Prefabricated panel module construction

A standardized single-walled panel module simultaneously interconnectable with other panel modules in side-by-side planar and side-to-side right angular relationships without intermediate structural elements for use in constructing interior walls and enclosures comprising a substantially rectangular frame assembly, said frame assembly including first, second, third, and fourth side framing portions of substantially uniform rectangular cross-sectional dimensions, each of which framing portions has front, rear, and outer side surfaces, substantially flat sheathing material having side edges defining a substantially rectangular shape attached to the framing portions of said frame assembly, each of said framing portions having a side edge of said sheathing material associated therewith, said sheathing material being so attached to said frame assembly to engage the front surface of each framing portion, to project beyond said second, third and fourth framing portions of said frame assembly to form overhangs therealong, and to partially overlap said first side framing portion along its length, said first side framing portion projecting beyond the associated edge of said sheathing material to form an underhanging therealong, the width of said underhanding being less than the width of said framing portions, said overhang oppositely disposed from said underhanging projecting beyond said frame assembly a distance less than the width of the underhanging, the width of the overhangs at the remaining sides of the frame assembly being less than the depth of the framing portions, said subject panel module adapted to be simultaneously interconnectable with a first like module wherein the rear surface of said first side framing portion of said subject panel module is placed in abutment with the outer side surface of the second side framing portion of the first like module and the overhang associated with the second side framing portion of the first like module abuts and at least partially overlaps said outer side surface of said first side framing portion of said subject panel module along the length of said first side framing portion and with a second like module wherein the outer surface of said second side framing portion of said subject panel module is placed in abutment with the outer side surface of the first side framing portion of the second like module and the overhang associated with the second side framing portion of said subject panel module abuts and at least partially overlaps the front surface of the first side framing portion of the second like panel module along the length thereof.

A standardized panel module interconnectable with other panel modules in right angular relationships without intermediate structural elements for use in constructing walls and enclosures comprising a rectangular frame assembly having oppositely disposed substantially identical first and second side framing portions and oppositely disposed substantially identical end framing portions transverse to said side framing portions;

• all of said framing portions having definable side surface portions;
• paneling means of substantially rectangular shape, the height of said paneling means being slightly greater than the height of said frame assembly;
• the width of said paneling means being no greater than the width of said frame assembly;
• said paneling means being attached to said frame assembly to overlap and overhang each of said end framing portions to define end overhangs therealong, to overlap and overhang said first side framing portion to define a side overhang therealong, and to partially overlap said second side framing portion along the entire length of said framing portion to effect a lap joint therewith and to define a rabbet therealong;
• the width of said rabbet being less than the width of said side framing portions, said side overhang having a width less than the width of said rabbet, and side end overhangs having a width less than the depth of said end framing portions;
• the length of said frame assembly essentially satisfying the equation (n.times.W)-w+2d.ltoreq.L.ltoreq.(n.times.W)+2d, where L is the length of said frame assembly, w is the width of said frame assembly, n is a positive integer, w is the width of said framing portions, and d is the depth of said framing portions, said subject panel module being adapted to be interconnectable to a like module in a right angular relationship therewith with one of said framing portions of the subject panel module that has an overhand associated therewith abutting one of the framing portions of the like module and with the overhang associated with the one framing portion of the subject panel module engaging and at least partially overlapping the side surface portion of the one framing portion of the like module.

Means for constructing essentially lightproof and dustproof wall and corner modular assemblies from panel modules adapted to be interconnectable to one another in both side-by-side planar and side-to-side right angular relationships without intermediate structural elements comprising a first panel module of lightproof material having a rectangular shape with first and second end portions and with reciprocally rabbetted first and second side edge portions, said first side edge portion being rabbetted to form a one-sided tenon with an obverse rabbet and said second side edge portion being rabbetted to form a one-sided tenon with a reverse rabbet, a second panel module substantially identical to said first panel module, and means for attaching said second panel module to said first panel module to join and rigidly hold said panel modules together to form essentially lightproof and dustproof joints therebetween when such modules are in a side-by-side planar relationship with one-sided tonons along the second side edge portion of said first panel module and the first side edge portion of said second panel module forming a scarfjoint and also when such modules are in a side-to-side right angular relationship with the one-sided tonons along the second side edge portion of said first panel module and the first side edge portion of said second panel module forming a corner edge lap joint wherein the one-sided tenon along the first side edge of said second panel module is engaged with said reverse rabbet of said first panel module.

Means for constructing wall and corner segments from panel modules adapted to be interconnectable to one another in both side-by-side planar and side-to-side right angular relationships without intermediate structural elements comprising a first panel module having a rectangular shape with reciprocally rabbetted first and second side edge portions, said first side edge portion being rabbetted to form a one-sided tenon with an obverse rabbet, said second side edge portion being rabbetted to form a one-sided tenon with a reverse rabbet, said first panel module having ceiling and base end edge portions, said base end edge portion being rabbetted to form a one-sided base tenon with a reverse rabbet, said ceiling end edge portion being similarly rabbetted to form a one-sided ceiling tenon with a reverse rabbet, a second panel module substantially identical to said first panel module, base means, and attachment means to join and rigidly hold said panel modules together with such modules are in a side-by-side planar relationship with the one-sided tenons of the second side edge portion of said first panel module and of the first side edge portion of said second panel module forming a scarf joint and also when such modules are in a side-to-side right angular relationship with the one-sided tenons of the second side edge portion of said first panel module and the first side edge portion of said second panel module forming a corner edge lap joint wherein the one-sided tenon along the first side edge of said second panel module is engaged with said reverse rabbet of said first panel module, said attachment means including means to join and hold the joined panel modules and said base means in rigid attachment with said base tenon of each of said panel modules overlapping said base means to form a lap joint therewith.

A standardized panel module interconnectable with other panel modules in side-by-side planar, side-to-side right angular, end-to-end right angular, and side-to-end right angular relationships without intermediate structural elements for use with one or more other panel modules and a base member in constructing walls and enclosures comprising a rectangular frame assembly having oppositely disposed first and second side framing portions and oppositely disposed end framing portions transverse to said side framing portions;

• each of said framing portions having a definable outer side surface portion;
• paneling means of substantially rectangular shape;
• the heighth of said paneling means being slightly greater than the heighth of said frame assembly;
• the width of said paneling means being no greater than the width of said frame assembly;
• said paneling means being attached to said frame assembly to overlap and overhang each said end framing portion to define an end overhang therealong, to overlap and overhang said first side framing portion to define a side overhang therealong, and to partially overlap said second side framing portion along the entire length of said side framing portion to effect a lap joint therewith and to define a rabbet therealong;
• said side overhang adapted to be reciprocally engageable with the rabbet of a like panel module to therewith effect a rabbet joint when the like module is in side-by-side juxtaposed relationship with said subject panel module and to be capable of at least partially overlapping the outer side surface portion of the side framing portion of a like panel module to effect a lap joint therewith when the like panel module is in a side-to-side right angular relationship with said subject panel module;
• one end overhang adapted to be capable of at least partially overlapping the outer side surface portion of the end framing portion of a like panel module to effect a lap joint therewith when the like panel module is in an end-to-end right angular relationship with said subject panel module and to be capable of at least partially overlapping the outer side surface portion of the side framing portion of a like panel module to effect a lap joint therewith when the like panel module is placed in a side-to-end right angular relationship with said subject panel module;
• the other end overhang adapted to be capable of at least partially overlapping a base member to effect a lap joint therewith when the base member abuts the outer side surface portion of the framing portion associated with said end overhang of the subject panel module.

