Structure having preinstalled utilities and amenities

BACKGROUND

One problem in the construction industry involves the unnecessarily inefficient and expensive nature of existing construction techniques. Commercial construction and renovation of large building structures still largely entail labor intensive on-site fabrication of the entire structure, utilities, and amenities—despite the wide-spread use of prefabricated structures in single-family residential construction. Hotel construction, for instance, generally requires complex on-site scheduling and cooperation of a dozen or more different trade classifications and utility systems in relatively close spatial relation. Such trades or systems include fire detection, fire suppression, gas, electrical, telephone, internet, water supply, waste return, climate control wiring, HVAC, data mining, and security.

Hotel construction and renovation in emerging markets is further complicated by the lack of experienced and skilled labor and supervision. Hotels are often constructed and renovated by relatively unskilled laborers under minimal coordination and sequencing of their efforts. The lack of proper sequencing of all of the different trades and utilities often leads to substandard construction quality and delayed completion. Where there is a lack of sequencing of the installation of the utility systems, the laborers must often route their work around, or through, previously installed work. For example, it is not uncommon for ductwork to be installed and subsequently cut or drilled through to accommodate the installation of fire suppression pipelines or electrical lines. These defects are then covered up by wallboard and go unnoticed until guests experience insufficient airflow, bursting of pipes, and failure of lighting. These problems typically result in unanticipated post-construction repair and maintenance (R&M) which severely depletes R&M budgets.

Such construction defects are extremely expensive since they must be repaired or heavily maintained. It is estimated that a typical 300 room hotel constructed in an emerging market country can cost as much as two to three million dollars per year to repair and maintain due to avoidable construction mistakes. In addition, there is an inherent lost opportunity cost of construction defects in emerging markets. This is because of the delay in completion due to a lack of coordination and because of the delay in having to repair the construction defects. As a result, a hotel may lose the opportunity to earn income during the time of the construction delay.

To illustrate, the time required to construct a new hotel in an emerging market country is typically 24 to 36 months, approximately 18 to 24 months of which involve post-structural work including routing and installing utilities and finishing the interior. Under adequately trained and supervised labor, it should only take about 6 to 12 months to perform the post-structural work. Thus, unnecessarily delayed construction may postpone the opening date of the hotel by about one year, thereby resulting in unnecessary labor costs and a lost opportunity of one year's worth of hotel business. For example, a typical 300 room hotel, at $150 per night multiplied by 365 days at 75% occupancy, equates to a lost opportunity of more than twelve million dollars in revenue, not including an additional year's worth of labor costs. So, construction of a single emerging market hotel can cost tens of millions of dollars more than planned including the repair, reconstruction, maintenance, lost opportunity, and labor costs. This cost is magnified for large hotel chains and real estate development entities that are developing dozens of hotels, commercial, and residential projects, around the globe at any given time.

Another problem, especially in the hotel industry, is the ordinary and sometimes downright unattractive appearance of typical hotel rooms. Hotel rooms are relatively indistinct from one another, even among hotel chain to hotel chain. Hotel guests instantly recognize the drab layout of state of the art hotel rooms that still only include a rectangular room with the obligatory bed, armoire, desk, coffee table and two chairs. Moreover, besides a fresh paint job and a change of some wall hangings, there are currently relatively few options for refreshing the look of the walls when a hotel room is renovated. Thus, there is relatively little in the way of current hotel room layouts and features that surprise and delight a hotel guest. A few hotel chains, however, have attempted to construct more modem hotels having rooms with non-rectangular layouts. Such an approach does provide variety, but typically involves more permanent structures and costly construction techniques.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a structure comprising a housing, utilities preinstalled through the housing, and at least one amenity preinstalled to the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention in the form of a wall in an environment of a hotel room;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a chassis of the wall of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an exploded view of the FIG. 2 chassis into vertically oriented subsections;

FIG. 2B is an exploded view of the chassis of FIG. 2 into vertically and horizontally oriented subsections;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of FIG. 2 highlighting an origin of utility lines that extend through the wall;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 2 showing adjacent subframes of the chassis that are connected together with a mounting plate assembly connecting the utilities;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the junction plate assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the wall of FIG. 1 showing a facade attached to a portion of an underlying frame;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the wall of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a molded unibody frame with utilities, according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of a molded unibody frame with an integrated facade, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is not limited in its application to the details of any particular arrangement described or shown, since the present invention is capable of multitudes of embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. First, the principles of the present invention are described by referring to a few exemplary embodiments for simplicity and illustrative purposes. Although only a limited number of embodiments of the invention are particularly disclosed herein, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in all types of structures, including but not limited to luxury hotels, full service hotels, limited service hotels, resorts, timeshare units, cruise ships, yachts, boats, airplanes, buses, recreational vehicles, hospitals, offices, apartment buildings, mobile shelter units, and any other commercial or residential structures.

