Interlocking Composite Construction Block

Abstract

Embodiments relate to an enhanced method for building walls by primarily reducing the time for assembly. The design is for a molded multi-segment plastic composite construction block that interlocks horizontally, vertically and orthogonally with a clearance-fit, does not require mortar for structural integrity and is self-aligning. The blocks are molded out of natural-fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites with thermal expansion coefficient less than 0.0002 per degree Celsius and compression strength greater than 60 MPa.

Claims

1. A segmented construction block with each segment length equal to segment width allowing for assembly of walls with blocks that can interlock horizontally, vertically and orthogonally with lips and insets that have a clearance-fit and are located around the perimeter of each segment and wherein the material used to mold the block is comprised of a thermoplastic composite with between 20 and 70% natural fiber, up to about 5% coupling agent, up to about 10% pigment, up to about 10% fire retardant, up to about 1% antioxidant, up to about 1% UV stabilizer, up to about 1% heat stabilizer, up to about 5% fungicide, and up to about 70% thermoplastic.

2. (canceled)

3. The construction block of claim 1 wherein each segment has a male lip that extends beyond the exposed face of the block and fits into the female inset on the block segment above or below it.

4. The construction block of claim 1 wherein each segment has vertically oriented channels that align with the vertical channels in the interlocking blocks above and below for inserting reinforcement such as rebar.

5. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the mating faces of the segments and end of the blocks have channels for inserting a sealing O-ring, gasket, sealant or adhesive.

6. (canceled)

7. The construction block of claim 1 wherein each segment has the inset and lip shorter than the face of the block.

8. The construction block of claim 1 wherein each segment has holes in the male and female interlocking parts that align horizontally allowing the passage of conduit, wiring, pipe, bolts, fasteners, rebar or other reinforcements.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the composite material has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion less than 0.0003/° C. and compression strength greater than 40 MPa.

12. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the composite material has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion less than 0.0002/° C. and compression strength greater than 60 MPa.

13. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic used in the composite material is contains polyethylene that is cross-linked in the molding process.

14. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the natural fiber used in the composite material is comprised of fiber derived from annual growth plants such as hemp.

15. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the natural fiber used in the composite material is comprised of wood fiber.

16. A construction block of traditional CMU design wherein the material used to mold the block is comprised of a thermoplastic composite with between 30 and 70% natural fiber or filler, up to about 5% coupling agent, up to about 10% pigment, up to about 10% fire retardant, up to about 1% antioxidant, up to about 1% UV stabilizer, up to about 1% heat stabilizer, up to about 5% fungicide, and up to about 70% thermoplastic.

17. (canceled)

18. The construction block of claim 16 wherein the composite material has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion less than 0.0002/° C. and a compression strength greater than 60 MPa.

19. The construction block of claim 16 wherein the thermoplastic used in the composite material is contains polyethylene that is cross-linked in the molding process.

20. The construction block of claim 16 wherein the filler used in the composite material is comprised of rice hulls.

21. The construction block of claim 16 wherein the natural fiber used in the composite material is comprised of fiber derived from annual growth plants such as hemp.

22. The construction block of claim 16 wherein the natural fiber used in the composite material is comprised of wood fiber.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. The construction block of claim 1 wherein the filler used in the composite material is comprised of rice hulls.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

[0020] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0021] The use of the term “horizontal” is intended to mean the direction along the length of a wall. The use of the term “vertical” is intended to mean the direction perpendicular to the base plane of the installation, typically the ground. The use of the term “orthogonal” is intended to mean the direction 90 degrees to the horizontal direction of the wall. The use of the term “segment” is intended to mean a portion of a block that is equal in dimensions and form as all other segments that are connected laterally in a block. The use of the term “shell” is intended to mean the wall thickness of an individual block. The use of the term “wall” is intended to mean a barrier or planar separation in addition to the traditional meaning of the term. The term “wall thickness” is intended to mean the thickness of an entire block segment. The use of the term “CMU” is intended to mean the concrete masonry unit used in traditional concrete wall construction. The composition percentages referenced in this patent are all weight percent (%). Wood fiber is understood to be from trees such as pine, fir, bamboo etc. and not annual growth plants. The wood fiber referenced in this patent can be that recovered from pulp mill wastewater and contain adhered contaminants such as Calcium Carbonate. An “clearance fit” is intended to mean when there is a gap between pieces or parts pace making an assembly without having to deform either part like that in an interference type of fit such as a snap or press fit.

[0022] The present invention is intended to provide a methodology for reducing the labor cost associated with building walls similar to what would be constructed using concrete masonry units (CMU's). The design is for a multi-segment construction block that interlocks horizontally, vertically, and orthogonally, does not require mortar and is self-aligning.

