MODULAR WALLING SYSTEM, COMPONENTS AND METHODS

Abstract

This invention relates to a modular walling system. The system includes a plurality of primary structural members. Each primary structural member has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface. The system further includes a securing means which is configured to apply a securing force to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship. The securing means is configured to secure adjacent flanges of respective pairs of the primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment by the securing force. A primary corner member having a solid construction is connectable between a first primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a first direction, and a second primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a second direction.

Claims

1. A modular walling system, including: a plurality of primary structural members, each primary structural member having a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface and two flanges extending away from the outer wall defining surface; securing means configured to apply a securing force to retain pairs of primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship, the securing means being configured to secure adjacent flanges of respective pairs of the primary structural members such that the adjacent flanges are held together in secure face-to-face abutment; and a primary corner member having a solid construction, wherein the primary corner member is connectable between a first primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a first direction, and a second primary structural member with its outer wall defining surface extending in a second direction.

2. A modular walling system according to claim 1, wherein the primary corner member has a first surface against which the first primary structural member can be mounted and a second surface against which the second primary structural member can be mounted such that the first primary structural member extends at a predetermined angle relative to the second primary structural member.

3. A modular walling system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second surfaces of the primary corner module are arranged to extend at 90 degrees to each other.

4. A modular walling system according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first surface of the primary corner member has substantially the same width as the length of the flanges of the primary structural members.

5. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second surface of the primary corner member has substantially the same width as the length of the flanges of the primary structural members.

6. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first surface of the primary corner member has one or more holes arranged to align with the holes in the flange of the respective primary structural member, wherein a threaded fastener can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the first surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto.

7. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the second surface of the primary corner member has one or more holes arranged to align with the holes in the flange of the respective primary structural member, wherein a threaded fastener can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the second surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto.

8. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means includes at least one force distributing element which distributes the securing force of the securing means and wherein the force distributing element has a mounting formation configured for mounting a secondary structural member to a secured pair of primary structural members.

9. A modular walling system according to claim 8, wherein the securing means includes a locking member, a pair of force distributing elements and a locking element securable to a securing formation at the distal end of the locking member, wherein the adjacent flanges are held between the pair of force distributing elements.

10. A modular walling system according to claim 9, wherein the locking member has a shaft or pin, the shaft or pin being square or rectangular in cross-section and having a constant thickness along its length.

11. A modular walling system according to claim 10, wherein the locking member includes a head having the same thickness as the shaft or pin.

12. A modular walling system according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein each force distributing element is in the form of a spacer having a cylindrical sleeve with a through bore through which the shaft can pass for mounting the spacer onto the locking member.

13. A modular walling system according to claim 12, wherein each spacer includes a first plate defining a first bearing surface at one end of the cylindrical sleeve and a second plate defining a second bearing surface at the other end.

14. A modular walling system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first plate and second plate has a receiving formation for receiving at least a portion of the head of the locking pin or the locking element when aligned therewith.

15. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flanges of each primary structural member include a linear array of apertures, each aperture being configured for accommodating an associated securing means.

16. A modular walling system according to claim 12, wherein the shape of each aperture is configured to correspond to the shape of the securing means.

17. A modular walling system according to claim 13, wherein the shape of each aperture is square or rectangular.

18. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein the pair of force distributing elements defines a mounting formation for mounting secondary structural members to the structural wall section, thereby to form a secondary wall surface of the modular walling system.

19. A modular walling system according to claim 18, wherein a mounting means is provided for interconnecting the associated primary structural members with the secondary structural members such that the secondary structural members are held in fixed spaced-apart relation relative to the primary structural members.

20. A modular walling system according to claim 19, wherein the mounting means includes a plurality of support brackets, each support bracket being releasably mountable to a respective secondary structural member, and wherein each support bracket has a main plate with two outer arms and two inner arms extending outwardly from the main plate, the two outer arms being adapted for connecting the support bracket to respective flanges of a secondary structural member and the two inner arms defining engaging means for engaging the securing means to interconnect the secondary structural member with the primary structural members.

21. A modular walling system according to claim 20, wherein one or more of the plurality of support brackets includes an accessory mount connected thereto, thereby to facilitate mounting of building service equipment.

22. A modular walling system according to claim 21, wherein the accessory mount is arranged between an outer arm and an inner arm of the support bracket.

23. A modular walling system according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein each secondary structural member is configured to be arranged in use such that the associated flanges sit at approximately the midpoint of the respective primary structural members of the pair of primary structural members to which the cladding member is mounted.

