Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H1/00—Buildings or groups of buildings for dwelling or office purposes; General layout, e.g. modular co-ordination or staggered storeys
  • E04H1/005—Modulation co-ordination
• • 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
  • E04B1/348—Structures composed of units comprising at least considerable parts of two sides of a room, e.g. box-like or cell-like units closed or in skeleton form
  • E04B1/34815—Elements not integrated in a skeleton
  • E04B1/34861—Elements not integrated in a skeleton particular arrangement of habitable rooms or their component parts; modular co-ordination
• • 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
  • E04B1/348—Structures composed of units comprising at least considerable parts of two sides of a room, e.g. box-like or cell-like units closed or in skeleton form
  • E04B1/34869—Elements for special technical purposes, e.g. with a sanitary equipment

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a ready-to-use containerised house and, more in particular, a house consisting of a plurality of modules, for example ISO standardised container-modules, that can be put together according to the most varied requirements, each of said modules being fitted, from the factory, with all the equipment and technological installations and indoor and outdoor architectural finishings, required to construct an entirely finished and perfectly functional house, even of considerable dimensions, that can be swiftly assembled or dismantled and easily transported a number of times without any loss of functionality or repair to any part of it.
• modules for example ISO standardised container-modules
• prefabricated buildings have been confined either to low level or temporary housing or for military modules, for construction sites, warehouses and the like, for which it is not strictly necessary to have high comfort and/or considerable dimensions.
• level of prefabrication consisting essentially in the pre- construction of empty rooms, also of a standardised type, and walls, which are to be assembled it will later be necessary to complete the construction with the necessary heating, plumbing and sanitary systems and with furnishings. Only in certain cases is it foreseen that certain systems and/or equipment be included from manufacture.
• the present invention therefore aims to provide a system of standardised containers in which each container is fitted, from the factory, with electrical, plumbing, telephone, heating, air conditioning, TV system etc. and means for quick connection and the mechanical, structural and functional continuity of said systems between modules, means for fast coupling between adjacent modules, means of sealing along the junction between the modules, mechanical means of connection and adjustment between modules, means of anchoring and adjusting the product to the ground and, preferably, all the equipment and systems and external and internal architectural finishings needed to rapidly build a house, in other words an elegant and comfortable residence, entirely finished and perfectly functional of any size or architecture desired, that is easily transportable, rapidly assemblable or dismantlable and transferable several times without loss of functionality or requiring repairs to any part.
• the specific object of the present invention is a transportable house consisting of a plurality of ISO container-modules, not necessarily equally sized, which can be interfaced with one another, complete with external fagade walls/ curtain walls, partition walls, floorings and ceilings with internal and external finishings, of a residential housing type, with thermal and acoustic insulation, indoor and outdoor fixtures, technological systems (plumbing, heating, sanitary, electric, electronic, TV, CCTV, interphones, command and control, telephone, alarm/monitoring, fire extinguishing systems, etc.), and preferably the furnishing of the various functional environments such as the kitchen, bathroom, dining-living areas, bedrooms and night time area, service rooms, flat or sloping roofs, each of said modules being fitted with means for anchoring to the ground, means for fixing the sloping roofs, means for precision coupling between adjacent modules, means of quick connection, for example male and female, for the continuity of the various technological circuits, means of seal along the junctions between adjacent modules, horizontal and vertical adjustments, said
• a service container-module could be foreseen, outside the house.
• This module could contain, for example, drinking water tanks and that containing hot and cold washing water with the respective autoclaves; an air-conditioning unit with filter for air treatment; a generator set with respective fuel and battery pool; a continuity unit for the batteries; an LPG tank; at least one tank for collecting waste water (sewage, washing water, etc.) and any other accessory that experts in the field wish to fit in this module (centralised suction system, compressed air, solar panels, swimming pool filters and pumps, etc.), as well as tubes, cables and anything else for the functional connection of the service module to the house.
• the modules constituting the house will be lined up along the longer sides with the main axes of symmetry parallel to one another.
• the house can be built on two or more floors, by placing the modules on top of one another and connecting them to one another.
• the prefabricated house according to the present invention comprising a plurality of standardised dimensioned modules, not necessarily all equal to one another, is characterised in that each of said modules is designed and built according to the specific position that it will assume when assembled and is already fitted from the factory, with electrical, plumbing, telephone, heating, air-conditioning, TV systems, etc.
• said systems and said means for mechanical continuity, for rapid coupling and for connection and adjustment will be positioned each one within a housing, built in to a wall, that can be easily inspected, and will be fitted with junction terminals with systems and means of the same type on adjacent modules, of a floating type (for example by cables or flexible hosing) so as to compensate any slight imperfections in alignment.
• the house according to the present invention is equipped with suitable means for fixing, to the upper corner blocks of each module, a roof, for example, sloping and with a load-bearing structure in steel, aluminium, laminar wood or other materials, which can be pre-assembled on the site and, positioned on top of the house, in a single solution, by means of the crane used previously to assemble the container-modules; the same crane can also be used to assemble the same type of roof, but dismantled in a limited number of elements; in any case these operations are performed once the house beneath is perfectly accessible and functional.
