Reinforced foam building components and structures made therefrom

Abstract

The instant invention features reinforced foam building components, and methods to form affordable, energy efficient structures assembled from a plurality of panel assemblies with common features. The structures are anchored to the foundation by straps passing through the panel assemblies and attached to the foundation. The structure, the panel assemblies, the anchoring system and the assembly methods, comprise a building system for dwellings and other structures.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A reinforced building component comprising: a foam slab, generally a rectangular parallelepiped with width and length greater than the thickness, a recess area disposed along the complete length of a side that includes the shortest edge, a reinforcing member, a fixing means for securing said reinforcing member to said foam slab at the surface defined by said recess area, and a passageway comprising the area of said recess area not filled by said reinforcing member and said fixing means.  
     
     
         2 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said foam slab is expanded polystyrene.  
     
     
         3 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said recess area is a channel with uniform rectangular cross section.  
     
     
         4 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said recess area is a channel with uniform dovetail cross section.  
     
     
         5 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing member is a steel stud.  
     
     
         6 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said fixing means is adhesive.  
     
     
         7 . The reinforced building component of  claim 6  wherein said foam slab is polystyrene, said recess area is a dovetail, said recess area is offset from the centerline of said side, said reinforcing member is a steel stud, and said adhesive is polyurethane.  
     
     
         8 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said fixing means is thermal welding.  
     
     
         9 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  wherein said recess area is offset from the centerline of the side.  
     
     
         10 . The reinforced building component of  claim 1  further comprising a second recess disposed on the opposite side of said foam slab.  
     
     
         11 . The reinforced building component of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a reinforcing member, and fixing means for securing said reinforcing member in said second recess area.  
 
     
     
         12 . A window panel assembly comprising said reinforced building component of claim I further comprising: a window mounting surface area disposed in said foam slab, a window assembly, a fixing means to attach said window assembly to said window mounting surface area, a window trim foam component, a fixing means to attach said window trim foam component to said window assembly and said foam slab.  
     
     
         13 . A door panel assembly comprising said reinforced building component of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a door mounting tang disposed in said foam slab a door and frame assembly a fixing means to attach said door and frame assembly to said door mounting tang  
 
     
     
         14 . A method for constructing said window panel assembly of  claim 12  comprising (a) proving a reinforced building component of  claim 1  (b) providing removal means for said foam slab (c) providing a window assembly with a mounting flange (d) providing a window trim foam component (e) use said removal means to provide a window mounting surface in said reinforced foam building component sized for said window assembly mounting flange (f) further use removal means to provide a window opening perpendicular to said window mounting surface of said reinforced building component (g) provide fixing means to secure said window assembly to said mounting surface areas (h) providing fixing means to secure said window foam trim component to said window assembly (i) providing fixing means to secure said window foam trim component to said reinforced foam building component (j) fix said window assembly to said window mounting surface, (i) fix said window trim foam component to said window assembly and said foam slab  
     
     
         15 . A method for window panel assembly of  claim 14  wherein said fixing means is adhesive.  
     
     
         16  A method for window panel assembly of  claim 14  wherein said removal means is hot wire cutting.  
     
     
         17 . A method for constructing a door panel assembly comprising (a) providing a reinforced building component of  claim 1  (b) providing removal means for said foam slab (c) providing a door and frame assembly with mounting channel (d) providing fixing means to secure said door frame assembly to said reinforced foam building component (e) use said removal means to provide a door opening through said reinforced building component (f) further use said removal means to provide a door mounting tang in said reinforced building component (g) attach a door and frame assembly to said door mounting tang by apply fixing means to said door and frame assembly mounting channel to door mounting tang.  
     
     
         18  A static structure comprising at least one said reinforced construction component of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         19  A static structure of  claim 16  further comprising said window panel assembly of  claim 7 .  
     
     
         20  A static structure of  claim 16  further comprising said door panel assembly of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         21 . A method for an extended passageway in said static structure of  claim 18  comprising: (a) providing a first reinforced building component of  claim 1  (b) providing a second a second reinforced building component of  claim 1  (c) locate said first reinforced building component such that said passageway is in proximity to said passageway of said second reinforced building component.  
     
     
         22 . A method for constructing static structures from a plurality of said reinforced building components of  claim 1  comprising: (a) providing a first reinforced building component of  claim 1  (b) providing a foundation for the structure (c) apply fixing means to attach said first building component on said foundation (d) providing a second reinforced building component of  claim 1  (e) apply fixing means to attach said second reinforcing building component to said foundation and said first second reinforced building component, (f) repeat steps (d) and (e) with additional reinforced building components until the floor is complete (g) providing a third reinforced building component of  claim 1  (h) applying fixing means to attach said third reinforced building component vertically perpendicular to the edge of said floor, orientated with said side of said foam slab containing said recess horizontally perpendicular to said edge of said floor. (i) repeat steps (g) and (h) with additional reinforced building components until the walls are complete (j) providing a forth reinforced building component of  claim 1  (k) applying fixing means to attach said forth reinforced building component horizontally perpendicular to said walls, orientated with said side of said foam slab containing said recess horizontally perpendicular to said wall. (l) repeat steps (g) and (h) with additional reinforced building components until the roof is complete  
     
     
         23 . A method for structure anchoring for static structures of  claim 18  comprising (a) providing a foundation with structure anchoring means disposed in pairs on opposite areas of said foundation (b) providing a static structure of  claim 18  with said extended passageways of  claim 19  on said foundation (c) providing an anchoring strapping means (e) providing fixing means to attach said anchoring strapping means to said foundation anchoring means (f) routing said anchoring strapping means through said extended passageway in walls and roof panels to opposite said anchoring means (g) attach said anchoring strapping means to said anchoring means with said fixing means (h) repeat steps (c) through (g) if more than one said anchor strap is disposed  
     
     
         24 . An edge passageway comprising: 
 a first reinforced building components of  claim 1 , a second reinforced building component of  claim 1  orientated perpendicular and fixed to said first reinforced building component, a trim foam component generally rectangular in cross section with a portion of one corner removed, and fixing means to simultaneously attach said trim component to said first reinforced building component and to said second reinforced building component orientated to form said edge passageway along the interior edge,    
     
     
         25 . A static structure of  claim 18  further comprising at least one said edge passageway of  claim 22 .  
     
     
         26 . The structure anchoring method of  claim 22  wherein said anchoring strapping means is a metal band.