US 7,658,038 B2 · System and method for constructing a modular enclosure · patentgrep

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Abstract

A modular enclosure may include a number of components, such as floor panels, wall panels and roof panels, which may be interconnected to form a structure such as a shed. For example, the shed may include wall panels with connecting portions that are sized and configured to allow adjacent wall panels to be interconnected. The wall panels may also include outwardly extending projections that allow the wall panels to be connected to the floor panels. In addition, the wall panels may include receiving portions that may receive portions of the roof panels, such as an outwardly extending lip. Advantageously, a truss may extend through the receiving portions in the wall panels and the truss may include a channel that is sized and configured to allow any water that enters the shed through a roof panel seam to be removed from the shed.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A portion of a shed comprising:

a first panel forming an outer portion of the shed and being constructed from blow-molded plastic, the first panel including an inner surface, an outer surface, a hollow interior portion and a first connecting portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first connecting portion comprising:
an engaging member including an inner surface and an outer surface that do not extend beyond a plane generally aligned with the inner surface or the outer surface of the first panel;
and
a connecting member including a first end connected to the first panel and a second end connected to the engaging member, the connecting member including an inner surface and an outer surface that do not extend beyond a plane generally aligned with the inner surface or the outer surface of the first panel;
a second panel forming another outer portion of the shed and being constructed from blow-molded plastic, the second panel including an inner surface, an outer surface, a hollow interior portion and a second connecting portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as a unitary, one-piece structure, the second connecting portion comprising:
an engaging member including an inner surface and an outer surface that do not extend beyond a plane generally aligned with the inner surface or the outer surface of the second panel;
and
a connecting member including a first end connected to the second panel and a second end connected to the engaging member, the connecting member including an inner surface and an outer surface that do not extend beyond a plane generally aligned with the inner surface or the outer surface of the second panel;
and
a first reinforcing member including an elongated body with a generally planar outer surface encapsulated within the hollow interior portion of the first panel, the elongated body disposed proximate the first connecting portion of the first panel, the planar outer surface of the elongated body aligned with a plane that is at an oblique angle relative to the outer surface of the first panel, the elongated body extending between the outer and inner surfaces of the first panel, the elongated body abutting the outer and inner surfaces of the first panel, the first reinforcing member being sized and configured to reinforce at least a portion of the first panel;
wherein the first connecting portion of the first panel and the second connecting portion of the second panel are sized and configured to overlap and interlock each other to retain the first panel adjacent to the second panel with the inner surface of the first panel generally aligned with the inner surface of the second panel in the same plane and the outer surface of the first panel generally aligned with the outer surface of the second panel.

8 more elements

A portion of a shed comprising:

a wall panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an inner surface, an outer surface and a hollow interior portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the wall panel forming at least a portion of an outer wall of the shed, the wall panel comprising:
an elongated, generally planar body;
a first protrusion extending outwardly from the body, the wall panel and the first protrusion being integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of the unitary, one-piece structure;
a first locking member extending outwardly from the first outwardly extending protrusion of the wall panel, the first locking member and the first protrusion being integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of the unitary, one-piece first structure;
and
a reinforcing member including an elongated body with a generally planar outer surface that is disposed within the hollow interior portion of the wall panel, the elongated body disposed between and abutting the inner surface and the outer surface of the wall panel, the generally planar outer surface of the elongated body aligned with a plane that is disposed at an angle greater than zero relative to the outer surface of the wall panel, the reinforcing member being sized and configured to reinforce at least a portion of the wall panel;
and
a first floor panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an upper surface, a lower surface and a hollow interior portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first floor panel forming at least a portion of a floor of the shed, the first floor panel comprising:
an elongated, generally planar body;
a first protrusion receiving portion that is disposed in the body and sized and configured to receive the first outwardly extending protrusion of the first wall panel, the first protrusion receiving portion and the first floor panel being integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of the unitary, one-piece structure;
and
a first locking member receiving portion that is integrally formed with the first protrusion receiving portion during the blow-molding process as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the first locking member receiving portion being sized and configured to receive the first locking member of the wall panel;
wherein, when the wall panel is connected to the first floor panel, the first outwardly extending protrusion is disposed within the first protrusion receiving portion and the first locking member is disposed within the first locking member receiving portion.

