Patent Application
20240209624
The present invention is related to construction materials and methods, and more particularly to a brick clip a construction worker may use to easily make a double-wall brick in the construction site without adding extra costs.
The double wall has been used to build energy efficient homes for a long time. While there are many ways to do it, the basic premise is to build one structural wall (typically the inside wall), build a second wall around it, and fill the space between with insulation.
With a double brick design, there is a small gap between the two layers of brick that make up the home's foundation and structure. This space functions as a great way to properly insulate the home and slow the process of thermal transition. Because of this, the temperature inside the home will naturally be at a comfortable level without much help from your thermostat.
During summer, when it is hot outside, the walls absorb the heat and allow less of it to make it inside the home. And during winter, a similar effect occurs with warm air staying inside while cold air is absorbed by the walls and buffer space. This natural insulation will aid in reducing the monthly bill and saving on energy in the home.
Double-wall construction is considered to be “above grade”, or in other words, a premium wall design. Many homeowners and builders choose the double-wall design because it offers more structural integrity and for its exceptional energy performance. Homes with this feature are known to use less electricity and heat. Overtime this can save the homeowner a lot of money. And since energy costs only seem to be going up, this can be a great way to build savings right into a home.
Some other advantages to double-wall construction involve excellent air/vapor barrier support and noise reduction. The way the wall materials are layered creates a more consistent and reliable air/vapor barrier and the additional materials and wall thickness prevent less noise from traveling through the walls.
Double-wall construction has several advantages over a conventional stick-frame wall: it provides more room for insulation, reduces thermal bridging through the studs, and avoids moisture problems that can arise from using vapor-impermeable materials like foam board.
There has been tested and designed several different double-wall techniques. The key to this system is good air sealing (so warm air is not lost through the wall) and placing enough insulation outside the air barrier so the structural wall sheathing so that it stays warm and dry.
The main purpose of the present invention is to present a simple light cheap clip that can be used to build double walls simplifying the construction technique and without adding extra costs. There are bricks in the market to make a double wall but they are heavy, difficult and expensive to transport and handle in the construction site.
It is a main purpose of the present invention a brick clip to build double walls in a construction site, comprising a base from one face of which at least two projections capable of being inserted into the holes of a hollow brick are projected.
It is also a purpose of the present invention a brick clip wherein the base is flat and has an X shape defining two right side arms and two left side arms. At each end of the arms of the X-shaped base a cylindrical projection protrudes, and at the center of the X-shaped base two parallel elongated projections protrudes. The cylindrical projections of the right side arms are inserted into the holes of one hollow brick, the cylindrical projections of the left side arms are inserted in the holes of another hollow brick, and the elongated projections are capable of defining a separation partition that keep the distance between the two bricks.
It is also a purpose of the present invention a clip made out of one of the following materials: plastic, wood, metal, cardboard, rubber.
It is also a purpose of the present invention a method to define a hollow brick unit for building a double wall in a construction site, comprising:
It is also a purpose of the present invention a double wall brick unit, comprising:
One or more of the above-disclosed embodiments, in addition to certain alternatives, are provided in further detail below with reference to the attached figures. The disclosed subject matter is not, however, limited to any particular embodiment disclosed.
The brick clip 1, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a flat X-shaped base 2 with a front face 2a and a back face 2b. Said X-shaped base defines two right arms 3-4 and two left arms 5-6. At the end of each arm 3-6 a cylindrical projection 7 protrudes from the front face 2a of the flat base 2. Each projection 7 has a diameter that corresponds to the size of the holes of the bricks into which this projection is inserted as it will be explained in detailed below.
On the same front face 2a of the base 2 two elongated parallel projections 8-9 also protrudes. These projections 8-9 will define a separation partition to keep two bricks separated between each other with a predefined distance as it will be explained in detailed below.
The brick clip 1 may be used to make a double wall brick in the construction site by a construction worker. The steps a construction worker takes to make a double wall brick using the clip of the present invention defines a method to define a hollow brick unit for building a double wall in a construction site, comprising:
In one of the preferred embodiments of the brick clip 1 in accordance with the present invention it is made out of plastic, as it is easy to mold or inject, it is light, easy and safe to handle and cheap to manufacture. Hundred of clips may be shipped to the construction site in a plastic bag, and the workers may easily manipulate them to maker the double wall bricks in the spot. This is much easier and cheaper than manufacturing, shipping, and handling the bricks used in the art to make a double wall. This may not be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of protection of this invention, as those skilled in the art may easily recognize the clip may also be made using different materials, including but not limited to wood, metal, cardboard, rubber, etc.
In the attached drawings the clip 1 is shown as a flat X-shaped piece with two arms 3-4 on one side and two arms 5-6 on the other side, but any the shape may be used, including but not limited to square, rectangular, circular, oval, etc. The X-shaped is optimal in terms of minimizing the amount of material used to manufacture the clip, and thus reducing the cost, but any other shape may also be used.
