Abstract:
A structural assembly ( 20 ) providing both a surface ( 21 ) and an insulating stratum associated with the surface. The assembly ( 20 ) can comprise structural members ( 23 - 24 ) and pods ( 30 ) associated with the structural members ( 23 - 24 ). The pods ( 30 ) contribute to structural integrity, thermal insulation, and/or sound attenuation. The pods or pod-like material can be used in or on horizontal or vertical cavities, in or on horizontal or vertical surfaces, and/or incorporated into a structural assembly or equipment housing.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/609,944 filed on Mar. 13, 2012.The entire disclosure of this provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A building can include a floor assembly or vertical wall cavity comprising a series of joists extending perpendicularly between supporting members such as walls, beams, and/or girders. In a residential home setting, for example, the attic joists and supporting members typically form a grid of rectangular cavities. These cavities are usually about 4 to about 16 inches deep, about 10 to about 30 inches wide, and about 4 to about 20 feet long. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A structural assembly includes cavity-occupying pods which contribute both to its load-supporting capacity and thermal-insulating ability. The pods each include solidified carrier with pellets dispersed therein and are created by fluidly introducing a pod-making material into the cavities. The volume of each pod is substantially equal to the volume of the introduced pod-making material, and remains so for an extended time period (e.g., at least 5 years, at least 10 years, at least 20 years, etc.). 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows a building having an attic floor assembly. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 2A-2J ,  3 A- 3 J,  4 A- 4 L, and  5 A- 5 J show some feasible floor-assembly arrangements and associated pod-making steps. 
           [0006]      FIGS. 6A-6L ,  7 A- 7 L,  8 A- 8 L, and  9 A- 9 L show some possible pod constitutions and corresponding pod-making materials. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    Referring now to the drawings, and initially to  FIG. 1 , a building  10  is shown which includes a lower area  11  and an upper attic area  12 . A floor assembly  20  provides a walkable surface  21  in the attic  12  and an insulating interface  22  below the walkable surface  21 . The walkable surface  21  has a load-supporting capacity of at 80 psf, at least 100 psf, at least 200 psf, at least 300 psf, and/or at least 400 psf. The insulating interface  22  has an R value of at least 2.0 (a RSI value of at least 0.30) and/or a STC value of at least  30 . 
         [0008]    Some feasible floor-assembly arrangements are shown in the 2 nd  through 5 th  drawing sets. With particular reference to the first four figures in each set ( FIGS. 2A-2D ,  3 A- 3 D,  4 A- 4 D,  5 A- 5 D), each assembly  20  includes members which structurally support the floor. These structural members can include, for example, joist members  23  and joist-bearing members  24 . 
         [0009]    The joist-bearing members  24  can comprise beams, girders, and/or walls which are positioned perpendicular to the joist members  23 . The span between joist-bearing members 24 can be about 4 to about 20 feet long (about 1 to about 8 meters long). 
         [0010]    The illustrated floor assemblies  20  also each include a deck member  25 . This member  25  may or may not contribute to the structural integrity of the floor assembly  20 . In some instances, it may form part of the ceiling of the lower living area  11 . 
         [0011]    The joist members  23 , the joist-bearing members  24 , and the deck member  25  form a grid of rectangular cavities  26 . The cavity dimensions correspond to joist depth, spacing, and span. Accordingly, each cavity  26  can be, for example, about 4 to about 16 inches deep (about 10 to about 40 centimeters deep), about 10 to about 30 inches wide (about 26 to about 80 centimeters wide), and about 4 to about 20 feet long (about 1 to about 8 meters long). 
         [0012]    Each floor assembly  20  comprises pods  30  which occupy at least some of the cavities  26 . Each pod  30  comprises a solidified carrier  40  and pellets  50  dispersed and embedded therein. The pods  30  adopt the cavities&#39; shape whereby they resemble rectangular blocks in the illustrated embodiments. 
         [0013]    In the floor assembly  20  shown in the 2 nd  drawing set, the tops of the pods  30  and the tops of the joists form the flat walkable surface  21 . In the floor assembly  20  shown in the 3 rd  drawing set, pod-integral stratums  31  are situated above the cavities and the stratum tops form the walkable surface  21 . In the 4 th  and 5 th  drawing sets, a cover sheet  27  over the pods  30  forms the walkable surface  21 . The sheet  27  can be continuous (e.g., plywood, linoleum, laminate, oriented strand board, carpeting, etc.) as shown in the 4 th  drawing set, or it can be segmented (e.g., hardwood strips, tiles, etc.) as shown in the 5 th  drawing set. In each case, the pods  30  contribute to the structural integrity of the walkable surface  21 . 
         [0014]    In the floor assembly  20  shown in the 2 nd  drawing set, lower portions of the pods  30  are contained in the interface  22 . In the floor assemblies shown in the 3 rd  through 5 th  drawing sets, the entire pods  30  are included in the interface  22 . And in each case, the pods  30  contribute to the insulating ability of the interface  22 . 
