SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR A BUILDING

Abstract

A shipping container includes a plurality of structural components and panels that are configured for assembly as a building. The plurality of panels cooperate to substantially surround the structural components.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/397,774, entitled Palletized Vertically Oriented Shipping Arrangement for the Components of an Outdoor Building, filed Sep. 21, 2016, and hereby incorporates this provisional patent application by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The articles and methods described below generally relate to a shipping container for a building. The shipping container is formed of components of the building.

BACKGROUND

Conventional outdoor buildings are packaged in a horizontal flat-pack shipping arrangement.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment, a shipping container for a building when the building is unassembled is provided. The shipping container comprises a support base, a plurality of structural components, and plurality of panels. The support base defines an overall length and an overall width of the shipping container. The plurality of structural components is configured to form at least a portion of the building, the plurality of structural components being supported by the support base. The plurality of panels is configured to form at least a portion of the building. The plurality of panels is supported by the support base. The plurality of panels cooperates to substantially surround the plurality of structural components.

In accordance with another embodiment, a shipping container for a shed when the shed is unassembled is provided. The shipping container comprises a support base, a plurality of wall sections, and a plurality of floor panels. Thea support base defines an overall length and an overall width of the shipping container. The plurality of wall sections is configured to form at least a portion of the shed. The plurality of wall sections is supported by the support base. The plurality of floor panels is configured to form at least a portion of the shed. The plurality of roof panels is configured to form at least a portion of the shed. The plurality of floor panels and the plurality of roof panels are supported by the support base and cooperate to define an interior of the shipping container. The plurality of wall sections is disposed entirely within the interior of the shipping container. Each floor panel defines an interior surface and an exterior surface. Each roof panel defines an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surfaces of each respective floor panel and roof panel face the interior of the shipping container. The exterior surfaces of each respective floor panel and roof panel define at least part of an exterior of the shipping container. The interior surfaces of each of the panels are configured for location along an interior of the shed when assembled. The exterior surfaces of each of the panels are configured for location along an exterior of the shed when assembled.

In accordance with yet another embodiment, a method of assembling a container using structural components for building is provided. The method comprises arranging a first structural component substantially vertically relative to a support base such that the first structural component is angled away from vertical by between about 1 and about 10 degrees and arranging a second structural component substantially vertically relative to the support base opposite the first structural component such that the second structural component is angled away from vertical by between about 1 and about 10 degrees. The method further comprises arranging a plurality of panels on the base such that the plurality of panels substantially surrounds the first structural component and the second structural component and such that the panels of the plurality of panels cooperate with each other to define an interior of the shipping container within which the first structural component and the second structural component are disposed entirely, wherein the plurality of panels is configured to form at least a portion of the building when assembled and attaching at least one of the panels of the plurality of panels to one of the first structural component and the second structural component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front upper partially exploded isometric view depicting a shed;

FIG. 2 is a rear lower partially exploded isometric view depicting the shed of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front upper partially exploded isometric view depicting a shipping container that includes an enclosure and a plurality of structural components supported on a pallet;

FIG. 4 is a side view depicting the plurality of structural components and the pallet of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5-8 are front upper partially exploded isometric views depicting various stages of the assembly of the enclosure and the structural components upon the pallet of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a front upper isometric view depicting the shipping container of FIG. 3 but fully assembled; and

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a conventional shipping arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In connection with the views and examples of FIGS. 1-9, wherein like numbers indicate the same or corresponding elements throughout the views, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a shed 20 that comprises a main structure 22 that includes a front wall 24, a rear wall 26 and a pair of opposing sidewalls 28 that cooperate to at least partially define an interior 29 of the shed 20. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the front wall 24 can include a pair of opposing front corner sections 30, 32 and a front door section 34 interposed between the front corner sections 30, 32. The front door section 34 can include a pair of doors 35 that facilitate ingress and egress to/from the interior 29 of the shed 20. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rear wall 26 can include a pair of opposing rear corner sections 36, 38 and a rear center section 40 interposed between the rear corner sections 36, 38. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each sidewall 28 can extend between the front wall 24 and the rear wall 26 and can include a front sidewall section 42 and a rear sidewall section 44 that abut one another. Each of the front sidewall sections 42 can abut one of the front corner sections 30, 32 and each of the rear sidewall sections 44 can abut one of the rear corner sections 36, 38. Each of the front corner sections 30, 32, the front door section 34, the rear corner sections 36, 38, the front sidewall section 42 and the rear sidewall section 44 can be attached together with fasteners (e.g., screws or nails), to form the main structure 22.

