Modular Building System

Abstract

A modular building system for configuring a building structure includes foundation units, a plurality of wall panels, a plurality of wall joints and a roof unit. The foundation units are retained by an anchoring member or ballast contained in the units. The foundation units and wall panels are detachably attached as the engaging members and the complementary engaging members engage to each other and create a space with a top opening. Adjacent wall panels are attached by a plurality of wall joints. The roof unit comprises roof panels and joints engage with one another and with wall panels for covering the top opening of the building structure.

1 . A modular building system for configuring a building structure, the modular building system comprising:
 at least one foundation unit,
 said foundation unit comprising a base and an at least one wall extending upwardly from said base at a periphery of the base of said unit, said wall including a channel and a shelf therein, and 
 said foundation unit further comprising at least one aperture disposed on a top side of the at least one wall thereof; 
   a plurality of wall panels each of the plurality of wall panels having engagement features thereon, which engagement features permit removable attachment of each wall panel of the plurality of panels to a channel of a foundation unit of at least one foundation unit, and which engagement features further permit removable attachment of each wall panel of the plurality of panels to a wall joint of the modular building system;   a plurality of wall joints, said wall joints comprising engagement features thereon, which engagement features permit removable attachment to at least one foundation unit, at least one panel, and a roof unit; and   a roof unit,
 said roof unit comprising a plurality of roof panels and a plurality of roof joints, wherein said roof joints attach to said roof panels and connect the roof panels of the plurality of roof panels to one another, 
 said plurality of roof panels further comprising engagement features, which engagement features facilitate attachment of said panels to said wall panels of a modular building system, and 
 said plurality of roof joints further comprising engagement features, which engagement features facilitate attachment of said joints to at least one wall joint of a modular building system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The modular building system of  claim 1 , the system further comprising at least one floor panel, said floor panel comprising a substantially planar unit with a first face and a second face with engagement features disposed on the second face thereof that permit secure attachment of said floor panel to a shelf of a foundation unit of the modular building system. 
     
     
         3 . The foundation unit of  claim 1 , wherein the base of said foundation unit further comprises at least one aperture thereon, which at least one aperture may accept an anchoring member therethrough, for securing the foundation unit to a surface. 
     
     
         4 . The foundation unit of  claim 3 , wherein said anchoring member comprises one of an elongate stake and an elongate shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The foundation unit of  claim 1 , wherein said unit comprises a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base of said unit, which plurality of walls form a cavity within said unit, and within which cavity a container of ballast may be placed. 
     
     
         6 . The plurality of wall panels of  claim 1 , each of which wall panel of the plurality of wall panels further comprises at least one channel disposed on a face thereof, and which panels may further comprise a plurality of apertures that are disposed through said panel substantially parallel and adjacent to said channel, and at least one insulating member disposed on at least one side of each panel of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         7 . The plurality of wall joints of  claim 1 , wherein the engagement features of the at least one wall joint of the plurality of wall joints comprises an elongate quadrilateral shaft with a first end and a second end, and a first channel and a second channel disposed on the exterior of said shaft, an aperture at the first end of said shaft, and a foundation tooth at the second end of said shaft,
 wherein said first channel is configured to receive and securely retain a side of a wall panel, and   wherein said second channel is configured to receive and securely retain a wall joint extension;   wherein said aperture is configured to receive and securely retain engagement features of at least one roof joint; and   wherein said foundation tooth is configured to be received in and securely retained by an aperture disposed on a top side of a foundation unit.   
     
     
         8 . The roof unit of  claim 1 , wherein each roof panel of said plurality of roof panels comprises a substantially planar triangular unit, and wherein the engagement features of said panels comprise a tooth disposed along each side of the triangle of the triangular unit, and
 wherein each roof joint of the plurality of roof joints comprises a substantially flat elongate member that has as a length dimension that corresponds to a length dimension of the side of the roof panel to which a roof joint is attached, and each roof joint comprises a groove as an engagement feature for secure attachment to the tooth of a roof panel; and   wherein said roof unit further comprises a roof apex cap that may receive a portion of each roof joint of the plurality of roof joints and a portion of each roof panel of the plurality of roof panels for securing said joints and panels at a central point.   
     
     
         9 . The roof panel of  claim 8 , said roof panel further comprising a bar that is disposed on an underside of said panel along a side of said panel that is proximate to a wall panel of a modular building, which bar comprises a pair of prongs that extend over a side of a wall panel onto the at least one channel of a wall panel for removable attachment of a roof panel to a wall panel. 
     
     
         10 . The roof joint of  claim 8 , wherein said joint further comprises at least one roof joint tooth and at least one roof joint stay,
 wherein said roof joint tooth comprises a square-shaped flange that extends away from an underside of a roof joint at location on said roof joint that corresponds to a wall joint against which a roof joint may be disposed, and wherein said roof joint tooth may be received in an aperture of a first end of a wall joint,
 wherein said roof joint tooth further comprises at least one aperture therein, which at least one aperture may receive a pin therethrough for further securing the tooth and roof joint within a wall joint or to the building structure; 
   wherein said at least one roof joint stay comprises a protuberance that extends away from an underside of said roof joint, which at least one roof joint stay may be so position on said underside that, when a roof joint is position in proximity to a wall joint, the at least one roof joint stay is immediately adjacent to and conforms to the exterior of a shaft of a wall joint to which the roof joint is proximate.   
     
     
         11 . The modular building system of  claim 1 , the system further comprising at least one wall joint extension, said wall joint extension comprising s substantially elongate unit, which unit may be received in a foundation unit in proximity to a wall joint that is also received in a foundation unit, and which wall joint may be adjacent to a wall panel and may extend along a dimension of said wall panel for providing support to the wall panel of a building structure. 
     
     
         12 . The foundation unit of  claim 5 , wherein said walls of said foundation unit comprise a plurality of apertures extending perpendicularly through said walls, which apertures may, when a plurality of foundation units are disposed against one another, receive pins that may extend from the plurality of apertures of one foundation unit into the plurality of apertures of another foundation unit for securely retaining each of the foundation units in a desired position or configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The foundation unit of  claim 1 , wherein said walls of said foundation unit comprise a plurality of apertures extending parallely through said walls, which apertures may, when a plurality of foundation units are disposed against one another, receive pins that may extend from the plurality of apertures of one foundation unit into the plurality of apertures of another foundation unit for securely retaining each of the foundation units in a desired position or configuration.