AU2016253562A1 - Building wall modules and modular wall assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A building module 10 comprises a substantially rectangular prism shaped hollow body having rectangular side walls 12, first and second rectangular end walls 14 and 16, and intermediate rectangular support ribs 18. The end walls 14 and 16 and the support ribs 18 are substantially identical, spaced and parallel to each other, and each comprises a plate having large spaced apertures 22. The side walls 12 are perpendicular to the end walls 14 and 16 and the support ribs 18 and are connected to respective side edges thereof. The main module 10 comprises open upper and lower ends 24 which allows filler material such as concrete to enter and fill the main module 10 in use. The apertures 22 allows the filler material to pass through the end walls 14 and 16 and the support ribs 18 to evenly distribute therewithin. The apertures 22 in the end walls and support ribs are also aligned and allow steel reinforcement bars to extend therethrough. The main module 10 comprises corresponding connection means 30a and 30b at its end faces, the end faces being defined by the end walls 14 and 16. The connection means 30a comprises male formations 32 in the first end wall 14 and the second connection 30b comprises corresponding female formations 34 in the second end wall 16. 10 16 22 24 34- 12

Description

1 2016253562 01 Nov 2016

BUILDING WALL MODULES AND MODULAR WALL ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention (1) The present invention relates to building wall modules and a modular wall assembly.

Background of the Invention. (2) The present invention seeks to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative. (3) It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Summary of the Invention (4) According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a building wall module for a wall assembly, the module comprising: first and second spaced side walls; a first connector means formed at an end edge of the wall module; and a second connector means formed at another end edge of the wall module, wherein the second connector means is adapted for connection to the first connector means of another wall module such that the side walls of adjacent wall modules are substantially contiguous in use. (5) Preferably, the first and second connector means are formed at opposing ends of the wall module. (6) In another embodiment, the first and second connector means are formed at adjacent sides of the wall module. (7) Preferably, the wall module comprises a substantially rectangular prism shaped body having rectangular side walls and first and second rectangular end walls. (8) Preferably, the wall module comprises intermediate support ribs extending between the sidewalls. (9) Preferably, the end walls and the support ribs each comprises a plate having spaced apertures. (10) Preferably, the wall module comprises open upper and lower ends. (11) Preferably, the first connection means comprises male formations and the second connection means comprises corresponding female formations. 2 2016253562 01 Nov 2016 (12) Preferably, the first and second connection means are formed in end walls of the wall module adjacent the side walls. (13) Preferably, the female formations comprise retaining means for retaining the male formations therein. (14) The present invention provides a wall assembly comprising a plurality of wall modules according to any one of the above. (15) Preferably, the wall assembly further comprises a corner module having connector means at adjacent side faces thereof. (16) Preferably, the wall assembly further comprises a joiner having connector means at opposing side faces thereof. (17) Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings (18) Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: (19) Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building wall main module in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; (20) Figure 2 is a top view of the main module of Figure 1; (21) Figure 3 is a detail top view of a male end connector of one building wall module received in a female end connector of another building wall module; (22) Figure 4a is a perspective view of a corner module and Figure 4b is a top view of the corner module; (23) Figure 5 is a top view of an end cap; (24) Figure 6 shows top views of (a) splicer, (b) cap/bottom track, (c) coupler for the wall modules of the modular wall assembly; (25) Figure 7 is a top view of one course of an example wall assembly built using the wall modules and connectors of the preferred embodiments of the present invention; (26) Figure 8 is a perspective view of a main module in accordance with another embodiment; and (27) Figure 9 is a top view of a corner module according to another embodiment.. 2016253562 01 Nov 2016 3

