EP1395715B1

EP1395715B1 - Accommodation system

Info

Publication number: EP1395715B1
Application number: EP02738348A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mark Willingale; David Cook; Matthias Christian Hamm
Original assignee: MODULAR ACCOMMODATION SYSTEMS; Modular Accommodation Systems Ltd
Current assignee: MODULAR ACCOMMODATION SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 2001-06-01
Filing date: 2002-05-31
Publication date: 2009-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 2022-05-31
Also published as: GB0113377D0; ATE420252T1; HK1064139A1; WO2002097206A1; EP1395715A1; DE60230747D1

Abstract

The construction including a plurality of removable accommodation modules and a support frame for removably fixing to the ground for supporting the accommodation modules.

Description

The present invention relates to a removable construction, a method of assembling and disassembling a construction on a site and apparatus for managing accommodation.
We have entered the "mobile millennium". Business and leisure services are increasingly "virtual", liberated from traditional office premises. People tend to move more often and further afield than in the past. Yet in this mobile world our homes remain static, immobile, a fixed abode.
Further, we are spending less time in our fixed abodes, not just during the working week but also throughout the year. Our homes are not always where they wish them to be. While we had lifelong single-city careers, we accepted this inconvenience as our homes often represented the single largest investment of our lives, but our careers are no longer lifelong, no longer single-city, so a single-city lifelong investment home is no longer so acceptable.
Fixed abodes are becoming too expensive, whether rented or purchased, as they combine accommodation costs with speculative land values.
Our lives are less encumbered than they used to be so there is less to be found in our fixed abodes. Labour-saving devices do most of the domestic work and much of what used to be on shelves and in cupboards is now "digital", available over the internet, or can be delivered for immediate consumption. We dine out more often and find entertainment abroad, returning home for rest, refreshment and re-clothing. Yet the home will always be personal, an impression of our lives, one which will not fit into a suitcase. So the hotel or aparthotel, though providing flexible accommodation in any location, will never be a substitute for home.
Prior art includes US3541744 , which discloses a portable dwelling structure comprising at least one support column having receivers for portable dwelling units.
According to the present invention, there is provided a construction including a plurality of removable accommodation modules and a support frame for supporting the accommodation modules, characterised in that said support frame is for removably fixing to the ground.
Such an arrangement may allow the accommodation modules to be manufactured off-site, and subsequently transported to the site where they are mounted on the support. For example, when a user has personalised an accommodation module at the site, and wishes to move elsewhere, the personalised accommodation module may be removed from the support frame and transported to another site.
In the embodiment a lift is mounted on the frame for movement with respect to the frame, wherein the lift is operable to load and/or unload the accommodation modules to/from the frame and to provide access to the accommodation modules for users of the construction. This lift has three functions: (1) it is used to assemble the construction by raising the accommodation modules, for example, from the back of a lorry transporting the accommodation modules from a manufacturing site, and to mount these modules on the support frame; (2), once the construction is in place, the lift then functions as a normal passenger lift to allow access to the accommodation modules by residents of the construction; and (3) it is used to demount the accommodation modules for use elsewhere.
Preferably, the modules and the frame include mutually cooperating means for allowing the modules to be slidably mounted on the frame by the lift. One of the module and the frame may include a plurality of bosses and the other may include an elongate flanged portion which fits around the bosses in use. The bosses may be arranged to rotate to facilitate movement with respect to the elongate flanged portion. The lift may include means for rotating and sliding an accommodation module mounted thereon to facilitate loading/unloading of the module on the frame. This is a convenient way of assembling the accommodation modules on the support frame. It means that the accommodation system is easy to assemble, and requires no special skills. The rotating and sliding means may comprise means to adjust the position of the accommodation module once it has been rotated such that the module can be slidably mounted on the frame. This ensures that the modules are correctly positioned before being transferred to the support frame. The adjusting means may comprise means for releasably attaching the adjusting means to the frame. This improves the security of the transfer of the modules to the frame.
The term "accommodation" used herein means accommodation of any type, such as residential accommodation, business accommodation, accommodation of stored articles, or any type of container in general.
