CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM AND CONNECTOR THEREFOR

Abstract

 A construction system based on a common connector that is conceived to join a large variety of structural elements. The connector has two equal plates with an open trough that are designed to be affixed on wall sections or similar structural elements and plugs that enter in the troughs and are designed to be affixed on a horizontal element such as a sill, a joist or a beam. The connector can be locked by a wedge key that is configured to disappear below the wall side when in place.

Description

Technical domain

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of structural engineering with embodiments concerning the construction of buildings and homes, in particular the construction of homes including structural wooden elements.

Summary of the invention

[0002] The present invention proposes a construction system based on a connector system that is conceived to join a large variety of structural elements. The structural elements themselves may be wooden beams and sheets, or prefabricated panels comprising an assemblage of wooden beam planks, and sheets. The structural elements are more preferably realized of engineered wood, such as plywood, oriented strand board, laminated timber, cross-laminated timber, and the like. These are not essential features of the invention, however. and the construction system disclosed herein can be also applied to other materials, including synthetic, metallic, composite, masonry and concrete materials.

[0003] The system of the invention is configured to join two or three structural elements in a simple and standard manner, with a minimal employ of tool, and in a reversible fashion. In typical applications, two of the structural elements involved will be side-by-side or in an angled configuration and may be embodied by two vertical panels forming a section of a wall or a corner of the same, while a third element lies above or below the first and second elements, which may be embodied by a beam, a sill or a joist. All these elements are preferably modular and prefabricated, such that the amount of labour on the construction site is reduced.

[0004] The first and second elements forming wall sections may take the form of closed parallelepiped bodies, with a peripheral frame closed on both sides by rigid panels, or open lattices of studs and braces, to be finished once the framing is complete. In the former case, the wall sections may include a preinstalled insulating layers and/or channels for plumbing, electrical wiring, air conditioning, heating, ventilation, and so on. Where required, the wall sections will include openings for doors and windows.

[0005] The first and/or the second structural elements need not be full-height wall sections rising from floor to ceiling. They may be also reduced-height elements such as lintels and other horizontal elements, for example for creating a window or a door. The system of the invention may be used for peripheral walls as well as for internal partitions of a building.

[0006] The present disclosure will make use of terms like "upper" "lower", "side-by-side", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom" and so forth to refer to the conventional orientation of construction elements in a building. This is not a limitation of the invention, however. The connector and the construction system described and claimed herein may be used in whichever orientation in space.

[0007] More particularly, the system of the invention comprises, in embodiments, a connector for joining three structural elements having four components: a first and a second components are essentially identical or compatible plates and are configured to be affixed to the aforesaid first and second structural elements, in such a way that the first and second element can be joined side-by-side with the first and second components are sandwiched between the first and second structural element one against the other in a symmetric mirror configuration.

[0008] The plates constituting the first and second component have a trough open to one side such that, when they are so symmetrically juxtaposed the two troughs meet and leave an opening that is accessible from below or from above and allows the insertion of a third components. The third component is a plug whose outer shape fits in the opening mentioned above and may be essentially cylindrical or prismatic. The plug is configured to be affixed to the aforesaid third structural element. The fourth element of the connector is a flat key that can be inserted through a free space between the first and second structural elements to lock the two plates and the plug together.

[0009] Advantageously, the plates have each a central leaf that runs parallel and slightly aside the centre axis of the trough and rises orthogonal to the general plane of the plate. When two plates are coupled, the corresponding leaves are adjacent in loose contact, or slightly separated. The leaves have a central opening each for the passage of the key.

[0010] The plug has slots that are designed to accept the leaves of the two plates, and side openings to allow the passage of the key.

[0011] Importantly, the first, second and third elements are freely engageable with one another until the key is inserted. When the key is inserted, the relative positions of the first second and third elements are fixed, and no motion is possible. Preferably, the key is configured with a wedge angle, the side openings of the and the central opening in the leaves have internal surfaces disposed along the wedge angle such that the key may be inserted partway with firm hand pressure to achieve a temporary connection, easily undone when needed, or driven home with a hammer to achieve a permanent connection. In the latter case, the key will be entirely below the surface of the first and second structural element and can be hidden completely in the wall finish.

