Patent Application
20230211943
This specification relates to modular structure systems such as, for example, engineered building systems.
Building and construction is impacted, in some cases, by the location at which the building and construction is to occur. For example, rough terrain or remote locations often cause problems, such as expense and time, for building and constructing habitations (and other buildings). Natural disasters, an outbreak of communicable diseases, or social unrest may require the rapid creation, transportation, and setup of rigid easily deployable prebuilt structures for communication, emergency response, or decontamination.
In an example implementation, a modular structure includes a first shipping container that includes an inner cavity, an open side with four corners, each a corner including a corner casting, and an inner flashing secured around an inner periphery of the open side, the inner flashing extending away from the open side. The modular structure further includes a second shipping container positioned adjacent to the first shipping container and including an inner cavity, and an open side with four corners, each corner including a corner casting, the open side of the second shipping container arranged opposite to the open side of the first shipping container. The modular structure further includes an enclosure defined by the inner cavities of the first and second shipping containers and the inner flashing. Each of the four corner castings of the first shipping container is located opposite and adjacent to a respective one of the four corner castings of the second shipping container. The open sides of the first and second shipping containers define a peripheral gap therebetween, the peripheral gap being covered in the enclosure by the inner flashing.
An aspect combinable with the example implementation further includes at least one fastener that secures a corner casting of the first shipping container to a respective corner casting of the second shipping container.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the fastener is arranged to define a width of the peripheral gap.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the fastener is an adjustable fastener operable to adjust the width of the peripheral gap.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the open side of the second shipping container includes an outer flashing secured around an outer periphery of the open side.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the outer flashing extends away from the open side.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the outer flashing covers an exterior portion of the peripheral gap and defines a portion of an exterior surface of the modular structure.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the inner flashing and the outer flashing define a gasket region there between, and a volume of the gasket region is defined by a width of the peripheral gap.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the modular structure includes a gasket material disposed in the gasket region for sealing the enclosure of the modular structure.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the inner flashing and the outer flashing extend in parallel directions.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the inner flashing extends into the opening of the second shipping container.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the outer flashing extends around an outer periphery of the first shipping container.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, one of the first and second shipping containers includes an external outlet configured to provide a utility connection to the modular structure.
An aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects further includes a third shipping container including an inner cavity, and an open side with four corners, each corner of the four corners including a corner casting.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the open side of the first shipping container is a first open side, the first shipping container further includes a second open side opposite the first open side, and the open side of the third shipping container is arranged opposite to the second open side of the first shipping container.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the inner flashing is a first inner flashing, and a second inner flashing is secured around an inner periphery of the open side of the third shipping container or around the inner periphery of the second open side of the first shipping container.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the second inner flashing covers a peripheral gap between the first and third shipping containers such that the enclosure of the modular structure is defined by the inner cavities of the first, second, and third shipping containers and the first and second inner flashings.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, at least one of the first or second shipping containers includes a set of sealable barn doors mounted on the open side to enclose the inner cavity; and an interior door assembly mounted within the inner cavity to partition the inner cavity into a first volume and a second volume.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the first volume includes a contaminated area between the set of sealable barn doors and the interior door assembly, and the second volume includes a decontaminated area between the interior door assembly and a closed side of the inner cavity opposite the open side.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the interior door assembly includes a wing frame assembly attached to a frame of the set of sealable barn doors and an interior door mounted to the wing frame assembly.
Another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects further includes a second interior door assembly mounted within the inner cavity to partition the inner cavity into the first volume, the second volume, and a third volume.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the first volume includes the contaminated area between the set of sealable barn doors and the first interior door assembly, the second volume includes the decontaminated area between the first interior door assembly and the second interior door assembly, and the third volume includes a clean area between the second interior door assembly and the closed side of the inner cavity opposite the open side.
In another example implementation, a modular structure system includes a plurality of shipping containers arranged to form a contiguous enclosure including an interior volume of the plurality of shipping containers, wherein each of the plurality of shipping containers includes a first side defining an opening configured to be arranged opposite and adjacent to a corresponding opening in a first side of a different shipping container of the plurality to form the contiguous enclosure; a bottom group of the plurality of shipping containers including bottom sides having floor sections arranged to form a bottom floor of the modular structure; a top group of the plurality of shipping containers including top sides having ceiling sections arranged to form a top ceiling of the modular structure; and a side group of the plurality of shipping containers including a second side having a side wall arranged to form exterior right and left side walls of the modular structure.
