Patent Application
20210372140
This invention relates generally to building materials, such as construction and landscaping materials, and more particularly, to building materials that are z-shaped. In an advantageous exemplary embodiment, the invention is a masonry construction product having a z-shape.
Bricks and pavers have long been used for construction and landscaping. Fired bricks, also known as artificial stone, have been around since at least about 4000 BC. Historically, bricks were composed of clay, or clay and straw. Contemporary bricks are made from clay-bearing soil, sand and lime, cement or concrete materials. The term “bricks” commonly refers to units of building materials that are joined together by mortar, adhesive or interlocking features.
Bricks are used as building materials to make walls, pavements and other masonry structures. For purposes of convenience in manufacturing and consistency in configuration, bricks are typically formed in cuboid blocks having an elongated rectangular shape. The rectangular shape allows bricks to be assembled in horizontal linear rows, generally referred to as courses. Courses of bricks are laid one upon the other to form a vertical wall of a structure. The courses may be staggered relative to adjacent courses in order to better distribute the force of vertical loads, as well as to produce an aesthetic visual appearance. Bricks of varying colors and textures may also be used to provide a further aesthetic appearance.
For centuries the rectangular shape of conventional bricks has served standard construction and landscaping well. However, laying courses of rectangular bricks is labor intensive and time consuming, particularly when the bricks are of a relatively small size. Furthermore, it is often desirable in contemporary building construction to create an aesthetic visual effect, such as an accent wall, by arranging the bricks in a geometric pattern other than horizontal rows. It is even more labor intensive and time consuming, and thus even more costly, to arrange rectangular bricks in a geometric pattern other than horizontal courses.
It is therefore apparent a need exists for a building material that overcomes the known deficiencies of rectangular bricks. A particular need exists for a building material that is less labor intensive and time consuming to use when constructing a vertical wall of a structure. The building material needs to provide at least the same, if not superior, capacity to distribute the force of vertical loads. The building material further needs to produce a desirable aesthetic appearance when the building material is arranged in a geometric pattern other than horizontal courses. It is desirable that the building material is in the form of bricks having a shape other than rectangular that is made from conventional material and in various colors and textures.
Certain aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent, or will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art, as exemplary embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing figures are described in greater detail hereinafter. It is intended that all such aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention envisioned by this disclosure of exemplary embodiments be encompassed by the scope of protection of the appended claims, given their broadest reasonable interpretation and construction in view of the prior art. These aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention, as well as others not expressly disclosed, may be accomplished by any of the exemplary embodiments described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be appreciated that the drawing figures are for illustrative purposes only, and that many modifications, changes, revisions and substitutions may be made to any of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the general concepts of the invention as they may be broadly construed and interpreted.
The aforementioned aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following is a detailed description of one or more exemplary embodiments of z-shaped building materials formed in accordance with the present invention. Each exemplary embodiment is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing figures. In each exemplary embodiment shown and described herein, the z-shaped building material is useful for construction and landscaping. In particular, z-shaped building materials according to the invention are useful for replacing conventional bricks and pavers in construction and landscaping projects.
The z-shaped building materials may be made of any suitable material that is formable into the desired “z” shape, while retaining sufficient strength and stiffness for use in the construction of a vertical wall of a structure. Preferably, but not necessarily, the z-shaped building material is made of the same or similar materials as conventional bricks and pavers. By way of example and not limitation, the z-shaped building material may be made of clay, clay and straw, clay-bearing soil, sand and lime, cement or concrete materials, or mixtures thereof. The z-shaped building material may also be made in any suitable color or texture to produce a desirable aesthetic effect.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the z-shaped building material is a masonry construction product. In the exemplary embodiments described herein and illustrated by the accompanying drawing figures, the z-shaped building material is a brick useable for construction in the same manner as a conventional brick or useable for landscaping in the same manner as a conventional brick or paver. The z-shaped brick may be in the form of solid masonry wherein the brick supports the building structure. Alternatively, the z-shaped brick may be in the form of brick veneer wherein the building structure, for example an underlying wood or metal frame, or concrete wall, supports the brick veneer. The primary difference between the z-shaped brick, also referred to herein as “masonry brick,” and the z-shaped brick veneer, also referred to herein as “face brick,” is the greater thickness in the depth direction of the masonry brick relative to the face brick.
