AU2015100608A4 - A Building Brace - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a building brace including a panel. One or more flanges extend from the panel and define one or more mounting formations. Each mounting formation includes a re-enforced aperture. Advantageously, the apertures are re enforced and therefore more resistant to failure during natural disasters than those of the brace of US 6,481,175.

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT A BUILDING BRACE The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 A BUILDING BRACE TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a building brace. BACKGROUND [0002] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. [0003] Building braces are known for bracing building elements such as walls and frames. [0004] The Applicant is the owner of US 6,481,175 which discloses a building brace including an expansive flat panel defining cutouts, and flanges extending from the panel. Apertures are provided in the flanges through which bolts pass to mount the brace. Furthermore, nails pass though the flanges when mounting the brace. [0005] The Applicant has discovered that their building brace of US 6,481,175 is prone to failure in extreme conditions such as earthquakes, cyclones and other natural disasters. [0006] The preferred embodiment provides an improved building brace more tolerant to such natural disasters. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a building brace including: a panel; one or more flanges extending from the panel and defining one or more mounting formations, each mounting formation including a re-enforced aperture.

2 [0008] Advantageously, the apertures are re-enforced and therefore more resistant to failure during natural disasters than those of the brace of US 6,481,175. [0009] Each mounting formation is swaged or punched. Each mounting formation includes a wall extending from the aperture. Each mounting formation includes a head terminating the free end of the wall. The head may include a chime or lip extending from the wall. [00010] Each flange may terminate in one or more lips. [00011] The brace may further include one or more strengthening ribs. The strengthening ribs may be punched. The strengthening ribs may extend along the flanges thereby re-enforcing them so that they are more resistant to failure during natural disasters than those of the brace of US 6,481,175. [00012] The panel may define parallel and adjacent transverse struts, the struts extending obliquely across the width of the panel. Advantageously, the longer transverse struts provide for greater compliance of the panel than US 6,481,175. Preferably, the panel includes cutouts. The cutouts may be triangular in shape. The cutouts may be arranged in rows. [00013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a building brace including: a panel; one or more flanges extending from the panel and defining one or more strengthening ribs. [00014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a building brace including: a panel defining parallel and adjacent transverse struts, the struts extending obliquely across the width of the panel; one or more flanges extending from the panel. [00015] Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention.

3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [00016] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows: [00017] Figure 1 a is an upper perspective view of a building brace in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with a break denoting indefinite length; [00018] Figure 1 b is a lower perspective view of the building brace of Figure 1 b, with a break denoting indefinite length; [00019] Figure 2 is a close-up internal perspective view of the building brace of Figure 1; and [00020] Figure 3 is a plan view of the building brace of Figure 1, with a break denoting indefinite length. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [00021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a building brace 100 as shown in Figure 1. The building brace 100 is similar to US 6,481,175 incorporated herein by reference, although makes a substantial contribution to the working of that invention and is far more tolerant to natural disasters meeting cyclone and earthquake standards requirements. [00022] The steel building brace 100 includes a rectangular front panel 102. Four flanges 104 extend from respective edges of the panel 102. The two side flanges 104 define mounting formations 106, in turn, including a re-enforced aperture 200 as best seen in Figure 2. Advantageously, the apertures 200 are re-enforced and therefore more resistant to failure during natural disasters than those of the brace of US 6,481,175.

4 [00023] Each mounting formation 106 is swaged which involves punching with a tool for giving a particular shape to the metal. Each mounting formation 106 includes a cylindrical wall 202 extending from the aperture 200. Each mounting formation 106 further includes a head terminating the free end of the wall 202. The head includes an endless outturned chime or lip 204 extending from the wall 202. The flange 104 is resistant to fracturing about the re-enforced aperture 200. [00024] As can best be seen in Figure 1 b, each flange 104 terminates in one or more inwardly and orthogonally extending lips 108, 110, 112 which also strengthens the brace 100. Each side flange 104 includes an intermediate lip 108, and an orthogonally extending end lip 110. Each end flange 104 includes a sole lip 112. [00025] As shown in Figure 1, the brace 100 further includes one or more inwardly punched strengthening ribs 114. A pair of strengthening ribs 114 extends along each side flange 104, on either side of the mounting formations 106, thereby re-enforcing the flange 104 to impede buckling so that it is more resistant to failure during natural disasters than those of the brace of US 6,481,175. [00026] Turning to Figure 3, the panel 102 includes triangular cutouts 300 arranged in pairs and in three rows. The panel 102 defines parallel and adjacent transverse struts 302 (extending along lines 304 in Figure 3). The transverse struts 302 extend obliquely across the width of the panel 102. Advantageously, the longer transverse struts 302 provide for greater compliance of the panel than US 6,481,175. Axial struts 306 are also defined between the rows of cutouts 300. [00027] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention. [00028] In one embodiment, the triangular cutouts 300 are arranged as shown in US 6,481,175. [00029] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect.

5 [00030] Reference throughout this specification to 'one embodiment' or 'an embodiment' means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases 'in one embodiment' or 'in an embodiment' in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.

Claims (5)

1. A building brace including: a panel; one or more flanges extending from the panel and defining one or more mounting formations, each mounting formation including a re-enforced aperture.

2. A building brace as claimed in claim 1, further including one or more strengthening ribs extending along the flanges thereby re-enforcing them.

3. A building brace as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, the panel defining parallel and adjacent transverse struts.

4. A building brace including: a panel; one or more flanges extending from the panel and defining one or more strengthening ribs.

5. A building brace including: a panel defining parallel and adjacent transverse struts, the struts extending obliquely across the width of the panel; one or more flanges extending from the panel. Dated this 7 th day of May 2015 ROCHEWAY PTY LTD by my attorneys Cullens Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys