Patent Grant
10174497
The present invention relates to a prefabricated construction system and method with three-dimensional structural nodes, for erecting constructions by means of the assembly of prefabricated structural elements obtained by cutting flat materials, such as, for example, boards or planks of wood or of a product derived from wood.
Prefabricated construction systems with three-dimensional structural nodes are known; for example patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,210 discloses a system according to which a plurality of structural elements such girders and columns can be attached to one another forming a three-dimensional structural node, each of these structural elements being provided with slots, but in this example, said slots are provided for the insertion therethrough of metal fittings, which are responsible for assuring the correct transmission of the loads in said node. In this example, there is no direct interaction between the slots of the different structural elements.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,982 describes the attachment of three boards, each provided with a slot at the head thereof, by means of mutual interaction and coupling, forming a three-dimensional node, but in this case one of the elements arranged horizontally must be placed with the main faces thereof having a larger surface parallel to the ground, thereby providing very low inertia and therefore little structural resistance.
Patent documents U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,337 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,737, which refer to furniture and not construction systems for buildings, with all the differences this entails, show the mutual attachment of two boards, arranged horizontally and with the main faces thereof having a larger surface in the vertical direction, thereby providing greater structural resistance, said attachment being obtained by means of respective mutually coupleable slots. The attachment of said two boards can in turn be coupled to a vertical element, in turn provided with slots, recesses and gaps between struts. This configuration is far from being like the proposed configuration, since the lower resistance requirements of furniture allow the configuration proposed by these patent documents to be sufficient, but this configuration cannot be taken literally to the building construction site because the structural resistance requirements are much greater.
Finally document FR2219674 describe an assembly system in which different elongated elements are coupled each other by a projections and recesses configuration, but each elongated element being two separated elements spaced and connected through a spacer, and the coupling configuration being a single recess on each element.
As will be seen below, the described proposal proposes that each of the structural elements is made up of a plurality of boards arranged parallel to one another, thereby increasing the resistance thereof, but making the anchoring of said plurality of elements somewhat more complicated and the solution to this problem is not obvious in view of the mentioned prior art documents.
The present invention relates to a prefabricated construction system with three-dimensional structural nodes.
The described construction system consists of a set of elements that can be manufactured in a factory or workshop, in the amount, shape and number suitable for the construction to be performed, previously designed by means of a construction project.
Said elements will be produced preferably from wood, or from products derived from wood, such as, for example, plywood, agglomerated wood, resins, resins and paper, although other materials such as plastics or metals are also acceptable. These materials are resistant, easy to cut, lightweight and have other qualities, such as being recyclable; they are therefore optimal materials for this use.
These prefabricated elements are then transported to the construction site, where they are assembled for erecting a self-supporting structure, by means of the formation of three-dimensional structural nodes formed by the attachment of at least two structural elements. The obtained structure can subsequently be covered by means of enclosure panels, likewise prefabricated and forming part of the construction system, thereby obtaining the projected construction in a completely prefabricated manner by means of standardized dry construction techniques.
Therefore the proposed system consists, in manner that is already known in the prior art, of the following elements:
The first and second structural elements will act as girders, as tie beams, as cross members, or as other structural elements, according to their location in the set of the structure, their position being able to be horizontal, or with a certain inclination in the event of being part of the structure of a pitched roof, or of a stairway or ramp.
The first structural element is not parallel with respect to the second structural element, preferably being perpendicular and each structural element will be provided with at least one coupling configuration, the first and second coupling configurations being complementary to one another, being able to be mutually attached by fixing the relative position of the first and second structural element.
The first coupling configuration will be located in the lower half of the first structural element, and the second coupling configuration will be located in the upper half of the second structural element, but the reverse configuration in which the coupling configuration of the first structural element is located in the upper half, whereas the second coupling configuration is located in the lower half of the second structural element, is also acceptable.
The proposed invention differs from the known techniques by also including the following distinctive features:
Therefore, each structural element is actually an element made up of a plurality of boards arranged with the larger faces thereof in the vertical direction. This position of each board is what provides greater inertia, and therefore greater structural resistance.
