US 5,471,804 A · Building system using prefabricated building panels and fastening components used therewith

Abstract

A building system using prefabricated building panels preferably with a foam core and the fastening components and raceway components used therewith which may be substantially incorporated during prefabrication. An improved method for the assembling of a building or structure which building preferably uses foam core structural wall, floor, ceiling and roof panels. Locking mechanisms are used and integrated with a raceway system. The raceway system is comprised of components which are used in conjunction with the locking mechanisms to form utility carrying raceways and to securely connect wall panels together in edge-to-edge relationship to form walls including structural walls and curtain walls, roof panels to form the roof and to connect the wall panels and roof panels together to result in a complete structure. The raceway system is preferably included and integral with the locking mechanisms of the building system. That is, the raceway system also serves to enhance, when used with the locking mechanism, the locking interengagement of the various building panels. The invention further relates to particular locking or fastening components; a ram-lock device and a cam-lock device. The ram-lock device comprises basically two components, a ram-lock coupling and thread components. The cam-lock device also comprises basically two components, a cam-lock hook component and a cam-lock latch component.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A building system comprising:

a plurality of prefabricated building panels which said building panels comprise, a plurality of prefabricated wall panels;
locking mechanisms comprising, a first component and a second component incorporated into each said building panels at the time of prefabrication, said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said building panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure;
raceway components incorporated within each said building panels and integral with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said building panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein, said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms.

An improved building structure consisting of a wall portion defining the periphery of the structure, wherein said wall portion has at least three walls and which periphery defines an enclosure, at least one floor portion defining the lower surface of said enclosure defining, in combination with said wall portion and said floor portion an enclosed space and a roof portion as a cover over said enclosed space, said wall portions made from a plurality of improved prefabricated building panels, each said improved building panel assembleable relative to another said improved building panel to form said improved building structure, said improved building structure comprising:

improved wall panels having securely incorporated at the time of panel prefabrication, at least two first components of a locking mechanism in a first edge of each of a plurality of wall panels and at least two second components of said locking mechanism in each second edge of said plurality of wall panels, each of said at least two second components being horizontally opposed to a corresponding first component of said at least two first components, said first component and said second component being matingly interengageable, raceway components incorporated within each said wall panels and integral with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said wall panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms;
improved wall end panels having securely incorporated, at least two first components of a locking mechanism in a first edge of each of a plurality of wall panels and at least two second components of said locking mechanism in each inside facing wall surface of said wall panels proximate to a second edge of said plurality of wall panels, a plurality of wall end panels resulting therefrom, each of said at least two second components being positioned in horizontal alignment to a corresponding first component of said at least two first components, raceway components incorporated within each said wall panels and integral with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said wall panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms;
said first edge of one of said wall panels when angularly aligned with said second edge of one of said wall end panels and lockingly interengaging in edge-to-inside facing wall surface relationship said wall panel and said wall end panel forming thereby an angle corner wall;
a first specific number of said plurality of improved wall panels when interengaged in edge-to-edge relationship using said locking mechanism, creating at least one first wall portion;
a second specific number of said plurality of wall panels when interengaged in edge-to-edge relationship using said locking mechanism, creating at least one second wall portion;
and
a third specific number of said plurality of wall panels when interengaged in edge-to-edge relationship using said locking mechanism, creating at least one third wall portion;
and
said enclosure defined by lockingly interconnecting at least one of each of said first, second and third wall portions and at least three of said angle corner walls, connected using said locking mechanisms.

6 more elements

An improved building structure consisting of a wall portion defining the periphery of the structure, wherein said wall portion has at least four walls and which periphery defines an enclosure, at least one floor portion defining the lower surface of said enclosure, at least one ceiling portion defining, in combination with said wall portion and said floor portion an enclosed space and a roof portion as a cover over said enclosed space, said wall portions, said ceiling portion and said roof portion made from a plurality of improved prefabricated building panels, each said improved building panel assembleable relative to another said improved building panels to form said improved building structure, said improved building structure comprising:

