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US 12,637,859 B2Granted
Light transmitting building blocks
AssigneesBowling Green State University, The Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsAllison Hoag, Cathlyn Newell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Building blocks, wall structures made therefrom, building systems made therefrom, structures made therefrom, and methods of constructing a structure therewith, are described.
Claims28
A building block for building an architectural structure for an occupant, the building block comprising:
- a ten-sided polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- and
- wherein the building block comprises a light transmitting material configured to allow light to enter said architectural structure for said occupant.
4 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, and a third building block;
- wherein the first bottom face of the first building block contacts the second top face of the second building block;
- and
- wherein the second bottom face of the first building block contacts the first top face of the third building block.
8 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, a third building block, and a fourth building block, each building block of the plurality of building blocks having ten faces, the ten faces including the first top face, the first bottom face, the second top face, the second bottom face, and opposing ninth and tenth faces, wherein each of the ten faces is a quadrilateral;
- wherein the ninth face of the first building block contacts the tenth face of the second building block;
- wherein the ninth face of the second building block contacts the tenth face of the third building block;
- wherein the first bottom face of the first building block contacts the second top face of the fourth building block;
- and
- wherein the second side face of the second building block contacts the first top face of the fourth building block.
10 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, a third building block, and a fourth building block, each building block of the plurality of building blocks having ten faces, the ten faces including the first top face, the first bottom face, the second top face, the second bottom face, and opposing ninth and tenth faces, wherein each of the ten faces is a quadrilateral;
- wherein the bottom centerline of the first building block contacts the tenth face of the second building block;
- and
- wherein the ninth face of the third building block contacts the top centerline of the fourth building block.
8 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, a third building block, and a fourth building block, each building block of the plurality of building blocks having ten faces, the ten faces including the first top face, the first bottom face, the second top face, the second bottom face, and opposing ninth and tenth faces, wherein each of the ten faces is a quadrilateral;
- wherein the fourth side face of the first building block contacts the first side face of the second building block;
- wherein the second side face of the first building block contacts the third side face of the third building block;
- wherein the tenth face of the first building block contacts the ninth face of the fourth building block;
- wherein the third side face of the fourth building block contacts the second side face of the second building block;
- and
- wherein the first side face of the fourth building block contacts the fourth side face of the third building block.
11 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, a third building block, and a fourth building block;
- wherein the second bottom face of the first building block contacts the first top face of the second building block;
- wherein the second bottom face of the second building block contacts the first top face of the third building block;
- and
- wherein the first bottom face of the first building block contacts the first top face of the fourth building block.
9 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, a third building block, and a fourth building block;
- wherein the second side face of the first building block contacts the third side face of the second building block;
- wherein a first top corner of the first building block meets a second top corner of the third building block;
- and
- wherein a second bottom apex corner of the first building block meets a first bottom apex corner of the fourth building block.
9 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, a third building block, and a fourth building block;
- wherein the first side face of the first building block contacts the fourth side face of the second building block;
- wherein a first bottom apex corner of the first building block meets a second bottom apex corner of the third building block;
- and
- wherein a first top corner of the first building block meets a second top corner of the fourth building block.
9 more elements
A wall structure comprising:
- an aggregation of a plurality of building blocks, each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprising:
- a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face;
- wherein each building block of the plurality of building blocks comprises a light transmitting material;
- wherein the plurality comprises a first building block, a second building block, and a third building block;
- wherein the fourth side face of the first building block contacts the third side face of the second building block;
- and
- wherein the first side face of the first building block contacts the third side face of the third building block.
8 more elements
A method of constructing a structure for an occupant, the method comprising arranging a plurality of light transmitting building blocks in an aggregation to form a wall structure, where one or more of the building blocks includes an adhesive with a colored dye along a glue joint so as to produce a thin veil of color configured to fade in and out of view depending on an orientation of a viewer relative to the building block;
- and
- wherein each light transmitting building block of the plurality of light transmitting building blocks comprises a polygon comprising a first half and a second half, wherein the first half meets the second half at a plane defined by top and bottom centerlines, the first half including a first top face, a first bottom face, a first side face, and a third side face and the second half including a second top face, a second bottom face, a second side face, and a fourth side face, wherein the first side face meets the second side face at the plane, wherein the third side face meets the fourth side face at the plane;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the top centerline due to the meeting of the first top face and the second top face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the bottom centerline due to the meeting of the first bottom face and the second bottom face;
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the first side face and the second side face;
- and
- wherein a divergence in slope is defined along the plane due to the meeting of the third side face and the fourth side face.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.