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 modular wall system having an irregular mass distribution, comprising:
- many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth prefabricated oblong regular wall elements assembled in a proximity of an installation site, wherein said first and second prefabricated oblong regular wall elements are both positioned in a first tier and each directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein said fourth prefabricated oblong regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth prefabricated oblong regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth prefabricated oblong regular wall element is supported by said first prefabricated oblong regular wall element, wherein a third tier of said wall system is configured to include several of said many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements, wherein said several include a sixth prefabricated oblong regular wall element supported by said second tier and of said many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements, wherein a fourth tier of said wall system is supported by said second and third tiers, wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said second tier and such that an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said fourth tier is less than 95% of an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said second tier, and wherein said wall system is taller than 2 meters and configured so that said irregular mass distribution alleviates a risk of breakage.
A wall system comprising:
- many regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regular wall elements in a proximity, wherein said first and second regular wall elements are both positioned in a first tier and each directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein said fourth regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth regular wall element is supported by said first regular wall element, and wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of a third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of said second tier.
A method of using a wall system, said method comprising:
- assembling many regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regular wall elements in a proximity, wherein said first and second regular wall elements are both positioned in a first tier and each directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein said fourth regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth regular wall element is supported by said first regular wall element, and wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of a third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of said second tier
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.