GB2403228A - Blow moulded brick and method of production thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A hollow, blow moulded brick 1 comprises an opening 11 in the wall of the body 3, the opening having a sealing means (13, Figs 5-6). The brick (1, Fig 7) connects via a mating component (33,35, Fig 7) with an adjacent brick (41, Fig 7) and may be formed from glass or plastic. Preferably the mating component is made from a resilient material and comprises a male or female element capable of releasably engaging with a complementary mating component on an adjacent brick. A method of constructing structures using the bricks is also defined.

Description

- 2403228

DESCRIPTION

GLASS BRICK AND METHOD OF PRODUCTION THEREOF

The present invention relates to a brick for use in construction. In particular, the invention relates to a brick capable of being manufactured by blowing and to a method of using the bricks in the construction of structures.

Glass bricks have been used for a number of years in a range of applications, such as for constructing partition walls and transparent grid covers. There are a number of problems associated with such glass bricks. Glass bricks are generally produced from two hollow cup shaped pieces, which are joined together either by welding the two hollow cups together with a bead of molten glass or by pressing the two hollow cups into a brick shape whilst still molten. This method of fabrication is not only time consuming, but also expensive. Construction of structures utilising this type of glass brick is also time consuming, requiring specialist tools and technical skills and often a supporting structure is required prior to positioning of the bricks. Each brick is usually held together by means of a concrete or silicone adhesive further increasing the complexity and expense of building such structures.

Commonly, the glass bricks are arranged in between metal guides and concrete is injected to bind the glass bricks together, the guides being removed after the concrete has set. Users may therefore be deterred from using such glass bricks due to the complex nature of construction.

A number of improvements to glass bricks and the method of constructing structures using glass bricks have been proposed in order to address some of the problems associated with them. GB 590,921 discloses improvements in or relating to glass building bricks and structures formed therefrom. The glass bricks are formed with recesses in opposed faces and keyed blocks engage recesses in adjacent bricks which are then secured by means of mortar or like adhesive.

Although this method of construction appears to be an improvement on previous methods, the bricks still require an adhesive of some kind to secure the bricks in place and it is still expensive and time consuming to build structures.

WO 96/30605 discloses a procedure for the construction of vertical walls using glass bricks and a reinforceable modular element. A layer of reinforceable glass modular bricks are provided with an external retaining structure and placed on a row of other glass bricks. EP-A- 1127993 discloses a similar procedure for producing glass brick structures, but relies upon the glass bricks being layered in horizontal runs between spaced elongated vertically extending support frame members, the wall having horizontally extending elongate separation strips between adjacent horizontal runs. Both procedures involve a number of parts which can prove time consuming to fit together and the procedures usually require concrete or similar material in order to cover the unsightly separation parts.

EP-A-1039062 discusses a procedure which relies on upstanding end frame members for defining the boundaries of the structure and separation strips for location between adjacent courses of bricks, the separation strips being capable of engaging the end frame members. Furthermore, US 5, 740,646 describes glass bricks layered in horizontal runs between end frame members with a resilient separation stripe between horizontal runs, allowing for cured structures. US 5,791,108 suggests the use of a partition members positioned in a 'pigeon hole' arrangement, whereby the glass bricks are placed within the apertures. Although these documents disclose structures built of glass bricks, which is done by a more accessible means than previously, the bricks are still secured to each other by means of adhesive. Indeed, the glass bricks and their associated supporting/joining members are expensive and once the structure has been fixed firmly in place, it is difficult to dismantle the structure without damage to the glass bricks.

DE 4010501 discloses a glass bottle used as a building brick and being formed with a short neck and detachable spout so that when empty, the bottle can be used as glass brick for building a wall so that the bottle material is not wasted.

Although such a glass brick is inexpensive, the brick would require adhesive.

Furthermore, the glass brick has an open neck so that moisture could enter the brick and produce unsightly condensation in addition to algae growth.

While the above described problems relate to glass bricks, there is the alternative of forming bricks from plastics, which may of course be transparent.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the problems associated with existing bricks and their use in building structures. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brick that is inexpensive to produce and easy to use to assemble into a structure.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a brick for use in construction of a structure, the brick comprising a hollow blow moulded body having an opening leading from the interior of the brick to its exterior and a seal secured to the body to close the opening and prevent ingress of foreign material, the exterior of the brick being provided with at least one mating feature for releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure.

