Patent Application
20170218623
This invention relates to the attaching mechanisms of a concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel.
Conventional, concrete forms consist of plywood or wooded and metal panels temporarily maintained in spaced apart and parallel relationship by means of ties. The concrete in poured between these forms which are then stripped away after the concrete has set up. These panels can be expensive and awkward to manufacture, store, and ship.
Alternatively and more recently forms such as insulated concrete forms with foamed plastic panel that becomes part of the poured wall or structure have gained acceptance in the construction industry. Some difficulties have developed in some applications due to the outside of the panel being made of foam plastic which include; penetrability of the foamed plastic, insect entrance questions, waterproofing difficulties, the stigma of previous stucco (EIFS) application failures and the question of fire ratings.
A description of a means of building wall forming is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,183 of Kim. Kim describes a possible metal mesh outer wall of a form but also mentions alternatively using other materials such as slate or fiberglass. Kim makes no mention of concrete, cement or polymer material flowing through the outer wall of the form but only mentions flow of concrete between mesh openings through the coupling member that holds the two sides of the form together. In McCary, U.S. 2010/0051779, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,153,046, discloses a method of assembling a plurality of modular forming units to create a freestanding structure, wherein each unit consists of a least one lattice or grid framework panel having a plurality of openings there through and another spaced apart forming panel to create a forming cavity. Concrete/cementitious flowable material is introduced into the cavity, wherein the concrete/cementitious flowable material fills the cavity and flows non-restrictively through the lattice framework panel(s) such that the cementitious material extends beyond the external surface of the lattice framework or grid panel(s) creating an external surface layer; and then allowing the material to set and become a monolithic structure. There are usually two types of concrete/cementitious form connections. The sides, top and bottom of concrete/cementitious forming panels need to connect to each other when stacking panels. The other concrete/cementitious forming panel connection is connecting one forming panel in a spaced apart, usually parallel, relationship to another concrete/cementitious forming panel to create a concrete/cementitious forming cavity. In most all concrete/cementitious forming there are concrete/cementitious form panel connecter ties or webs that maintain the spaced apart cavity formed between parallel oriented concrete/cementitious forming panels.
In manufacturing the polymer concrete/cementitious flow-through grid panel, as the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid panel described in McCary, the flow-through grid panel would need to be manufactured such that the interior face connection means of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid panels should be strong enough to not come unconnected during a concrete/cementitious pour when connected by some type of interior face connection means to form panel connecting ties or webs, wherein the form panel connecting ties or webs are usually connected to other concrete/cementitious spaced apart forming panels. Also the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid panel interior face connection mechanism needs to not unduly restrict the flowable concrete/cementitious material from flowing through the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid panel grid openings. In the process of concrete/cementitious form assembly it is efficient and time saving for the panel connecter ties or webs to be able to be placed or slid down vertically and attaching to the connection mechanism on the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panels.
The invention is the interior face attaching mechanisms of a plastic injection molded flow-through grid forming panel that is used as a form for concrete/cementitious materials. The concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming interior face attaching mechanisms allows for the vertical slide down attachment of panel connecting ties or webs.
Placed periodically in vertical rows a number of the vertical oriented grids of the plastic injection molded concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel are extended out past the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel. “T's” or nubs are formed at the outer ends of the extended vertical grids by the plastic injection mold two molding halves. The plastic injection molding process has unique features that allows the melted plastic to reach all cavities of the plastic mold but the plastic injection mold needs to be able to also release the plastic molded part after the molding part has solidified. The two mold halves of the plastic injection mold release from each side of the flow-through grid forming panel and each side of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel extended vertical grid “T's” or nubs. When a panel connecter tie or web is slid down vertically along the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel the panel tie or web slides around and catches the “T's” or nubs, holding or attaching the panel connecter tie or web to the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel. Having the “T” or nub catch vertically oriented grid extended out past the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel that during a concrete/cementitious pour the “T” or nub catch, and with attached forming panel connecter tie or webs, does not unduly block the flow of the concrete/cementitious material from flowing through the grid openings.
