BRICK

This invention relates to a brick, or protector block for pipes. Bricks (or 'blocks') are an important element in the construction of buildings throughout the world. Bricks are typically made from a clay-based mixture (comprising silica, alumina, lime, and other materials), or from concrete in the case of breeze-blocks. They allow for a great deal of flexibility in their application due to the number of different shapes and sizes of brick that are commonly available, and their modular nature. Bricks are typically laid by hand, and adhered to other bricks with mortar.

Sometimes it is necessary for walls made out of bricks to accommodate pipes, carrying water and/or sewage into and out of buildings, for example. Pipes can be provided on the exterior and/or interior of buildings, fixed to the exterior and/or interior surface(s) of the walls, for example. However sometimes it is advantageous for pipes to be embedded within a wall itself, for practical and/or aesthetic purposes, for example. One method of achieving this is to leave a gap in the brickwork; pipes are then laid in the gap, and the space surrounding the pipes in the gap is filled with concrete. The concrete is typically retained in the gap by wooden boards which are removed once the concrete has set. This process takes time and presents other disadvantages such as potentially distorting the shape of the walls. Alternatively, a 'false' inner wall (e.g. made out of plaster) can be used to conceal pipes provided between the false inner wall and an outer brick wall. Providing a false inner wall in this way is often undesirable.

An improved solution is therefore required.

The present invention provides a brick for protecting pipes and embedding pipes in walls which alleviates some of the problems associated with the conventional means and/or methods for embedding pipes in walls. Aspects and embodiments of the current invention are set out in the appended claims. These and other aspects of the invention are also described herein.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a brick, suitable for protecting a pipe, in the shape of a 'IT in the Latin alphabet.

The brick may be made from a clay-based material.

The brick may be manufactured by extrusion.

The brick may have a compressive strength of at least 10 N/mm ² and ideally up to 20 N/mm ²

The brick may be frangible upon application of a force exceeding 20 N/mm ² .

The U shape of the brick may be formed by three walls.

A first wall and a second wall may oppose one another and be substantially parallel.

A third wall may be substantially perpendicular to the first and second opposing walls, and connect the first and second opposing walls thereby to form a U shape. At least one of said walls may comprise a plurality of cavities. The cavities may extend longitudinally within said walls.

The brick may comprise a plurality of channels on an outer surface of at least one of said walls.

The outer channels may extend longitudinally on the outer surface of the at least one of said walls. The brick may further comprise a fourth wall suitable to be removed prior to installation.

The fourth wall may be thinner than said other walls. The fourth wall may be more frangible than said other walls.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of accommodating pipes within a wall, comprising: constructing a wall and leaving a gap for a pipe to be placed within said wall; and placing at least one brick in the shape of a 'IT in Latin in said gap.

The method may further comprise placing pipes to be accommodated in the wall in said gap prior to placing said bricks in said gap. The method may further comprise placing pipes to be accommodated in the wall in said gap after placing said bricks in said gap.

The invention relates to a brick, or protector block for pipes, manufactured from any material such as clay, cement, gypsum, plastic, etc., and is formed in the form of U in Latin.

The brick may be in the form of the letter (U) to facilitate its installation during the construction of walls and used in the process of protection of pipes and extensions and is installed around tubes to protect them without the need for the traditional method of plumbing, electricity, Internet, telephone, air conditioners and other extensions. The invention displaces the use of wood, carpentry and concrete in the extensions which have to be sprinkled with water and wait to dry for several days. The wood may subsequently decompose. Labour costs are therefore reduced as processing, installation and dismantling of wood blocks is not necessary.

The brick may have a fourth side to protect the product which is easily removed when installing the product, so as to provide an opening for the product to fit around pipes. Openings may be provide in the brick to allow the existence of spaces within the brick itself and these openings provide the product insulation of sound and heat, which provides effective protection of the pipes. The spaces in the product may facilitate the process of cracking the product during maintenance also and there will be a lot of cracking and internal extensions are protected inside the product if there is a stretch or shrink during maintenance. The invention extends to any novel aspects or features described and/or illustrated herein. Further features of the invention are characterised by the other independent and dependent claims.

Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus aspects, and vice versa.

