EP0850340B1

EP0850340B1 - Building element or block, in particular for building masonries that are equipped with passageways for tubes and cables, and the procedure for manufacturing said passageways

Info

Publication number: EP0850340B1
Application number: EP96902427A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gianfranco Ghezzi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-09-11
Filing date: 1996-02-08
Publication date: 2000-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2016-02-08
Also published as: ITPR950026A1; EP0850340A1; DE69609073T2; WO1997010395A1; IT1281712B1; ITPR950026A0; ATE194196T1; DE69609073D1

Abstract

The present invention pertains to the field of building and concerns a building block or element (1) which permits the construction of masonries containing raceways for the passage of tubes and cables in technological systems which minimises the necessity to create and re-close chases in the masonries. Each block (1) includes at least a vertical through hole (2) and at least one couple of opposed grooves (3, 4) on the lateral faces for the creation of vertical raceways, and preferably at least a projection (5) obtained on the upper face of the block (1) and at least a corresponding groove (6) obtained in the lower face of the block in order to prevent, in the case of laying with binders, the closure of the vertical raceways, and to provide, by means of a supplementary groove (7), a further horizontal raceway for each row of blocks.

Description

The present invention relates to a building element or block, in particular for building masonries that are equipped with passageways for tubes and cables, and a procedure for manufacturing said passageways.

The bricks and elements for the building of masonries of a know type are shaped in such a way that they do not permit an easy insertion of technological systems in buildings.

In order to permit the housing of these systems it is necessary to lay an always greater amount of electric, telephonic, and television cables, tubes for the supply of water and gas as well as tubes for heating and air-conditioning systems.

The insertion of this duct network is carried out, in the masonries, using an expensive and complex procedure which is carried out in three phases: formation of the chases in the masonry, insertion of the duct into the chases and the re-closing of the chases.

This procedure, apart from weakening the masonry structures, has a notable effect on the final cost of the system, and causes a complex organisation of the work on the building yard.

GB-A-2 154 623 discloses a building block comprising vertical through holes and a couple of opposed grooves having a transversal section which corresponds to half the transversal section of the through holes, in such a way as to form, with the blocks laid, at least a vertical passageway network having a constant cross section.

Moreover, the block has a channel in the upper or lower face which may be used for plumbing or wiring.

However the shape of said block is such that, in case of laying with binders, the through holes may be closed by the binders or concrete.

GB-A- 704 621 discloses in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 a building brick provided with a flat-topped rib and a corresponding recess provided in the top and bottom surface of the brick, respectively, and a through hole equidistant from two symmetrical grooves carved into opposite sides of the brick.

The flat-topped rib facilitates the mounting of the bricks to make a wall but the engagement between the rib and the corresponding lower groove is such that it does not consent to realize a horizontal housing for tubes and cables.

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the necessity to create and re-close the chases, so as to permit the construction workers to lay, almost autonomously, the systems that they are allowed to do, thus permitting the laying of other or of different systems also after the completion of the building, without heavy intervention on the walls.

A further aim of the present invention is to make available a building element, particularly simple and economical, which also reduces the laying times.

Said aims are fully achieved by the building element and the procedure, object of the present invention, as characterised in the appended claims.

In particular the building element comprises a series of housings for cables and/or tubes, so as to avoid the traditional making of chases using chisels or millers and their subsequent re-closing using mortar.

The procedure envisages, once the construction of the masonry along with the above mentioned elements has been carried out, the creation of an inlet hole until reaching a horizontal or vertical passageway, the insertion of the cable or flexible tube into said passageway and the creation of an outlet hole. This and further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows of a preferred embodiment here illustrated in the form of a non-limiting example in which:

The figures from 1a to 1h show a front view of the building element in different embodiments;
The figures from 2a to 2h show a view from the bottom of the building element in different embodiments;
The figures from 3a to 3h show a view from the top of the building element in different embodiments;
The figures from 4a to 4h show a right lateral view of the building element in different embodiments;
The figures from 5a to 5h show the building element in a section A-A of the relative figures 1a-1h;
The figures 6 and 7 show a axonometric view of the building element, once installed, in different embodiments.

With reference to the figures, 1 denotes one building element or block of a substantially parallelepipedal shape, provided with a vertical through hole 2 which crosses the whole block and is equidistantly positioned from

first grooves

3 and 4 which are obtained in the opposed lateral faces which cannot be seen from the block.