Description of Embodiments (27) It should be noted in the following description that like or the same reference numerals in different embodiments denote the same or similar features. (28) The present invention relates to a wall assembly comprising building wall modules which connect in series along a course of the wall assembly. The building wall modules comprise a main module, where main modules can connect to each other in series, and a plurality of connecting modules for adapting the wall assembly as needed. (29) Figures 1 and 2 show a building main module 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The main module 10 comprises a substantially rectangular prism shaped hollow body having rectangular side walls 12, first and second rectangular end walls 14 and 16, and intermediate rectangular support ribs 18. (30) The end walls 14 and 16 and the support ribs 18 are substantially identical, spaced and parallel to each other, and each comprises a plate having large spaced apertures 22. The side walls 12 are perpendicular to the end walls 14 and 16 and the support ribs 18 and are connected to respective side edges thereof. (31) The main module 10 comprises open upper and lower ends 24 which allows filler material such as concrete to enter and fill the main module 10 in use. The apertures 22 allows the filler material to pass through the end walls 14 and 16 and the support ribs 18 to evenly distribute therewithin. The apertures 22 in the end walls and support ribs are also aligned and allow steel reinforcement bars to extend therethrough. (32) Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the main module 10 comprises corresponding connection means 30a and 30b at its end faces, the end faces being defined by the end walls 14 and 16. The connection means 30a comprises male formations 32 in the first end wall 14 and the second connection 30b comprises corresponding female formations 34 in the second end wall 16. (33) The male formations 32 comprise an elongated flange which is arrow head shaped in cross-section. The male formations 32 extend along edges of the sidewalls 12 adjacent the first end wall 14. The male formations 32 are spaced slightly inwardly from the side walls 12 (34) The female formations 34 also comprise elongated formations extending along the opposite edges of the sidewalls 12, being adjacent the second end wall 16. The female formations 34 in cross-section comprises an outer tab 36 and a movable tab 38. 4 2016253562 01 Nov 2016 (35) The outer tab 36 is co-planar with or an extension of the side walls 12. The movable tab 38 is inwardly spaced from the outer tab 36 to form a receiving recess 40 shaped to receive the male formation 32. (36) The movable tab 36 is shaped to retain the male formation 32 in the recess 40. In the embodiment the movable tab 36 includes a protrusion 41 which engages the male formation 32. The movable tab 36 also includes a knob 42 at its proximal end which engages a distal end of the male formation 32. (37) In use, the side walls 12 form the external and internal surfaces of the wall assembly 100, an example of which is shown in Figure 7. The first end wall 14 of one main module 10 is connected to the second end wall 16 of another main module 10 via the connection means 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the male formations 32 in one main module 10 are inserted and retained in the female formations 34 of the adjacent main module 10. In this manner, any number of main modules 10 can be joined in series to form a course of a wall, with the open upper and lower ends 24 of the main modules 10 ready to receive filler material. The side walls 12 of the joined main modules 10 are substantially contiguous. (38) Figure 4 is a top view of a corner module 50 for the wall assembly 100. The corner module 50 is similarly constructed as the main module 10 and comprises four side walls 52a to 52d, and open upper and lower ends 54. The side walls 52a and 52b are external corner walls and the side walls 52c and 52d are internal corner walls. The corner module 50 comprises internal reinforcement 56 extending between the internal surfaces of the side walls 52a and 52b. (39) External surfaces of the internal corner walls 52c and 52d comprise male connector members 34, similarly shaped and positioned as that of the first end wall 14 of the main module 10. The corner module 50 is disposed at corner positions of the wall assembly 100 and two main modules 10 can be attached thereto to form a wall corner. (40) It is apparent that the connection means of the corner module 50 can be amended as needed, such as having two female connectors 34, or one male and one female connector 32 and 34. (41) Figure 5 is a top view of an end cap 60, which comprises a closed end wall 62 having an external surface 63 and internal surface 64, female connection means 30b at side edges thereof extending from the internal surface 64, and internal reinforcement 66 extending also from the internal surface 64 between the connection means 30b. In use, the end cap 60 is used for closing an exposed male face (first end wall 12) of a wall assembly 100 as shown in Figure 7. 5 2016253562 01 Nov 2016 (42) Figure 6 shows a top view of a splicer 70, a cap/bottom track 80, and a coupler 90. The splicer 70 is I-beam shaped in top cross-section and comprises first and second flanges 72 with a web 74 therebetween. The distance between the flanges 72 is slightly larger than the distance between the side walls 12 of the main module 10. The splicer 70 is used for joining main modules 10 by gluing the side walls 12 thereof to the internal surfaces of the flanges 72. (43) The cap/bottom track 80 comprises a central web 82 with first and second flanges 84 extending perpendicularly in one direction from an edge of the central web 82. The distance between the flanges 84 is also slightly larger than the distance between the side walls 12 of the main module 10. The cap/bottom track 80 is used for cover the open upper/lower ends 24 of the main module 10 or the corner module 50 as needed, and is attached by gluing the side walls 12 to the internal surfaces of the flanges 84. (44) The coupler 90 comprises a central web 92 with female connection means 30b extending perpendicularly to the web 92 at ends thereof in both directions. The coupler 90 is used for joining main modules 10 in series by connecting to male faces (first end walls 14) thereof in use as shown in Figure 7. (45) Figure 7 is a top view one course of an example wall assembly 100. It can be seen that a hollow wall assembly of desired shape, direction and length can be formed from the wall modules and the connectors. (46) Figure 8 shows a main module 10 in accordance with another embodiment, which has similar features to the main module above. (47) Whilst preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to skilled persons that modifications can be made to the embodiments described. (48) For example, additional connector modules can be formed which are at an acute angle or providing a curved external surface to provide additional possible shapes to the wall assembly. (49) It is also apparent that the corresponding connection means can be shaped in a different manner. (50) Figure 9 is a top view of a corner module 50b for the wall assembly 100 according to another embodiment. The corner module 50b is similarly constructed as the comer module 50 above and comprises four side walls 52a to 52d, and open upper and lower ends 54. The side walls 52a and 52b are external corner walls and the side walls 52c and 52d are internal corner walls. The corner module 50b comprises internal 2016253562 01 Nov 2016 6 reinforcement 56 extending between the internal surfaces of the external side walls 52a and 52b. Apertures 22 for concrete are formed in the internal corner walls 52c and 52d and in the reinforcement 56. (51) External surfaces of the internal corner walls 52c and 52d comprise male connector members 34, similarly shaped and positioned as that of the first end wall 14 of the main module 10. The corner module 50 is disposed at corner positions of the wall assembly 100 and two main modules 10 can be attached thereto to form a wall corner.