24. A modular walling system according to claim 23, wherein the secondary structural members include end modules for forming an end wall surface for the secondary wall surface.

25. A modular walling system according to claim 24, wherein each end module has a generally L-shaped profile with a flange for abutting against the flange of the next adjacent cladding member, and an end wall surface defining panel extending from the flange to provide a square end to the secondary wall.

26. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, including a floor channel adapted to be positioned on the floor or foundation, wherein an operatively lower end of the primary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received therein.

27. A modular walling system according to claim 26, wherein the floor channel is generally C-shaped.

28. A modular walling system according to any one of the preceding claims, including a top channel adapted to be secured to a roof or ceiling of the level or storey of the building above the floor, wherein an operatively upper end of the primary structural panels of the respective structural wall section is received therein.

29. A modular walling system according to claim 28, wherein the top channel is generally C-shaped.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0130] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—

[0131] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a modular walling system according to the invention, wherein the primary structural members forming a structural wall section have a secondary structural member and secondary end module mounted thereto via the support bracket.

[0132] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a primary structural member for a modular walling system according to the invention;

[0133] FIG. 3 shows a pair of primary structural members secured together with a securing means;

[0134] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a planar structural primary wall section of the modular walling system with a primary corner element;

[0135] FIG. 5 shows a secondary structural member of the modular walling system with two support brackets fitted thereto;

[0136] FIG. 6 shows a primary structural wall section and a secondary structural member ready to be mounted thereto;

[0137] FIG. 7 shows the primary structural wall section of FIG. 6 with the secondary structural member mounted thereto;

[0138] FIG. 8 shows a primary corner element attached to two orthogonal structural wall sections with threaded fasteners;

[0139] FIG. 9 shows the corner arrangement of FIG. 8 with secondary structural panels mounted thereto, and a secondary structural member with an end panel attached thereto for forming the internal corner;

[0140] FIG. 10 shows a complete wall section with primary and second structural panels, together with a corner module;

[0141] FIG. 11 shows an enlarged perspective view of a secondary structural member with mounting brackets mounted thereto and a secondary end module connected via the securing means;

[0142] FIG. 12A shows a schematic representation of a wall section with a window and door opening, incorporating secondary half end panels to complete the openings;

[0143] FIG. 12 shows a completed modular wall with a window opening;

[0144] FIG. 13 shows a planar locking pin of the securing means;

[0145] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a spacer of the securing means with a receiving channel on one side;

[0146] FIG. 15 shows a locking wedge of the securing means;

[0147] FIG. 16 shows the securing means of the modular walling system, including a planar locking pin, pair of spacers with receiving channels, and locking wedge;

[0148] FIG. 17 shows an inverted perspective view of a support bracket for interconnecting the primary and secondary structural members;

[0149] FIG. 18 shows a floor bracket for connecting the primary structural members to the ground or foundation on which the wall is erected;

[0150] FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of the floor bracket of FIG. 18 connected to the foundation with an anchor bolt and to adjacent flanges of a pair of primary structural members via the securing means;

[0151] FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of a planar roof bracket of the modular walling system;

[0152] FIG. 21 shows a schematic view of the roof bracket of FIG. 20 secured in place over flanges of adjacent primary structural members and secured in place via the securing means;

[0153] FIG. 22 shows a plan view of an end of a wall section including a secondary end module attached to an adjacent secondary structural member;

[0154] FIG. 23 shows a corner system for interconnecting two primary structural wall sections to form a corner of a building;

[0155] FIG. 24 shows a perspective view of the planar locking pin of the securing means;

[0156] FIG. 25 shows adjacent flanges of primary structural members secured together with the securing means;

[0157] FIGS. 26A-B show perspective views of a top plate cyclone strap and truss cyclone strap, respectively;

[0158] FIGS. 27A-B show exemplary embodiments of a top plate roof bracket and a truss roof bracket respectively;

[0159] FIG. 28 shows exemplary embodiments of a top channel and floor channel for receiving upper and lower ends of the primary and secondary structural panels, respectively;

[0160] FIG. 29 shows various views with respective ends of the primary structural panels received in the top channel and floor channel of FIG. 28;

[0161] FIG. 29 shows various views with respective ends of the primary structural panels received in the top channel and floor channel of FIG. 28;

[0162] FIG. 30 shows various views with secondary structural panels being installed and then installed in the top channel;

[0163] FIG. 31 shows a front view and top perspective view of an embodiment of a support bracket with accessory mounts to facilitate installation of building services equipment;

