GB2447621A

GB2447621A - Modular building systems

Info

Publication number: GB2447621A
Application number: GB0705106A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Birchwood
Original assignee: BARKER MCT Ltd
Current assignee: BARKER MCT Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-16
Filing date: 2007-03-16
Publication date: 2008-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-16
Also published as: GB2447621B; GB0705106D0

Abstract

A modular building system for constructing a room within a building, said modular building system comprises: a plurality of first panels, said first panels are adapted to be attached together to form a shell of the room; a plurality of second panels, said second panels are adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an interior of said shell; and a plurality of third panels, said third panels are adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an exterior of said shell. Also claimed is a modular building system for constructing a room within a building, which system comprises a plurality of first panels adapted to be attached together to form a shell of the room; a plurality of second panels for attachment to an interior of said shell; a plurality of third panels for attachment to an exterior of said shell; where the system is characterised by only one of the plurality of second and third panels is adapted to be detachably attached by hand to said shell and the rest of the second and third panels are adapted to be fixedly attached to said shell. A further claim to a modular building system for constructing a room within a building is characterised in that the plurality of first panels are prefabricated so as to be finished on one side thereof; and a second set of panels are characterised in that they are detachably attached by hand to the shell formed using the first panels on an unfinished side thereof.

Description

MODULAR BUILDING SYSTEMS

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a modular building system for constructing a room within a building. The present invention also relates to a method of constructing a room within a building utilising the aforementioned modular building system.

Background of Invention

Prefabricated rooms for building construction are known in the art. According to a prior art arrangement, complete-rooms are prefabricated off-site and are then transported to a building under construction and lifted into the partially constructed building utilising heavy lifting equipment. This prior art method has the disadvantage that the prefabricated rooms are large and heavy and thus difficult to transport and locate within a building under construction.

Furthermore, because of the large size of the complete prefabricated rooms, they can only be lifted into a building under construction and caimot be interposed into an already existing building.

It is an aim of embodiments of the present invention to solve one or more of the problems discussed above.

Summary of Invention

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the present applicant has envisaged the provision of a modular building system comprising prefabricated panels which can be transported into a building and then constructed in situ within the building. Such a modular building system will be more readily transported and interposed into, for example, an existing building.

According to one possible modular building system, finished prefabricated panels can be manufactured at a manufacturing facility. These finished panels can then be transported into a building and utilised to construct a room in situ. However, one possible problem that the present applicant has identified with this solution is that the finished panels will still be rather heavy and bulky for transporting from the manufacturing site into the building where the room is to be constructed. Furthermore, when constructed to form a room, the finished panels will not be readily removable and replaceable.

According to another solution envisaged by the present applicant, a modular building system can be provided comprising panels for construction of a shell of a room and separate finishing panels which can be attached to the interior and exterior of the shell using screws andlor nails or the like. By providing panels for constructing the shell of the room and separate finishing panels, each panel will be lighter, smaller and more readily transportable. Furthennore, the separate finishing panels can be removed and replaced if desired.

However, the present applicant has realised that a possible problem with this arrangement is that the attachment of the finishing panels to the shell of a room in situ will be reasonably time consuming and noisy, and thus create disruption within the building in which the room is being constructed. As these prefabricated building systems are intended for construction of a room in an already existing building, which may be occupied at the time of construction, this may be a serious problem. Furthermore, if the finishing panels become damaged or are required to be replaced in order to change the design of the room, this will be difficult given that they are attached to the shell of the room using screws and/or nails or the like.

In light of the above, in accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention there is provided a modular building system for constructing a room within a building, said modular building system comprising: a plurality of first panels, said first panels being adapted to be attached together to form a shell of the room; a plurality of second panels, said second panels being adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an interior of said shell; and a plurality of third panels, said third panels being adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an exterior of said shell.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of constructing a room within a building utilising the aforementioned modular building system comprising the steps: providing the modular building system; constructing a shell of the room by attaching together the plurality of first panels; and providing a finish to the room by detachably attaching the second panels to an interior of the shell by hand and detachably attaching the third panels to an exterior of the shell by hand.

