Wall construction panels and methods for forming structures using wall construction panels

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a wall construction panel, comprising: a pair of walls connected by a plurality of stringers that allow the walls to be opened from a folded flat configuration to a popped open configuration; wherein the folded flat configuration allows for compact shipping; wherein the popped open configuration allows the walls to be filled with one or more tilling materials to provide strength, mass and/or impact resistance to the panel.

1 . A wall construction panel, comprising:
 a pair of walls connected by a plurality of articulating stringers that allow the walls to be opened from a folded flat configuration to a popped open configuration;   wherein the folded flat configuration allows for compact shipping;   wherein the popped open configuration allows the walls to be filled with one or more filling materials to provide strength, mass and/or impact resistance to the wall construction panel;   wherein the wall construction panel is zipped together with a further wall construction panel using a sliding motion, thereby locking the wall construction panel and the further wall construction panel without using glue, pins, screws, or any other hardware;   wherein each of the walls comprises an outside surface and an inside surface separated by a plurality of spacers; and   wherein some of the plurality of spacers are slotted to allow the wall construction panel to slide in an overlapping manner with respect to the further wall construction panel.   
     
     
         2 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein the articulating stringers are high strength stringers that are hingedly connected at each end to one of the walls to permit the wall construction panel to be moved between the popped open configuration and the folded flat configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The wall construction panel of  claim 2 , wherein the stringers are disposed substantially parallel to the walls in the folded flat configuration, and disposed substantially perpendicular to the walls in the popped open configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The wall construction panel of  claim 2 , wherein each stringer comprises a first looped end for connection to a first wire that is threaded through the first looped end within one wall, and a second looped end for connection to a second wire that is threaded through the second looped end within the other wall. 
     
     
         5 . The wall construction panel of  claim 4 , wherein a slot is provided in each wall for each looped end to provide space for the stringers to articulate between the popped open configuration and the folded flat configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The wall construction panel of  claim 4 , wherein the stringers comprise a rigid material selected from the group consisting of wire, metal, plastic, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein the walls comprise lightweight, inexpensive, stiff, plastic, planar surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein the walls comprise twin walls or corrugated sheet stock. 
     
     
         9 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein the walls are perforated with holes to allow a filling material to migrate into the holes, thus providing a physical bond between the walls and filling material. 
     
     
         10 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein a filling material comprises earth or rubble. 
     
     
         11 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein a filling material comprises cement. 
     
     
         12 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein a filling material comprises sand. 
     
     
         13 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein a filling material comprises a foam. 
     
     
         14 . The wall construction panel of  claim 13 , wherein the foam is provided in a poly-bag pouch that features a separation means for separating two or more ingredients, wherein the separation means is breached in order to mix the ingredients. 
     
     
         15 . The wall construction panel of  claim 1 , wherein the outside surface of the walls includes a hardened steel cladding. 
     
     
         16 . A method of connecting modular wall connection panels, each panel comprising a pair of walls connected by a plurality of articulating stringers that allow the walls to be opened from a folded flat configuration to a popped open configuration, wherein the folded flat configuration allows for compact shipping, wherein the popped open configuration allows the walls to be filled with one or more filling materials to provide strength, mass and/or impact resistance to the panel, the method comprising:
 connecting a first modular wall connection panel with a second modular wall connection panel.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein connecting the first panel with the second panel comprises zipping the panels together using a sliding motion, thereby locking the panels together without the use of glue, pins, screws, or any other hardware. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each panel wall comprises an outside surface and an inside surface separated by spacers, and wherein some of the spacers are slotted to allow the first panel to slide in an overlapping manner with respect to the second panel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of attaching the connected wall panels to an existing structure or the ground via anchoring means selected from the group consisting of cables, straps and high tensile strength anchors. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of attaching the connected wall panels to the ground using ground anchors selected from the group consisting of screw-in devices and spikes. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first panel comprises the top panel and the second panel comprises the bottom panels, and wherein the filling material comprises a foam. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing a U-shaped tray under the bottom panel that forms a reservoir for the liquid foam, and seals the bottom of the wall upon hardening. 
     
     
         23 . A multiple wall construction panel, comprising:
 a plurality of walls including at least first, second and third walls, wherein the first and second walls are connected by a plurality of articulating stringers that allow the walls to be opened from a folded flat configuration to a popped open configuration, and wherein the second and third walls are connected by a plurality of articulating stringers that allow the walls to be opened from a folded flat configuration to a popped open configuration;   wherein the folded flat configuration allows for compact shipping;   wherein the popped open configuration allows the walls to be filled with one or more filling materials to provide strength, mass and/or impact resistance to the panel.   
     
     
         24 . A wall construction panel, comprising:
 a pair of walls connected together without the use of mechanical connectors;   wherein the walls are filled with one or more filling materials to provide strength, mass and/or impact resistance to the panel;
 wherein the walls include a deep surface profile or are perforated with holes to allow the filling material to form a physical bond with the walls.