[0164] FIG. 32 a secondary structural panel with another embodiment of a support bracket with accessory mounts having plumbing lines mounted thereto;

[0165] FIG. 33 shows an embodiment of a cyclone bracing floor bracket having substantially the same length as that of the structural panels, with pairs of mounting holes to facilitate lateral adjustment of the mounting position relative to the panel;

[0166] FIG. 34 shows an embodiment of a floor bracket having a length which is length that that of the structural panels, with a pair of mounting holes to facilitate lateral adjustment of the mounting position relative to the panel; and

[0167] FIG. 35 shows an embodiment of a roof bracket with a pair of mounting holes to facilitate lateral adjustment of the mounting position relative to the panel.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0168] Referring to the drawings, the invention provides a modular walling system 1 having a plurality of longitudinal primary structural members 2. The modular walling system 1 is preferably assembled and arranged such that the primary structural members 2 form the outer or external load bearing members of the walling system.

[0169] As seen in FIG. 2, each primary structural member 2 has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile with an outer wall defining surface 3 and two flanges 4 extending away from the outer wall defining surface 3. The flanges 4 preferably extend along the entire length of each primary structural member 2.

[0170] Each flange 4 of the primary structural members 2 includes a linear array of apertures in the form of cylindrical through-bores 5 for cooperating with a securing means 6 for securing together pairs of primary structural members. The apertures 5 are equally spaced apart along the length of the respective flange 4. The apertures 5 are arranged such that when pairs of primary structural members 2 are in face-to-face abutment, the apertures 5 of adjacent flanges 4 are coaxially aligned to define a passage for receiving a portion of the securing means 6.

[0171] The securing means 6 includes a locking member in the form of a planar locking pin 7 formed of a flat plate material, a pair of spacers 8 and a locking element in the form of a wedge 9. As most clearly shown in FIG. 3, the securing means 6 is secured to adjacent flanges 4 of a pair of primary structural members 2 to retain the primary structural members in a side-by-side relationship such that the respective outer wall defining surfaces 3 are generally contiguous, thereby defining a generally planar structural wall section.

[0172] In the illustrated embodiment, one securing means is securely located towards the top of the abutting flanges 4 and a second securing means is securely located towards the bottom of the flanges 4 to form a structural wall section.

[0173] Referring to FIGS. 13 to 16, the locking pin 7 has a flat or planar shaft body 12 and head 10 at one end and a securing formation in the form of a slot 11 at the other end for receiving the wedge 9. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the wedge 9 of the securing means has a tapered profile such that one end is wider than the other. It will be appreciated that the tapered profile facilitates driving the wedge 9 into the slot 11 of the locking pin 7 and provides a self-fitting type characteristic to match the size of the slot 11 for secure locking engagement.

[0174] In addition, the length of the slot 11 is such that, in combination with the self-fitting characteristic of the wedge 9, additional brackets (e.g. floor or corner brackets) can be secured onto the locking pin 7 without requiring a selection of pins of different lengths to accommodate the thickness of the additional brackets. The wedge 9 simply fits into the available length slot to securely engage the various components and retain these in place.

[0175] It can also be seen in FIGS. 13 and 24 that the distal end of the locking pin shaft body 12 is tapered to form a guide 13 for the locking pin 7 to facilitate inserting the pin into the apertures 5 of the flanges 4.

[0176] Referring to FIG. 16, the pair of spacers 8 of the securing means 6 is shown. Each spacer 8 is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve 14 having a through bore 15 for mounting the spacer 8 onto the shaft 12 of the locking pin 7. The cylindrical sleeve 14 has a first plate 16 for distributing the securing force of the securing means 6 applied to the respective flange 4 to which it is secured. The spacer 8 also includes a second stop plate 16′ at the opposite end of the sleeve 14.

[0177] As best seen in FIG. 14, each stop plate 16′ has a central groove or channel formed with a predetermined depth. Each groove or channel 17 has a width sufficient to enable the head 10 of the locking pin 7 to be at least partially received therein, when the second plate or disc 16 is arranged to face towards and be aligned with the head 10 of the locking pin 7. Similarly, each groove or channel 17 has a width sufficient to enable the locking wedge 9 to be at least partially received therein, when the second plate or disc 16 is arranged to face towards and be aligned with the locking wedge. It will be appreciated that the provision of the central groove or channel 17 in the second plate or disc 16 advantageously enables the distance between the pair of spaces to be increased, thereby to facilitate the connection or installation of additional elements thereto (e.g. floor brackets, roof brackets and the like). Preferably, the thickness of the roof and floor brackets corresponds with the depth of the central groove or channel in the side of the washer such that only one washer (i.e. the one closest to the head of the locking pin) needs to be rotated and positioned with the head received therein, thereby to ensure the shaft of the pin can extend through the pair of adjacent flanges to a sufficient extent that the wedge can be received within the slot. In this way it is possible to use a locking pin of a single size for each location at which a securing means is required, as opposed to requiring different sized pins. This provides advantages both in terms of reducing the number of component parts required to provide a complete system and during installation as workers are not required to waste time trying to identify which size locking pin is required for a particular purpose.