Furthermore, numerous specific details are set forth to convey with reasonable clarity the inventor's possession of the present invention, how to make and/or use the present invention, and the best mode in carrying out the present invention known to the inventor at the time of application. It will, however, be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. Finally, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Thus, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Generally shown in the Figures, are embodiments of the present invention that relate generally to structures, and more particularly to prefabricated structures or substructures for installation within a larger structure that is under construction or renovation. A substructure in the form of a barrier is provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The term barrier means a partition, divider, wall, floor, ceiling, or any portions thereof. The room of the embodiment shown is a hotel room, but is not limited only thereto as mentioned above. The term prefabricated encompasses something that is partially prefabricated as well as something that is entirely prefabricated. Thus, the invention may assume various orientations and be embodied in different forms without departing from the inventive aspects defined in the claims.

Referring now in detail to the Figures, there is shown in FIG. 1 a room 10 having a prefabricated wall 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wall 12 is a barrier type of substructure, and is prefabricated in whole or in part before installation to the room 10. In other words, the wall 12 can be introduced to a room as one complete unit. Alternatively, portions of the wall 12 may be prefabricated and then assembled on-site to other prefabricated portions of the wall 12. The wall 12 is designed and constructed to be removable and replaceable after installation, either in whole or in part. In other words, the wall 12 can be removed without destruction of the larger structure to which it is installed. Furthermore, the wall 12 is self-supporting such that it need not, although it could, be permanently, integrally fastened and/or supported by a larger structure to which it is installed. It is contemplated that the wall 12 could be designed and constructed in many forms, including an S-shape or with compound curves, to provide a unique hotel room layout.

In one embodiment, the wall 12 generally includes an underlying chassis or frame 14, an insulation panel 16 attached to the frame 14, and a facade 18 attached to the frame 14. Together, the frame 14 and the facade 18 define a housing, but it is contemplated that such a housing could instead be molded either entirely as one unit or molded in subsections from a plastic and/or composite material.

The wall 12 also includes several amenities preinstalled thereto including, but not limited to, a stowable desk 20, a stowable video display 22, an integrated armoire 24 with drawers, retractable privacy screens 26, video screens 28, a backdrop 30, and a closet 32 with a closet rod 34 and door 36. The desk 20 can be pivotably mounted to a portion of the wall 12 such that the desk 20 can pivot between an open and usable position into the room 10 and a closed and stowed position within an empty portion of the wall 12. Likewise, the video display can be retractably mounted to a portion of the wall 12, such as on a retractable support arm, such that the video display 22 can extend from a stowed position within an empty portion of the wall 12 to an extended position into the room 10.

The term “preinstall” encompasses not only the attachment of a separate amenity to the wall 12 but also includes integral fabrication of an amenity directly to the wall 12 itself. The wall 12 may also include other built-in amenities such as a mirror, refrigerator, sink, mini-bar, exercise equipment, television, baby changing table, ironing board, and various furniture (none shown). All of the amenities may be manually or automatically deployed, as will be described below.

The wall 12 cooperates with other inventive features of the room 10 to further provide a unique experience for a guest. For instance, a reflecting area 41 is defined by the retractable screens 26, the wall 12, and other room structure as shown. The reflecting area 41 includes a work surface 45 and video display 47 and may be used for meditation, for teleconferencing, etc. The room 10 also includes a hospitality video display 49 that welcomes a guest to the room 10 and that a guest uses to place guest service orders, specify room preferences, etc.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the wall 12 is installed between an exterior wall 38 and a hallway wall 40. It is contemplated that the wall 12 can be installed in a back-to-back arrangement with another wall (not shown) such that an adjacent room would also include a wall 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the case of hotel renovation, it is contemplated that every other interior wall between adjacent hotel rooms could be replaced with such a back-to-back arrangement of two walls 12. At least one insulation panel 16 would be sandwiched between a back-to-back arrangement of two walls 12 for fire, sound, and thermal insulation.