By "detachably attaching by hand" we mean that the second and third panels are attachable to, and detachable from, the shell by hand without the requirement of tools. Examples of detachable attachments include such things as press-fit, snap-fit or hook-fit attachments for detachably attaching the second and third panels to the interior and exterior of the shell formed by the first panels. Detachable attachments are known in other arts and thus it is not required to describe such attachments in detail here.

The second and third panels are preferably "finishing" panels for providing a decorative finish to the shell of the room, whereas the first panels are preferably "raw" or "unfmished" building panels which are adapted for structurally supporting the second and third panels.

The modular building system, and associated method, is advantageous in allowing the building panels (first panels) and finishing panels (second and third panels) to be provided as separate elements thus reducing the weight and size of the panels of the modular building system for easy transportation compared with, for example, a system in which the pre-fabricated building panels are finished prior to transportation and installation in a building. The panels of the present invention will be reduced in weight and more easily moved and constructed.

Furthermore, the modular building system is advantageous in that the finishing panels can be attached by hand therefore reducing the time required for construction in situ when compared with arrangements in which the finishing panels are mounted to the shell of a room using screws, nails or the like. The detachable attachment arrangement will also reduce the noise produced / I when constructing a room compared with using power tools and screws, nails or the like to attach the finishing panels.

Additionally, the finishing panels can be readily replaced if damaged without requiring tools.

Furthermore, the finishing panels can be readily replaced to provide different designs and/or wall furnishings if required. Further still, if additional wiring and/or plumbing is required to be fitted to the room, this can readily be incorporated into the walls by merely detaching the finishing panels by hand, incorporating the additional wiring and/or plumbing, and then re-attaching the finishing panels by hand.

The first panels may comprise attachment members on either side thereof for detachably attaching the second and third panels. The second and third panels may comprise attachment members on one side thereof for detachably attaching the panels to the shell formed by the first panels. Optionally, the second and/or third panels comprise further attachment members for detachably attaching wall furniture thereto in an interior, or on an exterior, of the room.

The modular building system may be provided with attachment members that are attached to the panels during prefabrication. Alternatively, the modular building system may be provided as a kit with separate attachment members for attachment to the panels during construction of the room.

The first panels are preferably fixedly attached to each other in order to form the shell of the room. Fixed attachments give good structural integrity to the shell. The shell may comprise a plurality of walls, a floor and/or a ceiling.

Although, in the above described preferred aspect of the present invention, the second and third panels are adapted to be detachably attached by hand to the shell formed by the first panels, advantageous features of the present invention can still be appreciated if only one of the second and third panels is adapted to be detachably attached by hand to the shell formed by the first panels. The other of the second and third panels may then be fixedly attached to the shell formed by the first panels. For example, the second panels may be adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an interior of the shell while the third panels are adapted to be fixedly attached to an exterior of the shell using, for example, nails, screws or the like.

