IMPROVEMENTS IN MODULAR CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
A joining system is provided for connecting first and second building construction members. The system includes a female dog (18) that connects to the first building construction member (14) and includes first and second female dog receiving surfaces (20,22), which face generally away from each other, and are adjacent an aperture (24) defining an axis. The system further includes a male dog (32) that is connectable to the second building construction member (16) and includes first and second male dog clamping surfaces (33,34) which generally face each other. The male dog (32) inserts through the aperture (24) and moves in a first lateral direction to clamp the female dog (18). A locking arrangement (42) includes first and second locking structures (44,46) which engage to permit movement of the male dog (32) in the first lateral direction to increase a clamping force on the female dog (18), and inhibit movement opposite the first lateral direction.
This disclosure relates to modular construction systems and in particular to systems and methods for connecting construction members such as walls and roof members and for supporting floor panels.
BACKGROUNDModular construction systems have been proposed but can be generally time consuming to assemble into buildings and can require a significant amount of work onsite to complete. It would be preferable to provide a modular construction system that reduces the amount of finishing work that is needed at the site of assembly of the building and that is relatively easy to assemble.
SUMMARYIn an aspect, a joining system is provided for connecting a first building construction member and a second building construction member. The joining system includes a female dog that is connectable to the first building construction member and includes a first female dog receiving surface and a second female dog receiving surface. The first and second female dog receiving surfaces face generally away from each other, and are adjacent a male dog pass-through aperture that defines an aperture axis. The joining system further includes a male dog that is connectable to the second building construction member and includes a first male dog clamping surface and a second male dog clamping surface. The first and second male dog clamping surfaces generally face each other. A portion of the male dog is insertable through the male dog pass-through aperture and is moveable in a first generally lateral direction to clamp the female dog. The joining system further includes a locking arrangement including a first locking structure on the female dog and a second locking structure on the male dog. The first locking structure is engageable with the second locking structure to permit movement of the male dog in the first lateral direction so as to increase a clamping force of the male dog on the female dog, and to inhibit movement of the male dog in a second generally lateral direction that is opposite the first generally lateral direction.
In another aspect, a floor support system is provided and includes a cross-beam and a floor support member. The cross-beam extends horizontally. The cross-beam has a top wall, a bottom wall and a side-wall, and has an interior defined at least in part by the top wall, the bottom wall and the side-wall. The side-wall has a plurality of floor support pass-through slots that are spaced horizontally apart from one another. The floor support member includes a vertical portion that extends upwardly from the slot in the interior, immediately adjacent to the side-wall, and a horizontal portion that extends outward through the slot to support a floor panel.
In yet another aspect, a roof panel joining system is provided and includes a bolt, a roof panel support member and a roof panel. The bolt has a bolt thread. The roof panel support member extends generally horizontally and that has a side-wall with a roof panel side-wall bolt aperture therethrough. The roof panel support member has a bolt holding surface positioned to support the bolt against lateral movement. The roof panel having a roof panel side-wall that is matable with the side-wall of the roof panel support member. The roof panel has a roof panel threaded aperture therethrough. The bolt extends through the side-wall of the roof panel support member, through the roof panel threaded aperture. At least one of the roof panel and the roof panel support member has an access aperture to permit access to the bolt to permit rotation of at least one of the bolt and the roof panel threaded aperture relative to the other of the bolt and the roof panel threaded aperture to drive the roof panel side-wall into abutment with the roof panel support member side wall.
In yet another aspect, a joining system for joining a first wall panel and a second wall panel is provided. The joining system includes a first support plate that is connected to the first wall panel, and a second support plate connected to the second wall panel, a first clamping surface on the first support plate, and a second clamping surface on the second support plate. The joining system further includes a threaded member having a first end in a first end chamber, wherein the threaded member passes through the first support member, through the second wall panel, and through the second support plate, wherein the first end abuts the first clamping surface. The second end has a nut thereon that is tightenable against the second support plate to clamp the second wall panel to the first wall panel.
