GB2481660A

GB2481660A - A building unit with an outwardly sloping wall

Info

Publication number: GB2481660A
Application number: GB1016469.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Cameron
Original assignee: MODULAR 105 Ltd
Current assignee: MODULAR 105 Ltd
Priority date: 2010-06-28
Filing date: 2010-09-30
Publication date: 2012-01-04
Also published as: GB201016460D0; GB201016469D0; GB201010819D0

Abstract

A building unit comprising a wall panel which defines an internal angle of substantially greater than 90Â° to a floor panel, most preferably 105Â°. There may be one outwardly sloping wall or two, the second wall may be lower in height than the first creating a sloping roof. The walls may be attached via a bracket (Fig 3) or a hinge. Multiple units may be combined to create larger shelters and use connecting brackets. A telescopic beam may be used to support the floor and may have an integral spirit level. The wall panels may have a water reservoir within them (Fig 7). A solar panel may be mounted on the roof. The wall panels may be structural insulated panels (SIPS) formed from insulation boards and glass fibre reinforced panels. The shelters may be used as temporary accommodation on building sites, or following an emergency or natural disaster.

Description

A building unit The present invention relates to a building unit and particularly to a portable building unit for use in a modular shelter.

Portable building units and modular building systems are commonly used to provide temporary or long-term accommodation. For example, building units are provided for use on building sites, for use as emergency shelters, for office or classroom accommodation or for storing agricultural or chemical products. Such building systems can be either flat-packed, requiring assembly by the user, or pre-fabricated.

Flat-packed units have the advantage that they are cost-effective to store and transport. Pre-fabricated buildings have the advantage that they are quick to install at the site of use.

The present invention seeks to provide a flat-packed building unit that is simple to assemble and disassemble.

According to the present invention there is provided a building unit comprising a floor panel and a wall panel wherein the wall panel defines an internal angle of substantially greater than 90° to the floor panel.

Preferably, the internal angle is between 95° and 120°. More preferably, the internal angle is between 100° and 110°. Most preferably, the internal angle is approximately 105°.

Conveniently, the building unit further comprises a bracket, wherein the bracket has a first arm that engages the floor panel and a second arm that engages the wall panel.

In one embodiment, the building unit comprises a second wall panel and a roof panel, the roof panel being supported by means of the first wall panel and the second wall panel, wherein the roof panel is inclined with respect to the floor panel.

Preferably, the second wall panel is shorter than the first wall panel thereby providing inclination of the roof panel.

Advantageously, at least one wall panel interlocks with the floor panel.

Optionally, at least one wall panel is hingedly mounted to the floor panel.

Suitably, the building unit further comprises a floor-panel-supporting base beam.

Preferably, the base beam is telescopic. Advantageously, the base beam has an integral spirit level.

In one embodiment, at least one panel comprises an integral reservoir for water.

Advantageously, the roof panel comprises at least one solar electricity-generating panel.

Preferably, at least one wall panel is a structural insulated panel.

Suitably, a cut-out portion for receiving a bracket is provided in each wall panel and floor panel.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a kit for a building unit as described above, wherein the kit comprises a floor panel, a wall panel and a bracket, the bracket having a first arm for engaging the wall panel and a second arm for engaging the floor panel, wherein there is an angle of substantially greater than 90° between the first arm and the second arm of the bracket.

Preferably, there is an angle of 95° to 120° between the first arm and the second arm of the bracket. More preferably, the angle is between 100° and 110°. Most preferably, the angle is approximately 105°.

In one embodiment, the kit further comprises a hinge.

In a further aspect, there is provided a shelter comprising a plurality of building units as described above.

In a preferred embodiment, a linking bracket connects: the wall panel of a first unit to the floor panel of the first unit, the floor panel of the first unit to the floor panel of a second unit, the wall panel of the first unit to the wall panel of the second unit, and the wall panel of the second unit to the floor panel of the second unit.

In another aspect, there is provided a bracket for use in a building unit as described above wherein the bracket has a first arm angled at substantially greater than 90° to a second arm.

Preferably, the first arm is angled at 95° to 120° to the second arm. More preferably, the angle is between 100° and 110°. Most preferably, the angle is approximately 105°.

