Patent Application
20250146277
Various embodiments are described herein that relates generally to at least one of improved wall panels, roof systems, ceiling systems and floor systems and combinations thereof for making custom enclosures that may be used for portable, permanent and semi-permanent structures including, but not limited to, shipping containers and various types of dwellings, medical units such as portable intensive care units (ICUs) and operating rooms (ORs), step down or isolation rooms, long-term care units, and other segregated isolation chambers, and systems thereof as well as non-medical uses.
The following paragraphs are provided by way of background to the present disclosure. They are not, however, an admission that anything discussed therein is prior art or part of the knowledge of persons skilled in the art.
Mobile structural units can be helpful in providing temporary structures during times of need. For example, when the mobile structural unit is a mobile medical unit such as, but not limited to, mobile intensive care units (ICUs) or operating rooms (ORs) such mobile structures can be useful for field medical operations, and for expanding the capacity of a permanent hospital location to enable health care workers to respond to unplanned increases in patient loads.
While there are configurations of mobile medical units, including some that are in the form of modified shipping/intermodal containers, various practical matters are not addressed in the prior art. For example, while these conventional mobile structures are promoted for being rapidly deployable, this appears to stem solely from the fact that they are mobile, and they may not be versatile for use in different situations.
Furthermore, the prior art does not disclose any formats, techniques or materials useful for constructing internal walls in mobile medical units in a way that can preserve the usable interior volume. Particularly for mobile medical units being constructed to have a footprint similar to shipping/intermodal containers, the amount of interior volume that is usable for personnel, beds, air handling, medical equipment and utilities is already somewhat limited. Standard interior wall construction materials and techniques that are in common use for larger spaces reduce in greater proportion the usable interior volume in smaller spaces.
Various embodiments are described in accordance with the teachings herein that generally relate to improved wall panels, roof systems, floor systems and/or ceiling systems for making custom enclosures for use in portable, permanent and semi-permanent structures including, but not limited to, shipping containers and medical units such as portable intensive care units (ICUs) and operating rooms (ORs), step down or isolation rooms, long-term care units, and other segregated isolation chambers, and systems thereof as well as for non-medical uses.
In one aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a wall panel for use in a multi-panel wall system having at least two horizontally offset wall panels, wherein the wall panel comprises: a panel section having: front and back surfaces, the back surface being opposite the front surface; and left and right side sections include side surfaces that each extend away from the panel section and having rear surfaces extending laterally inward therefrom, at least one first interface component at the right side surface, at least one second interface component at the left side surface and at least one third interface component on each of the rear surfaces, wherein the at least one first interface component of the wall panel is adapted to releasably connect to in a lateral manner with at least one corresponding second interface component of an adjacent wall panel, and wherein the at least one third interface component of the wall panel is adapted to releasably connect to at least one corresponding third interface component on an opposing wall panel in a horizontally offset manner.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein there is provided, a custom enclosure comprising: a multi-panel wall system having at least one side wall; and at least one wall panel, for use with the multi-panel wall system, the at least one wall panel comprising: a panel section having: front and back surfaces, the back surface being opposite the front surface; and left and right side sections that include side surfaces that are each extending away from the panel section and having rear surfaces extending laterally inward therefrom, at least one first interface component at the right side surface, at least one second interface component at the left side surface and at least one third interface component on each of the rear surfaces, wherein the at least one first interface component of the wall panel is adapted to connect in a lateral manner with at least one corresponding second interface component of an adjacent wall panel, and wherein the at least one third interface component of the wall panel is adapted to connect to at least one corresponding third interface component on an opposing panel in a horizontally offset manner.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure further comprises: a floor system, the multi-panel wall system being connected to the floor system; a ceiling system connected to the multi-panel wall system; and a roof system connected to the ceiling system and the multi-panel wall system.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one first interface component comprises a male portion or a female portion and the at least one second interface component comprises a corresponding female or male portion.
In at least one embodiment, the male portion is a hook, and the corresponding female portion is a slot, the hook extending away from the side surface, and the slot being dimensioned to receive the hook of an adjacent wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one second interface component comprises a male portion or a corresponding female portion.
In at least one embodiment, the male portion is a hook, and the corresponding female portion is a slot, the hook extending away from the rear surface, wherein the slot is dimensioned to receive the hook of another wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the third interface component on each rear surface is a male portion or a corresponding female portion.
In at least one embodiment, the male portion is a hook, and the corresponding female portion is a slot, the hook extending away from the rear surface, wherein the slot is dimensioned to receive the hook of another wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, there are a plurality of first and second interface components along the side surfaces.
In at least one embodiment, there are a plurality of third interface components on the rear surfaces.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel comprises at least one prefabricated cutout on the body to allow for installation of an electrical socket, a cable socket or a pipe socket through the interior wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel comprises at least one cutout on at least one of the side surfaces that lines up with at least one corresponding cutout of an adjacent laterally offset wall panel to allow passage of any combination of electrical wiring, at least one cable and at least one pipe therethrough.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one first, second or third interface component is a slot that includes slits at a lower portion to allow for manufacturing tolerances.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel is an interior wall panel or
a wall panel for an internal wall and a lower portion of the side surfaces of the wall panel comprises a slot for receiving a connection component of the floor system.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel is an exterior wall panel that comprises a lower extension portion for connection to a connection component of the floor system.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one first interface component is a female connection having a width that is larger than a corresponding male connection on an adjacent exterior wall panel to allow a male connection on an adjacent exterior wall panel to engage the female connection and then be moved forward so that a third interface connector that is a male connection is moved towards a corresponding female connection on an opposing panel.
In at least one embodiment, the first and second sides sections of the wall panel have a thickness such that the wall panels in the first and second wall panel layers are spaced apart in a horizontally offset manner providing a cavity therebetween that is large enough to accommodate placement of insulation, electrical wiring, water and/or gas piping, electrical boxes, electrical devices, at least one other infrastructure component or any combination thereof.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel is an intermediate wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the intermediate wall panel also includes at least one intermediate interface component at a front surface near a first side surface and at least one other intermediate interface component at a second side of the front surface to allow for attachment in a horizontally offset manner to at least one corresponding third interface component of another wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the intermediate wall panel is coupled in a laterally offset manner to another intermediate wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the interface components on side surfaces of the wall panel are vertically aligned with one another.
In at least one embodiment, the interface components on side surfaces of the wall panel are laterally offset with respect to one another.
In at least one embodiment, the interface components on side surfaces of the wall panel are vertically aligned with one another or laterally offset with respect to one another.
In at least one embodiment, some of the laterally offset interface components are located in groups at upper and lower end portions of the side surfaces of the wall panels.
In at least one embodiment, the interface components on side surfaces of the wall panel are laterally offset with respect to one another and located in groups at upper and/or lower end portions of the side surfaces of the wall panels.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel is used in an internal wall and the wall panel comprises a bottom tab that is directed inwardly from a side surface for connection to a portion of the floor system and for holding contents within the wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure further comprises a wall panel system for use as in an exterior wall section, the wall panel system comprising: an exterior wall panel layer having a plurality of laterally connected exterior wall panels; an exterior plate layer having a plurality of exterior plates that are horizontally offset and attached to the exterior wall panels; a wood structure that is connected to the exterior plate layer, the wood structure comprising wood studs; and a drywall layer having a plurality of drywall sheets that are attached to the wood structure.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel system further comprises: a steel stud layer having a plurality of steel studs; and at least one additional drywall layer attached to the steel stud layer.
In at least one embodiment, insulation is included in the exterior wall panel layer, the wood structure, the steel stud layer or any combination thereof.
In at least one embodiment, the exterior wall panel layer has a first height and the wood structure has a second height shorter than the first height, the wood structure having a top surface for receiving an upper longitudinal support beam that is adapted for receiving cross beams that form part of a roof support structure and the longitudinal support beam is adjacent an inner surface of the exterior plate layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel system further comprises a rain cap member that is above and extends longitudinally along the exterior wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel is made from (a) metals including aluminum, marine grade aluminum or steel, (b) polymer materials including carbon fiber, thermoplastic or carbon-fiber based thermoplastic, (c) composite materials, (d) recycled materials or (e) 3D printed material.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel has a powder coating, a spray coating or is galvanized.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panel is made using 3D printing.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a wall system comprising: a first layer of wall panels having at least one wall panel structured according to a first wall panel type; and a second layer of wall panels having at least one wall panel structured according to a second wall panel type, wherein the wall panels are defined according to one or more of the embodiments described herein.
In at least one embodiment, the wall system comprises an intermediate wall panel layer that is attached in a horizontally offset manner to an interior wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall system comprises an intermediate wall panel layer that is attached in a horizontally offset manner to another intermediate wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall system comprises an intermediate wall panel layer that is attached in a horizontally offset manner to an exterior wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall system comprises an interior wall panel layer that is attached in a horizontally offset manner to an exterior wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panels in the interior wall panel layer are made of a different material than the wall panels in the exterior wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall system comprises an interior wall panel layer, one or more intermediate wall panel layers and an exterior wall panel layer and each wall panel layer is made using different materials and/or housing different materials.
In at least one embodiment, one of the wall panel layers is an insulation wall panel layer, a bullet resistant wall panel layer or an explosion absorbing wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, the wall panels in one wall panel layer have a different depth compared to the wall panels in another wall panel layer.
In at least one embodiment, a seal including silicon or another sealant material is applied between at least two adjacent laterally offset wall panels.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a custom enclosure comprising at least one set of upper longitudinal support beams for at least one side wall, where each upper longitudinal support beam has a first portion for connecting to a portion of the side wall of the wall system and a second portion for receiving a portion of the roof system to form a portion of an enclosure for the custom enclosure.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprises a top section, an outer side, an inner side, and a lateral shelf extending from the inner side, the outer side having a first length that is smaller than a second length of the inner side and the first and second sides being spaced apart to form a channel therebetween.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprises a wall adjacent to the lateral shelf that is vertical or angled and a ledge at the upper edge of the wall where the wall is spaced apart from the inner side to form a tray.
In at least one embodiment, the inner side comprises at least one aperture for access to a corresponding at least one aperture in the at least one side wall to allow for components to pass from the at least one side wall to the tray.
In at least one embodiment, the roof system comprises roof panels having truncated lower baskets that are recessed from a far edge of the roof panels such that when the far edge of the roof panels overly the at least one upper longitudinal support member a far end of the truncated lower baskets is adjacent to the inner side of the at least one upper longitudinal support member, and a lower surface of the truncated lower baskets overlies the tray of the at least one upper longitudinal support member and includes at least one aperture for allowing the components to pass between the tray and an inner region of the truncated lower baskets.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprises a downward angled edge at a bottom of the outer side to deflect water or snow from an exterior surface of the at least one side wall.
In at least one embodiment, an upper portion of the at least one side wall of the wall system is slidably received within the channel of the at least one upper longitudinal support beam.
In at least one embodiment, a spacer is disposed between an upper portion of the at least one side wall of the wall system and the underside of the top section to increase a height of the sidewall for changing an angle of the roof system.
In at least one embodiment, the top section is angled for changing an angle of the roof system.
In at least one embodiment, a lower portion of the roof system is placed on the top section of the longitudinal support beam.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure comprises a ceiling system having a plurality of ceiling panels and a portion of the ceiling system is placed on an upper edge of the lateral shelf of the at least one longitudinal support beam.
In at least one embodiment, the length of the inner side of the at least one longitudinal support beam is predefined to provide space for a cavity between the roof system and the ceiling system.
In at least one embodiment, the cavity is configured to receive insulation, electrical wiring, air and water piping, electrical devices, HVAC components, at least one other infrastructure component or any combination thereof.
In at least one embodiment, the wall system is defined according to any one or more of the embodiments described herein.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprises a downward angled edge at a bottom of the outer side to deflect water or snow from an exterior surface of the at least one side wall.
In at least one embodiment, there is included a roof system that comprises at least one roof panel including a lower basket with a plurality of apertures to provide sound attenuation for sounds generated within the custom enclosure.
In at least one embodiment, the roof system comprises at least one roof panel including a lower basket with a plurality of apertures to provide sound attenuation for sounds generated within the custom enclosure.
In at least one embodiment, the roof system includes two roof structures that abut one another and a roof cap that straddles upper portions of both roof structures to reduce occurrence of wall leaks.
In at least one embodiment, the floor system comprises at least one lower longitudinal support beam, and at least one longitudinal connection member that is disposed on top of the at least one lower longitudinal support beam and has a middle horizontal section for connection to the at least one longitudinal support beam, an outer downward vertical section at a first edge of the middle horizontal section for connection to at least one exterior wall panel and an upward vertical section at a second opposing edge of the middle horizontal section for connection to at least one interior wall panel.
In at least one embodiment, the floor system comprises a plurality of cross beams where each cross beam is connected at one end to the at least one longitudinal support beam and connected at another end to at least another longitudinal support beam.
In at least one embodiment, the floor system comprises a plurality of corrugated sheets that are placed on top of the plurality of cross beams.