Reference is made to
The joining system 12 includes a female dog 18 that is connectable to the first building construction member 14 and includes a first female dog receiving surface 20 and a second female dog receiving surface 22. The first and second female dog receiving surfaces 20 and 22 face generally away from each other and are adjacent a male dog pass-through aperture 24 that defines an aperture axis A (
The first female dog receiving surface 20 may be provided on a female dog projection plate 26 that extends generally perpendicularly to the female dog base plate 25. The female dog projection plate 26 may be affixed to the female dog base plate 25 by any suitable means. For example, the female dog projection plate 26 may have stubs that extend into mounting holes in the female dog base plate 25 and may be secured by welding, by press-fit, or by any other suitable means.
The female dog 18 extends inwardly in the first construction member, into a female dog chamber 27 (
The joining system 12 further includes a male dog 32 that is connectable to the second building construction member 16 and includes a first male dog clamping surface 33 and a second male dog clamping surface 34. The first and second male dog clamping surfaces 33 and 34 generally face each other. A portion 36 of the male dog 32 is insertable through the male dog pass-through aperture 24 (as illustrated in
The joining system 12 further includes a locking arrangement 42, which includes a first locking structure 44 on the female dog 18 and a second locking structure 46 on the male dog 32. The first locking structure 44 is engageable with the second locking structure 46 to permit movement of the male dog 32 in the first lateral direction so as to increase a clamping force of the male dog 32 on the female dog 18, and to inhibit movement of the male dog 32 in a second generally lateral direction that is opposite the first generally lateral direction.
In the embodiment shown in
It will be noted that when the first and second construction members 14 and 16 are joined together, they may not join in such a way where the male dog reaches the position shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Reference is made to
The wall panels 68 and 70 may have a similar structure to the roof panels described above. The wall panels 68 and 70 may each include a core panel 74 of EPS that is surrounded by a frame 76 that is formed by metallic channel members. A layer 78 of MgO board may be provided on the two faces of the wall panels 68 and 70. The panel can made using different construction methods and materials including cross laminated panel and conventional stub construction panel technologies.
A system for joining wall panels together is shown in
The second end, shown at 98 of the threaded member 90 has a nut 100 thereon that can be tightened down against the second clamping surface 88. By tightening down the nut, the second wall panel 82 is clamped down tightly against the edge of the first wall panel 80. Male and female dogs (not shown in
Also shown in
Reference is made to
Referring back to
A floor support system that is advantageous is shown at 150 in
The side-wall 120 has a plurality of floor support pass-through slots shown at 126 therethrough. The floor support pass-through slots 126 are spaced horizontally apart from one another. The cross-beam 106 is shown more clearly in
The floor panel 115, which may be aerated concrete such as is provided under the brand name Hebel®, which is owned by the Xella Group of Germany, may be supported on the horizontal portion 130 of the floor support member 116 and may be fastened thereto using a mechanical fastener 132 (e.g. a concrete screw), such that the floor panel 115 abuts the side-wall 120 of the cross-beam 106. This holds the floor support member 116 snugly against the inside face of the side-wall 120.
A “core panel” or “panel” in the aforementioned application may be made using a plurality of different construction methods and materials known to one of ordinary skill in the art including cross lamentation, timber, stud wall and conventional constructional panel technologies.
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that there are yet more alternative implementations and modifications possible, and that the above examples are only illustrations of one or more implementations. The scope, therefore, is only to be limited by the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A joining system for connecting a first building construction member and a second building construction member, comprising:
- a female dog that is connectable to the first building construction member and includes a first female dog receiving surface and a second female dog receiving surface, wherein the first and second female dog receiving surfaces face generally away from each other, and are adjacent a male dog pass-through aperture that defines an aperture axis;
- a male dog that is connectable to the second building construction member and includes a first male dog clamping surface and a second male dog clamping surface, wherein the first and second male dog clamping surfaces generally face each other, wherein a portion of the male dog is insertable through the male dog pass-through aperture and is moveable in a first generally lateral direction to clamp the female dog; and
- a locking arrangement including a first locking structure on the female dog and a second locking structure on the male dog, wherein the first locking structure is engageable with the second locking structure to permit movement of the male dog in the first lateral direction so as to increase a clamping force of the male dog on the female dog, and to inhibit movement of the male dog in a second generally lateral direction that is opposite the first generally lateral direction.
