Patent Application
20250223793
None.
This invention relates to a Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural System for temporary or semi-permanent buildings such as trade show displays, corporate lobbies, or Museum Displays. The present novel technology relates generally to building construction and, more particularly, a system of deck, beam, and column construction for supporting various items including walls and displays. This system relates to a structure for supporting walls, product spaces, interlocking wall panels, decks, and various other components that are useful in rapid and reconfigurable construction of building units, exhibition stands, corporate lobbies, and display modules as an example, or a temporary exhibition multiple-story structure. This system of support is configured to interlock with one or more adjacent supports.
The building system is directed to systems and methods of constructing temporary or re-locatable structures and relates to support structures such as modular wall systems, the structure having an improved beam and column system to secure decks, stairs, and wall panels in various arrangements. The present invention relates generally to a structural support system for a variety of items and allows for interconnection of adjacent panels without the need for special tools and/or detachable parts.
None.
None.
As far as known, there are no Metrideck Rapid Deployment and reconfigurable Structural systems for temporary buildings such as trade show display systems or the like. It is believed that this product is unique in its design and technologies.
This background as to building systems should be useful. Prefabricated structures have become a mainstay in modern society. A modular temporary exhibition stand is a temporary building which consists of several walls and can be constructed or dismounted and removed rapidly when needed, wherein the main components have a modular design and are usually frame modules provided with installation holes. After installation, display materials, panels, canvases, and suchlike are assembled on the several walls of the exhibition stand to obtain the ideal layout. In some cases, display screens are desired on the surface of one or more of the walls of the exhibition stand to improve the aesthetic and visual effect of the exhibition stand. The display screens used in the exhibition stand should meet the requirements of a modular design. At present, there is not a good solution available in the industry to integrate display screens in temporary exhibition stands with multistory structures in a modular manner. Panel supports are frequently used in large areas, such as conference centers and office buildings, to segregate large areas into smaller, separate areas. The panel supports may be linked together to create segregated areas and may hold panels that act as walls between the segregated areas. A large area may then be used as if it were segregated by permanent walls that are part of the permanent structure of a building enclosing the large area. A group of linked panel supports may be temporarily installed in the large area or may remain in place permanently in the large area. In addition, in some instances, such as conferences, temporary exhibits, temporary shows and other temporary events, multiple events are scheduled back-to-back in a single venue. In such cases, the panel supports used for a particular event must be assembled and/or disassembled quickly, and possibly reconfigured, which may further increase the labor costs associated with preparing for the event.
Portable displays have found wide usage in today's business environment, particularly with respect to businesses which participate in conventions, trade shows, seminars, and other such events. Due to the nature of this application, such portable displays are typically assembled and disassembled by a limited number of people at the exhibition site. Thus, a basic design requirement of such portable display devices is a minimization of weight, number of parts and structural complexity, coupled with a maximization of durability and aesthetic appearance. The essence of a prefabricated structure allows for the various parts to be uniformly fabricated at a centralized location and then assembled at the appropriate destination into varying structures. Traditionally, these structures are premised on a series of components such as decks, beams, and columns. Post and beam structures are known to be useful for portable construction, as they are only needed for a limited duration and then must be broken down to free up space. Traditionally, these structures have taken on various forms such as scaffolding, stages, exhibition displays for conference halls, and the like. The complexity of these post and beam structures continues to develop, involving more elaborate designs, some of which have exceeded the intended limitations of the system. The display structures, created by utilizing a post and beam system, can involve multi-story levels which introduce additional strength requirements. Not only would the post and beam structure require sufficient strength to support its own weight, but it must also support the added weight and vibrations associated with the increased traffic of people traversing the structure. As these structures are not permanent, there must be a balance between simplicity of construction and sufficient structural strength to ensure safety of use.
The complexity of multi-storied post and beam structures require a simplistic construction and deconstruction process, which at present, remains limited with available technology. As the structures become more complex, the need for simplicity of design and ease of construction become more apparent. This can be crucial, as post and beam structures have a vulnerability to vibration due to the high number of connection points. A commonly available technology incorporates an I-beam style support, which terminates into structure posts with angular bolted moment plates. A post and beam system based on this design will require additional labor and time to secure each connection. As the moment plate is the only connection holding the beam in place, additional manpower will be required until the plate can be fully secured. Depending on the size and design of the structure, this I-beam may require additional equipment to aid in the lifting and placement of the beam which increases the cost of assembly and breakdown. Time is also a factor in this type of construction, which can be complicated because of alignment issues during the placement of the beam and post. A rush on time or additional manpower to aid in the assembly can create undue complications, which in turn can affect the overall integrity of the structure and the installation cost.