As used herein, means plus function features may be expressed alternatively in terms of their corresponding structure.

It should also be appreciated that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the invention can be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently. In this specification the word Or' can be interpreted in the exclusive or inclusive sense unless stated otherwise.

The invention extends to methods and/or apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As used herein in reference to alphabets, 'Latin' and 'Roman' are taken to be synonymous and used interchangeably.

As used herein, the term 'U-shaped' relates to the shape of the letter 'U' in the Latin alphabet. Such a shape comprises opposing first and second line segments that are substantially parallel, and a third line segment connecting neighbouring ends of the first and second line segments, the third line segment being substantially perpendicular to the opposing first and second line segments. The term 'U-shaped' can also refer to a three-dimensional shape having a cross- section that is substantially U-shaped.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows computer-aided design (CAD) drawings of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows CAD drawings of a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 shows photographs of the second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows CAD drawings of a third embodiment of the invention; and Figure 5 shows examples of the invention, in use.

Detailed description

In overview, the present invention provides a brick for protecting pipes and embedding pipes in walls. The brick affords increased ease and speed of embedding pipes in walls compared with the current art solutions.

In particular, the brick of the current invention is designed to accommodate a pipe or several pipes, and can be used in the construction of a wall like an ordinary brick. This obviates the need for leaving a gap in the brickwork to accommodate pipes and filling the gap with concrete which would have to be left to set for several hours. Advantageously, therefore, the current invention affords improved ease and speed of embedding pipes in walls. The lack of a concrete-filled gap in the wall also affords improved structural strength.

The bricks of the present invention accommodate and surround the pipes in the wall, creating a barrier between them and the surrounding environment. This means that the pipes are less likely to become damaged after being put in place - both while the remainder of the wall is completed, and when the pipes are in use after the construction of the building is completed. Additionally, the bricks are designed to be heat insulating and thus protect the pipes from temperature variations. This heat insulation reduces the amount of expansion and contraction that the pipes in the wall undergo, which increases the lifetime of the pipe. Equally, since the pipes are isolated from the surrounding environment by the bricks (rather than being embedded in concrete), any expansion and/or contraction of the pipes cause by temperature variations does not damage the surrounding wall (or the pipes). The bricks of the present invention are also insulating to sound which can be advantageous for the occupiers of the building.

The bricks of the present invention also allow easy access to the pipes embedded in the wall for the purposes of maintenance (for example when a pipe is leaking or otherwise compromised). The brick protecting the pipes can be easily broken, revealing the pipes behind which can be repaired or replaced. This is much easier than breaking concrete, and does not risk damaging the pipes, since the pipes are isolated from the surrounding environment.

Figures 1 a-d show computer-aided design (CAD) drawings of a first embodiment of a 'U'-shaped brick 100 suitable for receiving a pipe, from different perspectives.

In particular, Figure 1a shows a 'U'-shaped brick 100 suitable for receiving a pipe from in perspective view; Figure 1 b shows the same brick 100 from above; Figure 1 c shows the same brick 100 from the front; and Figure 1 d shows the same brick 100 from the side.

The brick 100 is 'U'-shaped, that is, it has a cross-section in the shape of a 'U' (see for example the upper face 102 of the brick 100 which is a cross-section in the shape of a 'U'). Equivalently, the brick 100 has the shape of a right prism with bases in the shape of a 'U'.

The 'U' shape of the cross section, in the example of Figure 1 , has different inner and outer profiles. The outer profile of the 'U' shape is in the shape of a square lacking one side, having corners 107a and 107b. The inner profile of the 'U' shape is in the shape of a square lacking one side with chamfered corners 108a, The three segments of the 'IT shape define three walls 104a, 104b, and 104c of the brick 100. Two of the walls 104a and 104b are opposite one another and substantially parallel. The third wall 104c is substantially perpendicular to the two opposing walls 104a and 104c and connects them via a pair of opposing sides, thus forming the three-dimensional 'IT shape. The two opposing walls 104a and 104b of the brick have free unconnected ends 1 12a and 112b opposite to the third wall 104c.

The walls 104a,b,c have inner and outer surfaces corresponding to the inner and outer profiles of the 'U'-shaped cross-section. The chamfered corners of the inner profiles of the 'U'-shaped cross section define additional intermediary surfaces 108a and 108b.