[0023] The dimensions of the block as per its preferred embodiments are proposed to be similar to those of commercially available CMU's (FIG. 1) which are typically used to construct walls approximately 150 mm, 200 mm or 300 mm thick. The dimensions are not restricted to those listed here and can be anything that is manufacturable. FIG. 1 shows the orientation of a typical CMU with the end of a block (101) and the exposed face (102) of a block.

[0024] The block in the present invention is segmented with the width or thickness (201) of each segment equal to the length of each block segment (202). The length of the block (203) is an even multiple of the segment length. FIG. 2 shows a block with 3 segments. The exposed height of the block and segment (204) is normally the same as the segment length and width but can be any height.

[0025] Each segment has a male lip (205), (301) and a female inset (401) that span the perimeter of each segment and interlock vertically in a clearance fit with the male lips fitting into the female insets of each block. While the lip and inset are shown in FIG. 4 to span the entire perimeter of each segment it is not necessary and depends of the structural requirements of the particular application.

[0026] Each segment can have holes oriented horizontally (206) in the lip and inset areas so that when the blocks are interlocked the holes align horizontally. The holes are intended to accommodate rebar, bolts, rivets or pins to provide additional vertical and horizontal reinforcement as necessary. Each hole adjoining two blocks can have a bolt, rivet or other fastening device to firmly join only the two adjoining blocks. The holes can also be used as passages for wire, conduit and pipe to supply utilities along a wall. Additionally the blocks can have vertical passages (207) that can be used for mechanical reinforcement as necessary or as passages for utilities. Each segment is hollow and aligns with the segment below it allowing for clear passage from the top of the wall to the bottom. This passage can be filled with concrete or rebar or other reinforcing material as needed for the structural requirements of the application or can be filled with loose insulating material such as foam, rice hulls, cellulose, soil, rocks, etc. Block shell thicknesses (301) can be varied with the mold depending upon the mechanical requirements of the application and are typically less than 25 mm.

[0027] The blocks do not require mortar or sealant or adhesive for structural integrity but they can be used between blocks during installation for additional structural reinforcement or weatherability as necessary. FIG. 3 shows the top of an individual segment with channels for (302), (303) for sealant, adhesive, an O-ring or gasket. FIG. 4 shows a corresponding female inset (401) on an individual segment.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows the interlocking detail of assembled blocks with the male lip (501) and female inset (502) as well as the location of a horizontally located hole (503) for reinforcement or for a passage.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows two interlocking blocks with offset segments. While the blocks can be installed without offsetting the segments, an offset will provide additional structural integrity (especially in shear) as well as provide automatic alignment for the wall section.

[0030] FIG. 7 shows two interlocking blocks oriented orthogonally to make a corner.

[0031] Because the blocks have multiple segments, individual segments may be necessary to complete a wall section and make the blocks line up vertically even at the end. Individual blocks may be manufactured for this purpose or multi-segment blocks can be cut between segments to make single segment blocks. FIG. 7 shows a wall section utilizing a single segment block (801)

[0032] FIG. 9 shows a version of the block with an end face that has a vertical protrusion (901) that can be used to complete walls where a window or door opening is desired. The protrusion can be used to aid in the installation of windows or doors by providing a fastening guide. Additionally, special blocks can be made that have protrusions similar to (901) but located on the exposed top or bottom of a block where a window or door will be installed. Special blocks with sealed top or bottom surfaces may also be fabricated for starting the bottom of a wall or terminating the top of a wall but with a corresponding interlocking lip or inset to allow connecting with the corresponding blocks above or below.

[0033] Blocks can also have ports for water fixtures or wiring outlets as desired which can be configured from the inside of a block due to the accessibility provided by the hollow nature of each segment.

[0034] FIG. 10 shows the exposed face of a block with optional chamfers (1001) that may be desired to aid in sealing the wall from water intrusion.

[0035] To compete with CMU's the blocks need to be made from a low-cost material with strength equal or greater than that of concrete and have a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The blocks may be made by compression molding, blow molding, roto-molding or injection molding with some post-molding operation such as hole drilling or eliminating exterior molding draft necessary.

[0036] Although any moldable material can be used for this invention, probably the best mechanical properties per unit cost would be a natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite. The ideal material would be molded from a composite of natural or synthetic fibers (jute, wood, flax, kenaf, cotton, hemp, bamboo, cellulose, ramie, banana, etc.) and thermoplastics (polyolefins, nylon, PVC, polyesters, PLA, etc.) The ideal natural fiber thermoplastic composite material would have a compression strength greater than 60 MPa and a coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) less than 0.0002/° C. With a compression strength of >4 times that of the typical concrete block material (about 14 MPa), these natural fiber thermoplastic composite materials will allow the design of a block based on compression strength with % the shell thickness of a typical concrete block if creep is not an issue.

