Patent Application
20210025156
The present invention is related to a structural wall panel. More specifically, it relates to a wall panel with an embedded corner block that permits connection of the wall panel to the floor and to an adjacent similar wall panel.
The prefabrication of wall panels is a major improvement in the construction field. Wall panels are usually prepared and fabricated off-site. Typically, industry-standard pre-cast or tilt-up wall panels do not require high dimensional tolerances for assembly into a wall.
One type of wall panel may be a structural insulated panel (SIP), which is usually made of several components, among them a central insulation core or block core made of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), extruded polystyrene foam, polyisocyanurate foam, polyurethane foam or composite honeycomb and two layers of structural skin or structural board that can be made of sheet metal, plywood, cement, magnesium oxide board or oriented strand board.
Fabricating the wall panels in a factory instead of on-site minimizes the cost of their production. In the meantime, quality control of each wall panel is improved because the influence of external parameters, such as the construction site, the weather and the construction workers, is minimized.
This background is not intended, nor should be construed, to constitute prior art against the present invention.
The present invention is related to a wall panel that has features for connecting it to adjacent wall panels and the floor, in order to construct a modular wall. The wall panel has corner connectors placed at each corner, integrated in the panel. The corner connectors also act as a point of fixation where a hook can be mounted in order to lift the wall panel. The corner connectors may also facilitate the alignment of the wall panels in the wall. Depending on the embodiment, the wall panels disclosed herein provide at least one of the advantages described in relation thereto.
Disclosed herein is a wall panel defined, when oriented as a section of a wall, by a proximal face and a distal face that are connected to two side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge, the wall panel comprising: a volume of cementitious material proximal to one of the side edges; a volume of cementitious material proximal to the bottom edge; a hollow connector block in a corner defined by said one of the side edges, the bottom edge and the proximal face, wherein walls of the connector block at said one of the side edges and bottom edge each define a hole, and an open face of the connector block defines an aperture in the proximal face of the wall panel; and two anchor pins each connected to and projecting from another different wall of the connector block into a different one of the volumes of cementitious material.
Also disclosed is a method of erecting a wall comprising providing two wall panels, each defined, when oriented as a section of a wall, by a proximal face and a distal face that are connected to two side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge, each wall panel comprising a volume of cementitious material proximal to one of the side edges; a volume of cementitious material proximal to the bottom edge; a hollow connector block in a corner defined by said one of the side edges, the bottom edge and the proximal face, wherein walls of the connector block at said one of the side edges and the bottom edge define a side hole and a bottom hole respectively, and an open face of the connector block defines an aperture in the proximal face; and two anchor pins each connected to and projecting from another different wall of the connector block into a different one of said volumes of cementitious material; wherein, in one of the wall panels said one of the side edges is a right edge and in the other of the wall panels said one of the side edges is a left edge. The method comprises: attaching a first of the wall panels to a floor using a connector that passes through the bottom hole in the first wall panel; placing the second wall panel on the floor so that the side edges with the connector blocks face each other and a second connector can be passed through the side holes; tightening the second connector to draw the second wall panel to the first wall panel; and attaching the second wall panel to the floor using a third connector that passes through the bottom hole in the second wall panel.
The following drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, which should not be construed as restricting the scope of the invention in any way.
Referring to
In use, the anchor pins 18, 28 are screwed into the connector block 10, and the assembly is cast in place in cementitious material used in the fabrication of a wall panel
The front, or proximal face 32 of the connector block 10 is open, defining an aperture 34 that is exposed when the connector block is in place in the wall panel, providing access to the hollow interior of the HSS. The hollow interior of the connector block 10 extends to the rear, or distal face 35 of the connector block.
A hole 36 in the bottom wall 38 of the connector block 10 allows a connector (e.g. bolt) to be used to connect the wall panel, in which the connector block is embedded, to a floor. To do this, the connector is inserted through the aperture 34 and into the hole 36, to be screwed into a socket in the floor. There is generous clearance between the connector and the hole 36 so that small adjustments to the position of the wall panel may be made before the connector is tightened to fasten the wall panel to the floor. For example, the hole 36 is 19 mm (¾″) wide slotted hole, and the diameter of the shank of the connector that goes through the hole is 16 mm (⅝″).
A hole 46 in the left wall 48 of the connector block 10 allows another connector (e.g. nut and bolt) to be used to connect the wall panel in which the connector block is embedded to an adjacent wall panel with a similar connector block. To do this, one part of the connector (e.g. bolt) is inserted through one of the apertures 34 and into the hole 46, and another part of the connector (e.g. nut) is inserted through the other aperture 34 and onto the first part of the connector. The connector may by other than a nut and bolt in other embodiments. There is generous clearance between the connector and the hole 46 so that small adjustments to the position of the second wall panel may be made before the connector is tightened to fasten the two wall panels together. For example, the diameter of the hole 46 is 19 mm (¾″) and the diameter of the shank of the connector that goes through the hole is 16 mm (⅝″).
Optionally, the anchor pins 18, 28 are welded to the connector block 10. Note that in other embodiments, the holes 14, 24 may not be threaded and the anchor pins 18, 28 may have a different physical format. For example, the anchor pins may be Nelson™ studs. In other embodiments, the anchor pins are lengths of threaded bar, or lengths of rebar. In some embodiments, the anchor pins extend more than half way along the side of the panel in which they are embedded. In other embodiments the anchor pins extend as far as practicable along the full length of the panel. In some embodiments, the anchor pins extend from one connector block, embedded along the side of the panel to another connector block in the wall panel. The main function of the anchor pins 18, 28 is to provide a mechanical anchor when they are embedded in a cured, cementitious material, and as such, the anchor pins may adopt any physical shape, size and/or surface profile that achieve this function.