The walls 104a,b,c all have approximately the same dimensions and heights equal to their widths such that the brick 100 is substantially cubic in overall shape (that is, it can be inscribed in a cube). The walls 104a,b,c may also be rectangular (with the opposing walls 104a and 104b having the same dimensions) such that the brick 100 is substantially cuboid in shape.

The interior of the 'U'-shaped brick 100 (between the opposing walls 104a and 104b) defines a void 120 suitable for receiving a pipe. The intermediary surfaces 108a and 108b shown are a result of the manufacturing process, but they may serve to improve the suitability of the void 120 for receiving a pipe (such that a pipe would fit snugly in the void, for example), and/or improve the strength of the brick 100.

The dimensions of the brick 100 are similar to those of conventional bricks employed in the construction of buildings so that it can be easily used in combination with such conventional bricks. The size of the void 120 is such that it is suitable for receiving one or several pipes of the size deployed in buildings (the dimensions of the brick of Figures 1 , 2, and 3 is discussed in more detail below). Figure 2 shows CAD drawings of an alternative embodiment 200 of a 'U'-shaped brick suitable for receiving a pipe, from different perspectives. The brick 200 is similar to the brick 100 of Figure 1 , with additional features.

In particular, Figure 2a shows a 'U'-shaped brick 200 suitable for receiving a pipe from in perspective view; Figure 2b shows the same brick 200 from above; Figure 2c shows the same brick 200 from the front; and Figure 2d shows the same brick 200 from the side.

In this embodiment, the walls 204a, b,c of the brick 200 comprise a plurality channels 206. The channels 206 extend longitudinally along the outer surfaces of the walls from the upper side of the brick 202 to the lower side of the brick (see for example the outer surface of wall 204b in Figure 1 a). The channels 206 are evenly spaced from one other, by a distance greater than the width of the channels.

The channels 206 facilitate the application and adhesion of mortar to the brick 200. The channels may also serve to improve the frangibility of the brick insofar as the brick is more likely to fracture along these channels when struck or otherwise has a pressure applied to it, due to the structural weaknesses introduced by the channels. This may assist when it is necessary to break a brick so as to repair a pipe, for example.

In this example, the walls 204a, b,c are substantially hollow between their inner and outer surfaces. In particular, the walls 204a, b,c comprise a plurality of cavities 208 which extend longitudinally from the upper side 202 of the brick 200 to the bottom side of the brick. The cavities 208 are regularly spaced and have rectangular cross-sections. The majority of the cavities 208 have the same cross sections - a minority at the corners of the 'IT shape have smaller, square cross sections. The cavities 208 are separated from one another by inner walls 210 which are thinner than the length or width of the cavities 208.

The walls 204a, b,c being substantially hollow (due to the presence of the cavities 208) reduces the weight of the brick and aids in the insulation of heat and sound by the brick. It also decreases the amount of material required to manufacture a brick. The presence of the cavities 208 can also increase the frangibility of the brick - in particular, if the cavities are too large, the walls 204a, b,c of the brick can become weak and/or crack, in addition to potentially being less insulating to heat and/or sound. The presence of inner walls 210 allows the walls 204a, b,c to retain an amount of structural strength while being frangible.

The cross sections of the longitudinal channels 206 on the outer surfaces of the walls 204a, b,c of the brick can be seen in Figure 2b. The channels 206 have half- square profiles (which might be particularly easy to manufacture). In an alternative, the cross sections of the channels 206 could have rounded profiles.

In an alternative, the inner walls 210 of the cavities 208 may be absent, such that the walls 204a, b,c comprise one continuous cavity between their inner and outer surfaces. This had the effect of potentially weakening the walls 204a,b,c of the brick 200, and/or providing less sound insulation.

Figure 3 shows photographs of a 'U'-shaped brick 300 corresponding to the embodiment of Figure 2, from different perspectives.

In particular, Figure 3a shows the manufactured 'U'-shaped brick 300 in a perspective view; Figure 3b shows the same brick 300 from above; Figure 3c shows the same brick 300 from the front; and Figure 3d shows the same brick 300 from the side.

