MULTI-FUNCTION BUILDING PANEL BEAM TUBE WITH HOMOGENEOUS

ANCHOR SITES

Background and Summary of the Invention

This invention relates to plural-story building structure, and within such structure, what is referred to herein as a generally planar skin-panel sub-frame which uniquely includes a plural-function , singular-structure, overhead building beam component which, fundamentally, forms a top, tubular, beam-like structural member in that subframe.

In the building of plural-story building structures, there is a continual effort to improve, simplify, and reduce the cost of overall building expense, with substantial focus being directed not only to elements of a main building frame structure per se, but also to other structures, both external and internal which link directly for support with beams and columns in such a main frame structure. A particular area of development which has drawn considerable interest in recent years involves the design and use of various kinds of surfacing structures which become attached in various ways to the outside surfaces of beams and columns to form what might be thought of as the outside skin structure for a building. To this end, a number of different approaches have been proposed, one of which is described and illustrated in recently published, and currently pending, U.S. Regular Patent Application, Serial No. 10/818,014, filed April 5, 2004, for "Matrix Frame/Panel Skin Building Structure". This published patent application, published October 14, 2004, bears U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0200178, and the contents of that application, in terms of its disclosure material, are hereby incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of furnishing useful background material for understanding the construction and utility of the present invention.

In that patent-application described skin-panel system, generally rectangular sub-frames which are effectively modular in nature, and which have been designed to work cooperatively with the specific placements of columns and beams in a main frame structure, are suitably attached in a row-and-column fashion (vertically and horizontally) to the outside surfaces of columns and/or beams, for the purpose of supporting whatever has been chosen to become the specific outside surfacing "skin" of the finished building. The present invention is directed generally to offering certain load-transfer connection improvements in the system described in this published patent application, and in particular, in the manners in which vertically next-adjacent panels become interconnected with one another. The invention also relates importantly to how these panels also are uniquely connected, in most instances, from the outside of a main building frame to inside the frame, and specifically to certain building infrastructure which, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, takes the form of poured-in-place concrete floor structures each of which reside at a different one of the story levels in a plural-story building. In some instances, where columns lie outside the plane where surfacing structure is placed, panel connections to the frame, and if desired directly to inside floor structure, will be routed appropriately differently in a manner to be chosen by the builder.. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a panel, or sub-frame, of the present invention is intended to be mounted on the outside (as distinguished from an alternative placement inside) of the columns in a building frame in much the manner generally described in the above-referred-to published patent application, and is illustrated herein, though this is no necessary constraint of the invention, to be formed with a panel height which is substantially the same as an integer multiple (illustrated

as one (1) herein) of the vertical spacings between stories, or floors, in a building. Thus, a panel, as described herein, essentially extends between two vertically spaced individual floors in a building, with an appropriate height to accomplish this. The panel, or sub-frame, of this invention may be designed to carry various kinds of outside surfacing structures which do not form any part of the present invention.

According to the invention, a main structural member in such a building panel (sub-frame) takes the form of an elongate, hollow, tubular (or like) member which lies at the top of the sub-frame with a horizontal disposition, and which is formed, in accordance with a preferred form of the invention, with two distributed rows of sets of preferably homogenously (or welded in place, if desired) threaded through-bushings (which can include welded-in-place through-bushings), one of which rows faces upwardly, and the other of which rows faces inwardly toward the inside of a building when the associated sub-frame is appropriately mounted on the associated building frame — specifically, on the outer side of that frame. These bushings, which are referred to herein collectively as interconnect-accommodating site structures, are organized into two, upwardly and inwardly facing sets (referred to herein as site- structure sets), and accommodate orthogonally related load-transfer connections (a) between vertically stacked, next-adjacent sub-frames, and (b) for the ends of elongate, lateral-extension rebar, or rebar-like, elements which extend horizontally inwardly and embeddedly into poured concrete floor structure which forms part of the main¬ frame-supported infrastructure in a building. As will become apparent to those skilled in the art, embedment in poured concrete is, of course, not the only successful manner for establishing structural ties to the ends of rebar, or rebar-like, elements.

The upwardly facing interconnect-accommodating site structures accommodate interfacial connections between the confronting upper and lower edges

of vertically next-adjacent sub-frames, and preferably, these interconnections between vertically next-adjacent sub-frames permit a limited amount of in-plane vertical and horizontal relative motions between adjacent panels. Such interfacial connections may be implemented through bolts (specifically illustrated herein), or through elongate, in-plane tongue-and-groove structures (not specifically shown herein). Such bolts and tongue-and-groove structures are also referred to herein as anchoring connector structure.

