US2012216483A9PendingUtilityA9

Construction block

38
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Dec 15, 2006Filed: Apr 7, 2011Published: Aug 30, 2012
Est. expiryDec 15, 2026(~0.4 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Burke A. Herron
E04B 2/86E04B 2/84E04H 9/04F42D 5/045E04C 1/395F41H 11/08
38
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A construction block is provided that includes at least one base member that includes a plurality of lower side wall receptacles. The construction block further includes a plurality of side wall assemblies. Each of the side wall assemblies includes a plurality of interconnected panels. Each of the panels is hingedly connected to each adjacent one of the panels of the respective one of the side wall assemblies. Each of the side wall assemblies defines a hollow load chamber having an open top and an open bottom. At least some of the panels of each of the side wall assemblies are angled relative to one another. Each of the lower side wall receptacles receives one of the side wall assemblies.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
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         40 . A method of building a modular structure, the method comprising:
 providing a kit of construction block components comprising a plurality of base members and a plurality of side wall assemblies, each of the side wall assemblies comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels, each of the side wall assemblies being movable between a collapsed configuration and an erected configuration, wherein each of the side wall assemblies define, in the erected configuration, a hollow load chamber having an open top and an open bottom;   constructing a first plurality of sets of the side wall assemblies, each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies comprising at least two of the side wall assemblies in the erected configuration and connected to one another; and   building a base layer of the structure comprising:   arranging a first plurality of the base members of the kit adjacent to one another on a support surface; and   releasably engaging each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies with a respective adjacent pair of the first plurality of the base members.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein:
 providing the kit further comprises providing a plurality of lids; and   building the base layer of the structure further comprises arranging a first plurality of the lids such that each of the first plurality of the lids releasably engages a respective one of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies of the base layer.   
     
     
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         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein:
 each of the base members of the kit defines a plurality of lower side wall receptacles; and   each of the side wall assemblies of each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies is received by a respective one of the lower side wall receptacles defined by a respective one of the first plurality of the base members.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein:
 each of the lids of the kit comprises a lower surface and an upper boundary flange cooperating with the lower surface to define a pair of upper side wall receptacles; and   each of the side wall assemblies of each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies of the base layer is received within a respective one of the upper side wall receptacles of a respective one of the first plurality of the lids.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 at least partially filling at least some of the load chambers of the base layer with ballast material.   
     
     
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         47 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein:
 each of the base members of the kit, each of the side wall assemblies of the kit and each of the lids of the kit comprise a thermoplastic material.   
     
     
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         56 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein:
 each of the panels of each of the side wall assemblies of the kit comprises first and second sides and a central portion extending between the first and second sides, the central portion having an inner surface and a generally planar outer surface, the generally planar outer surfaces of at least some of the panels of each of the side wall assemblies, when in the erected configuration, being angled relative to one another.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein for each respective one of the side wall assemblies of the kit, when viewed in transverse cross-section and when the side wall assembly is in the erected configuration:
 the generally planar outer surfaces of the central portions of the panels cooperate to define a polygon.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein:
 the polygon is an octagon.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein:
 each of the panels of each of the side wall assemblies of the kit further comprises a first end flange and a second end flange; and   for each of the panels of each of the side wall assemblies of the kit, the central portion of the panel extends between the first end flange and the second end flange, the first end flange and the second end flange being offset inwardly from the generally planar outer surface of the central portion.   
     
     
         60 . A method of building a modular structure, the method comprising:
 providing a kit of construction block components comprising a plurality of base members, a plurality of lids and a plurality of side wall assemblies, each of the side wall assemblies comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels, each of the side wall assemblies being movable between a collapsed configuration and an erected configuration, wherein each of the side wall assemblies define, in the erected configuration, a hollow load chamber having an open top and an open bottom;   constructing a first plurality of sets of the side wall assemblies, each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies comprising at least two of the side wall assemblies in the erected configuration and connected to one another; and   building a base layer of the structure comprising:
 arranging a first plurality of the base members of the kit adjacent to one another on a support surface; 
 releasably engaging each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies with a respective adjacent pair of the first plurality of the base members; and 
 arranging a first plurality of the lids of the kit such that each of the first plurality of the lids releasably engages at least one of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies. 
   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60  further comprising:
 building a second layer of the structure on top of, and releasably engaged with, the base layer of the structure, wherein building the second layer comprises: 
 arranging a second plurality of the base members of the kit such that each of the second plurality of the base members releasably engages at least one of the first plurality of the lids of the base layer. 
 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein:
 arranging the first plurality of the lids of the base layer further comprises positioning the first plurality of the lids such that each of the first plurality of the lids releasably engages a respective adjacent pair of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies.   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein:
 arranging the second plurality of the base members of the second layer further comprises positioning the second plurality of the base members such that each of the second plurality of the base members releasably engages a respective adjacent pair of the first plurality of the lids of the base layer.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein:
 each of the lids of the kit comprises a lower surface and an upper boundary flange cooperating with the lower surface to define a pair of upper side wall receptacles; and   each of the side wall assemblies of each of the first plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies of the base layer is received within a respective one of the upper side wall receptacles of a respective one of the first plurality of the lids.   
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein:
 each of the base members of the kit further comprises a lower surface defining a plurality of recessed ledges, each of the recessed ledges having a first shape, and wherein each of the lids of the kit further comprises an upper surface and a plurality of protrusions extending upwardly from the upper surface, each of the protrusions having a second shape that is complementary to the first shape of the recessed ledges of the base members; and   building the second layer further comprises nesting each of the protrusions of each of the first plurality of the lids of the base layer within a respective recessed ledge of a respective one of the second plurality of the base members of the second layer.   
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , further comprising:
 constructing a second plurality of sets of the side wall assemblies, each of the second plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies comprising at least two of the side wall assemblies in the erected configuration and connected to one another; wherein   building the second layer of the structure further comprises releasably engaging each of the second plurality of the sets of the side wall assemblies with a respective adjacent pair of the second plurality of the base members.

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