ADJUSTABLE STEP FOUNDATION

A foundation with a variable load capacity includes a drive mechanism, an external load mechanism and an internal loading mechanism. The main body of the driving mechanism includes a support frame, a telescopic rod and a motor for driving the internal loading mechanism. The external loading mechanism includes a barrel-shaped body and an auxiliary spiral pattern, which can directly contact the soil and play the role of bearing the foundation. The internal loading mechanism is used to load the load-bearing plates and push the plates into the soil, in turn, to connect with the external load-bearing mechanism to enhance the bearing capacity of the foundation. The foundation can be factory prefabricated, motor-driven, auger soil penetrating, user adjustable via the number of load-bearing plates deployed, and requires no need for traditional building materials such as concrete.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to foundation structures. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to an adjustable foundation having a variable load capacity.

2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information

As the population grows, the demand for housing is increasing. To adapt to this change, solutions are sought out as to how to improve traditional construction methods by making the way houses are built modular and simple, thus increasing the speed of construction. In the traditional construction method, the foundation is time-consuming and laborious, but important, as it ensures the stability of the house.

Conventional foundation construction is mostly reinforced concrete structure. An independent foundation, as an example, has several main disadvantages as follows: (1) there is no uniform type of independent foundation, which means that each independent foundation needs to be specially made; (2) the land needs to be pre-treated, such as by digging pits, leveling, filling gravel, and the like, which often requires large tools such as excavators and height requirements for such equipment; (3) it takes a long time to lay reinforcement, where such tasks require on-site processing, which has a long processing cycle; (4) the concrete material has a big impact on the sanitary environment of the construction site, and it takes a long time to wait for the concrete to set after pouring; (5) the load-bearing structure cannot be changed again after the foundation is formed, and the bearing capacity is difficult to change.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved foundation system that addresses several of the foregoing issues with conventional foundations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a new type of adjustable foundation, which includes the following exemplary features: (1) factory prefabricated with no need to manufacture on site; (2) motor-driven, saving a lot of manual work; (3) auger instead of digging, saving time; (4) can be manufactured uniformly, where the end user can adjust the number of load-bearing plates according to the actual situation of different buildings, providing simple load-bearing adjustment; (5) no need for traditional building materials such as concrete, which is beneficial to improving the sanitary conditions of construction sites.

Embodiments of the present invention provides a foundation with a variable load capacity. As described in greater detail below, the foundation structure includes a drive mechanism, an external load mechanism and an internal loading mechanism. The main body of the driving mechanism includes a support frame, a telescopic rod and a motor for driving the internal loading mechanism. The external loading mechanism includes a barrel-shaped body and an auxiliary spiral pattern, which can directly contact the soil and play the role of bearing the foundation. The internal loading mechanism is used to load the load-bearing plates and push the plates into the soil, in turn, to connect with the external load-bearing mechanism to enhance the bearing capacity of the foundation.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a foundation comprising an external load mechanism having an open top end providing access to an at least partially hollow interior; one or more spiral blades on an exterior of the external load mechanism; a plurality of openings providing access between the at least partially hollow interior and an exterior of the external load mechanism; an internal loading mechanism fitting into the at least partially interior; and one or more load bearing plates disposed in the internal loading mechanism, where the internal loading mechanism is operable to push the one or more load bearing plates out respective ones of the plurality of openings to cause the one or more load bearing plates to extend outward from the external load mechanism.

Embodiments of the present invention further provide a foundation comprising an external load mechanism having an open top end providing access to an at least partially hollow interior; one or more spiral blades on an exterior of the external load mechanism; a plurality of openings providing access between the at least partially hollow interior and an exterior of the external load mechanism; an internal loading mechanism fitting into the at least partially interior; one or more load bearing plates disposed in an internal load bearing plate storage compartment of the internal loading mechanism; a load bearing plate loader operable to release one of the one or more load bearing plates from the internal load bearing plate into a loaded position; a push plate of the internal loading mechanism operable to contact the one of the one or more load bearing plates in the loaded position; and a push plate motor operable to move the push plate to push the one of the one or more load bearing plates in the loaded position out of one of the plurality of openings to cause the one of the one or more load bearing plates to extend outward from the external load mechanism.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a foundation comprising an external load mechanism having an open top end providing access to an at least partially hollow interior; internal threads disposed on an interior surface of the at least partially hollow interior of the external load mechanism; a plurality of openings providing access between the at least partially hollow interior and an exterior of the external load mechanism; an internal loading mechanism fitting into the at least partially interior; an internal loading mechanism motor operable to move the internal loading mechanism within the at least partially hollow interior of the external load mechanism; external threads disposed on an exterior of the internal loading mechanism, the external threads mating with the internal threads, wherein as the vertical position of the internal loading mechanism changes within the at least hollow interior, the internal loading mechanism also rotates; and one or more load bearing plates disposed in the internal loading mechanism, where the internal loading mechanism is operable to push the one or more load bearing plates out respective ones of the plurality of openings to cause the one or more load bearing plates to extend outward from the external load mechanism.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a foundation with a variable load capacity. The foundation structure includes a drive mechanism, an external load mechanism and an internal loading mechanism. The main body of the driving mechanism includes a support frame, a telescopic rod and a motor for driving the internal loading mechanism. The external loading mechanism includes a barrel-shaped body and an auxiliary spiral pattern, which can directly contact the soil and play the role of bearing the foundation. The internal loading mechanism is used to load the load-bearing plates and push the plates into the soil, in turn, to connect with the external load-bearing mechanism to enhance the bearing capacity of the foundation.