Once the beam and post frame has been completed, a deck structure is typically added to make the stage for each level of the design set. Some systems incorporate a locking design that bolts the deck to the beam structure. This can add to the integrity of the structure but can also slow the overall time for construction down. A connection system of this style incorporates a locking bolt that inserts into the top face of the beam. As the size of the structure increases, so do the number of required locking bolts. If the structure is not properly aligned, full engagement of the locking bolts may be inhibited. This type of secured decking requires additional inspection time to confirm that each bolt was properly seated, otherwise the integrity of the structure could be compromised.
A multi-storied structure can increase the overall weight without accounting for stresses exerted on the lower levels. As the size of the design set increases, the connections of the temporary structure should aid in reducing the weight while increasing the safety of the structure. Current technologies only utilize some variation on the moment plate design, which is usually formed from steel. A connection of this kind adds to the overall weight and construction time without positively helping and impacting the overall integrity of the structure. While the moment plate can adequately secure each beam to a corresponding post, the process is time consuming and cumbersome. A quicker system for connection that reduces the overall weight while aiding in alignment of each component would greatly improve the quality of structure. An exhibition construction system in which a so-called tension lock is used as a connector for connecting a support, in other words an upright, and a frame, in other words a beam, disposed to be perpendicular thereto is known from Europe. The tension lock has two hooks which engage in an undercut groove in the support. The hooks can be retracted by means of an eccentric in the tension lock such that, on account thereof, an end side of the frame is pulled toward a lateral face of the support. The connection is released in the event of a failure of the spring.
Post and beam structures have been favored because of their ability to be broken down and efficiently shipped to the next location. Each component must be easy to handle and functionally interchangeable with the remaining system, therein maximizing the utility. Versatility of design can be limited by the beam and post system. The moment plate style of connection can create an obstructive hindrance interfering with infrastructure placement. The placement of infrastructure, like electrical wires, can become labor intensive as the size of the structure increases. Prefabricated structures need to minimize the required components while maximizing versatility and efficiency of the structure's connection/disconnection points without impeding infrastructure placement.
The conventional trade show display is a semi-permanent reusable display designed for long-term usage. These are generally custom fabricated, and are very heavy and durable, allowing for frequent reuse. Such displays are very costly to buy as well as to use. For transport, the displays must be broken down into numerous component parts, which are then crated for shipping. In a typical installation, such assemblies must be received at a proper loading dock and constructed by the exhibit site personnel at a substantial cost. Frequently, only venue employees are allowed to unload and construct the exhibit display. This can dramatically increase the costs of setting up a large exhibit. For example, an exhibit displays large enough to fill a semi-trailer may cost approximately $4,000 to ship across the country. However, local drayage (the unloading of the trailer at the exhibit dock and the carrying of the exhibit pieces to the display area) may cost an equal amount, just to move the exhibit display pieces the final 100 feet. These local drayage costs are based upon the manpower required to unload the exhibit display and the time required for doing so. These factors are typically directly related to the weight and size of the individual exhibit display pieces. Extremely high drayage costs are the norm in the trade show exhibit industry, because the exhibit displays must be sturdily constructed in order to withstand constant assembly, disassembly, and shipping.
A Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural System would meet a series of needs including: (1) Fast and Safe Set-up. (2) QUICSET® fasteners. (3) Beam Design. (4) Column Design. (5) Staircases. (6) Deck Panels and Curbs. (7) Integration with Metric Wall Systems in the market. (8) Custom Designs for rapid deployment and reconfigurable wall systems. (9) Ease of Assembly. (10) Optimized structural strength by design. (11) Security of joints and connections. (12) Maximized utility of design with different walls systems. (13) Minimum required inventories as the beams and columns can be reconfigured to satisfy different designs. The present novel technology of the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system addresses these needs as well as many more.