[0012] The plugs have a bored bottom for affixing to the horizontal structural element below or above by means of a suitable fastener. These fasteners may include anchor bolts for fastening the plug to an underlying concrete foundation, and round-head square-neck bolts to fasten the plug to a joist. In the former situation, the nut lies on the bottom of the plug, and can be tightened from an above aperture of the plug with a socket wrench. In the latter, the nut is normally accessible from the opposite side of the joist.

[0013] While the plates are reversible and can be mounted in either direction, the plugs are not, because their side openings change in consideration of the wedge angle of the key and they must be mounted considering the direction from which the key is inserted. Accordingly, the plugs are preferably keyed and installed in pre-cut sockets on the horizontal structural element fashioned such that only the correct orientation is possible.

[0014] The key may be held into place by simple friction and may have roughened or textured faces to increase its hold. It may have a hole to insert a hook and extract the key from the assembly by strong pulling, thereby freeing the assembly. Where a stronger, irreversible hold is required, the key may nave notches that engage with corresponding edges in the leaves such that it is positively held in place and is essentially not dismountable.

[0015] The connector of the invention, plates, plugs and keys, can be manufactured in steel simply and economically, for example by punching, bending and welding of sheet metal, The plugs are manufacturable by bending or else by machining of drawn tubes. Other manufacturing processes are possible, however. The steel grade can be chosen to provide connectors of increased resistance, without altering the dimensions.

[0016] The connector of the invention brings several advantages to the process of home building and can be usefully employed in other domains as well. The standardised connectors can be manufactured economically in large numbers, yet they can be applied to most connections relevant to home building. The structural elements can be equipped with the connectors at the factory, and their dimension and mass are such that they can be transported and moved easily by one or two people, in most cases. The opposed parts of the connectors mate together easily, with simple movement, such that the operation of assembly and erection are simplified.

[0017] Another advantage of the system of the invention is that the metallic connectors are embedded inside a thick wooden structural element and in this way offer a superior resistance against fire.

Short description of the drawings

[0018] The invention will be disclosed referring to the drawings that show:

Figure 1: a connector according to the invention, partially disassembled to show the plug and the key;

Figure 2: an application of the construction system of the invention, showing the lower end of a wall section mounted on a sill;

Figure 3: the plug of the inventive connector;

Figures 4, 5: cross-sections of the inventive connector;

Figures 6, 7: the locking action of the inventive connector;

Figures 8, 9: the key of the inventive connector;

Figures 10, 11: an application of the construction system of the invention, showing two full-height wall section mounted between a lower sill and an upper joist or beam;

Figures 12, 13: an application of the construction system of the invention, showing a full-height wall connected to a upper joist and to a lintel.

Embodiments of the invention

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the plates of the invention 5, 5' are identical and symmetrically arranged when in place. Each plate has a generally flat face and a trough open to the lower end. The trough is divided approximatively in the middle plane by a leaf 3, 3' rising orthogonal to the flat face, but slightly shifted to the side so that, when two plates are joined, the leaves do not interfere and arrange themselves side by side, in loose contact or separated by a slight space. The leaves 3, 3' have a central aperture 33 for the passage of the key 4, as shown in this drawing and in the following ones.

[0020] The shape of the plates 5, 5' is preferably such that they can be fabricated with ordinary metal-bending techniques from a flat sheet. The leaves can be advantageously manufactured as separated pieces and welded in the slots foreseen for that purpose.

[0021] The plug 2 also has side apertures 25, 25' for the passage of the key 4. The bottom of the key has a bore, as it will be disclosed more clearly in the following, for the passage of a fastener 8, in this case an anchor bolt for fastening the plug to a concrete foundation.

[0022] Figure 2 shows one plate 5 fastened to a wall section B1. The fastening is achieved by screws 51, but other fastening means may be foreseen. The wall section is a solid element and may be prefabricated as a peripheral frame closed on both sides by rigid panels, or as an open lattice including vertical studs and diagonal braces and has preferably the plate 5 permanently pre-installed at the manufacturing site. Engineered wood, for example laminated timber for the frame and oriented strand boards for the side panels, is preferred because of its dimensional stability, but other materials can be used. Figure 2 shows a slot in the construction element B1 that allows the insertion of the key 4 into the connector to lock it, as it will be explained later. Advantageously, the key 4 disappears below the surface of the wall section B1 when the connector is locked.

