This invention relates generally to modular building construction, and more particularly to a system of interlocking door frame and wall panels in a modular building unit.
Modular buildings typically comprise a skeletal metal (e.g., steel) frame that supports a number of elements allowing easy transportation, construction, and customization of the building unit. Those elements typically include a solid roof and floor and wall panels that are inserted into the frame. In order to provide access into the building unit, a door is typically provided on at least one of the walls of the building unit. However, installation of standard door assemblies into the modular assembly of a typical modular building unit has required that wall panels of the modular building unit be cut to receive a standard steel door frame. This often results in an unclean, unfinished appearance, a weak frame with low durability, and likewise often leaves gaps through which air will pass, making heating and cooling more difficult than if a properly sealed assembly were provided. An alternative is installation of a non-standard, custom door assembly that requires an expensive and complex aluminum design, requiring significant tooling investment and providing no flexibility.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for a modular building unit construction that allows fitment of a traditional door assembly, including a supporting door frame, that may be easily integrated with the modular wall panels of the modular building unit in a configuration that provides a more finished and clean appearance than previously known assemblies, and that provides a structurally reinforced frame, all while maintaining ease of transportability, installation, and customization of the modular building unit.
Disclosed is a system of interlocking door frame and wall panels for modular building units. Both the door frame panel and the wall panels are provided for easy installation into the skeletal frame of the modular building unit, and are provided with mating male and female connecting edges on opposite sides of each panel. This allows the door frame panel to mate with an adjacent wall panel in the same manner in which adjacent wall panels mate with one another, ensuring a clean, finished appearance for the connecting edges and a connection having the same physical and structural integrity as the connections between adjacent wall panel units. The door frame panel itself is particularly configured to receive a traditional, commercially available steel door frame and door assembly, but allows fitment of such commercially available steel door frame and door assembly without cutting a wall panel to receive that frame.
In accordance with certain aspects of an embodiment of the invention, an interlocking door frame panel and wall panel system for modular building units is disclosed, comprising: a plurality of wall panels of identical construction, each wall panel further comprising: an external sheet and an internal sheet; a vertical tongue extending along a first vertical edge of the wall panel and formed by a first edge of each of the external sheet and the internal sheet; a vertical groove extending along a second vertical edge of the wall panel and formed by a second edge of each of the external sheet and the internal sheet, wherein the vertical groove of a first panel is configured to mate with the vertical tongue of an adjacent panel to form a connected edge in which the external sheets of adjacent panels are in contact and coplanar with one another, and the internal sheets of adjacent panels are in contact and coplanar with one another; and at least one door panel comprising: a first vertical door panel frame member forming a vertical tongue extending along a first vertical edge of the door panel, the first vertical door panel frame member being configured to mate with a vertical groove of a second adjacent wall panel to form a connected edge in which the external sheet of the second adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an external side of the first vertical door panel frame member, and the internal sheet of the second adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an internal side of the first vertical door panel frame member; and a second vertical door panel frame member forming a vertical groove extending along a second vertical edge of the door panel, the second vertical door panel frame member being configured to mate with a vertical tongue of a third adjacent wall panel to form a connected edge in which the external sheet of the third adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an external side of the second vertical door panel frame member, and the internal sheet of the third adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an internal side of the second vertical door panel frame member.
In accordance with further aspects of an embodiment of the invention, a modular building unit is disclosed comprising: a rigid, fixed modular building unit frame having a plurality of corner support posts, a bottom rail extending between adjacent pairs of corner support posts, a top rail extending between adjacent pairs of corner support posts, a plurality of wall panels extending between the corner support posts, the top rails, and the bottom rails, and at least one door panel extending between one of the top rails and one of the bottom rails; wherein each wall panel further comprises: an external sheet and an internal sheet; a vertical tongue extending along a first vertical edge of the wall panel and formed by a first edge of each of the external sheet and the internal sheet; a vertical groove extending along a second vertical edge of the wall panel and formed by a second edge of each of the external sheet and the internal sheet, wherein the vertical groove of a first panel is configured to mate with the vertical tongue of an adjacent panel to form a connected edge in which the external sheets of adjacent panels are in contact and coplanar with one another, and the internal sheets of adjacent panels are in contact and coplanar with one another; and wherein the door panel further comprises: a first vertical door panel frame member forming a vertical tongue extending along a first vertical edge of the door panel, the first vertical door panel frame member being configured to mate with a vertical groove of a second adjacent wall panel to form a connected edge in which the external sheet of the second adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an external side of the first vertical door panel frame member, and the internal sheet of the second adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an internal side of the first vertical door panel frame member; and a second vertical door panel frame member forming a vertical groove extending along a second vertical edge of the door panel, the second vertical door panel frame member being configured to mate with a vertical tongue of a third adjacent wall panel to form a connected edge in which the external sheet of the third adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an external side of the second vertical door panel frame member, and the internal sheet of the third adjacent wall panel is in contact and coplanar with an internal side of the second vertical door panel frame member.
The numerous advantages of the present invention may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The following description is of a particular embodiment of the invention, set out to enable one to practice an implementation of the invention, and is not intended to limit the preferred embodiment, but to serve as a particular example thereof. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and specific embodiments disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other methods and systems for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent assemblies do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
With continued reference to
Likewise, with reference to both
Next,
Door panel 200 includes a door panel bottom profile 202 similar in configuration to wall panel bottom profile 136 and having a notch identical to notch 137 in wall panel bottom profile 136. Likewise, door panel 200 includes a door panel male profile 204 matching the mating configuration of male profile 140 of wall panel 118, and a door panel female profile 206 matching the mating configuration of female profile 150 of wall panel 118. Thus, door panel male profile 204 has an edge profile configured for mating connection with wall panel female profile 150, and door panel female profile 206 has an edge profile configured for mating connection with wall panel male profile 140. Door panel 200 also includes a door panel top profile 208 having a rectangular exterior perimeter of substantially the same configuration as wall panel top profile 138.
In order to allow fitment of a standard size, commercially available door and door frame, which typically will be of a height dimension that is smaller than the full height dimension of a wall panel 118, a transom assembly is provided in door panel 200, such that the bottom of the transom, along with the interior edges of door panel male profile 204, door panel female profile 206, and door panel bottom profile 202 define a door opening 210 configured to receive a standard door and door frame.
Likewise,
Further and again as mentioned above, door panel 200 includes door panel bottom profile 202 configured for attachment to bottom rails 114 in the same manner as bottom profile 136 of wall panels 118.
The foregoing configuration results in a modular building construction having interlocking wall panels that mate with one another and with a door panel in the same manner, thus providing a common configuration for joining panels regardless of whether or not they serve as a wall panel or are fitted with a door. While the door panels are specially and modularly configured to receive a full, traditional, commercially available door and door frame assembly, the door frame that receives such commercially available door and door frame assembly is readily fitted into any position around the perimeter of the modular building unit, and can readily be moved, removed, or adjusted as necessary given the common configuration of mating edges between both wall panels and the door panel. This significantly simplifies installation of doors and door frames and maintains a uniform appearance at panel edges, avoids the problems experienced by traditional door installations for modular buildings that have required cutting a hole in a wall panel to fit a door and door frame into a desired spot, and provides a structurally reinforced door assembly in a flexible-use frame without requiring the investment in aluminum profile tooling required for expensive, custom door assemblies.
Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth herein.
This application is based upon and claims benefit of copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/026,294 entitled “MONOBLOC DOOR FRAME FOR MODULAR BUILDING UNITS,” filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jul. 18, 2014 by the inventor herein, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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