AU2022200044A1

AU2022200044A1 - Portable building structure

Info

Publication number: AU2022200044A1
Application number: AU2022200044A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Daniel Salera
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-01-06
Filing date: 2022-01-06
Publication date: 2022-07-21

Abstract

A portable building structure comprising: a body having a front wall, a pair of opposing side walls, a pair of opposing end walls, a roof and a floor that define an internal working space; and a solar collection system mounted on the roof of the body. The solar collection system comprising a plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels extending substantially over a surface area of the roof, and a plurality of movable solar collector panels mounted under the rigidly mounted solar collector panels and configured to be extendable from the plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels to project from the roof when required, and when not required to be stored under the a plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels in a retracted manner. LA rVn 0 MNN ~C41 r'-4 LAn rv,

Description

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PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2021900018 filed 6 January 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to portable building structure for multi purpose use, and in particular, to a portable building structure configured for simple installation at a variety of different sites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable or temporary structures provide an important function where there is a need to provide immediate shelter and services at sites where no such structure previously exists. This may be in response to an emergency situation, such as a disaster site, where accommodation and control centres need to be quickly erected and connected to power to provide communication and comfort to the users. There are also applications for such buildings at mining or exploration sites where such structures are required at a remote location with little infrastructure to support connection of the structure to an electricity grid or he like.

Irrespective of the application, temporary or demountable accommodation, needs to be able to be simply and quickly installed at a site for use without the need for trades or similar experts to assemble and connect the structure for use.

Thus, there is a need to provide a portable or demountable building unit that can be readily employed at a site with minimum installation required and which is capable of functioning in an off-grid manner with minimum impact on the functionality of the structure.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a portable building structure comprising: a body having a front wall, a pair of opposing side walls, a pair of opposing end walls, a roof and a floor that define an internal working space; a solar collection system mounted on the roof of the body, the solar collection system comprising a plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels extending substantially over a surface area of the roof, and a plurality of movable solar collector panels mounted under the rigidly mounted solar collector panels and configured to be extendable from the plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels to project from the roof when required, and when not required to be stored under the a plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels in a retracted manner. In one embodiment, a plant space is formed adjacent one of the end walls and is accessible by way of a pair of doors that form the end wall. The plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels may be mounted atop a plurality of supports extending across the roof of the body such that at least two open channels are formed between adjacent supports for receiving a movable solar collector panel therein. One or more rails may be mounted to a surface of the adjacent supports and the movable solar collector panel may be mounted between the supports so as to slide along the opposing rails between an extended position and a retracted position. Each movable solar collector panel may be attached to a wiring system of the building structure by way of extendible cables. The extendible cables may be coiled cables biased into a coiled configuration and upon movement of the movable solar collector panel to the extended position the coiled cables lengthen and upon retracting of the movable solar collector panel the coiled cables return to their coiled position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top sectional view of a portable building structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an alternative top sectional view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a right end view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is left end view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an alternative rear view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a front view of the portable building structure of Fig. 1 showing the solar panel system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a front view of the solar panel system of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is an underside view of the solar panel system of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is an underside view of the solar panel system of Fig. 8 showing the retractable cabling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to demountable or portable buildings for use as an on-site office. However, it will be appreciated that the type and purpose of the building of the present invention can vary, including being used as a lunch room, lodging, toilet block, and/or bathroom, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Referring to Figs. 1- 6, the basic structure of a portable building 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The portable building 10 is typically in the form of a converted shipping container having a width 'W' of around 2440 mm, a length 'L' of around 6050 mm and a height 'H' of around 2400mm. It will be appreciated that the dimension of the building 10 may vary as required and the dimensions of the embodiment as shown are merely provided for illustrative purposes.

The building 10 comprises a front wall 15, a rear wall 16 and an end wall 17. The other end wall is formed by a pair of doors 18 that each swing in an outward manner as depicted in Fig. 1, between an open and a closed position. The building 10 also has a floor 11 and a roof 13 to enclose the building 10.