These and other features, and the attendant advantages, of and offered by the structure of the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, simplified, isometric view of a plural-story building structure main frame, looked at from the inside of that frame, and showing, very schematically, plural, vertically next-adjacent, skin-panel sub-frames which are constructed in accordance with the invention, and which are secured load- tranmissively in place relative to the building main frame also in accordance with preferred practice of the invention.

Fig. 2 presents a more detailed, enlarged, isolated, isometric view of a single one of sub-frames like those which are shown (three are shown) schematically in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged, detailed, fragmentary view, partly in cross-section, taken generally along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, generally on the same scale as that which is employed in Fig. 3, taken generally along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

It should be noted that the relative sizes and relationships of various components shown in these figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Turning now to the drawings, and referring first of all to Fig. 1, indicated fragmentarily and schematically generally at 10 is a plural-story building which includes a main frame 12 made up of plural, upright, laterally distributed, tubular columns, such as the two columns shown fragmentarily at 14, interconnected by suitable horizontally extending beams, which are not shown in this figure. Columns

14, are, of course, elongate and vertically upright, with these elongate columns having upright long axes, such as the two column axes shown in dash-dot lines at 14a in Fig.

1. Along the sides of frame 12, the upright columns distributed therealong lie generally in an upright plane which is the plane, for example that contains axes 14a in

Fig. 1.

Frame 12 has an inner side, or an inside, which generally faces toward the viewer in Fig. 1, and an outer side, or outside which faces generally in the opposite direction in Fig. 1. Thus, Fig. 1 presents an isometric view taken essentially from the inner side of frame 12. The outer sides of the outer columns in frame 12, such as the outer sides of columns 14, lie in what is referred to herein as a generally planar main frame expanse. In Fig. 1, essentially three stories of building 10 and frame 12 are illustrated generally at Si, S ₂ and S ₃ in this figure. These stories have what is referred to herein as an inter-floor story height H which is marked as can be seen for stories S ₂ and S ₃ in Fig. 1.

Suitably mounted on the outer sides of columns 14 in Fig. 1 are three generally planar, rectilinear (substantially square) skin-panel sub-frames 16, 18, 20

which are shown only in a very simplified form in Fig. 1, with sub-frame 16 being located, so-to-speak, within building story Si, sub-frame 18 being located within building story S ₂ , and sub-frame 20 being located in building story S ₃ .

Included, among other structure which will soon be described, in each of these sub-frames are elongate upper or overhead tubular beam components such as the three beam components shown at 16a, 18a, 20a for sub-frames 16, 18, 20, respectively. More will be said about the roles played by components 16a, 18a, 20a shortly with respect to the other drawings figures herein, as a more detailed description of each sub-frame is given. Sub-frames, such as sub-frames 16, 18, 20, are described herein as being modular in nature, and distributed over the outside of frame 12 in a state of column- and-row, vertical-and-horizontal, edge-by-edge adjacency, whereby the three sub- frames shown at 16, 18 and 20 are seen to occupy a columnar relationship, with sub- frames 16, 18 taking the form of a pair of sub-frames which lie in vertical next- adjacency, and sub-frames 18, 20 also so lying.

Shown at 22 in Fig. 1 is a fragment of yet another sub-frame which is similar to sub-frames 16, 18, 20, and which lies in a condition of lateral next-adjacency with respect to the right side of sub-frame 16 in Fig. 1. Sub-frame 22 includes an overhead beam component 22a which is like the other overhead beam components just mentioned above.

While it will be apparent that each of the sub-frames so far described herein has a vertical dimension which is substantially the same as inter-floor-story height H, it should be understood that different kinds of sub-frame dimensionalities can be selected for use if desired. Preferably, the vertical dimension of each sub-frame is an

integer multiple of story height H, and in the illustration presented in Fig. 1, the integer number is, of course, 1.