Figure 4 shows a CAD drawing of an alternative embodiment of the 'U'-shaped brick, from different perspectives. The brick 400 is similar to the bricks 200 and 300 of Figures 2 and 3, with additional features.

In particular, Figure 4a shows the brick 400 from in perspective view; and Figure 4b shows the brick 400 from above.

The brick 400 comprises an additional fourth wall 404d opposing the third wall 404c, substantially perpendicular to the opposing walls 404a and 404b and connecting the opposing walls. The brick 400 therefore has an essentially square cross section. The presence of a fourth wall 404d is for the purpose of production - if the fourth wall 404d is not added during production, then the other walls 404a, b,c can bend during the process of production and potentially lead to the brick being misshaped. The fourth wall 404d is suitable to be removed prior to installation.

The fourth wall 404d is thinner than the other three walls 404a, b,c - this allows the fourth wall 404d to be cleanly broken off (with the other walls 404a, b,c remaining intact) prior to use of the brick 400 (i.e. its deployment in the construction of a wall). Breaking the fourth wall 404d in this way exposes the void 420 suitable for receiving a pipe. The fourth wall 404d is therefore sufficiently thin and frangible so as to be easily broken without damaging the remainder of the brick.

The presence of a fourth wall 404d can also make the bricks easier to stack one on top of the other for the purposes of storage and/or transportation, for example. The fourth wall 404d can also prevent the brick 400 breaking during transportation.

The brick as described above is preferably made from a clay-based material. The brick is manufactured by an extrusion process which allows the efficient manufacturing of large volumes of bricks of a consistent size, shape, and quality.

In an alternative the brick 300 can be made from concrete or any other suitable material that has the desired properties.

In particular, the brick has sufficient compressive strength to withstand the compressive forces present when deployed in a wall, but must also be frangible upon application of a sufficiently strong force (corresponding to being struck by a hand-held tool, for example). For example, the manufactured brick has a compressive strength of at least 10 N/mm ² and ideally up to 20 N/mm ² Ideally the manufactured brick is frangible upon application of a force exceeding around 20 N/mm ² .

The manufactured brick is fire resistant to at least around 1 ,000 degrees Celsius. The manufactured brick has a water absorption percentage of around 10% over 24 hours. Moreover, the manufactured brick has a water saturation coefficient of between around 1 and 1.5 over 5 hours. The exact compressive strength, fire resistance, and water absorption properties of the brick 300 will depend on its dimensions and also vary from brick to brick with the same dimensions, due to the fact that not all manufactured bricks are identical. In one example, the brick has a length 'U of approximately 20cm; a height Ή' (from the lower side of the brick to the upper side 302 of the brick) of approximately 20cm; and a width 'W (between the opposing walls 304a and 304b) of around 20cm. The 'IT shaped brick may have any suitable dimensions as required for a particular use case. In a typical example, the brick has a width of 20cm; heights of between around 10 and 30cm (for example, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30cm); and lengths of between around 20 and 30cm (for example 20 or 27cm). Bricks of differing dimensions can be employed together in order to better fill a gap left in a wall to accommodate pipes, or so as to avoid vertically aligning bricks which may be less stable.

The table below provides examples of brick dimensions:

Example no. Width (cm) Length (cm) Height (cm)

1 10 20 20

2 15 20 20

3 20 20 20

4 25 20 20

5 30 20 20

6 10 27 20

7 15 27 20

8 20 27 20

9 25 27 20

10 30 27 20 The walls 104a,b,c have thicknesses (between the inner and outer profiles of the 'IT shape) of around 1-5cm, preferably around 3cm. The thickness of the walls may depend on the dimensions of the brick, with thicker walls being appropriate for larger bricks. The thickness of the wall changes if the product dimensions are scaled up or down because the walls need to be thin enough to be broken through but thick enough for the cavities in order to aid insulation.

In the case of a brick having the dimensions of example 1 in the above table, the walls of the brick comprise cavities that have rectangular cross sections of dimensions 15 x 36 mm, 15 x 27.7 mm and 15 x 30 mm. Between the cavities and the outer surface of the brick the walls are around 12 mm thick, and between the cavities and the central void 320 the walls are around 7 mm thick. In one example where the brick has dimensions 200 mm x 200 mm, the walls are thus 34 mm thick and the internal void 320 has dimensions of 132 mm x 166 mm.