Between at least some of the boards forming one and the same structural element there are provided separations leaving a distance between said boards, such that said structural element can be at least partially broken down due to the existence of the separation between its elements. In an alternative embodiment it is envisaged that in said separations there are arranged connectors which allow covering said distance, providing continuity or unity to said structural element. Those boards of one and the same structural element that are not separated from to one another will form a group of boards.
Both the boards forming a structural element and the boards forming a group of boards can be attached to one another, or they may not be attached to one another, their relative position being fixed by the three-dimensional structural nodes.
Other distinctive features of the solution proposed are the following:
The coupling of the first structural element and the second structural element forms a structural node in the form of an array leaving free interstitial openings. Said interstitial openings can serve for the connection of additional structural elements, as will be described below, or to allow passage through said structural core of installation ducts, such as, for example, ducts for wiring or plumbing, when said additional structural elements do not exist.
The first and second coupling configurations are each formed by a plurality of slots made in the corresponding structural elements. Since each structural element is formed by a plurality of boards, each slot covers all the boards forming said structural element, each board having a portion of the slot such that, when all the boards are placed in the assembled configuration, the slot portions are aligned and form the slot. The high degree of precision required in the board cutting operations to achieve the correct alignment of said slot portions make it advisable to use cutting and automatic or robotized routing techniques, as described below.
The angle formed by the slots of the first and second structural elements with respect to the front faces thereof will be identical, and equal to the existing angle, in the assembled configuration, between the first and second structural elements, because it is the fitting between the first and second anchoring configuration that defines the angle between the first and second structural elements.
Likewise, the angle formed by the slots of the first structural element with respect to the side faces thereof will be equal to the angle of inclination of said first structural element with respect to the vertical in the assembled configuration. The same occurs between the slots of the second anchoring configuration and the second structural element.
Projections are defined between the slots of one and the same coupling configuration, which projections are the material remaining between two spaced slots. The tight insertion of said first slots of the first structural element in the second slots of the second structural element produces an attachment between both elements, and at least a partial intersection thereof, achieving a very rigid node.
The coupling of the first structural element, formed by a plurality of spaced boards or groups of boards, with the second structural element, likewise formed by a plurality of spaced boards or groups of boards, by means of said mutual insertion of the first and second slots, form in the intersection thereof a structural node in the form of an array, in which the intersection between the boards or groups of boards of the first and second structural elements is where the first and second slots of both elements are attached, and the intersection of the separations existing between the boards or groups of boards of the first and second structural elements define hollow interstitial openings. Said interstitial openings will have, in the assembled configuration, a vertical direction, and a quadrangular section, which will be square if the first and second structural elements are perpendicular, and rhombus-shaped if they are not.
The first and second structural elements can have the corresponding first and second coupling configurations at the ends thereof, or have them in an intermediate position, said structural elements then being elements passing therethrough, having a portion on each side of the structural node.
In order to achieve the correct mutual tight insertion between the first and second slots, the first and second coupling configurations preferably have at least one of the following features, and preferably all of them:
Additionally, the construction system can also include a third structural vertical element, performing the functions of column, strut, as an element forming part of a structural wall, or of other structural vertical elements, according to their location in the set of the structure. Said third structural element will also be attached to the mentioned structural node.
Therefore:
The third structural element is also formed by a plurality of boards or of groups of boards spaced from one another and has third slots made at the head thereof, leaving there between third projections having a size equal to or less than said interstitial openings. This configuration allows the third projections of each board or group of boards forming the third coupling configuration to be inserted into the interstitial openings, the third structural element thereby being attached to the first and second structural elements, forming the three-dimensional structural node. In order to achieve said insertion, the shape and size of said third projections must be complementary to the shape and size of said interstitial openings.
Preferably, the third coupling configuration of the third structural element has at least one of the following features:
A system that simultaneously has all these features and the previously mentioned features would provide a structural node which, in the assembled configuration, has no hollow spaces or clearances therein, and would therefore also provide a rigid attachment between its elements, preventing any movement or play between its parts.
Optionally, the construction system can include a fourth structural element with features identical to those of the third structural element, being provided with fourth slots and fourth projections, said fourth structural element being able to be inserted into the mentioned interstitial openings of the structural node from a face opposite the face of insertion of the third structural element, the third and fourth structural elements then facing one another at their respective heads and aligned, and their respective boards or groups of boards being vertically aligned or misaligned.
This fourth structural element allows making structures several stories high, as well as suspended floors and lofts.
Like the third coupling configuration, the fourth coupling configuration will preferably include at least one of the following features:
It is understood that the first and second structural elements can each have one or several coupling configurations both at the ends thereof and in intermediate positions, and that the third structural element can have coupling configurations in one or both of the ends thereof.
Preferably the first and second structural elements will be, in the coupling position, flush along the upper face thereof, thereby providing a support plane on which the ground is installed.
Due to the constitution of the proposed system, the boards or groups of boards of the third and optionally of the fourth structural element are inserted into the separation spaces existing between the boards or groups of boards of the first or second structural element. As a result, and to prevent eccentricities in the transmission of the loads from the first or second structural elements to the third structural element, said third and fourth structural element should be made up of a number of boards or of groups of boards equal to the number of boards forming the first or second structural element plus one or minus one, thus being the structural node symmetrical.
In an alternative manner or in a manner complementary to the preceding embodiments, it is contemplated that the first or second structural elements, the boards of which are not parallel to the boards of the third structural element, has a plurality of straight notches arranged in a side face of the boards, said notches being made in a side face opposite the side face containing the mentioned first or second projections and vertically aligned with said first and second projections, or made at the ends of the first or second projections of the first or second structural element, said notches being complementary to the third slots or fourth slots. These notches allow being coupled to the third slots, thus improving the attachment of the third structural element to the rest of the structural node.
The mentioned notches can also include at least one of the following features:
In order to achieve a precise fitting of all the boards forming the proposed system, an automated and robotized manufacture of said boards by means of a cutting system with numerical control, controlled by a computer system which has been provided with all the dimensions of all the unitary elements making up the structural system, is preferably required. Based on said information, the automated cutting system can obtain the necessary boards, each with its coupling configurations, from planks or sheets of raw material, from which all the boards are cut out.
During the cutting process, the automated cutting system can also engrave information on the surface of the boards in reference to their position in the structure, the order of the mounting thereof, the boards with which they are to be attached, or even cuts, guide holes can be made or information engraved in reference to other non-structural elements forming part of a construction, such as electrical ducts, switches, sockets, railings, doors, windows, etc.
Therefore, the present structural system also has aspects that are not known in the prior art in the manufacturing process thereof because even though the following steps of the process are already known:
Likewise, the automated cutting system includes, during cutting tasks of each board, information in reference to the position and/or placement thereof, and/or information in reference to the position and/or placement of other construction elements with respect to said board.
Furthermore, the proposed construction method is characterized in that the computer model decides on the order of cutting the parts depending on at least one of the following variables:
This allows optimizing both the material during production, and the storage and transport logistics, as well as the on-site assembly process by manufacturing and transporting the elements to the site in the order of assembly.
In addition to the anchoring configurations, other fixing systems can be used for assuring the attachment of the elements, these systems being able to be, for example, one of the following: screw, self-tapping screw, rivet, bolt, nail, adhesive, pin, etc.
It will be understood that references to geometric position, such as, for example, parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc., allow deviations of up to ±5° with respect to the theoretical position defined by said nomenclature.
Other features of the invention can be seen in the following detailed description of an embodiment.
The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings which must be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:
According to the non-limiting embodiment shown in attached
According to this embodiment, the first structural element 1 and the second structural element 2 are each made up of three boards 7 parallel to and spaced from one another, all of them arranged with their main faces 6 in the vertical direction. The third structural element 3 and the fourth structural element 4 (shown in
The first structural element 1 has a first coupling configuration 10 formed by three first straight slots 11 made in each of the boards 7 forming said first structural element 1 from the their upper side faces 8 to half the width of their main faces 6, the first slots 11 of each board 7 facing and being aligned with the first slots 11 of the other boards 7 forming said first structural element 1. A first projection 12 is defined between each of said first slots 11, the three first slots 11 defining two first projections 12.