Each of the front sidewall sections 42 can include an interior frame assembly 46 and an exterior decorative substrate 48 that is attached to the interior frame assembly 46 (e.g., with screws or nails). Each of the rear sidewall sections 44 can include an interior frame assembly 50 and an exterior decorative substrate 52 that is attached to the interior frame assembly 50 (e.g., with screws or nails).

A floor 54 can provide underlying support for the main structure 22 and can include a pair of floor panels 56 and a frame assembly 58 that underlies the floor panels 56. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the frame assembly 58 can include a plurality of floor joists 60 and a pair of headers 62. The floor joists 60 can be spaced apart from each other and can extend between the pair of headers 62 such that they are substantially perpendicular to the headers 62. In one embodiment, each of the floor joists 60 and the headers 62 can be formed of dimensional lumber having a nominal rectangular cross section of about two inches by about four inches (e.g., a two-by-four), but any of a variety of suitable alternative rectangular cross sectional dimensions of lumber are contemplated. In one embodiment, the floor joists 60 can be spaced apart from each other by between about 12 inches and about 24 inches, and more particularly by about 16 inches. The floor joists 60 can be attached to the headers 62 with screws, nails or any of a variety of other suitable alternative fasteners.

Each of the floor panels 56 can include an interior surface 64 and an exterior surface 66. The interior surface 64 can be configured for location along the interior 29 of the shed 20 and the exterior surface 66 can be configured for location along an exterior of the shed 20. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the floor panels 56 can be arranged over the frame assembly 58 and can abut each another, with the interior surfaces 64 facing the interior 29 and with the exterior surfaces 66 facing the frame assembly 58. The interior surfaces 64 of the floor panels 56 can accordingly be exposed to the interior 29 of the shed 20 while the exterior surfaces 66 are exposed to the exterior of the shed 20 but are hidden from plain sight. In one embodiment, each of the floor panels 56 can be formed of a sheet of plywood, such as oriented strand board (OSB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), or particle board, for example, that has a sufficient enough thickness to be used as flooring, such as, for example, between about ⅜ inches thick and about ¾ inches thick.

A pair of girders 68 can extend under the frame assembly 58 and can be substantially perpendicular to the floor joists 60 such that the girders 68 provide underlying support for the rest of the shed 20 and space the floor 54 away from an underlying ground surface. When the shed 20 is installed at a location, the girders 68 can rest directly against the ground surface or against concrete blocks or other materials provided along the ground surface that support the girders 68. In one embodiment, the girders 68 can be formed of dimensional lumber having a nominal rectangular cross section of about four inches by about four inches (e.g., a four-by-four), but any of a variety of suitable alternative rectangular cross sectional dimensions of lumber are contemplated.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the shed 20 can comprise a roof 70 that overlies the main structure 22 and comprises a pair of first roof panels 72, a pair of second roof panels 74, and a plurality of shingles 76. The first roof panels 72 can be provided immediately alongside each other and can define a peak 78 of the shed 20. Each of the second roof panels 74 can abut one of the first roof panels 72 such that the first roof panels 72 are interposed between the second roof panels 74. The second roof panels 74 are shown to be wider than the first roof panels 72 although the relative widths of the first and second roof panels 72, 74 can depend upon the dimensions of the shed 20.

Each of the first roof panels 72 and the second roof panels 74 can include respective first and second interior surfaces 80, 82 and respective first and second exterior surfaces 84, 86. The first and second interior surfaces 80, 82 can be configured for location along the interior 29 of the shed 20 and the first and second exterior surfaces 84, 86 can be configured for location along an exterior of the shed 20. The first and second interior surfaces 80, 82 of the first and second roof panels 72, 74 can accordingly be exposed to the interior 29 of the shed 20 while the first and second exterior surfaces 84, 86 of the first and second roof panels 72, 74 face the exterior of the shed 20. In one embodiment, each of the first and second roof panels 72, 74 can be formed of a sheet of plywood, such as oriented strand board (OSB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), or particle board, for example, that has a sufficient enough thickness to be used as a roofing substrate, such as, for example, between about ⅛ inches thick and about ⅝ inches thick.

