Modular Housing Unit

Abstract

A building constructed of pre-formed profiles made from a composite plastic and wood chip material uses standardized profiles for floor, wall, truss, and roof members. The wall profiles are connected using H shaped connector profiles and interfitting notches along with standard fasteners. The entire structure is reinforced by a series of anchor bands passing over roof trusses and opposing walls.

1 . A building, having exterior and interior walls and a roof, made from a plastic-based composite of a plurality of wood particles uniformly blended into a thermoplastic polymer, wherein
 a. said exterior walls are made from a plurality of wall profiles extruded as generally elongated rectangular tubular members having first and second opposite longitudinal edges extending in profile direction, which longitudinal edges are provided with a first and second coupling member, respectively, wherein said first coupling member defines an accommodation recess space for receiving a protrusion formed on a second coupling member at a second longitudinal edge of another wall profile when assembled therewith, and   b. said roof is made from a plurality of roof profiles extruded from said plastic-based composite having interlocking couplings formed on each longitudinal edge thereof,   c. said roof supported by said walls and a plurality of trusses made from a plurality of truss profiles extruded from said plastic-based composite,   
       wherein said plurality of wall profiles and truss profiles interlock and are secured by straps extending from the bottom of one wall over selected ones of said plurality of said truss profiles to the bottom of an opposite wall. 
     
     
         2 . A building as defined in  claim 1  wherein said exterior walls comprise multiple wall profiles oriented with said first coupling member facing downwardly with each wall profile coupled to at least one superjacent wall profile until said exterior walls reach a predetermined height, wherein selected ones of said exterior walls are perpendicular and interlock at each intersection of said exterior walls with each other. 
     
     
         3 . A building as defined in  claim 2  further comprising at least one interior wall formed from the same profiles as said exterior walls with said profiles oriented transversely to at least one exterior wall and interlocking with said at least one exterior wall. 
     
     
         4 . A building as defined in  claim 2  wherein each of said wall profiles weighs between about 3.2 and 3.8 pounds per linear foot. 
     
     
         5 . A building as defined in  claim 4  wherein each of said wall profiles weighs about 3.5 pounds per linear foot. 
     
     
         6 . A building as defined in  claim 2  wherein each of said wall profiles is no greater than twelve feet long. 
     
     
         7 . A building as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each profile in said exterior walls is sufficiently light weight to permit placement on a subjacent profile by hand. 
     
     
         8 . A building as defined  claim 2  wherein at least one exterior wall has a length equal to or greater than the length of two wall profiles such that said wall profiles are connected end to end to form said at least one exterior wall by interstitial connecter profiles extruded from said plastic-based composite. 
     
     
         9 . A building as defined in  claim 8  wherein each of said wall profiles weighs about 3.5 pounds per linear foot and each of said connecter profiles weighs between about 1.0 and 2.0 pounds per linear foot. 
     
     
         10 . A building as defined in  claim 9  wherein each of said plurality of roof profiles weighs between about 1.5 pounds per linear foot and 2.5 pounds per linear foot. 
     
     
         11 . A building as defined in  claim 2 , wherein each profile in said exterior walls is sufficiently light weight to permit placement on a subjacent profile by hand. 
     
     
         12 . A building as defined in  claim 2  wherein said truss profiles are supported on said exterior walls and interlock therewith. 
     
     
         13 . A building as defined in  claim 12  wherein said plurality of truss profiles support a plurality of purlin profiles extruded from said plastic-based composite. 
     
     
         14 . A building as defined in  claim 13  wherein each of said wall profiles weighs between about 3.2 and 3.8 pounds per linear foot, each of said plurality of roof profiles weigh between about 1.5 and 2.5 pounds per linear foot, and each purlin profile of said plurality of purlin profiles weighs less than about 1.0 pounds per linear foot. 
     
     
         15 . A building as defined in  claim 1  wherein exterior and interior walls and a roof are made from a plastic-based composite of a plurality of wood particles uniformly blended into a thermoplastic polymer such that each of said walls and roof may be shredded and reused for manufacturing of profiles for use in similar buildings. 
     
     
         16 . A building as defined in  claim 7  wherein said profiles may be affixed to each other with threaded members inserted with a hand tool. 
     
     
         17 . A building as defined in  claim 7  wherein said profiles forming said walls and roof are designed for assembly into said walls and roof by hand by unskilled laborers. 
     
     
         18 . A building as defined in  claim 1  wherein the weight of said building is about 10000 pounds/1000 square feet. 
     
     
         19 . A building as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the average weight of said building is about 10 pounds per square foot.