Patent Application
20120247057
The present invention relates to reinforcing bars (“rebars”) used in construction, and more particularly to providing a structure for supporting and aligning a rebar during the construction of a column, beam or other structure in which the rebar is laid out parallel to an axis.
Concrete is commonly used as a construction material because of its relatively low cost. Concrete is very strong in compression, but weak in tension. To increase the tensile strength of concrete, steel reinforcement bars (“rebars”) are added. For foundations, road work or other flat constructions, the rebar is often laid out in a grid pattern beneath the surface of the construction. To hold the rebar together in a grid, the bars are tied together where they intersect.
Various codes specify where the rebar must be placed. For example, the
American Concrete Institute (ACI) in Section 318 of their code specifies that the rebar in a slab-on-grade foundation must be placed at the midpoint depth of the foundation. Thus, for example, in a four inch foundation slab, the rebar grid would normally be placed at a depth of approximately two inches. Consequently, the grid must be elevated off the ground to the desired position before concrete is poured. In many cases, concrete laborers use stones, pieces of broken bricks or materials to elevate the grid. This can cause the grid to be uneven or sag when the concrete is poured.
For concrete pillars and beams, the rebar is tied to a set of wooden frames and placed in a mold. The concrete is then poured into the mold to form the pillar, beam or other construction. However, this method suffers many disadvantages. First, it is difficult to align the rebar in parallel around the frames. Second, the frames often break or shift when the concrete is poured, causing the rebar to become misaligned. This reduces the tensile strength of the construction.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a structure for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar comprises a support structure, where the corners of the support structure comprise a rebar receptacle configured to receive a reinforcing bar. The rebar receptacle comprises an opening through which the reinforcing bar can be inserted, where the opening is configured to allow the reinforcing bar to enter the rebar receptacle and further configured to retain the reinforcing bar after the reinforcing bar has been seated due to the width of the opening being less than a diameter of the reinforcing bar.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a structure for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar comprises a support structure having a circular ring. The structure further comprises arms extending outwardly from the circular ring. In addition, the structure comprises a bar receptacle disposed at an end of one of the arms, where the bar receptacle comprises fingers that are shaped so that the reinforcing bar can be pressed into the bar receptacle. The fingers can close after the reinforcing rebar enters the bar receptacle so that a width of an opening of the bar receptacle is smaller than a diameter of the reinforcing bar thereby retaining the reinforcing bar. The bar receptacle acts as a snap-fit based on a spring action of the structure to provide feedback to a user when the user inserts the reinforcing bar.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a structure for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar comprises a support structure having a circular ring. The structure further comprises arms extending outwardly from the circular ring. In addition, the structure comprises a bar receptacle disposed at an end of one of the arms, where the bar receptacle comprises a closed circle configuration configured to retain the reinforcing bar.
The foregoing has outlined rather generally the features and technical advantages of one or more embodiments of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the present invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be described hereinafter which may form the subject of the claims of the present invention.
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
Embodiments described herein provide a structure for supporting and aligning a rebar, and, in particular, supporting and aligning the rebar during the construction of a column, beam or other structure in which the rebar is laid out parallel to an axis. Embodiments described herein provide a support structure that retains the parallel pieces of the bar about an axis in a desired shape.
Embodiments described herein can provide a support structure having a generally square, rectangular, circular or other shaped ring that has bar receptacles spaced as needed along the ring. The bar receptacles, according to one embodiment, can comprise sidewalls that at least partially define a bar retaining portion and an opening to the bar retaining portion. According to one embodiment, the wall can be radiused about the bar retaining portion. The support structure can include cross-arms to provide support to the ring and arms that extend outward from the ring. Bar receptacles can be placed as desired on the cross-arms or outwardly extending arms. Arms of the ring can connect adjacent bar receptacles. According to one embodiment, the support structure can be formed of a unitary piece of material.
The ring can be configured so that each opening to a bar receptacle will widen as a bar is pushed into the opening and close as the bar seats in the bar retaining portion. According to one embodiment, the bar receptacles can be snap-on receptacles that provide auditory or tactile feedback to a user.
Support structure 100 can include one or more arms 106 extending across ring 101 to provide support to the sides of square 101. Additionally, structure 100 can include outwardly extending arms 108. According to one embodiment, arms 108 can be aligned with arms 106. Additional bar receptacles 110 can be located at the ends of arms 106. Bar receptacles 110 can include curved fingers 114 forming opening 112. As a bar presses against fingers 114, fingers 114 can spread apart so that the bar can enter the receptacle. Due to the resiliency of fingers 114, fingers 114 can come back together when the bar is seated so that opening 112 is less than the width of the bar.
While, in the embodiment of
Arms 161 of an outer circular ring can join adjacent receptacles to provide lateral support to each receptacle. Cross-arms 162 can provide support to ring 151. Bar receptacles can be disposed on inner ring 151, arms 152, arms 161 or be otherwise disposed about structure 150 in desired positions.
According to one embodiment, a column can be constructed as follows. A shell or mold can be fabricated that provides the shape of the column. An appropriate sized support structure can be selected. Rebar and other elongated bars can be snapped into a series of support structures. The support structures and rebar can be placed in the mold with the feet of the support structures contacting the inner side of the mold. Concrete can then be poured in the mold.
While embodiments above have been discussed in the context of a rebar, embodiments of the present application can be used with graphite tubing, glass tubing, plumbing, conduit, wire mesh, or any other elongated bar. In the various embodiments, bar receptacles can be placed at any position as needed or desired and can face inwardly and/or outwardly along the support structure. The receptacles of a particular support structure can have a variety of sizes to accommodate different sizes of bars. Moreover, according to one embodiment, the center of a support structure can provide a passage for plumbing, conduit or other elongated bar and can include a snap-on fitting or other receptacle to retain a bar. According to one embodiment, the support structures can be formed of a unitary piece of resilient plastic.
Embodiments described herein provide advantages over existing methods because it is easier to couple rebar in a desired shape. Embodiments described herein provide another advantage by being more stable when concrete is poured, thereby increasing the integrity of the final construction. Embodiments described herein provide yet another advantage by increasing the accuracy of alignment of the bars.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, product, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
Additionally, any examples or illustrations given herein are not to be regarded in any way as restrictions on, limits to, or express definitions of, any term or terms with which they are utilized. Instead these examples or illustrations are to be regarded as being described with respect to one particular embodiment and as illustrative only. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any term or terms with which these examples or illustrations are utilized encompass other embodiments as well as implementations and adaptations thereof which may or may not be given therewith or elsewhere in the specification and all such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of that term or terms. Language designating such non-limiting examples and illustrations includes, but is not limited to: “for example,” “for instance,” “e.g.,” “in one embodiment,” and the like.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the disclosure. It is to be understood that the forms of the disclosure shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of the disclosure may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the disclosure. Any dimensions provided are provided by way of example only and not limitation. Furthermore, embodiments of support structures can include other geometric or arbitrary shapes. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
This application is related to the following commonly owned co-pending U.S. patent application: Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/309,783, “Rebar Support Rings,” filed Mar. 2, 2010, and claims the benefit of its earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. §119(e).
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61309783 | Mar 2010 | US |
