Abstract:
A system and method for assembling a prefabricated portable building that meets flat pack pallet standards of the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) are provided. The prefabricated building, includes 2 end units, wherein each end unit includes an outer wall, an inner wall, a roof, and a floor, wherein the outer wall and the floor converge to form an edge having an angle of less than 90 degrees, and wherein the inner wall and the floor converge to form an angle of about 90 degrees. The assembly system includes custom designed clips and pins that allow the prefabricated building to be assembled quickly and without conventional tools.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Prefabricated Portable Flat Pack Building”, by inventor David M. MacWatt, filed on the same date as the present application, having Attorney Docket No. 358031.00100, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     
       COPYRIGHT NOTICE  
         [0002]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    The present invention generally relates to portable buildings and, more particularly, to prefabricated portable buildings that meet designated standards for flat pack transportation.  
           [0005]    2. Discussion of Background  
           [0006]    People typically use prefabricated portable buildings for emergency situations. For example, the military may be in a situation where it needs to construct a hospital in a matter of hours. A permanent building structure would be impractical. Consider a situation where hospital facilities are needed in a desert of the Middle East. A building most suitable for military purposes would likely be some type of prefabricated portable building that can be quickly erected with all the necessary hospital facilities.  
           [0007]    Manufacturers prefabricate portable buildings in a controlled factory environment and ship the building pieces to the designated site for assembly. Users install these portable buildings at the designated site for temporary, as well as permanent, applications.  
           [0008]    The industry has its beginnings in the post World War II era, when the huge demand for housing for returning GI&#39;s overwhelmed the construction industry&#39;s ability to deliver. The U.S. developed prefabricated portable housing as a solution to this demand. Other countries with severe commercial building needs following the war, also developed simplistic modular construction techniques. In the following decades, technological advances have increased the quality of those initial efforts, as well as opened the door to new applications of modular construction.  
           [0009]    Today, people use prefabricated construction in almost every industry and walk of life, including construction offices, educational facilities, medical facilities, industrial uses, prison and correctional housing and administration, branch financial offices, real estate offices, government buildings, and general commercial offices.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    When users disassemble a prefabricated building, they often need to place the pieces of the building into a “flat-pack” pallet. The flat pack form of a portable building is basically the walls, floors, roofs, and fittings of the building broken down into their smallest portable package. A flat-pack pallet sets limits on the building&#39;s specifications, such as size, weight and strength. Moreover, the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) has their own guidelines on the specifications of a standard flat-pack pallet. Thus, engineers are faced with the challenge of designing a structure that is not only portable, but is also compliant with NATO guidelines and any other guidelines.  
           [0011]    It has been recognized that what is needed is a system and method for assembling a prefabricated flat pack building that meets flat pack pallet standards of the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO). Broadly speaking, the present invention fills this need by providing a fast response building, which is a building designed, among other things, to meet the flat pack standards of NATO. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device or a method.  
           [0012]    A system and method for assembling a prefabricated portable building that meets flat pack pallet standards of the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) are provided. The prefabricated building, includes 2 end units, wherein each end unit includes an outer wall, an inner wall, a roof, and a floor, wherein the outer wall and the floor converge to form an edge having an angle of less than 90 degrees, and wherein the inner wall and the floor converge to form an angle of about 90 degrees. The assembly system includes custom designed clips and pins that allow the prefabricated building to be assembled quickly and without conventional tools.  
           [0013]    Prefabricated portable flat pack buildings have many advantages. A significant advantage of prefabricated construction is time savings. Manufacturers may build prefabricated flat pack buildings on a controlled timetable in a factory environment. On the other hand, site-built buildings are subject to weather conditions, subcontractor deals, waits for permits, and labor shortages. Prefabricated construction also provides cost savings due to standardization of the engineering process, bulk purchase of building materials and the controlled factory construction environment. Users of portable buildings gain an additional advantage in the quality of construction. A standardized construction method at the factory with skilled and knowledgeable labor means a building is not dependent on the vagaries and availability of the local labor market.  
           [0014]    Another significant advantage of prefabricated portable flat pack buildings is economy of space. When disassembled in their flat pack form, prefabricated portable flat pack buildings may be stored at any appropriate location, including a warehouse, outdoors, or any location that may be substantially smaller than the building in its assembled form. A prefabricated portable flat pack building according to the present invention can be broken down into an economically small space for easy transport and storage.  