Alternatively still, a modular building system may be provided with only two sets of panels: a first plurality of panels which are adapted to be attached together to form a shell of a room and which are prefabricated so as to be finished on one side thereof; and a second set of panels adapted to be detachably attached by hand to the shell formed using the first panels on an unfmished side thereof. For example, the first panels may comprise a prefabricated finish which is disposed on an exterior side of the shell when constructed and the second panels are detachably attached by hand to the interior of the shell. In such an arrangement, the first and third panels of the previously described aspect are effectively integrated during the prefabrication process.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment arrangement for aligning and attaching finishing panels to a shell of a room. The attachment arrangement is located at a point where two adjacent finishing panels are to meet on the shell of the room. The attachment arrangement may be fixedly attached to the shell and may comprise a protrusion for abutting one or more surfaces at an edge portion of adjacent finishing panes to align the panels. The attachment arrangement may comprise the detachable attachments for detachably attaching the finishing panels to the shell as described previously. The attachment arrangement may also comprise sealing elements in order to provide a waterproof seal. The protrusion may also comprise a front/outer surface which provides a decorative finish to exposed portions at the join between the two adjacent finishing panels. The protrusion may be adjustable such that the distance between the front/outer surface of the protrusion and the shell is variable The attachment arrangement may be utilised with the modular building system according to the preferred aspect of the present invention discussed herein. The adjustable attachment arrangement may also be used in other modular building systems.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show the same may be carried into effect, embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example oiily with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a modular building system being constructed to form a room in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-section of a building panel for constructing the shell of a room according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3(a) to 3(c) show an adjustable attachment arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figures 4(a) to 4(d) show examples of finishing panels which can be detachably attached to the shell of a room by hand in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention Figure 1 illustrates a modular building system being constructed to form a room in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A shell 2 of the room is constructed by fixedly attaching together a plurality of building panels 4 using adjustable attachment means 6. Once the shell 2 of the room has been constructed, finishing panels 8, 10 are attached to the interior and the exterior of the shell 2 respectively in order to provide a decorative finish for the room. The finishing panels 8, 10 are detachably attached by hand without the requirement of tools. In order to achieve this, attachment members 12 are provided on either side of building panels 4.

Complementary attachment members 14 are provided on the finishing panels. The attachment members may form a push-fit, snap-fit or hook fit attachment. Attachment members for a push-fit attachment are illustrated in Figure 1. As an alternative to the illustrated arrangement, the finishing panels on, for example, the exterior of the shell may comprise a hook type member on a top portion thereof for hooking onto a top portion of the building panels forming the shell of the room in order to detachably attach the finishing panels to the shell.

The panels used for constructing the! shell of the room comprise unfinished building panels.

These may be made of wood, metal, plasterboard, fibreglass, plastic or any other material suitable for constructing the shell of a room. These panels should be strong enough to form a robust shell for supporting the finishing panels on an interior and exterior thereof. The particular material and construction for these panels will be dependent on the particular functional requirements of the room to be constructed. For example, if the room to be constructed is required to have certain insulating or sound proofing properties, then a suitable material and construction for the panels of the shell can be selected in order to meet these functional requirements.

Furthermore, the life span of the room to be constructed will be a factor in selecting suitable materials and a suitable construction for the panels forming the shell of the room. For example, if the room to be constructed is merely a temporary construction within a building, then less robust materials may be utilised. Alternatively, if the room to be constructed is for more permanent usage, then more robust materials and a more robust construction for the panels may be selected.

An example of a suitable panel for constructing the shell of a room is illustrated in Figure 2.

This panel 4 is constructed of two opposing sheets of wood 20 which are attached together by elongate wood members 22 around an edge portion of the panel with a cavity 24 defined therein.

The cavity 24 may be filled only with air, or alternatively may be provided with a filler material to increase insulating and/or sound proofing properties. Attachment members 12 are provided on either side of building panels 4 for attachment of the finishing panels.

Each panel 4 may further comprise a male and female attachment means (not-shown) at opposite elongate sides thereof for attaching adjacent panels thereto. Alternatively, adjacent panels may have a pair of male connections and a pair of female connections respectively such that alternate panels have male and female connections. The male and female joints can be pinned using nails, screws or the like.

It has been found to be advantageous to provide an attachment arrangement for aligning and attaching the finishing panels to the shell of the room. In order to compensate for minor deviations in the shape of the building panels, it is advantageous to make the attachment arrangement adjustable so as to provide a precise and robust construction. An example of such an adjustable attachment arrangement is illustrated in Figures 3(a) to 3(c).

Figure 3(a) shows a cross section of an adjustable joint according to an embodiment. The adjustable joint comprises a U-shaped channel member 31 comprising a flat back portion and two opposing projections. The flat back portion of the U-shaped channel member is attached to the shell 4 by a screw or the like. The joint further comprises a top-hat-shaped member 32 comprising a U-shaped portion which is complementary to the U-shaped channel member and has two opposing projections and a flat front portion (33 in Figure 3(b)). The top-hat-shaped member 32 also has two flat back portions extending from the ends of the U-shaped portion.

