Patent Publication Number: US-2007113504-A1

Title: Insulated Concrete Form Blocks

Description:
This present application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/714,114, filed Sep. 2, 2005, which application is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND  
      The present disclosure relates to poured concrete walls and particularly to forms for poured concrete walls. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to insulated concrete form blocks.  
     SUMMARY  
      An insulated concrete form block in accordance with the present disclosure includes front and rear wall portions, left and right end walls extending between the front and rear wall portions, and spacer ribs positioned to extend between the front and rear wall portions in a spaced-apart relation to form apertures for receiving concrete therebetween. In the illustrative embodiments, means is provided on the front and rear wall portions to interconnect adjacent insulated concrete form blocks to form a unitary structure to receive a curable construction material to form a “skeleton” within the assembly of insulated concrete form blocks.  
      In illustrative embodiments, first and second connector units are positioned to lie on upper and lower surfaces of the front and rear wall portions. First connector units are sized and arranged to receive companion second connector units formed on adjacent insulated concrete form blocks to interconnect layers of insulated concrete form blocks being assembled. Male and female end connectors are positioned to lie on ends of the front and rear wall portions. Female end connectors are sized and arranged to receive companion male end connectors formed on adjacent insulated concrete form blocks to interconnect blocks in an end-to-end relation to one another.  
      Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded assembly view of insulated concrete form blocks in accordance with the present disclosure showing an upper and two lower insulated concrete form blocks coming together to form a portion of a wall as shown assembled in  FIG. 2 , the lower blocks arranged to be anchored to a foundation and both upper and lower blocks formed to include parallel rows of connector units on a top and a bottom surface of each block to interconnect adjacent upper and lower insulated concrete form blocks, each block includes a pair of male end connectors on each right end and is formed to include a pair of female end connectors in each left end to interconnect adjacent insulated concrete form blocks in an end-to-end relation (as shown in FIGS.  2 - 4 );  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the assembled insulated concrete form blocks of  FIG. 1 , with portions broken away, showing the insulated concrete form blocks anchored to the foundation;  
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , showing the assembly of blocks being filled with a curable structural material, for example, like cement;  
       FIG. 4  is a is a sectional view of the assembly of insulated concrete form blocks taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , with portions broken away, showing the connector units of the upper block mated with the companion connector units of the lower blocks;  
       FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of the upper insulated concrete form block of  FIG. 4 , with portions broken away, showing a front wall portion having a textured surface, upper and lower connector units including male connectors extending away from the upper and lower surfaces of the front wall portion;  
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the insulated concrete form block of  FIG. 5  showing front and rear wall portions, left and right end walls extending between the front and rear wall portions, five spacer ribs extending between the front and rear wall portions and positioned to lie between the first and the second end walls, the apertures formed between the spacer ribs, and the parallel rows of connector units extending along the front and rear wall portions, a first connector unit having a female connector formed between a pair of male connectors extending away from the wall surface to interconnect with a companion series of second connector units formed on an adjacent insulated concrete form block, each second connector unit formed to include a single male connector extending away from the wall surface between a pair of female connectors to be coupled to a companion series of first connector units formed on the adjacent insulated concrete form block to interconnect the upper and lower layers of blocks, the pair of male end connectors extending vertically along and away from the right end wall and the pair of female end connectors extending vertically along the left end wall;  
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6  showing upper and lower concave portions of one of the spacer ribs;  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6  showing the spacer ribs, apertures for receiving concrete, and upper and lower connector units;  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an insulated concrete form block in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure having seven spacer ribs rather than the five spacer ribs of the insulated concrete form block of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an insulated concrete form block in accordance with still another embodiment of the present disclosure showing a corner form of the insulated concrete form block having a 90-degree turn portion;  
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an insulated concrete form block in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure showing the insulated concrete form block having a façade mount coupled to the rear wall portion, the façade mount and the rear wall portion forming a channel therebetween; and  
       FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11  showing the façade mount supporting bricks (in phantom) extending upwardly from the façade mount.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      An insulated concrete form block  10  includes a front wall portion  12 , a rear wall portion  14 , a left end wall  16 , a right end wall  18 , spacer ribs  20 , male end connectors  22 , female end connectors  24 , and first and second connector units  26 ,  28 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1-3 . A number of insulated concrete form blocks  10  can be assembled, as suggested in  FIG. 1 , to form a wall structure as shown in  FIG. 2 . Once assembled, a user can pour a curable construction material  30  into the insulated concrete form blocks, such as concrete  30 , as suggested in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , to form a rigid “skeleton” therewithin.  
      As shown best in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , front wall portion  12  is positioned to lie in a spaced-apart relation to rear wall portion  14 . Left and right end walls  16 ,  18  are positioned to lie in a spaced-apart relation to one another and extend between front and rear wall portions  12 ,  14 . Front and rear wall portions  12 ,  14  and left and right end walls  16 ,  18  cooperate to define a rectangular-shaped block  10 . Spacer ribs  20  extend between front and rear walls  12 ,  14 . Illustratively, each insulated concrete form block  10  includes five spacer ribs  20 . Spacer ribs  20  and end walls  16 ,  18  cooperate to define apertures  32  for receiving concrete therein.  