[0178] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the pair of spacers 8 together define a mounting means for mounting a secondary structural member 20. The portion of the cylindrical bodies (14) between the respective first and second plates defines a mounting surface 21 on which the secondary structural members 20 can be connected. FIG. 16 shows a complete securing means 6.

[0179] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3 the securing means 6 secures a pair of primary structural members 2 together in a side-by-side relationship such that the adjacent flanges 4 are abutting each other and the outer wall defining surfaces 3 form a generally planar outer wall surface. It can be seen that force distributing plates (16) abut against the respective flanges. One securing means 6 is preferably secured to the top or second most upper set of apertures 5 and a second securing means 6 is secured to the bottom second most lower set of apertures 5.

[0180] As shown in FIGS. 12-12A, a structural wall section of a desired length can be constructed by securing a number of primary structural members 2 together to form the wall section. The wall section of FIGS. 12-12A includes primary structural members with cut-outs 22 for forming a window opening 23. Additional securing means are preferably fitted to the flanges about the opening for increased structural integrity around the window opening 23. As best shown in FIG. 11, secondary end panels are used to form internal corners and about a door or window opening (FIG. 12A).

[0181] Referring now to FIGS. 8, 9 and 23, a corner system for adjoining two primary structural wall sections to form a corner of a building is shown. The primary corner member 24 is connectable between the primary structural member at the end of a first structural wall section and the primary structural member at the end of a second structural wall section. The primary corner member 24 has a first surface 25 against which the first structural wall section can be mounted and a second surface 26 against which the second structural wall section can be mounted, wherein the first structural wall section extends at a predetermined angle relative to the second structural wall section. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second surfaces of the primary corner module 24 are arranged at 90 degrees to each other. As seen in FIGS. 8 and 23, the first surface 25 of the primary corner member 24 has substantially the same width as the length of the side flanges 4 of the primary structural members 2. Similarly, the second surface 26 of the primary corner member 24 has substantially the same width as the length of the side flanges 4 of the primary structural members 2.

[0182] The first surface 25 of the primary corner member 24 has one or more holes (not shown) arranged to align with the holes 5 in the flange 4 of the respective primary structural member 2, wherein a threaded fastener 27 can pass through the holes 5 in the flange 4 of the primary structural member 2 and threadedly engage the holes in the first surface 25 of the primary corner member 24, thereby to secure the primary corner member 24 thereto. Preferably, at least two threaded fasteners 27 are used to secure the primary corner member 24 to the first structural wall section.

[0183] Similarly, the second surface 26 of the primary corner member 24 has one or more holes (not shown) arranged to align with the holes 5 in the flange 4 of the respective primary structural member 2, wherein a threaded fastener 27 can pass through the holes in the flange of the primary structural member and threadedly engage the holes in the second surface of the primary corner member, thereby to secure the primary corner member thereto. Preferably, at least two threaded fasteners 27 are used to secure the primary corner member 24 to the second structural wall section.

[0184] The primary corner member 24 has a first outer surface 28 which is adapted to be substantially flush with the outer surface 3 of the first structural wall section when the primary corner member 24 is fastened thereto, and a second outer surface 29 which is adapted to be substantially flush with the outer surface 3 of the second structural wall section when the primary corner member 24 is fastened thereto.

[0185] FIG. 18 shows a floor bracket 33 for connecting primary structural members 2 to the foundation on which the building is constructed. The floor bracket 33 is an L-shaped bracket having a first flange 34 for sitting against the flange 4 of the associated primary structural member 2 and a second flange 35 extending perpendicular to the first flange to rest substantially flush with the foundation. The first flange 34 of the floor bracket 33 has a hole 36 positioned and sized to align with the lower most aperture in the flange 4 and allow passage of a locking pin shaft 12 such that the floor bracket 33 can be secured to the flange 4 via a securing means 6, as shown in FIG. 19. The second flange 35 has a hole 37 through which an anchor bolt (not shown) can pass for securing the floor bracket 33 to the foundation. A floor bracket 33 is preferably secured to every fourth primary structural member 2. A floor bracket 33 should be secured to each primary structural member 2 connected to a primary corner member 24.

