GB2387858A

GB2387858A - Combined canopy and room

Info

Publication number: GB2387858A
Application number: GB0309133A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Hamilton Martyn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-04-23
Filing date: 2003-04-23
Publication date: 2003-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 2023-04-23
Also published as: GB0209335D0; GB0309133D0; GB2387858B

Abstract

A combined canopy and room is comprises a plurality of beams 16a for mounting to an existing support wall (12, figure 1), a roof (18, figure 1) for mounting on the beams 16a and a number of walls (21, figure 1) for suspending from the mounted beams 16a. The beams may be cantilevers formed of fibreglass. The walls (21, figure 1) are mounted in such a manner as to leave at least one beam 16a without a suspended wall, to provide a room or conservatory formed by the walls (21, figure 1) and a portion of the roof which may be made from a plastics material (18, figure 1) extending beyond the walls to form a canopy. The structure does not need foundations.

Description

COMBINED CANOPY AND ROOM

The present invention relates to a combined canopy and room for constructing on external walls of buildings.

It is a common and popular means of extending a 5 building or of providing an adjoining covered area for use in the summer months, or indeed throughout the year, to construct a conservatory or similar structure. Such structures typically are assembled from double-glazed window units in a supporting aluminium, hardwood, GRP, or 10 PVC frame, topped with a transparent plastics roof, typically of multilayered polycarbonate sheeting. The windows may extend to floor level, or may surmount a dwarf wall, of brick, stone, or structural panels.

The erection of a conventional conservatory 15 necessitates the construction of foundations to support the structure. The laying of the foundations adds considerably to the time and expense required for construction and assembly of a conservatory.

These problems have been addressed in my earlier UK 20 Patent Application GB 2343689, which describes a method of constructing a conservatory by mounting cantilevered beams extending outwardly from a wall, and then suspending conservatory walls from the beams. This allows a conservatory to be constructed which relies exclusively on 25 the beam and wall for support, and hence does not require any foundations to be constructed, thereby simplifying the

construction process and reducing construction costs.

While such a conservatory has numerous advantages over conventional conservatory constructions, it does have a relatively large 'footprint'; that is, the area on the 5 ground covered by the conservatory. Some householders may not wish to have a full-size conservatory constructed on their house, or may wish to retain some open space alongside the conservatory. While it is possible to construct a smaller conservatory, the open space left 10 alongside the conservatory may be underused due to being entirely open to the elements. In wetter climates, such as the west of Scotland, this can be a significant drawback to any open space.

It is among the objects of embodiments of the present 15 invention to obviate or alleviate these and other disadvantages of known conservatory constructions.

Thus, a structure can be provided which incorporates both a walled or enclosed area, to create a conservatory, enclosed porch or the like, and an open, roofed area, which 20 may provide a canopy or open porch giving some protection from the elements, while still remaining open. The simple constructional principles of the present invention also allow a structure to be erected rapidly, without the need for foundations. Indeed, it has been found that 25 constructions according to embodiments of the present invention may be erected in a single day by only two

workers, as opposed to more conventional conservatories which may take several days or weeks to build.

Preferably the supporting wall is an existing wall of a building or the like. This provides sufficient support to 5 the construction; and of course many people will wish a conservatory to be immediately adjacent their homes.

Preferably the beams are of fibreglass; although any suitable material may be used, such as plastics, wood, wood-based composites, metal, or the like. Fibreglass is 10 preferred since it is relatively light, and so will not exert undue weight on the supporting wall, while still being strong and durable. Fibreglass beams may be wood reinforced, if desired.

Preferably the beams extend substantially horizontally 15 from the supporting wall.

Preferably the beams are cantilevered from the supporting wall. This allows the beams to support their own weight without the need for additional buttressing or suspension from the walls. Again, this reduces the 20 complexity of construction and permits structures in accordance with embodiments of the present invention to be assembled rapidly and with few workers.

The use of cantilevered beams also increases the surface area available for attachment to the wall; this 25 allows portions of the beams to be cut away or absent to accommodate particular shapes of walls, roofs, or the like,

thereby decreasing the available surface area for attachment without substantially affecting the robustness of the construction. It is particularly preferred that the beams are made from a relatively easily cuttable material; 5 for example, fibreglass, plastics, wood or the like. This allows portions of the beams to be cut away during construction and mounting of the beams with little difficulty, so allowing standard beams to be mounted to non-standard shaped walls, or even extending above the 10 height of the walls. Alternatively, beams may be pre-formed having cut away portions of the desired shape.

The beams may be mounted to the supporting wall by any suitable mounting means; for example, construction expansion bolts, screw bolts, chemical anchors, or the 15 like. The beams may be mounted on a mounting plate or bracket which is itself secured to the supporting wall.

This has the advantage that the beams may be removed if desired to leave only the mounting plates or brackets, which will be less visually obtrusive should the 20 construction no longer be wanted.

The roofing sheet may be of fibreglass or plastics material, and may be transparent, translucent, or opaque.

Preferably the walls suspended from the beams are movable. In one embodiment, the wall is mounted on one or 25 more tracks, such that it may be moved to one side to provide an opening. The tracks may overlap such that one

section of wall may be located in front of or behind an adjacent wall section. Alternatively, several wall sections may be hinged such that the wall may be folded in concertina' fashion.

5 Preferably, the walls suspended from the beams comprise transparent panels which may be of glass or plastics material. Preferably the panels are mounted in a suitable support frame.

Preferably the walls suspended from the beams comprise 10 plastics material. This allows the walls to be light yet strong and durable; lightness of the walls reduces the load which must be borne by the beams, and again improves the ease of construction of the conservatory / canopy.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, 15 there is provided a method of assembling a structure, the method comprising the steps of mounting a plurality of beams on an existing support wall; suspending walls from at least one of the beams; and mounting a roofing sheet to the beams, such that at least one beam does not have a wall 20 suspended therefrom, to provide an open, roofed area, and a closed, roofed area.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure comprising a plurality of beams for mounting so as to extend from a 25 supporting wall, a plurality of walls for suspending from one or more of the beams, and a roofing sheet for mounting

to the beams, wherein at least one beam does not have a wall suspended therefrom, such that part of the area under the roofing sheet is otherwise open.

According to a still further aspect of the invention, 5 there is provided a structure comprising a plurality of beams extending from a plurality of supporting members, a plurality of walls suspended from one or more of the beams, and a roofing sheet mounted to the beams.

The supporting member may be a post, pillar or the 10 like. This allows the present invention to be constructed as a freestanding structure if desired, rather than mounting the structure to an existing wall. Instead, a series of pillars may be mounted in the ground, and beams mounted to the pillars to create a freestanding enclosed 15 structure.

According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beam for mounting to a supporting wall, the beam comprising a proximal portion for mounting to a wall, a free distal portion extending from 20 the proximal portion, and an upper surface for supporting a roofing sheet or the like, wherein the proximal portion includes a cantilever member, and the upper surface and the proximal portion are spaced from one another by a cut away portion of the beam.

25 Thus, a beam according to the present invention includes a cut away portion which allows the beam to

accommodate non-standard shaped walls, ceilings and the like. Conventional beams include a proximal mounting portion which meets an upper surface, such that the roofing sheet supported by the beam extends as far as the wall; 5 this prevents the beam from being mounted in nonstandard locations and restricts the range of available positions -

for mounting the beam. In particular the present invention allows beams to be mounted adjacent a protruding ceiling portion, where conventional beams would not be able to be 10 so mounted.

These and other aspects of the present invention will i now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a structure in 15 accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the structure of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a variant beam mounted to a wall.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, these show a structure 20 10 which is constructed adjacent a pre-existing wall 12 of a building. A number of supporting cantilevered beams 16a, 16b, 16c are mounted to wall 12, in this example by means of construction bolts 14. The beams extend perpendicular to the wall 12. The beams support a roofing sheet 18, which is 25 a stepped, transparent fibreglass sheet. Suspended from two of the beams 16a, 16b are a number of panels 21 each

comprising a transparent glass or plastics pane 22 held in a metal or plastics frame 24. The panels 21 form an enclosed area 28 which may be used as a conservatory. A door 32 is provided in one wall of the enclosed area 28, to 5 allow access.

The panels are suspended from the beams 16a, 16b by mounting tracks 20, each comprising an inverted T-shaped rail 23. In this example, adjacent panels 21 are mounted on spaced parallel rails 23 such that the panels may slide 1O past one another in order to open and close side walls of the conservatory. Corresponding guide tracks 26 are provided at ground level for guidance of the panels only; the tracks 26 do not support the weight of the panels 21.

The structure 10 includes an area 30 which does not 15 have any suspended walls 21. The area 30 may be utilised as desired by the customer. In warmer weather, conservatories often become uncomfortably hot, and the area 30 may provide a more comfortable sitting area. Furthermore, the area 30 may be used to store or display plants normally kept in the 20 conservatory 28 during the colder weather.

The absence of walls surrounding the area 30 allows greater flexibility in the use of the area 30; for example a barbecue may be used in the area 30.

If the enclosed area 28 is to be used as an enclosed 25 porch, the open area 30 provides a sheltered area where umbrellas, waterproof clothing, and the like, may be left

to dry.