2. A joining system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first locking structure includes a plurality of female dog teeth on the first female dog receiving surface and the second locking structure includes a plurality of male dog teeth on the first male dog clamping surface, wherein the female dog teeth and male dog teeth are interdigitatable with each other in a generally axial/lateral plane.
3. A joining system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first locking structure includes a pawl on the female dog, wherein the second locking structure includes a plurality of male dog teeth, wherein the locking arrangement further includes a pawl biasing member that urges the pawl towards engagement with the male dog teeth.
4. A joining system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the female dog includes a female dog base plate that extends generally laterally and a female dog projection plate that extends generally perpendicularly to the female dog base plate, and wherein the male dog includes a male dog base plate that extends generally laterally and a male dog projection plate that has generally perpendicularly to the male dog base plate.
5. A joining system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first female dog receiving surface is on the female dog projection plate and the second female dog receiving surface is on the female dog base plate, and wherein the first male dog clamping surface is on the male dog projection plate and the second male dog clamping surface is on the male dog base plate.
6. A floor support system, comprising:
- a cross-beam that extends horizontally, wherein the cross-beam has a top wall, a bottom wall and a side-wall, and that has an interior defined at least in part by the top wall, the bottom wall and the side-wall, wherein the side-wall has a plurality of floor support pass-through slots that are spaced horizontally apart from one another; and
- a floor support member, wherein the floor support member includes a vertical portion that extends upwardly from the slot in the interior, immediately adjacent to the side-wall, and a horizontal portion that extends outward through the slot to support a floor panel.
7. A floor support system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the floor support member is generally L-shaped.
8. A floor support system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the floor support member is supported by, but separate from, the cross-beam.
9. A roof panel joining system, comprising:
- a bolt having a bolt thread;
- a roof panel support member that extends generally horizontally and that has a side-wall with a roof panel side-wall bolt aperture therethrough, wherein the roof panel support member has a bolt holding surface positioned to support the bolt against lateral movement;
- a roof panel having a roof panel side-wall that is matable with the side-wall of the roof panel support member, wherein the roof panel has a roof panel threaded aperture therethrough,
- wherein the bolt extends through the side-wall of the roof panel support member, through the roof panel threaded aperture, wherein at least one of the roof panel and the roof panel support member has an access aperture to permit access to the bolt to permit rotation of at least one of the bolt and the roof panel threaded aperture relative to the other of the bolt and the roof panel threaded aperture to drive the roof panel side-wall into abutment with the roof panel support member side wall.
10. A roof panel joining system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the roof panel support member has a roof panel support member threaded aperture that is the bolt holding surface when engaged with the bolt thread.
11. A roof panel joining system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bolt has a bolt head and wherein the bolt holding surface is a shoulder on the roof panel support member that engages the bolt head.
12. A joining system for joining a first wall panel and a second wall panel, comprising:
- a first support plate that is connected to the first wall panel, and a second support plate connected to the second wall panel, a first clamping surface on the first support plate, and a second clamping surface on the second support plate; and
- a threaded member having a first end in a first end chamber, wherein the threaded member passes through the first support member, through the second wall panel, and through the second support plate, wherein the first end abuts the first clamping surface, and wherein the second end has a nut thereon that is tightenable against the second support plate to clamp the second wall panel to the first wall panel.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 11, 2017
Publication Date: Dec 19, 2019
Inventor: David John PAY (Hong Kong)
Application Number: 16/477,449