           [0015]    The invention encompasses other embodiments of a system, a method, and an apparatus, which are configured as set forth above and with other features and alternatives.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The present invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show perspective views of a single fast response building (FRB), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 shows a side view of the end unit, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 shows perspective views of segments of an FRB flat packed into a pallet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show perspective views of a multiple unit FRB, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show perspective views of a multiple unit FRB with a joining corridor, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 through FIG. 52 combine to show an assembly process of a multiple unit FRB with a joining corridor, in accordance with embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 53 shows examples of the clips and pins used to join the panels of the FRB together, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 54 shows an example of a clip component that is wired to the welded clip component with a wire, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 55 shows an example of a locking pin, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 56 shows an example of a foot-type pin, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]    An invention for a system and method of assembling a prefabricated portable flat pack building is disclosed. Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be understood, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details.  
         [0028]    General Overview  
         [0029]    Fast response buildings (FRB&#39;s) are prefabricated portable buildings designed to be transported in flat-pack pallets. An FRB takes only about 4 people fifteen minutes to construct into a rigid structure for immediate use. No screws, no nuts, no special tools and no ground preparation are needed. An FRB is fully insulated for use in extreme climatic conditions. The FRB system is economical to transport by air, sea, road or rail.  
         [0030]    FRB units are made from individual lightweight sections which interlock to form a rigid structure. Individual components make it easy to handle and maneuver, allowing each unit to be constructed in the most difficult locations. FRB can be situated virtually anywhere, including forests, mountains, desert sand, snow, ice and most types of terrain. FRB units can be transported and positioned by helicopter, as flat pack system or a complete constructed unit. FRB units are compatible with any conventional cargo transportation system. Alternatively, each individual sections can be carried to site and constructed.  
         [0031]    Relocating without dismantling is achieved by 3 specially designed ski-bars located at the base of the unit. The base unit provides for 2 couplings, which can be attached to a tow-bar by rope or chain allowing the building to slide and move in position. A vehicle such as a Land Rover is capable of achieving this sliding task on average ground conditions.  
         [0032]    FRB flexible and unique modular units can be used to construct anything, from a single leisure home or storage unit, to a large emergency hospital complex or emergency re-housing due to a disaster. Each unit can sleep up to 10 people. Principally designed for Emergency accommodation for Peace Keepers and Military requirements, an FRB&#39;s applications are endless.  
         [0033]    Types of Fast Response Buildings  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show perspective views of a single FRB, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The single building comprises two end units  102 , including an outer wall  106 , an inner wall  108 , and a roof  104 , among other things.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 2 shows a side view of the end unit  102 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The roof  104  and the base  110  (or floor) have the same dimensions. However, the outer wall  106  and the inner wall  108  do not have the same dimensions. The height of the inner wall  108  is slightly greater than the height of the outer wall  106 . Angle θ is set to be about 90 degrees. While angle φ is set to be less than 90 degrees, specifically between about 86 degrees and 88 degrees. Accordingly, the outer wall  106  leans at a slight angle inward.  
         [0036]    Established rules of trigonometry set limitations on allowable measurements for angles ω and ρ. Angle ω is accordingly less than 90 degrees, for example, between about 83 and 85 degrees. Angle ρ is accordingly greater than 90 degrees, for example, between about 98 and 100 degrees.  
         [0037]    Important features of the FRB is the slight inward tilt of the outer wall  106 , the height of the inner wall  108  being slightly greater than the height of the outer wall  106 , and the equality in dimensions of the roof  104  and the base  110  (or floor). This combination creates unique building measurements that allow the FRB to be disassembled neatly into a standard NATO flat pack pallet.  
         [0038]    It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited to the specific measurements provided above. The specific measurements provided above are primarily for exemplary purposes to show the inward lean of the outer wall  106 .  
         [0039]    Clips and Pins Assembly System  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 53 shows examples of the clips  204  and pins  202  used to join the panels of the FRB together, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. These clips and pins are unique to the system and replace bolts, nuts and screws. In the example of FIG. 53, the clips are welded and/or clipped to the respective panels and are extremely difficult to damage or lose. In particular, the clips  204  and pins  202  lock the whole FRB together in a manner that is robust yet retains a degree of flexibility. Assembly of the FRB using clips  204  and pins  202  is less time consuming than assembly of a structure that uses conventional fixings, such as bolts, nuts and screws.  
         [0041]    As shown in FIG. 53, the pins  202  are inserted where required in order to prevent horizontal and vertical movement. As such, the pins  202  are an integral part of the system. The pins  202  and clips  204  are used throughout the FRB structure to lock wall to wall, wall to gable, wall to roof, roof to gable, etc.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 54 shows an example of a clip component  302  that is wired to the welded clip component  204  with a wire  304 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The wired clip component  302  locks the FRB superstructure in place.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 55 shows an example of a locking pin  402 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. This locking pin  402  with the locking feature is used to secure the probes (which connect the base sections together), the skids, the legs (when flat packed assembled), the veranda (or step) and the mast stabilizer to the FRB. The locking pin  402  includes a washer  406  having a slot. To the fix the locking pin  402 , the locking pin  402  is placed in the base runner using the handle  408  at the top of the locking pin  402 . The locking pin  402  is maneuvered to allow the slot in the washer  406  to pass through the seg  404 , which is attached to the base runner. When the handle is released the locking pin  402  turns and will not free itself.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 56 shows an example of a foot-type pin  502 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The foot-type pin is another way of locking components (e.g., gable, base, wall, and roof) of the FRB into place. The foot-type pin  502  is maneuvered into the appropriate hole and slides into place. In this example, a wall is shown being locked to the base  110 .  
