Patent Application
20070068095
The present invention relates to factory built residential and commercial structures, and more particularly, to a channel system for a support structure for factory built residential and commercial buildings.
Factory built residential and commercial buildings have become increasingly popular. As the cost of new construction rises, the relatively lower cost of factory built residential and commercial buildings has attracted many new buyers. Similarly, the design and use of these buildings has changed over the past years. These new designs and uses have made factory built buildings more aesthetically attractive to consumers. Factory built buildings are now widely used in place of traditionally-styled buildings including residential housing, office buildings, such as permanent and portable office buildings, classrooms and transportable hospitals.
As used herein, the phrase “factory built buildings” includes, but is not limited to, permanent “traditionally styled” manufactured structures such as those mentioned above and other manufactured buildings or manufactured homes where the manufactured structure is trucked to the building site on flatbed trailers or the like. The phrase “factory built buildings” also encompasses structures that can be readily moved including transportable office buildings, hospitals and residential housing commonly referred to as “trailer homes.” Furthermore, modular structures including modular office buildings and modular homes are also encompassed by the term “factory built buildings” as sections of these structures are built at an offsite location, such as a factory, and then transported to a site for assembly as a unitary structure.
Factory built buildings are traditionally built upon a frame containing two or more longitudinal members and/or several transverse beams that support the floors of the building. Support systems for these factory built buildings typically include concrete blocks or a plurality of support stands placed under the frame for supporting it and securing it to a type of foundation. Skirting, extending from the factory built building's rim joist to a point within the ground, is commonly used to secure and hide the foundation support system and provide a more aesthetic appearance. However, conventional foundation support and skirting systems may not provide adequate support to the factory built building in response to the lateral forces created by heavy winds, seismic activities or heavy snow. Unfortunately, those systems that may provide adequate support can be costly to produce and install. Additionally, these systems may be aesthetically unattractive. Further, when a cement foundation/footing is poured for aesthetic purposes, the poured concrete must be allowed to set at the job site, thereby delaying the assembly of the building at the job site.
It is also difficult to back-fill soil against conventional skirting and supporting systems for factory built buildings. It is the ability to back-fill dirt and soil against the skirting that helps to give a factory built building the appearance of a site built home. However, if the support assembly of the skirting and supporting system does not provide sufficient structural integrity to the skirting so that the skirting can withstand significant lateral loads, the skirting may fail during the back-filling process. More seriously, if either the skirting or support assembly fails, the factory built building may move during the back-filling process and/or support stands of the support assembly attached to the factory built building may begin to bend and fail before the factory built building is ever occupied. This would present significant dangers to the occupants of the factory built building.
There is a need in the art for an apparatus useable with factory built buildings to help anchor the building during seismic activities, heavy winds, heavy snows and back-filling and provide ease of assembly.
The present invention pertains to a channel system for a support of a factory built building. The channel system allows the support of a building to be easily and quickly assembled.
In one aspect, a channel system for a support of a factory built building includes a first channel member with a receiving cavity extending in a longitudinal direction that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first channel member. A second channel member is configured to be slidably received in the receiving portion of the first channel member.
In one aspect, a channel system for a support of a factory built building includes a system a first channel member having a first leg and a second leg collectively defining an L-shape configuration. The first leg includes a first receiving member extending generally parallel to the second leg. The first leg may include a second receiving member. The first receiving member and the second receiving member collectively define a receiving cavity of the first channel member. A second channel member of the channel system is configured to matingly engage the first channel member in the receiving cavity.
In one aspect, a channel system for a support of a factory built building includes a system a first channel member having a base and rear face which collectively define an L-shape arrangement. The base includes a first receiving member extending from a bottom surface. The base may include a second receiving member. The first receiving member and the second receiving member collectively define a receiving groove of the first channel member. A second channel member of the channel system is configured to matingly engage the first channel member in the receiving groove.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are included by way of example, and not by way of limitation with regard to the claimed invention.
In one example, the skirting and support system 10 comprises a perimeter skirting assembly 20 and a support assembly 30. The support assembly 30 includes at least one support stand 40 and at least one perimeter load bearing footing 50. A wooden block 42 is provided to the top of the support stand 40 in order to carry the load of two to three floor joists 62 of the factory built structure. The skirting assembly 20 includes at least one elongated skirting panel 22. Footing 50 has an elongated slot 52 which extends along the length of the footing 50. The elongated slot 52 receives a portion of the skirting panel 22 and support stand 40 as shown in
In operation, the support stand 40 is provided on the footing 50 and enables transfer of loads from the exterior of the factory built building to the footing 50 and ground. The elongated slot 52 aligns adjacent skirting panels 22 along the length of the factory built building that they abut. Skirting panel 22 and load bearing footing 50 are constructed of pre-cast concrete material. The footings 50 can include one or more lengths of rebar (not shown) which extend into the ground for additional anchoring. The construction installation includes an earth material backfill 70 and a water proofing barrier 80, such as a polystyrene barrier.
Referring to
As best seen in
Referring to
In
The components of channel system 100 are constructed from a non-corrosive material, such as a moldable plastic material. In one construction, the channel system 100 is formed of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. Nevertheless, other materials can be used. Suitable molds can be provided and various lengths of the channel system components can be molded or cut into the needed pieces. The non-corrosive material provides for an extend life of the structure and lowers maintenance cost of the homeowner. Further, a lightweight plastic material of the channel system provides for ease of transport, storage and installation with the site installation crew.
The skirting panels 22 shown in
Numerous characteristics, advantages and embodiments of the invention have been described in detail in the foregoing description with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosure is illustrative only and the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. It will be apparent to persons ordinarily skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereof within the scope of the invention, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the claims such as to encompass all equivalents, devices, and methods. Therefore, various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
