Patent Publication Number: US-2022228369-A1

Title: Multi-purpose building block, and a building system comprising the same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to modular building blocks and systems, and more particularly to a building block and a modular building system that can be used in building modular walls and architectural elements like columns and beams with utility holing capabilities. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Modular building blocks and walls are known in the art, most of them depend on existing walls. For instance, the U.S. Pat. No. 7,627,983 discloses a living wall made of a plurality of planter tiles and base tiles configured to be joined in edge abutting fashion to tessellate a vertical surface. Planter tiles include a curved coffer wall extending from a front surface of the base panel to define an upwardly opening container for soil and plants. Base tiles and planter tiles may be fabricated from a porous material that allows a soaker supply at the top of the tile layout to water the entire vertical matrix by seepage through the tiles. 
     The international patent publication number 2017058611 discloses a green wall that is designed to be utilized in warmer climates, such as subtropical and tropical climates, by utilizing hexagonal shaped modules for housing soil and vegetation. These hexagonal shaped modules overlap one another on a vertical structure (e.g., trellis) in such a manner as to shade underneath modules. Furthermore, these hexagonal shaped modules are slanted downward to aid in soil volume and thermal reduction as well as to keep roots cool and maximize water availability. 
     The U.S. patent publication number US20150176287 discloses a system for mounting wall panels to a wall includes wall panels, each including a main wall panel section, and four bent end sections extending from edges of the main wall panel section; a plurality of main fastening extrusions, each including a base secured to the wall, two spaced apart post walls extending from the base section, and two bent end securing walls extending from the base on opposite sides of each post wall, with a spacing between each post wall and an adjacent bent end securing wall being equal to the wall thickness of one bent end section; and a recess at a first surface of each bent end section which faces a second surface of a respective bent end securing wall, and a projection at the second surface of each bent end securing wall which is adapted to be received in a respective recess. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a modular building block and a modular building system including a plurality of modular building blocks. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure provides a modular building block of a unique design that allows such modular block to resist bending moments, thus making such block suitable for building beams or columns with the ability of holding a variety of systems such as electrical wirings and/or fluids flowing in internal ducts. 
     In aspects of the present disclosure, the modular building block may include a body with an upper end and a lower end; one or more main compartments; and one or more inner pass-through openings, wherein the upper end may have a first upper cut, a second upper cut, and one or more protrusions, and wherein the lower end may have a first lower cut and one or more slots. 
     In some aspects, the body of the modular building block may have a shape substantially resembling a trapezoid. 
     In yet other aspects, the body of the modular building block may have a shape substantially resembling a hexagon. 
     In some aspects, the one or more main compartments may be configured to receive plants, books, or any other stuff. 
     In some aspects, the modular building block may further include a front separable cover  200  and a back separable cover  203 , each having a plurality of fixtures  4 , such front and back covers  200 ,  203  may be configured to cover the one or more main compartments. 
     In some aspects, the body of the modular building block may include a plurality of holes. 
     In some aspects, the modular building block of the present disclosure can be customized to address different problems, including but not limited to, heat insulation and sound insulation. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure further provide a building system including a plurality of the modular building blocks separably connected to each other vertically and horizontally, and a base. 
     In some aspects, the building system may further include means for fixing the system against a rigid body, such as a ceiling. 
     In some aspects, the means for fixing the system against the rigid body may include a body, power screws, and/or fixing elements. 
     The building system using the modular building block of the present disclosure can be considered as an architectural do-it-yourself project for both interior and exterior uses with minimal need for specialized tools. It can also be uninstalled easily without keeping any marks of permanent fixtures. 
     In some aspects, the building system of the present disclosure can be used for remodeling activities in an interior target space. 
     In some aspects, the building system of the present disclosure may be used for fishkeeping. 
     In other aspects, the one or more slots may be configured to receive the protrusion of a vertically adjacent building block in the building system of the present disclosure. 
     The base of the building system in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more openings to receive a substantial part of the modular building block, a lifting mechanism, and a handle in operable communication with the lifting mechanism. 
     In some aspects, the lifting mechanism may include scissors-type mechanism. 
     The lifting mechanism in aspects of the present disclosure may be configured to change the elevation of the modular building blocks in the system of the present disclosure. This would allow to fix the system in place against a ceiling. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, without however limiting the scope of protection thereto, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a lower perspective view of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an upper perspective view of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of a front separable cover of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a back view of a front separable cover of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a back view of a back separable cover of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a first joining member of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a second joining member of a modular building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates upper perspective view of two modular building blocks configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure horizontally connected with each other. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a schematic diagram of a building system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective view of exemplary means for fixing a building system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure against a rigid body. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the present disclosure provides a modular multi-purpose building block configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the multi-purpose building block in embodiments of the present disclosure may include a body  100  with a lower end  10  and an upper end  11 . The upper end  11  may have a first upper cut  13 , a second upper cut  14 , and one or more protrusions  15 . The lower end  10  may have a first lower cut  12 , a second lower cut  120 , and one or more slots  110 . The modular building block of the present disclosure may further include one or more main compartments, i.e. a first main compartment  16 , a second main compartment  17 , and one or more inner pass-through opening  19 . 
     The body  100  may further include a first set of tapered lateral protrusions that may define a first dove-tail lateral passageway  50 , and a second set of tapered lateral protrusions that may define a second dove-tail lateral passageway  51 . 