         [0045]    Note that the sizes and diameters shown for assembly system are for explanatory purposes, and may vary where appropriate. Further, in an alternative embodiment, the assembly system may be used in a building other than an FRB. For example, the assembly system may be configured to be used with any type building where the components are prefabricated and ready for assembly.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 3 shows perspective views of segments of an FRB flat packed into a pallet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. All of the component parts flat pack on to its own base  110  (or floor). The flat pack segments may then stack upon each other. Accordingly, when flat packet, one half of the base  110  of the unit becomes the pallet. The components of the FRB are placed on top of that half of the base  110 . The remaining half of the base  110  is stacked on top of the components with the leg sockets  602  of the top half of the base  11  situated to be in line with the leg sockets  602  of the bottom half of the base  110 . The legs  604  are then inserted. The resulting box-like unit is locked together with the locking pins.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show perspective views of a multiple unit FRB, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The multiple unit building comprises 2 ends and the intermediate units  302  are inserted as required. FIG. 3 shows 4 intermediate units  302 . However, the number of intermediate units  302  that can be inserted is, in theory, infinite. For example, an intermediate unit  302  may be about 2.25 m in length. These intermediate units  302  may be added such that the length of the FRB is a multiple of 2.25 m. Note that the present invention is not limited to these specific dimensions, and other appropriate dimensions for intermediate units  302  may be used.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show perspective views of a multiple unit FRB with a joining corridor, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The multiple unit building with a joining corridor comprises 4 end units  102 . The intermediate units  302  and corridors  402  are inserted as required. Note that segment walls, floors, and ceilings of all the FRB units have the same dimensions and will flat pack onto a NATO pallet for easy portability.  
         [0049]    Assembly Process of a Fast Response Building  
         [0050]    The sequence FIG. 6 through FIG. 52 steps through an assembly process of a multiple unit FRB with a joining corridor, in accordance with embodiment of the present invention. The assembly process starts in FIG. 6 with a floor segment. The assembly finishes in FIG. 52 with a fully assembled multiple unit FRB with a joining corridor. Intermediate figures FIG. 6 through FIG. 51 sequentially step through the assembly of the multiple unit FRB.  
         [0051]    Additional Features and Advantages of a Fast Response Building  
         [0052]    A fast response building (FRB) may be equipped to suit any environment. An FRB may be provided with added solar protection. An FRB may be equipped with added insulation. An FRB can also have nuclear biological and chemical (NBC) lining along its interior. An FRB may have mosquito or fly screens for doors and windows. An FRB may have mast stabilizers for wind generators or aerials. An FRB may have rain water collection and storage mechanisms. An FRB may have ballistic protection, applique armor, up to, but not limited to, about 7.62 standard NATO ball. An FRB may have load spreader plates, to cater for dessert or wet ground. An FRB may have a multi solid fuel stove for cooking and heating.  
         [0053]    FRB&#39;s have many advantages. FRB units are easily deployable. As can be seen in the sequence FIG. 6 through FIG. 52, FRB units are easily assembled on any type of terrain. Adjustable legs produce a level platform. FRB&#39;s can be erected quickly.  
         [0054]    FRB&#39;s are mobile. FRB&#39;s are transported in flat pack pallets and can be moved by air, sea, vehicle and on theirs own wheels. No significant wear and tear occurs during transport and assembly of the FRB pallets and FRB infrastructure because their made of rugged steel. An FRB is designed to be stacked outside when not in use, and can withstand harsh weather conditions while stored outside. An FRB can be manufactured and repaired substantially anywhere, including countries having only low tech facilities. Even if a particular locale does not have the necessary facilities and parts to repair the FRB locally, the particular locale can send out for spare parts without difficulty. Alternatively, parts of an FRB can be repaired locally by using ordinary metallurgy techniques, for example, ordinary welding techniques. Thus, if a part of an FRB fails, the user of the FRB does not have to idly wait around for a new FRB to arrive.  
         [0055]    FRB&#39;s have many applications. FRB&#39;s can be used individually, extended or interconnected to create field dressing stations, hospitals, workshops, classrooms and stores as well as accommodations.  
         [0056]    In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.