In at least one embodiment, the floor system comprises at least one sub-floor layer that is continuous or discontinuous.
In at least one embodiment, the floor system comprises at least one mechanical floor access panel to allow access to a space under the floor system, water supply pipes, drainage pipes, and/or at least one floor electrical access port.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure comprises corner support members including an outer corner support member that is attached at an external corner to external surfaces of two side walls that abut one another and an inner corner support member that is attached at an internal corner to internal surfaces of the two side walls.
In at least one embodiment, the corner support members extend at least 50% of the height of the corner formed by two abutting side walls.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure is a mobile, semi-permanent or permanent structure.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure is built for use a shipping container.
In at least one embodiment, the custom enclosure is built for use as a storage container, an educational structure, a classroom, a portable classroom, a school structure, a military structure, a command centre, a correctional facility, a penitentiary structure, a hospital structure, a medical clinic structure, a patient room, a nursing station, an operating room unit, an intensive care unit, a pharmacy structure, a testing centre, a vaccination centre, a quarantine facility, a laboratory structure, a cleanroom, a long-term care facility, a natural disaster safe shelter, a biocontainment room (in case of chemical or biological attack or outbreak), a safe room, an indigenous community housing structure, a vertical farming structure, a housing structure, a social housing structure, a remote community structure, a grow room, a multi-story housing structure, a cottage, a restaurant structure, a bar structure, a retail structure, a shop, a mining structure or a specialty enclosure.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a connection system for a custom enclosure, wherein the connection system comprises: at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprising a top surface, an outer side, an inner side, and a lateral shelf extending from the inner side, the outer side having a lateral extent that is smaller than a lateral extent of the inner side, wherein the at least one longitudinal support beam is connectable to a portion of a wall system and a portion of a roof system to form the custom enclosure.
In at least one embodiment, the channel of the at least one longitudinal upper support beam is adapted to receive an upper section of the portion of the wall system.
In at least one embodiment, the top section of the at least one upper longitudinal support beam is adapted to receive a lower surface of the portion of the roof system.
In at least one embodiment, the lateral shelf of the at least one upper longitudinal support beam is adapted to support a portion of at least one ceiling panel.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprises a wall adjacent to the lateral shelf that is vertical or angled and a ledge at the upper edge of the wall where the wall is spaced apart from the inner side to form a tray.
In at least one embodiment, the inner side comprises at least one aperture for access to a corresponding at least one aperture in at least one side wall of the wall system to allow for components to pass from the at least one sidewall to the tray.
In at least one embodiment, the roof system comprises roof panels having truncated lower baskets that are recessed from a far edge of the roof panels such that when the far edge of the roof panels overly the at least one upper longitudinal support member a far end of the truncated lower baskets is adjacent to the inner side of the upper longitudinal support member, and a lower surface of the truncated lower baskets overlies the tray of the at least one upper longitudinal support member and includes at least one aperture for allowing the components to pass between the tray and an inner region of the truncated lower baskets.
In at least one embodiment, the at least one upper longitudinal support beam comprises a downward angled edge at a bottom of the outer side to deflect water or snow from an exterior surface of the at least one side wall.
In at least one embodiment, the inner side and the outer side are spaced apart to receive a spacer for adjusting a height of the connection system for adjusting an angle of the roof system.
In at least one embodiment, the top section is angled for changing an angle of the roof system.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a longitudinal connection member for connecting wall panels of a wall system to at least one lower longitudinal support beam that is part of a floor system, wherein the longitudinal connection member comprises: a middle horizontal section that is disposed on top of and allows for connection to the at least one lower longitudinal support beam; an outer downward vertical section at a first edge of the middle horizontal section for connection to at least one exterior wall panel of the wall system; and an upward vertical section at a second opposing edge of the middle horizontal section for connection to at least one interior wall panel of the wall system.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a method of assembling a custom enclosure, wherein the method comprises: assembling a floor and roof skeleton for the custom enclosure; assembling a floor system using the floor skeleton; assembling interior wall panels to form a first wall panel layer for one or more walls of the custom enclosure and connecting the interior wall panels to the floor system; installing components along cavities of the interior wall panels, where the components are used during operation of the custom enclosure; assembling exterior wall panels to form a second wall panel layer for the one or more walls of the custom enclosure and connecting the exterior wall panels to the floor system; installing a ceiling system with ceiling panels where the ceiling system is coupled to the roof skeleton; running at least some of the components from the interior wall panels to above the ceiling system; and installing a roof system having roof panels that are attachable.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises installing upper longitudinal support members at an upper portion of the one or more walls for facilitating the connection of the ceiling system and the roof system to one or more sidewalls along the perimeter of the custom enclosure, where the upper longitudinal support members are defined according to one or more of the embodiments described herein.
In at least one embodiment, the method installing outer and inner corner support members as defined in one or more of the embodiments described herein.
In at least one embodiment, assembling the floor and roof skeleton includes installing vertical support members.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises assembling the floor and roof skeleton comprises using lower longitudinal support members, cross members and longitudinal connection members as defined in one or more of the embodiments described herein.
In at least one embodiment, assembling the floor system comprises using a layer of corrugated sheets and at least one subfloor as defined according to any one of the embodiments described herein.
In at least one embodiment, assembling the floor system comprises installing at least one mechanical floor access panel to allow access to a space under the floor system, water supply pipes, drainage pipes, and/or at least one floor electrical access port.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises installing one or more intermediate wall panel layers between the interior wall panels and the exterior wall panels.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises selecting larger depths for the exterior wall panels compared to the interior and intermediate wall panels.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises using different materials for the exterior wall panels and the intermediate wall panels and/or including different materials within cavities of the exterior wall panels and the intermediate wall panels.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises selecting the different materials to provide insulation, resistance to bullets, and/or absorption or impacts or explosions.
In at least one embodiment, the method comprises: (a) assembling the floor system, (b) separately assembling the wall system and (c) installing the assembled wall system to the floor system.
In at least one embodiment, steps (a) and (b) are performed in parallel.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment of a releasably connectable roof structure comprising: a first roof structure of a first unit having a first set of longitudinal roof support beams, a first set of support brackets mounted to the first set of roof support beams and a first set of roof panels that are mounted to the first set of support brackets; a second roof structure of a second unit having a second set of longitudinal roof support beams, a second set of support brackets mounted to the second set of roof support beams and a second set of roof panels that are mounted to the second set of support brackets; and a releasable connection system that is adapted to releasably connect the first and second sets of roof support beams adjacent to one another to form a combined roof system structure from the releasable connection of the first and second units.
In at least one embodiment, the releasable connection system comprises a plurality of releasable bolts that are removably inserted along a length of the first and second sets of longitudinal roof support members.
In at least one embodiment, the releasably connectable roof structure further comprises a sealing material that is placed between facing surfaces of the first and second sets of longitudinal roof support members before the releasable connection system is applied to reduce any occurrence of leaks in the releasably connectable roof structure whereby application of the releasable connection system applies a compressive force to the sealing material to improve its sealing properties.
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided a wall system comprising: a first layer of wall panels having at least one wall panel structured according to a first wall panel type; and a second layer of wall panels having at least one wall panel structured according to a second wall panel type, wherein the wall panels are defined according to one of the embodiment described herein.
In various embodiments described herein, some of the connections that are made by wall panels, roof panels, ceiling panels, floor system components, upper longitudinal support members, lower longitudinal support members, or longitudinal connection members are releasable. In other embodiments described herein at least one of these connections may not be releasable.
Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the application, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the application will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. For example, aspects described and depicted herein may be more generally applicable to fixed (i.e., immobile) constructions.
For a better understanding of the various embodiments described herein, and to show more clearly how these various embodiments may be carried into effect, reference will be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show at least one example embodiment, and which are now described. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the teachings described herein.
Further aspects and features of the example embodiments described herein will appear from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
Various embodiments in accordance with the teachings herein will be described below to provide an example of at least one embodiment of the claimed subject matter. No embodiment described herein limits any claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to structural elements, systems, or methods having all of the features of any one of the structural elements, systems, or methods described below or to features common to multiple or all of the structural elements, systems, or methods described herein. It is possible that there may be a structural element, system, or method described herein that is not an embodiment of any claimed subject matter. Any subject matter that is described herein that is not claimed in this document may be the subject matter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicants, inventors, or owners do not intend to abandon, disclaim, or dedicate to the public any such subject matter by its disclosure in this document.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.
It should also be noted that the terms “coupled”, or “coupling” as used herein can have several different meanings depending in the context in which these terms are used. For example, the terms coupled, or coupling can have a mechanical or structural connotation. For example, as used herein, the terms coupled, or coupling can indicate that two structural elements can be directly connected to one another or connected to one another through one or more intermediate elements such as a mechanical element or a structural element depending on the particular context.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to”.
It should also be noted that, as used herein, the wording “and/or” is intended to represent an inclusive-or. That is, “X and/or Y” is intended to mean X or Y or both, for example. As a further example, “X, Y, and/or Z” or “X, Y, Z or any combination thereof” is intended to mean X; or Y; or Z; or X and Y; or X and Z; or Y and Z; or X, Y and Z and should be constructed as covering an operable combination of the elements that may be used to together to provide a working embodiment.
It should be noted that terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. These terms of degree may also be construed as including a deviation of the modified term, such as by 1%, 2%, 5%, or 10%, for example, if this deviation does not negate the meaning of the term it modifies.
Furthermore, the recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints herein includes all numbers and fractions subsumed within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.90, 4, and 5). It is also to be understood that all numbers and fractions thereof are presumed to be modified by the term “about” which means a variation of up to a certain amount of the number to which reference is being made if the end result is not significantly changed, such as 1%, 2%, 5%, or 10%, for example.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “at least one embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that one or more particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, unless otherwise specified to be not combinable or to be alternative options.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
In accordance with the teachings herein, there are provided various configurations of mobile, semi-permanent and permanent units that may be constructed as custom enclosures as well as various techniques and materials usable for construction of these custom enclosures.
The following description and drawings set forth various example embodiments in which the mobile, semi-permanent and permanent units are medical units constructed based on custom enclosures. However, many aspects described and depicted herein are generally applicable in mobile, portable, permanent and semi-permanent structures being constructed for other applications, and/or being used for other applications. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment, custom enclosures can be made using the wall, roof, ceiling and/or floor systems described herein without the use of a shipping container. However, in at least one embodiment, such custom enclosures may be used to create a shipping container.
Examples of applications in mobile, portable, semi-permanent, permanent and custom enclosure structures, for which the teachings herein may be applied, include, but are not limited to, storage containers, educational structures including a classroom and/or portables, a school structure, military structures, command centres, correctional facilities, penitentiary structures, hospitals and medical clinic structures, patient rooms, nursing stations, Operating Room units (OR), Intensive Care units (ICUs), pharmacy structures, testing and vaccination centres, quarantine facilities, laboratory structures, cleanrooms, long-term care facilities, healthcare facilities, natural disaster safe shelters, a biocontainment room (in case of chemical or biological attack or outbreak), a safe room, indigenous community housing, vertical farming structures, housing, social housing, remote community structures, grow rooms such as, but not limited to, grow rooms for cannabis or algae, multi-story housing, cottages, restaurant structures, bar structures, retail structures or shops, mining structures and specialty enclosures, for instance. Any of the aforementioned structures may be modular in nature such that units of such structures can be custom-built using embodiments and techniques described herein and then be assembled together to create similar but larger structures. Furthermore, aspects described and depicted herein may also be generally applicable to fixed (i.e., immobile) constructions or semi-fixed medical or non-medical infrastructure constructions such as, but not limited to, fixed or semi-fixed infrastructure for hospitals and medical clinics, or other medical or non-medical applications as outlined above.
Referring now to
Referring next to
In at least one embodiment, two or more interior wall panels 314 may be connected in a co-planar fashion to create an interior wall of increased (side-by-side) width. The two or more interior wall panels 314 are generally further releasably connected to portions of two or more exterior wall panels 316 in a horizontally offset fashion such that interior facing surfaces of the interior wall panels 314 and the exterior wall panels 316 are spaced apart and parallel to one another. The interior wall panels 314 may also be attached to a longitudinal floor support beam 313 which has an upper surface that is shaped like an angle iron and is releasably engaged by lower portions of the interior wall panels 314. Alternatively, another type of floor system and connecting members may be used, an example of which is provided in
In at least one embodiment, there is a cavity (e.g., see cavity 905 in
In at least one embodiment, at least one of the exterior wall panels described herein may have a height such that the top surface of the exterior wall panels is adjacent to an underside of the roof system (e.g., an underside of the roof line) or adjacent to an object that is under the roof system.
In at least one embodiment, at least one of the interior wall panels described herein may have a height such that the top surface of the interior wall panels is adjacent to the underside of the ceiling panels 306 or adjacent to an object that is under the ceiling panels 306.
Alternatively, in at least one embodiment, at least one of the interior wall panels described herein may have a height such that the top surface of the interior wall panels is full height and is adjacent to an underside of the roof system (e.g., an underside of the roof line) or adjacent to an object that is under the roof system. These embodiments may aid with sound attenuation.