Advantageously, the bracket comprises a hinge.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 shows exploded perspective views of an embodiment of a building unit in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows perspective views of an embodiment of a shelter in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 shows perspective views of an embodiment of a bracket in accordance with the present invention; Figure 4 is a series of perspective views of a building unit in accordance with the present invention during assembly; Figure 5 shows perspective views of a plurality of disassembled building units in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6 shows perspective views of an embodiment of a base beam for use in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 7 shows perspective views of an embodiment of a water reservoir for use with the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 8 shows perspective views of the embodiment of Figure 1 having a water reservoir and solar panels; Figure 9 shows cross-sectional views of the connecting means that links the roof panel and the wall panel in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 10 shows a perspective and exploded perspective view of a section of the embodiment of Figure 1 including an embodiment of a hinge; Figure 11 and Figure 12 show partial cross-sectional views of the embodiment of Figure 10 during assembly; and Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the hinge of Figures 10 to 12.

Figure 1 shows three exploded views of an assembled building unit. The unit is formed from wall panels lOa, lOb, lOc, a rectangular floor panel 11, a roof panel 12, a pair of base beams 13 and corner brackets 14.

The building unit of Figure 1 comprises a first rectangular end wall panel lOa and a second rectangular end wall panel lOb. First end wall panel lOa and second end wall panel 1 Ob are located at opposite ends of rectangular floor panel 11. Each end wall panel lOa, lOb defines an internal angle of approximately 1050 with respect to floor panel 11. Together, end wall panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob support roof panel 12 above floor panel 11. First end wall panel 1 Oa has a height greater than second end wall panel 1 Ob so that roof panel 12 is inclined with respect to floor panel 11. The unit further includes a side wall panel lOc, positioned along a side of rectangular floor panel 11. Side wall panel lOc has no parallel sides since it adjoins end wall panels lOa, lOb (105°) and roof panel 12 (inclined). The building unit as a whole is supported on a pair of base beams 13.

Wall panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob, 1 Oc interlock with floor panel 11 and, in one embodiment, panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob are hingedly mounted to floor panel 11. Wall panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob, 1 Oc are secured to floor panel 11 by means of corner brackets 14. Each bracket 14 has a first arm that engages floor panel 11 and a second arm that engages wall panel 1 Oa, lOb, lOc. The first arm is at an angle of approximately 105° to the second arm.

Sections of floor panel 11 and wall panels lOa, lOb, lOc are cut away to form shaped cavities, dimensioned to receive corner brackets 14. Further cut-away portions are provided in floor panel 11 to allow engagement with the forks of a forklift truck during assembly or transportation of the building unit.

As shown in Figure 9, roof panel 12 is attached to wall panel 1 Oa, 1 Ob by means of a two-armed roof bracket 6. One arm of roof bracket 6 is secured to a plywood insert 3 in roof panel 12 and the second arm is secured to a softwood insert 5 in wall panel lOa, lOb. In one embodiment, roof panel 12 is further secured to wall panel lOa, lOb by means of a cam lock.

Floor panel 11 is formed from two layers of plywood with a layer of insulation between the plywood layers. A top surface of floor panel 11 advantageously has a non-slip phenolic coating. Wall panels lOa, lOb, lOc and roof panel 12 are structural insulated panels (SIPs) formed from insulation board and glassfibre-reinforced panels.

Base beams 13 are formed from fibreglass.

The building unit of Figure 1 can be combined with further building units, as shown in Figure 2, to form shelters having a range of sizes. Two units are connected by means of a linking bracket 16, illustrated in Figure 3. Linking bracket 16 (which has a width approximately double that of corner bracket 14) engages two opposing floor panels 11 and two opposing wall panels lOa, lOb. In one embodiment, base beam 13 is telescopic (Figure 6), SO that it can support a range of shelter sizes.

A second embodiment of the present invention provides a kit for making the building unit of Figure 1. The kit comprises base beams 13, end wall panels lOa, lOb, side wall panel lOc, floor panel 11, roof panel 12 and brackets 14, 16. Figure 4 shows a partially assembled kit. The kit is supplied flat-packed and the unit is assembled on base beams 13. To assemble the unit, floor panel 11 is positioned on base beams 13.