In an aspect combinable with the example implementation, the modular structure defines an exterior surface including the walls of the plurality of shipping containers facing the exterior of the modular structure.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the walls of the plurality of shipping containers forming the exterior surface include an insulating material disposed on an inner surface of the walls.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the plurality of shipping containers are configured to be arranged and secure longitudinally adjacent to each other.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, each shipping container includes eight corners that include corner castings.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, each shipping containers is secured to one or more adjacent shipping containers by fasteners.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, each fastener secures a corner of each shipping container to an adjacent and opposite corner of one of the one or more adjacent shipping containers.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, an interior group of the plurality of shipping containers includes a second side with an opening opposite the opening of the first side.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the openings in the first sides span the entire first sides.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, one or more shipping containers includes an exterior outlet configured to provide a utility connection to the modular structure.
In another example implementation, a shipping container for use in a modular structure includes a bottom side including a floor; a top side including a ceiling defining an opening in the ceiling with a removable portion of the ceiling covering the opening in a first configuration; an enclosure defining an interior region of the shipping container between the floor and the an enclosure; a staircase in the enclosure and spanning from the floor to the ceiling below the removable portion of the ceiling, wherein the removable portion is sized and shaped to enable a use to walk up the staircase and though the opening in the ceiling in a second configuration when the removable portion of the ceiling is absent.
In an aspect combinable with the example implementation, the opening in the ceiling in a first opening.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the floor defines a second opening directly below the first opening and of the same size and shape as the first opening in the ceiling.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the floor includes a removable portion covering the second opening in a first configuration.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, in a second configuration, the removable portion of the floor is absent and the second opening enables a user to enter the shipping container from a staircase in a shipping container position below the second opening.
In another example implementation, a method for joining shipping containers together to create a modular structure includes providing a first shipping container and a second shipping container, each shipping container defining a side with four corners and an inner volume, wherein each corner includes a corner casting; removing a wall of the side of the first shipper container to create a first opening; removing a wall of the side of the second shipping container to create a second opening; positioning the first opening adjacent and opposite to the second opening; aligning the first opening with the second opening such that each corner castings of the first container is adjacent and opposite to a respective corner castings of the second shipping container, the aligning defining a peripheral gap between the sides of the first and second shipping containers; after the aligning, securing the first shipping container to the second shipping container to create the modular structure by securing each corner casting of the first shipping container to the respective corner casting of the second shipping container to constrain a width of the peripheral gap; and securing an inner flashing around an inner periphery of the first opening, wherein, when the first and second shipping containers are secured, the inner flashing extending into the second opening and covering the peripheral gap to define a portion of an enclosure of the modular structure including the inner volumes of the first and second shipping containers.
In an aspect combinable with the example implementation, securing each corner casting of the first shipping container to the respective corner casting of the second shipping container includes securing each adjacent pair of corner castings with an adjustable fastener, the adjustable faster enabling the width of the peripheral gap to be adjusted by operating the adjustable fasteners.
Another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects further includes securing an outer flashing around the an outer periphery of the second opening, wherein, when the first and second shipping containers are secured, the outer flashing extending around the first shipping container and covering the peripheral gap to define a portion of an exterior of the modular structure.
In another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects, the peripheral gap defines a gasket volume between the inner and outer flashings, the method further including disposing a gasket material in the gasket volume, the gasket material creating a seal between the inner and outer flashing to seal the enclosure modular structure at the location of the gap.
Another aspect combinable with any one of the previous aspects further includes: after filling the sealing volume with the gasket material and securing the first shipping container to the second shipping container with the adjustable fastener, operating the adjustable fastener to reduce the width of the gap; and reducing, by operating the adjustable fastener, the gasket volume between the inner and outer flashings to fill the gasket volume with the gasket material; and sealing, by reducing the gasket volume, the modular structure at the gap.
Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and potential advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Like reference symbols may refer to like components. Also, features shown or described with reference to a particular modular structure or system may also be included on other modular structures or systems even if such features are not shown on such modular structures or systems.
