GB2316962A - Interconnecting panels for use in housing unit walls or roofs - Google Patents

Abstract

A housing unit comprises a series of interconnected panels connected in edge-to-edge relationship by means of connector members 20, the panels being provided with edge grooves or recesses 4 extending along at least a part of the length of each edge to be interconnected. The connector members, which provide a positive physical connection between the two panels, each comprise a longitudinally elongate member having a generally H-shape in cross-section, one edge of a panel being received in each U-channel portion of the H-section, each channel portion having a flange 23 extending from its base, the flange having an enlarged free edge 24 which engages in the groove or recess, or, as shown, in a channel member 11 received therein. In the unit, wall panels as above are seated e.g. on a foundation frame with an upstanding rib received in grooves in the bottom edges of the panels, and surmounted by a ring beam, which in turn supports interconnected roof panels. A concrete floor can be poured into the foundation frame.

Description

TITLE: STRUCTURE AND DEVICE The present invention relates to a structure and a device for use in the construction of the structure, notably to a low cost housing unit and a connector strip for connecting the panels used in the construction of the housing unit.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION: In many countries of the world there is a need for cheap housing units which can readily be assembled on site with the minimum requirement for skilled labour and expense.

It has been proposed to fabricate such housing units from interlocking concrete panels carried in a supporting frame made from concrete beams. However, such a construction is often too expensive for very low income communities.

It has also been proposed to form a housing unit from wooden or similar panels which are secured in position by vertical connection members located between the opposed vertical edges of adjacent panels. The connection members are made from extruded aluminium and incorporate hinges and seals whereby the panels can be pivoted with respect to one another to enable corners to be formed in the structure. Again such construction is expensive and not appropriate for very low income communities.

We have now devise a form of construction which utilises standard components which can readily be assembled by unskilled labour with a minimum of additional items to achieve an effective low cost housing unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: Accordingly, the present invention provides a housing unit comprising a series of interconnected panel members, characterised in that at least some of the panels are connected in edge to edge relationship by means of a connector member, which panels are provided with a longitudinal groove or recess extending for at least part, usually all, of the length of the opposed edges of each of two adjacent panels, and a connector member engaged in said groove or recess and extending between said two adjacent panels to provide a positive physical connection between the two panels, said connector member comprising a longitudinally elongated member having a transverse cross-section in the form of two oppositely directed U channel portions forming an overall H shaped crosssect ion, the longitudinal edge of a panel being located in and received by each U channel portion, each U channel portion having a web member extending radially from the internal base of said U channel and having its proximal longitudinal end attached to the interior face of said U channel portion and having an enlarged distal end which engages said groove or recess in said longitudinal edge of said panel.

From another aspect, the present invention also provides a connector member for use in joining the opposed edges of two adjacent planar panel members in side by side relationship by means of a connector member which engages in a longitudinal groove or recess extending for at least part of the length of the opposed edges of each of the two adjacent panels, which connector member comprises a longitudinally elongated member having a transverse crosssection in the form of two oppositely directed U channel portions forming an overall H shaped cross-section adapted to receive and locate a longitudinal edge of a panel, each U channel portion having a web member extending radially from the internal base of said U channel and having its proximal longitudinal end attached to the interior face of said U channel portion and having an enlarged distal end which is adapted to engage said groove or recess in said longitudinal edge of said panel.

The panels are preferably formed by mounting two sheet members on a frame member to form a panel having two fair faces with a hollow interior. However, the exposed faces of the sheet members can be painted, patterned or textured as desired. The hollow interior is preferably filled with a structural, acoustic or other infill as desired, for example a honeycomb paper, foamed plastic, bonder cork particles or other structural infill. Preferably, at least one of the sheet members is formed from a weather and insect resistant material, for example a cement filled fibre board or the like, so that that face of the panel is weather resistant. Alternatively, that face of the panel can be painted, coated with a plastic film or have a weather resistant exterior finish applied thereto.

For convenience the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of wooden frame having applied thereto sheets of a water and termite resistant board, notably that made and sold by Cape Insulation Limited under the trade mark WetLiner and having a paper honey comb type infill.

Such panels are used to form the upright outer walls of the housing unit by supporting them upon a suitable foundation and connecting the panels in edge to edge relationship by the connector members to form the perimeter walls of a square, rectangular or other plan shape enclosure. The panels can be erected upon a concrete, brick or other foundation or footing. However, it is particularly preferred to erect the walls upon a steel or other ground frame so that the housing unit can be supplied as a complete knock down unit for ease of transport and storage on a remote site. Such a steel frame is preferably formed in sect ions so that it can also be supplied in a knock down form for transport and storage and which is readily assembled on site by bolting, welding or otherwise securing the sections together to give a foundation frame of the desired size and plan shape.