Alternatively, in at least one embodiment, the interior wall panel may be a flat panel that is releasably engaged to an exterior panel and may have additional layers of material such as insulation for improving the fire rating of the structure. An example embodiment of such structural systems is shown in
In another aspect, there is provided at least one example embodiment where two or more roof panels 308 may be releasably connected to one another in a coplanar fashion. Such roof panels are further discussed in
In another aspect, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided at least one embodiment where there is a longitudinal support beam 312 that may be placed on top of a double-panel wall section comprising several outer and interior wall panels 314, 316. The longitudinal support beam 312 may comprise an inner supporting shelf, wherein interior ceiling panels 306 may be placed and/or secured. In addition, one or more roof panels 308 may be placed and/or secured on top of the longitudinal support beam 312. In such embodiments described herein, the longitudinal support beam 312 is shaped such that a space is provided above the inner ceiling panels 306 and below the roof panels 308. This space between the ceiling panels and the roof panels, which may be called a roof cavity, may be used to house various building elements such as any combination of electrical wires, cables, piping, insulation, ductwork, HVAC components, as well as electrical devices including, but not limited to, sound measuring and pressure control devices, or any other functional components required for the mobile unit 300. In a similar manner as with the double-paneled wall system, the ceiling panels 306 may first be attached to the longitudinal support beam 312, and workers may then continue to work within the mobile unit 300 while certain functional components are added from the outside on top of the ceiling panels 306. When the necessary components have been installed above the ceiling panels 306, the roof panels 308 of the mobile unit 300 may then be installed and attached to the longitudinal support beam 312. Alternatively, the space between at least one of the roof panels 308 and the underlying ceiling panels may house insulation in some cases. Further information on the roof system is provided in
In various embodiments, the ceiling panels 306 can be traditional ceiling panels with acoustical backing or without acoustical backing for improved Sound Transmission CLASS (STC) rating. For example, the interior ceiling tiles that are used in structures like hospitals and schools may be used for the ceiling panels described herein. Alternatively, insulated aluminum panels may be used for the ceiling panels described herein.
In alternative example embodiments, the exterior wall surfaces, such as the exterior surface of the double-panelled right side wall 304, for example, or inner surfaces of exterior wall panels of the structure may have additional layers of material added thereto in order to provide the custom structure with fire-rated walls (e.g., see
In alternative example embodiments, the upper longitudinal floor support beam 312 or the longitudinal floor support beam 313 may include thermal break elements between surfaces of these beams which would otherwise contact upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the interior wall panels 314 and exterior walls panels 316. The thermal break elements are physical objects that reduce heat transfer across elements that contact opposing sides of the thermal break element. These thermal break elements aid in maintaining an internal temperature within areas of the structure that are adjacent to the wall panel system and portions of the ceiling system and floor system that are adjacent to the wall panel system and the thermal break elements. For example, the thermal break element may be a wooden beam, such as a 2×6 wooden beam, or another beam or physical object made of insulating material. An example of this is shown as spacer 1608s in
Referring next to
In at least one embodiment, the at least one second interface component 506, 508 may be a female connector, such as a slot 510, that is located and shaped to receive a male connector, such as a hook, of a corresponding exterior wall panel (e.g., wall panel 600 of
Referring next to
In at least one embodiment, the left and right side surfaces 512, 514 may comprise slotted end portions 520 and 522 disposed along the bottom corner of the side surfaces 512 and 514 and the panel section 501, respectively. The slotted panels 520 and 522 may be used to attach the wall panel 500 to a frame of the mobile unit 300, such as a bottom rail or an angle iron or L-angle. In at least one embodiment, the slotted panels 520 and 522 may also be used to attach the wall panel 500 to a floor system 310 of a mobile unit 300. The left and right side surfaces 512, 514 may further comprise apertures 524 and 526 disposed along the top portion of the sides surfaces 512, 514. The apertures 524 and 526 may be used to attach slings to allow the wall panel 500 to be lifted during construction.
Referring next to
Referring next to
Each of the left and right side sections also have a side surface 612 and 614, respectively with at least one first and second interface component 616 and 618, respectively. In at least one embodiment, the left side surface 612 may have a female connection such as a slot, or the like, and the right side surface 614 may have a male connection such as a hook, or the like, to enable multiple wall panels similar to wall panel 600 to be releasably connected in a co-planar manner to create a larger (i.e., longer) wall segment. In such embodiments, the hook, or other similar connector, on the right side section of a given wall panel similar to wall panel 600 may be received by the slot or the like on the left side section of another wall panel similar to wall panel 600.
Each rear surface 602, 604 of the wall panel 600 comprises at least one third interface component 606, 608 to enable an exterior wall panel 600 to be releasably connected/coupled to the rear surface of an interior wall panel 500 in a horizontally offset fashion such that the inner surfaces of the panel sections of these wall panels 600 and 500 are spaced apart and their panel sections are parallel to one another. In at least one embodiment, the at least one third interface component 606, 608 may be a male connector 608 such as a hook, for example, that is releasably received by a female connector 508, such as a slot, of interior wall panel 500. An enlarged view of the hook 608 is shown in Detail A of
Referring next to
In at least one embodiment, there may be a panel extension 620 (e.g., tab) along the bottom of the panel section 601. The panel extension 620 may be used to attach the wall panel 600 to a frame of the mobile unit 300. For example, in at least one other embodiment, the panel extension 620 may be used to attach the wall panel 600 to the floor system 310 of the mobile unit 300.
Referring next to
Referring next to
In this example embodiment, the first wall panel 702 and the second wall panel 704 are releasably connected along adjoining side surfaces 708 of each respective panel. For example, the first interface component 710 of the first wall panel 702 may be releasably coupled with a similar interface component of the second wall panel 704 by using a bolt. This is typically repeated along the extent of the side surfaces 708 by using other instances of these first interface components.
The first wall panel 702 and the third wall panel 706, in the assembly 700, may be releasably connected along the adjoining rear surfaces 712, 714, respectively, of each wall panel 702 and 706. In this example embodiment, the third interface component 716 of the rear surface 712 of the first wall panel 702 may be a slot connection and the third interface component 718 of the rear surface 714 of the third wall panel 706 may be a hook connection, as shown in
Referring next to
Referring next to
Shown in
Referring next to
Referring now to
In at least one embodiment, the at least one first and second interface components on one side surface 1112 of the wall panel 1100 may be a male connector 1116a and there is a cutout 1116b that is left behind when the male connector 1116a is cut from and pulled away from the left side surface 1112. The male connector 1116a is in the form of a hook and it is oriented so that there is a slit 1116s between the bottom of the hook and the adjacent side surface 1112. The at least one second interface component 1118 on the other side surface 1114 of the wall panel 1100 may be a female connector that is shaped to receive a male connector. In this example embodiment, the at least one second interface component 1118 is a slot. Accordingly, the interface components on one side surface of the interior wall panel 1100 include male connector types while the interface components on the other side surface of the interior wall panel 1100 include female type connectors so that the interior wall panels 1100 can be laterally coupled to one another to form a larger (i.e., longer) wall section.
In another embodiment, the at least one first and second interface components 1116, 1118 may instead be female and male connectors, respectively, where the female connectors may be as a slot, that is shaped and located to engage with a corresponding male connector, such as a hook, of an adjacent interior wall panel. In another embodiment, the at least one first interface components 1106, 1108 may each include both a male portion and a female portion such as, for example, the slot and tab interface component of the wall panels described in PCT patent application number PCT/CA2021/051031 filed on Jul. 23, 2021, a screw connection, a bolt connection, or any other suitable releasable connection system. In at least one embodiment, there are a plurality of the interface components 1116, 1118 that are located and spaced apart along the length of the surfaces 1112, 1114, respectively, of the panel 1100. This allows for more connections along the height of laterally adjacent panels thereby providing a more secure and stronger connection.
In at least one embodiment, the second interface components 1106 and 1108 may be a female connector, such as a slot, that is located and shaped to receive a male connector, such as a hook, of a corresponding exterior wall panel (e.g., wall panel 1200 of
In another embodiment, the at least one second interface component 1106, 1108 may instead be a male connector, such as a hook, that is shaped and located to engage with a corresponding female connector, such as a slot, of a corresponding exterior wall panel. In another embodiment, the at least one third interface components 1106, 1108 may each include both a male portion and a female portion such as, for example, the slot and tab interface component of the wall panels described in PCT patent application number PCT/CA2021/051031 filed on Jul. 23, 2021, a screw connection, a bolt connection, or any other suitable releasable connection system.
In this example embodiment, the wall panel 1100 also includes a prefabricated cutout or aperture 1103 in the panel section 1101 that may be used to pass wires therethrough for various items such as, but not limited to power outlets, cables for communication outlets or other electrical components, air lines, gas lines, communication lines, power lines or any other mechanical and/or electrical infrastructure, for example. Alternatively, mechanical components such as a vent may be situated at the aperture 1103. It should be noted that aperture 1103 is optional.
The wall panel 1100 also includes other prefabricated apertures or cutouts on the sidewall sections such as apertures 1105a, 1105b only two of which are labelled for simplicity of illustration. The apertures 1105a, 1105b may also be used to pass electrical wires, communication cables, air lines, gas lines, power lines or other mechanical and/or electrical infrastructure components between adjacent interior wall panels. Advantageously, the apertures 1105a, 1105b enable a time savings during construction because once adjacent interior wall panels 1100 are coupled together the above-noted elements can be easily passed from one interior wall panel to an adjacent wall panel using the precut apertures 1105a, 1105b as the cutouts are premade and aligned for adjacent wall panels so there is no need for additional wall cutting which reduces installation time. In at least one embodiment, apertures 1105a, 1105b can be laser cut.
Referring again to
In at least one alternative embodiment, the wall panels may employ optional reference holes that are used as guides for the placement of tools that are used to form various cutouts for certain interface components such as male interface components. An example of this is shown in
Referring now to
In at least one embodiment, the at least one second interface component 1218 of the left side surface 1212 may have a female connection such as a rectangular cutout, or the like, and the at least one first interface component 1210 of the right side surface 1214 may have a male connection such as a hook, or the like, to enable multiple exterior wall panels similar to wall panel 1200 to be releasably connected to one another in a co-planar manner to form a larger (i.e., longer) wall segment. In such embodiments, the hook, or other male connector, on the right side surface 1214 of a given wall panel similar to wall panel 1200 may be received by the slot or other corresponding female connector on the left side surface 1212 of another adjacent wall panel similar to wall panel 1200. The wider opening of the at least one second interface component 1218, provided by lateral extension cutout, an example of which is labelled as 1210e, which is a slide slot that may extend up to a bend where rear surface 1202 is formed, aids in releasably attaching an exterior wall panel to a previously installed adjacent exterior wall panel and an opposing interior wall panel (or intermediate wall panel as discussed below) at the same time.
It should be noted that the slots 1218 are wider and cover more than about 50% of the side surface area in this embodiment which allows the hook of an adjacent exterior wall panel to be moved a greater distance horizontally to provide more flexibility in positioning the adjacent exterior wall panel for releasably coupling it to another exterior wall panel as well as releasably coupling it to a horizontally offset interior wall panel (an example of this is shown in
Each rear surface 1202, 1204 of the wall panel 1200 comprises at least one third interface component 1206, 1208 to enable the exterior wall panel 1200 to be releasably connected/coupled to corresponding rear surfaces of an interior wall panel 1100 in a horizontally offset fashion such that the inner surfaces of the panel sections of these wall panels 1200 and 1100 are spaced apart and the panel sections may be generally parallel to one another. In at least one embodiment, the at least one third interface component 1206, 1208 may be a male connector 1206a, 1208a such as a hook, for example, that is releasably received by a female connector 1108, such as a slot, of interior wall panel 1100. Enlarged view of the hooks 1208a and 1206a are shown in
In at least one embodiment, there may be a panel extension 1203 along the bottom of the panel section 1201 as shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, the space between horizontally offset exterior and interior wall panels, such as wall panels 952 and 956 or between wall panels 1352 and 1354, for example, may be used to house electrical equipment, piping for air or water, communication cables, insulation, electrical devices including, but not limited to, sound measuring and pressure control devices, or any other functional and/or mechanical infrastructure components needed for use within the mobile unit 300 or any another custom enclosure.
It should also be noted that the piecewise releasable connection of interior wall panels and exterior wall panels means that one or more interior wall sections of the mobile unit 300, or another custom enclosure, may be formed first before any exterior wall panels are releasably coupled to the wall panels of the interior wall sections. This then allows for work to be conducted on the inside of the mobile unit 300, or other custom enclosure, while the entire double-panel wall system is not fully completed. For example, the interior wall panels may be put in place originally and work may continue on the inside of the mobile unit 300, while insulation, wires, electrical necessities, piping, electrical devices including, but not limited to, sound measuring and pressure control devices, or any other functional and/or mechanical infrastructure components are installed at the outer surfaces of the interior wall panels. Once this is completed the exterior wall panels may then be installed to complete the wall structures of the mobile unit 300 or other custom enclosure.
