Patent Application
20150013262
Before pouring concrete, workers typically lay down a vapor retarder/barrier (hereinafter collectively referred to as “vapor barrier”) to prevent seepage of water and/or water vapor from the ground into the concrete, which would endanger the integrity of the concrete and/or flooring system. Workers then place dowel baskets holding dowels onto the vapor barrier, the dowels designed to increase structural integrity of the concrete formation and/or to stabilize joints in the concrete over the vapor barrier. The exact placement and elevation of dowels held by the dowel baskets is important to maintain this structural integrity. However, during the concrete pouring process, oftentimes the pressure caused by pouring the concrete causes the dowel baskets to shift, causing non-optimal placement and/or elevation of the dowels. In order to prevent this, dowel baskets are sometimes staked down into the vapor barrier. However, piercing the barrier in this manner compromises the integrity of the vapor barrier, possibly allowing water vapor from the ground below to reach the concrete. As such, there exists a need to secure dowel baskets in place, thus ensuring the proper positioning of the dowels, without perforating the underlying vapor barrier.
This summary is provided to introduce simplified concepts of apparatuses and methods for securing the position and elevation of dowels above a vapor barrier without compromising the integrity and function of the vapor barrier, which is further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claims subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claims subject matter.
This disclosure describes an attachment apparatus for securing the position and elevation of dowels above a vapor barrier without puncturing the vapor barrier. Various embodiments of the attachment apparatus include, but are not limited to, a ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus, magnetically coupled plates and saddle attachment apparatus, a stake with a flange, and a self-sealing stake.
The figures are described in more detail below in the Detailed Description section of this application. In the figures, the left-most digit of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items. In the figures:
The techniques discussed herein facilitate securing the position and elevation of dowels above a vapor barrier without compromising the integrity and function of the vapor barrier. In one embodiment, an attachment apparatus may comprise a flat base portion that may adhere to a vapor barrier without piercing the barrier. In addition, the apparatus may comprise a ring-shaped retention member, into which a portion of a dowel basket may snap into place via a force fit. Therefore, the apparatus secures a dowel basket in place without piercing the vapor barrier and without compromising the integrity of the concrete poured thereon. The term “techniques,” for instance, may refer to system(s), method(s), apparatus(es), or module(s).
In one instance, a vapor barrier is spread over the ground before pouring concrete. Thereafter, an attachment apparatus may be coupled to the vapor barrier and a dowel basket may then be coupled to the attachment apparatus.
The vapor barrier may comprise an impermeant, semi-permeant, or permeant vapor retarder. Generally, those laying concrete choose vapor retarders having a permeance of less than 1 US perm, where 1 US perm=1 grain per square-foot-hour-inch of mercury (grain/hr-ft2-in.Hg)≈57 SI perms=57 nanogram per second-square-meter-pascal (ng/s-m2-Pa). However, one may choose to use a semi-permeant vapor retarder with a permeance greater than 1 US perm and less than 10 US perms or a permeant vapor retarder with a permeance greater than 10 US perms. The vapor barrier may have any thickness. In one embodiment, the vapor barrier has a permeance of less than 0.01 perms (grain/hr-ft2-in.Hg) and a thickness of at least 15 thousandths of an inch (mils).
In other embodiments, the base portion 402 may be coupled to the vapor barrier using magnetism or other fasteners. If magnetism is employed, for example, a ferromagnetic, ferrous, or non-ferrous body may be placed on the ground prior to the spreading of the vapor layer. In that case, the base portion 402 of the ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus may further comprise a magnet attached or otherwise coupled to the base portion 402. In some embodiments, the base portion 402 itself may be composed of ferromagnetic, ferrous, or non-ferrous material in order to magnetically couple to the body beneath the vapor barrier.
The base portion 402 has a surface area, the shape and dimensions of the base portion 402 chosen such that the surface area adheres or otherwise couples the base portion 402 of the ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus to the vapor barrier with enough force to adequately keep the dowels in the desired position and elevation. For example, the shape and dimensions of the base portion 402 may be chosen such that the surface area of the base portion 402 is large enough to apply enough adhesive to the vapor barrier or the base portion 402 to prevent the ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus from shifting, thereby displacing the dowels. In another example, if magnetism is employed to couple the base portion 402 to the vapor barrier, the shape and dimensions of the base portion 402 may be chosen such that the base portion 402 provides enough magnetic force to prevent the ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus from shifting.
In one embodiment, the retention portion 404 is designed to couple to a portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket, thereby communicatively coupling the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket to the base portion 402, which is attached or otherwise coupled to the vapor barrier. In various embodiments the retention portion 404 is a complementary shape to the shape of the portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket. For example, the shape of the retention portion 404 may be generally convex and the shape of the portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket may be generally concave, or vice-versa, convex and concave being complementary shapes. In one embodiment, the retention portion 404 comprises a retaining ring. Some example retaining rings that may be used in embodiments of this disclosure include, without limitation, external retaining rings, internal retaining rings, beveled retaining rings, bowed retaining rings, inverted retaining rings, radially assembled retaining rings, interlocking retaining rings, grip retaining rings, circlips, piston pin circlips, flat wire circlips, self-locking retaining rings, constant section retaining rings, staples, and spiral retaining rings or any combination thereof. The retaining ring may be used to retain or enclose at least a portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket in order to couple the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket to the base portion 402 of the attachment apparatus.