The body may comprise glass. Alternatively the body may comprise plastics.

The brick can be inexpensive to produce by using a blow moulding technique and may also be made in standard glass or plastic bottle producing apparatus. The present invention allows for easy construction of a structure without the need for specialist skills or training.

The hollow body is preferably substantially cuboid or cube shaped, but may also be produced in a number of shapes such as hexagonal, octagonal and triangular for example. Bricks of half the normal size may also provided in order to allow a structure to be constructed flush with other structures. The brick may comprise any material which is capable of being blown moulded. Preferably, the brick comprises glass. Alternatively, the brick may comprise a plastics material.

A range of plastics may be suitable for producing the brick and such plastics will be evident to the skilled addressee.

The mating feature may be provided by a mating component secured to the exterior of the brick. Preferably, the mating component is made from a resilient - 5 material. The mating feature may comprise a male or a female element capable of releasably engaging with a complementary female or male element. Preferably, the mating component provides a socket for receiving a pin. The socket may further comprise a lip, the lip being capable of releasably holding a pin.

The seal may comprise a removable stopper. Preferably, the stopper is made from a resilient material.

Preferably, the stopper and/or the mating component is made from a plastics or rubber material. Other resilient materials may also be used.

A brick as described herein above may have at least one depression formed on its exterior and serving to mount the mating component. Preferably, a socket is fixed within a depression.

The stopper may also be adapted to couple the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure. Preferably, the stopper comprises a desiccant, in order to prevent condensation from forming inside the brick and to allow the brick to be used in different climates. Furthermore, a stopper may be provided that allows for the passage of electrical wires. The electrical wires could supply electricity to a bulb or lamp within the brick in order to provide light to a room or to provide for a novel decoration in a room.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a brick for use in construction of a structure comprising blow moulding a hollow body having an opening leading from the interior of the brick to the exterior, closing the opening by securing a seal to the body to prevent ingress of foreign material, and providing the exterior of the brick with at least one mating feature for releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure. The mating feature may be secured to the body after it has been produced.

The total volume of glass to the size of brick ratio may be varied according to the required strength of the brick. It will be apparent that brick may be strengthened in a number of ways, for example allowing a greater amount of glass or plastics material to rest at the internal corners of the brick, or elsewhere in the interior of the brick.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of constructing structures using a plurality of hollow bricks as described herein above, wherein a plurality of bricks are releasably coupled to neighbouring bricks.

The method may further comprise the use of one or more wedge shaped elements to facilitate the construction of a curved structure, a wedge shaped element comprising at least one mating feature for releasably coupling the element to a neighbouring brick in a structure. The method may yet fiarlher comprise the use of guide members which are employed for defining at least two sides of a structure, a guide member comprising at least one mating feature for releasably coupling a guide members to a glass or plastic and/or a wedge shaped element.

Preferably, guide members are also employed for defining at least two sides of a structure. It will be apparent that guide members may be used to define where a structure may be constructed on a floor and a wall, but may also define two sides - 7 of the structure including a top guide member defining the top of a structure.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts for assembly into a brick for the construction of a structure comprising hollow body with an opening leading from the interior of the body to its exterior, a mating feature for releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick and a seal capable of being secured to the body. Preferably the kit of parts additionally comprises pins for releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick. The kit of parts may additionally comprises a wedge shaped element for allowing structures to be curved.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: I; igure I is a perspective view of a brick embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a body formed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a brick and a wedge shaped element; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a further brick and wedge shaped element; Figures 5 and 5a are respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of a mating component forming part of the brick illustrated in Figure 1; Figures 6 and 6a are respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of a seal also forming part of the brick illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 7 is a side view of a wall constructed using the bricks. - 8

Figure 1 illustrates a glass brick 1 which can be used in construction of structures such as partition walls. The main body of the brick is a hollow glass body 3 of substantially cuboidal shape. In the present embodiment the length of the glass body 3 is double the height and depth, so that its top (5) and bottom faces, and also its front (7) and rear faces are rectangular. Other shapes could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. The glass used in body 1 is transparent, although it may be tinted for decorative effect.

The glass body 3 is formed by blow moulding and can be economically manufactured with machinery conventionally used in fabrication of glass bottles.