In one aspect the present invention, provides a home as refuge and personal impression but not as fixed abode. The mobile abode system described allows the home to be manufactured off-site on long production runs to a high specification, like an automobile, with models benefiting from market feedback in an evolutionary process. Over a relatively short period this evolutionary industrial process typically results in a product of much higher performance at substantially reduced unit cost.
As a consequence the mobile abode system will challenge traditional accommodation on quality and cost per unit area, even though of limited area. The accommodation investment can be taken with the user and is consequently not site-specific.
The support frames or stands on which the mobile abodes rest may also be mass produced to provide access and services at least comparable to the average common parts entrance hall, lift and stairwell. The stands too can be demounted and relocated so their investment cost is not site-specific. This leaves just the foundations, hard-standing, landscaping, boundary works and underground utility connections as site-specific costs, most of which may be reused for a permanent development. The weight of the accommodation modules or mobile abode containers and the stands on which they rest may be kept to a minimum to minimize the cost of relocation. As the use is temporary, any permanent land development value can still be realized so that traditional speculative land values largely drop out of the mobile abode system location costs. The mobile abode system will be able to compete with traditional forms of development and secure attractive urban sites. There will be areas where demand may justify a permanent stand and these can be analyzed as traditional land leasehold developments. Even here the occupier will be able to participate in ownership of the container.
There are many potential applications for the mobile abode system in the residential market, but also there are uses where mobility itself is essential for example for the military, aid centers, media events, vacations, refugee camps, etc, each a potential use for the new system.
The mobile abode system may involve three separate legal parties: the occupier, the operator and the landlord.
The occupier will rent, lease or perhaps most frequently purchase accommodation container(s) from the operator on terms similar to the present property and car-ownership markets. The cost of the container will be related to the extent and quality of the fit-out. A minimum cost container might include the basic enclosure, entrance doorset, windows and service connection points with the rest left to the occupier, but it is envisaged that most models will be fully fitted, thereby setting a launch price that will come down sharply as production runs increase. The occupier will also rent a place on a stand, pay service charges for access, utilities and insurance, and transport costs for relocation as required.
The operator will provide optional addresses for the occupier by erecting stands on available sites. The operator will own stands, own or hire vehicles for transporting, erecting and dismantling the stands and will own or rent a depot for their maintenance, storage and relocation. Operational productivity will demand efficient use of vehicles and stands so that the minimum number of stands is required at any given address. This may lead to some shuffling of the containers, for which there will be provisions in the stand rental agreements. The operator will also arrange the transportation of containers between sites and may provide additional services such as container storage, servicing and re-fitting. The operator will rent or lease sites from the landowners with the agreements stipulating that all but the permanent works must be removed from site at the end of term.
The landlord may receive an annual rent, which ignores the permanent speculative development value of the land but may factor in losses, or gains, arising from delayed development. The operator/landlord agreements may be comparable to current agreements for temporary car parking sites in urban areas.
There is scope for the three separate parties to overlap or be combined in a variety of ways, as in the present property market, and none, some or all may share in the future permanent development value of the sites, so that the traditional land and accommodation speculation that is inherent in the current housing market can be included if desired.
The ability of the mobile abode system to tailor the committed infrastructure of containers and stands to any given site for the duration of demand is an important economic advantage over traditional development. Occupiers can participate in a form of home ownership that separates ownership of accommodation from ownership of land and reduces capital cost to a lower base than at present. The infrastructure capital committed by an operator to any one site is also minimized. As demand for containers accelerates in the early stages of growth the demand for sites increases so that early investors stand to make large capital gains as the system grows. This will help encourage investors and reduce the cost of set-up finance. The long-term level of capital investment will depend on the long production run costs of fully fitted containers and on their average life expectancy, both factors that can be determined from the outset.
The system may be compatible with the existing international land and sea freight container infrastructure of lorries, trains, depots, ports and ships.
For a better understanding of the present invention an embodiment will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the partially assembled accommodation system, and
Figures 2 to 12 show the various stages in the construction of the accommodation system.
Figure 13 shows a second embodiment of a lift for use with the accommodation system.