Referring now to
For example, in
Referring now to
Referring now to
It should be understood that the various depictions of staggered interface components shown and described hereon are just provided as examples and there can be other embodiments in which the interface components are laterally offset/laterally staggered in a different manner, for example, in terms of the number of interface components and their proximity to one another on a given side surface of a wall panel.
Referring now to
The number and location of the intermediate interface components 1464 may correspond with at least two interface components 1208 on the rear surface 1204 of an exterior wall panel or another intermediate wall panel and at least two interface components 1206 on the rear surface 1202 of an exterior wall panel or another intermediate wall panel. The intermediate interface components 1464 may be slidably engaged by correspondingly located interface components on the rear surface of an exterior wall panel or another intermediate wall panel which may occur in a similar manner as was described when an interior wall panel is being engaged by an exterior wall panel, an example of which was described with respect to
In use, the intermediate wall panel 1460 may releasably engage with an interior wall panel, such as wall panel 1100, in a horizontally offset manner and then an exterior wall panel, such as wall panel 1200, may releasably engage the interior wall panel 1460 also in a horizontally offset manner. This may be referred to as a three-panel wall system. An example of this, referring to
Accordingly, a multi-wall panel structure may be extended by releasably coupling additional intermediate wall panels in a horizontally offset manner where the innermost wall panel is an interior wall panel, the outermost wall panel is an exterior wall panel and there can be one or more intermediate wall panels that are all horizontally offset from one another. Each of these wall panels may then be laterally releasably coupled to like-manner wall panels to create a larger wall section as explained previously. For example, a four-panel wall system is shown in
In at least one embodiment, the intermediate wall panels may be formed using the exterior wall panels 600 (e.g., see
Advantageously, one or more intermediate wall panel layers may be used to provide additional properties to the multi-panel wall system by using different materials for the intermediate and/or exterior wall panels or placing different materials within the cavities formed between (a) two horizontally offset intermediate wall panels for wall panel systems with at least two intermediate wall panel layers and/or (b) horizontally offset exterior and interior wall panels.
As an example, again as shown in
However, depending on the use of the custom enclosure which is built using the multi-panel wall system, the intermediate and/or exterior wall panels may be made of certain materials and/or have certain surface coatings. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, certain materials can be placed within the cavities formed between two horizontally offset intermediate wall panels and/or the cavities formed between horizontally offset intermediate and exterior walls panels to allow the custom enclosure to have certain properties and/or certain ratings such as a certain fire ratings, certain insulation ratings, certain safety ratings, certain sound ratings or any combination thereof.
For example, if the custom enclosure is used in an environment that is especially cold then additional insulation may be placed within one or more of these cavities (which are the shaded regions shown in
In another example, the custom enclosure that incorporates the multi-panel wall system may be used in applications where there is a risk of explosions or in areas where there is live ammunition. In such cases, the aforementioned cavities may have materials that are selected to handle/withstand different aspects of this environment. For example, as shown in
It should be noted that for all of the various wall panel embodiments described herein, the depths (e.g., length of the side surface) of the interior, exterior and intermediate wall panels may be selected to be the same. However, in some embodiments, different types of wall panels may have different depths which will allow more material to be used within the cavities of those wall panels. For example, the depth of the exterior wall panels may be selected to be larger than the depth of the interior wall panels. For instance, not limited to the following example, the exterior wall panels may have a depth of about 4 to 5 inches and the interior wall panels may have a depth of about 2 to 3 inches. This increased depth may be used to insert more insulation adjacent the inner surface of the wall panel section of the exterior wall panels to provide for more insulation for the custom enclosure that uses these panels. Alternatively, the intermediate wall panels may have a depth that is larger than the depth of the interior wall panels and/or the exterior wall panels. Alternatively, when there is more than one intermediate wall panel layer, the intermediate wall panels used for one layer, such as the intermediate wall panels 1476 used in the bullet resistant wall panel layer of
It should be noted that the wall panels described herein may be referred to as having different wall panel types where one wall panel type is an interior wall panel type, another wall panel type is an exterior wall panel type and another wall panel type is an intermediate wall panel type. These wall panel types are similar in that they have interface components on side surface and bended rear surfaces that allow for lateral releasable connection with a wall panel having the same wall type and for horizontally offset releasable connection with wall panels of another wall panel type. Additionally, the intermediate wall panel type includes additional interface components that extend through the front and rear surfaces of the panel section to allow for horizontally offset releasable connection with another wall panel type (e.g., interior or exterior wall panel types) or the same wall panel type (e.g., intermediate wall panel type).
Referring now to
The roof panel 1500 comprises a roof section 1501 having a bottom surface 1502 and an upper surface 1504, as well as a first side section 1506 having a side surface 1511 and a second side section 1508 having a side surface 1513 that both extend away from the upper surface 1504 of the roof section. The first side section 1506 comprises a first connecting component having a first lateral portion 1510. The second side section 1508 comprises a second connecting component having a second lateral portion 1512. The second lateral portion 1512 may be slightly smaller in length than the first lateral portion 1510. The first connecting component further has a first transverse extent 1514 extending from the first lateral portion 1510 thereby providing the first connecting component forms a channel 1510c. The roof panel 1500 may generally have a width between about 16 and about 24 inches and a length between about 96 and about 144 inches. Alternatively, for certain applications in which the mobile unit 300 or other custom enclosure is smaller or larger, the roof panel 1500 may have other dimensions.
In at least one embodiment, the roof panel 1500 may be releasably connected with a similar roof panel which may be adjacent and interconnected to either of the side sections 1506 and 1508. In addition, another similar roof panel may be releasably connected to the other side section of the roof panel 1500 (an example of which is shown in
The overlapping nature of the first connecting component over the second connecting component may also allow for the connections between adjacent roof panels 1500 to provide partial or full water resistance from various weather elements such as rain or snow. However, in at least one embodiment, further weather proofing may be done by applying sealant at the areas where the edges of a given roof panel 1500 end over adjacent roof panels.
In at least one embodiment, the various connections between adjacent roof panels 1500 may be further secured by using fasteners such as screws, bolts, nails, staples, or any other securing device.
Referring now to
It should be noted that the term wall system as used herein refers to an assembly of the various embodiments of the double-panel wall system or multi-panel wall systems described herein. Also, the term roof system as used herein refers to an assembly of roof panels such as those described herein or other roof panels. In addition, the term ceiling system as used herein refers to an assembly of ceiling panels. Furthermore, the term floor system as used herein refers to an assembly of floor panels and support members. Finally, the longitudinal support beams and alternative embodiments thereof described herein may be referred to as upper longitudinal support beams, caplets, rain caps or wall caps.
The longitudinal support beam 1606 may be used to connect the wall system (a portion of which is labelled as 1601) to the roof system 1600 of at least one embodiment of the mobile unit 300 or another custom enclosure. The longitudinal support beam 1606 may be made using powder coated painted aluminum or metal or another suitable material. For example, the longitudinal support beam 1606 may be made of marine grade aluminum or another material that provides sufficient strength and is not prone to corrosion. As shown in
In at least one embodiment, in which multiple longitudinal support beams 1606 are used for an entire double-panel wall section of one side of the mobile unit 300, the longitudinal support beams may be placed end to end such that end faces of adjacent longitudinal support beams may abut one another, may be closely spaced together or may have another element placed therebetween and are aligned along the length of the walls of the mobile unit 300 or other custom enclosure. In addition, the longitudinal support beams are arranged and dimensioned so that any seams between adjacent longitudinal support beams are preferably offset from any seams between adjacent wall panels used to make a double or multi-panel wall section of the mobile unit 300 or other custom enclosure. To provide for further strength and support, in at least one embodiment, the abutting ends of the longitudinal support beams may be releasably fastened together using appropriate connectors like plates that straddle and are attached, such as by bolts, screws, nails or other appropriate releasable fasteners, to the sides of the adjacent longitudinal support beams.
The longitudinal support beam 1606 comprises a channel 1606c having a width that is able to encompass at least a single panel wall, a two panel wall or three or more panel walls that are connected in a horizontally offset manner or are stacked opposite one another (e.g., sandwiched together) such as the double or multi-panel wall systems described herein, for example. The longitudinal support beam 1606 comprises a top surface 1608, a first side surface 1610 and a second side surface 1612.
It should be noted that in an alternative embodiment, the channel 1606c may include another element, such as a vertical spacer 1608s shown in
The top surface 1608 of the longitudinal support beam 1606 may be horizontal with respect to the top ends of the side surfaces 1610 and 1612 or it might be slightly angled in alternative embodiments which will result in roof panels that are slightly angled when they are releasably mounted to the top surface 1608. This allows a roof system to be angled to allow for run off of environmental elements such as rain, water and snow.
In at least one embodiment, as shown in
The second side surface 1612 has a lateral flange 1614 that acts as a shelf. The second side surface 1612 may be longer (e.g., have a greater height) than the first side surface 1610 so that one or more ceiling panels that sit on top of the shelf 1614 are spaced further apart from the roof panels of the roofing structure that is releasably connected to the longitudinal support beam 1606.
Referring now to
The longitudinal support beam 1650 is modified to provide a tray or trough 1615 which is formed by the shelf 1614, an upwardly directed wall 1652 that extends upward from the shelf 1614 and a lip or ledge 1654 that extends laterally outwards from an upper longitudinal edge of the wall 1652. The tray 1615 can be used to hold various components such as wires, cables, gas lines, other applicable infrastructure components or a combination thereof. For example, electrical cables and/or wires can sit within the tray 1615 and then be routed to another room such as an electrical room or a maintenance room. In this example embodiment, the wall 1652 is angled but in alternative embodiments it might be a straight vertical wall.
In at least one embodiment, the longitudinal support beam 1650 may also incorporate slots or holes 1656, only one of which is labelled for simplicity, to allow for components such as wires, gas lines, cables or other infrastructure components, for example, to be passed between at least one of the cavities of the wall panel system and the tray 1615 without leaving these components exposed to the interior of the custom enclosure where they may be damaged or may cause other problems. For example, cables may be passed between the interior of the double-wall panel system 1601 and the tray 1615 in which case the tray 1615 may be referred to as a cable tray.
The slots 1656 are large enough such that a worker can drill a hole into an interior wall panel using one of the slots 1615 as a template and then pass the infrastructure components therethrough. For example, the worker who is drilling holes into the interior wall panel may be drilling on an angle to allow for more access for drilling the hole itself and passing cables through one or more of the slots 1656.
In at least one embodiment, the longitudinal support beam 1650 may also include smaller apertures through which screws may be inserted to releasably fasten the longitudinal support beam 1650 to the interior wall panels. There may be similar apertures on the side wall 1610 for releasably fastening the opposite side of the longitudinal support beam 1650 to the outer surface of the exterior wall panels.
These embodiments of the longitudinal support beam 1650 may be used with a ceiling structure that is a drop ceiling in which edges of the ceiling panels closest to the walls of the custom enclosure sit on top of the ledge 1654. This may also be referred to as a false ceiling. Any cables or electrical wiring can then be run from the tray 1615 along the top surface of the ceiling panels to an electrical fixture such as a light, for example. A false ceiling may be suitable for custom enclosures that are used for medical purposes such as a patient room, an ICU, an operating room or other healthcare structure.
Referring now to
While the longitudinal support beam 1606 is shown covering a portion of a double wall panel system, in other embodiments the width of the channel 1606c of the longitudinal support beam 1606 can be selected to receive a single-panel wall or to receive three or more wall panels for a multi-panel wall system such as that shown in
Referring again to
As described previously, multiple longitudinal support beams 1606 may be placed in an end-to-end manner to abut against one another along the top surface of the wall panel system 1702 to provide support for the wall system 1702 and the roof system 1703 along a portion of or the entire circumference of the mobile unit 300 or other custom enclosure. The wall panels of the wall panel system 1702 may also be secured to the longitudinal support beam 1606 through any releasable securing means such as, but not limited to, fasteners like screws, bolts, or any other connection means, for example, although preferably releasable connection means are used.
In use, the longitudinal support beam 1606 may be used to provide support for one or more roof panels 1714. The roof panels 1714 may sit on top of the top section 1608 of the longitudinal support beam 1606. The roof panels 1714 may also be secured to the longitudinal support beam 1606 through any releasable securing means such as, but not limited to, fasteners like screws, bolts, or any other connection means, although preferably releasable connection means are used, for example. In other embodiments, other types of roof panels may be used and the roof system may be flat, sloped or partially sloped (e.g., see
In at least one embodiment, the construction of the longitudinal support beam 1606 may allow the mobile unit 300 or other custom enclosure to be constructed in such a way as to allow the ceiling panels 1716 to be releasably installed onto the lateral shelf 1614 first, through any releasable securing means, such as, but not limited to, releasable fasteners like screws, bolts or any other suitable releasable connection means, for example. In other embodiments, other types of ceiling panels/tiles may be used.