Included as building infrastructure which is located on the inside of frame 12, and which is supported on, or carried by, that frame in any appropriate manner, such as upon beam structure in the main frame which is not illustrated herein, are poured- in-place concrete floor structures, such as the floor structure shown generally at 24 (in two fragments) in Fig. 1. Essentially, for each story in building 10, a floor structure, like floor structure 24, is put into place, and as can be seen in Fig. 1 for floor structure 24, these floor structures lie substantially in vertically spaced horizontal planes which lie at substantially the same elevations where the sub-frame overhead beam components are also located. This is clearly pictured for floor structure 24 in relation to overhead beam component 18a in Fig. 1. Each floor structure has lateral edges, such as lateral edge 24a in floor structure 24, which lie inwardly of, and closely adjacent, the inner side of main frame structure 12, as such is defined by columns like the two columns shown at 14 in Fig. 1.

Still continuing with the description of what is shown in Fig. 1 , extending laterally and horizontally inwardly from each of the overhead beam components in the sub-frames are plural, laterally spaced, elongate rebar rods, or rebar-like elements, also referred to herein as load-transfer elements and as lateral extension elements, such as the elements shown generally and fragmentarily at 25 in Fig. 1. As will be more fully explained very shortly, the outer ends of these rebar-like elements (referred to hereinafter simply as rebar elements) are appropriately anchored to a sub-frame's overhead beam component, with inner ends of the rebar elements extending into and being embedded by and within the various poured-in-place floor structures. These rebar elements thus effectively extend through the plane occupied by the outer

columns in frame 12, between the outer-skin sub-frames and the inner-floor-structure infrastructure in building 10.

With a brief digression here made to Fig. 3, a dash-double-dot line 27 in this figure shows another form for a lateral extension element which is suitably joined to overhead beam component 16a as a cantilevered element. Fig. 3 also illustrates, by dash-dot lines 24a, the fact that floor structures 24 may receive edge form definition from overhead beam components, such as is illustrated with respect to beam component 16a in this figure.

Not specifically shown in Fig. 1, but now to be described in conjunction with the remaining drawing figures, plural bolt structures extend between the regions of interfacial vertical adjacency between next-adjacent sub-frames to anchor the base of each sub-frame to the top of the immediately below sub-frame. This arrangement, along with other details associated with the present invention, will now be described as Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are viewed and read in conjunction with Fig. 1. The particular sub-frame (of those three which are pictured in Fig. 1) which is specifically shown in Fig. 2-4, inclusive, is sub-frame 18. This sub-frame is seen to include, of course, overhead beam component 18a which forms the upper perimetral edge in sub-frame 18. The remainder of the perimetral edge structure in sub-frame 18 includes a pair of laterally spaced upright channels 26, 28, the lower ends of which are joined by a horizontal, upwardly facing base channel 30. Appropriately mounted and disposed inside the perimeter components of sub-frame 18 are other sub- frame components, shown generally at 32, which do not form any part of the present invention. These other components essentially give definition to the ultimate use to which a sub-frame, such as sub-frame 18, may be put. For example, with respect to

sub-frame 18, these other sub-frame components define a window opening which is shown generally at 34 in Fig. 2.

Shown fragmentarily at 16a in Fig. 2 is the previously mentioned overhead beam component which defines the upper edge in sub-frame 16. As can be seen, component 16a immediately underlies base channel 30 in sub-frame 18, and is connected to sub-frame 18 through channel 30 in a manner now to be described.

In Fig. 2, the hardware which is employed, in accordance with the invention, to establish a vertical next-adjacency interconnection between sub-frames 16, 18 is omitted, but is shown generally at 36 in Fig. 3. As will be explained more fully shortly, this interconnection hardware preferably includes threaded bolts, such as the bolt shown at 38 in Fig. 3, which bolts are also referred to herein as anchoring connectors. As was mentioned earlier herein, instead of using threaded bolts, elongate, in-plane, tongue-and-groove structures could be used if desired.

In the embodiment of the invention now being described, each overhead beam component in a sub-frame is formed as an elongate, generally square-cross-section, tubular element whose upwardly facing portion is provided with a plurality of laterally distributed apertures, referred to herein as interconnect-accommodating site structures, such as those shown at 40 in Fig. 2. These upwardly facing apertures in an overhead beam in a sub-frame are collectively referred to as a first site-structure set wherein the apertures define an upright interconnect plane, such as that shown by dash-dot lines 42 in Figs. 3 and 4.

Focusing attention again for a moment particularly on Fig. 3, and recognizing that this figure provides a cross-sectional illustration of the region of interconnection between channel 30 in sub-frame 18 and overhead beam component 16a in sub-frame 16, included in the upwardly facing portion of beam component 16a are plural

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apertures, such as aperture 44, which are generally the same in construction and distribution as are apertures 40 in beam component 18a. This region of interconnection in Fig. 3 is shown there in a somewhat exploded condition.