As far as known, there are no Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural System for temporary or semi-permanent buildings or the like. It is believed that this system and combination of components is unique in its design and technologies. A novelty search revealed:
As can be observed, none of the prior art has anticipated or caused one skilled in the art of building systems and methods of constructing the systems to anticipate this invention by Searle. Nor have they seen this combination and use of components for the system as obvious to a person skilled in the ordinary art of the industry. The Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system provides an answer to the above-described problems which others in the industry have not demonstrated.
This invention is a Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system. Taught here are the ways a building system can be assembled without special tools by tradesmen and using simple lifting means for the tradesmen.
The preferred embodiment of Metrideck is a rapid deployment and reuseable multi-level decking system used with various types of walls and guardrails. It is made of durable materials and includes (a) a set of at least four vertical columns, each column with a set of attachment features such as holes for attachment bolts, holes for a female Quicset®, an adjustable column foot, an inner stiffener, a wire management through hole, and a column extension; (b) a set of at least four horizontal pre-manufactured beams each said beam with a set of attachment features including a beam to column attachment end plate with holes for male Quickset, an intermediate beam support with shoulder bolt, an intermediate beam attachment plate, a beam end, a set of beam lightening openings, and a torsion lock; (c) a Quicset® for each connection of each said beam and each vertical column, each Quicset includes with a pair of threaded structural bolts and nuts to attach to a column and beam, a male Quicset® attached to an end of the beam and a female Quicset® attached to the top area of the column wherein both the male and female quicksets have mating dovetails to provide a tight interlock without the need for tools or fasteners during an initial assembly of the column and beam; (d) at least one deck panel and further comprising hardware to attach the deck panel to the beams, rotary action tension locks on the outside faces to connect adjacent panels in a single membrane and slots to attach a hanger bracket for connecting to a wall structure; (e) a series of curbing which encircles the at least one deck panel at a perimeter the curbing having a set of attachment features including corners, covers, slots for a handrail or guard rail, a set of roto locks, and a set of hanging bracket for connecting the curbing to straight and curved wall structures; (f) a stair system including components selected from the group consisting of upper and lower stair assembly, upper and lower landings, guard rails, and support structures, fasteners, treads, and tread noses; and (g) a set of straight and/or curved handrail/guardrail configurations wherein the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system maintains a modular relationship to the mating wall structures and wherein Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system provides multiple platform configurations, is lighter weight, and provides a higher strength to weight ratio compared to other rapid deployment decking systems.
There are several objects and advantages of the Metrideck Rapid Deployment Structural system. There are currently no known interior or exterior building systems for permanent or temporary building structures that are effective at providing the objects of this invention. The Metrideck Rapid Deployment Structural system has various advantages and benefits which are shown and described at length in
Finally, other advantages and additional features of the present Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the full description of the device. For one skilled in the art of temporary and permanent building structures and methods for deploying the structures, it is readily understood that the features shown in the examples with this product are readily adapted to other types of out building structure systems, devices, and methods.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system for temporary buildings such as trade show display systems (called a Metrideck Building System) that is preferred. The drawings together with the summary description given above and a detailed description given below are provided to explain the principles of the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural System. It is understood, however, that the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural System as a fast, reliable, and strong building system is not limited to only the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
The following list refers to the drawings:
This invention relates to a Metrideck Rapid Deployment Reconfigurable Structural system for temporary buildings such as trade show display systems. The present novel technology relates generally to building construction and, more particularly, a system of deck, beam, and column construction for supporting various items including walls and display architecture. This system relates to a structure for supporting walls, product spaces, interlocking wall panels, and various other components that are useful in rapid and reusable construction of building units, exhibition stands, and display modules as an example, or a temporary exhibition multiple-story structure. This system of support is configured to interlock with one or more adjacent supports. The building system is directed to systems and methods of constructing temporary or re-locatable structures and relates to support structures such as modular wall systems, the structure having an improved beam and column system to secure decks, stairs, and wall panels in various arrangements. The present invention relates generally to a structural support system for a variety of items and allows for interconnection of adjacent panels without the need for special tools and/or detachable parts.
