, the metal is steel.
An offset hinge that provides for two, three or more axes of rotation is hereinafter also referred to as a “step-out hinge.” With increasing number of axes that are being provided by the step-out hinge, the degrees of freedom for folding increase, however, at the same time controlling the folding process becomes increasingly difficult. Preferably, step-out hinges provide for three axis of rotation (i.e., three-axis step-out hinge). More preferably, a step-out hinge includes a first hinge leaf, a second hinge leaf, a first center hinge leaf and a second hinge leaf, wherein the first hinge leaf is foldably connected to the first center hinge leaf, the first center hinge leaf is foldably connected to the second center hinge leaf, and the second center hinge leaf is foldably connected to the second hinge leaf. It has been found that step-out hinges with a plurality of axes provide advantageous folding flexibility relative to single axis hinges. Typically, at least the load bearing parts (including hinge leaves, extended hinge knuckles, and hinge pin(s)) of step-out hinges are made of metal. Preferably, the entire step-out hinge is made of metal. Suitable metals include steel. Hinges can be attached via their respective hinge leaves to frame elements to foldably connect the frame elements. In the preferred case of metal hinges that are to be attached to metal parts of frame elements, for example, metal members or entire metal frame elements, the hinges can be attached, for example, by welding. Typically, hinge leaves of metal hinges are welded to frame elements using methods known in the art.
Hinges and, in particular, offset hinges and step-out hinges (which can also be offset hinges) allow for a plurality of folding configurations associated with respective relative positions of the hinge leaves and respective attached frame elements. Typically, the step-out hinges suitable in the present invention provide an offset. For example,
Hinges and/or frame elements can further include spacer elements (see, e.g., Feature 1110 in
The hinges used in the foldable building units of the present invention can be adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
A spacer element can be part of the three-axis step-out hinge, in particular, one of the hinge leaves of the three-axis step-out hinge can have a thickness that obviates the spacer element. The spacer element can also be part of the frame element, for example, the frame element may have a thickness in the area to which the hinge leave is to be attached that obviates the need for a spacer element. Alternatively, the spacer element can be a separate element that can be attached to the hinge leave and frame element. Typically, a spacer element is made of metal, preferably, of steel.
For foldable building units that are pre-fabricated to include interior finish material, it is desirable that the foldable building unit in folded configuration can be uploaded, transported and unloaded without significant direct contact of finish materials of the folded panels. It has been found that contact can be reduced or entirely prevented by using appropriately dimensioned offset hinges to foldably connect frame elements that have interior finish materials attached to them.
The foldable building units of the present invention can be unfolded on a building site to provide part of or an entire building. Generally, after unfolding of the foldable building unit some finishing work at the building site is required.
A foldable building unit in “finished condition” refers to a building unit that is ready for commercial or private use.
An advantage of the foldable building units of the present invention is that they can be prefabricated to the extent that these building units are substantially in finished condition after unfolding, requiring significantly less labor after unfolding on the building site than ones previously described.
The foldable building units of the present invention are foldable to facilitate transport of the pre-fabricated building units. Preferably, the foldable building units in folded configuration are dimensioned such that transport with a transport vehicle, preferably, a semitrailer does not require a special transport permit. Regulations pertaining to the operation of trucks and trailers vary from country to country, and, in some instances from state to state. For example, currently, in at least one state of the United States of America, the length of a semitrailer including a foldable building unit can be up to 53 feet without requiring a commercial drivers license, the width of a semitrailer including a foldable building unit can be up to 102 inches without requiring a commercial drivers license, and the height of a semitrailer including a foldable building unit can be up to 13 feet, 6 inches without requiring a commercial drivers license.
A “transport vehicle” as referred to herein, is a vehicle that is suited for transporting a foldable building unit along roads to a building site. Typically, the transport vehicle is a semitrailer.
A “ground-level lifting rig” as referred to herein, is a device that is adapted to move a load, typically, lift a load and contains at least one lifting member that can be connected to a foldable building unit. A ground-level lifting rig is designed with regard to its structural stability and lift power such that it can be used in lifting of a foldable housing module without structural damage to the lifting rig. Ground-level lifting rigs are typically portable. Also, they are preferably small for ease of transport along with the foldable building unit, for example, on the transport vehicle that transports the foldable building unit. Ground-level lifting rigs can be manually powered (e.g., a manual hoist) or use another source of energy (e.g., electrical energy used with an electric hoist, electric hydraulic system, air power lift, etc.). Ground-level lifting rigs can be adapted such that they can be placed on various types of surfaces that can be even, uneven, and/or with or without slope.
