Patent Application
20170167137
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to prefabricated concrete wall structures.
Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 8,491,831 discloses assembly systems and methods for forming concrete wall structures with a plurality of foam insulating blocks encased in the structure. The structure is formed by positioning a conventional frame for forming a wall within a casting bed, positioning a support panel formed from insulating material on the frame and then positioning a plurality of foam insulating blocks on the support panel and spacing the blocks apart by a support beam placed therebetween, and then pouring concrete over the foam insulating blocks to form a layer of concrete with portions of the concrete extending into the spaces between the spaced apart foam insulating blocks. The system and method is somewhat labor intensive in having to space the foam blocks apart and position support beams therebetween.
The present invention is an improvement over the concrete wall system and method of fabrication disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,491,831, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. In the improved system and method, foam insulating segments are formed integral with the support panel and may be referred to as an insulating panel. The insulating panel for a wall segment is formed from a single, monolithic section of insulating material such as foam. The insulting panel is rectangular in shape with dimensions selected to conform with the dimensions of the wall frame. A plurality of grooves are formed in the insulating panel and preferably extend transverse to upper and lower edges thereof and parallel to side edges of the insulating panel. In one embodiment, the grooves extend in equally spaced relation forming insulating segments having a common width. In other embodiments the grooves may be irregularly spaced forming insulating segments of varied widths.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “rightwardly,” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the embodiment being described and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of a similar import.
A plurality of grooves 22 are formed in the insulating panel 20 and extend into the outer face 24 which faces away from the frame 12. In the embodiment shown, grooves 22 extend transverse to upper and lower edges 26 and 27 of the insulating panel 20 and parallel to side edges 29 thereof. The grooves 22 are shown as extending in equally spaced relation forming insulating segments 32 having a common width. Structural reinforcing members 34, such as rebar for example, are supported in the grooves 22 and across and proximate the upper and lower edges 26 and 27 of the insulating panel 20. A concrete layer 38 is formed over and across the outer face 24 of the insulating panel 20 with concrete extending into the grooves 22 and around the upper and lower edges 26 and 27 of the insulating panel 20 to form a concrete header 41 and footer 42.
The concrete wall assembly 10 is formed using a casting bed 50 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,491,831 including first and second pairs of opposing boards or panels 52 and 54 positioned relative to one another to form a rectangular space 56 for receiving stud-wall frame 12 and insulated panel 20. The height of the casting bed panels 52 and 54 and the space formed therebetween corresponds to the desired thickness of the concrete wall assembly 10.
The casting bed panels 54 are preferably positioned so that the width of the space 56 matches the width of the stud-wall frame 12 to be positioned therein. Casting bed panels 52 are preferably positioned so that a gap 58 is formed between stud-wall top plate 16 and the proximate casting bed panel 52 and a gap 59 is formed between stud-wall base plate 17 and the proximate casting bed panel 52. Fasteners 62 such as nails or screws may be partially driven into the top and bottom plates 16 and 17 of the frame 12 to extend into the gaps 58 and 59 to provide additional structure for connecting the concrete layer 38 to the stud-wall frame 12 and for securing structural reinforcing members 34 extending across the upper and lower edges 26 and 27 of the insulating panels.
The stud wall frame 12 with or without the insulating panel 20 adhered thereto is positioned in the space 56 formed by the casting bed panels 54. If not previously adhered to frame 12, the insulating panel 20 is then laid over the frame 12 with the outer face 24 of the panel facing upward. The frame 12 is preferably positioned between casting bed panels 52 so that the gaps 58 and 59 are sized equally. Reinforcing members or rebar 34 may then be secured to the fasteners 62 or otherwise supported in the gaps 58 and 59 by support members or spacers 64 so that a reinforcing member 34 extends across each gap 58 and 59 along the length of the top or bottom plates 16 and 17 of stud-wall frame 12.
Additional reinforcing members 34 are then positioned in each of the grooves 22 formed in the insulating panel 20 and may be supported in place by spacers or support embers 64 positioned in the grooves and engaging the insulating panel 20. Ends of the reinforcing members 34 in grooves 22 may be tied to or otherwise connected to the reinforcing members 34 extending in gaps 58 and 59 to tie the reinforcing members together for additional reinforcement and support of the concrete layer 38.
Once the reinforcing members 34 are properly positioned and tied together, concrete is poured over the insulating panel 20 flowing into the gaps 58 and 59 and grooves 22 and around the reinforcing members 34. The uncured concrete is then leveled and finished using conventional concrete leveling and finishing techniques and preferably to the height of the casting bed panels 52 and 54. The concrete is allowed to cure and then, the casting bed panels 52 and 54, which preferably are treated with a release agent, are removed from the cured concrete wall assembly 10 which can then be used in constructing a concrete wall.
The grooves 22 formed in the insulating panels 20 are preferably at least three times wider and deep as the reinforcing members 34 to allow equal volumes of concrete to extend around the reinforcing members 34 in the grooves 22. The grooves 22 preferably are formed in the insulating panels 20 prior to attachment to the frame 12 but it is foreseen that the grooves could be cut into the insulating panels 20 after attachment to the frames 12.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/267,499, filed Dec. 15, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62267499 | Dec 2015 | US |
