Load Bearing Device

Abstract

The present relates to a device being used in modular building construction comprising at least one flat load support comprising a first main face and a second main face, at least one elongated load support designed for being coupled with said flat load support. The device is characterized in that said flat load support comprises an array of transverse openings extending through the thickness of the flat load support. The flat load support is arranged for fastening said flat load support with said elongated load support at any position corresponding to one of said opening in a reversible manner and to any position between said openings in a reversible manner. Each flat load support comprises reversible lateral connection means and/or reversible transversal connection means for coupling flat load supports in a reversible manner. The flat load support and the elongated load support are arranged for being detachably assembled to provide the modular, reversible, and/or versatile building construction. The invention further relates to a modular construction building based on said device and to a method using said device.

Claims

1. A load bearing device for use in at least one of modular, reversible, and/or versatile building construction, the device comprising: at least one flat load support comprising a first main face and a second main face opposed to the first main face, the first main face and the second main face connected by lateral faces, and a distance between the first main face and the second main face defining a thickness of the flat load support; at least one elongated load support configured to couple with said flat load support, wherein said flat load support comprises an array of transverse openings, and each opening extends through the thickness of the flat load support; and at least one reversible fastener arranged for fastening said flat load support with said elongated load support at any position corresponding to one of said openings in a reversible manner and to any position between said openings in a reversible manner, wherein each flat load support comprises a reversible lateral connector on the lateral face to couple at least two flat load supports side by side in a reversible manner, and/or each flat load support comprises a reversible transversal connector for coupling two superimposed flat load supports in a reversible manner, and wherein said flat load support and said elongated load support are arranged for detachable assembly to provide the modular, reversible, and/or versatile building construction.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of a stiffness and strength of the at least one flat load support, a number of elongated load supports fastened to the at least one flat load support, and a number of superimposed flat load supports, are tuned with one another.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein each flat load support is configured to be superimposed on top of one another.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said lateral faces are arranged to fasten with said elongated load support in a reversible manner.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated load support is a column comprising at least one distal end configured to fasten with said at least one elongated load support at any position corresponding to one of said openings and/or to any position between said openings in a reversible manner.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the further comprising at least one connector for connecting the at least one elongated load support with the at least one flat load support at any position corresponding to one of said openings and/or to any position between said openings.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flat load support comprises at least two substantially parallel flat load supports connected to the at least one elongated load support.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the openings are distributed evenly on the network.

9. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one tile configured to cover at least one of the openings.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein each opening is arranged for receiving one of the at least one elongated load support(s) or a service shaft.

11. A construction building comprising at least one device according to claim 1.

12. A method for constructing modular, reversible, and/or versatile buildings comprising a load bearing device, the method comprising: providing the load bearing device according to claim 1; assembling the least one flat load support and the least one elongated load support according to a first construction plan to provide a first building; disassembling the first building by unfastening at least one fastener that fastens said at least one flat load support and said elongated load support; and re-assembling at least some of said at least one flat load support(s) and at least some of said elongated load support(s) according to a second construction plan different from said first construction plan to provide a second building.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: repeating the assembling, disassembling and reassembling n times to build a «n» building according to a «n» construction plan.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: installing at least one tile on one of said openings; removing or replacing or placing said tile to fit new layouts of the at least one elongated load support fastened to the at least one flat load support and/or to fit to a new service shaft; or removing said tile(s) during the disassembly of said first building, and re-installing said tile(s) during the re-assembly of the first building or the second building.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: installing at least one tile on one of said openings during the assembly of the first building; removing said tile(s) without disassembling said first building; re-installing said tiles in the first building to adapt to new layouts of the at least one elongated load support fastened to the at least one flat load support and/or to fit to a new service shaft.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: assembling at least two flat load supports on top of each other,

17. The device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one flat load support comprises at least two superimposed flat load supports.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein assembling the least one flat load support and the least one elongated load support includes assembling at least two elongated load supports.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein assembling the at least one flat load support and the at least one elongated load support includes assembling at least three elongated load supports.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0103] Further particular advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following non-limitative description of at least one embodiment of the invention which will refer to the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0104] FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of device according to the invention;

[0105] FIGS. 2a-c illustrate three general schemes representing a flat load support with three slab elements and three elongated load supports where the position of the elongated load supports relative to the flat load supports varies;

[0106] FIG. 3 illustrates a zoomed view of the flat load support represented in FIG. 1 with example of lateral and transversal connection means;

[0107] FIG. 4 illustrates the elongated load support of the device of FIG. 1 with an example of connector between flat load support and elongated load support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0108] The present detailed description is intended to illustrate the invention in a non-limitative manner since any feature of an embodiment may be combined with any other feature of a different embodiment in an advantageous manner.

[0109] FIGS. 1 to 4 represent various embodiments of the present invention, but the invention is not limited to the represented embodiment.

[0110] FIG. 1 represents a device 1 comprising two flat load supports 2 and two elongated load supports 3. In the present embodiment, the flat load support 2 is an assembly of slab elements 4. In the present case, the slab elements 4 are assembled to constitute a floor 5 and a ceiling 6.