The internal structure of the building is defined by an open work space 12, which, in the present embodiment is used to form an office space, and a plant space or cavity 14 that is configured to house all control equipment, such as solar, inverter, batteries and operating systems. The plant space 14 is formed by way of a wall 19 that extends across the width of the building 10 immediately behind the doors 18 to form a contained inside space that can be shut-off to unauthorised personnel. The plant space 14 is accessed by the doors 18 which may be locked to prevent unauthorised access. The size of the plant space 14 may vary depending upon the amount of equipment to be stored therein and van be varied by simply varying the location of the wall 19 with respect to the doors 18. In a preferred embodiment, the wall 19 may be spaced 725 mm from the doors 18 to provide a plant space 14 having a footprint of around 1.75 m2 .

The plant room 14 may comprise three beams 5 that extend from the floor to the roof of the plant room for mounting one or more off-grid inverters as required. The beams 5 are preferably formed from rectangular hollow section (RHS) steel and are fixed at the floor and ceiling so as to extend vertically within the plant room 14. In a preferred form, the beams 5 are equi-spaced apart to extend a width of approximately 950 mm with each beam 5 having a width of 50 mm and a depth of 75 mm. With such an arrangement, any off-grid inverters can be simply mounted to the beams to be supported in position as required.

As is shown in Fig. 2, the front wall 15 may be configured to have a door 20 and windows 21 to provide access to the office space 12 and to provide natural light and air supply into the office space 12. Air vents may also be provided in the walls of the building to further aid in the flow of air into and out of the office space 12 and the plant room 14.

As is shown in Fig. 3, a switchboard 22 can be simply mounted to the surface of the internal wall 19 in the office space 12 to facilitate control and connection between electrical appliances, such as lights and power points and the operating systems housed within the plant space 14. On such a situation, the switchboard and electrical components of the office space 12 can be simply connected to the power supply and operating systems at a single point with minimal additional wiring required.

Referring to Figs 7 and 8, an alternative embodiment of the building 10 is depicted showing how the building 10 is able to be simply set up for power supply.

As is shown in Fig. 7, the rear wall 16 of the building 10 has a connector 24 mounted thereon for facilitating connection to an external generator should there by low power at the site following installation. The connector 24 is preferably a 3-pin, 15 Amp plug that facilitates simple interconnection with a generator where required.

A stake member 25 is also provided on the rear wall of the building 10 as shown in Fig. 7. The stake member 25 is configured to form as an earthing point and comprises a threaded bar to provide a connection point for an earthing cable to be installed. The stake member 25 is configured to be sacrificial such that upon relocation of the building 10, the earthing cable can be simply cut and the building 10 moved to another site without the need for any re-wiring of the building 10.

The roof 13 of the building 10 is configured to support a solar power system 30 as depicted more clearly in Figs. 9 and 10. The solar power system 30 is in the form of a sliding awning system having a number of rigidly mounted solar panels 32 exposed across a surface of the roof 13 of the building, and a number of sliding solar panels 34 that are configured to be extended from beneath the rigidly mounted solar panels 32 in the form of an awning extending from the edge of the building 10, as depicted in Fig. 10.

To maximise the amount of solar panels space on the roof of the building, the rigidly mounted solar panels 32 are mounted upon four supports 36 that extend across the roof 13. In a preferred embodiment, the supports 36 are in the form of rectangular hollow section (RHS) steel tubes that are fixed to the surface of the roof 13 by welding or other fixations means. The supports 36 are separated a predetermined distance to facilitate mounting of the sliding panel members 34 therebetween. In a preferred from the supports 36 may be separated by a distance of approximately 1700 mm, although this distance will vary depending upon the size of the building 10.

Three bar members 35 are mounted on the supports 36 to extend transversely across the supports 36 in the manner as shown. The solar panels 32 are then fixed to the surface of the bar members 35 and spaced across the roof 13 in the manner as shown. Each of the solar panels 32 are spaced apart a required distance t ensure maximum solar coverage.

As the four supports 36 are spaced apart, three slots or spaces 60 are created between the roof surface 13 and the supports 36 to accommodate one of the sliding panel members 34 as shown in Fig. 9. In a preferred form, the supports 36 are approximately 75 mm high, thereby defining the vertical height of the slot or space. The internal walls of the supports 36 have a rail member attached thereto which forms a track along which an edge of the sliding panel members 34 is received such that the panel members 34 are free to slide into and out of the slots or spaces 60, as desired.

