BUILDING SYSTEM AND METHOD
A building system can comprise wall, floor, and/or ceiling panels. A first profile with two cavities extending along different sides of the profile can be used to connect similar panels together. A second profile can be used to connect dissimilar panels. A plurality of fastening clips can be used to lockingly engage a wall panel at one end and one of either a wall panel, a floor panel, or a ceiling panel at the other end. The building system can be configured to not require other fasteners besides the clips and profiles to hold the panels together.
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This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/535,785, filed Sep. 16, 2011, entitled “BUILDING SYSTEM AND METHOD,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and is to be considered a part of this specification.
BACKGROUND1. Field
Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to building systems, in particular to modular building systems. The buildings systems can be collapsible and reusable and can be used for many different purposes. The building systems can employ a unique fastening system to connect, combine, and hold in the place the various components or modular units of the building system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable building systems are used in many different situations and locals as varied as classrooms, bathrooms, sheds, construction sites, and emergency relief hubs. Many portable building systems are manufactured and assembled in one location, and then shipped in whole or in half to the needed location. It is often impracticable to assemble on site, whether to assemble entirely or primarily on site. This prevents the use of portable building systems in some situations in which they would be ideal or forces people to use tent-like-structures that may not adequately address the needs of the users. For example, it may be impossible or impractical to transport a pre-assembled building into the backcountry and/or to a disaster area where shelter for whatever purpose is needed.
SUMMARYAccordingly, there is in the need of the art for improvements to portable building systems, including improvements to fastening systems to connect, combine, and hold in the place the various components or modular units of the building system. These improved systems may solve or address some of the problems described above.
Preferably, a building system includes a plurality of walls, a ceiling and a floor. The walls, ceiling and floor can be held together via profiles or extrusions and clips that engage with a wall at one end and either the ceiling or floor at the other end. One or more inserts can also be used that fit within a groove or notch in a wall, ceiling, or floor. In such embodiments, the clips can have engagement portions (e.g., crimped ends, protrusions, hooks, etc.) that connect to and/or fit within the inserts.
A building system of some embodiments can comprise wall, floor, and/or ceiling panels. A first profile with two cavities extending along different sides of the profile can be used to connect similar panels together. A second profile can be used to connect dissimilar panels. A plurality of fastening clips can be used to lockingly engage a wall panel at one end and one of either a wall panel, a floor panel, or a ceiling panel at the other end. The building system can be configured to not require other fasteners besides the clips and profiles to hold the panels together.
In some embodiments, a building system can comprise, a series a wall panels, a series of floor panels, and a series of ceiling panels. Each panels can have one or more of a respective wall slot, floor slot, and ceiling slot. A first profile can comprise two cavities extending along different sides of the profile, each cavity configured to receive a panel from the same series together. A second profile can be for connecting panels from one series to another series together, the second profile having a shape different from the first profile and comprising two cavities positioned essentially perpendicular with one another, the first cavity configured to receive at least one of either the floor panels or the ceiling panels, and the second cavity configured to receive at least one of the wall panels such that in the assembled configuration the wall panel will rest on and be above the at least one floor panel or the ceiling panel will rest on and be above the wall panel. A plurality of fastening clips can be used where each clip is configured to lockingly engage a wall slot at one end and one of either a wall slot, a floor slot, and a ceiling slot at the other end, wherein the building system does not require other fasteners besides the clips and profiles to hold the panels together.
According to some embodiments, a building system can comprise a series a wall panels, a series of floor panels, a series of ceiling panels, a first profile being in the shape of an I-beam for connecting panels for connecting panels from the same series together, a second profile, and a plurality of clips. The second profile can be for connecting panels from one series to another series together. The plurality of clips can be configured to lockingly engage a wall panel at one end and one of either the wall panels, floor panels, and ceiling panels at the other end. The building system can be made to not require other fasteners besides the clips and profiles to hold the panels together.
Various embodiments are depicted in the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes, and should in no way be interpreted as limiting the scope of the inventions, in which like reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout similar embodiments.
A building system and method can include a collapsible reusable building. The building system can include a plurality of panels that can be connected together to form the building. The panels can include a variety of different sizes such that the building can also take many forms. The building can also include a number of profiles used to connect and seal the spaces in between the panels. The building system can also include clips or fasteners that can be used to connect and secure the panels together, including the profiles.