Claims (13)

1. Claims The claims defining the invention are as follows:

   1. A building wall module for a wall assembly, the module comprising: first and second spaced side walls; a first connector means formed at an end edge of the wall module; and a second connector means formed at another end edge of the wall module, wherein the second connector means is adapted for connection to the first connector means of another wall module such that the side walls of adjacent wall modules are substantially contiguous in use.
2. 2. The building wall module of claim 1 wherein the first and second connector means are formed at opposing ends of the wall module.
3. 3. The building wall module of claim 1 wherein the first and second connector means are formed at adjacent sides of the wall module.
4. 4. The building wall module of claim 1 wherein the wall module comprises a substantially rectangular prism shaped body having rectangular side walls and first and second rectangular end walls.
5. 5. The building wall module of claim 2 wherein the wall module comprises intermediate support ribs extending between the side walls.
6. 6. The building wall module of claim 3 wherein the end walls and the support ribs each comprises a plate having spaced apertures.
7. 7. The building wall module of claim 1 wherein the wall module comprises open upper and lower ends.
8. 8. The building wall module of claim 1 wherein first connection means comprises male formations and the second connection means comprises corresponding female formations.
9. 9. The building wall module of claim 6 wherein the first and second connection means are formed in end walls of the wall module adjacent the side walls.
10. 10. The building wall module of claim 6 wherein the female formations comprise retaining means for retaining the male formations therein.
11. 11. A wall assembly comprising a plurality of wall modules according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
12. 12. The wall assembly of claim 11 further comprising a corner module having connector means at adjacent side faces thereof.
13. 13. The wall assembly of claim 11 further comprising a joiner having connector means at opposing side faces thereof.