The present disclosure described modular structure systems and methods therefor. In some implementations, a modular structure system may include a modular structure, such as a shipping container. The shipping container, in some aspects, may be an intermodal shipping container governed by the ISO 6346 standard, otherwise known as an ISO shipping container. In some aspects, each modular structure is an ISO shipping container of a particular, standardized size. Such sizes include, for example, 40′ long by 8′ wide by 8′ tall (Regular 40′ ISO) also referred to as “40′ Container”; 40′ long by 8′ wide by 9.5″ tall (High Cube 40′ ISO) also referred to as “40′ Container”; or 20′ long by 8′ wide by 8′ tall (Regular 20′ ISO) also referred to as “20″ ISO Container.” In some aspects, one or more of the modular structures is a “one-trip” shipping container, e.g., an ISO shipping container that has been transported a single trip.
Other containers besides ISO shipping containers may form the basis of one or more of the modular structures. For example, any container that may be modified, e.g., by removing what is not needed (sides, roofs, floors, doors, etc.) and adding what is desired (HVAC, electrical connections, Network and Telephone Connections, Potable Water, Grey water, Black Water, Chill Water, and Heated Water/Steam) to construct a modular structure system are contemplated by the present disclosure. In addition, such modular structures, such as ISO shipping containers, may be transported via truck, rail, ship, and helicopter to wherever they are needed.
One or more modular structures (as described in more detail herein) may include utility connections. In some aspect utility connections includes any combination of the following available utilities that are required in a building, aircraft or other vessel/structure that would be connected/interconnected between any combination of the modular structures in order to accommodate environmental conditions required for humans, as well as other flora, and fauna, or experiments, systems that require specialized environments: power (may be three phase, single phase, DC, or AC, or any combination); HVAC (heating ventilation, air conditioning, filters, back pressure systems); CPS (Collective Protection Systems) for NBC and HAZMAT applications; oxygen generation and distribution systems as well as humidifiers, dehumidifiers, CO2 scrubbers and other environmental control systems; network (radar and microwave wave guides, low and high voltage Cat5/6, etc. network cabling, fiber optics, telephone, and other network communication systems); piping/tubing for water (e.g., potable, grey, black, contaminated, high pressure, steam, etc.); drainage (for water, other fluids (chemicals, etc.); air and other compressed gases (e.g., oxygen, hydrogen, welding/manufacturing gases, etc.); and physical communication systems (vacuum tubes, messenger chutes, money/mail transfer chutes, etc.).
Turning briefly to
As shown in
As shown in
In some aspects, the inner door 125 may be used to separate a “dirty” volume of the modular structure from a “clean” volume of the modular structure. For example, a volume between the inner door 125 and doors 102/103 may be considered a “dirty” volume, e.g., a volume fluidly coupled to an ambient environment through the doors 102/103, a volume in which persons or items entering the structure are considered dirty from the ambient environment (due to viral or bacterial or radioactive hazards or other). In some aspects, the inner door 125 may be fluid tight and create two separate and fluidly decoupled plenums within the structure.
In some aspects, another inner door (not shown) can be installed within the structure to the right of the inner door 125. With two inner doors, three separate plenums (e.g., fluidly decoupled volumes) may be defined within the structure. In some aspects, the plenum between the doors 102/103 and inner door 125 may be considered the “dirty” volume. The plenum between the inner door 125 and another inner door can be considered a “decontamination” volume in which “dirty” items are decontaminated. The plenum to the right of the other door can be considered the “clean” volume, into which decontaminated items may be move.
The inner door 125 is shown positioned orthogonally to a lengthwise axis of the modular structure. In some aspects, inner doors may be positioned parallel to a lengthwise axis of the modular structure. In example embodiments of modular structure systems in which two or more modular structures (such as the spacer or access modular structures of
The inner door may actually be part of one of the two barn doors in order to allow for routine man door usage and then allow larger items to pass without constricting width. For example, turning to
In some aspects, the door assembly (e.g., combination of barn doors 129/130 and interior door 127 mounted to wing frame extension 126) allows for a human door, watertight door, airtight door, scuttle, or other access in order to allow faster and easier entry into the modular structure. Further, such an interior door 127 may allow for a watertight or airtight seal to the modular structure, which may be useful in the event of nuclear, biological, or chemical environments that could be toxic to the inhabitants of the modular structure.