Once the ceiling panels 1716 have been installed on the lateral shelf 1614, functional components such as electrical necessities (e.g., electrical wires, etc.), piping for water, air or another gas, communication cables or wires, insulation, HVAC systems, electrical devices including, but not limited to, sound measuring and pressure control devices, or any other functional/infrastructure components needed for use within the mobile unit 300 may be installed within the cavity 1718 between the roof panels 1714 and the ceiling panels 1716. The inclusion of this cavity may allow for ease of construction, as the initial installation of the ceiling panels 1716 may allow for work to be conducted later within the mobile unit 300 or custom enclosure before the roof panels 1714 and the functional components are being installed above the ceiling panels 1716.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The basket 1920, which may also be referred to as a shelf, of the roof panel 1900 has a lower panel section 1921 with two upward oriented side walls 1922 and 1924 that extend therefrom. The basket 1920 may be U-shaped as shown. The side walls 1922 and 1924 may be releasably connected to the side surfaces 1913 and 1911, respectively, of the roof panel 1900 such that there is a space or cavity between an upper surface of the basket panel section 1921 and the lower surface 1904 of the roof section 1901. This cavity may be used to receive certain components.
In at least one embodiment, the basket 1920 may also include a plurality of apertures 1928 that may be situated on any combination of the section 1921, the side wall 1922 and/or the side wall 1924. The apertures provide for sound attenuation when the roof panels 1900 are used for a custom enclosure that includes sound generating sources that create loud noise such as, but not limited to, an engine for example and it is desired that the generated loud noise is acoustically attenuated so that it is not as audible outside of the custom enclosure. Accordingly, when there are components in a custom enclosure that are excessively noisy, the roof panels 1900 may be used for the roof system of the enclosure to dampen the sound that is generated from within so that the sound is not as audible outside of the enclosure.
The apertures 1928 may have various shapes, patterns and/or sizes. For example, the apertures 1928 may have a shape that includes, but is not limited to, circular, elliptical/oblong, rectangular, square, polygonal (e.g., pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.) or a cross. The apertures may have a diameter or width of about 1 inch, but other sizes can be used in other embodiments. The sheet having the apertures 1928 acts as a membrane to return sound waves back to the sound generating source for at least partial cancellation of other sound waves emanating from the sound generating device.
Referring now to
Accordingly, in at least one embodiment, a custom enclosure may be built with a roof system that incorporates a plurality of roof panels such as roof panels 1950. The roof panels 1950 may be releasably connected to the custom enclosure and the custom enclosure may be used to house large engines or other noisy or large equipment. In conventional enclosures that use conventional roof structures, when such engines have to be serviced and some engine pieces replaced, one or more sections of such conventional enclosures have to be cut and removed in order to access the engine. However, in embodiments which utilize the roof panels described herein, a section of the roof panels or a larger percentage (e.g., 50%, 75% or near 100%) of the roof panels may be easily disassembled, since they were initially releasably connected, and the engine or other large equipment can then be removed or accessed from the top of the enclosure where the roof panels were disassembled. Alternatively, in custom enclosures which utilize the releasably connectable double-panel wall system described herein, a section of the wall panels may be easily disassembled, since they were initially releasably connected during initial assembly, and the engine can then be removed or accessed from the section of the wall panels that were disassembled.
Referring now to
In at least one embodiment, the roof panel 2000 may be further modified so that the lower surfaces at the far end of the basket 1920a includes slots 2004 (see
It should be noted that while
It should be noted that in various embodiments of custom enclosures using the wall and roof panels described herein, the longitudinal support beam which may be used depends on the circumstances and may be the longitudinal support beam 1606 without the tray or one of the longitudinal support beams 1660 or 2002 with the tray.
Referring now to
The components of the floor system 2104 may be made using structural steel which is more heavy-duty. Other materials that may be used for the floor system 210 include, but are not limited to, wood joists, engineered wood (e.g., engineered laminate veneer lumber), composite materials which may include carbon thermoplastics or 3D printed materials, for example. The longitudinal support beams 2108a-2108d may be referred to as floor longitudinal support beams, lower longitudinal support beams or C-shaped support beams (for the example shown).
For custom enclosures that are larger in width, such as the enclosure 2100, some of the longitudinal support beams 2108a-2108d, e.g., beams 2108b and 2108c, may be used to releasably couple different sections of the floor system 2104 together. Accordingly, some of the cross beams including floor cross beams 2106a and 2106c are used to form a first section of the floor system 2104 and other cross beams including floor cross beams 2106b and 2106d are used to form a second section of the floor system 2104. Accordingly, in this case, the longitudinal support beams 2108b-2108c are coupled to one another and to the first and second floor sections, respectively. For example, the longitudinal support beams 2108b and 2108c may be oriented back-to-back, which may also be referred to as side-by-side (e.g., in a mirrored arrangement) so that the vertical sections of these beams are adjacent to one another.
Since the enclosure 2100 is a double-width enclosure that provides the same space as two rooms side-by-side but without a wall situated near the middle section of the enclosure 2100, several posts 2114 and a roof support structure 2112 may be used to support the ceiling system and the roof system which are both not shown. Only one of the posts 2114 is labeled for simplicity of illustration. The enclosure 2100 may also be referred to as a double-room enclosure.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The floor cross beams 2106a and 2106c, only two of which are labelled for simplicity, are releasably connected to the longitudinal support members, which in this case are longitudinal support members 2108a and 2108b, which may be done using releasable fasteners such as bolts, for example. The floor system 2104 may be assembled so that the left and right floor sections are assembled separately. In the case of a single room width enclosure, there is only one floor section that is assembled. For the assembly of each floor section, once both ends of the cross members are releasably connected to the longitudinal support beams, a plurality of floor panels (where floor panel 2105 in
It should be noted that when assembling the floor system 2104, in addition to installing floor panels, other functional elements can be installed in the floor system related to the construction/operation of the custom enclosure. These functional elements may include mechanical floor access panels that allow access to the space under the floor, water supply pipes and drainage pipes, floor electrical access ports and any other floor entry points as needed.
Once the floor sections of the floor system 2104 are assembled, the longitudinal connection members 2120 and 2121 are attached to one or more longitudinal support beams 2108a, and the interior wall panels are releasably connected to the upward vertical sections 2102a of the longitudinal connection members 2120 and 2120a. Adjacent interior wall panels are also releasably connected to one another as previously described. After the various inner wall components (e.g., mechanical, electrical, and/or structural elements) have been added to the outer surface of the interior wall panels, the exterior wall panels can be releasably connected to opposing interior wall panels while also engaging adjacent exterior wall panels. The lower panel extension 1203 of the exterior wall panels are also releasably connected to the outer downward vertical sections 2120c of the various longitudinal connection members 2120 and 2120a. It should be noted that in at least one alternative embodiment, thermal spacers may be used, such as thermal spacer 2120s, to reduce heat transfer between the components of the floor system and the wall system. Depending on the application of the custom enclosure, the thermal spacers 2120s may be optional. A plurality of the thermal spacers 2120s may be used and they may have different shapes compared to what is shown in
The assembly and attachment of the double-panel wall 2102a and a first half (e.g., left half) of the interior and exterior wall panels for side wall 2102b may be done to complete the left half of the outer shell for the enclosure 2100. Certain interior components for the first half (e.g., left half) of the enclosure 2100 may then be installed/assembled. The assembly and attachment of the double-panel walls 2102a and the second half (e.g., right half) of the interior and exterior wall panels for side wall 2102b may then be done (or done in parallel with the assembly of the left half) to complete the right half of the outer shell for the enclosure 2100. Certain interior components for the second half (e.g., right half) of the enclosure 2100 may then be installed/assembled. In this fashion two halves of the double-room enclosure 2100 may first be constructed and then transported separately to the installation site where they are assembled together.
Referring now to
Although just two roof support beams 2130-2132 are shown, there are generally one or more additional roof support beams that are arranged linearly such as in an end-to-end configuration with roof support means 2130 and 2132 to span all of the length of the enclosure 2100. The roof support beams 2130 and 2132 may be hollow (as shown) or may be solid in other embodiments. The roof support beams 2130 and 2132 may have a rectangular cross-section, an I-beam cross-section or another suitable cross-section. The roof support beams 2130-2132 may be made from steel, aluminum, any other suitable metals, composite materials or other materials. The roof support beams 2130-2132 may be releasably bolted in place or welded depending on the use of the custom enclosure 2100.
Although only two first support brackets 2134a-2134b and two second support brackets 2136a-2136b are shown, it should be understood that there may be additional ceiling support brackets that are arranged linearly such as in an end to end manner to span the entire length of the enclosure 2100 or spaced apart to span a substantial portion (e.g., more than 75%) of the length of the enclosure 2100. The support brackets 2134a-2134b and 2136a-2136b have a vertical section for releasable mounting to the longitudinal support beams 2130 and 2132, respectively, using releasable fasteners such as bolts, for example, or permanent fastening such as welds in some cases. The support brackets 2134a-2134b and 2136a-2136b may have an upper flange or generally upper horizontal portion that extends from a top portion of the vertical section to provide structural support for at least a portion of the roof system (not shown). The support brackets 2134a-2134b and 2136a-2136b may also have a lower flange or generally lower horizontal portion that extends from a bottom portion of the vertical section to provide structural support for at least a portion of the ceiling system (not shown). The support brackets 2134a-2134b and 2136a-2136b may be made from a similar material as the roof support beams 2130-2132 such as steel, aluminum, composite materials or other suitable materials.
The connectors 2140 and 2142 may be used to releasably connect to an upper portion of support posts, such as support post 2144, which provide some load bearing support for the ceiling system and/or roof system. As shown in
Referring now to
One side edge of the plurality of right section ceiling panels 2152 rests on the lower flange portion of the support bracket 2134b and the other side edge of the plurality of right section ceiling panels 2152 rests on the lower flange portion of the longitudinal support beam 1606b. Likewise one side edge of the plurality of left section ceiling panels 2154 rests on the lower flange portion of the support bracket 2134a and the other side edge of the plurality of right section ceiling panels 2154 rests on the lower flange portion of the longitudinal support beam 1606a. The ceiling panels 2152 and 2154 may generally be releasably connected to the brackets 2134a and 2134b and the longitudinal support beams 1606a and 1606b using releasable fasteners such as bolts or screws, for example. After the ceiling panels 2152 and 2154 are assembled, a sealant can be applied to the seams to provide an airtight seal if the enclosure 2100 is being used in a medical or laboratory setting or other applications where air quality and air pressure in the enclosure 2100 is important.
One side edge of the plurality of right section roof panels 2152 rests on the top surface of upper horizontal flange of the support bracket 2134b and the other side edge of the plurality of right section ceiling panels 2152 rests on an upper surface of the longitudinal support beam 1606b. Likewise one side edge of the plurality of left section roof panels 2164 rests on the top surface of the upper horizontal flange portion of the support bracket 2134a and the other side edge of the plurality of right section roof panels 2164 rests on the upper surface of the longitudinal support beam 1606a. The roof panels 2162 and 2164 may generally be releasably connected to the brackets 2134a and 2134b and the longitudinal support beams 1606a and 1606b using releasable fasteners such as bolts or screws. After the roof panels 2162 and 2164 are assembled, roof caplets 2166 may be releasably connected at the midpoint of the roof system 2160 along all or substantially (e.g., at least 75%) all of the length of the enclosure 2100 to provide further structural integrity to the roof system 2160. Once the elements of the roof system 2160 are assembled, a sealant can be applied to any seams to provide a watertight seal if the enclosure 2100 is exposed to the elements.
In an alternative embodiment, there may be an alternative implementation of the roof system that is used in which one or more trusses are used to provide support for the roof panels. An example of a roof system that uses one or more trusses is shown in PCT patent application no. PCT/CA2021/051323 filed on Sep. 23, 2021, which is herein incorporated by reference.
The roof system 2160 may also have a releasably coupled configuration which allows each half of the custom enclosure 2100 to be manufactured and then releasably connected together during installation by releasably connecting certain structures together including the left and right sections of the roof system 2160. For example, this may include releasably connecting the roof support beams 2130-2132 to one another. This may be done using releasable fasteners and sealing material, examples of which are discussed with respect to
Referring now to
The roof structure 2160a may be referred to as a releasably connectable split roof since the two custom enclosure units may be assembled independently, delivered to a site and then releasably connected to one another during site installation of the full custom enclosure. The releasable connection system comprises a plurality of bolts that are removably inserted along a length of the first and second sets of longitudinal roof support members. An example of a bolted flange releasable connection is shown at 2167. The releasable connection system may be used instead of welding (which is conventionally used). This releasable connectivity is advantageous in that the custom enclosure may be disassembled if needed and transported to another site where it may be re-assembled, which is not possible if welding were used. In at least one embodiment there may be a plurality of bolts that are spaced out along the extent of the longitudinal support beams 2130 and 2132 to provide for a more secure coupling.