The plurality of shingles 76 can overlie the first and second roof panels 72, 74 and can be arranged to shield the first and second roof panels 72, 74 and the interior 29 of the shed 20 from precipitation. The plurality of shingles 76 can be formed of any of a variety of suitable materials such as, for example, asphalt, wood, slate, flagstone, fiber cement, metal, and plastic, and can be provided in any arrangement that encourages the displacement of precipitation away from the roof 70.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a plurality of trusses (e.g., 88) can be provided between the main structure 22 and the roof 70 and can provide underlying support to the roof 70 relative to the main structure 22. The trusses (e.g., 88) can be spaced apart from each other and can extend between the sidewalls 28 such that they are substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls 28. In one embodiment, each of the trusses (e.g., 88) can be formed of dimensional lumber having a nominal rectangular cross section of about two inches by about four inches (e.g., a two-by-four), but any of a variety of suitable alternative rectangular cross sectional dimensions of lumber are contemplated. In one embodiment, the trusses (e.g., 88) can be spaced apart from each other by between about 12 inches and about 24 inches, and in particular by about 16 inches. The first and second roof panels 72, 74 and/or the shingles 76 can be attached to the trusses (e.g., 88) with screws, nails or any of a variety of other suitable alternative fasteners.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the shed 20, when unassembled, can be arranged to fit on a pallet 90 in such a manner that the components of the shed 20 cooperate with the pallet 90 to define a shipping container 92 that facilitates shipping of the shed 20 to a location for assembly. As will be described in further detail below, the front corner sections 30, 32, the front door section 34, the rear corner sections 36, 38, the rear center section 40, the front and rear sidewall sections 42, 44, the frame assembly 58 of the floor 54, the girders 68, and the trusses 88 (collectively “structural components”) can be stacked on the pallet 90 and arranged generally vertically relative to the pallet 90. The floor panels 56, the first roof panels 72, and the second roof panels 74 can cooperate to form an enclosure 94 that defines an interior 96. The enclosure 94 can be located on the pallet 90 and can substantially surround the structural components such that the structural components are disposed in the interior 96.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the structural components can be arranged on the pallet 90 as a first stack 98 of structural components and a second stack 100 of structural components. Each of the first and second stacks 98, 100 can comprise one of the front sidewall sections 42 that are immediately adjacent to each other and are thus provided as the innermost structural member of each of the first and second stacks 98, 100. The front sidewall sections 42 can be arranged generally vertically relative to the pallet 90 but can be slightly angled such that they are spaced further apart at the pallet 90 than at a top 102 of the shipping container 92 (FIG. 9) and cooperate to form an inverted V-shape. Each of the front sidewall sections 42 can define respective centerlines C1 and C2. The front sidewall sections 42 can be angled such that the centerlines C1 and C2 are angled each away from vertical in different directions by between about 1 degree and about 10 degrees. Angling the front sidewall sections 42 together in this manner can define a space 104 therebetween into which smaller structural components (e.g., a package of fasteners or a bundle of shingles) can be disposed for shipping in the interior 96 of the shipping container 92. The remaining structural components of the shed 20 can be arranged on either the first stack 98 or the second stack 100 as will be described in further detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, the method of assembling the structural components and the enclosure 94 on the pallet 90 will now be described. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the front sidewall sections 42 can be provided on the pallet 90 in an angled orientation, as illustrated in FIG. 4 and described above, to begin constructing the first and second stacks 98, 100. Four floor joists 60 can be stacked onto the front sidewall sections 42 to hold the front sidewall sections 42 in place. Two of the floor joists 60 (i.e., the floor joists 60 of the first stack 98) can be provided on opposing sides of the interior frame assembly 46 of the front sidewall section 42 of the first stack 98 and against the portion of the exterior decorative substrate 48 that extends beyond the interior frame assembly 46. The other two of the floor joists 60 (i.e., the floor joists 60 of the second stack 100) can be provided on opposing sides of the interior frame assembly 46 of the front sidewall section 42 of the second stack 100 and against the portion of the exterior decorative substrate 48 that extends beyond the interior frame assembly 46. Each floor joist 60 of the first stack 98 can cooperate with one of the floor joists 60 of the second stack 100 to sandwich the exterior decorative substrates 48 therebetween. A plurality of cross braces 106 can each be secured to one of the floor joists 60 of the first stack 98 and one of the floor joists 60 of the second stack 100 with fasteners (not shown) to hold the front sidewall sections 42 in place.