Throughout the drawings like elements are generally designated with the same reference numeral.
The accommodation system or construction comprises a central tower 1 (or stand) which acts as a support frame for other elements of the system. The ground floor element 3 of the central tower 1 is mounted on a foundation platform 5, such as an augered pile foundation. The central tower can be removed from the foundation platform 5 for use elsewhere, when required. The foundation platform 5 includes mounting holes 7, a utilities connection 9 and two hydraulic rams 11 above ground level.
The ground floor element 3 has a steel frame 13, a removable lift protection barrier (not shown) and an underground utilities connection box (not shown) for connection to the utilities supply 9.
Also provided is an entrance-landing enclosure 19, and doorset (not shown) two-flight steel staircase 21 and balustrading 23. Lift landing, lift doorset, entrance and lift landing floor panels, lift gear slide rails, landing lighting, vertical utility riser ducts, one set of in-line utilities connections, and one set of storey to storey couplings are also provided but not shown in detail.
The upper-storey elements 25 each comprise a rigid structural frame 27, entrance landing enclosure 29, two-flight steel staircase 31 and balustrading 33. Lift landing and lift doorset, entrance and lift landing floor panels, lift gear slide rails, vertical utility riser ducts landing lighting, one set of in-line utilities connections, one set of storey to storey couplings two utility connection boxes to the containers, two sets of container couplings are also provided but not shown in detail.
The roof element 35 comprises a steel frame 37, profiled steel cladding 39, couplings (not shown) to upper-storey element 25 caps to utility riser ducts (not shown) and satellite dish (not shown).
Mounted on the central tower 1 are a plurality of accommodation modules or containers 50. The containers 50 are modeled on existing international freight-container dimensions and structural performance. They comprise a steel frame 52 with standard couplings at vertices, sheer frames 54 at each end and one third of length (i.e. 4 sheer frames), window openings 56, and doorset opening frame on landing side of container (not shown). Profiled sheet steel cladding 58 is fitted to the frames 52, 54. One further doorset, services connection box, internal services distribution, service fittings and appliances, insulation internal linings, fixtures and fittings are also provided but not shown in detail.
Each container 50 includes at the bottom of each side a lower box track 58 and at the top of each side an upper box track 59. Each lower track 58 is of essentially C-section. Each track 58 comprises a vertical inner wall 60, with upper and lower horizontal walls 62, 64 extending from the top and bottom of the vertical wall 60. From the distal ends of the horizontal walls 62 and 64, a downwardly extending flange 66 and an upwardly extending flange 68 extend, respectively. The flanges 66 and 68 are parallel to the vertical wall 60. The rigid structural frames 13 and 27 of the ground floor and upper storey elements 3 and 25 include a series of bossed elements or track wheels 70 extending therefrom. These elements may comprise a shaft on which a larger diameter rotatable wheel is mounted. Corresponding bossed elements 70 are formed on the lift mechanism 72.
Each upper track 59 is also of generally of C-section, comprising a vertical inner wall 60', and upper and lower horizontal walls 62', 64'. A larger downwardly extending flange 66' extends from the upper horizontal wall 62. No upwardly extending flange (corresponding to flange 68) is provided.
The rigid structural frames 13 and 27 include a further set of bossed elements or track wheels 70' positioned for cooperating with the upper tracks 59. Again, these bossed elements comprise a shaft on which a larger diameter rotatable wheel is mounted. The shaft of the bossed elements 70' extends vertically, whereas the shaft of the bossed elements 70 extends horizontally. Elements corresponding to the bossed elements 70' are formed on the lift mechanism 72.
The bossed elements 70 and 70' are sized such that the rotatable wheels are securely accommodated within the recesses formed by the box tracks 58 and 59. The rotatable wheels are free to roll along the box tracks 58 and 59 to allow longitudinal movement, but lateral movement cannot occur while the rotatable wheels are accommodated within the box tracks 58 and 59.
The lift 72 is mounted on two hydraulic rams 11, which provide controlled movement of the lift 72 within the lift's structural frame 17. When in "passenger mode" the lift 72 will stop (as required) at each storey of the central tower 1, allowing access to the containers 50.
However, the lift 72 has a second mode of operation, which is for loading and unloading containers 50 onto and off the central tower 1. To achieve this, mounted on the outer side of the lift 72 is pair of bars 76, 78 extending perpendicularly to the rigid structural frames 13 and 27. A vertical bar 80 connects the pair of bars 76, 78 and ensures that they move together. A semicircular bearing track 82 is formed on the upper surface 84 of the lift 72. A corresponding bearing track is formed on the underside of the lift 72 but this is not shown in the drawings. The bars 76, 78 and 80 are connected to pick up-gear 86, which pivots about pivot point 88. Attached between the pivot point 88 and one end of the upper bar 78 is a hydraulic control gear 90. Extension and contraction of the hydraulic control gear 90 controls movement of the structure defined by bars 76, 78 and 80 about the semicircular bearing 82. The bar structure 76, 78 and 80 can be rotated through 180 degrees so that the bars 76 and 78 are aligned coaxially with the rigid structural frames 13 and 27 at either side of the central tower 1, or perpendicular thereto (as shown in Figure 1).
The assembly of a construction according to the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2 to 12.