An opening 11 is formed in the wall of the glass body 3 by the blow moulding process but this is closed by means of a seal 13, which is omitted from Figure 1 but shown in Figure 6. The seal prevents ingress of foreign matter and so prevents the interior of the brick from becoming dirty or suffering from condensation, either of which could of course be unsightly.

To enable a structure to be rapidly and straightforwardly assembled, the brick is provided with mating features which allow it to be coupled to other similarly formed bricks. In the present embodiment this is achieved by providing depressions such as 15 in the exterior of the glass body 1 and securing therein separately formed mating components such as 17. The depressions 15 can be seen in Figure 1 to be shallow and generally hemispherical, and are formed in the glass body 1 during the blow moulding process. The mating components 17 are formed from a resilient material, and more specifically from an elastomer such as a plastics polymer.

As shown in Figures 5 and Sa, the mating component 17 is shaped to be received by one of the depressions 1 S. having a hemispherical lower surface 19 and a flat upper surface 21 which lies generally flush with the adjacent face of the glass body I in the assembled brick (Figure 1). According to the present exemplary embodiment the mating component 17 is secured to the glass body by means of adhesive. An opening 23 in the mating component's upper surface leads to a socket 25 for receiving a pin 27 (seen in Figures 3 and 4). The socket has a constricted mouth encircled by a lip 29, leading to a broader base region 31 of the socket. Insertion of the pin 27 deforms the lip 29 somewhat and consequently the pin is embraced in a manner which resists its subsequent withdrawal. Hence two adjacent bricks can be coupled together by means of a pin 27 received in respective mating components. The coupling can be sufficiently secure for the construction of a structure, while still permitting the bricks to be subsequently separated, by application of sufficient force, so that the structure can be dismantled and the bricks re-used.

The brick illustrated in Figure 1 is well suited to use in the type of construction in which bricks in adjacent horizontal rows are "staggered". That is, the points between neighbouring bricks within a row are misaligned from the joints between neighbouring bricks within the row above and the row below. The principle is of course familiar in connection with conventional wall construction using non-glass bricks, and allows for increased strength as compared with the - lo - alternative of aligning bricks in adjacent rows to form a rectangular grid of bricks.

To permit such staggering, the brick I has in its top face 5 a pair of upwardly facing mating features 33, 35 at spaced positions along the length of the brick.

Likewise the bottom face of the brick has a longitudinally spaced, downwardly Pairing pair of mating features 37, 39. The mating features are each formed, as hereinafter described, by a recess in the glass body receiving a resilient mating component. They are arranged on the brick's longitudinal centre line. As Figure 7 illustrates, the upwardly facing mating features 33, 35 of a brick 1 couple, in a wall construction, to respective bricks 41, 43 in the row above while the downwardly facing mating features 45, 47 couple to respective bricks 49, 51 in the row below.

Adjacent bricks within a row are coupled through further mating features 53, 55 provided on the end faces 9 of the glass body 1.

The seal 13 serves a dual function. It closes the opening 1 1 in the wall of the glass body (the opening being the result ofthe body's fabrication by blow moulding, as explained above) and it also forms a mating component for coupling the bricks together.

Looking at Figures 6 and 6 a, the seal 13 is seen to be generally similar in construction to the mating component 17. In particular it comprises an opening 23', socket 25' and lip 29' for receiving and resiliently embracing a pin 29.

However the seal also has a circumferential locating groove 57 in its radially outer surface. The outer diameter of the seal 13 is larger than the diameter of the - 11 opening l l so that during assembly of the brick the seal can be pushed into the opening (being somewhat compressed in the process) until the perimeter of the opening is received in the groove 57, thereby securing the seal in position. Also at its base the seal 13 has a recess in which is mounted a desiccant plug 59 serving to ensure that no unsightly condensation takes place upon the inner surfaces of the glass body.

Looking again at Figure I it can be seen that a pair of grooves 61 is provided in the exterior of the glass body, each groove extending around four faces of the glass body. An 'O' ring, or a bead of sealant such as silicone sealant, can be placed in each groove to form a seal between the brick and its neighbours.

Figure 2 illustrates a further glass body 70, the mating components being omitted from this drawing so that depressions 15 can be clearly seen. The glass body 70 is half the length of the body I shown in Figure 1 and is used to form a straight end to a wall of bricks, as Figure 7 makes clear.