The rear sidewall sections 44 can then be stacked on the front sidewall sections 42 such that the rear sidewall sections 44 abut the front sidewall sections 42. Three floor joists 60 and one of the headers 62 can then be stacked onto the rear sidewall sections 44 to hold the rear sidewall sections 44 in place in a similar manner as described with respect to the front sidewall sections 42. The floor joist 60 and the header 62 of the first stack 98 and the floor joists 60 of the second stack 100 can then be attached to the cross braces 106 with fasteners (not shown) to hold the rear sidewall sections 44 in place.

Still referring to FIG. 5, the interior frame assemblies 46, 50 of the respective front and rear sidewall sections 42, 44 can define receptacles 108 into which smaller structural components (e.g., a package of fasteners or a bundle of shingles) can be disposed for shipping in the interior 96 of the shipping container 92. It is to be appreciated that, although the front sidewall sections 42 are shown to be arranged as the innermost structural components, the rear sidewall sections 44 can alternatively be provided as the innermost structural components such that the front sidewall sections 42 are stacked on the rear sidewall sections 44.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the second roof panels 74 can then each be attached to opposing sides of the partially assembled first stack 98 and the partially assembled second stack 100 (e.g., to the cross braces 106) with fasteners 110. The second roof panels 74 can be arranged such that the second interior surfaces 82 of the second roof panels 74 can face inwardly towards the partially assembled first stack 98 and the partially assembled second stack 100, and the second exterior surfaces 86 can face towards an exterior of the shipping container 92.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the front corner sections 30, 32, the rear corner sections 36, 38, and the girders 68 can be stacked on the rear sidewall sections 44 of the first stack 98 such that the front corner sections 30, 32, the rear corner sections 36, 38, and the girders 68 are in abutment with each other and the rear sidewall sections 44. The front door section 34, the rear center section 40, the trusses 88, and the other header 62 can be stacked on the rear sidewall sections 44 of the second stack 100 such that the front door section 34, the rear center section 40, the trusses 88, and the other header 62 are in abutment with each other and the rear sidewall sections 44. One of the second roof panels 74 can be attached to the other header 62 with fasteners (not shown), and the cross braces 106 with fasteners (not shown) and the other of the second roof panels 74 can be attached to at least some of the corner sections 30, 32, 36, 38 with fasteners (not shown).

Referring now to FIG. 8, one of the floor panels 56 and both of the first roof panels 72 can be stacked on the first stack 98 and attached to the first stack 98 with fasteners (not shown). The other floor panel 56 can be stacked on the second stack 100 and attached to the second stack 100 with fasteners (not shown). The floor panels 56 and the first roof panels 72 can be arranged such that their interior surfaces 64 and first interior surfaces 80 (FIG. 2), respectively, face inwardly towards the first stack 98 and second stack 100, and the exterior surfaces 66 and the first exterior surfaces 84, respectively, face towards an exterior of the shipping container 92. A plurality of rail members 112 (one shown in FIG. 9) can be secured to the pallet 90 where the floor panels 56 and the first roof panels 72 interface with the pallet 90 to facilitate securement of the floor panels 56 and the first roof panels 72 thereto.

Referring now to FIG. 9, when the shipping container 92 is fully assembled, the first and second stacks 98, 100 can be arranged on the pallet 90 with the enclosure 94 surrounding the first and second stacks 98, 100 and supported by the pallet 90. The pallet 90 can accordingly serve as a support base for the shipping container 92 and can facilitate movement of the shipping container 92 with a pallet transport vehicle such as a pallet jack or a forklift, for example. When the shipping container 92 has been delivered to a consumer, it can be dissembled and then reassembled into the shed 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. At least some of the fasteners (e.g., 110) can be reusable and thus configured to facilitate assembly of the shipping container 92 as well as assembly of the shed 20. It is to be appreciated that various components of the shed 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have not been included in FIGS. 3-9 (e.g., vent screens, corner trim, and various internal structural components) for clarity of illustration. These structural components can be included in the shipping container 92 such that the shed 20 can be entirely or substantially entirely built with the parts included in the shipping container 92. It is also to be appreciated that any of a variety of other suitable structural components can be included in the shipping container 92, such as, for example, shelving and concrete blocks.