A “lifting member” as referred to herein, is a part of a ground-level lifting rig that can be connected to connection members or directly to a foldable building unit and is moved during lifting of the foldable housing module. A lifting rig can have one or more lifting members. Typically, it has one lifting member. The lifting member can be any part that can be temporarily contacted or attached to a connection member or directly with a foldable building unit and is adapted to maintain contact or attachment during lifting and/or lowering of the foldable building unit.
A “connection member” as referred to herein, is a part that is either part of the structural frame or can be attached to the structural frame, and can be connected to the lifting member of a ground-level lifting rig and is adapted to maintain connection between the foldable building unit and the lifting member of the ground-level lifting rig during lifting and/or lowering of a the foldable building unit.
Polymer gaskets can be used to cover seams or folds of foldably connected members (e.g., hollow structural steel sections) of respective frame elements as well as hinges (including offset and step-out hinges). Suitable polymer gaskets are sufficiently flexible to prevent tearing of the polymer gasket during folding and unfolding, do not hinder folding and unfolding and are preferably not permeable for water. An example is shown in
Seams or folds of foldably connected frame elements, and preferably all boundaries of folded components, can be sealed with polymer gaskets at the time of prefabrication to reduce or remove the need for time-consuming and error-prone on-site weatherproofing.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A foldable building unit comprising
- (a) a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with metal hinges; and
- (b) interior finish materials with indirect connection to the frame elements to reduce contact of the interior finish materials with the frame elements;
- wherein the frame elements are at least in part made of metal and the metal hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements.
2. The foldable building unit of claim 1, wherein the frame elements and respective interior finish materials are indirectly attached through intermediate elements adapted and configured to prevent significant damage of the interior finish materials during folding, uploading, transport, unloading and/or unfolding of the foldable building unit.
3. The foldable building unit of claim 2, wherein the intermediate elements are force cushioning elements.
4. The foldable building unit of claim 3, wherein the force cushioning elements include bottom plate elements and top plate elements that are fastened to the frame elements and to which the interior finish materials are attached, and the foldable building unit further comprises stud elements between bottom plate elements and top plate elements.
5-6. (canceled)
7. The foldable building unit of claim 1, wherein the metal hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the foldable building unit in finished condition.
8-9. (canceled)
10. The foldable building unit of claim 1, wherein the frame elements are made of structural steel sections.
11. The foldable building unit of claim 1, wherein the foldable building unit is a foldable building.
12. The foldable building unit of claim 11, wherein the foldable building in unfolded configuration is substantially in finished condition.
13. (canceled)
14. A foldable building unit comprising a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with offset hinges, wherein the offset hinges are attached to metal parts of the frame elements and the offset hinges are adapted and positioned on the frame elements such that when folded, interior finish materials connected to the frame elements are offset from each other.
15-16. (canceled)
17. The foldable building unit of claim 14, wherein the offset is dimensioned to prevent significant contact of interior finish materials in folded configuration during uploading, transport and/or unloading of the foldable building unit.
18. The foldable building unit of claim 14, wherein the offset hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
19. The foldable building unit of any one of claims 14, wherein the frame elements are made of structural steel sections.
20-21. (canceled)
22. The foldable building unit of claim 14, wherein the foldable building unit is a foldable building.
23. The foldable building unit of claim 22, wherein the foldable building in unfolded configuration is substantially in finished condition.
24. (canceled)
25. A foldable building unit comprising a structural frame that at least in part is made of frame elements that are foldably connected with metal hinges,
- wherein the frame elements are at least in part made of metal, the metal hinges are attached to a metal part of the frame elements, and the metal hinges are adapted and positioned to remain within the building unit in unfolded configuration and finished condition.
26. The foldable building unit of claim 25, wherein the frame elements are made of structural steel sections.
27-28. (canceled)
29. The foldable building unit of claim 25, wherein the foldable building unit is a foldable building.
30. The foldable building unit of claim 29 wherein the foldable building in unfolded configuration is substantially in finished condition.
31. (canceled)
32. A foldable building comprising
- (a) foldably connected finished wall panels;
- (b) foldably connected finished floor panels; and
- (c) foldably connected finished ceiling and/or roof panels; wherein the foldable building in unfolded configuration is substantially in finished condition.
33-55. (canceled)
56. A foldable building comprising a foldable clerestory roof including a clerestory truss frame element foldably connected to a first roof frame element on a first side of the clerestory truss frame element and foldably connected to a second roof frame element on a second side of the clerestory truss element, wherein the second side is opposite to the first side.
57. The foldable building of claim 56, wherein the foldable clerestory roof in folded configuration provides an outer surface of the foldable building in folded configuration.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 23, 2010
Publication Date: Nov 8, 2012
Inventor: Dennis R. Michaud (Cambridge, MA)
Application Number: 13/498,093
International Classification: E04B 1/344 (20060101); E04B 1/343 (20060101); E04D 13/03 (20060101); E04B 1/348 (20060101);