"L" BRACKET CLOSED WALL CONNECTOR
A closed wall connector is provided comprising an “L” shaped bracket. The “L” shaped bracket includes a horizontal leg and a vertical leg. The horizontal leg includes a first plurality of apertures. The vertical leg includes a second plurality of apertures. The closed wall connector also includes a first plurality of fasteners to connect the horizontal leg to a base, and a second plurality of fasteners to connect the vertical leg to a wall panel. A wall is also provided. The wall includes a wall panel including a bottom plate and sheathing and a closed wall connector. The bottom plate and sheathing of the wall panel are connected to the vertical leg of the closed wall connector with the second plurality of fasteners. A method of installing the wall is also provided.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. filed on Dec. 31, 2018 for “L” BRACKET CLOSED WALL CONNECTOR, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to the art of exterior walls of buildings, and more specifically to an apparatus that secures a wall panel to the building and the method of installation thereof.
BACKGROUNDIn a traditionally built exterior building wall, the structural frame of the wall is bolted to the foundation during construction. Anchor bolts fixed to the foundation secure the wall forms and other construction portions to the concrete slab foundation. Most commonly, anchor bolts are cast-in-place in preset positions, wherein the bolt head is cast into the concrete and the threaded end extends out of the foundation. The structural frame of the wall is constructed by securing the bottom plate to the foundation. The bottom plate is secured by predrilling holes into the bottom plate. The size and placement of the holes correspond with the position of the anchor bolts. The bottom plate is placed flat on the concrete foundation with the threaded ends of the anchor bolts extending up through the holes of the bottom plate. The nut of the anchor bolt is screwed onto the bolt threads to secure the bottom plate. The remaining exterior wall components are then installed.
However, some wall systems are constructed from prefabricate wall panels. A wall panel may be assembled with the structural frame attached to the wall's interior and exterior components. In this case, after the prefabricated wall panel is placed onto the threaded ends of the anchor bolts, the anchor bolts are no longer accessible to screw the nut onto the anchor bolt threads. Because the threads of the anchor bolts are no longer accessible, there is no way to secure the prefabricated wall panel to the anchor bolt or foundation.
Therefore, there is a need for a device and method to secure prefabricated wall panels to a foundation or base.
SUMMARYA closed wall connector is provided comprising an “L” shaped bracket. The “L” shaped bracket includes a horizontal leg and a vertical leg. The horizontal leg includes a first plurality of apertures. The vertical leg includes a second plurality of apertures. The closed wall connector also includes a first plurality of fasteners to connect the horizontal leg to a base through the first plurality of apertures, and a second plurality of fasteners to connect the vertical leg to a wall panel through the second plurality of apertures. The base may be a floor, a ceiling, or a foundation.
A wall is also provided. The wall includes a closed wall connector and a wall panel including a bottom plate, a top plate, and sheathing. The closed wall connector includes the details and embodiments previously discussed. The bottom plate, top plate, and/or sheathing of the wall panel are connected to the vertical leg of the closed wall connector with the second plurality of fasteners.
A method of installing the wall is also provided. The method includes receiving the closed wall connector, connecting the horizontal leg of the closed wall connector to a base with a first plurality of fasteners, placing a wall panel onto the horizontal leg and adjacent to the vertical leg of the closed wall connector, and connecting the wall panel to the vertical leg with a second plurality of fasteners. The closed wall connector and the wall panel include the details and embodiments previously discussed.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustration, there is shown in the drawings different embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the teachings are not limited to the precise closed wall connector, wall panel, and method shown.
A closed wall connector that quickly and easily connects a prefabricated or closed wall panel to the building is provided. The closed wall connector includes an “L” shaped bracket. The “L” shaped bracket includes a horizontal leg and a vertical leg. The horizontal leg includes a first plurality of apertures. The vertical leg includes a second plurality of apertures. A first plurality of fasteners connects the horizontal leg to a base through the first plurality of apertures. The base may be a foundation, floor, or ceiling of a building. A second plurality of fasteners connects the vertical leg to a wall panel through the second plurality of fasteners. The wall panel may be prefabricated. The connector provides a way to connect a prefabricated or closed wall panel to a foundation, floor, or ceiling of a building without accessing the inside of the wall panel.
A wall is also provided. The wall includes a closed wall connector and a wall panel including a bottom plate, a top plate, and sheathing. The closed wall connector includes the details and embodiments previously discussed. The bottom plate, top plate, and/or sheathing of the wall panel are connected to the vertical leg of the closed wall connector with the second plurality of fasteners.
A method of installing the wall panel is also provided. The method includes receiving the closed wall connector, connecting the horizontal leg of the closed wall connector to a base with a first plurality of fasteners, placing a wall panel onto the horizontal leg and adjacent to the vertical leg of the closed wall connector, and connecting the wall panel to the vertical leg with a second plurality of fasteners. The method provides a simple and efficient way to connect a prefabricated or closed wall panel to a foundation, floor, or ceiling, thereby decreasing the time to construct and install an exterior wall of a building and cutting construction costs.
