MXPA99003130A - A transportable structure kit - Google Patents

Abstract

A transportable structure kit which is readily transportable within a container (10). The container (10) has exterior container panel sections (111-116) adapted to attach together to form a completely enclosed transportable container (11). A number of interior panel sections (15) are placed within the enclosed transportable container (10). Lugs (51) are placed on corners of the completely enclosed transportable container (10) to allow the container to be lifted and moved. The exterior container panel sections (11) detachably attached together to form the enclosed transportable container (10) in a transportation mode. The exterior panel sections not used to form the floor, namely (115, 116, and 112) are used to form a second story floor of the assembled structure. The transportable structure kit further includes telescoping footing sections (18) to permanently yet adjustable adjust the height of the floor relative to a foundation (26).

Description

TRANSPORTABLE STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (FIELD OF THE INVENTION) The present invention relates to a transportable structural assembly of the type that includes a plurality of pre-formed elements. The invention has particular application for transportable structures that are used as modular or assembly houses and the invention is described here in that context. It is appreciated, however, that the invention has broader application and is not limited to this particular use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (STATE OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE) The assembly or modular containers are well known and usually comprise pre-formed elements that are manufactured outside the installation site and are transported in an unarmed condition. Once at the installation site, the pre-formed elements are assembled to form the main structure of the house. The modular house has several advantages compared to the methods for building houses on the site of their installation, which include the reduced manufacturing cost and the relative ease of assembly. An additional advantage is that while the pre-formed elements are manufactured outside the installation site, the fabricated elements can be manufactured in a more ambient environment.

P1246 / 99 controlled, thus allowing better control over the quality of the components of the house. With these advantages, the modular house is ideally suited for the installation of housings at low cost or for use in remote locations. In recent times, there has been an increase in the demand for low-cost housing construction, particularly in developing countries. The use of modular homes has been considered as a solution to this demand, not only for the cheaper cost of manufacturing, but for the simplified assembly allows the use of semicapacitada labor. However, due to the magnitude of the demand for houses and the limited resources available in developing countries, there is a continuing need to minimize the costs of building modular homes to allow them to be viable. In addition, logistical problems such as transportation and assembly present additional problems in the acceptance of this type of construction as a solution to this demand. Others have tried to provide modular structures that are easily transportable. U.S. Patent No. 5,403,055 to Allison et al, discloses H-shaped end structures for use in connection with bolts, in a plurality of panels. The panels are used in the assembly of a structure at the site of its installation. The terminal structures in the form of P1246 / 99 H include mounting accessories on its end for use in capturing and removing bolted panels. The design of H-shaped terminal structures by Allison et al. it is not used in the final construction of the structure, and is not adapted to allow bolting of the panels to form a completely enclosed container that can be used to contain all parts of the finished structure in a clean and completely enclosed container. U.S. Patent No. 5,317,857, also by Allison, discloses a completely pre-fabricated structure with vertical telescopic folding structures that can be attached to each corner of the structure to allow the entire structure to be shipped. A major disadvantage of the Allison system is that the size and shape of the entire resulting structure is limited due to boarding restrictions on size, that is, they should not be higher, wider or longer than standard shipping containers. Another disadvantage is that the units can not be easily stacked during shipment due to the full weight of the structure to be transported in the telescopic collapsible structures, and are likely to damage the walls of the structure, if stacked during boarding or transportation. U.S. Patent No. 4,696,132 to LeBlanc discloses a system and method for P1246 / 99 construction of a collapsible housing, wherein four side walls are joined in an articulated manner to a continuous floor section, and are parallel to it in a transportation mode. When assembled, the four walls are swung up into a vertical position and the corner members are inserted at the corners. The design of the LeBlanc system is not adapted to allow the internal components of a complete structure, for example of bathrooms and kitchens with pre-installation of plumbing, to be housed in it, and are more adapted to small shed structures. U.S. Patent No. 4,075,814 to Theurer et al. exposes a modular system of installation of houses where part of the module serves as a container for transportation for the rest of the module. In the design of Theurer et al. Complete sections of a house are manufactured in a factory, and stacked one on top of the other to form a container. The outer walls of the container are formed by three complete sections of the house, and additional complete sections of the house are also placed within the outer walls of the container for transportation. A serious disadvantage of Theurer's design is that the entire sections of the house are extremely heavy and must be assembled at the site of their installation with cranes and other heavy equipment. Another disadvantage is that the possible designs are limited considerably by the need for P1246 / 99 complete sections can fit one inside the other. Consequently, there remains a need for a transportable structure that solves these problems, and that is adapted to be assembled at the site of its installation with workers of moderately relative expertise and without heavy equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One purpose of the present invention is to solve this problem by providing a structure, such as a modular house, that can be transported in a disassembled condition in a novel transportable package designed to facilitate transportation and assembly of the structure and to minimize in addition the inherent total cost. Accordingly, the present invention provides a transportable structure of the type that includes a plurality of pre-formed elements adapted to be transported in disassembled condition and to be assembled at the installation site, to form part of the structure. In its broadest terms, the invention is characterized in that, in its disassembled condition, the pre-formed elements form a container to facilitate the transportation of the structure at the installation site. The pre-formed elements of the structure, P1246 / 99 according to the invention, are configured to have the dual purpose of being part of the final structure, as well as being part of a container for the transportation of the disassembled structure. With this arrangement, important benefits can be achieved. In particular, significant cost savings can be made while overpacking is diminished. In addition, the production, transportation and assembly of the structure can be simplified. For example, the structure may be arranged to be formed by the "unfolding" of the pre-formed elements that are in its container configuration. The container, as a consequence, becomes by itself a key point of reference in the assembly of the structure. This eliminates the need for the complete removal of the pre-formed elements and the problems that arise in the assembly of the structure. In addition, this technique allows parts of the structure to be assembled outside the installation site and installed in their permanent position within the container. Once at the installation site, the remaining part of the structure can be built around those fully installed components. This arrangement can be used advantageously in the construction of modular housings to allow difficult areas, such as the bathroom and the kitchen, to be completely assembled outside the installation site.