By providing the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 generally vertically on the pallet 90, the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 can be entirely disposed within a perimeter of the pallet 90 (e.g., the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 do not extend outside of the perimeter of the pallet 90) such that the pallet transport vehicle is not substantially obstructed by the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 from properly engaging the pallet 90. It is to be appreciated that although a pallet 90 is described herein, any of a variety of suitable alternative support bases are contemplated.

The enclosure 94 can protect the first and second stacks 98, 100 during shipping. As described above, the enclosure 94 can be constructed such that the exterior surfaces of the panels (e.g., the exterior surface 66 of the floor panels 56, the first exterior surfaces 84 of the first roof panels 72, and the second exterior surfaces 86 of the second roof panels 74) face an exterior of the shipping container 92. As such, any surface damage incurred by the enclosure 94 occurs on the exterior surfaces of the panels. When the shed 20 is assembled, these exterior surfaces can be obscured from plain view so as to conceal and any surface damage incurred by the panels during shipping, thereby reducing the likelihood that the surface damage will adversely affect the overall aesthetic appearance of the shed 20. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the shed 20 is assembled, the exterior surface 66 of the floor panels 56 can face the ground surface such that it is substantially (or entirely) obscured from plain view. Additionally, the plurality of shingles 76 can overlie the first and second exterior surfaces 84, 86 of the first and second roof panels 72, 74 such that they are obscured from plain view by the shingles 76.

Referring again to FIG. 9, since the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 can be disposed within a perimeter of the pallet 90, the pallet 90 can define an overall length L2 and an overall width W1 for the shipping container 92. The overall length L1 can be between about 40 inches and about 60 inches, and the overall width W1 can between about 40 inches and about 50 inches. In one embodiment, the pallet 90 can be a standard pallet that is about 40 inches wide and about 48 inches long such that the overall width W1 of the shipping container 92 can be about 40 inches and the overall length L1 of the shipping container 92 can be about 48 inches. As such, a plurality of the shipping containers (e.g., 92) can be arranged on a standard semi-trailer in side by side rows such that about 24 shipping containers (e.g., 92) can be loaded on a standard length (e.g., 53 feet long) semi-trailer. In addition, such a configuration can allow the shipping container 92 to be incorporated with other palletized freight a semi-trailer (e.g., a mixed load).

The pallet 90 can cooperate with the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 to define an overall height H1 for the shipping container 92 which can be less than or equal to about 110 inches such that the shipping container 92 can fit inside of an enclosed semi-trailer. As such, the shipping container 92 can be protected from outside conditions during transportation. In one embodiment, the overall height H1 can be less than or equal to about 84 inches.

It will be appreciated that by providing the enclosure 94 and the first and second stacks 98, 100 generally vertically on the pallet 90, the shipping container 92 can be shipped more effectively than conventional shipping arrangements for sheds. A conventional shipping arrangement 114 for a shed is illustrated in FIG. 10 and can be formed of a plurality of horizontal, flat-packed, unassembled shed components that include panels and wall sections that can be assembled together to form a shed. By arranging the components of the conventional shipping arrangement 114 horizontally, the conventional shipping arrangement 114 can have an overall footprint that can be significantly larger than the overall footprint of the shipping container 92 (e.g., as defined by the pallet 90) such that the conventional shipping arrangement 114 can be more cumbersome, more expensive, and more time consuming to ship than the shipping container 92.

For example, the overall footprint of the conventional shipping arrangement 114 might be too large to allow the conventional shipping arrangement 114 to be palletized on a standard pallet (e.g., 90). Instead, the conventional shipping arrangement is typically palletized on a larger, oftentimes customized pallet, which can be more expensive than the standard pallet (e.g., 90) used in the shipping container 92.

The conventional shipping arrangement 114 can be substantially rectangular shaped due to the size of the panels and wall sections contained therein. When the conventional shipping arrangement 114 is transported by a forklift, the conventional shipping arrangement 114 can be positioned widthwise on the forklift. The conventional shipping arrangement 114 can accordingly extend beyond either side of the forklift which can result in the conventional shipping arrangement 114 being more laterally unstable when lifted off the ground than the shipping container 92.