In an equivalent manner, the second structural element 2 has a second coupling configuration 20 formed by three second straight slots 21 made in each of the boards 7 forming said second structural element 2, from the lower side faces 8 thereof to half the width of the main faces 6 thereof, the second slots 21 of each board 7 facing and being aligned with the second slots 21 of the other boards 7 forming said second structural element 2. A second projection 22 is defined between each of said second slots 21, the three second slots 21 defining two second projections 22.
The first coupling configuration 10 is complementary to the second coupling configuration 20, the width of the first slots 11 being equal to the width of the boards 7 forming the second structural element 2, and the width of the second slots 21 being equal to the width of the boards 7 forming the first structural element 1. The width of the first projections 12 define the separation distance between the boards 7 of the second structural element 2, and the width of the second projections 22 define the separation between the boards 7 of the first structural element 1.
When the first and second structural elements are coupled as shown in
In the present embodiment, said interstitial openings 50 are square since the first and second structural elements 1 and 2 are perpendicular, but in another embodiment it is acceptable that both structural elements form with one another an angle other than 90°, creating rhombus-shaped interstitial openings 50 by means of the mutual coupling of first and second slots 11 and 21 going through the thickness of the boards 7 of the first and second structural elements 1 and 2 at said angle other than 90°, said slots therefore not being perpendicular to the main faces 6 of said boards 7.
Likewise, in the present embodiment shown in the attached drawings, both the first and second structural elements 1 and 2 are horizontal, but in alternative embodiments it is contemplated that the first and/or the second structural element 1 and/or 2 form an angle with respect to the horizontal. In such case, the first or second slots 11 or 21 of the first or second structural elements 1 or 2 which are inclined will not be perpendicular to the side faces 8 of the boards 7 of the corresponding structural element.
The third structural element 3 shown in
Likewise, the fourth structural element 4 has a fourth coupling configuration 40 formed by three fourth straight slots 41 made in each of the boards 7 of the groups of boards 5 forming said fourth structural element 4 from the lower head faces thereof to a depth of half the width of the main face 6 of the first structural element 1, the fourth slots 41 of each board 7 facing and being aligned with the fourth slots 41 of the other boards 7 forming said fourth structural element 4. A fourth projection 42 is defined between each of said fourth slots 41, the three fourth slots 41 defining two fourth projections 42, and said fourth projections 42 having a size and shape complementary to those of the interstitial openings 50 to allow a tight fitting.
Therefore, the third and fourth coupling configurations 30 and 40 are complementary to the array formed by the coupling of the first and second coupling configurations 10 and 20.
In the illustrated embodiment, the third projections 32 are inserted into the interstitial openings 50 from the lower face thereof and to a depth equal to half the width of the main faces 6 of the first structural element 1, an upper half of said interstitial openings 50 being empty to receive the fourth projections 42 of the fourth structural element 4.
In alternative embodiments, the fourth structural element 4 does not exist, the third projections 32 being longer, and the third structural element 3 being able to be inserted from both above and from below the interstitial openings 50.
The proposed three-dimensional structural nodes allow obtaining a rigid attachment of up to four structural elements, the first and second structural elements 1 and 2 being able to be elements passing through said structural node, such that it allows receiving elements from six different sides, like in the example shown in
In an alternative embodiment, the distal ends of the first projections 12 can be cut out, being removed with respect to the side face 8, which also works as a notch 60, allowing partial insertion of the fourth structural element 4.
As will be obvious for a skilled person, said notches could be made in the second structural element 2 in an equivalent manner.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201431842 | Dec 2014 | ES | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/ES2015/070918 | 12/16/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016/097452 | 6/23/2016 | WO | A |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1066212 | Meltzer | Jul 1913 | A |
| 1225760 | Brown | May 1917 | A |
| 1425107 | Levinson | Aug 1922 | A |
| 1763748 | Best | Jun 1930 | A |
| 2712199 | Latimer | Jul 1955 | A |
| 3387868 | Borden | Jun 1968 | A |
| 3779657 | Kostick | Dec 1973 | A |
| 3866371 | Falconer | Feb 1975 | A |
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| 5185982 | Hostetler | Feb 1993 | A |
| 5650210 | Fujii | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5813737 | Stone | Sep 1998 | A |
| D745703 | Ivanov | Dec 2015 | S |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2219674 | Sep 1974 | FR |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170370090 A1 | Dec 2017 | US |