As shown in
The method 600 includes the step 620 of connecting the horizontal leg 220 of the “L” shaped bracket 200 to a base 250a, 250b, 250c. The horizontal leg 220 may be connected to the base 250a, 250b, 250c with a first plurality of fasteners 240a, 240b through the first plurality of apertures 230. The base 250a, 250b, 250c may be the floor, the concrete foundation, and/or the ceiling. The shank of the fastener 240a, 240b extends through the aperture 230 and the head or nut of the fastener 240a, 240b is tight against the horizontal leg 220. The horizontal leg 220 may be connected by driving, drilling, screwing, or hammering the fastener 240a, 240b through the aperture 230 into the base 250a, 250b, 250c, or if the fastener 240b is a cast in place anchor bolt, the horizontal leg 220 may be connected by sliding the end of the anchor bolt through the aperture 230 and screwing a nut onto the end of the anchor bolt.
The method 600 includes the step 630 of placing a wall panel 300 against the horizontal leg 220 and adjacent to the vertical leg 210 of the “L” shaped bracket 200. The wall panel 300 is placed in the “L” shaped bracket 200 so that the bottom or top of the wall panel 300 abuts the horizontal leg 220 and the sheathing 320 abuts the vertical leg 210. The wall panel 300 includes the details and embodiments previously described.
The method 600 also includes the step 640 of connecting the vertical leg 210 of the “L” shaped bracket 200 to the wall panel 300. The wall panel 300 is connected to the vertical leg 210 with a second plurality of fasteners 242 through the second plurality of apertures 260. As previously described, the second plurality of fasteners 242 extends through the second plurality of apertures 260 and into the sheathing 320 and the bottom plate 310 or the top plate 340. The shank of the fastener 242 extends through the aperture 260 and the head or nut of the fastener 242 is tight against the vertical leg. The vertical leg 210 may be connected by driving, drilling, screwing, or hammering the fastener 242 through the aperture 260 into the sheathing 320 and the bottom plate 310 or the top plate 340. The method 600 may also include installing base boards 400 at the bottom of the wall panel 300.
Having thus described in detail a preferred selection of embodiments of the present invention, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made to the closed wall connector, the wall, and the method without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.
Claims
1. A closed wall connector comprising:
- an “L” shaped bracket, the “L” shaped bracket including a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, the horizontal leg including a first plurality of apertures, and the vertical leg including a second plurality of apertures;
- a first plurality of fasteners configured to connect the horizontal leg to a base through the first plurality of apertures; and
- a second plurality of fasteners configured to connect the vertical leg to a wall panel through the second plurality of apertures.
2. The closed wall connector of claim 1 wherein the base is a floor.
3. The closed wall connector of claim 1 wherein the base is a foundation.
4. The close wall connector of claim 1 wherein the base is a ceiling.
5. The closed wall connector of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of fasteners is a plurality of anchor bolts and nuts.
6. The closed wall connector of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of fasteners is a plurality of screws.
7. A wall comprising:
- an “L” shaped bracket, the “L” shaped bracket including a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, the horizontal leg including a first plurality of apertures, and the vertical leg including a second plurality of apertures;
- a first plurality of fasteners connecting the horizontal leg to a base through the first plurality of apertures;
- a wall panel including a bottom plate, a top plate, and sheathing; and
- a second plurality of fasteners connecting the vertical leg to at least one of the bottom plate, the top plate, and the sheathing through the first plurality of apertures.
8. The wall of claim 7 wherein the base is a floor.
9. The wall of claim 7 wherein the base is a foundation.
10. The wall of claim 7 wherein the base is a ceiling.
11. The wall of claim 7 wherein the first plurality of fasteners is a plurality of anchor bolts and nuts.
12. The wall of claim 7 wherein the first plurality of fasteners is a plurality of screws.
13. The wall of claim 7 wherein the wall panel further includes drywall.
14. The wall of claim 13 wherein the drywall is held up from an end of the wall panel to facilitate the connection with the vertical leg.
15. The wall of claim 7 wherein the bottom plate is routed out to accommodate the first plurality of fasteners.
16. The wall of claim 7 further including at least one base board at an end of the wall panel.
17. A method of installing a wall comprising:
- receiving an “L” shaped bracket, the “L” shaped bracket including a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, the horizontal leg including a first plurality of apertures, and the vertical leg including a second plurality of apertures;
- connecting the horizontal leg to a base with a first plurality of fasteners through the first plurality of apertures;
- placing a wall panel against the horizontal leg and adjacent to the vertical leg; and
- connecting the wall panel to the vertical leg with a second plurality of fasteners through the second plurality of apertures.
18. The method of claim 17 further including installing at least one base board at a bottom of the wall panel.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the base is at least one of a floor, a foundation, and a ceiling.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the first plurality of fasteners is a plurality of anchor bolts and nuts or a plurality of screws.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 20, 2019
Publication Date: Jul 2, 2020
Applicant: Katerra Inc. (Menlo Park, CA)
Inventor: Will Watson (Seattle, WA)
Application Number: 16/723,497