When the conventional shipping arrangement 114 is positioned widthwise on the forklift, loading of the conventional shipping arrangement 114 into a conventional covered semi-trailer can be difficult and in some cases impossible (i.e., when the overall width the conventional shipping arrangement 114 is wider than the rear doorway of the conventional covered semi-trailer). As a result, the conventional shipping arrangement 114 is typically hauled on an open air flatbed delivery vehicle which can expose the conventional shipping arrangement 114 to outside conditions during delivery. The conventional shipping arrangement 114 can accordingly be covered with a protective outer layer which can be costly and time consuming to implement. It is to be appreciated that the shipping container 92 might not require such a protective outer layer when the shipping container 92 is loaded into a covered delivery vehicle.

When the conventional shipping arrangement 114 is loaded on a delivery vehicle, the conventional shipping arrangement 114 can occupy significantly more floor space than the shipping container 92 such that fewer of the conventional shipping arrangements (e.g., 114) can be provided on a delivery vehicle at one time. The conventional shipping arrangement 114 can accordingly be less cost effective and more time consuming to ship in bulk than the shipping container 92.

The overall size of the conventional shipping arrangement 114 can require use of a forklift or other heavy equipment to load and unload the conventional shipping arrangement 114 to and from a delivery vehicle. By comparison, when the shipping container 92 is transported to a location on a delivery vehicle, the shipping container 92 can be unloaded and delivered to the location using a pallet jack or other compact delivery vehicle and without using heavy equipment, such as a forklift. The shipping container 92 can accordingly be delivered to locations where the use of heavy equipment may not be feasible and are thus not accessible for the conventional shipping arrangement 114, such as a customer's home.

The conventional shipping arrangement 114 can be assembled using various different shipping components that aid in protecting the different components of the conventional shipping arrangement 114 from incurring damage during shipping. These shipping components are not useable in the assembly of the shed, and are typically discarded once the conventional shipping arrangement 114 is disassembled. The conventional shipping arrangement 114 can accordingly have more leftover components than the shipping container 92 when disassembled and can, therefore, be considered to be less ecologically friendly than the shipping container 92.

It is to be appreciated that although a shed is described herein, any of a variety other suitable buildings, such as a gazebo and a pergola, can be assembled into a shipping container (e.g., 92), as described above.

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the forms described. Numerous modifications are possible in light of the above teachings. Some of those modifications have been discussed and others will be understood by those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the disclosure and various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the disclosure is, of course, not limited to the examples or embodiments set forth herein, but can be employed in any number of applications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary skill in the art. Rather it is hereby intended the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto. Also, for any methods claimed and/or described, regardless of whether the method is described in conjunction with a flow diagram, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified or required by context, any explicit or implicit ordering of steps performed in the execution of a method does not imply that those steps must be performed in the order presented and may be performed in a different order or in parallel.

Claims

1. A shipping container for a building when the building is unassembled, the shipping container comprising:

a support base that defines an overall length and an overall width of the shipping container;

a plurality of structural components configured to form at least a portion of the building when the building is assembled, the plurality of structural components being supported by the support base; and

a plurality of panels configured to form at least a portion of the building when the building is assembled, the plurality of panels being supported by the support base, wherein the plurality of panels cooperate to substantially surround the plurality of structural components.

2. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein each panel of the plurality of panels cooperates to define an interior of the shipping container and the plurality of structural components is disposed entirely within the interior of the shipping container.

3. The shipping container of claim 2 wherein:

each panel of the plurality of panels comprises an interior surface and an exterior surface;

each of the interior surfaces faces the interior of the shipping container defined by the plurality of panels and each of the exterior surfaces defines an exterior of the shipping container;

the interior surfaces of each of the panels are configured for location along an interior of the building when the building is assembled; and

the exterior surfaces of each of the panels are configured for location along an exterior of the building when the building is assembled.

4. The shipping container of claim 3 wherein each panel of the plurality of panels comprises one of a floor panel of the building and a roof panel of the building when the building is assembled.

5. The shipping container of claim 4 wherein:

the plurality of structural components comprises one of a shingle and a floor joist;

the shingle is configured for attachment to the exterior surface of the roof panel; and

the floor joist is configured for attachment to the exterior surface of the floor panel.

6. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein each panel of the plurality of panels is arranged generally vertically relative to the support base.

7. The shipping container of claim 6 wherein:

the plurality of structural components comprises a first stack of structural components and a second stack of structural components;

the first stack of structural components comprises a first innermost structural component;

the second stack of structural components comprises a second innermost structural component that is immediately adjacent to the first innermost structural component; and

the first innermost structural component and the second innermost structural component are spaced further apart at the support base than at a top of the shipping container.