Firstly, a foundation 7 is laid including a series of fixings to which the ground floor element 3 may be attached. Access to the site may be provided by its proximity to a street 100, allowing access by vehicles 102. The ground floor element 3 is attached to the foundation 7 and a ramp 104 is provided. The ground floor element 3 is transported by vehicle 102. Subsequently, a first upper storey element 25 is mounted on the ground floor element 3. Further upper storey elements 25 are mounted on top of the first upper storey element 25. The upper storey elements are transported by vehicle 102 and will be lifted into place by means of a road crane (not shown). Finally, a roof element is fitted to complete the top storey. Generally, when the central tower 1 is completed the lift 72 and its associated mechanism is fitted in position, although the lift can be put in position earlier.
Containers 50 are then fitted to the central tower 1.
Figure 6 shows a new container 50' being delivered to the tower 1 on vehicle 102. The lift 72 is switched from passenger mode to heavy duty mode to lift the container 50' into place (Figure 7). Track wheels 70 on the lower bar 76 and track wheels 70' of the upper bar 78 of the lift 72 respectively engage the box tracks 58 and 59 of the container 50' by entering the ends of the box tracks 58 and 59. The container 50' is then raised from the vehicle 102 (Figure 8). When the container 50' reaches the required height the hydraulic control gear 90 is operated to rotate the bar assembly 76, 78 and 80 about the semicircular bearing 82 (Figure 9). When the upper and lower bar 78 and 76 are parallel to the rigid steel frame 27, the lift is then operated to slide the container 50' onto the central tower 1 (Figure 10). Once this operation is completed, the lift can return to passenger mode (Figure 11).
The procedure is reversed to remove a container.
Figure 12 shows an overhead plan view of the central tower 1 as the container 50' is swung into position. This figure also shows a possible layout of one floor of the assembled construction.
Figure 13 shows a second embodiment of a lift for use with the accommodation system. The lift 103 is similar to the lift 72 shown in Figures 1 to 12. However, it comprises an additional shifting gear 104 which assists in the transfer of containers 50 from the lift 103 to the central tower 1.
The shifting gear 104 comprises two bars 105, 106 (not shown) which take the place of bars 76, 78 of lift 72. The two bars 105, 106 are moveable by hydraulic means (not shown) in a direction parallel to the rigid structural frames 13, 27 at either side of the central tower 1 (see arrow X), and in a direction perpendicular thereto (see arrow Y). The two bars 105, 106 comprise means (not shown) for releasably attaching the bars 105, 106 to the central tower 1.
The lift 103 operates in the same manner as the lift 72 as regards picking up the containers 50, and rotating the containers 50, so that they are aligned with the rigid structural frames 13, 27. However, the containers 50 are not transferred directly onto the central tower 1, but are instead transferred via the shifting gear 104. This is done by first moving the bars 105, 106 in a direction perpendicular to the rigid structural frames 13, 27 (see arrow Y), and then in a direction parallel thereto (see arrow X) so that the bossed elements 70, 70' engage the box tracks 58, 59 and the bars 105, 106 abut the central tower 1. The attaching means (not shown) then attaches the bars 105, 106 to the central tower 1, and pushing means (not shown) push the container 50 so that it slides along the box tracks 58, 59.
The advantage of using the shifting gear 104 is that the containers 50 are correctly positioned with the bossed elements 70, 70' engaging the box tracks 58, 59, before the transfer of the containers 50 onto the central tower 1. Attaching the containers 50 to the central tower 1 improves the security of the transfer.
A plurality of sites, each having at least one central tower on which a plurality of containers 50 are mounted, may be managed by a computer running a computer program. The computer and computer program will maintain a database of all the accommodation modules available to the operator. A database will also be maintained of the users or occupiers of the accommodation modules. The location of the various support frames will also be stored on a database, as will the identity of the containers mounted on each support frame. The content of these databases will be stored on, for example, magnetic disc or any other suitable storage medium. The computer program will allow the data bases to be updated as the number of accommodation modules and/or support frames changes, and as the users change. As an alternative to a plurality of separate databases, a single database containing all the information could be provided.
When a potential user chooses to investigate the possibility of obtaining an accommodation module he or she will be able to access the databases. This may be done directly by providing the content of the databases available over the internet, for example. Alternatively, the potential user could contact a telephone call centre where a telephone operator will have access to the database. From the database the user will be able to determine the location of available accommodation modules and will be able to select an accommodation module that suits his or her needs.
When an existing user/occupier of an accommodation module wishes to move, he or she can access information from the database which will indicate alternative support frame locations. The user can select a suitable support frame location. Arrangements will then be made to transport his or her accommodation module to the new support frame. The database may also be used to forward mail to the new location for the module.
The database or databases will be updated when accommodation modules are moved, and as new accommodation modules and support frames become available, etc.
In summary:

The containers 50 and stands 1 are manufactured off-site and are fully relocatable leaving only the foundations, hardstanding, landscaping, boundary and underground utility connections as site specific.

The containers 50 and the stands 1 in single storey sections are compatible with the existing international land and sea freight container infrastructure of lorries, trains, depots, ports and ships.
The stands 1 provide support, lift access utilities for the containers 50 with the lift doubling as a passenger lift and a hoist, for relocating individual containers to and from the stand.
The lift mechanism executes the following functions: transfer of a container to and from a container lorry hoisting a container to and from a storey of the stand parking a container on a storey of the stand providing passenger lift access to a storey of the stand.
The lift mechanism consists of wheeled tracks on the sides of the containers; a structural lift-frame mounted on vertical tracks; a pivot-frame mounted on the lift-frame with bearings enabling a turn through 180 degrees; and an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump, hydraulic hoses, two-speed hydraulic lifting ram(s) and hydraulic motors; hydraulic motors operating a clasp, a winch, the pivot frame rotator and the parking mechanism; key-activated, secure controls for an operator to hoist and park containers; and a passenger lift-car with landing doors and push-button control system.
The multi-storey stack combines a ground pack, consisting of a steel plinth, underground utilities connection box, a liftwell and the lift mechanism, a ground-storey pack consisting of a rigid structural frame, an enclosed entrance with doorset and door-entry system, an enclosed two-flight staircase, liftwell protection, lift landing and lift doorset, a number of upper-storey packs each consisting of a rigid structural frame, a lift landing and a lift doorset, utility riser ducts, structural and utility connections to two containers and an enclosed two-flight staircase, a roof pack, to enclose the top storey and cap off the utility riser ducts demountable connectors between each pack two containers 50 per upper storey.
Each storey pack of the stack 1 form a single container-lorry load and the roof and ground packs combined form a single container-lorry load.
The containers 50 can provide residential, commercial or storage accommodation.
Accommodation can be occupied either as single containers 50, storey packs including two containers, multi-storey packs including containers, or as an entire stack including containers.
If it is desired to reduce costs, for example, if the accommodation system is to be used for student accommodation, the accommodation system may be assembled without using a specially adapted lift such as the lift 72 or the lift 103. Any suitable means may then be used for assembling the accommodation system. A standard passenger lift may be installed in place of the specially adapted lift, if desired. The system may be assembled so that it is possible to install a specially adapted lift at a later date, if desired.