[0186] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be seen that each secondary structural member 20 has a generally channel-shaped cross-sectional profile.

[0187] In the illustrated embodiment, the primary structural members 2 and the secondary structural members advantageously have the same cross-sectional profile and, preferably, are formed of the same material. The primary structural members 2 and the secondary structural members 20 are arranged with the inner profiles facing each other. The primary and secondary structural sections are offset from each other such that the abutting flanges of adjacent secondary structural members are positioned at approximately the midpoint of the corresponding primary structural member.

[0188] It will be appreciated that the use of primary and secondary structural members of the same form reduces manufacturing costs and increases the efficiency of construction of a wall using the modular walling system. The secondary structural members 20 are preferably used to form the inner loading bearing members of the structural wall.

[0189] Each secondary structural member 20 has an inner wall defining surface 38 and a pair of flanges 39 extending away from the inner wall defining surface 38.

[0190] Referring to FIG. 17, a support bracket 44 for interconnecting the primary and secondary structural members is shown. As shown in FIG. 5, a support bracket 44 is mountable to apertures in the flanges of each secondary structural member 20 so as to correspond with the mounting position of the securing means 6 joining the primary structural members 2 together.

[0191] The support bracket 44 has a main plate 45 with two outer arms 46 and two inner arms 47. Each outer arm 46 has a protruding lug 48 extending outwardly therefrom and dimensioned to fit into the apertures in the flanges of the secondary structural members. To install the support brackets 44, the outer arms 46 are flexed inwardly to allow the bracket to be pushed in and towards the back of the secondary structural member. When the protruding lugs 48 come into line with the apertures, the outer arms 46 spring outwardly to bear against the respective flange such that lugs enter the aperture to retain the support bracket 44 in position.

[0192] The two inner arms 47 are longer than the two outer arms 46 and are configured to have a hook-type formation 53 for hanging the secondary structural member 20 on the mounting surface 21 of the securing means 6. The hook formation 53 faces downwardly so that the inner arms 47 sit on top of the securing means. As most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the support bracket 44 interconnects and retains the primary and secondary structural members in a fixed spaced apart relationship such that the outer planar wall surface defined by the primary structural members and the inner planar wall surface defined by the secondary structural members are substantially parallel to each other.

[0193] Referring now to FIGS. 20 and 21, a roof bracket 49 securable via a securing means 6 to the upper end of adjacent flanges 4 of the primary structural members 2 is shown. The roof bracket 49 has a body formed of a flat plate material 50 with a threaded bar 52 fixed thereto so as to extend upwardly and thus enable a roof or top plate to be fixed thereto. The flat plate 50 has a hole 51 positioned and sized to be aligned with the apertures in the flanges so as to allow passage of the locking pin shaft 12 therethrough.

[0194] As described above, the flat plate 50 of the roof bracket 49 advantageously has the same thickness as the depth of the channel in the side plate of the washer such that the washer can be mounted with the channel facing towards the head of the locking pin so that a portion of the head is received therein, thereby ensuring that a sufficient portion of the locking pin 7 projects through a pair of flanges that the wedge 9 can still be received in the slot despite the extra material thickness of the roof bracket.

[0195] Accordingly, the present invention, at least in its preferred embodiments, provides a robust and versatile modular walling system which can be readily assembled with relatively unskilled labour. The elements of preferred embodiments of the modular walling system can be easily interconnected in a secure fashion to ensure the structural integrity of the assembled building without the need for heavy equipment or tools. Preferred embodiments of the modular walling system reduce the need for wet construction processes thus enabling an assembled wall to be easily dismantled for access to the wall cavity for maintenance and repair of internal building services, or to readily modify the design of the building. The dismantled elements of the system can be re-used due to the use of dry mechanical connections, with no glue or mortar being used. In addition, preferred embodiments of the modular walling system can be advantageously used to construct walls and buildings which have high thermal efficiency ratings. It should also be appreciated that the modular walling system is not limited to producing only the external walls of a building, but could be readily used to construct internal walls throughout a building to, for example, divide a space into one or more areas or rooms as desired. In these and other respects, the invention in its preferred embodiments, represents a practical and commercially significant improvement over the prior art.

[0196] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.