Certain examples of the building systems and methods are outlined below. A collapsible reusable building can also be portable such that all the components can be shipped together for easy and simple assembly on site. In some embodiments, the building system can be assembled into a building in a short amount of time, such as 30 minutes, and with limited to no tools. Advantageously, the building system can comprise a series of modular units that can be combined in different configurations. The components of the building system can also be modular, such that they are easily interlockable and do not require the use of tools for assembly. As one example which will be explained in more detail below, the roof system can include a series of individual units which can be connected to form the roof.
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As can be seen with reference to
The floor panels 30 can also be held together with a system or series of profiles 12.
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The base or foundation 3 can also include a second profile 14 (
After the base or foundation 3 has been assembled and at least one profile 14 attached, a user can begin construction of the wall section 5. The walls can be constructed placing one panel within the cavity or channel 22 followed by additional profiles and panels, as will be described.
As can be seen, the wall panels 50 are connected through a series of profiles. As has been described, a profile 12 can be used to connect the wall panels 50, similar to the manner in which the profile 12 connects the floor panels 36. In some embodiments, of the wall section 5, the profiles 12 may include one or more notches 18. For example, the profile 12 may have a notch 18 located at the top of the profile 12. A third profile 16 can also be used at the corners of the wall unit 5.
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Though three designs of profiles 12, 14, and 16 have been described, it will be understood that the profiles can take on one of many different shapes. In their basic configuration, a profile has two C-pockets or cavities that are connected to thereby connect two separate panels. As has been mentioned, those panels can include at least wall panels, floor panels, and ceiling panels. The relationship between the two C-pockets or cavities can vary greatly. For example, referring to
Other features shown in the profile 16′ includes a rounded back side 27 and a gap 29 in one of the walls 31 of the cavity 24. It ill be understood that any of the profiles could also include these features. Another feature shown in the profile 14′ is that the cavity 20′ does not extend out as far as the cavity 20 in profile 14 shown in
As has been mentioned, the panels can be connected to one another with a series of fasteners or clips 28 such as that shown in
Inserts 130 can be configured to at least partially fit within the slots or cavities 38. An insert 130 can also be placed within the slot to further seal and help secure the fastener in the fastened position. Preferably, the clips 28 are configured to engage with inserts 130 installed in the slots or cavities 38. Engagement between the clips 28 and the inserts 130 and/or slots 38 can secure adjacent panels to each other and enable secure construction of the building system. The inserts 130 can be the same or similar to those described in application Ser. Nos. 13/558,162 filed on Jul. 25, 2012 and 61/511,951, filed on Jul. 26, 2011 which are both incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The clip 28 has a first engagement feature 152 configured to engage with an insert 130 and/or with a slot 38 in the panel. The clip 28 can have a second engagement feature 154 configured to engage with an insert 130 and/or with a slot 38 in another panel. In some embodiments, one of the first and second engagement features 152, 154 is configured to engage with an insert 130 and the other is configured to engage directly with a slot 38 in a panel. It will be understood that though a particular style of clip is described, any of number of different clips could be used. For example a CLIP-LOK Brand clip or other type of clip could be used. In addition the building system could use one or more different styles or types of clips. Inserts may or may not be used with any of the clips.
One or both of the first engagement feature 152 and second engagement feature 154 can include one or more clip release features 156. In some embodiments, the clip release feature 156 comprises one or more protrusions, tongues, or lips, which may include flat unbent portions on the end of the first and/or second clip portions 152, 153. The clip release feature 156 can be used to assist with the removal of the subject clip 28 and/or with removing already assembled clips 28. The clip release feature 156 is shown extending from the end of the clip, between the two U- or V-shaped engagement features 154. The clip release feature 156 can have one of many different shapes.
As shown, the clip release feature 156 has a low profile and extends over the slot 38 and/or over the inner cavity of the insert 130. As can be seen with reference to
As mentioned, the clip can use a spring force to secure the panels together. Returning to
It will be understood that the clips 28 can be attached to the building at any point after the various panels have been put together. Preferably, the clips are attached after the corresponding panels have been placed next to one another and within the respective profile. If inserts are used, they can be inserted at any time prior to attachment of the clips.
Once the base or foundation 3 has been assembled and the walls 5 have further been assembled onto the foundation or base 3, the roof and/or ceiling 7 can then be assembled. In some embodiments, another building unit can be attached to the assembled walls and base so that both units can share the same roof.
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The configuration shown in
The ceiling panels 72 can include one or more holes or cavities 74. The holes or cavities 74 can be used to attach to or provide additional features in the ceiling. For example, a ceiling plug can be attached to or within the space 74. The ceiling plug may include lights, fan units, ventilation, or other features. In some embodiments, the ceiling plug can be thin ABS material that is thermo formed to the desired shape.
