Constructional Building Material

Abstract

A constructional building material, such as a brick, with at least one base section and a vane extending from the base section. The vane defines, at least in part, a volume of space within an envelope boundary that facilitates fluid flow, such as airflow, through a wall system formed at least in part from one or more constructional building materials. Adjacent vanes, either of the same constructional building material or of different constructional building materials, may operate to provide or define one or more common volumes of space and corresponding fluid flow channels and associated fluid flow paths. A wall system, formed in accordance with the present invention, allows fluid to pass from one side to the other through the wall system while also providing up to complete visual obstruction through the wall depending upon how the wall system is constructed. Additionally, the specific configuration of the vane of a constructional building material can function to provide visual obstruction by extending beyond its own envelope boundary to or beyond the envelope boundary of an adjacent constructional building material. The configuration of the vane in the constructional building material can vary and the wall system may be built from a plurality of constructional building material configurations. The constructional building material of the present invention may also be used in combination with tradition building materials to form a hybrid wall system.

1 . A constructional building material, comprising:
 a first base section having a perimeter surface defining an envelope boundary extending along a longitudinal axis; and   at least one vane extending outward from said first base section along said longitudinal axis, said vane comprising a first vane surface, wherein the cross-sectional area of a portion of the vane within the envelope boundary is less than the cross-sectional area of the base section to define a volume of space about the first vane surface and within the envelope boundary.   
     
     
         2 . The constructions building material of  claim 1 , wherein said constructional building material comprises a type of masonry brick. 
     
     
         3 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said building material is formed from a plastic material. 
     
     
         4 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of said vane extends beyond said envelope boundary. 
     
     
         5 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein no portion of said vane extends beyond said envelope boundary. 
     
     
         6 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , further comprising a second base section, wherein said vane extends between said first base section and said second base section. 
     
     
         7 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section comprises first and second surfaces, said first and second surfaces being substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         8 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section comprises first and second surfaces, said first and second surfaces being non-parallel to one another. 
     
     
         9 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , further comprising a second vane extending outward from said first base section, wherein said second vane operates to define, in part, a volume of space about a surface of said second vane. 
     
     
         10 . The constructional building material of  claim 9 , wherein said first vane is parallel to said second vane. 
     
     
         11 . The constructional building material of  claim 9 , wherein said first vane is non-parallel to said second vane. 
     
     
         12 . The constructional building material of  claim 9 , wherein said second vane operates with said first vane to define, at least in part, a common volume of space and a fluid flow channel that facilitates fluid flow through said building constructional material along a fluid flow path. 
     
     
         13 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said vane comprises a cross-sectional configuration selected from the group consisting of rectangular, substantially rectangular, v-shaped, semi-circular, and any combination of these. 
     
     
         14 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section further comprises a mating component configured to engage a mating component of an adjacent building material, said mating components facilitating vertical staggering of said building materials. 
     
     
         15 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section comprises a first end base section, and wherein said constructional building material further comprises a middle base section, a second end base section, and a second vane, said first vane extending between said first end base section and said middle base section, said second vane extending between said middle base section and said second end base section. 
     
     
         16 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section comprises at least one non-planar or curved surface. 
     
     
         17 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section and said vane are disposed along a longitudinal axis having a nonlinear configuration, said constructional building material having a nonlinear longitudinal configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The constructional building material of  claim 1 , wherein said first base section comprises an elongated width having a dimension at least twice that of a height of said base section. 
     
     
         19 . A wall system having opposing sides, said wall system comprising:
 a first constructional building material having at least one base section and at least one vane extending outward from said base section; and   a second constructional building material having at least one base section and at least one vane extending outward from said base section, said base sections of said first and second constructional building materials each having a perimeter surface defining an envelope boundary extending along a longitudinal axis,   a common volume of space defined, at least in part, by said vane of said first constructional building material and said vane of said second constructional building material, wherein said common volume of space defines, at least in part, a fluid flow channel that facilitates fluid flow through the wall system from one of said opposing sides of said wall system to the other of said opposing sides of said wall system along a fluid flow path.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said vanes are oriented to be substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said fluid flow channel provides directional fluid flow control depending upon a respective orientation of said vanes. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of said first and second constructional building materials comprises a mating component about at least one of said respective base sections that facilitates vertical staggering with an adjacent constructional building material, said mating component being configured to mate with said adjacent constructional building material, said adjacent constructional building material being located in a different elevation. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said first and second constructional building materials each comprise two end base sections, and an intermediate base section, and at least one vane extending in opposing directions between each of the two end base sections and the intermediate base section to provide a double wide vane that facilitates horizontal staggering with other similarly configured constructional building materials. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said first and second constructional building materials are coupled together with a binding material. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein said first constructional building material comprises a vane having a portion that extends beyond its envelope boundary to said envelope boundary of said second constructional building material, said portion being configured to facilitate complete visual obstruction through said wall system by concealing a gap formed between said first and second constructional building materials about said respective vanes, as created by said binding material. 
     
     
         26 . A wall system formed at least in part by a multi-part constructional building material system, said wall system comprising:
 a first constructional building material having at least one base section and at least one vane extending from said base section; and   a second constructional building material having at least one base section and at least one vane extending from said base section, said base sections of said first and second constructional building materials each having a perimeter surface defining an envelope boundary extending along a longitudinal axis,   wherein said vane of said first constructional building material comprises a configuration different from a configuration of said vane of said second constructional building material,   said first and second constructional building materials being positioned adjacent one another along a vertical axis to relate said respective vanes to define, at least in part, a common volume of space and a fluid flow channel extending through at least a part of both said first and second constructional building materials.   
     
     
         27 . A method for facilitating fluid flow through opposing sides of a wall system, said method comprising:
 obtaining at least two constructional building materials configured to form at least a part of said wall system, each of said constructional building materials having at least one base section and at least one vane extending from said base section; and   positioning said at least two constructional building materials in a manner so as to cause the vanes of said constructional building materials to define a common volume of space and a fluid flow path that facilitates fluid flow through said opposing sides of said wall system.