Note that while the anchor pins 18, 28 have been shown attached centrally to the solid faces 12, 22 of the connector block 10, it is possible in other embodiments to attach the anchor pins off-center.
Wall panel 50 has a connector block 56 in its lower, right corner area 58 defined by right side edge 54, bottom edge 53 and proximal face 51. Wall panel 60 has connector block 66 in its lower, left corner area 68 defined by left side edge 62, bottom edge 63 and proximal face 61. Connector blocks 56, 66 are identical or similar to connector block 10, except that they are oriented as mirror images to each other in the wall panels 50, 60.
Depending on the embodiment, wall panel 50 may have further corner connector blocks 71, 72, 73 and wall panel 60 may have further corner connector blocks 81, 82, 83. Connector block 71 may be identical to connector block 66, and connector block 81 may be identical to connector block 56.
Furthermore, the wall panels 50, 60 may have side connector blocks 74-77 and 84-87 respectively, which may be used to provide additional connection points between adjacent wall panels or between a wall panel and the floor or ceiling.
Connector block 56 and connector block 66 are connected together when the wall panels 50, 60 are joined. Optionally, an intervening compressible seal, e.g. made of foam, is positioned between the wall panels 50, 60 before they are fully connected to each other. The seal makes the wall joint water and airtight.
If threaded bar is used as the anchor pins, connector block 56 is, in some embodiments, connected to side connector block 77 and side connector block 74 with the threaded bar. Likewise, in these embodiments, the connector blocks at the other corners are connected to their neighboring side connector blocks.
Connector block assembly 95 is shown with its connector block 66 and anchor pins 96, 98. Anchor pin 96 is embedded in a volume of cementitious material 97 proximal to the left side edge 62 of the wall panel 60. Anchor pin 98 is embedded in a volume of cementitious material 99 proximal to the bottom edge 63 of the wall panel 60. The two volumes of cementitious material 97, 99 are contiguous, and contact the top wall and right wall respectively of the connector block 66.
Connector block 56 defines an aperture 100 in its proximal face, which is exposed and therefore also an aperture in the proximal face 51 of wall panel 50. Connector block 66 defines an aperture 102 in its proximal face, which is exposed, and therefore also an aperture in the proximal face 61 of wall panel 60. The distal faces of the connector blocks 56, 66 are inside or embedded in the volume of the wall panels 50, 60 respectively.
The dimensions of the connector blocks (e.g. 56) and the positions and orientations of the connector blocks in the wall panel 50 should be defined with a tight enough tolerance for the wall panel to be placed and fastened with sufficient accuracy in its intended location. For example, during fabrication of the wall panel 50, and particularly during casting of the cementitious material, the connector blocks (e.g. 56) are screwed to the forms used for casting the wall panel, the forms holding the connector blocks in place during the casting.
A bolt 140 is passed into the aperture 134 of the connector block 56, through a hole in the right side wall of the connector block 56, a hole in the seal 125, and a hole in the left side wall of the connector block 66. A nut 142 is placed through the aperture 138 in the connector block 66 and onto the thread of the bolt 140, and it is then tightened to bring the wall panels 50, 60 together.
In some embodiments, a length of threaded bar with two nuts is used as the connector that connects the two connector blocks 56, 66, instead of nut 142 and bolt 140.
Wall panel 60 is connected to the floor by a bolt 136 screwed into a threaded socket 137. The bolt 136 is placed through the aperture 138 of the connector block 66 and screwed into the socket 137.
In step 172, the first wall panel 50 is fastened to the floor, by placing a bolt through the aperture in the connector block, through the slotted hole in the bottom wall of the connector block and into the socket, and then screwing the bolt into the socket.
In step 174, a second wall panel 60 is provided and placed upright close to the first wall panel. The position is such that the hole in the bottom wall of the connector block in the wall panel 60 is approximately over another threaded socket embedded in the floor. The second wall panel may be up to 2.5 cm (1″) away from the first panel, for example.
In step 178, the two wall panels are connected with a connector, such as a nut and bolt, through the holes in the exposed side walls of the connector blocks. The nut and bolt are below flush with the proximal faces of the wall panels through which the holes in the side walls of the connector blocks are accessed. In step 180, the nut and bolt are tightened to bring the second wall panel closer to the first wall panel and fasten the two panels together.
In step 182, the second wall panel is then fastened to the floor in the same way that the first panel was fastened to the floor.
The reference to, for example, the side edges as left and right and the surfaces as proximal or distal is non-limiting and simply for convenient reference, as the wall panel can be oriented in a variety of ways depending on how it is used in the construction of a building.
It is worth noting that the actual rectangular shape, the proportions and the dimensions shown are simply an embodiment of the present invention and can be subjected to modification.
The connector blocks may be positioned or oriented differently than shown is the exemplary embodiments.
The edges of the wall panel may be covered with a protective or sealant layer, for example. As such the cementitious material in some embodiments is proximal to the edges of the wall panel without extending to the outer surface of the edge.
The connector blocks may also be used in stem walls (grade beams), floor panels and roof panels.
In wall panels that are set on a base plate or anchoring pile there is a nut welded inside the connector block with a bolt that is use to raise or lower that corner of the wall panel.
Connector blocks embedded in the floor may be used to connect the wall panels to the floor.
In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in the plural and vice versa with no loss of generality.
Throughout the description, specific details have been set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail and repetitions of steps and features have been omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the specification is to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
It will be clear to one having skill in the art that further variations to the specific details disclosed herein can be made, resulting in other embodiments that are within the scope of the invention disclosed. Steps in the flowchart may be performed in a different order, other steps may be added, or one or more may be removed without altering the main function of the invention. All parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are examples only and actual ones of such depend on the specific embodiment. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
