Combined connecting and alignment method for composite fiber building panels
AssigneeAffordable Building Systems
InventorDerek John Layfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector and connection system useful in the building and construction industries for joining two substantially planar composite fiber panels together in which at least a part of the connecting device also acts as a guiding means allowing the two panels to be joined together in alignment with one another. The connector and connection system is especially useful for joining a plurality of compressed straw building panels to form a straight wall, partition or similar structure in substantially the same plane, said structure being constructed without having any external fittings or without having to mask or otherwise hide any fasteners, fittings or the like across the joint between the panels.
Claims5
A method for joining and rigidly fixing two substantially planar composite fiber building panels, each panel having a front and back surface bounded by a top, bottom, left vertical, and right vertical edge surfaces, each edge surface having a width approximately equal to the thickness of the panel, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially flat and bilaterally symmetric shaped connector member, said connector member having a uniformly textured surface;
- forming a first recess into a right or left edge of a first composite fiber panel, said recess having the general form of a slot oriented along said side edge recess defining a shaped cavity for concealably receiving a portion of said connector member, said recess being positioned at specific distance from said front surface and sized so that connector member may be received with a friction fit along a front recess surface and a rear recess surface, said first recess being further sized to provide a free space above and below connector member when said connector member is received therein;
- installing and affixing said connector member into said first recess, a portion of said connector member remaining exposed from said recess;
- forming a second recess into a right or left side edge of a second composite fiber panel, said right or left edge being chosen so as to be an opposing edge to the first panel edge, said second recess also having the general form of a slot oriented along said side edge recess defining a shaped cavity for concealably receiving said exposed portion of said connector member, said recess being positioned at said specific distance from said second panel front surface and sized so that said connector member may be received with a friction fit along a front recess surface and a rear recess surface, said second recess being further sized to provide a free space above and below connector member when said connector member is received therein;
- arranging said first and second panels such that said opposing edges are juxtaposed;
- and
- assembling the two panels to each other by moving said first and second panels together such that said opposing edges are in contact, and said exposed portion of the connector member acts as an alignment guide and is received into the second recess, thereby concealing the connector member and rendering the front surfaces of the two panels in a co-planar orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.