Furthermore, a user interface 52 is provided for two-way communication and control with respect to the wall 12. First, the user interface 52 is used to control the amenities of the wall 12, including the climate settings and the stowing, opening, and closing of panels, drawers, doors, and the like. Also, the user interface 52 is used to display any information to a guest including dining menus, wake up time, movie selections, etc. The user interface 52 is a tactile-technology input device that can be used individually or in conjunction with the video display 22 to order guest service, to adjust the climate of the room, to navigate the internet as displayed on the large video display 22, to activate and listen to audio devices, to make telephone calls, etc. The user interface 52 is wire and/or wirelessly integrated electronically with the wall 12 and is supported by software that can be upgraded as amenities of the wall 12 are upgraded. Alternatively, a touch screen panel and/or interactive voice device (not shown) could be used instead of the tactile user interface 52 to provide communication and control between a guest and the wall 12.

The wall 12 may include a control module (not shown) that is integrated within the wall 12 and/or to the user interface device 52. The control module may be configured to provide a control mechanism for the audio-visual equipment, the HVAC system, Internet, telecommunications, and other utilities and amenities provided within the wall 12. The control module may be implemented with a microprocessor, a digital signal processor or other similar computing device. The control module would include appropriate memory devices to provide storage and execution space for software providing the functionality of the control module.

The control module may also be configured to provide monitoring services. More particularly, the control module may include sensors interfaced with the utilities that service the room, sensors monitoring the environment of the room and other information gathering devices appropriate for guest services. The control module may then collect data such as water pressure, electrical power usage, HVAC efficiency, telecommunication traffic quality, etc. The control module may be further configured to interface with a building maintenance service system of the hotel. Accordingly, the control module enables two way communication between the guest and the wall 12, such as providing alarm signals to a guest.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an open framework structure or chassis defines the frame 14 and provides support for the wall 12, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The frame 14 is a free-standing, or self-supporting, structure and is composed of any material including aluminum, steel, wood, plastic, composite, or any combination thereof. The geometry of the frame 14 of the wall 12, as clearly shown in the figures, defines a basal support that enables the wall 12 to be a free-standing, and self-supporting structure.

The frame 14 can be composed of subsections, subassemblies, or subframes that assemble together side-by-side, one on top of another, or any combination thereof. For example, the frame 14 shown is an assembly of vertically oriented and free-standing subframes 42A-42C that are connected together in any fashion such as by welding, by adhesive, or with fasteners like nuts and bolts. The frame 14 can be constructed of any number of subframes or can be instead be constructed as a single large integral frame. Each of the subframes 42A-42C are constructed of various vertical members or struts 44 and horizontal members or cross-members 46. The struts 44 and cross-members 46 can be of various lengths, bends, and cross-sectional geometries including square tube-stock. It is contemplated that the subframes 42A-42C can be formed from metal, wood, plastic, composite, etc to facilitate wall designs having compound curves or other complex geometry.

Still referring to FIG. 2, utilities 48 extend substantially longitudinally within an upper portion 50 of the frame 14, from an inside end 53 of the frame toward an outside end 54 of the frame 14. As illustrated, the utilities 48 appear to be mere conduit. Nonetheless, the illustration of the utilities 48 is a representation of any of a multitude of utilities including wires, conduit, pipe, ductwork, or any conveyance of any kind for water, air, gas, steam, electric, telephone, internet, television cable, fire detection wiring, fire suppression material, waste return, climate control wiring and ductwork, etc. Thus, the utilities 48 are preinstalled to the wall 12 such that they are prewired, preplumbed, etc. The utilities 48 are exemplified in FIG. 2 by a generally parallel gang arrangement of pipes and conduit that branch off in different directions as necessary and that terminate in service outlets such as electrical sockets 58A, telephone jacks 58B, cable television jacks 58C, switches 58D, and a Life Safety Panel including sprinklers 58E, smoke detectors 58F, fire alarm 58G, and motion sensor 58H. As discussed above, the control module (not shown) would interface with such service outlets and the Life Safety Panel. Alternatively, the utilities 48 could include a multitude of gangs of pipe, conduit, etc. along different elevations of the frame 14. A portion of the utilities 48 terminates near the outside end 54 of the frame 14 with a climate control unit 60. The climate control unit 60 may be an air-conditioner, furnace, heat pump, or the like and includes an output duct or vent 62 for providing climate controlled air to the room. Alternatively, the climate control unit 60 can be an output device that is supplied with refrigerant or other fluid via the gang of utilities 48 from a remote climate control unit (not shown).