Pl 7_, fi / qq Preferably, the container formed from pre-formed elements of the structure, is adapted to comply with the ISO standards (International Standard Organization) and has the ISO standard dimensions for containers of shipment. In addition, the pre-formed elements include, preferably, lugs for transportation, which facilitate maneuvers with crane, transport, boarding and transfer of the structure in its disarmed condition. To provide the strength to meet the requirements of the ISO standard, the pre-formed elements preferably include a steel frame. Furthermore, these preformed elements are preferably used as structural members in the structure to use them for their strength characteristics in the finished structure. Preferably, each of the pre-formed elements is square or rectangular and includes a frame having a wall surface secured thereto. In a preferred form, the frame is formed of a plurality of interconnected steel members, normally hollow steel sections, and the wall is formed of laminated material, such as plywood or the like. Each of the pre-formed elements is preferably releasably coupled using fasteners or the like to form the container for Cl? Fi QQ transportation. Once in the installation site, the pre-formed elements are decoupled to allow them to be relocated in the assembly of the structure. In one form, the individual pre-formed elements are bolted together and welded in points to seal the contents thereof for transportation. Once in the installation site, only the bolts are separated to uncouple the pre-formed elements. Preferably, at least some of the pre-formed elements are adapted to form the floor of the structure. In a preferred form, the structure includes pedestal members that can be coupled with the frame of the pre-formed elements. In one embodiment, the floors can be adjusted in height to facilitate the correct placement of the structure at the installation site. In this arrangement, the floors are installed before placing the structure on the installation site, in its disarmed condition. In one form, the pedestals include two parts that can be moved in reciprocal relationship to provide the height adjustment. In a preferred form, the pedestals include an outer shell that incorporates a passage therein, adapted to receive a strut. The outer shell is usually fixed to the floor by means of a concrete base or the like. A distal end of the strut extends through the outer shell and is adapted to be secured to the frame of the pre-fabricated element.

