Translucent building element and method of manufacturing same

An insulating core element for a translucent building element comprising:

• a mono-block of insulating foam;
• a grid of multiple elongated light-conducting elements which extend parallel to each other, substantially perpendicular to a first plane of the mono-block and a second plane of the mono-block, wherein the second plane is situated opposite to the first plane, and wherein the light-conducting elements extend outside the mono-block;
• multiple stacked rows of elongated, light-conducting elements, wherein
• each row comprises a multitude of side-by-side oriented, elongated, light-conducting elements which are interconnected by means of at least two elongated connecting elements extending substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the light-conducting elements at a distance from the ends of the light-conducting elements;
• and
• the connecting elements of each two rows stacked on top of each other are in sealing contact with each other and with light-conducting elements positioned therebetween for forming sides of the mono-block, so that the connection elements of the stacked rows form at least two separation panels which extend substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the light-conducting elements, and define an intermediate space between them which is filled with an insulating foam.

A method for manufacturing a translucent building wall, comprising the following steps:

• a core wall is formed with multiple insulating core elements, wherein each insulating core element comprises a mono-block of insulating foam;
• a grid of multiple elongated light-conducting elements which extend parallel to each other, substantially perpendicular to a first plane of the mono-block and a second plane of the mono-block, wherein the second plane is situated opposite to the first plane, and wherein the light-conducting elements extend outside the mono-block;
• multiple stacked rows of elongated, light-conducting elements, wherein each row comprises a multitude of side-by-side oriented, elongated, light-conducting elements which are interconnected by means of at least two elongated connecting elements extending substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the light-conducting elements at a distance from the ends of the light-conducting elements;
• and the connecting elements of each two rows stacked on top of each other are in sealing contact with each other and with light-conducting elements positioned therebetween for forming sides of the mono-block, so that the connection elements of the stacked rows form at least two separation panels which extend substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the light-conducting elements, and define an intermediate space between them which is filled with an insulating foam;
• a first layer of hardened material, substantially parallel to the first plane of the insulating core element, provided on the same side of the insulating core element as the first plane;
• and a second layer of hardened material, substantially parallel to the second plane of the insulating core element, provided on the same side of the insulating core element as the second plane, wherein the first ends of the light-conducting elements on the side of the first layer substantially lie in the same plane as the outer side of the first layer;
• and wherein the second ends of the light-conducting elements on the side of the second layer substantially lie in the same plane as the outer side of the second layer, wherein the intermediate spaces filled with insulating foam of adjacent core elements are placed against each other, and the separation panels of the core elements together form a separation panel of the core wall;
• providing a formwork for the core wall, wherein the formwork forms the side walls of the compartment;
• applying a hardening material in liquid form, such as concrete, in the first compartment;
• bringing the first side of the core wall and the hardening material into contact, such that sides of the core wall other than the first side of the core wall substantially coincide with the side walls of the compartment;
• allowing the hardening material to harden;
• and
• removing the formwork.

A method for forming a building block, the method comprising:

• placing two elongated sectional elements side by side with an intermediate space therebetween;
• placing a series of elongated light-conducting elements having first and second ends perpendicular to and on said two elongated sectional elements, extending substantially parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction over the two elongated sectional elements and said intermediate space;
• sealingly placing two further elongated sectional elements on top of the two elongated sectional elements extending over the series of elongated light conducting elements;
• and
• repeating the steps of placing a series of elongated light conducting elements and further elongated sectional elements a plurality of times,
• wherein two parallel separation panels with an intermediate space in between them and a grid of elongated light-conducting elements extending through the separation panels and crossing said intermediate space are formed,
• wherein each series of elongated light-conducting elements positioned next to each other and which are mutually connected by means of at least two elongated connecting elements extending substantially parallel to each other and substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the light-conducting elements at a distance from the ends of the light-conducting elements, whereby the connecting elements of two rows stacked on top of each other are in sealing contact with each other, and with the light conducting elements positioned therebetween.