Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K1/00—Housing animals; Equipment therefor
  • A01K1/02—Pigsties; Dog-kennels; Rabbit-hutches or the like
  • A01K1/03—Housing for domestic or laboratory animals
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
  • E04B1/38—Connections for building structures in general
  • E04B1/61—Connections for building structures in general of slab-shaped building elements with each other
  • E04B1/6108—Connections for building structures in general of slab-shaped building elements with each other the frontal surfaces of the slabs connected together
  • E04B1/612—Connections for building structures in general of slab-shaped building elements with each other the frontal surfaces of the slabs connected together by means between frontal surfaces
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
  • F16B5/00—Joining sheets or plates, e.g. panels, to one another or to strips or bars parallel to them

Definitions

• This invention relates to a seam joint building system which is particularly useful for joining structural panels to form a right angle. Joining of structural panels is a relatively mature art. Useful overviews of the prior art can be found in textbooks such as:
• One object of this invention is to provide an improved means for joining structural panels to form a right angle.
• Such means comprises a seam joint which provides a so-called “slip” or " lock” seam.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible animal house which in its erected position provides a sturdy, weatherproof shelter for pets.
• Yet another object is to provide a collapsible animal house or kennel which may be purchased readily in a supermarket situation and transported home in the boot of a family saloon. Furthermore, such a collapsible animal house or kennel may be transported readily from location to location, for example, from home to a week-end cottage.
• This invention provides a seam joint building system for joining adjacent structural panels at right angles, said system comprising at least two structural panels, wherein a first structural panel is provided with a male element along one edge thereof and a second structural panel is provided with a female element along a corresponding edge thereof, said male element formed to project generally perpendicularly to said first structural panel and at a subsequent region thereof altered in direction to run generally parallel to said first structural panel, said female element formed to project generally perpendicularly to said second structural panel and at a subsequent region thereof reversed in direction to run generally perpendicular to said second structural panel, whereby said first structural panel may be joined at right angles to said second structural panel by sliding said male element into said female element.
• This invention further provides a seam joint as described above.
• This invention therefore, further relates to a collapsible animal house having a box-like structure with two end walls, two side walls, a floor and a roof, wherein vertical joining edges of said end walls and said side walls are provided with corresponding elements of a seam joint according to the invention each such seam joint being adapted to provide a weatherproof corner for such box-like structure.
• the present invention affords improved weatherproofing as well as ease and repeatability of assembly and disassembly.
• the roof may be a single element, preferably sloped, but is more preferably a conventional peaked roof. Such roof may be attached to corresponding upper portions of said end walls and side walls by means of said seam joints. However, such means are not essential in this case and may be replaced by corresponding grooves or slots and interfitting male elements.
• the apex of said roof is preferably provided with an outer sealing element to improve weatherproofing.
• the floor is preferably of simple drop-in construction, adapted to rest upon corresponding support means at the bottoms of said end walls and side walls.
• the material from which the structural panels are made is preferably of metal-clad, foam-filled construction. Such material has structural strength and rigidity and has good insulating properties.
• the U-channel edge section is also preferably of metal, as are the male and female elements.
• the U-channel edge section and male and female elements may be integral, that is, formed in one piece. If said elements are of metal the male and female elements may be seam welded to the U-chahnel edge sections.
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a seam joint building system according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is a similar cross-sectional view of a part of an alternative embodiment of a system according to the invention
• Figs. 3 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are diagrammatic, cross-sectional views of a female element attached in various ways to a U-channel edge section;
• Figs. 4 (a) and (b) are similar diagrammatic, cross-sectional views of a male element attached in several ways to a U-channel edge section;
• FIG. 5 is a detail cross-section of an alternative embodiment of a seam joint building system according to the invention
• Figs. 6 (a) and (b) are diagrammatic plan views of yet another alternative emodiment of a seam joint building system according to the invention
• Fig. 7 is an exploded view in perspective of an animal house according to the invention
• Fig. 8 is a view also in perspective of the same house, assembled and rotated through 180 ;
• Fig. 9 is a detail view of part of an assembled seam joint according to the invention, as applied to the animal house of Figs. 5 and 6.
• numeral 1 indicates a first structural panel and 2 a second structural panel supplied with U-channel edge sections 3 and 4 respectively along at least one side thereof.
• Numeral 5 indicates a female element attached to U-channel section 3 by means of seam weld 6.
• An interfitting male element 7 is shown attached to corresponding U-channel section 4. (A dotted line is used for the sake of clarity.)
• the male element 7 is attached to U-channel section 4 by seam welds 8. (Two are shown but one may suffice.)
• FIG. 2 female element 9 is shown attached to a different point of U-channel section 3 (and faces in the opposite direction) . Again, a seam weld 10 is used to attach female element 9.
• Figs. 3 (a), (b) , (c) and (d) are self-evident, in the light of previous drawings showing different modes of attaching female elements 11, 13, 5 and 15 to U-channel section 3 by means of seam welds 12, 14, 6 and 16 respectively.
• Figs. 4 (a) and (b) are also self-evident, showing different modes of attaching male elements 7 and 17 to U- channel section 4 by means of seam welds 8 and 18 respectively.
• FIG. 5 an alternative embodiment according to the invention is shown, in which sandwich panels 19 and 20 are provided with corresponding U-channel sections 21 and 22 respectively.
• Male element 23 is formed integrally with U-channel section 21
• female element 24 is formed integrally with U-channel section 22.
• female element 24 is shown inset from the end of structural panel 20 and faces outwardly with respect to the major portion of the structural panel.
• Structural panel 19, and U-channel section 21, are so proportioned that the right-angled corner formed is flush, promoting the formation of a weathertight seal.
• FIGs. 6 (a) and (b) a simple embodiment of the invention is shown, with structural panels 25 and 26 in which are formed directly female element 27 and male element 28.
• numeral 51 indicates the animal house generally, 52 and 53 opposite end walls and 54 and 55 opposite side walls.
• Numeral 56 indicates the floor and 57 and 58 corresponding roof elements. (Roof element 58 is shown partially rotated horizontally to reveal its lower surface.)
• Numeral 59 indicates the reverse folded, female element of a seam and 60 the interfitting male element. In Fig. 9, male seam element 60 is shown fitted into female seam element 59.
• Numerals 61 and 62 indicate female slot elements on roof element 57 and 62A and 61A (not actually shown in drawing) interfitting male elements on end walls 53 and 52 respectively.
• Numerals 63 and 64 indicate female elements on roof element 58 and 63A and 64A interfitting male elements on end walls 53 and 52 respectively.
• Numeral 65 indicates a sealing element attached to roof element 57.
• Numeral 66 indicates a stop means on roof element 58, which abuts against the upper inner surface of side wall 54, when the roof is assembled.
• Numeral 67 refers to U-channel edge sections on floor 56 (these sections are also shown on each other element of the structure) .
• Numeral 68 refers to a structural, rigidifying element in floor 56.
• Numeral 69 refers to an opening in end wall 53.

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Family Cites Families (7)

• 1986
  • 1986-07-17 WO PCT/AU1986/000198 patent/WO1987000591A1/en unknown
  • 1986-07-17 EP EP19860904730 patent/EP0231289A1/de active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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