P1246 / 99 formed. A clamping arrangement is provided between the outer shell and the strut to ensure that the two parts of the pedestal remain together, to avoid sliding relative to the same when the strut is placed at its correct height. In one form, the structure includes two levels and the pre-formed elements used to form the container are adapted to provide the platform for these two levels. In an arrangement where the container meets the ISO dimensions, the "upper" and "lower" panels of the container are used to provide the upper and lower platform, respectively. These panels are supported internally, preferably by means of internal partition walls used in the structure, when in the container configuration. In this way, the center of the structure is in its permanent position inside the container and once at the installation site, the "sides" and the "ends" of the container can be removed leaving this center in place. The transportable structure incorporating the pre-formed elements is ideally suited for use in modular housings. The structure in its disarmed condition facilitates transportation since all the elements of the structure are within a single container. In addition, while the container is made up of elements used in the structure itself, the P1246 / 99 assembly of the structure can be greatly simplified. A modular accommodation with this system can be erected in 2 to 4 days compared to 6 to 10 weeks for a house, using traditional construction techniques at the construction site. Due to the speed of erection and ease of transportation, the structure can also be used as a mobile home or as a temporary structure. In this arrangement, a purposely constructed trailer is provided, which allows the container to be transported by road, thereby enabling the structure to be moved easily, when required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It will be convenient to describe in greater detail below, one embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The particularity of these drawings in their related description is that they are not considered to replace the previous general description of the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a modular structure in a disassembled condition, where the pre-formed elements of the structure form a container for transporting the disassembled structure; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along the section lines II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the P1246 / 99 modular structure in its armed condition; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view along the section line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a foundation plane for the modular structure; Figure 7 is a floor plan of the modular structure, illustrating the pre-formed elements formed as the floor of the structure; Figure 8 is a detailed perspective view of the foundation member of the modular structure; Figures 9 and 9a are detailed views of the pedestal, floor and wall of the modular structure; Figures 10 and 10a are detailed views of the floor and ceiling of level two of the modular structure; Figures 11 to 16 are schematic views illustrating various stages in the construction of the modular structure. Figure 18 is a bottom plan view of the floor section of the container; Figure 19 is a detailed side view of Figure 18, showing an optional fork lift truck rail and construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a modular structure 10 is described which is formed of a plurality of pre-formed elements. These preformed elements include floor frames 11, wall sections 12, windows 13, door 14 and internal divisions 15. The structure 10 is adapted to be transported in a disassembled manner as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and to be assembled to form the house as illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. In the disassembled condition, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the floor sections 11 are adapted to be coupled to form a container 50. In the illustrated arrangement, the Container 50 conforms to ISO standards and has the ISO standard dimensions for shipping containers. The container further includes lugs 51 for transportation so that the container 50 can be loaded onto a container shipment by means of the standard crane. Due to its ISO standard total dimension, the container is easily lifted in the loading system of loading. To comply with the requirements of the ISO standard, and to ensure that the container 50 provides adequate protection to the components of the structure during transportation, the floor sections 11 include a steel frame 16. In the illustrated form, the frame 16 of each section is formed of a series of square section members, hollow, interconnected and the platform is formed of laminated material 17 secured to the frame. In the arrangement shown, the steel members are welded and the laminated material, which is typically in the form of structural plywood is fixed to the frame 16 by means of fasteners such as bolts or rivets. The floor sections are fastened using bolts or the like to form the container 50 and once assembled, the frame 16 of the floor sections 11 effectively forms a structure or box around the exterior of the container. The container 50 is adapted to store the leftover component parts for the structure 10 so that the structure, in its disassembled condition, can be easily transported. Moreover, in the illustrated form, certain parts of the structure 10 are located inside the container in its fully installed final position. In particular, the internal separation walls 15 are located in an ascending configuration within the container 50 and interconnect the lower floor section ll1 with the upper floor section ll2. In this position the partition walls 15 are loaded and designed to support the upper floor section 112 by removing the sides ll3 and ll4 of the container and the ends ll5 and ll6 of the container. Moreover, while they are not shown, the walls of the bathroom, the accessories and joints are P1246 / 99 installed and connected in its permanent position in the floor section ll1. This ensures that intense labor and technically difficult wet area work is installed, and plumbing work is performed outside the installation site. In addition, the kitchen cabinets can also be installed permanently together with the associated wall coverings and finishes. The electrical wiring as well as the plumbing and drainage installation are easily installed to accept a simple connection once they are on site. While the illustrated embodiment exposes the container formed only of floor sections, it will be appreciated that the container 50 may be constructed of other pre-formed elements of the structure, such as, for example, the wall or floor sections, or the like. Referring to Figures 3 to 11, the modular structure 10 in its armed form comprises a two-story house having a ground floor and an attic. The floor of house 10 on the lower level is formed by floor sections ll1, ll3 and ll4, and are supported by bases 18 which will be discussed in more detail below. The floor in the first level is formed of floor section ll2, arranged directly above the floor section ll1, and supported by the partition walls 15. The floor in the upper level also includes floor sections ll5 and ll6. Each section is in two parts (not shown) that are secured end to P1246 / 99 end along one side of the upper floor section ll2. In the illustrated form, the end sections are attached with bolts in position and the plywood 17 forms the floor, as best illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. The exterior of the house 10 includes exterior wall sections 12, which in FIG. In the illustrated form, they are of sandwich construction incorporating cement sheets 19. As illustrated in Figures 9 and 9a, the exterior walls are secured to the wall panels by means of the 20 water guard Z support. The roof structure incorporates roof laminate 21 supported on pre-cut roof components 22. Floor joists 23 interconnect the outer wall 12 with the roof of the attic. The attic walls 24 are fixed to the attic roof ll5 and ll6 and extend towards the roof frame 22 to form a structural box frame for the roof structure. The pinion wall frame includes outer sheathing 25 of lapped boards, as illustrated in Figure 3. Figures 6 to 8 show detailed views of the foundation for the modular house 10. The foundations include separate pedestals 18, as illustrated in the Figure 6, which are adapted to be positioned along the edges of respective floor frame sections ll1, ll3 and ll4, as illustrated in Figure 7. A detailed view of this base is shown in Figures 8 and 9 .