Also, in between the bolted flange connections along the lengths of the longitudinal support members 2130 and 2132 may be sealing material 2168 which is used to prevent any water, rain, snow or other environmental elements from entering into the enclosure. The sealing material 2168 may be made from neoprene foam, closed cell foam or other suitable sealing materials.
During installation, the sealing material is placed between facing surfaces of the first and second sets of longitudinal roof support members before the releasable connection system is applied which results in the two units including the two half roof structures being mechanically pulled or other urged together with the sealing foam material in place. Application of the releasable connection system, which may be done using a stud assembly, applies a compressive force to the sealing material to improve its sealing properties. As the support beams 2130 and 2132 are pulled closer together and releasably secured together, this compresses the sealing form 2168 to form a leak proof seal to reduce any occurrence of leaks in the releasably connectable roof structure.
Referring now to
The corner support members 2103o and 2103i may be implemented using L beams or L-brackets with two sections or arms 2103oa, 2103ob and 2103ia, 2103ib, respectively, that each have lengths that are sufficient to provide a desired amount of structural support. The lengths of these sections 2103oa, 2103ob, 2103ia, 2103ib may be different than what is shown in
The corner support members 2103o and 2103i may be referred to as corner support trim and may have a height that substantially extends from a top end portion of the double-panel walls 2102a and 2102b near, adjacent or overlying the longitudinal support members (also known as the wall caps) to a bottom end portion of the double-panel walls 2102a and 2102b near, adjacent or overlying the lower longitudinal support members at the floor system. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the corner support members 2103o and 2103i may have shorter lengths such that they cover about 50% to about 95% of the height of the walls 2102a and 2102b.
In
Referring now to
Each of the half units may be mostly (e.g., 95%) or fully pre-fabricated and tested at a manufacturing location and then transported separately to the site and assembled together at the installation site. This allows for a reduction in time for installing the laboratory at the installation site. Furthermore, since the laboratory half units 2202a-2208b are releasably connected to one another during assembly at the installation site, the laboratory half units 2202a-2208b can be easily disassembled and then transported to another site and assembled once more. In at least one embodiment, each half unit may have dimensions to allow them to be transported on a transport truck. In such cases, each half unit may have a dimension that is similar to an intermodal shipping container although each half-unit is a part of a custom enclosure.
One or more of the laboratory units 2202-2208 may have an air handling system that is accessible through a maintenance room. In this case each of the laboratory units 2202-2208 have their own respective air handling system accessible by their own respective maintenance rooms 2202m-2208m, respectively. This allows each laboratory unit 2202-2208 to maintain its own respective air pressure and air conditioning levels independent of the other laboratory units. Accordingly, each of the laboratory units 2202-2208 may operate independently from one another. The maintenance rooms 2202m-2208m for each laboratory unit 2202-2208 house electrical and HVAC components and can be accessed from the exterior which significantly reduces the number of times that service personnel ever have to enter into the laboratory units 2202-2208. In at least one embodiment, each laboratory unit 2202-2208 may also have their own UPS system in case of power failure. The air handling system, as described in PCT patent application no. PCT/CA2021/051031 filed on Jul. 23, 2021, allows the laboratory units 2202-2208 to independently operate in different pressure environments including negative pressure environments.
Referring now to
It should be noted that any openings near an end of a given wall that do not have a hung door may be capped with a trim piece to hide the interface components of the wall panels that make up the given wall. In addition, any inner corners between wall panels may include a corner support member such as corner support member 2103i, for example, where structural support is needed or a trim piece can be used for finishing purposes at areas of the structure where there are internal corners, at the ends of internal walls such as the end of wall 2332 that faces the inside of the of the laboratory workplace (see
As can be seen in
With respect to the laboratory 2200, and other custom enclosures that may be constructed using the various components and construction techniques described herein, the surfaces of the interior wall panels are generally flat and seamless (either due to the releasable connections of adjacent panels and/or use of a sealant), which enables more efficient and effective cleaning, sanitization and/or infection control methods to be performed as it relates to when these structures are used to provide sterile environments such as for laboratory and medical uses.
In another aspect, the modular design of releasable connection of the various building components, described in accordance with the teachings herein, allows custom enclosures to be easily made according to any size requirements since modular enclosures can be combined to create a larger custom enclosure. The interior wall panels may be releasably removed to provide more open interior space within the custom enclosure, such as in an open layout, and other structural elements such as roof support systems with posts in some cases and/or trusses in other cases may be used to provide the structural support needed for the roof system. Accordingly, the half-units 2202a-2208b may have different sizes or have different internal structures relative to one another depending on the design and operational requirements of the laboratory 2200.
In another aspect, exterior and interior wall panels for double-panel walls may also be releasably removed in order to increase the size of the custom enclosure. For example, some exterior and interior wall panels may be releasably removed to provide a doorway or allow for an open space for a new modular enclosure that may be releasably connected to an existing custom enclosure to increase its size. Alternatively, some exterior and interior wall panels allow for a modular design in that they are releasably attached and can easily be removed to allow for a direct expansion of the size of a room or area of a custom enclosure such as by increasing the width and/or length of the custom enclosure by adding interior and exterior wall panels that have a different alignment relative to the direction of the exterior and interior wall panels that were removed to provide new perpendicular and/or angled double-panel walls.
In another aspect, the construction elements and construction techniques described herein can be used in building multi-level structures. For example, the corners where sidewalls abut may be reinforced with vertical support members (e.g., posts), the roof systems may be flat, and the wall systems and roof systems reinforced and made with material having the required strength to support the weight of one or more custom enclosures that are placed above in an upper level of the multi-level structure.
In another aspect, the modular design and the use of air-tight seals, as described previously, for the double-panel walls and the use of separate air handling systems for each lab unit allows for multiple air locks within the laboratory units. For example, the regions labelled 2218a and 2218b in the lab unit 2206 shown in
Constructing laboratory units from the custom enclosures described herein such that they are provided with airtight seals, independent air handling systems to vary pressure therein as well as custom electrical and backup power, allows these laboratory units to be built to meet various standards such as Containment Level 2 (CL2) or CL3 standards which are used for work with medium risk biological agents and hazards as well as other various codes such as various building codes depending on the use of the custom enclosure.
In general, the interior wall panels, the exterior wall panels, the roof panels, the ceiling tiles, and the various longitudinal support beams and connection beams of the mobile unit 300, the custom enclosure 2100 and other custom enclosures made using the construction elements and construction techniques described herein may be formed using materials such as metals, polymer materials, composite materials or recycled materials that can provide the required structural strength and/or rigidity. Examples of metals include aluminum, marine grade aluminum, or steel. For example, AL 5052 marine grade aluminum may be used. The marine grade aluminum is lightweight, and it may also provide corrosion resistance and may tolerate constant contact with water. Alternatively, in at least one embodiment, the exterior wall panels and the roof panels may be formed of another metal such as, for example, A36, 44W, or any other suitable ASTM grades. Examples of polymer materials include, but are not limited to, plastics, thermoplastics, carbon fiber, and carbon-fiber based thermoplastic materials. Composite materials may include materials that have been 3D-printed, examples of which are described with respect to
In another aspect, the materials that are used for the aforementioned elements may inherently be fire retardant or coated with a fire resistant material. For example, the interior and exterior wall panels, the ceiling tiles, the floor panels (not shown) and the roof panels may be coated with a fire-retardant spray to prevent damage to the interior of the mobile unit 300, enclosure 2100 or other custom enclosure.
The particular type of material and/or coating that is used for one of the construction elements described herein is selected to meet the requirements of the construction element including rigidity, resistance to stress, and safety factors (e.g., fireproof, bulletproof, etc.).
The various construction elements described herein may be made using more conventional metal forming techniques and cutting. For example, laser cutting may be used. Alternatively, 3D printing may be used to manufacture the construction elements and may significantly reduce any wasted materials. Advantageously, 3D printing may be used to create a compound construction element which would otherwise be constructed as two separate construction elements using conventional manufacturing techniques such as the longitudinal support beam 2108a and the longitudinal connection member 2120. In fact, 3D printing may be used to create various different geometric shapes which may be used for various purposes such as the male and female connection elements described herein.
In addition, two or more materials may be used with 3D printing to create a compound material that may be used to manufacture construction elements where the compound material has certain desired characteristics, such as strength and/or flexibility, and/or certain properties such as being fire retardant and/or anti-corrosive. For instance, referring now to
Referring now to
Wall panels 2401 and 2402 include upper channels 2401c which may be used to suspend the wall panels 2401 and 2402 and move them to a certain location for installation. The channels 2401c may also be used to fasten together adjacent wall panels that are connected in a lateral fashion to build a larger wall section.
On one side surface of wall panel 2401 there is at least one interface component 2403 with a male portion 2403m, such as a tab, and a cutout 2403s. The cutout 2403s is a rectangular cutout that does not have to have the shape of the tab of the male portion 2403m. On the other side surface of the wall panel 2401, there is at least one interface component 2405 which may be a narrow slot that is sized to be slightly larger than the male portion 2403m which allows for the lateral connection of another wall panel that has the same structure as wall panel 2401. The interface components on both side surfaces of the wall panel 2401 are at corresponding heights to allow these interface components to mate with corresponding interface components of an adjacent wall panel having the same structure as wall panel 2401. For increased structural stability, there may be several of the interface components 2403 and 2405 that are spaced apart on the side surface of the wall panel 2401.
On a rear surface (which may be a bended surface) of the wall panel 2401 there is another interface component 2404 that is a female connector in the form of a slot and similar in shape as the slot of interface component 1108. On the other bended rear surface (not shown) of the wall panel 2401, there is at least one interface component 2406 with a similar slot. For increased structural stability, there may be several of the interface components 2404 and 2406 that are spaced apart on the rear bended surfaces of the wall panel 2401.
The wall panel 2401 also includes at least one set of cutouts 2407 which may be at a lower half portion of the wall panel 2401. The set of cutouts 2407 may be used for passing wiring, pipes and other infrastructure components between wall panels that are laterally adjacent to one another. The example in
The wall panel 2401 may also include at least one bottom support tab located at the bottom of the wall panel 2401 and directed inwards. In this example, there are two bottom support tabs 2408a and 2408b. The bottom support tabs 2408a and 2408b may be used to fasten the wall panel 2401 to a support structure such as flooring or support beams. Accordingly, the support tabs 2408a and 2408b may have apertures for receiving fasteners such as screws or bolts. The support tabs 2408a and 2408b may also be used to retain objects that are placed within the cavity of the wall panel 2401 so that the objects do not fall out the bottom of the wall panel 2401 when the wall panel 2401 is lifted. Examples of such objects include blocks of insulation.
The wall panel 2402 is similar to wall panel 2401 and has at least one interface component 2409 on one side surface that is a female component in the shape of a wide slot and at least one interface component 2410 on another side surface that has a male component 2410m and a cutout 2410s. The slot 2409 is a wide slot which allows for the lateral connection of the male interface component of another wall panel that has the same structure as wall panel 2402. The interface components on both side surfaces of the wall panel 2402 are at corresponding heights to allow these interface components to mate with corresponding interface components of an adjacent wall panel having the same structure as wall panel 2402. For increased structural stability, there may be several of the interface components 2409 and 2410 that are spaced apart on the side surface of the wall panel 2402. The wall panel 2402 also contains sets of cutouts on the side surfaces for similar reasons as the set of cutouts 2407 of wall panel 2401. The wall panel 2402 also includes an L-shaped slot 2411 at the bottom ends of the side surfaces which allows the wall panel 2402 to be mounted and releasably fixed to an angle iron or L-bracket as described for other embodiments of wall panels.
In at least one embodiment, any of the wall panels described herein may have an indicator to show direction of installation when the wall panels are being connected to one another laterally. An example of this is indicator 2401i in
Referring now to
Referring now to
On one side surface of wall panel 2421a, 2421b there is at least one interface component 2423 with a male portion 2423m, such as a tab, and a cutout 2423s. The cutout 2423s is a rectangular cutout similar to cutout 2403s. On the other side surface of the wall panel 2421a, 2121b, there is at least one interface component 2425 which may be a narrow slot that is sized to be slightly larger than the male portion 2423m which allows for the lateral connection of another wall panel that has the same structure as wall panel 2421a, 2421b. The interface components on both side surfaces of the wall panel 2421a, 2421b are at corresponding heights to allow these interface components to mate with corresponding interface components of an adjacent wall panel having the same structure as wall panel 2421a, 2421b. For increased structural stability, there may be several of the interface components 2423 and 2425 that are spaced apart on the side surface of the wall panel 2421a, 2421b.