[0023] The plug 2 is screwed on a sill F2 by an anchor 8 that reaches the underlying concrete foundation. Other fasteners may be used in different situations, of course. The plug lies in a milled recess of the sill F2 and is preferably keyed, as it will be clearer later, to ensure the correct positioning and orientation. Advantageously, the sill F2 is prefabricated with the recesses for lodging the plugs already prepared.

[0024] The plug 2 is better visible from figure 3. In this case, the body is cylindrical and corresponds to the sections of the troughs in the plates 5. Nevertheless, this is not an essential feature of the invention and plugs and plates may have prismatic shapes as well. Cylindrical plugs can be manufactured conveniently from section of steel tube. The plug has side openings 25, 25' for the key, and slots 22, 22' leaving a free space for the leaves. The side openings 25, 25' are different to account for the wedge angle of the key and, therefore, the plug must be inserted in a determined orientation to work. This is achieved by the protrusion 27 that engages in a corresponding slot in the horizontal structural element to which the plug is connected. The bottom hole 28 allows the passage of the bolt, which may be a square-neck bolt, tightened from below, or an anchor with a nut contained in the plug, tightened from above. The drawing shows two openings 25, 25' with different dimensions, the opening from which the key is inserted being the larger to account for the increasing height of the key 4. In a non-represented variant, the openings 25, 25' may be identical and aligned to simplify the manufacturing.

[0025] Figure 4 is a cross-section of one plate 5, the plug 2 and the key 4 in position. A symmetrical plate is normally present but has not been drawn to simplify. The key 4 can be inserted by applying a force on the side 47 and extracted by pulling through the hole 43 with a suitable tool. According to the amount of force (hand pressure or tapping with a hammer) the connection may be loose or tight, temporary or permanent. The key acts on the upper edges of the side openings 25, 25' in the plug 2, and on the lower edge of the centre opening of the leaves 3. Preferably, the side opening 25, 25' have an angled upper edge matching the wedge angle between the faces 41 and 42 of the key 4. When the key is driven home it acts by pulling the plates downwards and the plug upward with an opposite force.

[0026] Figure 5 shows a cross section of the connector. The central openings 33, 33' have a curved edge that interferes with the sides of the key 4 such that the plates 5, 5' are pulled one against the other. The tip of the key 4 has preferably converging surfaces 53, 54 to ease the insertion.

[0027] Figures 6 and 7 show the action of locking the inventive connector by inserting the key 4. Without the key in place (figure 8), the wall section B1 rests on the sill F2 loosely, and the adjacent section (not drawn) can move independently. When the key 4 is inserted forcefully (figure 9), it applies a downward force to the leaves 3 which in turn push down the plates 5 and the wall section B1 against the sill F2. In this way, the wall section B1 is firmly anchored in place and cannot move.

[0028] Preferably, the key 4 has features to improve its hold in the connector. As seen in figure 8, the key 4 may have roughened or textured surfaces 49 that increase the friction against the centre openings to the point that accidental disconnection is not possible. For an even surer hold, the key may have two notches 48, 48' (visible in figure 9) that interlock with the curved sides of the centre openings in the leaves. In this variant, if the interference is tight enough, the connector is essentially non-dismountable and cannot be opened without deforming permanently the key or the plates.

[0029] Figures 10 and 11 show an example of application of the system of the invention with two wall sections that are fixed in position side by side by the connectors of the invention between two horizontal elements F2. The wall element B1 has two pair of plates according to the invention placed on opposite sides at the lower and upper end. The connector plates at the lower end can be engaged in a connector plate of an adjacent module by a slightly slanted motion, allowing to slide the leaf of one plate in the trough of the corresponding opposite plate. The mating of the connector plates at the upper end is easier because the upper plugs are not in place and can be achieved by a simple vertical sliding movement.

[0030] The wall sections are dimensioned to be portable and, therefore, a small team of workers can easily erect a whole floor of a house by aligning the required wall section side by side at the positions that are defined by the plugs already in place on the lower horizontal element F2, temporarily stabilizing the construction by inserting the keys 4 in the connector by hand, or by side bracing if necessary, capping the floor with the upper joist F1 where the plugs are already in place, and finally locking all the connectors by tapping the keys in place with a hammer.