         [0015]    In the initial two figures of each drawing set ( FIGS. 2A-2B ,  3 A- 3 B,  4 A- 4 B, and  5 A- 5 B), all of the cavities  26  are occupied by pods  30 . In this manner, the walkable surface  21  can provide an uninterrupted platform in the attic  12 . This approach could be adopted, for example, when the attic  12  is intended to provide additional living or storage space, and/or allow walking access across the pod surface  26 . 
         [0016]    In the next two figures of each drawing set ( FIGS. 2C-2D ,  3 C- 3 D,  4 C- 4 D, and  5 C- 5 D), only selected cavities  26  are occupied by pods  30  to form the walkable surface  21 . If the pod-occupied cavities  26  are adjacent and/or aligned, they can provide a reinforced area. This approach can be adopted, for example, when only limited access (e.g., to an attic window) is desired and/or when only certain attic areas will be used for storage. 
         [0017]    As is best seen by referring to the following figures in each drawing set ( FIGS. 2E-2F ,  3 E- 3 F,  4 E- 4 G, and  5 E- 5 G), the cavities  26  each define a volume V 26 . Volumes can and often do vary among cavities  26 , but they will typically range between about 1 cubic foot to about 70 cubic feet (about 25 cubic decimeters to about 2600 cubic decimeters). 
         [0018]    The open-cavity assemblies  20  shown in the 2 nd  and 3 rd  drawing sets are typical of unfinished attic floors in existing buildings and/or of still-being-assembled floors in ongoing constructions. Such an open-topped grid can also be attained by removing the covering (e.g., a continuous or segmented sheet  27 ) from a finished floor in an existing building. And after the pods  30  have been created in the cavities  26 , they can be lidded (e.g., covered, enclosed, etc.) with a continuous or segmented sheet  27 , whereby the floor assembly  20  would resemble those shown in the 4 th  and 5 th  drawing sets. 
         [0019]    The enclosed cavity assemblies  20  shown in the 4 th  and 5 th  drawing sets are typical of finished floors in existing buildings. In the floor assembly  20  shown in the 4 th  drawing set, a hole  28  can be drilled through the continuous sheet  27  and the pod-making material  60  introduced therethrough ( FIGS. 4E-4G ). The hole  28  can later be closed by a distinct plug  29  ( FIG. 4J ). Alternatively, the pod-making material  60  can be overflowed into the hole  28  whereby a nub-like projection from the pod  30  seals this opening. ( FIGS. 4K-4L ). In the floor assembly  20  shown in the 5 th  drawing set, a segment  27  can be removed to allow pod-making-material introduction and then later replaced. 
         [0020]    The pods  30  are each produced by fluidly introducing a pod-making material  60  into the cavities. The pod-making material  60  can be, for example, poured into the cavity  26  from a receptacle  61  or the material can be pumped into the cavity  26  with a pump  62 . The pod-making material  60  can be formulated to possess a viscosity compatible with the desired cavity-introduction technique. Additionally or alternatively, the fluid-introduction technique can be chosen to accommodate the material&#39;s viscosity. 
         [0021]    When the cavity  26  is filled with the pod-making material  60 , the volume V 60  of the material  60  will be at least equal to the volume V 26  of the filled cavity  26 . In the 2 nd , 4 th , and 5 th  drawing sets, the material&#39;s volume V 60  will be equal to the cavity&#39;s volume V 26 . In the 3 rd  drawing set, the material&#39;s volume V 60  will be greater than the cavity&#39;s volume V 26  because of the upper stratums  31 . 
         [0022]    The pod-making material  60  comprises a liquid carrier  70  with the pellets  50  disseminated therein. A pod  30  is produced by the liquid carrier  70  solidifying within the cavity  26 , with the pellets  50  remaining substantially the same size, shape, and specific weight. The pod&#39;s volume V 30  will be substantially equal to the volume V 60  of the material  60 . Thus an installer can accurately predict the size/shape of the pod  30  by the material  60  fluidly introduced. 
         [0023]    The pod  30  is also dimensionally stable after installation, with its volume V 30  remaining substantially the same (e.g., within 5%, within 4%, within 3%, within 2%, within 1%, etc.) for many years (e.g., at least 5 years, at least 10 years, at least 20 years, etc.). The pods  30  do not substantially settle, contract, expand, swell, or otherwise after. Thus, there will be substantially no sagging, drooping, or bulging of the walkable surface, the filled cavity, and/or the coated structure. 
         [0024]    The pods  30  can each have a load-supporting capacity of at least at least 200 psf (at least 10 kPa), at least 300 psf (at least 15 kPa), and/or at least 400 psf (at least 20 kPa). 
         [0025]    The lightweight pods  30  can each have a nominal specific gravity of less than about 0.3, less than about 0.2, less than about 0.1. 
         [0026]    Additionally or alternatively, the pods  30  can each have a specific gravity of between about 0.01 and about 0.5, and/or between about 0.03 and about 0.3. 