• a roof for example, sloping and with a load-bearing structure in steel, aluminium, laminar wood or other materials, which can be pre-assembled on the site and, positioned on top of the house, in a single solution, by means of the crane used previously to assemble the container-modules; the same crane can also be used to assemble the same type of roof, but dismantled in a limited number of
• each of the modules that constitute the house is specifically designed according to the position that it will assume in the finished house and is equipped from the factory with external perimeter walls and partition walls, windows and glazing, entrance doors, roller blinds, heat and sound insulation, exterior lighting equipment, downspouts for the disposal of rain water, system lines and the relative quick connection means between modules, interior doors, light fixtures, electrical sockets, telephone sockets, TV and various technological circuits/networks/lines, furnishing and any other feature desired or provided for in the project.
• each module will be fitted with mechanical means for anchoring to the base (for example of the twist-lock type), in such a way as to make the building monolithic and stable, resistant to any type of stress.
• mechanical means for anchoring to the base for example of the twist-lock type
• light die-cast and painted aluminium sheet flashing can be provided from the factory to be assembled when the house is complete; however it is possible to use any other material, for example stone, available on the construction site.
• the first container or module is positioned on the relative foundation elements, suitably levelled with the utmost precision; module and foundation elements being fitted with co-operating means for compulsory positioning, in relation to the general plan of the house, of the module, which must function as a guiding element for the assembly of all the other modules.
• Each of the modules is fitted with means for aligning between modules, for example male/female or sliding type, as well as spacer elements for adjusting the alignment between modules.
• Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of a house built from six standard container- modules, for example of 12.192 mm, (40 feet), in length and 2.438mm in width, for a total gross surface area of approximately 180m 2 ;
• Figures 2a and 2b illustrate two front views of the house in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 illustrates a sectional representation of a house, according to the present invention, on more than one level;
• Figure 4 illustrates a section plan of the interior of a house according to the invention with, highlighted, one of the possible distributions of the interior spaces, provided with technological systems and services module illustrated in fig.
• Figures 5a and 5b illustrate the sections of modules 1 and 2 of Figure 4 respectively in correspondence with the entrance door and one window of the living room, with highlighted two different solutions for the foundations and roofing;
• Figure 6 illustrates a section of a corner of a module, which shows one type of foundation and the arrangement, in the wall, of a number of systems of the house, together with a systems inspection and maintenance hatch;
• Figure 7a illustrates a possible mutual aligning and hooking means between modules together with a rapid connection system for the electrical, TV, Hi-Fi installations between modules;
• Figures 7b, 7c and 7c' illustrate the details of the connection striker and adjustment means for the swift assembly of modules in the construction site; in particular, Fig. 7b illustrates possible means for positioning and centring the first module, Figures 7c and 7c' illustrate in detail possible systems for mutual alignment and rapid hooking between modules;
• Figure 8 illustrates some of the possible combinations of the container modules in order to form different types and sizes of house
• Figure 9 illustrates the technological installation module complete with some equipment and machines foreseen in the project
• Figure 10 illustrates a house, according to the invention, set in its surrounding garden.
• (1),(2),(3),(4),(5) and (6) indicate, in a dotted line beneath the plan of the sloping roof, six 40-feet (12.192mm) container-modules in their final position, when house assembly is complete.
• Figures 2a and 2b illustrate two side prospects of the house in Figure 1 in the one- residential storey version; the sloping roof (20), if pre-assembled on site, can be immediately lifted, using a crane, and installed on top of the house or, if desired, assembled at a later time as the modules, once they have been interconnected are, by construction, sealed and perfectly inhabitable.
• Figure 3 illustrates the possibility of placing on top of the ground floor (16) a second level (15), that can be identical in plan to the first floor or, if preferred, different with regards to both the interior distribution and the net surface area.
• the light and sturdy metal structures, which constitute the frames of the modules, make it possible to place more storeys on top, up to six or more.
• Internal or external stairs(24), not shown in the figure, or mechanical hoisting equipment (lifts, etc.) are provided for accessing the upper levels.
• Figure 4 illustrates, as a preferred but not exclusive example, a section of the house in Figure 1, modules (1),(2),(3),(4),(5) and (6), with one of the possible distributions of the environments, where, the conventional symbols also indicate some of the interior furnishings and equipment.
• (L1) and (L2) represent the bedrooms, (WC1) and (WC2) the bathrooms, (K) the kitchen, (C) the corridor, (D) a box room, (St) a studio, (So) the living room and (P) the dining area.
• the bedrooms (L1) and (L2) can advantageously contain furnishings such as beds, wardrobes, chests of drawers, bed-side tables etc.: the bathrooms, (WC1) and (WC2), will be preferably be fitted with all the plumbing, heating, sanitary equipment and accessory furnishings; the kitchen (K) can be fitted with modular furniture complete with various electrical appliances such as the refrigerator, built- in oven, hob, sink, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.; the same applies for the other daytime environments (P), (So) and (St); it is equally obvious that in order to avoid damage during transport, particular measures will be taken in order to ensure the stability of the furnishings and equipment.
