Insulated concrete form apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An insulated concrete form (ICF) is disclosed having a body. The body has a front wall and an opposing rear wall. The body includes at least one vertical passageway disposed therein that extends from the top and bottom surfaces of the body. The front, rear and side walls have an outer shell and an inner core, and the outer shell has an insert which extends from the outer shell to the inner core. A male interlock is located on the one wall and a female interlock is located on a second wall. The insulated concrete form is produced by using an insert molding process. Alternatively, the insulated concrete form may be produced by using a multiple density molding process.

1 . An insulated concrete form comprising: 
 a body formed of a material, the body having a first wall, a second wall, and a plurality of inner walls extending from an inner surface of the first wall to the inner surface of the second wall, the second wall spaced from the first wall in a substantially parallel orientation;    a plurality of passageways for receiving concrete extending vertically through the body, the passageways separated from one another by the inner walls; and    a plate-like structure disposed within one or more of the inner walls, the plate-like structure constructed of a material that has a greater rigidity, density and/or hardness than the material of the body.    
   
   
       2 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  wherein the plate-like structure is disposed within the one or more inner walls in a substantially vertical orientation.  
   
   
       3 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 2  wherein the plate-like structure is disposed within the one or more inner walls so that a portion of the plate-like structure protrudes from a top surface of the inner wall and a portion of the plate-like structure protrudes from the bottom surface of the inner wall; and wherein the plate-like structure comprises one or more indentations in a top edge of the plate-like structure for receiving rebar and one or more indentations in a bottom edge of the plate-like structure for receiving rebar.  
   
   
       4 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 3  wherein the one or more indentations are semi-circular in shape.  
   
   
       5 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first channel extending the length of the body between the first and second walls, the first channel being located at the top of the body and above the inner walls;    a second channel extending the length of the body between the first and second walls, the second channel being located at the bottom of the body and below the inner walls;    wherein the plate-like structure is disposed within the one or more inner walls in a substantially vertical orientation so that a portion of the plate-like structure protrudes from a top surface of the inner wall into the first channel and a portion of the plate-like structure protrudes from the bottom surface of the inner wall into the second channel; and    wherein when two of the insulated concrete forms are arranged in a stacked assembly, the first channel of one of the insulated concrete forms is in spatial communication with the second channel of the other of the insulated concrete forms so as to form a substantially horizontal passageway for receiving concrete.    
   
   
       6 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  wherein one of the plate-like structures is disposed within each inner wall of the body.  
   
   
       7 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  wherein one of the plate-like structures is disposed within every second or third of the inner walls of the body.  
   
   
       8 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  wherein the plate-like structure comprises a central plate, a first end plate and a second end plate, the first and second end plates connected to opposing lateral edges of the central plate so as to be substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the central plate, wherein the central plate is disposed within the inner wall of the body and the first and second end plates are disposed within the first and second walls of the body respectively.  
   
   
       9 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 8  wherein the first and second end plates have a major planar surface, the major planar surfaces of the first and second end plates being substantially parallel to the outer surfaces of the first and second walls respectively.  
   
   
       10 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first channel extending the length of the body between the first and second walls, the first channel being located at the top of the body and above the inner walls; and    a second channel extending the length of the body between the first and second walls, the second channel being located at the bottom of the body and below the inner walls.    
   
   
       11 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 10  wherein when two of the insulated concrete forms are arranged in a stacked assembly, the first channel of one of the insulated concrete forms is in spatial communication with the second channel of the other one of the insulated concrete forms so as to form a substantially horizontal passageway for receiving concrete.  
   
   
       12 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  wherein the body comprises a core portion and a shell portion, the core portion constructed of a foam having a first density and the shell constructed of a foam having a second density, wherein the first density is greater than the second density.  
   
   
       13 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 12  wherein the body is formed of a foam material.  
   
   
       14 . The insulated concrete from of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of male interlocks protruding from a top surface of the first wall and a plurality of female depressions located in the top surface of the second wall, the female depressions corresponding to the male interlocks in size and shape.  
   
   
       15 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 14  wherein the top surface of the first wall is free of female depressions and the top surface of the second wall is free of protruding male interlocks.  
   
   
       16 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 a plurality of the male interlocks protruding from the bottom surface of the second wall and a plurality of the female depressions located in the bottom surface of the first wall; and    wherein when two of the insulated concrete forms are arranged in a stacked assembly: (i) the male interlocks on the top surface of the first wall of one of the insulated concrete forms slidably mates with the female depressions on the bottom surface of the first wall of the other of the insulated concrete forms; and (ii) the male interlocks on the bottom surface of the second wall of the other of the insulated concrete forms slidably mates with the female depressions on the top surface of the second wall of the one of the insulated concrete forms.    
   
   
       17 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  further comprising one or more grooves in an outer surface of the first and second walls.  
   
   
       18 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 17  wherein the groove has a cross-sectional profile that is a dove-tail shape, a substantially L shape, or a substantially T-shape.  
   
   
       19 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  further comprising a first end wall and a second end wall, the first end wall connecting the first and second walls at a first end of the body and the second end wall connecting the first and second walls at a second end of the body.  
   
   
       20 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first channel extending the length of the body between the first and second walls, the first channel being located at the top of the body and above the inner walls;    a second channel extending the length of the body between the first and second walls, the second channel being located at the bottom of the body and below the inner walls;    wherein the plate-like structure comprises a central plate, a first end plate and a second end plate, the first and second end plates connected to opposing lateral edges of the central plate, wherein the central plate is disposed within the inner wall in a substantially vertical orientation and the first and second end plates are disposed within the first and second walls of the body respectively; and    wherein a top portion of the central plate of the plate-like structure protrudes from a top surface of the inner wall into the first channel and a bottom portion of the central plate of the plate-like structure protrudes from the bottom surface of the inner wall into the second channel.    
   
   
       21 . The insulted concrete form of  claim 1  wherein the body is constructed of an expanded polystyrene and the plate-like insert is constructed of a plastic, a metal, an alloy or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       22 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1  wherein the plate-like structure comprises a plurality of cutouts, the material of the body passing through the cutouts.  
   
   
       23 . An insulated concrete form comprising: 
 a body formed of a material, the body having a plurality of passageways for receiving concrete extending vertically through the body, the passageways separated from one another by inner walls; and    a plate-like structure disposed within one or more of the inner walls, the plate-like structure constructed of a material that has a greater rigidity, density and/or hardness than the material of the body.    
   
   
       24 . An apparatus for incorporation into an insulated concrete form constructed of a material to provide added structural integrity, the plate-like apparatus comprising: 
 a central plate having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; and    a first end plate connected to the first lateral edge of the central plate so as to be oriented substantially perpendicular to the central plate.    
   
   
       38 . An insulated concrete form comprising: 
 a body having a first wall, a second wall, and a plurality of inner walls extending from an inner surface of the first wall to the inner surface of the second wall, the second wall spaced from the first wall in a substantially parallel orientation;    a plurality of passageways for receiving concrete extending vertically through the body, the passageways separated from one another by the inner walls; and    wherein the body comprises a core portion and shell portion, the core portion constructed of a material having a first density and the shell constructed of a material having a second density, wherein the first density is greater than the second density.