As shown herein, the masonry brick 30 has a beveled edge, also referred to herein as a reveal 32, around its entire outer periphery for receiving mortar to join adjacent masonry bricks 30. The reveal 32 extends inwardly in the thickness direction T from the exterior surface of the masonry brick 30 along the outer periphery of the masonry brick 30. Reveal 32 may have any suitable dimension, or extent, in the corresponding height direction H or the corresponding width direction W, as applicable. In a particular example, however, the extent of the reveal 32 is about one-half inch (½″). Regardless, the reveal 32 creates an aesthetic deeper rolled appearance on the exterior surface of the masonry brick 30. As shown herein, the masonry brick 30 is further provided with an indented break-line 34 having an extent of about one-quarter inch (¼″) to about one-half inch (½″). The break-line 34 on the exterior surface of the masonry brick 30 creates a subtle three-dimensional illusion or effect when viewed by a person from a suitable distance. In addition, the break-line 34 leaves a clean and even break when a portion of the masonry brick 30 is broken off to conform to the geometry of the construction or landscaping application.
As shown herein, the face brick 40 has a beveled edge, also referred to herein as a reveal 42, around its entire outer periphery for receiving mortar to join adjacent face bricks 40. The reveal 42 extends inwardly in the thickness direction T from the exterior surface of the face brick 40 along the outer periphery of the face brick 40. The reveal 42 may have any suitable dimension, or extent, in the corresponding height direction H or the corresponding width direction W, as applicable. In a particular example, however, the extent of the reveal 42 is about one-half inch (½″). Regardless, the reveal 42 creates an aesthetic deeper rolled appearance on the exterior surface of the face brick 40. As shown herein, the face brick 40 is further provided with an indented break-line 44 having an extent of from about one-quarter inch (¼″) to about one-half inch (½″). The break-line 44 on the exterior surface of the face brick 40 creates a subtle three-dimensional illusion or effect when viewed by a person from a suitable distance. In addition, the break-line 44 leaves a clean and even break when a portion of the face brick 40 is broken off to conform to the geometry of the construction or landscaping application.
In view of the foregoing detailed description and the accompanying drawing figures, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the z-shaped building materials 20 of the present invention provide a novel and non-obvious masonry construction and landscaping product. The z-shaped building materials 20 and indented break-lines 34, 44 create an aesthetic visual appearance, and in particular, a three-dimensional illusion or effect when a vertical wall of a structure is viewed by a person from a sufficient distance. The structural integrity and strength of the z-shaped building materials 20 equals or exceeds that of conventional bricks 10 and traditional construction methods. Specifically, z-shaped building materials 20 according to the invention provide more resting points for a stronger vertical rise, while reducing material waste. The unique interlocking design of the z-shaped building materials 20 along with strategically-placed mechanical retention grooves 46 ensures that a vertical wall of a structure remains firmly adhered to the structure.
The z-shaped building materials 20 of the present invention provide a versatile product that has any number of construction and landscaping uses. In addition to masonry wall construction for residential and commercial buildings and other structures, the z-shaped building materials 20 may be used as pavers to create herringbone design interior floors, pavements, walkways, driveways and patios. The z-shaped building materials 20 may also be used to create hardscape areas around pools and spas, as well as landscape retaining walls and features, such as vertical waterfall structures. Finally, z-shaped building materials 20 according to the present invention can be manufactured from the same materials, in the same colors and textures, and in the same manner as conventional bricks 10 using a specialized mold configured to produce the unique z-shape of the modular z-shaped building materials 20.
Regardless of the foregoing detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, the optimum configuration of the article of manufacture, apparatus, device or system, and the manner of use, operation and steps of the associated methods, as well as reasonable equivalents thereof, are deemed to be readily apparent and understood by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, equivalent relationships to those shown in the accompanying drawing figures and described in the written description are intended to be encompassed by the present invention given the broadest reasonable interpretation and construction of the appended claims, the foregoing being considered as illustrative only of the general concept and principles of the invention(s). Furthermore, as numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the exemplary embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to the specific configuration, construction, materials, manner of use and operation shown and described herein. Instead, all reasonably predictable and suitable equivalents and obvious modifications to the invention should be construed as falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims given their broadest reasonable interpretation and construction as would be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing written description and accompanying drawing figures in view of the relevant prior art.
This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims benefit of the priority of the filing date of U.S. provisional patent Application No. 63/031,072 filed on May 28, 2020.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63031072 | May 2020 | US |