Referring now toFIG.1, a perspective view of a foundation100is shown in the fully expanded state. As discussed in greater detail below, the foundation100includes a plurality of load-bearing plates503that can be selectively extended outward therefrom.

FIG.2Aillustrates the three main part of the foundation100. The external load mechanism202ais the main load-bearing structure of the foundation100, the mechanism202acan be at least partially in direct contact with the soil, when the foundation100is installed for use, and can protect the internal structures. The internal loading mechanism201ais the regulating mechanism of the foundation100, which can load the load-bearing plate503, as described below, and increase the load-bearing capacity by transferring the load-bearing plate503to the outside of the external load mechanism202a.FIG.2Bshows the driving mechanism of the foundation100, which can mainly be used to drive the internal loading mechanism201ato move relative to the external load-bearing mechanism202a, thus transferring the load-bearing plate503into the soil from different outlets403(seeFIG.4). The driving mechanism includes a motor201band a rotating telescopic mechanism202bdriven by the motor201b.

FIGS.3A and3Bshow the rotating telescopic mechanism202bin a retracted state and in an expanded state, respectively. The bearing302can be connected to the motor201band allows the sleeve304to rotate. The support frame301can be connected to the external load bearing mechanism to support the motor201band the sleeve304. A flange303can be connected to the internal loading mechanism201aso that the motor201bcan drive its movement. Since the flange303is displaced vertically with the internal loading mechanism201aduring operation of the motor201b, the sleeve304is configured to achieve its synchronized displacement.

FIG.4shows that the external load mechanism202ahas features which include a spiral blade401, an internal thread402and a load-bearing plate outlet403. The external load mechanism202acan have an open top203providing access to an at least partially hollow interior204thereof. In some embodiments, the internal threads402may extend from at or near the open top203and extend downward along an interior wall of the hollow interior204. The blade401facilitates the foundation100to drill into the ground from above the ground. The internal thread402can cooperate with the internal loading mechanism201a(not shown) to guide the trajectory of movement thereof. The outlet403can be connected and fixed with the launched load-bearing plate503(seeFIG.1), allowing the load-bearing plate503to become part of the exterior of the foundation100, thus increasing the foundation bearing capacity.

FIGS.5A and5Bshow the internal loading mechanism201a. A cylindrical shell501can include three internal load-bearing plate storage compartments502and can be equipped internally with a number of load-bearing plates503, which can be transferred from the outlet505to the exterior. An external thread504can fit into the external load mechanism202aand can move along the internal threads402of the external load mechanism202a.

FIGS.6A and6Bshow the drive mechanism of the internal loading mechanism201a. A bi-directional push plate602can be mounted on a threaded rod603and can be driven by a push plate motor604to push the load-bearing plate503to the outside. Two pallets601can control the vertical displacement of the load-bearing plate503in the internal loading mechanism. The pallets601can be mounted on two threaded rods605respectively, connected by gears in the middle and driven by a pallet drive motor606.FIGS.7A and7Bshow how one load-bearing plate503is pushed by the bi-directional push plate602.FIGS.8A and8Bshow an external view of a load-bearing plate being pushed out.

FIGS.9A through9Dshow how the pallets601control the vertical displacement of the load-bearing plates503after the current load-bearing plate loaded to the bi-directional push plate602has been pushed out. The pallet601inFIG.9Amoves in the direction of the arrow, and the upper load-bearing plate moves down along the arrow, thus becoming the state ofFIG.9B. The pallet601inFIG.9Bthen moves in the direction of the arrow to reach the state ofFIG.9C, thereby limiting the load-bearing plate above the pallet601. The process can then proceed toFIG.9D, where the bi-directional push plate602pushes the currently loaded load-bearing plate503outward again in the opposite direction.FIG.10shows a front view of the two load-bearing plates being pushed out. In each cycle, two load-bearing plates can be pushed out. An exemplary final state is shown inFIG.11.FIG.12shows the final state of the foundation100when placed underground and fully expanded.

It should be understood that various parameters may be adjusted depending on the application. For example, different structures may require different load handling ability for its foundation. The amount of load that the foundation can handle can be varied by providing different numbers of load-bearing plates. Further, the length of the load-bearing plates may vary, as well as the overall dimensions of the foundation, where, for example, larger diameter foundations may provide for longer load-bearing plates.