Wall panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob, which are foldable with respect to floor panel 11, are stacked on top of floor panel 11. Panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob are then pivoted upwards to provide an internal angle of approximately 1050 between panels 1 Oa, 1 Ob and floor panel 11.

To complete the assembly process, brackets 14, 16 are inserted into shaped cavities in wall panels lOa, lOb and floor panel 11 to secure wall panels lOa, lOb to floor panel 11. Side wall panel lOc is slotted onto brackets 14, 16 along a long edge of rectangular floor panel 11. Roof 12 is then secured to wall panels lOa, lOb, lOc by any convenient means. A second kit can be provided, which enables a second building unit to be connected to the first assembled unit via brackets 16. The second unit is fittable to the edge of floor panel 11 opposite side wall panel 1 Oc. As shown in Figure 2, a variety of configurations of shelter can be produced using the kit of the present invention. The flat-packed kit has the advantage that it is compact to store and transport (Figure 5).

For certain uses of the building unit of the present invention, floor panel 11 is hingedly attached to wall panels lOa, lOb. With reference to Figure 10, a hinge 30 has a generally I-shaped cross section, the hinge comprising an upper element 31 and a lower element 32, elements 31,32 defining a space therebetween. A perpendicular central insert 33 is provided in the space defined by upper element 31 and lower element 32. Hinge 30 is slottable onto a top surface of floor 11, by means of a groove provided in floor 11, the groove being dimensioned to receive insert 33. Hinge 30 is securable to floor 11 and wall 1 Oa, 1 Ob by means of screws that pass through upper element 31, through lower element 32 and through complementary apertures provided in floor 11 and wall lOa, lOb. The configuration of hinge 30 provides an advantage in that the integrity of floor 11 and wall lOa, lOb is retained even after repeated assembly and disassembly operations, since the screws are supported by upper element 31 and by lower element 32 and not by the plywood layers making up floor 11 and wall lOa, lOb.

In one embodiment, a first hinge 30 is positioned near to the base of wall lOa and a second hinge 30 is positioned part-way up wall lOb. The opposite configuration is also effective. By positioning a hinge part-way up one of walls 1 Oa, 1 Ob, at a height roughly equal to double the thickness of walls 1 Oa, 1 Ob, a generally flat configuration is obtained in the disassembled state of the building unit. In the disassembled state, the positions of hinges 30 provide that a first wall 1 Oa, 1 Ob rests flat on a second wall lOa, lOb, which in turn rests flat on floor 11. Figures 11 to 12 illustrate the operation of hinge 30 during assembly or disassembly of the building unit.

Particularly where the building unit is to be used as part of a modular emergency shelter system, at least one wall panel lOa, lOb, lOc advantageously comprises an integral internal water reservoir 20 (Figure 7) for storing rainwater or purified water for drinking or washing, in use of the building unit. Additionally, roof panel 12 can comprise one or more solar panels 21 for generating electricity.