In other embodiments, the retention portion 404 could be, without limitation, a square, circular, hexagonal, or any other shape sleeve; a force-fit receiver; a socket; a groove; an adhesive; a receiver for a fastener; non-ferrous, ferrous, or ferromagnetic material, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the retention portion 404 could be a ferromagnetic material shaped to receive and magnetically couple to the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket.
In some embodiments, one applies a force to at least a portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket to couple the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket to the retention portion 404. The force applied to the portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket causes the retaining portion of the ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus to, at least partially, restrain the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket may be passed through the retention portion 404. In yet another embodiment, at least a portion of the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket is set on the retention portion 404. In this embodiment, some ways of restraining the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket include, without limitation, use of an adhesive, strap, or gravity.
Some example fasteners that may be used in embodiments of this disclosure include, without limitation, rivets, screws, nuts, bolts, washers, eyebolts, nails, and threaded fasteners or any combination thereof.
In embodiments of this disclosure, the ring-shaped force-fit attachment apparatus may include one or more of any plastic; stone material; ceramic; ferromagnetic, ferrous, or non-ferrous metal; metal alloy; polymer; or composites thereof, whether natural or synthetic.
In one embodiment, the fitted portion 410 resides between the first attaching portion 408(1) and the second attaching portion 408(2). The fitted portion 410 is shaped such that it couples with the accessory, dowel, or dowel basket that is to be attached to the vapor barrier. For example, to attach a dowel basket using circular rebar, the fitted portion would be appropriately sized and circularly shaped in order to encompass at least a portion of the rebar in order to affix the rebar to the vapor barrier. In another example, to attach an accessory with a square portion to be affixed, the fitted portion 410 would be appropriately sized and at least partially squarely shaped in order to at least partially couple to the square base portion.
In another embodiment, the fitted portion 410 includes at least one locking mechanism such that the saddle attachment apparatus 406 may have an open state and a locked state. When in the open state, the saddle attachment apparatus 406 is ready to accept at least a section of an accessory, dowel, or dowel basket. Further, when in the open state, the first attaching portion 408(1) and the second attaching portion 408(2) are adhesively, magnetically, or otherwise attached to the vapor barrier but the section is not yet coupled to the vapor barrier. After accepting at least the section, the saddle attachment apparatus 406 may be placed into the locked state, whereby the portion is coupled to the vapor barrier. Some example locking mechanisms that may be used in embodiments of this disclosure include, without limitation, hinges; snaps; tabs, magnetic snaps; clips; lock-jaw functionality; or any combination thereof.
In embodiments of this disclosure, the saddle attachment apparatus 406 may include one or more of any plastic; stone material; ceramic; ferromagnetic, ferrous, or non-ferrous metal; metal alloy; polymer; or composites thereof, whether natural or synthetic.
In one embodiment, the adhesive portion 506 may be a “peel-and-stick” bottom of the retaining portion 504, where an adhesive has already been applied to the bottom of the retaining portion 504 and a removable cover has been applied to the bottom of the adhesive opposite the side of the adhesive in contact with the retaining portion 504. In some embodiments, the adhesive portion 506 may be applied to the vapor barrier 306 or the bottom of the retaining portion 504 at the time the retaining portion 504 is attached to the vapor barrier 306. The adhesive may comprise any appropriate adhesive or mastic, such as, for example, non-reactive adhesives (e.g., drying adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives, contact adhesives, or hot adhesives) or reactive adhesives. Without limitation, other methods of attachment such as hook-and-loop connectors, vulcanization, lamination, melting, or welding may be used depending on the material of the vapor barrier and/or the exemplary retainer clip attachment apparatus 500. The removable cover may be any material that will not interfere with the integrity of the adhesive and that may easily be removed by human fingers. For example, such material may comprise wax paper, plastic, or rubber.
In another embodiment, the attachment apparatus may be a self-sealing stake. After laying the vapor barrier, accessories, dowels, or dowel baskets could be placed on top of the vapor barrier and self-sealing stakes could be driven through the vapor barrier. In one embodiment, after driving the stake, a sealant would be released by the stake or applied to the area around the stake. The sealant may be bentonite, a mastic, or any other appropriate sealant or a combination thereof. In another embodiment a rubber flange may be employed. The rubber flange could be attached to the stake before driving it or the stake could be driven through the rubber flange in order to preserve the integrity of the vapor barrier.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/844,577, which was filed Jul. 10, 2013, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61844577 | Jul 2013 | US |
