Insulated Concrete Form Connector

Abstract

A connector has an attachment plate for overlying the exterior of an insulated form to provide an attachment for a structural member to the connector. A plurality of anchoring plates extend from the attachment plate into the interior of the insulated form to anchor the connector.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A connection utilizing a connector to attach a structural member to a generally vertical cementitious member having one or more panels diposed on one or more vertical faces of the cementitious member, the connection comprising:
 a. the one or more panels, each having a front face, a back face opposite the front face, the one or more panels having negligible dowel bearing strength compared to the generally vertical cementitious member;   b. the generally vertical cementitious member having significant dowel bearing strength compared to the one or more vertical panels;   c. the connector, the connector comprising:
 i. an anchor plate in parallel registration or in close association with the front face of a first vertical panel of the one or more vertical panels; 
 ii. a plurality of anchoring legs attached to the anchor plate and extending from the anchor plate and through the first vertical panel of the one or more vertical panels and into the cementitious member with the cementitious member supporting the embedded anchoring legs and the anchoring legs supporting the anchor plate; 
   d. the structural member interfacing with or in close association with the anchor plate of the connector and attached to the anchor plate of the connector with the anchor plate of the connector supporting the structural member, and the first vertical panel of the one or more vertical panels disposed between the cementitious member and the anchor plate, and the anchor plate disposed between the first vertical panel of the one or more vertical panels and the structural member.   
     
     
         2 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. each of the plurality of anchoring legs of the connector has a top edge and a bottom edge and an end edge, with the top and bottom edges being opposed to each other and the end edge being opposed to where the anchoring leg attaches to the anchor plate of the connector; and   b. first and second strengthening flanges extend along portions of the top and bottom edges of each anchoring leg respectively, and the first and second strengthening flanges connected to each anchoring leg also extend away from the anchoring leg to which they are attached.   
     
     
         3 . The connection of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first and second strengthening flanges connected to each anchoring leg of the plurality of anchoring legs extend in the same direction from each anchoring leg to which they are attached.   
     
     
         4 . The connection of  claim 3 , wherein:
 a. the anchor plate of the connector has a center region; and   b. the first and second strengthening flanges connected to each anchoring leg of the plurality of anchoring legs extend toward the center region of the connector.   
     
     
         5 . The connection of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first and second strengthening flanges connected to each anchoring leg of the plurality of anchoring legs extend orthogonally to the anchoring leg to which they are connected.   
     
     
         6 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. the anchor plate is formed with a top portion and a bottom portion, with a vertical axis of the connector running from the top portion to the bottom portion, and   b. the anchor plate is formed with a first side edge and a second side edge, with the first side edge being parallel with and generally opposed to the first side edge and offset from the first side edge along the vertical axis of the anchor plate; and   b. first and second anchoring legs of the plurality of anchoring legs attached to the face place are disposed parallel to each other, with the first anchoring leg being attached to the first side edge and the second anchoring leg being attached to the second side edge, and with the first anchoring leg being offset from the second anchoring leg such that one of the first and second anchoring legs is disposed closer to the top edge and the other of the first and second anchoring legs is disposed closer to the bottom edge.   
     
     
         7 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of anchoring legs are formed with one or more embossments.   
     
     
         8 . The connection of  claim 7 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of anchoring legs is formed with four embossments.   
     
     
         9 . The connection of  claim 7 , wherein:
 at least one of the one or more embossments in each of the plurality of anchoring legs extends substantially the entire length of the anchoring leg of the plurality of anchoring legs in which it is formed.   
     
     
         10 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of anchoring legs are formed with one or more openings.   
     
     
         11 . The connection of  claim 9 , wherein:
 at least one of the one or more openings in each of the plurality of anchoring legs is formed near the rear end of the anchoring leg of the plurality of anchoring legs in which it is formed.   
     
     
         12 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. the first anchoring leg extends from a first side edge of the anchor plate and the second anchoring leg extends from an opposed, second side edge of the anchor plate, with the second side edge being disposed parallel to and slightly offset from the first side edge; and   b. a first upper edge extends from an upper end of the first side edge towards the opposed, second side edge, and a second upper edge extends from a terminating end of the first upper edge to the opposed, second side edge in a direction that is downwardly from the first upper edge, and the second upper edge is preferably longer than the first upper edge, and the second upper edge connects with the second side edge at an upper end of the second side edge.   
     
     
         13 . The connection of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a first lower edge extends downwardly from a lower end of the first side edge towards the opposed, second side edge, and a second lower edge extends from a terminating end of the first lower edge to the opposed, second side edge, and the second lower edge is preferably shorter than the first lower edge, and the second lower edge connects with the second side edge at a lower end of the second side edge.   
     
     
         14 . The connection of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first upper edge and the second lower edge are disposed generally horitzontally.   
     
     
         15 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. the first anchoring leg extends from a first side edge of the anchor plate, and the second anchoring leg extends from an opposed, second side edge of the anchor plate, with the second side edge being disposed parallel to and slightly offset from the first side edge; and   b. a first upper edge extends at an angle from an upper end of the first side edge towards the opposed, second side edge, and a middle upper edge extends from a terminal end of the first upper edge toward the opposed, second side edge in a direction that is generally orthogonal to the first and second side edges and, and a second upper edge connects the middle upper edge to the opposed, second side edge, extending downwardly from a terminating end of the middle upper edge that is distal from the first side edge of the anchor plate, and the second upper edge is preferably longer than the first upper edge.   
     
     
         16 . The connection of  claim 15 , wherein:
 a. a first lower edge extends downwardly and at an angle from a lower end of the first side edge towards the opposed, second side edge, a middle lower edge extends from a lower end of the first lower edge toward the opposed, second side edge, and a second lower edge connects the middle lower edge to the opposed, second side edge, extending upwardly from a terminating end of the middle lower edge that is distal from the first side edge of the anchor plate, and the second lower edge is preferably shorter than the first lower edge.