P1246 / 99 As can be seen, the base 18 includes an outer skin 25 which is adapted to be fixed to a reinforced concrete base 26, as illustrated in Figure 9. A floor strut 27, which is typically formed by a square section hollow, it can slide telescopically inside the outer skin 25 and includes a bolt connection 28 at its upper end which is adapted to be secured to the frame 16 of the floor sections 11. Once attached to the floor section, the two parts of the base 18 are adapted to be secured together by means of the fastener 29. Figures 11 to 16 are schematic views illustrating various stages of the construction of the house 10 from its disassembled condition illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 to the reinforced structure, as illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. Initially, in a location outside the installation site, such as in a factory, sections are usually manufactured s 11 plywood floor with steel frame. The walls for bathroom, joints and fittings are installed in the 11th floor section and are connected in their permanent position. The kitchen cabinets are also installed permanently, together with the associated wall coverings and finishes. The electrical wiring, as well as the installation and plumbing and drainage are easily installed to accept a simple connection at the installation site. All other components of the construction are then packed in the container 50 which is sealed, closed and ready to be transported. The container is then transported either by boarding or by road or rail to its destination and is transported by carriers to the construction site. The construction site is prepared with all services installed underground with connections in appropriate locations to accept the connections of the modular structure. The container 50 is unloaded from the carrier, preferably in its final position, and is easily released from the seal for unpacking and dismantling. As illustrated in Figure 11, the two sides of the container are bent outwards and downwards on the prepared foundations and connected to the specially designed pedestals 18. The prefabricated insulated exterior wall panels are then erected and fixed to the floor platform by means of the steel support guard Z, as illustrated in Figure 12. The internal partition walls with wooden frame they are erected and fixed in position. The two ends of the container are then raised in position at the top of the walls and attached to the edge of the upper panel of the container to form the attic floor of the upper level. The ceiling floor joists are P1246 / 99 installed on the upper edge of the outer walls and on the attic floor, as illustrated in Figure 13. The attic walls are erected and fixed to the attic floor to form the structural tubular beam for the structure of the attic. ceiling. The structure of the roof is then framed by pre-cut wooden components and the sprocket wall frame is erected with the fenders and double pre-cut tongues installed and the wooden cage-like panels are fitted between the foundation slabs, as illustrated in Figure 15. The roof laminate is installed together with all the roof and water trestles. The windows are installed in prepared openings and all mooring connections are fixed. The internal coating is installed on the framed wood separation walls, the electrical outlets are placed and the internal shutters are completed. All plumbing, drainage and electrical services are connected to the supply at the installation site. Finally, the paint is completed if desired, and both internal and external floor coverings are installed, if desired. The house is complete, ready for occupation. Accordingly, the transportable structure in accordance with the present invention provides an innovative transportable package designed to facilitate transport and assembly of the structure. The structure is cost efficient since the design of the structure reduces packing and simplifies the assembly process, compared to traditional modular house assemblies. Moreover, because of the structure in its disarmed condition, dimensioned to form a container that complies with the ISO specifications, the transportation of the structure is greatly simplified. With this system, the structure can be transported easily in its unarmed condition, by ship, as rolling stock or by means of another vehicle. In addition, the flexibility in transportation of the structure is provided with the use of a trailer as illustrated in Figure 17. This purpose-built trailer 60 incorporates a chassis 61 adapted to accommodate the 50 container. The trailer is arranged to be connected to a conventional large vehicle through standard couplings 62. Typically, the container 50 is bolted to the trailer 60 for transportation. Due to the erection speed of the structure 10 and the ease of additional transportation provided by the trailer, the system is suitable for use as a mobile home or as a temporary structure. As best shown in Figures 18 and 19, to provide improved ease of transportation of the container, the forklift truck transport rails 40 can be welded to the bottom of the container floor 11 (coated in laminate material 17, like wood plywood), which can also be supported P1246 / 99 with an additional floor 41 column running perpendicular to steel framing 16. Standard fittings 52 at the corner of the container can be attached to the container to raise it from floor level, enough to clean the forklift transport rails Finally, it should be understood that various alterations, modifications and / or additions may be introduced in the arrangement of the construction of the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