Claims

Claims 1. A building unit comprising a floor panel and a wall panel wherein the wall panel defines an internal angle of substantially greater than 90° to the floor panel.
2. A building unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the internal angle is between 95° and 120°, preferably between 100° and 1100.
3. A building unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the internal angle is approximately 105°.
4. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a bracket, wherein the bracket has a first arm that engages the floor panel and a second arm that engages the wall panel.
5. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a second wall panel and a roof panel, the roof panel being supported by means of the first wall panel and the second wall panel, wherein the roof panel is inclined with respect to the floor panel.
6. A building unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the second wall panel is shorter than the first wall panel thereby providing inclination of the roof panel.
7. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one wall panel interlocks with the floor panel.
8. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one wall panel is hingedly mounted to the floor panel.
9. A building unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least one wall panel is mounted to the floor panel by means of a hinge having an I-shaped cross section.
10. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a floor-panel-supporting base beam.
11. A building unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the base beam is telescopic.
12. A building unit as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the base beam comprises an integral spirit level.
13. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one panel comprises an integral reservoir for water.
14. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the roof panel comprises at least one solar electricity-generating panel.
15. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one wall panel is a structural insulated panel.
16. A building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a cut-out portion for receiving a bracket is provided in each wall panel and floor panel.
17. A kit for a building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the kit comprises a floor panel, a wall panel and a bracket, the bracket having a first arm for engaging the wall panel and a second arm for engaging the floor panel, wherein there is an angle of substantially greater than 90° between the first arm and the second arm of the bracket.
18. A kit as claimed in claim 17 wherein there is an angle of 95° to 120° between the first arm and the second arm of the bracket, preferably between 100° and 110°.
19. A kit as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18 wherein there is an angle of approximately 105° between the first arm and the second arm of the bracket.
20. A kit as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 ftirther comprising a hinge having a generally I-shaped cross section.
21. A shelter comprising a plurality of building units as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
22. A shelter as claimed in claim 20 wherein a linking bracket connects: the wall panel of a first unit to the floor panel of the first unit, the floor panel of the first unit to the floor panel of a second unit, the wall panel of the first unit to the wall panel of the second unit, and the wall panel of the second unit to the floor panel of the second unit.
23. A bracket for use in a building unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bracket has a first arm angled at substantially greater than 90° to a second arm.
24. A bracket as claimed in claim 23 wherein the first arm is angled at 95° to 120° to the second arm, preferably between 100° and 1100.
25. A bracket as claimed in claim 23 or 24 wherein the angle is approximately 105°.
26. A building unit as substantially herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
27. A kit as substantially herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
28. A bracket as substantially herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
29. A shelter as substantially herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.*.:r: INTELLECTUAL . ... PROPERTY OFFICE Application No: GB 1016469.7 Examiner: Mr Philip Lawrence Claims searched: 1-22 Date of search: 25 October 2011 Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17 Documents considered to be relevant: Category Relevant Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance to claims X,Y X: 1-10, GB2142057 A 14-22 Y: (PETTITT), see Abstract and Figures.12, 13 X,Y X: 1-3, 5, GB 1468529 A 7-10, 14, (ALTAIR), see Figures.15,21 Y: 12, 13 X,Y X: 1-3, 5, GB 1345823 A 7-10, 14, (MOISAN), see Figures.15, 21 Y: 12, 13 X 1-5, 7, 14, FR250 1258 A 17-19, 21, (DELANNOY) 10.09.1982 (see WPI Abstract Accession No. 1982- 22 P0189E [43] and Figures).X 1-3, 5, 7-DE3600027 A 9, 14, 15, (SCHILLER), 03.091987 (see WPI Abstract Accession No. 1987- 21 250736 [36], Figures and Col. 4 lines 43-53).X X:1-11, DE19631647A 14-22 Y: (FRANZ), 12.02.1998 (see WPI Abstract Accession No. 1998-121303 12, 13 [12] and Figures).X 1-7 at "Garden shed" http://www.gardening-tools-least direct.co.uklblog/uploaded_images/allotment-keith s-shed-7575 16.JPG X 1-3 at "Heathrow Control Tower" least http://www.artofthestate.co.ukllondon_photos/heathrow_control_tower.h tm X 1-3 at "Lifeguard hut" http://www.allposters.co.uk!-sp/People-on-Beach-Near- least Colourful-Lifeguard-Station-South-Beach-Miami-Florida-Posters_i2700 138_.htm X 1-3 at "Office building" least http://eng.ccs.gr/displaylTM 1. asp ?ITMID= 11 5&LANG=EN Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk *::r: INTELLECTUAL . ... PROPERTY OFFICE Y 12 GB756922A (SOMMERFELD), see Page 2 lines 25-30.Y 13 AU2006225316B2 (HARPER), see Abstract and Figures.Categories: X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive A Document indicating technological background and/or state step of the art.Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of before the filing date of this invention.same category.& Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:Search of GB, EP. WO & US patent documents classified in the following areas of the UKCX Worldwide search of patent documents classified in the following areas of the IPC EO4B; EO4C; EO4H The following online and other databases have been used in the preparation of this search report EPODOC, WPI, Internet International Classification: Subclass Subgroup Valid From EO4B 0001/343 01/01/2006 EO3B 0003/03 01/01/2006 EO4B 0001/344 01/01/2006 EO4B 000 1/348 01/01/2006 EO4B 0002/00 01/01/2006 EO4H 0001/12 01/01/2006 Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk