Patent Publication Number: US-9422713-B2

Title: In-situ fabricated wall framing and insulating system

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/851,417 filed on Mar. 6, 2013, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates, in general, to in-situ fabricated walls and methods of installation, and more particularly to an in-situ fabricated wall structure that can be installed anywhere inside an existing facility independent of the placement of the current wall structures. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Basements of houses and buildings have a tendency to leak water and condensate moisture. Thus traditional construction methods for finishing basements (e.g. wood framing and batt insulation) have a tendency to fail due to their material composition. These porous materials tend to absorb or soak up moisture. Wood and other organic materials rot and promote mold growth. These issues cause structural failure and create unsafe living conditions due to mold spores and the associated health issues. Thus, there is a need to provide for wall systems for finishing basements that address these deficiencies. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention, in certain embodiments, addresses the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a wall system, assembly and method of creating a basement wall. In certain embodiments, a wall system for basements includes a horizontally-extending floor member defining an upwardly facing channel. A first vertically-extending support beam is coupled to the floor member and defines a pair of laterally-adjacent channels separated by a center rib. A second similar support beam is laterally displaced along the floor member with respect to the first support beam. A foam panel is disposed in the upwardly facing channel of the floor member and in one of the laterally-adjacent channels of the first support beam and in one of the laterally-adjacent channels of the second support beam. The floor member, first support beam and second support beam comprise a non-organic plastic material. The foam panel comprises a closed-cell non-organic foam material. The wall system can be formed in-situ and can be configured as a free-standing wall. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention describes an in-situ fabricated rectangular room comprising pre-built foam panels of varying height and width, means to attach the said foam panels side by side, subsequent means to mechanically adhere the bottom surface of the said foam panels to the room floor, means to mechanically adhere the top surface of the said foam panels to the room ceiling, means to attach said foam panels at right angles, and enclosing a floor space utilizing a combination of linear side-by-side attached foam panels terminated on four corners with foam panels attached at right angles. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention describes an in-situ fabricated room comprising pre-built high density polyethylene panels of varying height and width, means to attach the said panels side by side, means to mechanically adhere the bottom surface of the said panels to the room floor, and means to mechanically adhere the top surface of the said panels to the room ceiling. 
     In yet another embodiment, a method of assembling a wall in a basement includes disposing a non-organic plastic horizontally-extending floor member along a floor of the basement. A non-organic plastic first support beam is coupled to the floor member and oriented in a vertical direction. A non-organic plastic second support beam is coupled to the floor member in a vertical in a vertical orientation and laterally displaced from the first support beam. A closed-cell non-organic foam panel is disposed in an upwardly facing channel of the floor member and in a first vertical channel of the first support beam and a second vertical channel of a second support beam. A non-organic plastic top beam is disposed on a top side of the foam panel. 
     The above summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, or describe each embodiment, aspect, implementation, feature or advantage of the invention. The detailed technology and preferred embodiments for the subject invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the claimed invention. It is understood that the features mentioned hereinbefore and those to be commented on hereinafter may be used not only in the specified combinations, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an anchored in-situ fabricated wall unit offset from the original basement wall according to certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  according to certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 3A  is a depiction of an open area basement prior to the installation of an in-situ fabricated freestanding wall unit according to certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 3B  is a depiction of the basement area of  FIG. 3A  after installation of an in-situ fabricated freestanding wall unit according to certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic representation highlighting the anchoring of the in-situ fabricated wall unit to the ceiling and to the floor of a basement according to certain embodiments. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are detailed views of indicated portions of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a right angle adaptor according to certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of a vertical support beam according to certain embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following descriptions, the present invention will be explained with reference to various example embodiments; nevertheless, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention to any specific example, environment, application, or particular implementation described herein. Therefore, descriptions of these example embodiments are only provided for purpose of illustration rather than to limit the present invention. The invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     The various features or aspects discussed herein can also be combined in additional combinations and embodiments, whether or not explicitly discussed herein, without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     One example embodiment is depicted schematically in  FIGS. 1-2  wherein an in-situ fabricated wall unit  104  is shown partially constructed and standing vertically adjacent to, but not touching, the concrete block wall  102 , which forms the original basement wall. The in-situ fabricated wall unit  104  may be secured to the basement ceiling and floor by mechanical means as is depicted in  FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B . 
     This free standing construction, (i.e. as used herein the phrase “free standing” means not attached, adhered to or supported by the original basement wall) of the in-situ fabricated wall unit allows the room designer the flexibility of placing in-situ fabricated walls anywhere within the confines of the basement. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the in-situ fabricated walls  104  may be comprised of individual foam panels  105 , each being approximately 16 inches wide, disposed between opposing vertical support beams  109 . The beams as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 and 7  are I-beam shaped in cross-section so that they define adjacent channels  130   a  and  130   b  separated by a center rib  132 . Laterally extending inner and outer flange portions  134   a  and  134   b  retain the foam panels from moving toward and away from the concrete block wall  102 . The center ribs  132  of the opposing beams  105  prevent lateral movement of the foam panels  105 . 
     A floor member or adaptor beam  108  laterally traverses along the floor and defines an upwardly facing channel for receiving the foam panel  105 . The rear flange defining the channel is taller than the front flange. The front flange defines a top surface as shown in  FIG. 2 , which provides a rest for a wall covering  106 . 
     A top or ceiling member  111  laterally traverses along the top of the panels and is generally L-shaped in cross-section. A horizontal portion of the member contacts the top of the panel  105 , while the vertical portion abuts the rear of the panel  105  facing the concrete wall  102 . 
     The respective beams and foam panels discussed above preferably fit together with minimal gaps of play. This results in a very rigid yet lightweight wall assembly. 
     The height of the foam panels  105  and side beams  109  can span typically between 4 and 10 feet to accommodate varying ceiling heights. However other lengths can be used without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The wall system disclosed herein is modular and can be quickly and easily erected in-situ. As shown in  FIGS. 1-2, 4 and 5B , the floor member  108  is secured to the floor  200 , for example as shown in  FIG. 5B  using a concrete screw  201 . Then individual 16-inch wide foam panels  105  are disposed side-by-side with the interlocking vertically-oriented I-beam stud elements  109  disposed between adjacent panels. Thus, a linear wall of extended length may easily and quickly be erected. 
     The in-situ fabricated wall system  104  can be mechanically constrained at the ceiling by means of the L shaped bracket or beam  111  attached to the ceiling joist  205  by a screw  206  as depicted in  FIGS. 4 and 5A . 
     The front ledge or surface of the floor adapter  108  serves the dual purpose of supporting a sheet rock panel  106 , or similar material overcoat panel, to the in-situ fabricated wall  104  as shown in  FIGS. 1-2  and of raising the panel  106  above the floor level. A base board can be provided to cover the interior side of the seam between the panel and the ledge to present a more finished appearance to the basement. 
     Another feature, shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , are laterally-extending holes or passage  107  defined laterally through the foam panels  105  and vertical beams  109 . The passage  107  defines a path through which cable, electrical wiring, phone lines, pipes and conduits can be routed laterally through the in-situ fabricated wall  104 . 
     The foam panels  105  preferably comprise closed-cell polystyrene foam. Such material does not soak up water and is not organic, so it will resist mold growth and will not rot. The foam panels in one example embodiment are approximately two inches thick, which provides for a wall structure  104  having a thermal insulation R-10 value. In another embodiment, the foam panels  105  comprise closed-cell polystyrene foam with increased thickness up to and including 4 inches, which may yield a thermal insulation rating in the range of R-20. Other thicknesses and R-values can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The various wall beams  108 ,  109  and  111  are formed from an extruded non-organic plastic material. Again, such material does not soak up water and will resist mold growth and will not rot due to the lack of organic matter in its composition. Thus, the wall system described herein is well-suited for use in basements or other locations that are prone to moisture infiltration. 
     The various beams can be secured together with various means, including plastic screws, adhesives and glues. 
     The wall system described herein can be used to form free-standing walls to subdivide a given room. For example,  FIG. 3A  depicts a generic rectangular basement whose perimeter is defined by concrete block walls  102 . Using the wall system described herein, an in-situ free standing wall  104  can be formed within the basement as shown in  FIG. 3B  to sub-divide the basement space. 
     The ninety-degree corners are elected with a right angle or corner beam  110 , which is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 6 . The corner beam is universal in that the same beam can be used to form both outside corners  202  and inside corners  204 . The corner beam defines a first recess  112  in a first direction for receiving a first panel  105   a  and a second recess  114  in a ninety-degree offset direction for receiving a second panel  105   b.    
     The first recess  112  is defined by the intersection of a dividing section  116  extending in the first direction from the major leg  118  of an L-shaped base portion  120 . A minor leg  122  extends parallel to the dividing section and intersects the major leg  118  at a right angle, thereby defining the first recess  112 . 
     The second recess  114  is defined by the dividing section  116  intersecting the major leg  118  at a right angle and by a mid-rib extending normally away from the dividing section. 
     The different inside and outside corner configurations can be formed with the same corner beam configuration by simply vertically inverting the corner beam  110  to match the desired inside or outside configuration. 
     Corner beams having angles other than ninety degrees may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a corner beam configured to join foam panels at 72 degrees can be provided. 
     The wall system described herein also advantageously eliminates the traditional use of electrically conductive metal studs by using non-conductive materials throughout. Thus, the in-situ fabricated wall will reduce or eliminate spurious or unwanted electrical signals such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) from traversing through the wall  104 . This enhanced EMI suppressing feature may be highly desirable when the in-situ wall is constructed in such a manner to partition off adjacent work areas both utilizing computers or other electronic equipment which may otherwise generate spurious EMI radiation which could interfere with devices in the adjacent area. 
     In addition to the technical details described above, there are practical advantages associated with the physical dimensions of the modular foam panels and walls described herein. For example, with a width of approximately 16 inches, the individual foam panels  105  can easily fit thru basement windows if available, thereby eliminating the need for the construction team to transport materials through the main floor living area and potentially making a mess or breaking valuable household goods. 
     When the in-situ fabricated wall is described herein is covered with sheetrock or gypsum board (depicted in  FIG. 1 ) or similar material, the resultant structure has been demonstrated to have sufficient mechanical integrity such that typical household items as large flat screen TV&#39;s can be directly attached thereto without any additional support needed. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred example embodiments, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed example embodiments. It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and equivalent arrangements can be made thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, such scope to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent structures and products. 
     For purposes of interpreting the claims for the present invention, it is expressly intended that the provisions of Section 112, sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.