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The roof and/or ceiling section 7 can include a roof unit 82. The roof unit 82 can be a preassembled unit including shingles or other roof outer covering surfaces, awnings, one or more trusses, flashings, and other ceiling members. In some embodiments, the roof unit can have a polyurea coating on an outer surface. In some embodiments, the roof unit 82 can be formed such that one side has a flashing 83 that extends past the rest of the unit so that when combined with another roof unit 82, the flashing will overlap with the second unit, creating a sealed and waterproofed roof structure.
The roof unit 82 can also include a hole or cavity 84. In the assembled condition, the hole 84 can be lined up above the hole 74 on the ceiling panel. This can allow the ceiling plugs, such as 76 and 78, to also connect to the roof unit 82. As has been mentioned, the ceiling plugs can provide many different features.
The roof unit can be secured to the ceiling panel 72 in many different ways. For example, as just mentioned, the ceiling plug 76 or 78 can be used to secure the roof unit 82 to the ceiling panel 72. In some embodiments, a clip or fastener 28 can be used to secure the roof unit 82 and the ceiling panel 72. For example, one end of the fastener 28 can fit within a channel or slot 38 and the other end can wrap around to contact the bottom of the ceiling panel 72, as can be seen in
One advantage of the above described roof design is that by having the roof panel 82 and the ceiling panel 72 clamped together, whether by a fastener 28 or otherwise secured, this also helps further ensure that the connection between the wall panel 50 and the ceiling panel 72 stays secure. This is because the roof panel 82 presses down on the fastener 28 and profile 14 on the ceiling panel 72. This is turn prevents the fastener 28 and the profile 14 that are on the ceiling panel 72 and connected to the wall panel 50 from moving.
The entire building unit 10, in some embodiments, can be assembled with a minimal number of people and require minimal to no tools for assembly. In addition, the building unit 10 can be assembled in a minimal amount of time, such as 30 minutes.
The many panels described, such as the ceiling panels, the walls panels, the roof panels, and the floor panels, can be made from various different materials. For example, the panels can be made up of a series of different materials, such as having a foam core sandwiched between two pieces of plywood. The panels can be structural insulated panels or structural insulating panels (SIPs) or other types of composite building materials. In some embodiments the panels can be made up of a single material, such as solid plywood. In addition, the panels can be coated with various different materials, such as a coating on the inside or what will be the inside of the building and a separate or the same coating on the outside or what will be the outside of the building. For example, the panel can be made with a phenolic skin or other resin-impregnated kraft paper, fiberboard siding, high impact plastic, metal, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), etc. Some surfaces of the panels may also be covered with a polyurethane or polyurea coating. Other coatings can also be used.
As will be understood, the building units 10 can be assembled such that multiple building units can be combined to create a larger structure, or the building unit can be used or combined with other structures.
It should also be understood that the profiles 12, 14, 16 can be any desired length. For example, profile 14 can extend the entire length of a side of the wall section 5, or multiple profiles 14 can be used. Advantageously, all components of the building system 10 can be sized so that they can be shipped together. For example, the profiles 12, 14, 16 can be as long as or shorter than the panels 36, 50, 72.
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The building system 10 can be shipped within the crate 40. As can be seen in
In some embodiments, after the building system 10 has emptied from the crate 40, the crate 40 can also be used as a building. For example, the crate 40 can be used as a shelter, a shed, a bathroom, an out building, etc. As shown in
The building system 10′ is shown with three sections, a base unit or foundation 3′, walls 5′ and roof 7′. As has been mentioned, the base 3′ can take many forms. The base 3′ can use a system of modular beams 32′ to support the building system 10′. The beams 32′ can raise the floor panel(s) 36′ off of the ground. The beams 32′ may or may not be attached to the floor panel(s) 36′ and may or may not be interconnected. The beams 32′ can be made of any of many different materials, such as metal, wood, and composite building materials. For example, the beams can be made of, but not limited to, ¾″ plywood and coated with polyurea.
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The different sections of the beam 32′ can be attached in many different manners. In some embodiments, the beam sections are slip fit together with a mortise and tenon joint or with a tongue and groove joint. A beam section 62, 64 can have a mortise hole 70 at one end and a tenon 60 at the other end. This can allow any number of beam sections to be connected. In some embodiments, some or all of the beam sections 66, 68 can have only one of a mortise hole and a tenon on one end and the other end can be a closed surface. The closed surface can define the end or end cap of the beam 32′. It will be understood that other configurations can also be used. The beam sections 62, 64, 66, 68 are preferably held to together by friction, but fasteners such as bolts may also be used.