• the bathrooms, (WC1) and (WC2) will be preferably be fitted with all the plumbing, heating, sanitary equipment and accessory furnishings
• the kitchen (K) can be fitted with modular furniture complete with various electrical appliances such as the refrigerator, built- in oven, hob, sink, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.; the same applies for the other daytime environments (P), (So) and (St); it is equally obvious that in order to
• (60) indicates the ISO technological system container-module, detached from the house, which can contain, according to specific needs, one or more silenced generator sets (65), the drinking water tank with autoclave (66), the continuity unit and relative batteries (67), the air-conditioning machinery (68), the LPG tank (69) and any other auxiliary installations such as central suction system, compressed air, pool filters, etc.
• a module will be positioned out of view from the house, partially underground, hidden by vegetation or in any case ecologically integrated into the environment.
• the chamber that can be inspected and removable from outside (27) in Figure 4 contains all those terminals and fast connections to system lines afferent to it or from the technological installation module (60) from the fixed distribution network.
• the buried inspection channel (73) is designed to house the bundle of cables and flexible hosing that, initially contained in and then unrolled from the module (60) terminate in a chamber (27) as designed; in the same position it is also possible to foresee connection to the waste water disposal network.
• FIG. 5a illustrating a section of the modules (1) and (2) in Figure 4 in correspondence with the corridor (C), (36) indicates a pavement arranged previously on site, running all around the perimeter of the house, designed to overcome the height difference that could arise between the height of the position of the same and the level of the countryside.
• Figure 5b one observes how the same result can be obtained using lightweight die-cast and painted aluminium sheet flashing (37), arranged in the factory for quick click-in or slide in assembly.
• (39) indicates the front door, (38) the heat insulated flooring, wall and ceiling material, (34) a type of foundation, on posts, with (31) a sloping roof, (33) the means for locking the roof to the modules below.
• Figure 5B illustrates a section on a window (25) with a box for housing a roller blind (26), a second type of foundation with prefabricated plinths (19), flat horizontal roofing (17), with die-cast and painted aluminium sheet flashing (28), also manufactured in the factory for fast clip- or slide in assembly.
• Figure 6 a vertical-transverse section of a generic module in correspondence with a structural hitch, illustrates the composition of a vertical perimeter wall (48) and the flooring (54); the wall may comprise a first weather-proof layer (50), a heat and sound proof layer with steam barrier (51), an air space (52) an internal finished wall (53); (13) illustrates the sections of the system pipes and the channels that house them, which can be inspected from outside through a hatch (14) corresponding to the male and female junctions; the thickness of the wall can house, although not visible in the figure, the rainwater disposal gutters; the base (54) comprising the metal load-bearing structure (47) of the container-module, a thermal and acoustic insulation layer with steam barrier (51 ) and the foundation (29) of the top flooring layer (49).
• the base comprising the metal load-bearing structure (47) of the container-module, a thermal and acoustic insulation layer with steam barrier (51 ) and the foundation (29) of the top flooring layer (49).
• FIG. 7a a vertical-transverse section of two generic modules to be connected, shows how, on bringing the adjacent modules together, the boxes containing the male (55) and female (56) quick connection units of the systems are aligned and ready to be connected;
• (59) is a resistant seal placed all along the contact perimeter between neighbouring modules, which permits a seal against meteorological agents such as humidity, rain, wind, dust, etc.
• the bringing together of the modules until the connection between the male (41) and female (42) strikers triggers and the reduction in volume, due to pressure, of said seal (59), can be obtained by tightening, between modules, using mechanical means or hydraulic jaws, which can be reused for subsequent assembly.
• Figure 7b illustrates a system, arranged on the double-T girders (44) of the foundation base, with the cone-shaped (45) and blade (46) precision strikers that are necessary for the perfect self-alignment with the base (57) of the first container in relation to which the adjacent containers will be aligned following mutual tightening.
• Figures 7c and 7c' illustrate the detail of the fixed striker plugs (41) and screw adjusters (43) to be housed in the seat (42).
• Figure 8 illustrates a choice between some of the possible sizes and types of house that can be obtained using the system according to the present invention: (7) indicates a 60m 2 house, (8) a 90 m 2 house, (9) a 120m 2 house, (10) a 180m 2 house, (11) a 240 m 2 house and (12) a 270 m 2 house etc.
• Figure 10 illustrates the house in Figure 1 , composed of six ISO container- modules and gross surface area of 180m 2 set in a garden with a swimming pool (70), entrance gate (71), driveway (72), car parking area (74), buried channel (73) connecting the house and the technological system module (60). It is obvious how, by combining according to multiple configurations, the container- modules described above, it is possible to create different houses of varying sizes, suited to any size, performance and cost requirement, very quick to assemble and that can be transported several times.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Residential Or Office Buildings (AREA)

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• 2003
  • 2003-06-03 EP EP03730395A patent/EP1636446A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-06-03 AU AU2003241075A patent/AU2003241075A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-06-03 WO PCT/IB2003/002090 patent/WO2004106669A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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