     Reference is now being made to  FIGS. 7-9  with continued reference to  FIGS. 1-3 . In order to connect two horizontally adjacent blocks in embodiments of the present disclosure, the edges of the first dove-tail passageway  50  of two horizontally adjacent blocks are mated with each other, and a first joining member  500  is inserted in the space gap formed by mating the edges of the two passageways  50 . Alternatively, the edges of the second dove-tail passageway  51  of two horizontally adjacent blocks are mated with each other, and a second joining member  510  is inserted in the space gap formed by mating the edges of the two passageways  51 . 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the first joining member  500  may be a tube-like element having a polygonal profile having substantially a square shape with two opposed indentations  53 . The opposed indentations allow for the insertion of the first joining member  500  to be inserted in the space gap formed by mating the edges of the two passageways  50 . The first joining element  500  may also have two opposed intrusions  55 , each in proximity to one end of the member. It may also have a plurality of holes  18  that are configured to receive fixtures of the front cover  200  or the back cover  203 . 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the second joining member  510  may be a tube-like element having a polygonal profile having substantially a square shape with two opposed indentations  53 . The opposed indentations allow for the insertion of the second joining member  510  to be inserted in the space gap formed by mating the edges of the two passageways  51 . The second joining element  510  may also have two opposed extrusions  54 , each in proximity to one end of the member. It may also have a plurality of holes  18  that are configured to receive fixtures of the front cover  200  or the back cover  203 . 
     The intrusions  55  of the first joining member  500  may be configured to receive the extrusions  54  of the second joining member  510  of a vertically adjacent connection between two modular building blocks configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the lower end  10  may be configured to receive an upper end  11  of an adjacent modular multi-purpose building block, such that each of the one or more slots  110  may be configured to receive one of the one or more protrusions  15  of the adjacent block. Such reception allows two adjacent blocks to be vertically interlocked with each other. 
     When a block of the present disclosure is interlocked with the vertically adjacent block, the inner pass-through openings  19  of the two blocks may form a duct-shaped space gap. Such space gap may be air-tight to be capable of receiving electrical or telecommunications wiring, and/or plumbing connections or flowing fluids when chambers are water-tight. 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second main compartments  16 ,  17  may be configured to receive plants, books or any other stuff. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-6 , in embodiments of the present disclosure, the modular multi-purpose building block may have a plurality of holes  18 , such holes are configured to receive fixtures of a front cover  200  and back cover  203  and/or pins  4  to further provide robustness and cover the first and second main compartments  16 ,  17 . 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the connection between the front and back covers  200 ,  203  and the plurality of holes  18  may be achieved through a press-fit mechanism. The body  100  may further include one or more grooves, for example two grooves  201 ,  202  that are configured to receive gaskets and/or protrusions  204  of the font and back covers  200 ,  203 . 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the front cover  200  may include one or more planting pots  2000  configured to receive one or more plants. 
     In some embodiments, the body  100  may have a shape substantially resembling a trapezoid. 
     In other embodiments, the body  100  may have a shape substantially resembling a hexagon. 
     The design of the modular building block as described in the present disclosure allows the building block to resist bending moments and compression forces and moment and can connect to other building blocks to form a modular wall system with the ability to distribute the forces in a way that reduces the stresses on each individual block. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10-11 , the present disclosure further provides a building system including one or more modular interlocked multi-purpose building blocks as described above in the present disclosure, and a base  2 . The base  2  may include fixing elements  20  configured to receive a substantial part of the one or more modular multi-purpose building blocks, and a lifting mechanism  21  configured to change the elevation of the one or more modular multi-purpose building blocks with reference to a static rigid body, and a handle  22  configured to actuate the lifting mechanism  21 . 
     In some embodiments, the fixing elements  20  may have a design that is substantially similar to the upper end of the body  100  of the building block of the present disclosure. 
     In some embodiments, the fixing elements may be separably connected to the base  2 . 
     The interlocking action between two adjacent modular building in the system of the present disclosure allows the system to resist bending moments, thus making it suitable for constructing beams or columns. 
     In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism  21  may include a scissors-type lift. 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the base  2  may have a fluid reservoir  23 . 
     In some embodiments, the base  2  may be in fluid connection with a pump configured to pump fluid from the fluid reservoir  23  to the one or more main compartments  16 ,  17 . 
     The system in embodiments of the present disclosure may further include means for fixing the system against a rigid body  3 , the rigid body may be a ceiling or a wall (not shown), wherein such means may include a body  30 , and one or more power screws  31 , or one or more fixing elements  520 . 
     In embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more fixing elements  520  may include a multiple coaxial double threaded member  57  with a flange  56 . The multiple coaxial double threaded members  57  can move in a coaxial twisting movement relative to each other, and the flange  56  may be configured to be tangential to the rigid body  30 . 
     The components forming the system of the present disclosure may be manufactured from food-grade materials, such as high-density polyethylene, or concrete depending on the type of application. 
     The building system of the present disclosure can be considered as an architectural do-it-yourself project for interior use without any need for specialized tools. 
     In some embodiments, the building system of the present disclosure can be used for remodeling activities in an interior target space. 
     In other embodiments, the building system of the present disclosure may be used for fishkeeping. 
     As used herein, the term “adjacent” may refer to an object that is touching another object and share the same vertical line. 
     In the present disclosure, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     As used herein, the term “and/or” when used in the context of a listing of entities, refers to the entities being present singly or in combination. Thus, for example, the phrase “A, B, C, and/or D” includes A, B, C, and D individually, but also includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of A, B, C, and D. 
     While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various additions, omissions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Although the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention but is merely representative of embodiments of this invention. Embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only.