A kit for constructing a room-like enclosure from panel modules interconnectable with one another in right angular and side-by-side planar relationships without intermediate structural elements comprising one or more ceiling panel modules, each of which is substantially identical to each other ceiling module, a door module, a plurality of substantially identical wall panel modules, said door module having a rectangular shell portion frame assembly and a door portion attached to said shell portion frame assembly, each of said ceiling and wall panel modules including a substantially rectangular panel frame assembly and substantially flat sheathing material having side edges defining a substantially rectangular shape attached to said frame assembly, said panel frame assemblies each including four side framing portions of substantially rectangular cross-sectional dimensions, each of said framing portions having a respective side edge of said sheathing material associated therewith, said sheathing material being so attached to said frame assembly to project beyond three side framing portions of said panel frame assembly to form overhangs therealong and to partially overlap the fourth side framing portion along its length, said last named framing portion projecting beyond the associated edge of said sheating material to form an underhanging therealong, the width of said underhanging being less than the width of said framing portions, said overhang oppositely disposed from said underhanging projecting beyond said panel frame assembly a distance less than the width of the underhanging, the width of the overhangs at the remaining sides of the panel frame assembly being less than the depth of the framing portions, a substantially rectangular base portion including a plurality of base members of substantially identical cross-sectional dimensions, and attachment means for attaching said door module and said wall panel modules to said base portion, for directly attaching adjacent framing portions of said door module and said wall panel modules to one another when said door module and said wall modules are positioned on said base portion to define walls and corners, for directly attaching adjacent framing portions of said ceiling modules to one another when said ceiling modules are positioned in side-by-side juxtaposition to define a ceiling, and for directly attaching adjacent framing portions to said ceiling modules and said door module and wall modules to one another when said ceiling modules are positioned adjacent to said door module and wall modules in right angular relationship thereto.

A kit for constructing a room-like enclosure from panel modules interconnectable with one another in right angular and side-by-side relationships without intermediate structural elements comprising one or more ceiling panel modules, each of which is substantially identical to each other ceiling module, a door module, and a plurality of wall panel modules, said plurality of wall panel modules including a plurality of substantially identical standardized modules and two substantially identical non-standardized modules, said door module having a rectangular shell portion frame assembly and a door portion attached to said shell portion frame assembly, each of said ceiling and wall panel modules including a substantially rectangular panel frame assembly and substantially flat sheathing material having side edges defining a substantially rectangular shape attached to said panel frame assembly, said panel frame assemblies each having oppositely disposed first and second side framing portions and oppositely disposed third and fourth side framing portions positioned transverse to and connecting said first and second side framing portions, all said side framing portions having substantially rectangular cross-sectional dimensions, each of said framing portions having a respective side edge of said sheathing material associated therewith, said sheathing material being so attached to said frame assembly to at least partially overlap said first framing portion along its length and to project beyond the remaining side framing portions of said frame assembly to form overhangs therealong, said overhangs projecting beyond said frame assembly a distance less than the width of said framing portions, said sheathing material of said non-standardized modules projecting beyond said first framing portion thereof to form an additional overhang therealong, the width of said additional overhang being substantially equal to the width of said overhang oppositely disposed therefrom, said first framing portions of each of said ceiling and standardized wall modules projecting beyond the associated edges of said sheathing materials thereof to form underhangings, the width of each said underhanging being less than the width of said framing portions and greater than the width of said overhang oppositely disposed therefrom, a substantially rectangular base portion including a plurality of base members of substantially identical cross-sectional dimensions, and attachment means for attaching said door module and said wall panel modules to said base portion, for directly attaching adjacent framing portions of said door module and said wall panel modules to one another when said door module and said wall modules are positioned on said base portion to define walls and corners, for directly attaching adjacent framing portions of said ceiling modules to one another when said ceiling modules are positioned in side-by-side juxtaposition to define a ceiling, and for directly attaching adjacent framing portions of said ceiling modules and said door module and wall modules to one another when said ceiling modules are positioned adjacent to said door module and wall modules in right angular relationship thereto.