In order to form curved structures, wedges may be interposed between neighbouring bricks so that one brick is angled to another. Figure 3 shows an "arch wedge" 72 to be interposed between vertically separated bricks to form an arch, the wedge having through-going holes 74, 76 positioned to align with mating features on the upper and lower faces of the bricks. Pins 27 are long enough to pass through holes in the wedge and couple to bricks on either side of it. Figure 4 shows a "curve wedge" 78 to be interposed between neighbouring bricks in the same row, having a single through-going bore 80. The wedges may be formed - 12 from glass but could be of plastics or wooden construction, according to the application.

The aforegoing embodiments serve as examples only of modes of implementation of the invention and numerous variations are possible without departure from the scope of the present invention. For instance while the illustrated bricks are rectangular in section, other shapes such as hexagons, octagons or triangles could be used. Furthermore, the brick may be produced from a plastics material rather than glass and a mixture of glass and plastic bricks may also be used in constructing a structure. The illustrated embodiments are exclusively female sockets upon the brick itself wth separate pins for coupling bricks together, but complementary male and female mating features could instead be provided upon the bricks. A zip-up framing arrangement may additionally be used to allow for positive location of walls constructed using the glass bricks into adjacent walls, floors and ceilings of a building to allow for discrepancies in wall length to block size. - 13

Claims (27)

1. A brick for use in construction of a structure, the brick comprising a hollow blow moulded body having an opening leading from the interior of the body to its exterior and a seal secured to the body to close the opening and prevent ingress of foreign material, the exterior of the brick being provided with at least one mating feature for coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure.

2. A brick as claimed claim 1, wherein the hollow body is substantially cuboid or cube shaped.

3. A brick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the body comprises glass.

4. A brick as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the body comprises a plastics material.

5. A brick as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mating feature is provided by a mating component secured to the exterior of the brick.

6. A brick as claimed in claim 5, wherein the mating component is made from a resilient material.

7. A brick as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the mating feature comprises a male or a female element capable of releasably engaging with a complementary female or male element.

8. A brick as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mating component provides a socket for receiving a pin.

9. A brick as claimed in claim 7, wherein the socket further comprises a lip, the lip being capable of releasably holding a pin.

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10. A brick as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the seal comprises a removable stopper.

I 1. A brick as claimed in claim I O. wherein the stopper is made from a resilient material.

12. A glass brick as claimed in any one of claims 5 to I 1, wherein the body has at least one depression formed on its exterior and serving to mount the mating component.

13. A brick as claimed in claim 12, wherein a socket is fixed within a depression.

14. A brick as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the seal provides a mating feature for coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure.

15. A brick as claimed in claim 14, wherein the seal further comprises a I desiccant.

16. A brick as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the seal allows for the passage of electrical wires.

17. A brick as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mating feature is adapted to couple the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure releasably.

18. A method of producing a brick for use in construction of a structure, comprising blow moulding a hollow body having an opening leading from the interior of the body to its exterior, closing the opening by securing a seal to the body to prevent ingress of foreign material, and providing the exterior of the brick with at least one mating feature for coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick in a; - 1 5 - L structure.

19. A method of producing a brick for use in construction of a structure as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one mating feature for releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick in a structure is secured to the glass body after it has been produced.

20. A method of constructing a structure using a plurality of hollow bricks as claimed in claims I to 16, comprising releasably coupling a plurality of bricks to neighbouring bricks.

21. A method of constructing a structure as claimed in claim 20, wherein the method further comprises the use of one or more wedge shaped elements to facilitate the construction of a curved structure, a wedge shaped element comprising at least one mating feature for releasably coupling the element to a I neighbouring brick in a structure.

22. A method of constructing a structure as claimed in claim 21, wherein the method further comprises the use of guide members which are employed for defining at least two sides of a structure, the guide member comprising at least one mating feature for releasably coupling a guide member to a glass or plastic and/or a wedge shaped element.

23. A kit of parts for assembly into a brick for the construction of a structure, comprising a hollow body with an opening leading from the interior of the brick to the exterior of the brick, a mating feature for releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick, and a seal capable of being secured to the body. ; - 16

24. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 20, additionally comprising pins for! releasably coupling the brick to a neighbouring brick.

25. A kit of parts as claimed in any claims 20 or claim 21, additionally comprising a wedge shaped element for allowing structures to be curved.

26. A hollow brick for use in constructing structures using a brick substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in one or more of the accompanying drawings

27. A method of constructing a structure using hollow bricks substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in one or more of the accompanying drawings