The rear bended surfaces of the wall panels 2421a, 2421b and 2422a, 2422b have interface components (not shown) as was described for other embodiments of wall panels described herein. The wall panels 2421a, 2421b and 2422a, 2422b also include at least one set of cutouts 2424 which may be at a lower third portion and mid portion of the wall panels 2421a, 2421b and 2422a, 2422b. The set of cutouts 2424 may be used for passing wiring, pipes and other infrastructure components between wall panels that are laterally adjacent to one another. The example in
The wall panel 2422a, 2422b is somewhat similar to the wall panel 2421a, 2421b and has at least one interface component 2427 on one side surface that is a female component in the shape of a wide slot and at least one interface component 2428 on another side surface that has a male component 2428m and a cutout 2428s. The slot 2427 is a wide slot which allows for the lateral connection of the male interface component of another wall panel that has the same structure as wall panel 2422a, 2422b. The interface components on both side surfaces of the wall panel 2422a, 2422b are at corresponding heights to allow these interface components to mate with corresponding interface components of an adjacent wall panel having the same structure as wall panel 2422a, 2422b. For increased structural stability, there may be several of the interface components 2427 and 2428 that are spaced apart on the side surface of the wall panel 2422a, 2422b. The wall panel 2422a, 2422b also contains sets of cutouts on the side surfaces for similar reasons as the set of cutouts 2424 of wall panel 2421a, 2421b.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The wall panel system 2430 includes a rain cap 2431, an exterior wall panel 2432, an exterior plate 2433, a wood structure 2434, a first drywall sheet 2435, steel studs 2436, a second drywall sheet 2437 and a third drywall sheet 2438. While these elements are referred to in the singular and reference numerals are used for one instance of these elements in
A custom enclosure that is made using the wall panel system 2430 may have insulation requirements and so insulation may be included at one or more layers of the wall panel system 2430 including the cavities of the exterior wall panels, the spaces between adjacent studs of the wooden structure, the spaces between adjacent steel studs, or any combination thereof. In this example, the wooden structure and steel studs layer have insulation.
The exterior wall panel 2432 has one side surface with at least one interface component 2432s, two rear bended surfaces that have at least one interface component 2432h and another side surface with at least one interface component (both not visible in
The wall panel 2432 includes at least one cutout 2432c which may be at a lower bottom portion of the wall panel 2432. The cutout 2432c may be used for passing wiring, cables, pipes and other infrastructure components between the exterior wall panels that are laterally adjacent to one another. The wall panel 2432 also includes an extension portion 2432c that may be connected to a portion of the floor system that the wall panel 2432 is attached to during manufacturing or installation. The exterior wall panel 2432 may also include apertures 2432a to facilitate the attachment of the exterior wall panel 2432 to a portion of the floor system or other objects such as the exterior plate 2433. The exterior wall panel 2432 may also include apertures 2432p at upper end portions of the side surfaces of the exterior wall panel 2432. The apertures 2432p may be used to support the wall panel 2432 when it is moved into place using construction equipment for installation. The apertures 2432p may also be used as another connection location to fasten together laterally adjacent wall panels 2432.
The rain cap 2431 is a trim piece that has a top longitudinal strip with inner and outer downward extending portions on either side of the longitudinal strip to form a U-shaped channel 2431c. The rain cap 2431 also has a downward slanted strip 2431s extending away from the outer downward extending portion for deflecting away environmental elements, such as rain or snow, from the outer surface of the exterior wall panels 2432. The channel 2431c may be large enough so that the rain cap 2431 slidably receives the top of the exterior wall panel 2432 and the rain cap is secured to the exterior wall panel 2432 with suitable fasteners. Alternatively, the width of the channel 2431c may be large enough so that the rain cap 2431 also slidably receives the exterior plate 2433 and the rain cap is secured to the exterior wall panel 2432 and the exterior plate 2433 with suitable fasteners. The rain cap 2431 may be optional in some cases.
The exterior plate 2433 is a flat panel that replaces the interior wall panels described herein in this wall panel system 2430 which allows for a reduced thickness for the exterior wall compared to embodiments where interior wall panels are used. This structure may also provide improved fire rating as it allows the exterior wall panel 2432 to act as a cladding and wires can be run through the cavities of the exterior wall panels 2432. The same materials may be used to make the exterior wall panels 2432 and the exterior plates as described for other wall panel systems herein.
The exterior plate 2433 includes a plurality of apertures 2433a arranged in columns that may be used to pass electrical, mechanical and/or structural components therethrough. The apertures 2433a also allow the exterior plate 2433 to be made using less material which reduces manufacturing costs as well the weight of the wall panel system 2430. The width of each exterior plate 2433 may be selected so that one piece of exterior plate 2433 releasably engages two laterally adjacent exterior wall panels.
The exterior plate 2433 includes interface components in the form of slots 2433s, as described for previous wall panels, that are engaged by the interface components (e.g., male components 2433m) of the exterior wall panels 2432 so that the plate 2433 is engaged with the exterior wall panel 2432 in a horizontally offset manner. In an alternative embodiment, the interface components of the exterior plate 2433 may be male components and the corresponding interface components exterior wall panel 2432 may be female components. The interface components of the exterior plate 2433s are spaced apart at the same height so that they collectively engage with interface components of two adjacent exterior wall panels. In at least one alternative embodiment, there may be a plurality of interface components on the exterior plate 2433 formed along several rows where each row is located between upper and lower apertures 2433a.
The wood structure 2434 is a wooden frame with several wood studs that is attached to the inner surface of the exterior plate 2433 which is the surface of the exterior plate that faces towards the inside of the custom enclosure. This attachment may be through fasteners that engage apertures 2433h on the plate 2433 and extend into the wood structure 2434. be Insulation may optionally be placed between the wood studs of the wood structure 2434. The wood structure 2434 includes a lower wood beam 2434p that extends longitudinally along the bottom of the wood structure 2434. The wood studs are attached so inward (e.g., directed towards the interior of the custom enclosure) facing surfaces are flush with an inward facing surface of the wood beam 2434 so that they are offset away from the outward facing surface of the wood beam 2434 which provides a surface upon which the exterior plate 2433 and the exterior wall panel 2432 are placed.
The first drywall sheet layer includes drywall sheets 2435 that are fastened to the wood structure 2435. For some applications, the drywall sheets 2435 are used as a finishing layer for the wall panel system 2430 and there are no additional layers. This may be done in cases where layers 2432 to 2435 are sufficient to meet thermal insulation requirements and additional layers may not be added due to reduced footprint for installation.
For applications where there are increased thermal insulation requirements, the wall panel system 2430 includes the steel studs 2436 and the second drywall layer including drywall sheets 2437. In alternative embodiments, other material having suitable strength and rigidity may be used instead of steel. The steel studs 2436 are attached to the drywall sheets 2435 and aligned with the wood studs of the wood structure 2434. Optionally, insulation material may be placed between adjacent steel studs 2436 to increase thermal and/or acoustic insulation for the wall panel system 2430. The drywall sheets 2437 of the second drywall layer may provide a surface that may be finished (i.e., taped and painted) for the wall panel system 2430 where additional insulation is not needed. Alternatively, a third drywall layer including drywall sheets 2438 may be fastened to the second drywall layer to provide additional thermal and/or acoustic insulation in which case the drywall sheets 2438 may act as a surface for finishing for the wall panel system 2430. The steel studs 2436 and drywall sheets 2437 and 2438 may be included to increase the fire rating for the wall panel system 2430 to meet the construction codes.
During installation, the lower wood beam 2434p of the wood structure 2434 may first be attached to the floor system, such as to a longitudinal support beam of a floor system. The exterior plates 2433 is then installed. The exterior plates 2433 contains a plurality of holes 2433h (see
In an example embodiment, the drywall sheets 2435, 2437 and 2438 may have a thickness of ⅝ inches and provide an insulation level of R5 per inch of thickness. The steel stud layer may include insulation to also provide an insulation level of R5 per inch of thickness. The steel studs may be 1¼×2½ in size.
In at least one embodiment, certain components of the wall panel system 2430 may have different heights. For example, the exterior wall panel 2432 and the exterior plate 2433 may have a first height, the wood structure 2434 and layer of drywall sheets 2435 may have a second height while the steel studs 2436 and the layers of drywall sheets 2437 and 2438 may have a third height. The first, send and third heights do not have to be the same. Generally, the first height is larger than the second height. The third height may be larger than the second height to allow for the placement of other structures above the wood structure 2434 such as longitudinal support beams to improve structural stability (e.g., see
Referring now to
Panels for a subfloor 2445 may then be installed on top of the corrugated sheets 244. The subfloor 2445 may be continuous. Panels for another subfloor 2446 may be installed on top of the subfloor 2445. The subfloor 2446 may be discontinuous to aid with sound attenuation. Sheets of plywood (e.g., ¾ inch) may be used for both subfloors 2445 and 2446. A finishing layer for the floor may be installed on top of the subfloor 2446. For example, the finishing layer for the floor may be floor tiles or material that is used in hospitals or schools. In some embodiments, one of the subfloor 2445 and 2446 may be optional.
Also shown in
The ceiling system 2449 is constructed using a plurality of tiles or panels that may be suspended from the cross beams 2451 defining a ceiling cavity therebetween 2450 within which various mechanical, electrical or other infrastructure components may be run as was described for custom enclosure 2100, for example.
The interior wall panel system 2447 may be made using the wall panel system 2400. One of the wall panels of the wall panel system 2447 may be attached to an L-bracket 2447L that is in turn attached to one of the floor components such as sub-floor 2445, for example. The interior wall panel system 2447 may be used as a partition wall to form a room within the custom enclosure 2440. The interior wall panel system 2447 may have a height that extends up to the ceiling system 2449.
Referring now to
The exterior wall panel system 2460 includes a roof cap 2461, an exterior wall panel 2462, an exterior plate 2463, a wood structure 2464, a first drywall layer 2465, a steel stud layer 2466, a second drywall layer 2467 and a third drywall layer 2468. The exterior wall panel 2462 does not include insulation. However, insulation material 2469 is included in the wood structure 2464 and can be wrapped around the studs of the wood structure 2464. In addition, or alternatively in some cases, insulation material 2470 may also be included in the steel stud layer 2466 by being wrapped around the steel studs.
The custom enclosure 2458 includes longitudinal support beams 2471 and 2472. The longitudinal support beams 2471 run parallel with the exterior wall panel system 2460 and are mounted on top of the wood structure 2464. An upper wood beam of the wood structure 24234 acts as a thermal break. The longitudinal support beams 2472 are perpendicular to the exterior wall panel system 2460 and provide support for the roof system. The ceiling system may be suspended from the longitudinal support beams 2472 in some embodiments.
The roof system includes sheets of corrugated steel 2473 that are mounted on the longitudinal support beams 2472 to provide strength and rigidity for the roof system. Material other than steel may be used for any corrugated steel sheets described herein where the material has suitable strength and rigidity properties. A first sub roof layer is installed on top of the corrugated sheets 2473. A second sub roof layer 2475 is installed spaced apart from the first sub roof layer and insulation 2478 may be installed in this space. Roof panels 2476 may then be installed on the second sub roof layer 2475. As shown, the roof system may be implemented so that the outermost surface is sloped in some areas. In at least one alternative embodiment, a roof truss structure may be used.
Referring now to
The ceiling panel system (not shown) may be suspended from the roof support structure 2486. For example, the ceiling panel system can be hung by wires that are connected to joists of the roof support structure 2486. In at least one embodiment, there may also be a track and grid that is hung from the roof support structure 2486 then place ceiling tiles can be placed in the grid.
The portion of the custom enclosure 2480 is formed from units 2480a and 2480b which may be separately constructed, transported to the installation site and then installed by connecting abuting components such as the roof support structure where the adjacent longitudinal support members are connected together, an example of which is shown at region 2485a. Similarly adjacent vertical support posts are connected together, an example of which is shown at region 2487a. In a similar manner other adjacent components of the two units 2480a and 2480b are fastened together.
It can also be seen that the north east side of the custom enclosure 2480 is “open” so that another unit can be attached to this open side to increase the size of the custom enclosure. For example, referring now to
Referring now to
At step 2502, the roof and floor skeleton structure may be assembled. This may be done as was described for floor system 2104, in which a first set of longitudinal support beams for a portion of the floor system 2104 may be releasably attached to one another, such as longitudinal support beams that may be in-line with the longitudinal support beam 2108a and then first ends of cross members 2106 may be releasably connected thereto. Once that is done, a second set of longitudinal support beams may be releasably connected together in a linear fashion and then releasably connected to the other ends of the cross members 2106. Alternatively, both sets of longitudinal support members for the floor system may be assembled first and then opposing ends of the cross beams may be releasably connected to the sets of longitudinal support members to build out the floor system 2104. This may be repeated several times depending on the size of the enclosure. For example, custom enclosure 2100 is a double-room enclosure so the above operations are performed twice to build out two sections of the floor system 2104.
Vertical support posts 2114 are then connected to the lower longitudinal support members of the skeletal floor structure. Longitudinal support members and cross beams for the roof support structure (as was described for enclosures 2440 and 2458) may then be assembled and attached to the vertical support posts 2114. The number of vertical support members and the upper longitudinal members may be installed as needed depending on the size of the custom enclosure. For example, when the custom enclosure is a double-width, triple-width or larger custom enclosure, then a roof support structure and one or more posts, such as roof support structures 2112 and vertical support posts 2114, for example, may be used to build. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, a truss system may also be used as described earlier to provide an additional roof support structure.