10 more elements

A portion of a shed comprising:

a first roof panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an upper surface, a lower surface, a hollow interior portion and a first generally downwardly extending lip that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure;
a second roof panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an upper surface, a lower surface, a hollow interior portion and a second generally downwardly extending lip that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the second roof panel being positioned proximate the first roof panel such that the first lip is positioned proximate the second lip;
a wall panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an outer surface, an inner surface, a hollow interior portion and a receiving portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first lip and the second lip being at least partially disposed within the receiving portion when the first roof panel and the second roof panel is connected to the wall panel;
and
a reinforcing member including an elongated body with a generally planar outer surface disposed within the hollow interior portion of the wall panel, the elongated body disposed between and abutting the inner surface and the outer surface of the wall panel, the generally planar outer surface of the elongated body aligned with a plane that is disposed at an angle greater than zero relative to the outer surface of the wall panel, the reinforcing member being sized and configured to reinforce at least a portion of the wall panel.

2 more elements

A portion of a shed comprising:

a first roof panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an upper surface, a lower surface, a hollow interior portion and a first generally downwardly extending lip that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure;
a first wall panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an outer surface, an inner surface, a hollow interior portion and a receiving portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first lip of the first roof panel being at least partially disposed within the receiving portion when the first roof panel is connected to the wall panel;
a reinforcing member including a generally planar metal strip encapsulated within the hollow interior portion of the first wall panel, the metal strip disposed between and abutting the inner surface and the outer surface of the first wall panel, the metal strip aligned with a plane that is disposed at an angle greater than zero relative to the outer surface of the first wall panel, the reinforcing member being sized and configured to reinforce at least a portion of the first wall panel;
and
a truss that is sized and configured to support at least a portion of the first roof panel when the first roof panel is connected to the first wall panel, at least a portion of the truss extending through the receiving portion in the first wall panel.

2 more elements

A portion of a shed comprising:

a first roof panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an upper surface, a lower surface, a hollow interior portion and a first generally downwardly extending lip that are integrally formed with the first roof panel as part of a unitary, one-piece structure;
a second roof panel constructed from blow-molded plastic and including an upper surface, a lower surface, a hollow interior portion and a second generally downwardly extending lip that are integrally formed with the second roof panel as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the second roof panel being positioned proximate the first roof panel such that the first lip is positioned proximate the second lip;
a wall panel constructed from blow-molded plastic including an outer surface, an inner surface, a hollow interior portion and a receiving portion that are integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure;
a reinforcing member including an elongated body with a generally planar outer surface that is disposed within the hollow interior portion of the wall panel, the elongated body disposed between and abutting the inner surface and the outer surface of the wall panel, the generally planar outer wall of the elongated body aligned with a plane that is disposed at an angle greater than zero relative to the outer surface of the wall panel, the reinforcing member being sized and configured to reinforce at least a portion of the wall panel;
and
a truss that is sized and configured to support at least a portion of the first roof panel and the second roof panel when the first roof panel and the second roof panel are connected to the wall panel, at least a portion of the truss extending through the receiving portion in the wall panel.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/091,813Filed 28 Mar 2005 · continuation in part
Priority: 29 Mar 2004
Published: US 2005/0028454 A129 Sep 2005
Granted: 9 Feb 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

E04B 7/022
With plane sloping surfaces, e.g. saddle roofs: consisting of a plurality of parallel similar trusses or portal frames
E04B 1/12
Structures consisting primarily of load-supporting, block-shaped, or slab-shaped elements: the elements consisting of other material
E04B 1/34321
Characterised by separable parts: mainly constituted by panels
E04B 7/20
Roofs; Roof construction with regard to insulation: roofs consisting of self-supporting slabs, e.g. able to be loaded

Family

Application29/202,299Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Mar 2004
Application29/202,291Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Mar 2004
Application29/202,267Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Mar 2004
Application29/202,397Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Mar 2004
Application60/557,369Us provisional application · filed 29 Mar 2004
Application29/204,812Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 May 2004
Application29/204,811Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 May 2004
Application60/586,387Us provisional application · filed 8 Jul 2004
Application10/890,601Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Jul 2004
US 2005/0210761 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Sep 2005
US 7,210,277 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D506,011 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D506,268 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D506,267 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D505,266 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D505,497 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2005/0028454 A1Published application
US D506,266 S1Related patent
US 7,658,038 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Citations

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