[0111] The elongated load supports 3 are constituted by columns 7. The device 1 further comprises two service shafts 8 namely a water tube 9 and a technical shaft 10.

[0112] A portion of the slab element 4 of the floor 5 are covered by tiles 11.

[0113] In the present embodiment, a first portion 12 of the ceiling 6 is constituted by three slab elements superimposed, a second portion 13 is constituted by two slab elements 4 superimposed, while the remaining third portion 14 comprises only one slab element 4. Thus, the ceiling 6 presents a variable stiffness depending on the number of superimposed slab element 4.

[0114] In the embodiment represented in FIGS. 1 to 4, each slab element 4 has a square shape with an array of square openings 15 distributed evenly.

[0115] Each slab element 4 comprises a first main face 16 and a second main face 17 opposite the first main face 16. The first main face 16 and the second main face 17 are connected by a lateral face 18 defining the thickness of the slab element 4. In the present embodiment, the lateral face 18 is cut through the openings 15.

[0116] The slab element 4 is square “a*a” (length*width) with “a” chosen as 2.40 m for this embodiment.

[0117] The slab element 4 comprises reversible connection means for connecting slab elements laterally and transversally. To that end, the slab element 4 comprises reversible lateral connection means 19 and reversible transversal connection means 20.

[0118] FIG. 2a is a general scheme representing a flat load support 2 with three slab elements 4 and three column 7 (i.e. elongated load support 3). Two slab elements 4 are side by side and connected by reversible lateral connection means 19. One slab element 4 is superimposed to the other two slab elements 4 and connected with said slab element 4 by reversible transversal connection means 20. In this embodiment, the columns 7 (i.e. elongated load supports 3) are fastened with the slab 4 (i.e. flat load supports 2) at positions 31 corresponding to the openings 15 of said slab 4 (i.e. flat load supports 2).

[0119] FIG. 2b represents an alternative to the embodiment represented on FIG. 2a. In this embodiment, the columns 7 (i.e. elongated load supports 3) are fastened with the slab 4 (i.e. flat load supports 2) at positions 32 between the openings 15 of said slab 4 (i.e. flat load supports 2).

[0120] FIG. 2c represents an alternative to the embodiments represented on FIGS. 2a and b. In this embodiment, the columns 7 (i.e. elongated load supports 3) are fastened with the slab (i.e. flat load supports 2) at positions 31 corresponding to the openings 15 and at positions 32 between the openings 15 of said slab 4 (i.e. flat load supports 2).

[0121] Therefore, as illustrated on FIGS. 2a-c, in the present invention it is possible to fastened the elongated load support 3 with the flat load support 2 at any position 32 between the opening and at a position 31 corresponding to the opening 15.

[0122] FIG. 3 represents the lateral connection means 19 and transversal connection means of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, each lateral connection means 19 comprises a plate 21 with two apertures 22 of a diameter that corresponds to that of bolts 23.

[0123] The device 1 further comprises fastening means 24 for fastening each column 7 with their respective openings 15 in a reversible manner.

[0124] FIG. 4 represents a general view of fastening means 24 for fastening an elongated load support 3 with an opening 15 of the flat load support 2.

[0125] For instance in the embodiment represented in FIG. 4 the fastening means 24 comprise a connector 25 made of two superimposed elements 26,27 fixed on the distal end 28 of the column 7, all assembled by a tenon mortise joints. [0126] the first element 26 is coupled with the distal end 28 of the column 7 via tenon mortise joint; [0127] the second element 27 is coupled to the first element 26 via tenon mortise joint.

[0128] The second element 27 is shaped to fit within the opening 15, i.e. the second element 27 is less large than the opening 15. In particular the height of the second element 27 corresponds to the thickness of the slab element 4, i.e. the height of the opening 15.

[0129] When the first element 26 is coupled with the second element 27, the portion of the surface out of the contacting surface between the first and second element defines a shoulder 29. The shoulder 29 is designed for contacting an edge 30 of the slab element when the first element is contacting the slab element 4 in order to fasten the column 7 with the slab. The edge 30 corresponds to a peripheral area surrounding the opening 15 on the second main face 17.

[0130] While the embodiments have been described in conjunction with a number of embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations would be or are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. Accordingly, this disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, equivalents and variations that are within the scope of this disclosure. This is for example particularly the case regarding the different apparatuses which can be used.

TABLE-US-00001 Reference numbers 1 Device 2 Flat load support 3 Elongated load support 4 Slab element 5 floor 6 ceiling 7 column 8 Service shaft 9 Water tube 10 Technical shaft 11 tile 12 First portion of the ceiling 13 Second portion of the ceiling 14 Third portion of the ceiling 15 opening 16 First main face 17 Second main face 18 Lateral face 19 Lateral connection means 20 Transversal connection means 21 plates 22 aperture 23 bolt 24 Fastening means 25 connector 26 First element 27 Second element 28 Distal end 29 shoulder 30 edge 31 position corresponding to an opening 32 position between the openings