The upper longitudinal support members that are used may depend on whether a cable tray is needed in which case longitudinal support members 1650 or 2002 may be used. Alternatively, if a cable tray is not needed then the longitudinal support members 1606 may be used or another type of upper longitudinal support member, if needed. The upper longitudinal support members may be selected based on the size of the spacing between the downward side portions that is selected so that the channel defined therebetween is large enough to releasably and slidably receive one or more horizontally offset wall panels of the wall system. An example of the skeleton structure for the roof support structure and the vertical posts is shown in
In some cases, the layout for the skeleton for the vertical support posts and the upper longitudinal support members depends on the manufacturing technique used to form the walls (see step 2506) and/or whether certain objects will be dropped into place during assembly in which cases some sections of the roof structure may not be connected to provide space for this “drop assembly”.
At step 2504, other elements of the floor system may be installed such as two or more subfloor layers that may be installed on top of the longitudinal support beams and cross beams of the floor skeleton. A first subfloor layer may be a corrugated layer with sufficient strength, such as a corrugated steel sheets, to provide strength and support for the floor of the custom enclosure. Additional subfloor layers may be added on top of the corrugated layer such as continuous or discontinuous (for sound attenuation) floor layers. There may be several subfloor layer that are used as was described for custom enclosure 2440. As described earlier, in at least one embodiment, when the floor system is assembled, other functional elements can be installed such as, but not limited to, mechanical floor access panels, water supply pipes and drainage pipes, floor electrical access ports and any other floor entry points or structural components as needed.
Another step of the floor system assembly is the installation of L-brackets on various locations of the floor system where wall panels will be installed. For example, the L-backets are installed close to the perimeter of the enclosure where double-panel wall, multi-panel wall or exterior panel wall systems may be installed. The L-brackets may also be installed at locations where interior double-wall panels may be located. The L-brackets may be installed to the longitudinal connection members (e.g., Z channel beams 2120) used for the floor system for defining locations where external wall sections are to be installed. Other L-brackets may be installed to the longitudinal support members that are not at the periphery of the custom enclosure to define locations where internal walls (e.g., partition walls) are to be assembled.
At step 2506, it is determined whether there is sufficient space at the manufacturing facility and whether the manufacturing assembly line is set up to assemble wall sections fully and later install them to the floor system (e.g., modular construction) in which case the method 2500 proceeds to step 2516 or whether the wall panels should be installed in situ, one at a time, on the floor system in which case the method 2500 proceeds to step 2506.
At step 2508, the interior wall panels may be assembled by releasably connecting the interior wall panels to the floor system as well as to each other. This may be done one wall at a time, so the interior wall panels for wall 2108a may first be assembled and releasably connected to the floor system 2104. This step may involve releasably attaching a first interior wall panel may be releasably attached to the longitudinal connection member, which may be done as was explained with reference to
At step 2510, various components may be installed along the cavities of the interior wall panels as needed depending on the nature and operational requirements of the custom enclosure. For example, electrical wires, communication cables, power lines, gas lines as well as other mechanical, electrical and/or infrastructure components may be installed.
At step 2512, if any of the walls of the custom enclosure are multi-panel walls having three or more horizontally offset wall panels, then the intermediate wall panels may be installed for those particular walls. Accordingly, step 2512 is optional depending on the design of the custom enclosure. Although not shown in
At step 2514, the exterior wall panels are then assembled for each wall. This may be done in a similar manner as the intermediate wall panels. Accordingly, this may be done one wall panel at a time, so a first exterior wall panel for wall 2108a may first be releasably attached to an opposite interior wall panel (or an intermediate wall panel if it exists) in accordance with the teachings herein and then this first exterior wall panel can be releasably connected to the floor system 2104 and to any longitudinal support member (that may be part of the roof support structure) that the top of the exterior wall panel makes contact with. Subsequent exterior wall panels are then releasably attached to the next horizontally offset wall panel (which may be an interior or intermediate wall panel) while at the same time being releasably attached in a lateral manner to the adjacent exterior wall panel that has just been installed in accordance with the teachings herein (an example of which was explained with reference to
If instead at 2506, it is determined to use a modular installation, then the various external and internal wall sections needed for the custom enclosure can instead be assembled in a manufacturing space at step 2516. This involves generally performing the same steps as described for steps 2508 to 2516 (without connecting any wall component pieces to the skeletal structure of the custom enclosure). This may be done by first assembling interior wall panels together and exterior wall panels together to inner and outer portions of wall sections at step 2516 and then installing any needed mechanical and/or electrical infrastructure components in the wall sections before attaching of the interior and exterior portions together at step 217 to form the wall sections (e.g., in a prefab manner). Next at step 2518, the entire assembled external wall sections (at the perimeter of the custom enclosure) and internal wall section (for internal walls like partition walls of the custom enclosure) may be “dropped into place” and connected to components of the floor system such as the L brackets as well as components of the roof skeletal structure such as certain upper longitudinal support members.
At step 2520, any inner and outer corner support members, such as inner and outer corner support members 2103i and 2103o, may also be releasably attached at this point to provide further structural stability to the walls of the custom enclosure. If there are any internal walls or half walls (as shown in the example laboratory structure of
At step 2522, the ceiling system is installed. This may be done such that the ceiling is a drop ceiling (e.g., false ceiling) or not as previously explained with respect to
At step 2524, certain components such as wiring, cables, gas lines, as well as other electrical, mechanical and/or infrastructure components that have been installed inside the walls may be run along the top of the ceiling system as needed for connection to a maintenance room, an electrical room or certain fixtures (e.g., lights) or openings in the ceiling system.
At step 2526, the roof system may then be installed. This may be done as was previously described with respect to
At step 2528, the finishes may be installed. This may include installing the finishing for the floor system where floor tiles or floor panels may be attached to the uppermost subfloor layer. The material for the floor tiles may be selected based on the application of the custom enclosure. For example, materials used for hospital flooring may be used when the custom enclosure is a healthcare facility. Alternatively, materials used for school flooring may be used when the custom enclosure is an educational facility. Inner surfaces of external walls and surfaces of internal walls may be finished as needed which may involve performing taping and painting drywall surfaces and/or install flashing on any exposed surfaces of wall panels and/or internal vertical support members.
It should be noted that in at least one alternative embodiment of the assembly method 2500, the floor system may be assembled at the same time and separately from the assembly of the side walls, ceiling and roof systems of the custom enclosure. The assembly of side walls, ceiling and roof systems may then be “slid over” the floor system and releasably attached thereto.
It will be appreciated that for the mobile unit 300 and the custom enclosure 2100, although not shown, at least one door and/or window can be included such as shown for the custom enclosures 2480 and 2490 in
In at least one embodiment described herein, the mobile unit 100 or custom enclosure 2100 can be combined with other similarly constructed structures, which may have other designs and/or purposes, but can be connectable to one another for forming compound structures of various configurations. An example of this is also shown with the laboratory of
It will be appreciated that the construction of the wall, floor, ceiling and/or roof systems described herein within the mobile unit 300 as well as other mobile, semi-permanent, permanent custom enclosures, can be done more rapidly than can the formation of walls using conventional stud construction techniques, thereby to enable a mobile unit, or other semi-permanent, or permanent custom structure, to be constructed more rapidly so it can be deployed more rapidly, as well as to allow at least a portion of these structures to be easily and quickly disassembled for transport and reassembly at another site.
It should be noted that generally, in the various embodiments described herein, notwithstanding multi-level structures, the structural design of the multi-panel wall system allows for the creation of a custom structure that is physically stable such that no additional support is required.
In at least one embodiment, the ceiling panels described herein may be formed in a similar manner as some of the wall panels described herein, but without the features for interfacing with angle irons or other interconnection structures. Once in position, the ceiling panels may be releasably fastened together with bolts, or other fasteners, and then a sealant such as silicone, which may be industrial grade or medical grade depending on the use of the enclosure, may be applied to the gaps between adjacent ceiling panels if needed. A medical grade sealant is resistance to germs and certain types of chemicals.
In at least one embodiment, a vapour barrier film may also be included in any of the custom enclosures described herein in order to control condensation. The vapour barrier film may be applied between at least one of the interior and adjacent exterior wall panels or at least one of the ceiling panels and the exterior walls of the housing and/or between at least one of the ceiling panels and the roof panels.
In at least one embodiment, once the various wall panels, floor panels and/or ceiling panels are assembled, a sealant, such as a silicone sealant, which may be medical grade, may be applied along the interfaces between one or more of these panels to provide an air-tight seal (for custom enclosures that have air-sealing requirements, such as a medical or laboratory structure). Alternatively, in at least one embodiment, the sealing material which is used may be mold resistant. Alternatively, in at least one embodiment, the sealing material which is used may be air-tight and mold resistant.
In addition, while particular lengths and formats of mobile units, semi-permanent or permanent custom enclosures have been described and depicted herein, it will be understood that the fabrication and construction principles described herein are applicable to enclosures having different dimensions, whether being used to construct a shipping container or whether being used to construct a custom fabricated enclosure that incorporates the wall, roof, floor and/or ceiling elements described herein.
In at least one embodiment, a custom enclosure which is made using the materials and construction techniques described herein may be generally provided with air handling components and power components that are suitable for the use for the use of the custom enclosure. For example, when the mobile unit 300, custom enclosures 2100, 2440, 2458, 2480, 2490 or other custom enclosure is used as a medical unit, in order to provide electrical utilities thereto, these enclosures may be coupled to a 208 Volt, 50-Ampere connection via a manual transfer switch with connections for connecting to a backup generator, in at least one embodiment. In another embodiment, custom enclosures according to the teachings herein may further incorporate an electrical distribution system that incorporates or can connect with an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for ensuring that power continues to be routed to key receptacles in these structures in the event of a municipal or facilities power failure. In at least one embodiment, power to these enclosures may be provided by alternate power sources such as renewable or non-renewable energy sources including, but not limited to, solar, wind, electric, natural gas, diesel, turbine and electric vehicles through a bi-directional charging station.
In at lest one embodiment, custom enclosures described in accordance with the teachings herein may be divided into patient rooms for medical purposes. In such cases, the floor system of each patient room may be clad with a medical-grade polyurethane floor such as the medical-grade Polyclad Pro PU available from Polyflor Limited in the United Kingdom. Alternative formats or suppliers of materials for the floor system that comply with the applicable quality and safety standards may be employed. In at least one embodiment, the floor system may feature a raised perimeter running six (6) inches up the walls, providing a floor-to-wall barrier to dirt, fluids and other contaminants. The floor system may be constructed, in at least one embodiment, such that it is suitable for use in ISO1466-11999 Class 4 clean rooms, and may be classified as a Class A product, including non-shedding to ASTM F51, complying with CAN/ULC-S102.2. In at least one embodiment, the mobile unit 300, enclosure 2100 or other enclosure may have a floor made of structural steel, or another material having suitable strength and desirable properties such as the compound printed material described with reference to
In at least one embodiment, custom enclosures described in accordance with the teachings herein that are usable for forming compound structures of various configurations, that may be mobile, semi-permanent or permanent, may be fully insulated to provide reliable operation within temperatures ranging from about −50° C. (−22° F.) to about 50° C. (113° F.). Alternatively, the insulation may be selected to enable another temperature range for custom enclosure described in accordance with the teachings herein based on the use of these structures. For example, at least one of the cavities that is formed between certain interior and exterior wall panels or between certain roof panels and ceiling panels and/or the basket 1920 may include insulation panels to provide the desired amount of insulation. Such insulation panels may be made of polystyrene or some other thermally insulating material and/or acoustic dampening material that has a size to allow for installation in the above-noted cavities and/or baskets.
It should be noted that the use of the terms “releasably attached”, “releasably coupled”, “releasably installed” and the like throughout the description means that two components may be fastened together such that the components are structurally secure and held firmly in place but can also be easily disassembled when needed. For example, the manner in which the roof panels and/or ceiling panels are removably attached to wall panels and other support elements allows for relatively simple disassembly of portions of the roof system and ceiling system to allow for access to the interior of an enclosure for various purposes such as installing or removing large equipment which cannot be moved through any doors or windows of the enclosure. Alternatively, portions of the roof system may be easily removed allowing for access to the region above the ceiling where certain components may require servicing. In either case, once the work is completed, the portions of the roof system and optionally the ceiling system that were removed may be easily reassembled to close the enclosure. This is in contrast to other conventional enclosures in which the roof system and/or ceiling system may be welded in place which makes it more difficult to disassemble and reassemble these elements.
While the applicant's teachings described herein are in conjunction with various embodiments for illustrative purposes, it is not intended that the applicant's teachings be limited to such embodiments as the embodiments described herein are intended to be examples. On the contrary, the applicant's teachings described and illustrated herein encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, without departing from the embodiments described herein, the general scope of which is defined in the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/303,443 filed Jan. 26, 2022; the entire contents of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/303,443 is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2023/050106 | 1/26/2023 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63303443 | Jan 2022 | US |