improved wall panels having securely incorporated at the time of panel prefabrication, at least two first components of a locking mechanism in a first edge of each of a plurality of wall panels and at least two second components of said locking mechanism in each second edge of said plurality of wall panels, each of said at least two second components being horizontally opposed to a corresponding first component of said at least two first components, said first component and said second component being matingly interengageable, raceway components incorporated within each said wall panels and integral with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said wall panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms;
improved wall end panels having securely incorporated, at least two first components of a locking mechanism in a first edge of each of a plurality of wall panels and at least two second components of said locking mechanism in each inside facing wall surface of said wall panels proximate to a second edge of said plurality of wall panels, a plurality of wall end panels resulting therefrom, each of said at least two second components being positioned in horizontal alignment to a corresponding first component of said at least two first components, raceway components incorporated within each said wall panels and integrally used with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said wall panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms;
said first edge of one of said wall panels when perpendicularly aligned with said second edge of one of said wall end panels and lockingly interengaging in edge-to-inside facing wall surface relationship said wall panel and said wall end panel forming thereby a right angle corner wall;
a first specific number of said plurality of improved wall panels when interengaged in edge-to-edge relationship using said locking mechanism, creating a first and third wall portion each having a first specific and equal length;
a second specific number of said plurality of wall panels when interengaged in edge-to-edge relationship using said locking mechanism, creating a second and fourth wall portion, each having a second specific and equal length;
and
a third specific number of said plurality of wall panels when interengaged in edge-to-edge relationship using said locking mechanism, creating at least one third wall portion;
and
said enclosure defined by appropriately lockingly interconnecting at least one of said first wall portions connected using said locking mechanisms to said second wall portion using one of said right angle corner walls, said second wall portion connected, using said locking mechanisms, to said third wall portion using a second of said right angle corner walls, said third wall portion connected, using said locking mechanisms, to said fourth wall portion using a third of said right angle corner walls and said fourth wall portion connected, using said locking mechanisms, to said first wall portion using a fourth of said right angle corner wall.

6 more elements

In an improved method for the assembling of a building structure, said building structure consisting of a wall portion defining the periphery of said structure, wherein said wall portion has at least three walls and which periphery defines an enclosure, at least one floor portion defining the lower surface of said enclosure, at least one ceiling portion defining, in combination with said wall portion and said floor portion an enclosed space and a roof portion as a cover over said enclosed space, said wall portions made from a plurality of improved prefabricated building panels, each said improved building panel assembleable relative to another said improved building panel to form said improved building structure, said improved method comprising the steps of:

prefabricating improved wall panels by securely incorporating at the time of prefabrication, at least two first components of a locking mechanism in a first edge of each of a plurality of wall panels and at least two second components of said locking mechanism in each second edge of said plurality of wall panels, each of said at least two second components being horizontally opposed to a corresponding first component of said at least two first components, said first component and said second component being matingly interengageable, and by further incorporating at the time of prefabrication raceway components integral with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said wall panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms;
prefabricating improved wall end panels by securely incorporating, at least two first components of a locking mechanism in a first edge of each of a plurality of wall panels and at least two second components of said locking mechanism in each inside facing wall surface of said wall panels proximate to a second edge of said plurality of wall panels and having a horizontal angular orientation with said inside facing wall surface according to the number of said walls, a plurality of wall end panels resulting therefrom, each of said at least two second components being positioned in horizontal alignment to a corresponding first component of said at least two first components, and by further incorporating at the time of prefabrication raceway components integral with said locking mechanisms to lockingly interengage each said wall panels one-to-another in a manner to result in a building structure having a utility raceway system included therein said utility raceway system passing through said locking mechanisms;
perpendicularly aligning said first edge of one of said wall panels with said second edge of one of said wall end panels and lockingly interengaging in edge-to-inside facing wall surface relationship said wall panel and said wall end panel forming thereby an angle corner wall;
interengaging in edge-to-edge relationship, using said locking mechanism, a first specific number of said plurality of improved wall panels to create at least a first, second and third wall portion, each having a specific length;
and
creating an enclosed space defined by said at least first, second and third wall portions lockingly interengaged using said locking mechanisms to said angle corner walls.