Reference numerals:

200 -: fire escape stair
210 -: box track
220 -: secondary pickup
230 -: primary pickup gear
240 -: hydraulic control gear
250 -: passenger lift
260 -: hydraulic motors
270 -: landing
280 -: service riser duct
290 -: lift door opening
300 -: track support wheels
310 -: access ramp
320 -: site
330 -: tower element with stair
340 -: groundpack with ramp
350 -: stacked tower elements (via road crane)
360 -: special lift fitted to complete the tower
370 -: new box is delivered to the tower
380 -: lift switches into heavy-duty mode and connects to the new box
390 -: the box is lifted from the truck
400 -: the box is swung into free tower slot
410 -: the box slides into final position
420 -: lift returns to fast passenger mode
430 -: street
440 -: box movement
450 -: box A
460 -: box B
461 -: kitchen
462 -: services
463 -: shower
464 -: WC/shower
465 -: WC
470 -: truck
480 -: track
490 -: a. pick-up and drop-down position
500 -: b. lifting position
510 -: c. swing position
520 -: d. shift position
530 -: e. engaged position
540 -: f. locked-in position
550 -: moving path
560 -: rotator
570 -: dual lift
580 -: support wheels
590 -: core module
600 -: services

Claims

A construction including a plurality of removable accommodation modules (50, 50') and a support frame (1) for supporting the accommodation modules, characterised in that said support frame is for removably fixing to the ground.
A construction according to claim 1, including a lift (72, 103) mounted on the support frame for movement with respect thereto, wherein the lift is operable to load and/or unload the accommodation modules onto/from the support frame and to provide access to the accommodation modules for users of the construction.
A construction according to claim 2, wherein the modules and the support frame include mutually cooperating means (70, 70', 76, 78, 58, 59) for allowing the modules to be slidably mounted on the frame by the lift.
A construction according to claim 3, wherein one of the module and the support frame includes a plurality of bosses (70') and the other includes an elongate flanged portion (59, 66') which fits around the bosses in use.
A construction according to claim 4, wherein the bosses are arranged to rotate to facilitate movement with respect to the elongate flanged portion.
A construction according to claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the lift includes means (76, 78, 80, 82, 86, 88, 90) for rotating and sliding an accommodation module mounted thereon to facilitate loading and/or unloading of the module on the support frame.
A construction according to Claim 6, wherein the rotating and sliding means comprises means to adjust the position of the accommodation module once it has been rotated such that the module can be slidably mounted on the support frame.
A construction according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein the adjusting means comprises means for releasably attaching the adjusting means to the support frame.