         [0027]    The pods  30  can individually or collectively function as a sound attenuator (e.g., it can have a sound transmission coefficient (STC) of at least  30 ). And agents can be incorporated into the pod  30  to allow it to further act as a flame retardant, smoke suppressant, conductive, non-conductive, and/or organism killers (e.g., biocide, fungicide, insecticide, mildewcide, bactericide, rodentcide, etc.). These adaptations and/or incorporations can be accomplished during formulation of the liquid carrier  40  and/or during production of the pellets  50 . 
         [0028]    The pellets  50  can collectively account for a significant percent of the pod volume V 30  and/or the material volume V 60  (e.g., at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, and/or at least 95%). The carrier 40/70 can account for a less significant percentage of these volumes (e.g., less than 5%, less than 10%, less than 20%, less than 30%, less than 40%, and/or less than 50%). The sum of the pellet-percentage and the carrier-percentage will never be greater than 100%, but it can be less if additional items are incorporated into the pod material. 
         [0029]    The pod  30  is created in the horizontal or vertical cavity, surface, or coated structure by the liquid carrier  70  solidifying to form the solid binder  40 . 
         [0030]    The carrier  40 / 70  can comprise a binder or an adhesive (e.g., epoxy, latex, emulsion, urethane, polyvinyl acetate, polyester, mineral silicate, etc.) or other oleoresinous or water-based systems. Solidification can additionally or alternatively be attained by chemical curing, oxidation, and/or radiation exposure (e.g., ultraviolet or electrobeam). 
         [0031]    The pellets  50  comprise a multitude of bodies which would each be a distinct and separable entity if not for the carrier  40 / 70 . Depending upon their shapes, the pellets  50  can also be called beads, microspheres, balls, capsules, particles, granules, grains, chips, chunks, morsels, and other similar terms. The pellet geometry can be such that no one dimension dominates another by more than three-fold and/or five-fold. In the case of the oblong pellets  50  shown in the 2 nd  through 5 th  drawing sets, for example, their axial lengths are not more than three times their central diameters. 
         [0032]    As shown in the 6 th  through 9 th  drawing sets, the pellets  50  can assume many different geometries, including rounded, polygonal, starred, and other regular, semi-regular, and irregular shapes. The pellets  50  can be substantially the same shape and/or substantially the same size, or they can be of different shapes and/or sizes. Additionally or alternatively, the pellets  50  can be solid and/or they can be hollow. 
         [0033]    The pellets  50  can have average pellet dimensions of less than about 0.5 inch (about 12 mm), less than about 0.4 inch (about 10 mm), less than about 0.3 inch (about 8 mm), less than about 0.2 inch (about 6 mm), and/or less than about 0.1 inch (about 3 mm). In most cases, the pellets  50  will have average pellet dimensions greater than about 0.075 inch (about 2 mm). And in many cases, the pellets  50  will have average pellet dimensions between about 0.075 inch and about 0.20 inch (about 2 mm and 6 mm). 
         [0034]    If the pellets  50  are hollow microspheres or other similar micro particles, their dimensions will be much smaller than set forth in the preceding paragraph. A suitable glass, silicate, mineral or ceramic microsphere could have an average particle size of 150 microns, 70 microns, 40 microns and/or 10 microns, for example. 
         [0035]    The pellets 50 can have a low specific gravity (e.g., less than 0.30, less than 0.20, less than 0.10, less than 0.05, less than 0.04, less than 0.03, less than 0.02, less than 0.01, etc.) so as to achieve a light-weight pod in spite of a heavy carrier 40/70. 
         [0036]    The pellets  50  can comprise expanded polymer, expanded mineral, expanded ceramic, biomass, crumb rubber, polymeric scrap materials, and combinations thereof. The preferred form of the pellets  50  can comprise, for example, mufti-cellular and/or closed cell polymer beads or hollow microspheres. 
         [0037]    As was indicated above, the pellets  50  remain substantially the same size, shape, and specific gravity when the liquid carrier  70  solidifies to form the pod  30 . To this end, the pellets  50  can be non-porous with respect to the carrier  40 / 70 . Non-porosity can be accomplished by pellet composition, pellet formation, non-porous coating, or any other suitable technique. 
         [0038]    Although the building  10 , the floor assembly  20 , the pod  30 , the solidified carrier  40 , the pellets  50 , the material  60 , and/or the liquid carrier  70  have been have been shown and described as having certain forms and fabrications, such portrayals are not quintessential and represent only some of the possible of adaptations of the claimed characteristics. Other obvious, equivalent, and/or otherwise akin embodiments could instead be created using the same or analogous attributes. For example, although the building  10  was depicted as a residential home with an attic  12 , the floor assembly  20  can be integrated into other buildings and non-buildings with walkable surfaces  21  (e.g., patios, sidewalks, roads, vehicles, etc.). 
         [0039]    Additionally or alternatively, although the walkable surface  21  was portrayed primarily as horizontal, non-vertical sloped orientations are also possible and probable, such as with ramps and slides, as well as vertical wall structures, surfaces, and cavities. The pod material is supplied as a pumpable or sprayable insulation product having obvious advantages as a structurally stable and durable composition. Other uses could include housings for HVAC equipment, machinery, industrial storage tanks, process tanks, pressure vessels, transportation vehicles, and pipelines.