Preferably, the bottom edge of the panels is received and retained against lateral movement upon the foundation frame by some suitable means. This can take the form of a U channel in the upper face of the foundation frame into which the base of the panel is located. However, this may add unacceptably to the cost of the foundation frame and may form a water trap into which rain or other moisture falls and is trapped. It is therefore preferred to form the foundation frame with an upstanding rib which locates in a corresponding groove in the basal edge of the panels.

Such a rib can be formed upon the upper face of a box or U section girder from which the foundation frame is formed. Alternatively, the upstanding rib can be off set from the foundation member whereby the panels are located beyond or at the periphery of the plan area of the foundation frame. The base of the panel can thus be exposed to the flow of any draught about the housing unit, and the risk of wet rot of any exposed timber is thus reduced. Also the top face of the foundation frame is exposed within the plan area of the interior of the housing unit and can act as a support for any floor panels which are laid on the foundation frame. Alternatively, the interior of the foundation frame can be filled with concrete once in position to provide a solid foundation block for the housing unit.

For convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of a rectangular steel box or U section girder foundation frame formed in four sections which are bolted together on site to form the rectangular frame with a single upstanding rib located along the outer periphery of the frame. This rib can be formed as a continuous rib or can be discontinuous. Preferably, the underside of the frame is provided with a number of screw feet which can be raised or lowered to accommodate uneven ground surfaces so as to level the frame.

As stated above, the panels are formed with a groove or recess in their longitudinal side edges which is to receive the connector member. It is also preferred to form a groove or recess in the base and top edges of the panel to locate the base of the panel upon the rib carried by the foundation frame. Whilst the groove or recess in the top edge of the panel may not be used, forming the groove or recess in all edges of the panel enables the panel to be used in any orientation. This is of particular value when the housing unit is to be built by unskilled labour who may be illiterate or unable to read instructions in a foreign language and where the panels are of rectangular shape and which therefore could be mounted the wrong way up upon the foundation frame.

The groove or recess is formed in the exposed edge of the panel. This will typically be the exposed edge of the timber frame upon which the sheet members are mounted to form the panel. However, if desired, the groove or recess can be provided by a strip of U channel moulded plastic or the like which is nailed or otherwise attached to the edge of the panel. Forming the groove or recess by machining a suitable groove in the edge of the frame is particularly preferred since this requires no added components and can be carried out under controlled conditions and accurately during manufacture of the panel.

The groove can be merely a rectangular cross-section groove cut in the edge of the frame of the panel.

Preferably, this groove extends continuously along all four edges of the panel and is located substantially along the centre line of the thickness of the panel or its frame member so that the panel can be used in any orientation without affecting the location of the line of the groove.

The enlarged distal end of the web extending from the base of the U channel portion of the connector member locates in the groove. Preferably, the enlarged end is held by a positive engagement with a lip or the like of the groove or by a frictional fit as described below. The groove is therefore a sliding or clearance fit upon the enlarged distal end of the connector member. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to form the groove with a narrow open top so that, once the enlarged distal end of the connector member has been inserted through the narrow open top to the groove, the distal end can expand and thus physically trap the distal end within the groove.

In a further alternative, the groove can be formed with under cut longitudinal side walls so that as the connector member is slid longitudinally along the edge of the panel, the enlarged distal end is inserted progressively along the groove, with the enlarged distal end located in the wider portion of the groove and trapped within the groove by the converging side walls. Such a form of groove can be formed as an extruded strip of plastic of aluminium which is secured to the exposed edge of the panel.

The invention has been described above in terms of a continuous groove or recess. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to form the groove or recess as a discontinuous series of short grooves or recesses, for example as a series of individual sockets to receive individual dumbbell shaped projections from the inter if the U shaped channel portion of the connector member.

The connector member comprises two U shaped channel portions attached by their bases to form an overall H cross section member. The connector member is placed between the opposed edges of two adjacent panels with the edges of the panels located in the U channel portions.

Within each channel portion there is a web member extending from the bottom of the U channel towards the open top of the channel. The web can be formed as a separate component within is glued, welded or otherwise secure to the channel member. However, it is particularly preferred to form the web member during the extrusion of the overall connector member so that the web member is an integral part of the connector member. The distal end of the web member is radially enlarged so that it can be received by and retained by the groove or recess in the edge of the panel. Typically, the distal end is formed with a longitudinal bead or arrow member which had a radial dimension at leat as great as the open top of the groove or recess with which it is to engage. However, it is preferred to form the enlarged distal end with an arrow head configuration so that the side portions of the arrow head can flex to accommodate variations in the width of the groove or recess and can form barbs which engage with the lips of under cut walls of the groove or recess to lock the distal end within the groove or recess once engaged therewith.

For convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of an arrow head form of enlarged distal end of the web member.

