Patent Application
20050040308
The present invention relates generally to a base for equipment, and in particular to a lightweight, pre-formed base for equipment.
It is well known in the art that industrial equipment such as air conditioning condensers, heating units, and electrical transformers should be elevated above the ground in order to protect the equipment from damage caused by vibration or contaminants, e.g., dirt, debris, and moisture. Historically, such equipment was mounted on bases constructed from concrete. Concrete equipment bases proved unsatisfactory because pouring and smoothing the concrete bases at the construction site was very time-consuming and costly, and pre-cast concrete bases were generally too heavy to manipulate or ship economically.
The dissatisfaction with concrete equipment bases gave rise to the use of pre-cast equipment bases made from composite materials. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,449 suggests a composite pad having a polystyrene foam core covered on five sides with a fiberglass and cement composition. Such a composite pad is preferred over a concrete base because it maintains the preferred monolithic appearance of a concrete base, but weighs less than a concrete base and is capable of supporting the same or greater loads than a concrete base. Additionally, pre-cast composite bases, because of their lighter weight, can be installed without heavy equipment and transported with greater ease.
Recent improvements in the art have been aimed at manipulating either the material used for the core of the equipment base or the material used for the outer pad of the base. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,539 proposes the use of a moldable lightweight plastic material for the core component, rather than polystyrene foam, but continues to surround the core with a concrete shell. Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,456 suggests retaining the cellular foam core, but constructing the pad out of molded plastic and interspersing the interior of the pad with plastic strengthening ribs. Although both these methods serve to produce a lightweight equipment base, their relative bulk makes them costly to ship. These products typically consume the cube of a shipping vessel (truck or container) well before they reach the weight limit of that shipping vessel.
To alleviate the costs of transportation, equipment bases capable of being stacked one upon another have been used, thereby minimizing the volume needed for shipping. U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,025, in particular, discloses an equipment base that may be stacked in pairs—the irregular bottom surface of one base nesting within the irregular bottom surface of a second base.
Another problem with conventional molded plastic equipment bases is that the outer shell of the pad and the support ribs are molded out of the same material, despite the fact that the properties desirable for the outer shell are not often the same as those required for the support ribs. The outer shell, including the top surface and four sides of the equipment base, is subject to and must be resistant to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, moisture, organisms, impacts, and many common chemicals. The support ribs are free from such exposure, but must be of adequate strength and stiffness to support the heavy loads applied to the top surface of the base.
A need therefore exists for an improved pre-formed equipment base that has the necessary strength to support heavy loads, yet is lightweight, inexpensive to manufacture, aesthetically appealing, easy to transport, simple to install, and takes into account the difference in desired properties between the outer shell and support ribbing.
The present invention answers this need by providing a multi-piece lightweight pre-formed equipment base wherein each piece, i.e., the outer shell of the pad and the support ribbing, may be constructed from materials having the desired properties for that piece's function, and wherein each piece is capable of nesting with like pieces so that shipping limits on weight and volume are reached simultaneously.
Generally described, the present invention relates to a base for equipment, including a pad having a top surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and a hollow core. At least one insert support ribbing mates with the hollow core to construct the base. Furthermore, the hollow core of the pad is adapted to receive the top surface of a similarly-formed second pad such that multiple pads may be stacked one upon another to minimize shipping volume. Likewise, the at least one insert support ribbing is adapted to receive a similarly-formed second at least one insert support ribbing such that multiple support ribbings may be stacked one upon another to minimize shipping volume.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an equipment base that allows the outer shell of the pad and the support ribbing to each be constructed out of materials selected for their performance attributes, i.e., materials having the desired properties for the function of that particular part of the equipment base.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an equipment base that may be condensed for shipment, thereby reducing transportation costs.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the outer shell of the pad is molded in one piece, having a top surface, four sides, and a hollow core, constructed out of plastic or a composite material. In such embodiments, it is an object to provide an aesthetically desirable monolithic-looking equipment base. Because the outer shell of the pad is molded separately from the ribbing, it is another object to provide a base that is inexpensive to manufacture.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second core piece of the base, the support ribbing, is constructed from a plastic material or other conventional materials. The support ribbing mates with the hollow core of the pad via a snap fit, adhesives, fasteners, or other conventional means. In such embodiments, it is an object to provide an equipment base that may be easily assembled as close to the end use point as possible. Because the support ribbing is separately molded, it is a further object to provide an equipment base that maximizes ground contact and strength, while minimizing material.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon inspection of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawings and appended claims.
Referring to
A typical pad 20 manufactured according to this embodiment is square in shape, two (2) to three (3) inches in height, and available in various sizes, including, in exemplary embodiments, 24×24 inches and 60×60 inches. In other embodiments the pad may be rectangular, such as one embodiment provided for a 48×96 inches pad. It will be appreciated that all dimensions will vary according to the end-use and desired characteristics of the pad.
The top surface 22 and the side surfaces 26 of the pad 20 are generally continuous with no recesses or holes therein because of building codes requirements and aesthetic preferences of contractors and owners. To permit nesting, the side surfaces 26 will not be normal to the top surface 22, but rather will differ from ninety-degrees by the draft angles present in the utilized molds. A pad 20 constructed according to these dimensions and constructed out of either polypropylene or polyethylene can support approximately 300 to 1000 pounds of load on typical soil.
The insert support ribbing 30 includes a top surface 32, a bottom surface 34, and a plurality of upwardly extending ribs 36, creating a hollow core 37. The insert support ribbing 30 is a unitary structure, preferably constructed using an A-B injection mold tool. The support ribbing may also be formed of virtually any materials and composites as the pad 20. However, unlike the pad 20, the material of the support ribbing 30 does not typically have any aesthetic requirements, so less expensive materials that provide sufficient sturdiness for support functions can be used.
In one embodiment, the bottom surface 34 of the features 40 contains a series of rectangular and circular holes 38. In such an embodiment, the holes 38 tend to collect soil, thereby locking the equipment base 10 into position and preventing lateral and rotational movement of the base 10 after equipment has been mounted. In addition, constructing the bottom surface 34 of the features 40 with such holes 38 minimizes the material necessary for manufacture of the insert support ribbing 30, thus reducing the overall weight and manufacturing costs of the equipment base 10.
The joinder of the insert support ribbing 30 with the pad 20 is shown in
Although embodiments of the equipment base 10 consistent with
As shown in
Likewise,
Similarly, the pads 20 and the insert support ribbings 30 may be stacked while awaiting use. In use, the respective components of the equipment base 10, the pad 20 and the insert support ribbing 30, can be shipped separately. The insert support ribbing 30 can be joined with the pad 20 as close to the end use point as preferred to assemble the equipment base 10. Installation of the equipment base 10 at the construction site or other location requires little site preparation beyond having an essentially flat region. The equipment may then be secured to the base 10. After use, the insert support ribbing 30 can be disjoined from the pad 20 and both can be reused.
Although this invention has been described in specific detail with reference to the disclosed embodiments, it will be understood that many variations and modifications may be affected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.