Preferably, the apertures which have been mentioned so far herein are formed in a special, through conventional, manner to create, with respect to an overhead beam component, a specially shaped, homogeneous aperture structure, such as is illustrated especially well in Fig. 3, utilizing the so-called FORMDRILL® thermo-drilling system which is described in literature of, and made available by, a company in Libertyville, Illinois know as Danly Tool and Equipment Inc. While such a technology is employed preferably to form the apertures discussed in the disclosure of this invention, it should be understood that other kinds of aperture formation, such weld attachment of appropriate bushings, may be used if desired. As can be seen in Fig. 3, aperture 44 is internally threaded to receive a bolt, such as previously mentioned bolt 38, and this condition for aperture 44 is the same in all of the other apertures employed herein in the embodiment of the invention which is now being described.

These apertures which are formed in the upwardly facing portions of overhead beam components in the sub-frames of the invention define elongate connection axes which lie in previously mentioned plane 42, with four of these axes being illustrated at 46, 48, 50, 52 in Figs. 1 and 2.

Similarly formed in the laterally inwardly facing sides of the sub-frames' overhead beam components are other linearly distributed interconnect- accommodating site structures in the form of apertures, such a apertures 54 shown in Fig. 2 in overhead beam component 18a, and aperture 56 shown in Fig. 3 in overhead beam component 16a. These laterally facing apertures, with respect to each overhead

beam component, are referred to collectively as another site-structure set, with these apertures defining generally horizontally disposed interconnect planes, such as the plane shown at 58 in Fig. 3. Planes 42, 58, as can be seen clearly in Fig. 3, lie in an orthogonal relationship with respect to one another. Retiming focus for a moment to base channel 30 in sub-frame 18, which base channel is representative of all base channels in all of the sub-frames being discussed herein, distributed laterally and spatially in the central web in these base channels is a set of apertures, such as those shown at 60 in Figs. 2-4, inclusive, which preferably are somewhat ovate in shape as illustrated especially well in Figs. 2 and 4. In an alternative form of the invention, ovate apertures 60 may be made as circular apertures, such as the single circular aperture shown in dashed lines at 62 in Fig. 4. These apertures provide slight amounts of lateral clearance for the threaded shanks in bolts, such as bolt 38, and the reason for this is to permit a modest amount of in-plane lateral relative motion between a pair of next-adjacent interconnected sub- frames. Specifically, such motion is permitted in a plane such as previously mentioned plane 42.

When sub-frames are appropriately mounted on the outside of a main building frame, bolts, such as bolt 38, are extended through the apertures provided in the base channels in these sub-frames, with these bolts then threaded into the related underlying aperture in an overhead beam component, such as into apertures 40, 44 discussed above. If desired, such a bolt interconnection may be made in a fashion which additionally permits a very slight amount of in-plane vertical relative motion between vertically next-adjacent sub-frames.

Elongate rebar elements, such as elements 25, possessing appropriately threaded ends are screwed into the laterally facing apertures in a sub-frame's

overhead beam component, such as within aperture 58 in overhead beam component 16a, with these rebar elements then extending inwardly in the building structure to become embedded in subsequently poured-in-place concrete floor structure, such as previously mentioned floor structure 24. It will be apparent that putting into place bolts such as bolt 42, and rebar elements, such as elements 25, can all easily take place from the inside of the emerging building structure.

What results from the introduction of the mentioned bolts and rebar elements, and subsequent to pouring in place of the various floor structures, is a unique inter- sub-frame connection which allows certain limited amounts of in-plane relative motion, and as well, a significant load-transfer horizontal connection between the overhead beam component in each sub-frame and the poured-in-place floor infrastructure within the associated building structure. These rebar implemented lateral connections thus provide outstanding load-handling conditions with respect to lateral loads, such as wind loads exerted on the outside surface of a finished building. In the described preferred embodiment of the invention, the rebar elements cross, in a normal angular sense, the plane of the outside of a building frame. In an alternative embodiment (not specifically shown in the drawings, but rather expressed in words), rebar-like elements may extend from panels that are disposed inwardly of a building frame also in a disposition which is generally normal to the outside upright plane of a building frame, but not necessarily across that plane.

Accordingly, while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, and certain modification suggested, it is appreciated that other variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.