Insulated building block and wall structure

Abstract

An innovative masonry block, such as a CMU, has a core of insulative material with masonry cladding, such as concrete, on lateral sides, and anchor elements, such as rigid bar members, may extend from the core to hold the cladding to the core. The core may also include a drain aperture extending from top to bottom, as well as a sloped top surface that serves to direct water to the drain. A plurality of such blocks can make a wall or other building structure having a pathway for water to travel through and out of the stacked blocks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A building block for construction, as for housing structures and walls thereof, comprising;
 a core member which is of thermal insulative material, said core member having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides;   a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides;;   said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another;   a plurality of anchor elements extending from said core member lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which become integrated with said cladding in the course of fixing said cladding.   
     
     
         2 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein said core ends have an end structure which is keyed such that a first end of one block fits with a second end of another block in an engagement which is at least partially overlapping between said first and second ends. 
     
     
         3 . The block of  claim 2 , wherein said end structure has a tongue-and-groove presentation at each core end, and there are multiple parallel tongues which fit into multiple parallel grooves. 
     
     
         4 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein said core member has a channel formed in said top, where said top defines a top surface, said channel extending from a point on said top surface toward a lateral side and to a point on said lateral side below said top surface, said channel providing a path for water to exit from within the block in said building structure. 
     
     
         5 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein said anchor elements are bars extending outwardly from said core member. 
     
     
         6 . The block of  claim 5 , wherein said bars have an elongated part embedded within said core member with t-shaped portions on either end of said elongated part extending outwardly from said core member. 
     
     
         7 . The block of  claim 2 , wherein said top and bottom have a structure which is keyed such that a top of one block has a shape that fits with a complementary shape of a bottom of another block. 
     
     
         8 . The block of  claim 1 , further including at least one aperture extending through said core member between said top and bottom;
 wherein said core member is substantially solid except for said aperture extending through said core member, and at least one of said top and bottom define a surface which slopes downwardly to said aperture to thereby direct water that may be present in said building structure to said aperture.   
     
     
         9 . A building block for construction, as for housing structures and walls thereof, comprising;
 a core member which is of thermal insulative material formed in an integral piece, said core member having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides;   a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides, said cladding being of a masonry material;   said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another;   at least one aperture extending through said core member between said top and bottom;   a plurality of anchor elements formed in said core member lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which become integrated with said masonry material in the course of fixing said cladding;   said top of said core member defining a top surface, said top surface having a slope toward said aperture to direct water that may be present in said building structure towards said aperture.   
     
     
         10 . The building block of  claim 9 , wherein said anchor element comprises a dovetail slot formed in each said lateral side, such that masonry material in initial fluent form will enter into and solidify within each said slot to affix said cladding. 
     
     
         11 . The building block of  claim 10 , wherein said core member further includes a hollow between said top and bottom, said hollow capable of receiving a rebar member therein extending through a plurality of said blocks in said building structure, said core member further including a web element internal to said core and extending within said hollow, said web element engaging with and positioning said rebar in use in said building structure. 
     
     
         12 . A building block for construction, as for housing structures and walls thereof, comprising;
 a core member which is of thermal insulative material formed in an integral piece, said core member having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides;   a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides;   said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another;   at least one hollow extending through said core member between said top and bottom;   a plurality of anchor elements formed in said core member lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which become integrated with said masonry material in the course of fixing said cladding;   a channel formed in at least one end of said core and extending between said top and bottom;   said top of said core member defining a top surface, said top surface having a slope toward said end channel to direct water that may be present in said building structure towards said aperture.   
     
     
         13 . The building block of  claim 12 , wherein said cladding being of a masonry material. 
     
     
         14 . The building block of  claim 12 , wherein said hollow is capable of receiving a rebar member therein extending through a plurality of said blocks in said building structure, said core member further including a web element internal to said core and extending within said hollow, said web element engaging with and positioning said rebar in use in said building structure. 
     
     
         15 . A building structure formed of a plurality of masonry elements which are stacked one upon another, as for housing structures and walls thereof, comprising:
 a plurality of building blocks, said building blocks having a core member which is of thermal insulative material formed in an integral piece, said core member having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides, with a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides, said cladding being of a masonry material, a plurality of anchor elements formed in said core member lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which become integrated with said masonry material in the course of fixing said cladding, at least one aperture extending through said core member between said top and bottom, each said end having a channel formed therein between said top and bottom;   said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another;   said aperture being generally centered in each said block, such that when said blocks are placed in rows one upon another, with blocks in each row being offset from an adjacent row by a half-block length, said apertures align with said end channels in vertical arrangement so as to provide a vertical pathway through said building structure.   
     
     
         16 . The building structure of  claim 15 , further including a plug member having a hole extending between a plug top and bottom, said plug fitting in a space formed by channels of abutting ends of adjacent blocks in a row. 
     
     
         17 . The building structure of  claim 15 , wherein said top of said core member defines a top surface, said top surface having a slope toward said aperture to direct water that may be present in said building structure towards said aperture. 
     
     
         18 . The building structure of  claim 15 , further including a drain device, said drain device having a part sized to fit within an aperture of a block in the bottom of a block, and a part which extends generally laterally outboard from said block to direct water out of said building structure. 
     
     
         19 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein said core is formed in an integral piece. 
     
     
         20 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein said core is formed from two or more pieces which are joined together to make an integral core. 
     
     
         21 . The block of  claim 20 , wherein said anchor elements are bars extending outwardly from said core member, said bars being located between said two or more pieces and becoming embedded when said pieces are joined. 
     
     
         22 . A building block for construction, as for housing structures and walls thereof, comprising;
 a core member which is of thermal insulative material, said core member having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides;   a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides;   said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another;   a plurality of anchor elements extending from said core member lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which become integrated with said cladding in the course of fixing said cladding.   
     
     
         23 . The block of  claim 22 , wherein said cladding is a masonry material. 
     
     
         24 . The block of  claim 23 , wherein said core has an aperture extending between said top and bottom. 
     
     
         25 . The block of  claim 23 , wherein said cladding is bonded to said core member. 
     
     
         26 . The block of  claim 25 , wherein said bonding is an adhesive securement using an adhesive material. 
     
     
         27 . The block of  claim 25 , wherein said bonding is a chemical bonding. 
     
     
         28 . A building block for construction, as for housing structures and walls thereof, comprising;
 a core member which is of thermal insulative material, said core member having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides;   a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides;   said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another;   a plurality of anchoring indented areas in said core member lateral sides, said anchoring indented areas providing attachment regions for said cladding in the course of fixing said cladding.   
     
     
         29 . The block of  claim 28 , wherein said cladding is a masonry material. 
     
     
         30 . The block of  claim 29 , wherein said core has an aperture extending between said top and bottom. 
     
     
         31 . The block of  claim 28  wherein said cladding is bonded to said core. 
     
     
         32 . The block of  claim 31 , wherein said cladding is adhesively bonded to said core using an adhesive material. 
     
     
         33 . The block of  claim 28  , wherein said cladding is provided as a slurry which is then molded to said core and cured to bond thereto. 
     
     
         34 . The block of  claim 28 , further including wire anchor elements extending outwardly from said core member to which said cladding is attached on each lateral side of said core member.