3 more elements

A locking mechanism and integral utility raceway, in combination, forming a system of components for lockingly interengaging a plurality of prefabricated building panels which when lockingly interengaged using said components may form a building having said utility raceway incorporated therein, said system of components comprising:

a locking mechanism first component and a locking mechanism second component, said first locking mechanism component being lockingly interengageable with said second locking mechanism component at an interengagement end of each of said first component and second locking mechanism component, each of said first and second locking mechanism component having a mating end and said mating end connectable to raceway components;
a straight raceway component having a first end and a second end and a length appropriate to connect to said first end said first locking mechanism component and said second end connected to said second locking mechanism component when said straight raceway component is incorporated within said building panel and said first locking component is at a first edge of said building panel and said second locking component is at a second edge of said building panel thereby providing a raceway through said building panel;
a cam-lock "L" component one end of which is attachable to said mating end of said second locking mechanism component and a second end attachable to said straight raceway component thereby creating a right angle raceway junction;
a ram-lock "T" component wherein a first end and is said interengagement end of said first locking mechanism component and said first end has female threads which are interengageable with male threads of a second locking mechanism component, second, third and fourth ends attachable to said straight raceway component creating thereby a four-way intersection raceway junction;
and
a ram-lock corner connector component wherein a first end and a second end each is said interengagement end of said first locking mechanism component and each said first and second ends have female threads which are interengageable with male threads of a second locking mechanism component, third and fourth end attachable to said straight raceway component creating thereby a four-way intersection raceway junction and ram-lock corner connector component.

3 more elements

A ram-lock device comprising:

a coupling component having interior walls which define a coupling component cavity therein, said cavity having a female thread end and a nipple end, said female thread end having at least two assembling slots which creates at least two female thread portions extending from said thread end substantially to a bottom end of a nipple, said nipple extending from said nipple bottom end of said nipple end of said coupling component cavity, each said female thread portions having threads which may be deflectable along a longitudinal axis of said cavity;
and
a thread component having a male threaded end and a mating end and a raceway cavity defined by tubular walls and said raceway cavity extending from said male threaded end to said mating end, said male threaded end lockingly interengageable by relative rotation of said coupling component female thread end and said threaded end of said thread component and by forcibly moving said threaded end of said thread component into said female thread end of said coupling component, said mating end of said thread component adapted and sized to pressingly and glueably fit into said nipple end of a second said coupling component.

A cam-lock device comprising:

a cam-lock hook component having an interengagement end and a mating end and a cam-lock latch component having an interengagement end and a mating end, said hook component and said latch component being lockingly interengageable when said components are interengaged at said interengagement end of each of said hook and latch components, each said mating ends connectable to raceway components;
said hook component comprising:
a hook housing left portion with an interengagement end and a mating end, a left portion bushing having a specified inside diameter and outside diameter, an aperture sized less than said left portion bushing inside diameter and centered around a centerline of said bushing, said left portion bushing having an inside and an outside bushing surface, a left portion ledge a specified distance below said left portion bushing and having a substantially horizontal and upward-facing left portion ledge surface;
a hook housing right portion being a mirror image of said left housing portion and having a right portion ledge and bushing, said left and right portions which when assembled forms a hook housing cavity with an interengagement opening and a mating end opening having a housing ledge and a housing bushing contained therein;
interfitting and interacting hook and cam which are assembleable into said hook component cavity when said left and right housing portions are assembled, and said hook and cam interfit and interact with said housing bushing and said housing ledge whereby rotation of said cam causes said hook to rotationally and translationally move a hook section of said hook relative to said interengagement opening of said hook housing cavity;
a cam-lobe cavity within said hook having a geometry such that when said cam is interfitted with said hook, a cam-lobe section of said cam is rotatable within said cam-lobe cavity;
said cam-lobe cavity lying substantially between a left side hook bushing cavity and a right side hook bushing cavity and both hook bushing cavities sized to be able to contain said left and right housing bushing in rotational and slideable contact;
and a left and right hook lip section at least a portion of which contacts said left and right housing ledge when said hook and cam is assembled within said housing cavity and rotation of said cam causes said hook section to rotate within said housing cavity and to translate toward said interengagement opening to a position to engage with and securely interengage with said latch component;
said latch component comprising:
a latch housing portion defining a latch housing cavity therein with a latch interengagement end and a latch mating end;
a hook section entry aperture at said latch interengagement end;
and a hook section engagement member positioned to engage with said hook section when said hook component is interengaged with said latch component;
said cam-lock device further comprising a raceway passage through which utility components may pass from said mating end of said hook component into said hook housing cavity through said raceway passage into said latch housing cavity and therethrough to said latch mating end.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Building system using prefabricated building panels and fastening components used therewith

Life of this patent

Building system using prefabricated building panels and fastening components used therewith

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39