The advantages for the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system 20 are listed above in the introduction. Succinctly the benefits are that the device:
The preferred embodiment of Metrideck is a rapid deployment and Reconfigurable multi-level structural system used with various types of walls and guardrails. It is made of durable materials and includes (a) a set of at least four vertical columns, each column with a set of attachment features such as holes for attachment bolts, holes for a female Quicset®, an adjustable column foot, an inner stiffener, a wire management through hole, and a column extension; (b) a set of at least four horizontal pre-manufactured beams each said beam with a set of attachment features including a beam to column attachment end plate with holes for male Quicset, an intermediate beam support with shoulder bolt, an intermediate beam attachment plate, a beam end, a set of beam lightening openings, and a torsion lock; (c) a Quicset for each connection of each said beam and each vertical column, each Quicset® includes a pair of threaded structural bolts and nuts to attach to a column and beam, a male Quicset® attached to an end of the beam and a female Quicset® attached to the top area of the column wherein both the male and female Quicset® have mating dovetails to provide a tight interlock without the need for tools or fasteners during an initial assembly of the column and beam; (d) at least one deck panel and further comprising hardware to attach the deck panel to the beams and slots to attach a hanger bracket for connecting to a wall structure; (e) a series of curbing which encircles at least one deck panel at a perimeter, the curbing having a set of attachment features including corners, covers, slots for a handrail or guard rail, a set of roto locks, and a set of hanging brackets for connecting the curbing to straight and curved wall structures; (f) a stair system including components selected from the group consisting of upper and lower stair assembly, upper and lower landings, guard rails, and support structures, fasteners, treads, and tread noses; and (g) a set of straight and/or curved handrail/guardrail configurations wherein the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system maintains a modular relationship to the mating wall structures and wherein Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system provides multiple platform configurations, is lighter weight, and provides a higher strength to weight ratio compared to other rapid deployment decking systems.
There is shown in
There are several design challenges:
COLUMN DESIGN CHALLENGE A: To integrate the structure with the wall systems, the perimeter supporting columns must be as close as possible to the edge of the structure. This creates two problems: 1] Multiple columns are required to meet the various configurations of beams and columns in a modular structural design system. See
COLUMN DESIGN CHALLENGE B: These structures are set-up and dismantled often, in multiple configurations. Setup and dismantle times are a significant part of the cost per use. Existing systems, even when they have a method of lining up the beam and column holes, require each beam to be bolted to the columns at either end, and the bolts torque tightened. Systems typically use four (4) or more bolts per connection. The rest of the setup crew stands and watches while two (2) members of the crew, on ladders, install and tighten all the bolts at both ends of every beam. SOLUTION: Metrideck has reduced the connecting bolts to two (2) per column and designed Quicset®, a feature that locks the beams to the columns without the need for bolts during assembly. The whole column and beam structure is assembled from the ground without structural bolts. A beam is lifted with a portable lift (Genie® or equal) and lowered into position. As the male Quicset® on the beam begin to engage with the female Quicset® on the columns, they pull the beam tight against the columns and locate the beam vertically. The setup team moves to the next beam and column. One member of the crew installs and torque tightens the bolts while the rest of the crew install the staircases and landings. See
BEAM DESIGN CHALLENGE A The beam design must meet all the deflection, stress, and load requirements of IBC 2018, and yet be light enough for 2 people to handle, when free spanning 6 meters. SOLUTION: Shown in
BEAM DESIGN CHALLENGE B There is always a demand for new and innovative designs using existing properties as marketing budgets impose cost constraints, particularly during periods of economic slowdown. The wall systems that integrate with Metrideck have been designed to meet this need. SOLUTION: 1] The Metrideck beam has been designed so that several modular lengths of beams can be bolted together in multiple configurations. See
BEAM DESIGN CHALLENGE C Fast setup. SOLUTIONS: 1] The main beams, which attach to the columns, have male Quicset 42 bolted to either end of the beam. This allows the beam to be lowered onto the female Quicset 43 bolted to the columns (see
BEAM DESIGN CHALLENGE D Easy hidden wire management for signal and power cables. SOLUTION: The main beam attachment plates 41 intermediate beam attachment plates 65 and intermediate support plates 55 all have large wire management holes which line up with the wire management holes in adjacent beams and columns. See
BEAM DESIGN CHALLENGE E—1] Large holes must be available in the beam web for air conditioning flex ducts (in different locations for different design configurations) without reducing the bending strength of the beams. 2] Holes (in different locations for different designs) are required to run sprinkler system pipework. SOLUTION: The beam lightening holes 57 meets both requirements. They also provide easy access to wire harnesses and lights when installing a drop ceiling. See