Preferably, the connector member is formed as a continuous member extending substantially the full length of the edges of the panels which it is to connect. As indicated above, the sides of the arrow head acts as barbs which flex to allow the distal end of the web member to be inserted into the groove in the edge of the panel. Where the open top of the groove is narrowed, for example by fitting a strip of plastic with a narrow slit in it over the open top of the groove or by under cutting the side walls of the groove, the barbs of the web member will engage as a lock fit within the groove to provide a positive lock between the connector member and the adjacent panels. However, we have found that this is not usually required and that a stable structure can be formed when the groove is a simple rectangular cross section groove and the arrow head of the web member is a push fit into the groove, but resists withdrawal of the arrow head from the groove. Such an assembly permits the arrow head to engage the walls of the groove over a range of depths of penetration of the arrow head into the groove and thus accommodates fluctuations in the sizes of the panels and in the depth of the groove.

The uprights of the H connector member provide members which engage the exposed side faces of the adjacent panels along side the joint between the panels. This provides a measure of protection against ingress of water and wind through the interface between the opposed edges of adjacent panels. The uprights can be of any suitable form and size, but are preferably formed with a slight convergence so that they are splayed as the edge of the panel is inserted into the U channel portion and thus apply a frictional grip to the exposed faces of the panel.

This further reduces the rick of ingress or water or wind through the interface between the opposed edges of the panels. If desired, the inner faces of the uprights of the H can be longitudinally serrated to provide resilient ribs which bear against the faces of the panels and enhance the seal between the H member and the panels. The overlap of the upright of the H onto the exposed face of the panel also accommodates any irregularity in the line of the edge of the panel and provides a visual masking of the web member. The optimum size of the upright of the H member can readily be determined by simple trial and error.

The housing unit of the invention can readily be manufactured as a kit for shipment to a remote site at which the unit is to be assembled and erected. The individual components of the unit can thus be manufactured under controlled conditions and to high manufacturing standards and accuracy. The unit is erected by assembling the foundation frame, mounting a panel upon the frame and inserting a connector member into the groove in the exposed vertical edge of the panel. Where the web member of the connector member carries an arrow head at its distal end, the connector piece can be attached to the panel by pushing the edge of the panel into one of the U channels to engage the arrow head of the web member into the groove in the edge of the panel. The next panel is mounted on the foundation frame and its edge inserted into the exposed U channel of the connector member. The panel is then pushed home against the connector member until the edge of the panel but against the cross member of the H of the connector member. As indicated above, such a push fit assembly accommodates minor variations in the size and shape of the various components of the housing unit and the overlap of the uprights of the H of the connector member onto the exposed face of the panel protects the joint between adjacent panels against ingress of water and wind to give a weather proof joint between the panels.

The walls of the unit are built up by repeating the above procedure to form the exterior wall of the housing unit.

At the corners, the connector member can either be formed as a special 90" version of the H shaped connection member described above. Alternatively, the connection at the corner may be achieved using a simple web with an arrow head at each longitudinal edge thereof.

In place of a lateral push fit of the web member and its arrow head end into the groove along the edge of the panel, the arrow heads or beads forming the enlarged distal ends of the web members carried to each side of the connector member can be inserted axially into a groove in the adjacent edge of a panel having undercut side walls or a narrow open top to the groove. The connector member is then slid axially with respect to the panels to insert the arrow heads progressively along the length of the grooves. However, excessive friction between the arrow heads or other forms of enlarged distal end of the web member and the groove may be encountered, making it difficult to slide the connector member axially with respect to the panels. Furthermore, such a construction of the groove and web member cannot readily accommodate variations in the size and shape of the components of the housing unit and localised stresses may be introduced during assembly of the housing unit.

The wall panels may be cut with door and window openings as desired, or these may be formed once the unit has been assembled.

Once the exterior walls of the housing unit have been assembled, the roof can be built. Typically, a ring beam will be formed upon the top edge of the walls panels to lock the assembly in place. Such a ring beam will have a dependent rib which engages in the groove in the exposed upon edge of the wall panels and the upper edge of the panel can be transversely drilled to form a bolt hole through the panel and the rib of the ring beam to enable securing bolts to be passed through the panels and the ring beam. The roof structure can be of any suitable form, for example flat or pitched, and may by constructed of interlinked panels using the connector members of the invention. As indicated above, a concrete floor can be poured into the foundation frame either before or after the walls have been erected. Alternatively, floor boards or panels can be laid upon the exposed upper faces of the foundation frame members.