Said

grooves

3 and 4 are vertical, parallel to each other and to the through hole 2 and are coplanar to said through hole.

The

grooves

3 and 4 are complementary to each other, that is, each of them is shaped as a "half through hole" in such a way that with the blocks 1 laid, said grooves originate a network of coplanar vertical passageways wherein each channel has constant sections, both if said channel originates from overlapped through holes 2, or results from a coupling of

opposed grooves

3 and 4.

With reference to the figures, 5 denotes a projection on the upper face of the

block

1, 6 denotes a corresponding groove, of a substantially congruent shape, obtained in the lower part of the block, both projection and corresponding groove through the whole length of the block in a horizontal direction so as to form an embedding and to make easier the laying of the blocks when they have to be overlapped and so as to prevent closure of the through holes 2 in the case of laying with binders.

The projection or relief 5, the groove 6, the through hole 1 and the

first grooves

3 and 4 are substantially coplanar.

The figures from 1b to 5b show a further embodiment wherein the block 1 is equipped with a supplementary groove 7, which is obtained by deepening the groove 6, and capable of creating a horizontal housing for tubes, pipes and wires.

The same function can be achieved by creating a channel 8 in the projection 5, as shown in the figures from 1c to 5c, or by creating both the groove 7 and the channel 8, as shown in figures from 1d to 5d, in such a way that the horizontal housing is obtained partly in the upper block and partly in the lower block.

According to a further embodiment, applicable to all the embodiments that have been described above, it is envisaged a plurality of embeddings, designed to facilitate the laying, which can be obtained by equipping each block 1 with the suitable teeth 10 and the relative recesses 9 in the lower and upper faces, as shown in figures 1e and 5e, or by inserting tubular connecting plugs into the through holes 2, in such a way so as to guarantee a perfect alignment of the vertical passageways.

According to a still further embodiment it is possible to eliminate the vertical joints (that is the passing cracks between two adjacent blocks which make it possible to see through the walls of the blocks), which would form alongside the blocks without the use of mortar on the vertical faces by modifying the design of the sides containing the

grooves

3 and 4, for example by eliminating the horizontal linearity (with a bend or a broken line) and/or the squareness of the borders with respect to the surface of the wall.

Also by lengthening one of the two borders and shortening the other next to the grooves and to the same measurement, the contact joints are staggered. Figures from 1f to 5f show an example wherein one of the borders is shortened until it comes to an end, while the other is lengthened until it substends all the area of the groove-housing (as shown in detail in figure 2f); the block can take up a horizontal section substantially shaped as a "Z".

In figures from 1g to 5g is represented a vertical embedding system, with a projection 15 and a groove 16, similar to the horizontal embedding system (figures b-c-d).

The building element or block object of the present invention also makes it possible to take up, especially for blocks with a greater thickness, in alternative or contemporary with the solution shown in the figures described above (f, g), the known embedding systems used in bricks and blocks so as to avoid the use of mortar in the vertical joints or to break the linearity of the vertical joints.

Said block can be constituted by more blocks laid next to each other of the type shown in figures from 1a to 5a.

With reference to the laying procedure of the element or the block 1, the through hole 2 and the

first grooves

3 and 4 make sure that by coupling the blocks for constructing the masonry, a vertical passageway system is created with the distance between the centres being equal to half block wherein it is possible to introduce, also when the masonry is completed, tubes, pipes or electric wires of a suitable flexibility without the necessity to create chases, as shown in figures 6 and 7. It is sufficient, in fact, to carry out small inlet and outlet holes wherein, if necessary, can be housed connector blocks, junction boxes, or the like.

The supplementary groove 7 and/or the channel 8 also permit to obtain a possible second horizontal passageway in correspondence with each horizontal joint of the masonry, thus, determining a vertical and horizontal pattern grid of passageways for all of the masonry extensions, as shown in figures 6 and 7. The possible presence of any embedding system obtained with teeth and relative housings obtained in the horizontal faces of the block (example, figures from 1e to 5e) or with plugs housed in the vertical through holes, provides for a more accurate alignment of the blocks during the laying, so as to guarantee a perfect continuity of the vertical passageways.

The ideal plane which contains the passageways can be situated both equidistantly with respect to the faces exposed of the block (in the case in which the walls are of a modest thickness or partition walls), and in adhesion to one of the faces exposed in the case of masonries of a greater thickness, in such a way that cables and tubes run at a modest depth with respect to the surface of the walls.