In some aspects, the illustrated wing frame extension 126 may allow users to quickly and easily access the space within the modular structure by keeping one of the barn doors open at all times (while still maintaining the ability to seal the modular structure by closing both barn doors 129/130), as shown in
In some aspects, the interior door 127 can be outfitted with any type of locking/security access system (e.g., regular locks, cypher locks, scanners, digilocks, proximity readers, biometric readers). The interior door 127 could be manually or automatically operated. The user can then leave the right barn door 129 open (in this configuration, other configurations may have the wing frame on the right barn door, leaving the left barn door 130 open) and then access the modular structure through the interior door 127. When the door 127 is closed, the wing frame extension 126, if attached to the mounting barn door (i.e., left barn door 130) could be bolted to the closed barn door side of the modular structure in order to provide additional stability to the wing frame. For additional security, the right barn door 129 could be closed and locked without revealing the fact that the container had been modified which may be useful in shipping or during storage
In some aspects, the wing frame extension 126 could be attached (e.g., welded, fastened, bolted) to either the barn door or to the modular container, as shown in
In some aspects, an additional wing frame extension 126 could be installed in an interior volume of the modular container, e.g., several feet away from the wing frame extension 126 shown adjacent the barn doors 129/130. In such aspects, a decontamination area may be created and defined between the extensions 126 within the interior volume of the modular container. Thus, there may be a two-stage ingress into the container created by the wing frame extensions 126. A user would enter a decontamination volume first (e.g., between the two wing frame extensions 126) before entering a clean volume (e.g., in the container past the second, interior-mounted wing frame extension 126). Such a set of dual door assemblies may be helpful to create a decontamination zone, or toxic cleanup zone, or to create a clean-room purging, cleaning, or dressing area. Depending on the desired use, additional stages may be added and/or different containers may be used to create separate areas that could be used not just for decontamination but also for other purposes.
For example, multiple, separated and isolated areas within one or more modular structures that are coupled together may ensure a higher level of cleanliness required for certain applications (e.g., silicon wafer design with separate compartments (8) required for a 1/100,000 pp, clean room that require: initial entrance, dirty changing compartment, shower compartment, drying compartment, clean dressing room, SCBA/PPE outfitting room, testing chamber, entrance to clean area.)
As another example, multiple, separated and isolated areas within one or more modular structures that are coupled together may create an environment for a desired end use (e.g., decompression, fumigation, imbuing a material with a chemical gas at an elevated temperature like titanium nitride coatings). These additional compartments could be spaces with different temperatures, pressures, in a vacuum, or pressured (filled) up with different gases. This could be for spraying consumables, humanely killing livestock, scientific applications that require different temperatures or pressures but still require a human to enter. In short, these partitions function as a quick acting watertight door such as in a space station.
In some aspects, a parent modular structure may be a base building block and can be configured for SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) or NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) Treatment and Resistant Facility variants by modifying the inner door space and ventilation and access systems. In some aspects, a parent modular structure can handle incoming and outgoing power. In some aspects, a parent modular structure (or also an “all-in-one” unit) can also be used as a base for a “solar hub” or “power units” which is to say, solar, wind, turbine, generator, (or other source of power) with or without energy storage. The generated power may then be distributed from the parent modular structure to child modular structures or to a public power grid (if connected to the grid) or used within a parent container.
In some aspects, as shown, the modular structures shown in
In some aspects, in a modular structure system, one or more riser (or child) modular structures can be placed orthogonally across an end of multiple modular structures positioned and connected side-by-side. The riser modular structures may include components such as HVAC and power components and provide a “mechanical” space that stretches across at least a portion of the side-by-side modular structures. In some aspects, ingress/egress structures (e.g., doors) may be provided from the riser modular structure spaces into ends of one or more of the side-by-side modular structures (such as the side-by-side modular structures shown in
In some aspects, the modular structures shown in
Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions recited in certain claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/870,380, filed on May 8, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16870380 | May 2020 | US |
| Child | 18162575 | US |
