# US 2014/0154522 A1 · Structural panel unit and method of assembling same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154522 A1 - Document ID: US20140154522A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/008,400 - Filed: 2011-03-31 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-31 - Assignees: Arcelormittal Invertigacion Y Desarrollo SL - Inventors: Christopher Hendrikus Johannes Gerritsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154522A1 ## CPC - E04C 2/36: spaced apart by transversely-placed strip material, e.g. honeycomb panels (honeycomb or other core members for layered products B32B) - E04C 2/28: combinations of materials fully covered by groups E04C2/04 and E04C2/08 - Y10T 29/49629: Panel - Y10T 428/1234: Honeycomb, or with grain orientation or elongated elements in defined angular relationship in respective components [e.g., parallel, inter- secting, etc.] - Y10T 428/24174: including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet - E04C: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS (for bridges E01D; specially designed for insulation or other protection E04B; elements used as building aids E04G; for mining E21; for tunnels E21D; structural elements with broader range of application than for building engineering F16, particularly F16S) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Structural panel unit (10) comprising a first plate (11) and continuous web members (13, 14) extending along intersecting directions so as to support the plate (11), the web members (13, 14) being each slotted (141, 131) partway through at their intersections so that they fit into one another, the web members comprising first web members (13) and second web members (14), wherein the first web members (13) are so disposed as to have slots (131) open towards the first plate (11) in which slots (131) fit the second web members (14), wherein the first web members (13) are united to the first plate (11) thereby interlocking the second web members (14), and wherein the second web members (14) are linked to the first plate (11) by no other means than by interlocking with the first members (13). According to another aspect, web members extending along one of said intersecting directions can optionally comprise first partway through slots open towards one side and second partway through slots open towards the opposite side, the first and second slots fitting into intersecting web members. A method of assembling a structural panel unit according to the latter aspect is provided as well. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-22. (canceled) ### Claim 23 Structural panel unit (10) comprising a first plate (11) and continuous web members (13, 14) extending along intersecting directions so as to support the plate (11), the web members (13, 14) being each slotted (141, 131) partway through at their intersections so that they fit into one another, the web members comprising first web members (13) and second web members (14), wherein the first web members (13) are so disposed as to have slots (131) open towards the first plate (11) in which slots (131) fit the second web members (14), wherein the first web members (13) are united to the first plate (11) thereby interlocking the second web members (14), and wherein the second web members (14) are linked to the first plate (11) by no other means than by interlocking with the first members (13). ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein the first plate (11) is made of a first material and the second web members (14) are made of a second material, different from the first material. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) Structural panel unit of claim 24, wherein the first web members (13) are united to the first plate (11) by welding and wherein the first and second materials are incompatible materials with regard to welding. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) Structural panel unit of claim 25, wherein the first web members (13) are made of the first material or a material compatible with the first material. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) Structural panel unit of claim 25, wherein the first material is a first metal or metal alloy and the second material is a second metal or metal alloy. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, comprising a second plate (12) and wherein first and second plates are distanced apart and united together by the web members (13, 14) which are interposed between. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) Structural panel unit of claim 28, wherein the second web members (14) are so disposed as to have slots (141) open towards the second plate (12) and are united thereto thereby interlocking the first web members (13), and wherein the first web members (13) are linked to the second plate (12) by no other means than by interlocking with the second members (14). ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein first web members (13) extend along a first direction and second web members (14) extend along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein first web members (13) comprise web members extending along a first direction and web members extending along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) Structural panel unit of claim 31, wherein the second web members (14) extend along one of the first and second directions. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein the second web members (14, 43) comprise notches (436) at sides and positions opposite the slots (431). ### Claim 34 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein slots (431) of web members (43) are chamfered at their open ends (432). ### Claim 35 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein web members extending along at least one of said intersecting directions are distanced apart at varying distances. ### Claim 36 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, wherein web members (33) extending along one of said intersecting directions comprise first partway through slots (331) open towards one side and second partway (332) through slots open towards the opposite side, the first and second slots fitting into intersecting web members. ### Claim 37 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, comprising web members extending along edges of the panel unit which have a height to form an elevated ridge against which one of or both the first and second plates abuts laterally. ### Claim 38 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit (50) of claim 23, wherein at least some web members (53) extending along at least one of said intersecting directions comprise sections (535) extending outwardly of the edges of the first (51) and/or second (52) plates. ### Claim 39 (depends on 23) Structural panel unit of claim 23, comprising a visco-elastic material arranged between intersecting web members. ### Claim 40 Structural panel unit comprising a first plate and continuous web members (33, 34, 37) extending along intersecting directions (35, 36) so as to support the plate, the web members being each slotted partway through at their intersections so that they fit into one another, wherein web members (33) extending along one of said intersecting directions (36) comprise first partway through slots (331) open towards one side and second partway through slots (332) open towards the opposite side, the first and second slots fitting into slots of intersecting web members (34, 37). ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) Structural panel unit of claim 40, wherein at least some web members (33, 34) have slots (331, 341) open ended towards the first plate and are united to the first plate thereby interlocking the remainder of the web members (37). ### Claim 42 Method of assembling a structural panel unit, comprising: providing at least one first continuous web member (34) and second continuous web members (33) being each slotted partway through so that the first web member and second web members can fit into one another, wherein the second web members (33) comprise slots (332) open-ended towards one side and other slots (331) open-ended towards the opposite side, arranging the at least one first web member (34) so as to have upwardly facing slots (341), arranging the second web members (33) so as to intersect the first web member and to interlock therewith by slot-fitting the slots (332) open-ended towards the one side with slots (341) of the first web member (34), arranging additional web members (37) by slot-fitting into slots (331) of the second web members (33) open-ended towards said opposite side, thereby obtaining a web, and arranging a plate on top of the web and uniting the plate to the web to obtain the panel unit. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) Method of claim 42, wherein the plate is made of a first material and the additional web members are made of a second material incompatible with the first material, and wherein the plate is united to the first (34) and/or second web members (33) thereby interlocking the additional web members (37). ### Claim 44 (depends on 42) Method of claim 42, wherein uniting is performed by welding.