8. The shipping container of claim 7 wherein:

the first innermost structural component defines a first centerline;

the second innermost structural component defines a second centerline;

each of the first centerline and the second centerline are angled away from vertical by between about 1 and 10 degrees.

9. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the support base comprises a pallet.

10. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein:

the support base defines an overall width and an overall length for the shipping container;

the overall width is between about 40 inches and about 50 inches; and

the overall length is between about 40 inches and about 60 inches.

11. The shipping container of claim 10 wherein the plurality of panels cooperates to define an overall height for the shipping container that is less than or equal to about 110 inches.

12. The shipping container of claim 11 wherein the overall width is about 40 inches, the overall length is about 48 inches, and the overall height is less than or equal to about 84 inches.

13. A shipping container for a shed when the shed is unassembled, the shipping container comprising:

a support base that defines an overall length and an overall width of the shipping container;

a plurality of wall sections configured to form at least a portion of the shed, when the shed is assembled the plurality of wall sections being supported by the support base;

a plurality of floor panels configured to form at least a portion of the shed when the shed is assembled; and

a plurality of roof panels configured to form at least a portion of the shed when the shed is assembled; wherein: the plurality of floor panels and the plurality of roof panels are supported by the support base and cooperate to define an interior of the shipping container; the plurality of wall sections is disposed entirely within the interior of the shipping container; each floor panel defines an interior surface and an exterior surface; each roof panel defines an interior surface and an exterior surface; the interior surfaces of each respective floor panel and roof panel face the interior of the shipping container; the exterior surfaces of each respective floor panel and roof panel define at least part of an exterior of the shipping container; the interior surfaces of each of the panels are configured for location along an interior of the shed when the shed is assembled; and the exterior surfaces of each of the panels are configured for location along an exterior of the shed when the shed is assembled.

14. The shipping container of claim 13 wherein one wall section of the plurality of wall sections defines a doorway.

15. The shipping container of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of fasteners that are configured to facilitate assembly of the shipping container and to facilitate assembly of the shed.

16. The shipping container of claim 13 further comprising:

a plurality of floor joists disposed in the interior of the shipping container and configured for attachment to the exterior surface of at least one floor panel of the plurality of floor panels of the shed when the shed is assembled; and

a plurality of roof trusses disposed in the interior of the shipping container and configured for attachment to the interior surface of at least one roof panel of the plurality of roof panels of the shed when the shed is assembled.

17. The shipping container of claim 13 wherein:

the plurality of wall sections comprises a first stack of wall sections and a second stack of wall sections that are arranged generally vertically relative to the support base;

the first stack of wall sections comprises a first innermost wall section;

the second stack of wall sections comprises a second innermost wall section that is immediately adjacent to the first innermost wall section; and

the first innermost wall section and the second innermost wall section are spaced further apart at the support base than at a top of the shipping container.

18. The shipping container of claim 17 wherein:

the first innermost wall section defines a first centerline;

the second innermost wall section defines a second centerline; and

each of the first centerline and the second centerline are angled away from vertical by between about 1 and about 10 degrees.

19. The shipping container of claim 13 wherein the support base comprises a pallet.

20. The shipping container of claim 13 wherein:

the support base defines an overall width and an overall length for the shipping container;

the overall width is between about 40 inches and about 50 inches; and

the overall length is between about 40 inches and about 60 inches.

21. The shipping container of claim 20 wherein the plurality of panels cooperates to define an overall height for the shipping container that is less than or equal to about 110 inches.

22. The shipping container of claim 21 wherein the overall width is about 40 inches, the overall length is about 48 inches, and the overall height is less than or equal to about 84 inches.

23. A method of assembling a shipping container using structural components for a building, the method comprising:

arranging a first structural component substantially vertically relative to a support base such that the first structural component is angled away from vertical by between about 1 and about 10 degrees;

arranging a second structural component substantially vertically relative to the support base opposite the first structural component such that the second structural component is angled away from vertical by between about 1 and about 10 degrees;

arranging a plurality of panels on the support base such that the plurality of panels substantially surrounds the first structural component and the second structural component and such that the panels of the plurality of panels cooperate with each other to define an interior of the shipping container within which the first structural component and the second structural component are disposed entirely, wherein the plurality of panels is configured to form at least a portion of the building when the building is assembled; and

attaching at least one of the panels of the plurality of panels to one of the first structural component and the second structural component.