In the case of masonries of a greater thickness there can be two planes of passageways (as shown in figure 6) in adhesion to the two faces exposed, with the possibility to insert tubes and cables on both the faces of the masonry, particularly useful in the case of main inside walls.

The block object of the present invention can be constructed using traditional building materials (such as plain or light concrete, brick earth, hard mixes and plaster) by extrusion or moulding.

The block object of the present invention can be manufactured using one single material or using more than one material or also it can be lined (for example, concrete with the lining in exposed plaster) and it can also present lightening holes, as used in the traditional concrete blocks and tile bricks or cavities 11, destined to be filled with concrete in the mould version with dry laying and subsequent filling, as shown in figures from 1h to 5h.

The particular arrangement of the passageway system (through hole and coplanar grooves), as well as the horizontal embedding (projection groove), permit the blocks to be mounted both dry and using a modest amount of binders, or, in the case of hollow blocks, dry with a subsequent jet of concrete filling.

Any possible binders, buttered on the horizontal faces of the block, because of the projection 5, do not close either the vertical or horizontal passageways. In the case of the presence of vertical embeddings (figures from 1g to 5g) it is possible to butter the binders also on the vertical faces without causing the closure of the passageways.

Claims

A building element or block, in particular for constructing masonries that are equipped with passageways for tubes and cables, said element or block (1) being of a substantially parallelepipedal shape of the type comprising:

at least a vertical through hole (2) that crosses the whole block;

at least a couple of first opposed grooves (3,4) provided in the non exposed lateral faces of the block (1),

said grooves (3,4) having a transversal section which corresponds to half the transversal section of said at least one through hole (2), said grooves (3, 4) being coplanar with at least one of said through holes (2) and equidistant from it, in such a way so as to form, with the blocks laid, at least a vertical passageway network having a constant cross section,

a groove (6) and a corresponding projection (5), which extend for the whole length of the block on opposite sides of the block to form an interlocking for the laid blocks and to prevent the closure of the through hole (2) or through holes (2) in the case of laying with binders,

characterised in that said building element or block further comprises means shaped in such a way so as to create a horizontal housing for tubes and cables, said means comprising a channel (8) provided in said projection (5) and/or in said groove (6) which is made sufficiently deep.
An element or block as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it includes a tooth (10) and a couple of corresponding recesses (9) shaped and positioned in such a way so as to confer to the block one single mounting position.
An element or block as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it has a horizontal section substantially shaped as a "Z" or the like such as to prevent vertical passing cracks between adjacent blocks.
An element or block as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises at least a projection (15) provided in a non exposed lateral face of the block (1) and at least a corresponding groove (16) provided in the lateral face opposed to the previous one, said projection and corresponding groove (16) extending over the whole height of the block and being shaped in such a way so as to form an interlocking for blocks laid next to each other and to prevent the closure of the first grooves (3,4) in the case of laying with binders.
An element or block as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least two through holes (2) and at least two couples of opposed grooves (3,4) in such a way so as to form two networks of vertical passageways, each of which is formed by a plurality of vertical channels being coplanar between them.
An element or block as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least two projections (5) and two corresponding grooves (6), said grooves (6) being shaped in such a way so as to form a double network of horizontal passageways adherent to exposed walls.
An element or block as claimed in claims 1 and 5, characterised in that it includes a cavity (11) for the filling with concrete.
A masonry or wall constructed with a plurality of elements or blocks (1) as claimed in any of the above mentioned claims, characterised in that said blocks (1) are laid in such a way that the through holes (2) are perfectly aligned between each other as well as the grooves (3,4) so as to create a plurality of vertical passageways of a constant cross section.
A masonry as claimed in claim 8, which the supplementary grooves (7) or the channels (8) of a same row of blocks (1) are aligned between each other in such a way so as to create horizontal passageways.
A masonry as claimed in claims 8 or 9, in which the passageway or the passageways are coplanar.
Method for creating passageways for tubes and cables in masonries by using the building elements as defined in claim 1, characterised in that said procedure envisages the creation of an inlet hole until the horizontal or vertical passageway is reached, the insertion of a flexible tube or cable into said passageway and the creation of an outlet hole.
A masonry as claimed in anyone of claims 8 to 10, characterised in that it is constituted by a plurality of elements or blocks (1) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 in such a way as to be provided with at least three coplanar and equidistant through holes (2).