Structural Unit and Positioning Member

Abstract

A structural unit includes a body having a plurality of exterior surfaces, at least one receiving arrangement provided on at least a portion of the body, and at least one positioning member connected to the body. The at least one positioning member is separable from the body and configured for interaction with the at least one receiving arrangement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A structural unit comprising:
 a body having a plurality of exterior surfaces;   at least one receiving arrangement provided on at least a portion of the body; and   at least one positioning member connected to the body,   wherein the at least one positioning member is separable from the body and configured for interaction with the at least one receiving arrangement.   
     
     
         2 . The structural arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receiving arrangement comprises:
 at least one receiving hole extending through at least a portion of the body; and   at least one aligning channel extending along an exterior surface of the body,   wherein the at least one positioning member is configured for at least partial insertion into the at least one receiving hole.   
     
     
         3 . The structural unit of  claim 1 , structural unit of  claim 1 , wherein the body and the at least one positioning member are formed from the same material. 
     
     
         4 . The structural unit of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one aligning channel is configured to interact with a portion of the at least one positioning member to position at least two structural units with respect to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The structural unit of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one receiving hole has a substantially cross-shaped cross section including a longitudinal slot and a transverse slot adapted to receive a substantially rectangular positioning member through one of the longitudinal slot or the transverse slot. 
     
     
         6 . The structural unit of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one receiving hole has a substantially circular cross-section and wherein the at least one positioning member is a cylinder configured for insertion into the substantially circular cross-section of the at least one receiving hole. 
     
     
         7 . The structural unit of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one receiving hole has a substantially mushroom-shaped cross-section including a semicircular portion and a slot portion extending from the diameter of the semicircular portion. 
     
     
         8 . The structural unit of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one receiving hole is configured such that when the at least one positioning member is inserted parallel to the diameter of the semicircle, an adjacent block in a row above is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation, such that a front face of the block is substantially planar with a front face of the adjacent block in the row above, and wherein when the at least one positioning member is inserted perpendicular to the diameter of the semicircular portion, the adjacent block in the row above is in a set back orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The structural unit of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of structural units is positioned to form rows, and wherein rows of structural units are stacked on top of one another to form a wall. 
     
     
         10 . The structural unit of  claim 9 , wherein a first row is set back from a second row on which it is stacked, thereby forming a sloped wall. 
     
     
         11 . A retaining wall block comprising:
 a body having a plurality of exterior surfaces;   at least one receiving arrangement provided on at least a portion of the body; and   at least one positioning member connected to the body,   wherein the at least one positioning member is separable from the body and configured to interact with the at least one receiving arrangement and at least a portion of a second retaining wall block to position the retaining wall block relative to the second retaining wall block.   
     
     
         12 . The retaining wall block of  claim 11 , wherein the body and the at least one positioning member are formed from the same material. 
     
     
         13 . The retaining wall block of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one receiving arrangement comprises:
 at least one receiving hole extending through at least a portion of the body; and   at least one aligning channel extending along an exterior surface of the body,   wherein the at least one positioning member is configured for at least partial insertion into the at least one receiving hole such that a lower portion of the at least one positioning member extends beyond a bottom surface of the body.   
     
     
         14 . The retaining wall block of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one receiving hole has a substantially cross-shaped cross section including a longitudinal slot and a transverse slot adapted to receive a substantially rectangular positioning member through one of the longitudinal slot or the transverse slot. 
     
     
         15 . The retaining wall block of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one receiving hole has a substantially circular cross-section and wherein the at least one positioning member is a cylinder configured for insertion into the substantially circular cross-section of the at least one receiving hole. 
     
     
         16 . The retaining wall block of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one receiving hole has a substantially mushroom-shaped cross-section including a semicircular portion and a slot portion extending from the diameter of the semicircular portion. 
     
     
         17 . The retaining wall block of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one receiving hole is configured such that when the at least one positioning member is inserted parallel to the diameter of the semicircle, an adjacent block in a row above is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation, such that a front face of the block is substantially planar with a front face of the adjacent block in the row above, and wherein when the at least one positioning member is inserted perpendicular to the diameter of the semicircular portion, the adjacent block in the row above is in a set back orientation. 
     
     
         18 . The retaining wall block of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of retaining wall blocks is positioned to form rows, and wherein rows of retaining wall blocks are stacked on top of one another to form a wall. 
     
     
         19 . The retaining wall block of  claim 17 , wherein a first row is set back from a second row on which it is stacked, thereby forming a sloped wall. 
     
     
         20 . A nested unit comprising two or more retaining wall blocks connected to one another by at least one face, wherein at least one of the two or more blocks comprises:
 a body having a plurality of exterior surfaces;   at least one receiving arrangement provided on at least a portion of the body; and   at least one positioning member connected to the body,   wherein the at least one positioning member is separable from the body and configured to interact with at least one receiving arrangement and at least a portion of an adjacent block to position the block relative to the adjacent block.