[0037] The natural fiber composite formulation can include additives such as pigments (iron and other metal oxides, zinc ferrite, carbon black, titanium dioxide, etc.), UV light stabilizers (HALS, titanium dioxide, carbon black, nickel quenchers, benzophenones, benzotriazoles), antioxidants (hindered phenols, phosphites, thioesters, heat stabilizers; (organophosphites, hindered phenols), fungicides (zinc borate, microban.), coupling agents (maleated polyolefins, maleic acid grafted styrene-ethylene-butadiene, silanes) and fire retardants (magnesium hydroxide, alumina trihydrate, borates). If the exposed part of the board is coated or not exposed to light or fire, the UV stabilizers, pigments and fire retardants are not necessary.

[0038] Alternatively, depending upon the demands of the application, the blocks can be made from recycled plastics including polyolefins, nylon, PVC, polyesters and mixtures thereof. With mixtures of different types of plastic a suitable coupling agent or compatibilizer such as a silane or maleic acid grafted polymer or suitable block copolymers containing segments that are compatible with the different polymers in the mix. Styrene ethylene butylene styrene triblock copolymer (SEBS) is one compatabilizer that can improve properties of polymer blends. Natural, synthetic or mined particles such as talc, calcium carbonate, clay, mica, carbon and nanoparticles of these minerals, rice hulls, flax shive, wood sawdust, bagasse, core from hemp or kenaf, etc. may also be used instead of fibers. Recycled natural and synthetic fibers recovered from mattresses, furniture or carpets will also work.

[0039] A more typical natural fiber thermoplastic composite with recycled plastic and fillers rather than fibers might have coefficient of linear thermal expansion less than 0.0003/° C. and compression strength greater than 40 MPa which would be suitable for many block applications.

[0040] In some instances, synthetic fibers such as glass, Kevlar and basalt may be cost effective as well as using a thermoset resin with catalyst such as an epoxy or polyester resin.

[0041] If creep is an issue, it may be desirable to cross-link the thermoplastic to prevent movement, especially under sustained loads and high temperatures. High density polyethylene is particularly suitable for cross-linking and can be performed in the mold if the temperature of the composite in the mold is high enough for the cross-linking to initiate. There are many cross-linking agents but for high density polyethylene (HDPE), tert butyl cumyl peroxide (BCUP) is commonly used at a composition of 2% of the weight of the polyethlene. Polypropylene and other thermoplastics have their particular cross-linking agents that may also be suitable for molding thermoplastic natural fiber composite blocks.

[0042] While specific embodiments have been shown and described, many variations are possible. With time, additional features may be employed. The particular shape or configuration of the platform or the interior configuration may be changed to suit the system or equipment with which it is used.

[0043] Having described the invention in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the scope of this invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0044] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

SUMMARY

[0045] In light of the disadvantages of the prior art, the following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.

[0046] The primary desirable object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved form of construction block analogous to Concrete Masonry Units (CMU's).

[0047] The main objective of the invention is to provide a remedy which poses improvement by having an improved methodology that can be used worldwide for construction of durable and low-cost walls.

[0048] It is further the objective of the invention to provide a methodology which minimizes the labor cost associated with constructing a block wall

[0049] It is also the objective of the invention to provide a design for a multi-segment construction block that interlocks horizontally, vertically and orthogonally, and does not require mortar and is self-aligning.

[0050] It is also the primary objective of the invention to provide a solution that is ecological by using recycled plastic which has low embedded energy and locally produced natural fibers or agricultural waste.

[0051] It is further the objective of the invention to provide a solution which is easy to use and does not require specialized training.

[0052] It is moreover the objective of the invention to provide solution which is cost effective to install and has cost effective over the life of the construction.

[0053] Thus, it is the objective to provide a new and improved solution for effective building blocks in applications where Concrete Masonry Units (CMU's) are typically used. Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0054] This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0055] FIG. 1 discloses the appearance of a typical CMU as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0056] FIG. 2 discloses a single multi-segment block as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0057] FIG. 3 discloses a single block segment with interlocking male lip around the segment perimeter as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0058] FIG. 4 discloses a single block segment with interlocking female inset around the segment perimeter as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0059] FIG. 5 discloses details of an interlocking male lip and female inset in an assembled wall segment wall as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0060] FIG. 6 discloses the two offset interlocking 3-segment blocks as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0061] FIG. 7 discloses two orthogonally interlocking 3-segment blocks forming a corner as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0062] FIG. 8 discloses the two offset interlocking 3-segment blocks with single segment block to terminate a wall as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0063] FIG. 9 discloses a single segment block with a protrusion on an end face for locating windows or doors as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.

[0064] FIG. 10 discloses the chamfers on the exposed face of a block as per illustrative embodiments of the invention.