The top-hat-shaped member 32 fits over the U-shaped channel member 31 and the two members are attached together by a screw, nut and bolt, or the like. In order to attach together the two members, an elongate hole (34 in Figure 3(b)) is provided in the hat-shaped member and/or the U-shaped channel member which a complementary hole in the other of the members. The elongate hole allows for on-site adjustment and levelling.

The hat-shaped member provides a protrusion extending from the shell 4 for aligning the finishing panels when attaching to the shell of the room and provides a neat finish between the finishing panels such that the surfaces of the raw building panels forming the shell are not exposed. The hat-shaped member comprises surfaces for abutting one or more surfaces at an edge portion of adjacent finishing panes to align the panels. In the illustrated arrangement, the attachment arrangement comprises the detachable attachments 12 for detachably attaching the finishing panels to the shell 4 as described previously. The attachment arrangement also comprises sealing elements 35 in order to provide a waterproof seal. These may be made of rubber, foam or the like.

An L-shaped portion is provided at an edge of the finishing panels for aligning the panels with the joint. In the illustrated arrangement, the finishing panels comprise a front face 36 and a backing 37.

Figure 3(b) illustrates the joint in unattached form and shows how the hat-shaped member fits over the U-shaped member. Figure 3(c) illustrates typical dimensions for the adjustable joint in mm.

The joint can accommodate a range of different composite panels with varying decorative finishes to suit particular performance requirements, such as sound reduction, fire retardancy, aesthetic finishes including water proof surfaces and seals applied to the adjustable sections as shown in Figure 3.

Figures 4(a) to (d) show examples of finishing panels which can be detachably attached to the shell of a room by hand in accordance with the present invention.

The finishing panels may comprise a plastic laminate or other such finished plastic panelling.

Alternatively, the finishing panels may comprise a panel which is coated with a finish of paint, paper, fabric or the like. For example, as shown in Figure 4(a), the finishing panels may comprise a board 40 with a fabric covering 42 on one side thereof providing a decorative finish to the shell of the room. A padding material 44 may be provided between the fabric cover and the board if a soft furnishings finish is desired. Attachment members 14 are provided on an opposite side to that of the fabric covering for attachment to the building panels forming the shell of the room.

The particular construction of the finishing panels will be highly dependent on the usage of the room to be constructed. For example, if the room to be constructed is for use as a bathroom, then it may be advantageous to provide the finishing panels for the interior of the room with a waterproof finish. This may be provided, for example, using plastic or fibreglass panelling. This panelling may also be provided with wall furnishings such as a sink 46 and/or mirror 48 as shown in Figure 4(b). A shower stall or the like may also be incorporated into a finishing panel.

if the room is to be used as a waiting room, office, or the like, finishing panels may be provided with seating 50 as illustrated in Figure 4(c). Finishing panels may also be provided with a display screen mounted therein for television, a computer work station, or the like.

Alternatively, the finishing panels may be provided with further attachment members for attachment of wall furniture thereto as illustrated in Figure 4(d) which illustrates a finishing panel with an attachment member 52 for detachably attaching a seat 54 thereto. The seat 54 has a complementary attachment member 56.

The finishing panels are intended to cover substantially the whole of the shell of the room in order to provide a decorative finish for the room as a whole. In one arrangement, the finishing panels are substantially the same size as the building panels forming the shell of the room.

It will be appreciated that a room constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can readily be re-decorated by removing the finishing panels and replacing them with a different design of finishing panels. Furthermore, if a finishing panel is damaged it may be readily replaced. The finishing panels can also be re-arranged or replaced to adapt the room to a particular usage. This is advantageous when, for example, a room is intended to be utilised for various different purposes.

In addition to the above, the modular building system of the present invention is advantageous for manufacturers in that standard shell constructions can be utilised for a number of different applications without requiring the design of a whole new type of room. That is, standard building panels can be utilised for a range of different orders, with only the finishing panels being re-designed according to a client's needs. Such an arrangement provides a flexible solution to a range of building needs and cuts the time needed for a manufacturer to design and meet a client's requirements. Furthermore, it allows the client to apply different finishes to a room as decorative tastes change over time without requiring the room to be completely dismantled and reconstructed.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appending claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A modular building system for constructing a room within a

building, said modular building system comprising: a plurality of first panels, said first panels being adapted to be attached together to form a shell of the room; a plurality of second panels, said second panels being adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an interior of said shell; and a plurality of third panels, said third panels being adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an exterior of said shell.
2. A modular building system according to claim 1, wherein the second and third panels are finishing panels for providing a decorative finish to the shell of the room whereas the first panels are unfinished building panels which are adapted for structurally supporting the second and third panels.
3. A modular building system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second and third panels are adapted to be detachable attached to the shell using a press-fit, snap-fit or hook-fit attachment.
4. A modular building system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first panels comprise attachment members on both sides thereof for detachably attaching the second and third panels.
5. A modular building system according to any preceding claim, wherein the second and third panels comprise attachment members on one side thereof for detachably attaching the panels to the shell formed by the first panels.
6. A modular building system according to any preceding claim, wherein the second and/or third panels comprise further attachment members for detachably attaching wall furniture thereto in an interior, or on an exterior, of the room.
7. A modular building system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the attachment members are attached to the panels during prefabrication.
8. K modular building system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the modular building system is provided as a kit with separate attachment members for attachment to the panels during construction of the room.
9. A modular building system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first panels are adapted to be fixedly attached to each other in order to form the shell of the room.
10. A modular building system according to any preceding claim, wherein an adjustable attachment arrangement is provided for attaching the second and/or third panels to the shell.
11. A modular building system according to claim 10, wherein the adjustable attachment arrangement comprises an elongate protrusion for aligning the second and/or third panels when atching to the shell of the room.
12. A method of constructing a room within a building utilising the modular building system of any preceding claim, said method comprising the steps: providing said modular building system; constructing a shell of the room by attaching together the plurality of first panels; and providing a finish to the room by detachably attaching the second panels to an interior of the shell by hand and detachably attaching the third panels to an exterior of the shell by hand.
13. A modular building system for constructing a room within a building, said modular building system comprising: a plurality of first panels, said first panels being adapted to be attached together to form a shell of the room; a plurality of second panels for attaching to an interior of said shell; and a plurality of third panels for attaching to an exterior of said shell, wherein one of said plurality of second and third panels is adapted to be detachably attached by hand to said shell and the other of said plurality of second and third panels is adapted to be fixedly attached to said shell.
14. A modular building system according to claim 13, wherein the second panels are adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an interior of the shell and the third panels are adapted to be fixedly attached to an exterior of the shell.
15. A method of constructing a room within a building utilising the modular building system of claims 13 or 14, said method comprising the steps: providing said modular building system; constructing a shell of the room by attaching together the plurality of first panels; and providing a finish to the room by attaching the second panels to an interior of the shell and attaching the third panels to an exterior of the shell, wherein one of said plurality of second and third panels is detachably attached by hand to said shell and the other of said plurality of second and third panels is fixedly attached to said shell.
16. A modular building system for constructing a room within a building, said modular building system comprising: a first plurality of panels which are adapted to be attached together to form a shell of the room and which are prefabricated so as to be finished on one side thereof; and a second set of panels adapted to be detachably attached by hand to the shell formed using the first panels on an unfinished side thereof.
17. A modular building system according to claim 15, wherein the prefabricated finish is disposed on a side of the first panels forming an exterior side of the shell and the second panels are adapted to be detachably attached by hand to an interior of the shell.
18. A method of constructing a room within a building utilising the modular building system of claim 16 or 17, said method comprising the steps: providing said modular building system; constructing a shell of the room by attaching together the plurality of first panels; and providing a finish to the room by detachably attaching the second panels to the shell by hand on the unfinished side thereof.
19. A room constructed using the modular building system or method of any preceding claim.
20. A modular building system substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4(d).
21. A method of constructing a room substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4(d).
22. A room substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4(d).