By extending the panel members 34 in the direction of arrow A, the panel members 34 can be extended from the slot or space 60 beneath the fixed panel members 34 to further maximise solar coverage of the solar power system 30 of the building 10. It will be appreciated that the panel members 34 may be manually extended and retracted from the slot or space 60, or it may be electronically controlled by way of a motor or the like which drives the panel members 34 along the track system.

With such a retractable solar power system 30, the building 10 is able to maximise solar power generation and can provide additional shelter in the form of an awning or the like that extends over the edge of the building to provide shade and reduce heat radiation into the building 10. Furthermore, in the event that the building 10 is to be moved or relocated to another site, the panel members 34 can be simply retracted into the slot or space 60 and locked in position for transport, as desired.

The configuration of the power collection system of the building 10 enables the building 10 to be used at a variety of different sites where the solar collection capacity of the site may vary. In areas of maximum sunlight, the extendible solar panels 34 may not be required and can uninstalled or remain in the retracted position, whereas in regions where there is some shade or reduced sunlight exposure, the extendible solar panels 34 can be employed to further maximise solar power generation.

To ensure that the panels 34 remain in consistent electrical connectivity with the solar power system 30 as they are retracted and extended, a dedicated wiring system is provided as is shown Fig. 11. In this regard, each of the movable panels 34 are connected to a central wiring system 70 by way of one or more cables 75. The cables 75 are configured to form a wound cord that is biased to retract into a coiled configuration when the movable panel 34 is in the retracted position. As the movable panel 34 is extended in the direction of arrow A the cable 75 unwinds to extend and lengthen with the extended panel 34. If the panel 34 is retracted, the cable 75 then reduces in length and its natural bias will result in the cable becoming wound into a coil which is neatly housed in the slot or space 60 so as to be stored in a manner that is out of the way and will not become tangled in the housing structure. Such a biased cable system 75 also functions to protect the wiring system by minimising the cable 75 being pinched or damaged by contact with the structure of the moving mechanism of the roofing system.

It will be appreciated that the construction of the modular building of the present invention provides for a modular building that can be simply transported to a site for immediate use without significant modification or establishment work. The 1o building has an extendible solar panel system that can be simply activated to meet the power requirements of the site, and can be simply connected to a generator or other power source as desired. The building has a dedicated plant space that is accessible via a pair of doors adjacent one end of the housing which can be locked or otherwise secured to ensure that only authorised personnel can access the electronics and control units housed in the plant room. Such a plug-in and modular building system enables remote accommodation and portable offices to be constructed in a scalable manner that can simply and effectively cater for changes in the system requirements due to the ability to simply "plug" additional buildings into the structure, without the need for licensed trades to attend the site and for power authorities authorisation to connect to the power grid.

Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the building uppermost.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A portable building structure comprising: a body having a front wall, a pair of opposing side walls, a pair of opposing end walls, a roof and a floor that define an internal working space; and

a solar collection system mounted on the roof of the body, the solar collection system comprising a plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels extending substantially over a surface area of the roof, and a plurality of movable solar collector panels mounted under the rigidly mounted solar collector panels and configured to be extendable from the plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels to project from the roof when required, and when not required to be stored under the a plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels in a retracted manner. 2. A portable building structure according to claim 1, further comprising a plant space formed adjacent one of the end walls and accessible by way of a pair of doors that form the end wall.

3. A portable building structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rigidly mounted solar collector panels are mounted atop a plurality of supports extending across the roof of the body such that at least two open channels are formed between adjacent supports for receiving a movable solar collector panel therein.

4. A portable building structure according to claim 3, wherein a rail is mounted to a surface of the adjacent supports and the movable solar collector panel is mounted between the supports so as to slide along the opposing rails between an extended position and a retracted position.

5. A portable building structure according to claim 4, wherein each movable solar collector panel is attached to a wiring system of the building structure by way of extendible cables.

6. A portable building structure according to claim 5, wherein the extendible cables are coiled cables biased into a coiled configuration and upon movement of the movable solar collector panel to the extended position the coiled cables lengthen and upon retracting of the movable solar collector panel the coiled cables return to their coiled position.