QUICSET® DESIGN CHALLENGE These structures are setup and dismantled often, in multiple configurations. Setup and dismantle times are a significant part of the cost per use. Existing systems, even when they have a method of lining up the beam and column holes, require each beam to be bolted to the columns at either end, and then the bolts torque tightened. The rest of the setup crew stands and watches while 2 of the crew, on ladders, install and tighten all the bolts at both ends of every beam. During this time, the rest of the crew is completely unproductive. SOLUTION: 1] Metrideck designed Quicset, a fixture that locks the beams to the columns without the need for bolts during assembly. The whole column and beam structure is assembled from the ground without ladders or forklifts, and without structural hardware. A beam is lifted with a portable lift (Genie) and lowered into position. As the male Quicset 42 on the beam begin to engage with the female Quicset 43 on the columns, they pull the beam tight against the columns and locate the beam vertically. The setup team then moves on to the next beam and column. The whole structure can be setup without adding bolts. The structure is held safe and stable by the double dovetail action of the Quicset® without the clamping action of the structural hardware. Once the structure is assembled, a member of the crew installs and torque tightens the bolts while the rest of the crew install the staircases and landings. The Quicset® fixture has two (2) actions, which occur simultaneously as the male Quicset 42 is lowered into the female Quicset 43. 1] As the vertical dovetails AAAA and BBBB engage fully, the beam is secured vertically in relation to the column. See
STAIRCASE DESIGN CHALLENGE A Over and above its functional requirements to safely convey the occupants of a two-story structure up to the upper deck while satisfying all applicable structural codes, the staircase is an important element in the overall aesthetics of the design. SOLUTION: 1] The staircase components are available in a wide variety of powder coat colors. 2] The Metrideck staircase has changeable treads and risers: A] The tread material can be changed, for example from metal to custom finished wood, and covered with different surface finishes such as carpet or tread overlays. B] The riser material and finish can be changed, or the risers removed to create an open stair architecture. C] The width of the staircase can be changed by replacing the treads and risers with ones of a different length, while still utilizing all the rest of the staircase assembly. The infill material in the stair guardrail can easily be changed to include custom graphics and/or custom materials.
STAIRCASE DESIGN CHALLENGE B The ease and speed of the setup of the staircase is very important SOLUTION: 1] The upper and lower stringers, treads and risers ship assembled (see
STAIRCASE DESIGN CHALLENGE C Different design configurations, different installation spaces and different product and product display locations require different stair configurations. SOLUTION: The Metrideck staircase 117 and 118 has been designed with upper and lower landing kits (
prior art 330 is European Application No. EP 3862502 A1 issued to Van der Vennet and Bematrix in 2020 and called a Modular Truss Structure; prior art 340 is a U.S. Pat. No. 956,642 issued to Klein in 1910 for an Office Partition and the like; prior art 350 is U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,219 issued to Donovan for a Portable Display apparatus; prior art 360 is U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,359 issued to Staeger for a series of Profile Tubes for the Production of Readily Assembled and Dismantled Structures; prior art 370 is a U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,440 issued to Izatt et al. in 1998 for a Partition System; prior art 380 is a U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,000 issued to Matsubara for a Modular Units, Modular Structures having Modular Units and a Method for Constructing Modular Structures; prior art 390 is a U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,842 issued to Matsubara in 2000 and called a Modular Units, Modular Structures having Modular Units and a Method for Constructing Modular Structures; prior art 400 is a U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,854 issued to West et al. and called a LED Modular Display System; prior art 410 is a U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,898 issued to Savage in 2006 and called a Knockdown Labyrinth Framework; prior art 420 U.S. Pat. No. 8,572,928 by Bruder issued in 2013 for System for Erecting Structures and Support Profile; prior art 430 is a U.S. Pat. No. 9,382,703 issued to Quinn et al. in 2016 for a System and Method for Constructing Temporary, Re-Locatable Structures; prior art 440 is a U.S. Pat. No. 9,874,011 issued to Oliveira et al. in 2018 for a Modular Panel System; prior art 450 is a U.S. Pat. No. 11,098,494 issued to LeSage in 2021 for a Profile, Frame, and Promotion Booth for the Construction of Stands and/or for Interior Applications and/or for Exterior Applications and a Method for making the Profile and a Use of the Profile; prior art 460 is a French patent FR2834020A1 by Moise et al. that is a partitioning system; and prior art 470 is a U.S. Pat. No. 10,487,499 issued to Berkowitz in 2019 for a System and Method for an Easily-Erectable Modular Business Cubicle. As can be seen, the Metrideck system 20 is a unique system and combination of components and use as described herein.
The Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system 20 anticipates various materials for producing or manufacturing the various components. Strength and weight are factors. Various structural metals such as steel alloys, aluminum, and titanium are candidates. Likewise, reinforced plastics such as poly urethanes, nylons, Poly Vinyl Chlorides, and other various polymers as long as they are manufactured with reinforcing fibers or the like. Finally composite materials with various fillers and reinforcing fibers are under evaluation.
The details mentioned here are exemplary and not limiting. Other specific components and manners specific to describing a Metrideck system 20 may be added as a person having ordinary skill in the field of building structures and their deployment well appreciates.
The Metrideck system 20 has been described in the above embodiment. The manner of how the device operates is described below. One notes well that the description above and the operation described here must be taken together to fully illustrate the concept of the Metrideck Rapid Deployment Structural system 20 for temporary buildings such as trade show display systems. The preferred embodiment of Metrideck is a rapid deployment and reconfigurable multi-level structural system used with various types of walls and guardrails. It is made of durable materials and includes (a) a set of at least four vertical columns, each column with a set of attachment features such as holes for attachment bolts, holes for a female Quicset®, an adjustable column foot, an inner stiffener, a wire management through hole, and a column extension; (b) a set of at least four horizontal pre-manufactured beams each said beam with a set of attachment features including a beam to column attachment plate with holes for male Quicset®, an intermediate beam support with shoulder bolt, an intermediate beam attachment plate, a beam end, a set of beam lightening openings, and a torsion lock; (c) a Quicset for each connection of each said beam and each vertical column, each Quicset® includes with a pair of threaded structural bolts, washers and nuts to attach to a column and beam, a male Quicset® attached to an end of the beam and a female Quicset® attached to the top area of the column wherein both the male and female Quicsets® have mating dovetails to provide a tight interlock without the need for tools or fasteners during an initial assembly of the column and beam; (d) at least one deck panel and further comprising hardware to attach the deck panel to the beams, lock the deck panels together and slots to attach hanger brackets for connecting to a wall structure; (e) a series of curbing which encircles at least one deck panel at a perimeter the curbing having a set of attachment features including corners, covers, slots for a handrail or guard rail, a set of roto locks, and a set of hanging brackets for connecting the curbing to straight and curved wall structures; (f) a stair system including components selected from the group consisting of upper and lower stair assembly, upper and lower landings, guard rails, and support structures, fasteners, treads, and tread noses; and (g) a set of straight and/or curved handrail/guardrail configurations wherein the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system maintains a modular relationship to the mating wall structures and wherein Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system provides multiple platform configurations, is lighter weight, and provides a higher strength to weight ratio compared to other rapid deployment decking systems.
The Metrideck system 20 installs somewhat like other building systems but without the need for special tools and heavy lifting mechanisms like cranes or forklifts. Most can be accomplished by trades people at shows or on jobsites with little previous training. The assembly schemes and methods are well described in the following paragraphs with drawings accompanying the descriptions.
Advantages and special features are described further with reference to these
DECKS and CURBING/DECKS-DESIGN CHALLENGE A: The deck panel must free span 2-m while supporting a live load of 125 pounds per square foot (psf) per the International Building Council (IBC) 2018. SOLUTION: Metrideck has designed the lightest stress skin panel that will meet the above criteria while satisfying deflection and design stress criteria per International Building Codes (IBC) 2018.
DECKS and CURBING/DECKS-DESIGN CHALLENGE B: The deck panel must maintain a modular relationship to the mating system walls, whether they are on the deck or hanging outside the deck, in all possible configurations. SOLUTION: The standard deck panels are one wall wide by two walls deep, and one wall wide by one wall deep. The geometry of the deck panels for the curved wall deck assemblies are very carefully designed so they will not only fit the mating curved and straight walls but can be installed at any modular point on assemblies of standard deck panels.