[0031] Figures 12 and 13 show that the construction system of the invention is not limited to full-height wall sections but can accommodate also partial-height elements such as a lintel. In this case the lintel will have only a pair of plates that interact with opposed plates at the upper end of adjacent wall sections. Even if it is not represented in the drawing, the informed readers will understand readily that the construction system of the invention may include other structural elements such as corner posts, with connector plates at right angles, middle posts to start a partition wall, and many more, always using the inventive connector described herein.

Reference signs

[0032] 

2

plug

3

leaf

4

key

5

plate

8

anchor bolt

21

bottom

22

slots

25

side opening

27

keying protrusion

28

fastener hole

33

centre opening

41

wedge side

42

lower side of the key

43

hole

46

side face of the key

47

tapping end

49

textured or roughened surface

48

notch

51

screw holes

53

converging surface

54

converging surface

59

flat face of the plate

B1

wall section, lintel

F2

horizontal element, joist, beam or sill

Claims

1. A connector for a construction system including two plates (5, 5'), each plate (5, 5') having a trough open to one side and a central leaf (3, 3') running parallel to a centre axis of the trough and aside the centre axis, rising orthogonal to a general plane of the plates in such a way that the plates (5, 5') can be joined symmetrically such that the respective troughs meet and leave an accessible opening containing the central leaves (3, 3') one aside the other, the connector comprising a plug (2) insertable the opening and a flat key (4) insertable in side openings (25, 25') of the plug (2) and in centre openings (33, 33') of the leaves (3, 3') to lock plates (5, 5') and plug (2) in a rigid relationship.

2. The connector of the preceding claims, wherein the leaves (3, 3') are configured such that, when two plates are coupled, the corresponding leaves (5, 5') are adjacent.

3. The connector of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plug (2) has slots (22) configured to accept the leaves (3, 3') of the two plates (5, 5').

4. The connector of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the key (4) is configured with a wedge angle, the side openings of the plug (25, 25') and the centre openings (33, 33') in the leaves having internal surfaces disposed along the wedge angle such that the key when inserted, is held in place by friction and exercises a downward force on the plates (5, 5') and an opposite force on the plug (2).

5. The connector of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plug (2) has a bored bottom for accepting an anchor bolt or a round-head square-neck bolt.

6. The connector of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plug (2) is keyed to determine a preferred orientation.

7. The connector of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the key (4) has roughened or textured faces or notches engaging with corresponding edges in the leaves, and/or a hole engageable with a hook for removal.

8. The connector of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the centre openings (33, 33') of the leaves (3, 3') have a curved side configured to touch the key (4), when inserted.

9. A construction system comprising a plurality of identical connector, each connector having two connector plates (5, 5'), each plate (5, 5') having a trough open to one side and a central leaf (3, 3') running parallel to a centre axis of the trough and aside the centre axis, rising orthogonal to a general plane of the plates in such a way that the plates (5, 5') can be joined symmetrically such that the respective troughs meet and leave an accessible opening containing the central leaves one aside the other, the connector comprising a plug (2) insertable the opening and a flat key (4) insertable in side openings (25, 25') of the plug (2) and in centre openings (33, 33') of the leaves (3) to lock plates (5, 5') and plug (2) in a rigid relationship, wherein the plugs (2) are fastened to horizontal elements (F2), the plates (5, 5') are fastened to construction elements (B1) in such a way that when two construction elements are placed side-by side, the plates meet between the construction elements (B1), and a side opening is available to insert the key (4), thereby joining rigidly the construction elements (B1) to the horizontal elements (F2).

10. The construction system of the preceding claim, wherein the construction elements (B1) include full-height wall sections having two superposed pairs of opposed connector plates, one pair at a lower end and one pair at an upper end.

11. The construction system of one of claims 9 and 10, wherein the construction elements (B1) include reduced height wall sections or lintels having a pair of opposed connector plates at the same level.

12. The construction system of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the construction elements (B1) include corner posts having two superposed pairs of connector plates at right angle, one pair at a lower end and one pair at an upper end.

13. The construction system of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the construction elements (B1) have an isolation layer and/or channels for the passage of plumbing, wiring, ventilation, heating or air conditioning.

14. The construction system of any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the construction elements (B1) are made of lumber or engineered wood.

15. The construction system of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the key (4) is configured to disappear below a side of a construction element when the connector is locked.

Drawing