PI 5-.fi/qq

Claims (10)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property; A transportable structural assembly that is easily transportable within a container, comprising: outer container panel sections adapted to join and form a transportable closed container; a plurality of interior panel sections adapted to be placed within the completely closed transportable container; and means at the corners of a completely closed transportable container, adapted to allow the container to be lifted and moved.
2. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer panel sections of the container comprise a flat floor section, flat side walls, flat end walls, and a flat roof section, and wherein the outer sections of the The panel of the container are detachably attached to form the transportable container, completely closed, in a transportation mode, and wherein the flat floor section and at least the two walls P1246 / 99 side panels are adapted to join and form a floor of the structure in an assembled mode.
3. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 2, wherein the outer panel sections not used to form the floor are used to form the floor of a second level of the assembled structure.
4. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least two separate inner wall panel sections extend and are permanently attached to the flat roof section and the flat floor section.
5. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 4, wherein a pre-assembled bathroom is located within at least two separate interior wall panel sections that are permanently attached to the flat roof section and the flat section of floor.
6. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 1, further comprising pre-fabricated additional components, including exterior walled sandwich panels, internal partition walls, doors, windows, roof framing, pinion wall framing, fenders, double tabs, finishing materials and hardware.
7. 7. The transportable structural set P1246 / 99 according to claim 2, further comprising telescopic pedestal sections for adjusting permanently, although adjustable, the height of the floor with respect to a foundation on which the assembled structure is adapted to be supported
8. 8. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer container wall panels comprise the coating of a steel structure on at least one side, with coating material. The transportable structural assembly according to claim 1, wherein the means at the corners of the completely closed transportable container, adapted to allow the container to be lifted and moved, comprises metal lugs adapted to be attached to the corners, in detachable form . The transportable structural assembly according to claim 1, further comprising fixed rail members to a lower surface of the flat floor section to allow transport of the container by forklift trucks.