DECKS and CURBING/DECKS-DESIGN CHALLENGE C: There is a basic contradiction between the need to keep the structure as light as possible and the need to maintain the necessary lateral stability, so the occupants of the structure feel safe (i.e., the structure does not shake). SOLUTION: Metrideck solves this problem most efficiently by making the whole structure act as one integrated unit. All the stress skin deck panels are locked together using rotary cam locks so they become a single deck membrane that cannot change shape in the horizontal plane. The stress skin deck panels are locked to the beam structure using a combination of torsion locks 59, handrail bolts that run through oversize holes in the curbing that is attached to the deck panels with cam locks 74 or flat head FH hardware 81 and countersunk washers 82 that are morticed into the custom deck panels 79. The columns and staircases are bolted to the beams which in turn are bolted to the deck membrane. This distributes the lateral stability developed in each of the columns and staircases throughout the whole structure.
DECKS and CURBING/DECKS-DESIGN CHALLENGE D: 1] Any particular deck panel in the inventory can be used on an outside corner, the top or bottom perimeter, the side perimeter (LH or RH), or somewhere in the center, and may or may not support handrail or walls on top of the deck surface or walls hanging on the outside of the structure. If that deck panel must be modified each time it is used in a different location or a different design configuration, the panel becomes peppered with holes. The integrity of the panel is destroyed, and there is a cost associated with each change. 2] When connecting extrusions are added to a run of walls (i.e., on the corners) the overall length of the wall assembly changes. The deck structure must be able to accommodate all wall configurations with their necessary extrusions. SOLUTION: Metrideck uses a system of curbing 66 that is attached to the standard deck panels using cam locks, to meet the challenges of 1] and 2] above. See
DECKS and CURBING/CURBING-DESIGN CHALLENGE: The functional solutions designed into the Metrideck curbing are as follows: 1] The slotted holes 74 on
DECKS and CURBING/CUSTOM DECK-DESIGN CHALLENGE:
Many uses are anticipated for the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system 20 for temporary buildings such as trade show display systems. Some examples, and not limitations, are shown in the following Table.
With this description it is to be understood that the Metrideck Rapid Deployment and Reconfigurable Structural system 20 for temporary buildings such as trade show display systems is not to be limited to only the disclosed embodiment of product. The features of the Metrideck system 20 are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the description.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which these inventions belong. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present inventions, the preferred methods and materials are now described above in the foregoing paragraphs.
Other embodiments of the invention are possible. Although the description above contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions. Various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particularly disclosed embodiments described above.
The terms recited in the claims should be given their ordinary and customary meaning as determined by reference to relevant entries (e.g., definition of “plane” as a carpenter's tool would not be relevant to the use of the term “plane” when used to refer to an airplane, etc.) in dictionaries (e.g., widely used general reference dictionaries and/or relevant technical dictionaries), commonly understood meanings by those in the art, etc., with the understanding that the broadest meaning imparted by any one or combination of these sources should be given to the claim terms (e.g., two or more relevant dictionary entries should be combined to provide the broadest meaning of the combination of entries, etc.) subject only to the following exceptions: (a) if a term is used herein in a manner more expansive than its ordinary and customary meaning, the term should be given its ordinary and customary meaning plus the additional expansive meaning, or (b) if a term has been explicitly defined to have a different meaning by reciting the term followed by the phrase “as used herein shall mean” or similar language (e.g., “herein this term means,” “as defined herein,” “for the purposes of this disclosure [the term] shall mean,” etc.). References to specific examples, use of “i.e.,” use of the word “invention,” etc., are not meant to invoke exception (b) or otherwise restrict the scope of the recited claim terms. Other than situations where exception (b) applies, nothing contained herein should be considered a disclaimer or disavowal of claim scope. Accordingly, the subject matter recited in the claims is not coextensive with and should not be interpreted to be coextensive with any particular embodiment, feature, or combination of features shown herein. This is true even if only a single embodiment of the particular feature or combination of features is illustrated and described herein. Thus, the appended claims should be read to be given their broadest interpretation in view of the prior art and the ordinary meaning of the claim terms.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed considering the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
The present invention contemplates modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art. While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the figures and the foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only selected embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes, modifications and equivalents that come within the spirit of the disclosures described heretofore and or/defined by the following claims are desired to be protected.