FIG. 2A illustrates an exploded view of vertically split subframes 42A-42C. The subframes 42A-42C can be separately manufactured as stand-alone units, are self-supporting, and are attached to one another as before described with respect to FIG. 2. Subframe 42A is a climate control subframe housing the climate control unit 60 and vent 62. The climate control unit 60 can be directly fastened, braced, supported, or the like within subframe 42A such that the subframe and climate control unit 60 are transportable as one complete unit. Subframe 42A is then assembled to one of the adjoining subframes 42A-42C as described previously, wherein the utilities 48 of subframe 42A get connected to the utilities of adjoining subframe 42B using matching mounting plates 64 as will be described in greater detail below. Subframe 42B houses the Life Safety Panel devices 58E-58H, as well as the desk and video display (not shown). Subframe 42B is attached in turn to subframe 42C with fasteners, etc. and using the mounting plates 64. Subframe 42C defines the closet, houses the built-in armoire (not shown), and partially defines a place for the backdrop and reflecting area described above with reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B illustrates an exploded view of another embodiment of a frame 114 that takes the form of vertically and horizontally split subframes 142A-142C and 142A′-142C′. The subframes are self-supporting, and are attached to one another by any method such as using fasteners, welding, etc. as before, and the utilities 48 thereof are attached using the mounting plates 64, as before. Each subframe can be individually installed to the construction site. Alternatively, the subframes can be installed in any pre-assembled combination. For example, subframes 142A-142C can be pre-assembled then installed to the construction site. Subsequently, subframes 142A′-142C′ can also be pre-assembled then installed and attached over top of the installed assembly of subframes 142A-142C. Any other combination of installation of the subframes is also contemplated.

FIG. 3 more clearly illustrates the upper portion 50 and inside end 53 of the frame 14 at the origin of the utilities 48. The origin of the utilities 48 defines a place along the utilities 48 for a common connection to supply lines of the building (not shown). A common connection origin facilitates quick and easy installation of the wall 12 to supply lines of a larger structure to which the wall 12 is installed. In typical hotel construction, main utility lines extend vertically through the hotel and, in turn, branch off in connections to utility supply lines that extend horizontally along each hallway of the building (none shown). The utilities 48 may be fitted with quick connectors (not shown) to enable fast, easy, and reliable connection to the hallway utility supply lines. The connection of the hallway utility supply lines to the utilities 48 can be hidden in the hallway wall 40 and accessed by an access panel 56 (shown in FIG. 1). The utilities 48 are supported by the frame 14 and grouped together at a common location using connection bracket or mounting plate 64 that is attached between two cross-members 46 as will be described below with reference to FIG. 4. It is contemplated that the utilities 48 could be grouped together in several smaller groups at different origins anywhere within or around the frame 14.

FIG. 4 illustrates two side-by-side subframes 42B and 42C that are fastened by fasteners 66 such as screws, bolts, rivets, quick-connect/disconnect fasteners, or the like. The utilities 48 extend through, and are supported by, mounting plate 64 which is fastened to and isolated from the cross-members 46 of the frame 14 by intermediate dampeners or isolators 68. The isolators 68 fasten intermediately to the cross-members 46 of the frame and to the mounting plate 64 such that the mounting plate 64, and thus the utilities 48, are displaceably mounted to the frame 14. To that end, the isolators 68 may be composed of an elastomer to better provide tolerance slack and insulation against shock and movement due to normal use, earthquake, or settling of the building.

FIG. 5 illustrates the mounting plate 64 arrangement in an exploded view wherein mounting plates 64 are fastened together by fasteners 66. The utilities 48 mate together in any variety of ways including a flared female to straight male connection as depicted, wherein an O-ring (not shown) can be disposed between mating ends of the pipes and conduit of the utilities 48 for sealing purposes. Alternatively, quick connect fittings could be used, and wire conduit could simply be abutted, instead of interlocked, at the interface of mating mounting plates 64. As discussed above, the frame 14 can be subdivided into horizontal subframes, instead of vertical subframes, to minimize the quantity of mounting plate connections.