The beams 32′ can be laid out as a foundation for the floor panels 36′. In some embodiments shims can be proved to help level the floor panels. The floor panels are preferable not fastened to the beams and can stay in place by friction. At the same time, certain uses or locations may require a separate anchoring system, for example, if the building system is to be used in a high wind area.
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The cover 88 can be made of any number of different materials and is preferably waterproof. The cover can be a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material. The cover can be made of cloth, canvas, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. In some embodiments the cover can comprise a tarpaulin or tarp.
The cover 88 can be connected to the rest of the building system in many ways. In some embodiments, the cover can form a tight fit over the roof and be held on by friction. Looking to
Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.
Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim require more features than are expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
Claims
1. A building system comprising:
- a series a wall panels, each having one or more wall slot;
- a series of floor panels each having one or more floor slot;
- a series of ceiling panels each having one or more ceiling slot;
- a first profile comprising two cavities extending along different sides of the profile, each cavity configured to receive a panel from the same series together;
- a second profile for connecting panels from one series to another series together, the second profile having a shape different from the first profile and comprising two cavities positioned essentially perpendicular with one another, the first cavity configured to receive at least one of either the floor panels or the ceiling panels, and the second cavity configured to receive at least one of the wall panels such that in the assembled configuration the wall panel will rest on and be above the at least one floor panel or the ceiling panel will rest on and be above the wall panel; and
- a plurality of fastening clips, each clip configured to lockingly engage a wall slot at one end and one of either a wall slot, a floor slot, and a ceiling slot at the other end, wherein the building system does not require other fasteners besides the clips and profiles to hold the panels together.
2. The building system of claim 1, wherein the first profile has an I-beam shape with the two cavities being on opposite sides of the first profile.
3. The building system of claim 1, wherein the two cavities of the first profile are angled at about 135 degrees with respect to one another.
4. The building system of claim 1, wherein the second profile has an “L” shape defining two cavities position essentially perpendicular with one another.
5. The building system of claim 2, wherein the second profile has an “L” shape defining two cavities position essentially perpendicular with one another.
6. The building system of claim 1, further comprising a third profile configured to form a corner between two wall panels, the third profile having a central channel that runs along the length of the profile and two cavities with openings perpendicular to one another running along the length of the central channel.
7. The building system of claim 1, wherein the second profile is configured to form a corner between two wall panels.
8. The building system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of inserts each configured to be placed within the one of a wall slot, a floor slot, or a ceiling slot.
9. The building system of claim 8, wherein the each clip of the plurality of clips is configured to be positionable within two inserts at opposite ends of each clip.
10. A building system comprising:
- a series a wall panels;
- a series of floor panels;
- a series of ceiling panels;
- a first profile being in the shape of an I-beam for connecting panels for connecting panels from the same series together;
- a second profile for connecting panels from one series to another series together, the second profile having an “L” shape defining two cavities position essentially perpendicular with one another, the first cavity configured to receive at least one of either the floor panels or the ceiling panels, and the second cavity configured to receive at least one of the wall panels such that in the assembled configuration the wall panel will rest on and be above the at least one floor panels or the ceiling panel will rest on and be above the wall panel;
- a plurality of clips configured to lockingly engage a wall panel at one end and one of either the wall panels, floor panels, and ceiling panels at the other end, wherein the building system does not require other fasteners besides the clips and profiles to hold the panels together.
11. The building system of claim 10, further comprising a third profile configured to form a corner between two wall panels, the third profile having a central channel that runs along the length of the profile and two cavities with opening perpendicular to one another running along the length of the central channel.
12. The building system of claim 10, wherein the second profile is also configured to form a corner between two wall panels.
13. The building system of claim 10, wherein:
- the series of wall panels further comprises one or more wall slot on each wall panel;
- the series of floor panels further comprises one or more floor slot on each floor panel;
- the series of ceiling panels further comprises one or more ceiling slot on each ceiling panel; and
- each clip of the plurality of clips is configured to lockingly engage a wall slot at one end and one of either a wall slot, a floor slot, and a ceiling slot at the other end.
14. The building system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of inserts configured to be positionable within the one of the wall slots, floor slots, or ceiling slots wherein each of the clips of the plurality of clips is configured to be positionable within two inserts at opposite ends of each individual clip.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 14, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 21, 2013
Applicant: DIVERSIFIED FIXTURES, INC. (Colorado Springs, CO)
Inventors: Kevin Kvols (Steamboat Springs, CO), Daniel J. Hertel (Colorado Springs, CO)
Application Number: 13/619,546
International Classification: E04B 1/38 (20060101); E04C 1/00 (20060101);