The above assembly provides a simple and effective form of cheap housing units which can be manufactured and shipped as a knock down kit for assembly and erection either as emergency housing or as low cost housing to meet large housing requirements rapidly and cheaply.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: The invention will now be described by way of illustration only with respect to a preferred for of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross section through the edges of two panels with a connector member of the invention in place; and Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectional views through alternative forms of the connector member shown in Figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: A wall panel comprises a generally rectangular timber frame 1 having two sheets of a cement filled fibre board 2, 3 screwed or otherwise secured to each side of the frame. The interior of the panel can be filled with acoustic and/or thermal insulation material or with a structural material, for example a foamed structural plastic. Along each edge of the panel is formed a groove 4. This can be formed as shown in Figure 2 by milling or routing a suitable rectangular groove in the exposed edge of the timber frame 1. The groove can be formed with a narrow open end 5 as shown in Figure 2 to provide an internal shoulder 6 in the groove.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, an extruded plastic insert can be used which comprises a rib 10 which is a push fit into groove 4 which carries at its distal end an inverted V cross section channel 11 having a narrow open top slit 12.

The connector member comprises a generally H cross section member 20, which is typically an extruded plastic or metal, notably aluminium. The uprights of the H form two U channel portions 21 whose arms converge by from 1 to 5 .

The cross piece 22 of the H forms a transverse wall between the two opposed edges of the panels. The cross piece 22 carries two radially extending web members 23 which in turn carry a longitudinal generally circular cross section bead 24. The connector member 20 is so dimensioned that the inner faces of the uprights are a sliding fit upon the externai side faces of the panel and the beads 24 are a sliding fit within the triangular groove within channel 11 of insert 10.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, the insert is omitted and the distal ends of webs are formed as arrow head ends 30 on the webs 31. The arrow head ends are a push fit directly into groove 4 are can be flexed to accommodate variations in the width of groove 4 and to reduce the friction drag as the connector member is slid axially along the edge of the panel progressively to insert the arrow heads 30 into groove 4.

The arrow heads can be reversed as shown dotted in Figure 2 to form barbs 32 which can be pushed through the narrow open mouth to groove 4 formed by the flange or lip 5 and then expand to lock under the shoulder 6. In this configuration, the connector member 20 can be pushed transversely onto the edge of the panel so that the exposed edge of frame 1 butts against the cross piece 22 of the H member 20 and the arrow heads 32 enter groove 4 to engage under shoulder 6.

In the alternative form of the device of Figure 1 shown in Figure 3, the beads 24 are replaced by the reversed arrow heads 33 which are a sliding axial fit within the triangular channel 11 of insert 10. The use of the reversed arrow heads 33 reduces the friction between the heads 33 and the interior of the channel 11 of insert 10.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:

1. A housing unit comprising a series of interconnected panel members, characterised in that at least some of the panels are connected in edge to edge relationship by means of a connector member, which panels are provided with a longitudinal groove or recess extending for at least part of the length of the opposed edges of each of two adjacent panels, and a connector member engaged in said groove or recess and extending between said two adjacent panels provides a positive physical connection between the two panels, said connector member comprising a longitudinally elongated member having a transverse cross-section in the form of two oppositely directed U channel portions forming an overall H shaped cross-section, the longitudinal edge of a panel being located in and received by each U channel portion, each U channel portion having a web member extending radially from the internal base of said U channel and having its proximal longitudinal end attached to the interior face of said U channel portion and having an enlarged distal end which engages said groove or recess in said longitudinal edge of said panel.

2. A housing unit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the basal edge of the panel is supported upon a foundation frame member.

3. A housing unit as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the basal edge of the panel is provided with a groove or recess which engages with an upstand from said foundation frame member.

4. A housing unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the longitudinal grooves in the opposed edges of adjacent panels are provided by a channel member secured to said edge.

5. A housing unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector member is provided with beads as the distal enlargement to said web members.

6. A housing unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the connector member is provided with arrow head members as the enlarged distal ends of said web members.

7. A housing unit as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the arrow head members present their apexes distally and are a push fit into longitudinal grooves cut in the opposed edges of the adjacent panel members to provide a barb type engagement between the arrow heads and the walls of the grooves.

8. A housing unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the panel members comprise two external sheet members secured to an intermediate frame.

9. A housing unit as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the interior of the panel is substantially filled with a structural and/or thermal material.

10. A housing unit as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the sheet member is made from a cement filled fibre board.

11. A connector member for use in joining the opposed edges of two adjacent planar panel members in side by side relationship by means of a connector member which engages in a longitudinal groove or recess extending for at least part of the length of the opposed edges of each of the two adjacent panels, which connector member comprises a longitudinally elongated member having a transverse crosssection in the form of two oppositely directed U channel portions forming an overall H shaped cross-section adapted to receive and locate a longitudinal edge of a panel, each U channel portion having a web member extending radially from the internal base of said U channel and having its proximal longitudinal end attached to the interior face of said U channel portion and having an enlarged distal end which is adapted to engage said groove or recess in said longitudinal edge of said panel.

12. A connector member as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the distal end of said web member is formed as a longitudinal arrow head or bead section.