A variant beam 116a which may be used in the present invention is shown in Figure 3. The beam 116a is generally similar to the beam 16a shown in Figures 1 and 2, but in 5 this example is mounted to a wall 112 which includes a protruding roof portion 134. In order to maintain a suitable height of the beam 116a above ground level (not shown, but this height will generally be at least two metros), it is not possible in this example to mount the 10 beam 116a underneath the roof portion 134. Accordingly, an upper portion 136 of the beam 116a has been cut away during construction to conform to the shape of the roof portion 134. The beam 116a is produced from fibreglass, such that the upper portion 136 may easily be cut away by 15 construction workers on site, once the shape of the roof portion 134 is accurately known. The beam 116a is then mounted to the wall 112 via the remaining innermost edge of the beam, generally as before. The nature of the invention is such that the restricted attachment portion does not 20 substantially affect the secure mounting of the beam.

In this way, the present invention may be constructed on buildings of limited height with protruding walls or roofs which would otherwise interfere with mounting the beams at a suitable height. In certain embodiments of the 25 invention, it is possible to mount the beams so as to provide at least 2 metres of height for the suspended walls

without interfering with satisfactory working of the invention. Again in certain embodiments, provided the length of the portion of the beam remaining for mounting to the wall is at least 390 mm, the attachment is sufficiently 5 secure. Of course, the precise figures will depend on the size and nature of the beams, as well as the nature and weight of the walls suspended from these beams.

It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that a structure in accordance with the present invention may be 10 erected in a relatively short space of time, and in most cases it is anticipated that a structure may be erected in less than one working day, providing a significant cost saving and minimising inconvenience to the customer. The main saving of time is achieved by the absence of a 15 requirement to provide supporting foundations; in most cases all that is required is that the structure is provided with a level and stable floor, which may incorporate a rubber or silicone water seal to assist in damp protection.

20 The absence of a requirement for foundations also means that service pipes and drains do not have to be disturbed or rerouted, which usually incurs considerable cost and delay. This is particularly the case with semi detached and terraced types of house, which have common 25 services.

Further, although the above-described embodiment

includes movable walls, it will be understood that structures in accordance with the invention may be provided with fixed walls suspended from the beams.

Claims

1. A structure comprising a plurality of beams extending from a supporting wall, a plurality of walls 5 suspended from one or more of the beams, and a roofing sheet mounted to the beams, wherein at least one beam does not have a wall suspended therefrom, such that part of the area under the roofing sheet is otherwise open.

10 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the supporting wall is an existing wall of a building or the like.

3. The structure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the beams are formed of fibreglass.

4. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the beams extend substantially horizontally from the supporting wall. 20 5. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the beams are cantilevered from the supporting wall.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein a portion of at least one of the beams is cut away.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the portion is

adjacent the supporting wall.

8. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the beams are mounted on a mounting plate or bracket which is 5 itself secured to the supporting wall.

9. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the roofing sheet comprises plastics material.

1010. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the walls suspended from the beams are movable.

11. The structure of claim 10, wherein the wall is mounted on one or more tracks, such that it may be moved to 15 one side to provide an opening.

12. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the walls are substantially entirely supported by the beams.

2013. The structure of any preceding claim, wherein the walls suspended from the beams comprise transparent panels.

14. A method of assembling a structure, the method comprising the steps of mounting a plurality of beams on an 25 existing support wall; suspending walls from at least one of the beams; and mounting a roofing sheet to the beams,

such that at least one beam does not have a wall suspended therefrom, to provide an open, roofed area, and a closed, roofed area.

5 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of cutting away a portion of at least one of the beams to allow mounting the beam to the support wall.

16. A structure comprising a plurality of beams for 10 mounting so as to extend from a supporting wall, a plurality of walls for suspending from one or more of the beams, and a roofing sheet for mounting to the beams, wherein at least one beam does not have a wall suspended therefrom, such that part of the area under the roofing 15 sheet is otherwise open.

17. A structure comprising a plurality of beams - extending from a plurality of supporting members, a plurality of walls suspended from one or more of the beams, 20 and a roofing sheet mounted to the beams.

18. The structure of claim 17, wherein the supporting member is a post, pillar or the like.

25 19. A beam for mounting to a supporting wall, the beam comprising a proximal portion for mounting to a wall, a

free distal portion extending from the proximal portion, and an upper surface for supporting a roofing sheet or the like, wherein the proximal portion includes a cantilever member, and the upper surface and the proximal portion are 5 spaced from one another by a cut away portion of the beam.

20. A structure as described in the accompanying description, and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

10 21. A method of assembling a structure, as described in the accompanying description, and as illustrated in

Figures 1 to 3.