      Illustratively, each insulated concrete form block  10  includes six apertures  32 . Apertures  32  are configured to receive uncured concrete  30 , as shown best in  FIG. 3 . When a user has coupled a suitable number of insulated concrete form blocks  10  together to form a desired structure, uncured concrete  30  is poured into an uppermost layer of insulated concrete form blocks  10  and through gravitational force, the concrete infiltrates throughout the plurality of defined apertures to create a “skeletal” structure therein.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , front wall portion  12  forms an interior-facing wall surface in an assembled structure and includes a surface  34  constructed of a material suitable for presentation as a “finished” wall surface such as, for example, dry wall. In the illustrative embodiment, each front wall portion  12  includes four second connector units  28  positioned to lie in a spaced-apart end-to-end relation extending along an upper surface  36  of front wall portion  12  and four first connector units  26  positioned to lie in a spaced-apart end-to-end relation extending along a lower surface  42  of front wall portion  12 .  
      Each first connector unit  26  includes a single female connector  40  extending between a pair of male connectors  38  being configured to extend away from an associated surface. Each second connector unit  28  includes a single male connector  38  extending away from an associated surface between a pair of female connectors  40 . As suggested in  FIG. 1 , first connector units  26  are configured to mate with companion second connector units  28  of adjacent blocks  10  upon assembly of insulated concrete form blocks  10  to build, for example, a wall structure.  
      Rear wall portion  14  forms an exterior wall surface (not shown) in the assembled structure shown in  FIG. 2 . In the illustrative embodiment, each rear wall portion  14  includes four first connector units  26  positioned to lie in a spaced-apart end-to-end relation extending along an upper surface  44  of rear wall portion  14  and four second connector units  28  positioned to lie in a spaced-apart end-to-end relation extending along a lower surface  46  of rear wall portion  14 .  
      Front and rear wall portions  12 ,  14  further include right ends  48 ,  50  and left ends  52 ,  54 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Each right end  48 ,  50  is formed to include one male end connector  22  as shown best in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . The male end connector  22  extends along the length of and away from each right end  48 ,  50 . Thus, male end connectors  22  are positioned to lie in a parallel spaced-apart relation to one another. Each left end  52 ,  54  is formed to include one female end connector  24  sized and arranged to receive one of the companion male end connectors  22  formed on adjacent insulated concrete form blocks  10  when the blocks  10  are assembled into a wall structure.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 4 , male end connectors  22  and female end connectors  24  allow the user to interconnect adjacent blocks in an end-to-end relationship to one another. First connector units  26  and second connector units  28  allow the user to interconnect adjacent layers of insulated concrete form blocks  10  on top of each other. Thus, male end connectors  22 , female end connectors  24 , first connector units  26 , and second connector units  28  allow the user to interconnect insulated concrete form blocks  10  to form a wall-like structure. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a first layer  56  of blocks  10  is adapted to be coupled to an anchor  60  between a substructure or foundation  58  to form a base layer  56 . Additional layers are added to base layer  56  as required by the user to construct a desired structure.  
      As such, each block  10  includes connecting means to interconnect with another adjacent block. For example, illustrative connecting means includes first and second connector units  26 ,  28  are positioned to lie on upper and lower surfaces of the front and rear wall portions  12 ,  14 . First connector units  26  are sized and arranged to receive companion second connector units  28  formed on adjacent insulated concrete form blocks  10  to interconnect layers of insulated concrete form blocks  10  being assembled. Male end connectors  22  and female end connectors  24  are positioned to lie on right ends  48 ,  50  and left ends  52 ,  54 , respectively, of the front and rear wall portions  12 ,  14 . Female end connectors  24  are sized and arranged to receive companion male end connectors  22  formed on adjacent insulated concrete form blocks  10  to interconnect blocks  10  in an end-to-end relation to one another.  
      In a second embodiment contemplated by this disclosure, an insulated concrete form block  110  is provided as shown in  FIG. 9 . Insulated concrete form block  110  is similar to insulated concrete form block  10  in structure and function, so that the description of similar components of insulated concrete form block  10  applies to insulated concrete form block  110  as well. Illustratively, insulated concrete form block  110  includes seven spacer ribs  120 . In the illustrative embodiment, spacer ribs  120  and left and right end walls  16 ,  18  cooperate to define eight apertures  132 .  
      In a third embodiment contemplated by this disclosure, a corner block  210  is provided, as suggested in  FIG. 10 . Comer block  210  is similar to insulated concrete form block  10  in structure and function, so that the description of like components of insulated concrete form block  10  applies to corner block  210  as well. Illustratively, corner block  210  includes the front wall portion  12  having a first front segment  212  and a second front segment  212 ′ perpendicular to first front segment  212 , and the rear wall portion  14  includes a first rear segment  214  parallel to the first front segment  212  and a second rear segment  214 ′ perpendicular to first rear segment  214  and parallel to the second front segment  212 ′ such that second front segment  212 ′ and second rear segment  214 ′ cooperate to define a 90°-turn portion  213  of the corner block  210 . Comer block  210  may be arranged having 90°-turn portions  213  coupled to either end and in either direction to allow the user to create a variety of 90° turns in the wall arrangement.  
      In still another embodiment contemplated by this disclosure, an insulated concrete form block  310  is provided as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . Insulated concrete form block  310  includes a façade mount  315  coupled to a rear wall portion  314 . Illustrative spacer ribs  320  cooperating to define apertures  332 . Facade mount  315  includes a generally Z-shaped angled wall portion  313  coupled to rear wall portion  314 . Angled wall portion  313  and rear wall portion  314  cooperate to form a U-shaped channel  311  therebetween. Illustratively, channel  311  acts as a “weep hole” to aid in the removal of undesired water. Façade mount  315  provides the user with a base to mount a facial surface  317  to a formed exterior wall surface such as, for example, masonry brick as suggested in  FIG. 12 . Insulated concrete form block  310  is used to create the base layer  56  so that the facial surface  317  can be supported while being mounted to the exterior wall surface.