The fourth wall is around 7 mm thick. In one example, the joints of the fourth wall to the other walls are thinner than the wall itself so that it breaks cleanly at the joints.

Figure 5 shows photographs of bricks corresponding to the embodiments of Figures 2 and 3, in use.

Figure 5a shows a brick 500 suitable for receiving a pipe being used in the construction of a brick wall 502 (in this case the other bricks comprising the wall 502 are concrete breeze blocks).

When pipes are to be accommodated in a brick wall 502, a lateral gap 504 for accommodating the pipes is left in the wall 502 during the construction of the wall. The pipes 506 are then placed into the gap 504. Bricks 500 having a 'IT shape are then placed around the pipes by using pairs of bricks such that the voids 520 of the bricks combine to form a void of double the size (this configuration is shown in detail in Figure 5b). The bricks 500 have substantially the same dimensions as the conventional bricks 502 in the wall, such that the bricks are easily deployed in the wall. In an alternative, instead of using pairs of bricks to accommodate pipes as depicted, single bricks can be used, with the two unconnected ends 512a and 512b of the walls 504a and 504b of the brick 500 oriented towards the wall (and the void 520 of the brick 500 receiving the pipes),

In one advantageous example, the bricks 500 have the same length as the bricks of the wall 502, so that when the bricks are in place and stacked on top of one another, the surface 508 formed by the bricks 500 is flush with the rest of the wall 502. The result is a wall accommodating the pipes with a flat, uninterrupted surface that can be efficiently and easily constructed purely out of bricks. The area of the wall 508 accommodating the pipes can then be worked on essentially immediately, in a similar manner as the rest of the wall 502 (for example, a finish such as plaster can be applied).

When maintenance of the pipes 506 in the wall 502 is required (for example, if one of the pipes 506 starts to leak or otherwise becomes compromised), the pipes can be easily accessed. The bricks are frangible and can be broken (e.g. with a hand-held tool), thus revealing the pipes 506 accommodated by the bricks 500. This allows for easy maintenance of the pipes 506. After the maintenance of the pipes is complete, the damaged brick(s) can be replaced and a new finish applied (e.g. the application of plaster).

Figure 5b illustrates in more detail how pairs of bricks 500 can be arranged (as they are in Figure 5a) in order to accommodate the pipes 506 in their voids 520.

Pairs of bricks 508 are arranged next to each other so that their voids 512 combine to form a single void that is double the size of the void of one brick 500. Such pairs of bricks are placed in the gap 504 in the wall 502, around the pipes 506 provided in the gap 504.

In an alternative, the pairs of bricks 508 are placed in the gap 504 before the pipes 506, and then the pipes 506 are installed into the voids 520. Using pairs of 'IT shaped bricks 500 in this way allows a greater number and/or variety of pipes 506 to be accommodated in the wall in a straightforward manner. For example, the pipes 506 accommodated by the bricks 508 can include a sewage or waste water pipe 506a, a hot and/or cold water pipe 506b, and pipes (or conduits) carrying electrical wiring 506c. Any other types of pipe or conduit can be accommodated in this arrangement. In this way, the bricks can be used to secure, isolate, and protect multiple kinds of pipes and/or wires and/or conduits (examples including but not limited to electricity pipes, water pipes, air conditioning pipes, and conduits carrying internet and/or TV wires). Thus several types of pipe and/or conduit can be easily and conveniently accommodated all in the same place in a wall 502, while remaining easily accessible for maintenance in the manner described above.

Alternatives and modifications Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, for example:

The detailed description has primarily considered bricks with right-angled corners. It will be appreciated that in some cases non-right angled corners may be appropriate (for example, when the geometry of the building means right angled bricks would not fit). Similarly, the walls of the bricks may not be straight; rather they may curve so as to fit with the geometry of the building.

The term 'IT shaped should therefore be interpreted to encompass such alternatives.

The walls of the bricks may be textured so as to give match a particular aesthetic of bricks used in the rest of the building. It will be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Reference numerals appearing in the claims are by way of illustration only and shall have no limiting effect on the scope of the claims.