As shown in FIG. 6, the facade 18 of the wall 12 is defined by panels 70 that are attached to struts 44 and/or cross-members (not shown) of the frame 14. The panels 70 may be constructed of any material including fabric, metal, wood, plastic, a composite, or any combination thereof. Each panel 70 includes a back surface 72 with a relief 74 formed therein, to which mounting brackets 75 are attached with fasteners, adhesive, etc. (not shown). Likewise, mounting brackets 75 are attached to the strut 44 for cooperating with the mounting brackets 75 of the panels 70 so as to support the panels 70 on the frame 14. The mounting brackets 75 include flanges 77 that interlockingly cooperate, as shown. Accordingly, each panel 70 may be slid horizontally into engagement with the mounting bracket 75 of the frame 14, or may be vertically lowered onto the mounting bracket 75 of the frame 14. A horizontally extending U-shaped reveal 76 separates vertically adjacent panels 70, and other reveals can alternatively be used to separate horizontally adjacent panels. The reveal 76 is fastened to the strut 44 by any type of fastening arrangement, but as shown, is fastened by a bolt 78 that is threaded into a portion of the strut 44. The reveal 76 connection to the frame, as well as any other connections of the wall 12, can also use self-clinching nuts from Penn Engineering®. Using the replaceable panels 70 and reveals 76, the wall 12 can be customized to provide a variety of facades that accent and complement furniture and other amenities associated with the wall 12. The panels 70 and reveals 76 can easily be replaced when they get damaged or when it is desired to redecorate the wall 12. The panels 70 and reveals 76 can be oriented in any variety of ways including horizontally arranged as shown, vertically arranged, diagonally arranged, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the insulation panel 16 is fastened to the frame 14 on substantially the opposite side of the frame 14 from the facade 18 that is defined by the panels 70 and reveals 76. The insulation panel 16 can be one large panel or two or more separate panels fastened to the frame 14. In any case, the insulation panel 16 is fastened to the back of the frame 14 with any type of fastening or securing arrangement including adhesive, self-clinching nuts, sheet metal screws, and the like. The insulation panel 16 is provided to satisfy fire, sound, and thermal insulation requirements between adjacent rooms. Again, the wall 12 includes, among many other features, the stowable desk 20, video display 22, the built-in armoire 24 with drawers 24A and doors 24B, the video screens 28, the backdrop 30, the closet door 36, and the vent 62. The video display 22 can be stowed behind retractable panels 70R. A multi-media unit 80 is also provided, including speakers 82 and other devices such as audio equipment, DVD players, VCR's, video game systems, computers, etc. Finally, Life Safety Panel 59 includes the fire alarm, sprinkler, smoke detector, and motion sensors (none shown), as described previously with respect to FIG. 2.

FIG. 7A illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in the form of a wall 212 having a molded unibody frame 214 with the utilities 48 extending therethrough. The unibody frame 214 is meant to be used with a replaceable facade (not shown). The unibody frame 214 can be molded as one large unit as shown, or can be assembled from subframe portions that are individually molded (not shown). The purpose of molding a single unibody frame is to avoid the relative complexity in fabricating and assembling multitudes of struts and cross-members to form a frame. Rather, integral struts 244 and integral cross-members 246 are molded as part of the overall unibody frame 214. Also, the utilities 48 simply extend through molded openings in the unibody frame 214 such that the utilities 48 do not necessarily require use of mounting plates within the unibody frame 214 itself.

Similarly, FIG. 7B illustrates yet another embodiment of a wall 312 according to the present invention. The wall 312 takes the form of a molded housing that is composed of a frame portion 314, an integral facade 316, and the utilities 48. In other words, the frame portion 314 and integral facade 316 (or portions thereof) are molded together as one unit, or are assembled from subunits composed of integrally molded subframe/subfacade units (not shown). It is also contemplated that some amenities, or portions thereof, could be integrally molded into the wall 312.

In conclusion, the present invention solves several problems in the prior art of construction and renovation. The present invention is a high quality substructure that can be prefabricated by highly skilled tradespeople off-site, and can then be delivered in whole or in part to a construction site for relatively unskilled tradespeople to quickly and reliably install and connect to utility supply lines of a larger structure. The combination of the high quality substructure and the quick and reliable on-site installation eliminates unanticipated post-construction R&M, thereby saving millions of dollars in labor, material, and lost opportunity costs.

Simultaneously, the substructure of the present invention provides a multitude of built-in amenities that results in an efficient, space-saving room layout that is unique and more attractive than existing room layouts. Furthermore, the appearance of the substructure can easily be varied from room to room or easily redecorated in accord with typical room redecoration schedules.

While the present invention has been described in terms of a limited number of embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. In other words, the teachings of the present invention encompass any reasonable substitutions or equivalents of claim limitations. For example, the structure, materials, sizes, and shapes of the individual components could be modified, or substituted with other similar structure, materials, sizes, and shapes. One specific example includes exchanging the wall panels as disclosed with ceiling or floor tiles for substructure embodiments involving ceilings or floors. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other applications, including those outside of the hotel industry, are possible with this invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to only hotels. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	10163610	Jun 2002	US
Child	11418257	May 2006	US

Structure having preinstalled utilities and amenities

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