Back to results
US 2021/0010221 A1Published application
Modular Wall Elements, Systems, and Methods
OwnerJohn D. PALMERinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Elements, methods, and systems are presented for facilitating construction of a tiered wall of elements most or all of which are oriented along the wall. Such elements may each have a “front,” for example, that extends between opposite sides of the wall. Such walls may include localized widening or graduated element weights, for example, engineered to allow advantageous pressure distributions over those of conventional retaining walls. Alternatively or additionally such elements may include frontal projections that stabilize a curvilinear wall by allowing an element to penetrate an adjacent element of the same tier in one or two dimensions.
Claims18
A wall-related method, comprising:
- configuring a first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to interface between a second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and a third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and also between a fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and a fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element in proximity to said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements;
- so that said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements each have first and second alignment features, a receiving end, and a protruding end;
- so that said first alignment feature of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to engage said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element adjacent said first alignment feature;
- so that said second alignment feature of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to engage said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element adjacent said second alignment feature so that said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element interfaces between said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element;
- and so that said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said protruding end to extend into a receiving end of said fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element while allowing said receiving end of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to receive a protruding end of said fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element so that said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is held between said fourth and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements;
- installing said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element of a first tier;
- and
- installing said first, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements all on a second tier atop said first tier and so that said first and fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements are directly contacting said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element.
5 more elements
A wall-related method, comprising:
- configuring a first prefabricated oblong wall element to interface between a second prefabricated oblong wall element and a third prefabricated oblong wall element and also between a fourth prefabricated oblong wall element and a fifth prefabricated oblong wall element in proximity to said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements;
- so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element has first and second alignment features, a receiving end, and a protruding end;
- so that said first alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said second prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said first alignment feature;
- so that said second alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said third prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said second alignment feature so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element interfaces between said second prefabricated oblong wall element and said third prefabricated oblong wall element;
- and so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said protruding end to extend into a receiving end of said fourth prefabricated oblong wall element while allowing said receiving end of said first prefabricated oblong wall element to receive a protruding end of said fifth prefabricated oblong wall element so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element is held between said fourth and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements.
2 more elements
A wall element, comprising:
- a first prefabricated oblong wall element configured to interface between a second prefabricated oblong wall element and a third prefabricated oblong wall element and also between a fourth prefabricated oblong wall element and a fifth prefabricated oblong wall element and in proximity to said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements;
- wherein said first prefabricated oblong wall element has first and second alignment features, a receiving end, and a protruding end;
- wherein said first alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said second prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said first alignment feature;
- wherein said second alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said third prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said second alignment feature so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element interfaces between said second prefabricated oblong wall element and said third prefabricated oblong wall element;
- and wherein said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said protruding end to extend into a receiving end of said fourth prefabricated oblong wall element while allowing said receiving end of said first prefabricated oblong wall element to receive a protruding end of said fifth prefabricated oblong wall element so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element is held between said fourth and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.