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US 10,240,334 B2Granted
Z-arch building system
OwnerAntoine Marcel Paulusinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A building system comprises one or more panels with one or more “Z-shaped” edges. The panels may connected to each other through interaction of the corresponding shaped edges. In addition, a building component comprises upper and lower surfaces and first and second lateral ends. One or more of the building components may be connected together through engagement of the second lateral end of a first building component with the first lateral end of a second building component. Through this connection, vertical forces on the building components are transferred laterally.
Claims23
An arch system for supporting a load, the arch system comprising:
- a module of a plurality of hollow interconnecting modules arranged in an end-to-end manner to form a flattened arch, said module configured to be interconnected with at least one other adjacent module of said plurality of modules, said module comprising:
- an upper and a lower longitudinal surface;
- and
- at least one shaped end, a first one of said at least one shaped end comprising:
- a first and a second wall segment, wherein a first end of the first wall segment is connected to an end of the upper surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at a midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein a first end of the second wall segment is connected to a corresponding end of the lower surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at said midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first and second wall segments are spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel, wherein the first wall segment is at an acute angle to the upper longitudinal surface;
- and
- a first ledge segment coupling said second end of said first wall segment to said second end of said second wall segment;
- a second one of said at least one shaped end comprising:
- a first and a second wall segment, wherein a first end of the first wall segment is connected to an end of the lower surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at a midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein a first end of the second wall segment is connected to a corresponding end of the upper surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at said midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first and second wall segments are spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel, wherein the first wall segment is at an acute angle to the lower longitudinal surface;
- and
- a second ledge segment coupling said second end of said first wall segment to said second end of said second wall segment,
- wherein each of the at least one shaped end is configured such that the first wall segment of a first module engages the second wall segment of an adjacent second module, the second wall segment of the first module engages the first wall segment of the second module, and the first ledge segment of the first module engages the second ledge segment of the second module.
9 more elements
A method for forming an arch system for supporting a load, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of hollow interconnecting modules, wherein one or more of the modules comprises:
- an upper and a lower longitudinal surface;
- a first shaped end comprising:
- a first and a second wall segment, wherein a first end of the first wall segment is connected to an end of the upper surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at a midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein a first end of the second wall segment is connected to a corresponding end of the lower surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at said midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first and second wall segments are spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel, wherein the first wall segment is at an acute angle to the upper longitudinal surface;
- and
- a first ledge segment coupling said second end of said first wall segment to said second end of said second wall segment;
- a second shaped end comprising:
- a first and a second wall segment, wherein a first end of the first wall segment is connected to an end of the lower surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at a midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein a first end of the second wall segment is connected to a corresponding end of the upper surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at said midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first and second wall segments are spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel, wherein the first wall segment is at an acute angle to the lower longitudinal surface;
- and
- a second ledge segment coupling said second end of said first wall segment to said second end of said second wall segment;
- arranging the plurality of modules in an end-to-end manner to form a flattened arch;
- and
- interconnecting each of the plurality of modules with at least one other adjacent module, wherein the first wall segment of a first module engages the second wall segment of an adjacent second module, the second wall segment of the first module engages the first wall segment of the second module, and the first ledge segment of the first module engages the second ledge segment of the second module.
10 more elements
A method for forming a structure for transporting or holding water, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of hollow interconnecting modules, wherein one or more of the plurality of modules comprises:
- upper and lower longitudinal surfaces;
- a first shaped end comprising:
- a first and a second wall segment, wherein a first end of the first wall segment is connected to an end of the upper surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at a midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein a first end of the second wall segment is connected to a corresponding end of the lower surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at said midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first and second wall segments are spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel, wherein the first wall segment is at an acute angle to the upper longitudinal surface;
- and
- a first ledge segment coupling said second end of said first wall segment to said second end of said second wall segment;
- a second shaped end comprising:
- a first and a second wall segment, wherein a first end of the first wall segment is connected to an end of the lower surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at a midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein a first end of the second wall segment is connected to a corresponding end of the upper surface and extending inwards therefrom and terminating with a second end approximately at said midpoint between said upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first and second wall segments are spaced apart from each other and substantially parallel, wherein the first wall segment is at an acute angle to the lower longitudinal surface;
- and
- a second ledge segment coupling said second end of said first wall segment to said second end of said second wall segment;
- arranging the modules in an end-to-end manner to form a flattened arch;
- interconnecting each of the modules with at least one other adjacent module to form a water holding structure, wherein the first wall segment of a first module engages the second wall segment of an adjacent second module, the second wall segment of the first module engages the first wall segment of the second module, and the first ledge segment of the first module engages the second ledge segment of the second module,
- wherein the structure is one of the following:
- reservoir, tunnel, and canal.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.