FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the technical field of manufacture and construction of houses, in particular to a method of manufacture and construction of a house assembled from modules consisting of panels connected in a specific way and structural solutions related to this method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

This invention provides a method of manufacture and construction of a house, as well as technical solutions related to it. Panels which forms external envelopes, partitions of a house (floor, walls, pitched roof) are manufactured and connected by hinges, which allow panels to change the angle of inclination between them in order to form a module which connected with other modules on the construction site allows to construct a house of the desired area. Wall panels are folded to the inside of the house, placed on the floor panel, lower roof pitch panels are folded to the outside of the house, placed on wall panels, upper roof panels are folded to the inside of the house, placed on lower roof panels, panels of one side of the house placed on each other and prepared for transportation in this manner resemble a letter M turned on the side. When panels are delivered to the construction site, a lifting mechanism lifts the upper roof panel; folded panels unfold in a shape close to a shape of the house. Hinges are removed from unfolded panels, panels and modules are attached with fastening elements.

Such method of manufacture and construction of the house allows to manufacture external envelopes of the house in a closed room (e. g. in a factory) by providing the necessary environmental conditions for technological processes; it allows to manufacture houses at any season. The manufactured module is easy to transport because it fits into a transportation container and one lifting mechanism (crane, lift), which can lift panels to the required height is enough on the construction site. When panels are lifted, the folded module unfolds, then it is attached by fastening elements for permanent use, several modules are connected to form the house of the necessary area. The construction of the manufactured house on the construction site takes less time than the construction of a traditional house, performance, parameters of the constructed house do not differ from houses constructed by traditional methods, and the house is suitable for use in a cold climate.

Document US5461832 (published on 31 October 1995) provides a method of folding panels but it is inconvenient because it requires more auxiliary equipment than one lifting mechanism: lifting a central part by one lifting mechanism it will require another lifting mechanism for lifting at least one side of the house. We also see that in the cited solution, folded panels should be transported vertically (it limits the height of the building or causes inconvenience in the transportation of high loads) or horizontally (the delivered module must be put up vertically before unfolding), which requires another construction operation, which requires time and additional mechanisms.

Document EP2764170 (published on 12 April 2017) provides a solution of a foldable house. The provided foldable house does not have vertical walls, and because of the lower ceiling, there is a significant reduction in the usable interior area. In addition, the method of folding and unfolding of panels which form the module of the house is not suitable for a house with vertical walls. When the cited method of folding is used, it would not be possible to build an energy efficient house, since the cited method of folding is not suitable for panels of a larger thickness (20-30 cm). The envelope between different heights provided in the cited solution prevents easy unfolding of panels on the construction site.

Summarizing the related art according to the cited documents, the following deficiencies are distinguished:

- a house does not have vertical walls;

- a structure is not suitable for construction of a house in cold weather climate conditions, the method of folding and unfolding is not suitable for use with thick panels (of 20-30 cm thickness);

- more than one lifting mechanism is needed to construct a house;

- a module delivered to the construction site needs to be turned, and its position needs to be changed;

- a module is inconvenient to transport due large dimensions.

This invention provides a technical solution that does not have the above deficiencies.

SUMMARY This invention provides a method of manufacture and construction a house. The house is assembled from modules consisting of interconnected insulated panels. Panels are manufactured and arranged in the order required for transportation in order to form a folding geometric structure by attaching hinges to panels on the construction site, i.e. so that panels can be unfolded into a shape close to a shape of the house. Panels are unfolded on the construction site by using one lifting mechanism; hinges used for lifting are removed, instead of them fastening elements are used for attaching panels together and different modules together for existence of the house.

Such method of manufacture allows to manufacture and mount a finishing in a closed room, thus ensuring weather and environmental conditions required for manufacture of panels, quality control, standardization of manufacture and mass manufacture. Manufactured and folded panels are convenient for transportation, fit into standard-sized transportation containers, truck trailers/semi-trailers. Panels delivered to the construction site are easy and quick to mount, and this construction takes much less time than traditional construction methods. Such house does not require a complex warmed foundation. The constructed house is suitable for living in a cold climate, parameters and characteristics of usage of the house do not differ from houses constructed using traditional methods and similar materials and construction technologies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 provides a general schematic view of several interconnected modules with fastening elements and holes for screwing.

Figure 2 provides a schematic method of folding/unfolding of a module.

Figure 3 provides a general schematic principal view of lifting of hinges.

Figure 4 provides a general schematic principal view of a fastening element.

Figure 5 presents a general schematic principal view of an auxiliary support.

In figures:

1 - a module consisting of envelopes/panels;

2 - a hinge for connecting panels for lifting;

3 - a fastening element to attach panels to one another and adjacent modules;

3.1 - an external component of a fastening element;

3.2 - an internal component of a fastening element; 3.3 - a bolt with its nut for attaching of internal and external components;

3.4 - a bolt with its nut for connecting adjacent modules;

3.5 - a hole for tightening a bolt and its nut which connects different modules;

4 - a floor-forming panel;

5 - a wall-forming panel;

6 - a lower pitched roof panel;

7 - an upper pitched roof panel;

8 - a ceiling to separate different floors of a house;

9 - an auxiliary support preventing collision of panels during lifting.

The presented drawings are more illustrative, aiming to depict the general construction principle, it is not necessary to accurately depict each detail; scale, proportions and other aspects do not necessarily correspond to a real technical solution.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This invention provides a method of manufacture and construction of buildings and technical solutions, structural elements related to this method. Such buildings are more likely attributable to residential buildings, but can also be used for other purposes. When a house is constructed by this method, all external envelopes, partitions of the building are manufactured in a room (factory, plant), and it remains to assemble and construct a manufactured house on the construction site. This invention is most suitable for manufacturing and constructing a house, which has horizontal floors, vertical walls, and double-pitched roof. External envelopes, partitions of the house are manufactured in a factory, they are placed in a certain convenient way for transportation, they are connected by specially designed hinges on the construction site, so that they can be folded through those hinges with respect to each other, it remains to unfold envelopes, partitions, to attach them with fastening elements and to perform the rest of construction completion works.

The definition “panels/envelopes are folded” used in this description does not mean that panels/envelopes are folded through their plane; regarding the present invention, panels/envelopes are solid, stiff, and not capable of folding through their plane. Unless otherwise stated in the present invention,“panels/envelopes are folded” through hinges, which attach multiple panels/envelopes, they are folded against each other. In order to manufacture external envelopes, partitions of the building, which would fit into standard-sized transportation containers, trailers/semitrailers (or other cargo containers), dimensions for envelopes are selected to fit into the said transportation containers. By this method, envelopes which form one module (1 ) can be used to construct a part of the floor area of the house of 12 sq. m. Several modules are connected (Fig. 1 ) to increase the floor area of the building. As mentioned above, one module (1 ) consists of envelopes which form the horizontal floor (4), vertical walls (5), double-pitched roof (6), (7) in order to lift, to fold, they are interconnected by hinges (2), which are replaced with fastening elements (3) on the construction site.

In the present invention, the envelope, partition consists of a thermal insulation. Large planes of this thermal insulation are glued or panels that protect the thermal insulation from atmospheric exposure, fire and / or other effects are attached on them in other way, then an insulating material with glued protective panels around its small planes is framed by materials, structural elements which form a rigid frame. In the present invention, envelopes consist of SIP panels of polystyrene foam or PIR (polyisocyanurate) thermal insulation boards, MgO (magnesium oxide) or OSB (oriented strand) protective boards and framed LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) or glued wood boards, girders, beams. Envelope panels on the protective panels have external or internal finishing materials or other materials, elements for interior or exterior decoration of the house, for construction of engineering networks of the building. The aforementioned elements which form the rigid frame of the envelope panel of the house form an angle of 90° with their external small planes to the plane of the panel in the case where adjacent panels should form an angle of 90° or 180°. In other cases, when adjacent panels form angles other than the above mentioned angles of 90 ° or 180°, external small planes of the rigid frame form a different angle than 90 ° to planes of the panel.

In this invention, the definition“large planes” and“small planes” of the panel refers to the plane of the panel. The panel in its shape resembles a rectangle, but considering the fact that panels have a thickness of 20-30 cm, it would be more correct to call the said shape of the panel a cuboid (a three dimensional figure). Accordingly, two planes of the panel which form the envelope are called“large planes”, and planes which form the thickness of the envelope are called“small planes”.

As mentioned above, envelopes are connected to each other by hinges (2) (Fig. 3) for lifting, folding, so that envelopes can change the angle of inclination against each other, i.e. hinges (2) can be folded against each other. In the present invention, the said hinges (2) are attached to structural elements which form the rigid panel frame adjacent to small planes of the panel. Hinges (2) through which wall-forming panels (5) are attached to the floor-forming panel (4) are attached at the ends of the floor-forming panel (4), i.e. the floors is connected with walls. At the other end of the wall-forming panel (5), in the upper part of the vertically-mounted wall, hinges (2) through which double-pitched roof panels (6) and (7) are connected to the wall are attached. One of the roof pitches is formed by two panels (6) and (7), which are connected to each other by hinges (2) for lifting, folding. On the construction site, two panels, the lower (6) and the upper (7), which form one pitch of the roof, both mentioned panels (6) and (7) form one plane of the pitch. When a module (1 ) is constructed on the construction site, envelopes are attached to each other for permanent existence of the house; two panels which form planes of the different pitch are attached to each other using panel fastening elements (3). Hinges (2) are replaced by fastening elements (3); hinges (2) can be used again to lift, to fold the other module (1 ).

Two equivalent methods of using this invention are possible: when hinges (2) are attached to panels before transportation or when hinges (2) are attached to panels when they are delivered to the construction site, placed where the house should be built before panels are lifted, unfolded. Two methods of using the invention differ from each other only in terms of attachment of hinges (2). The most commonly used method when manufactured panels which form envelopes are arranged in the following order: the floor (4), on the floor (4) - wall-forming panels (5), lower roof panels (6), and upper roof panels (7). These panels shall be arranged in such order as hinges can be attached to them on the construction site without substantially changing the position of panels (2) with respect to each other. When hinges (2) are attached, upper roof panels (7) are lifted by the lifting mechanism and panels are unfolded to a shape close to a shape of the house. The below is provided another method when hinges (2) are attached to panels before transportation.

When panels which form envelopes are manufactured and connected with hinges, (2) envelopes, partitions are placed respectively on each other by folding hinges (2) to load the module (1 ) into the container. The floor-forming panel (4) of the house forms the base on which other envelopes are placed, folded (Fig. 2). On the horizontally placed side of the floor envelope (4), wall envelopes (5) of the building are folded towards the floor envelope (4), to the centre of the floor (4). Lower pitched roof panels (6) attached to wall envelopes (5) by hinges (2) are folded to the outside of the future building, i.e. they are placed on the wall-forming panels (5) from the centre of the floor envelope. Upper roof pitch-forming panels (7) are attached with hinges (2) to lower roof pitch-forming panels (6) and folded to the inside of the building towards the centre of the floor panel, are placed on lower roof pitch-forming panels (6). The floor panel(4), wall panel (5), lower (6) and upper (7) roof panels of one side of the house folded and prepared for transportation in this manner resemble a letter M turned on the side. Envelopes folded in this manner are suitable for standard-sized cargo carriers, such as a cargo container, truck trailer/semi-trailer or other.

Envelopes which form a module (1 ) delivered to the construction site are placed where the house should stand. Then upper roof panels (7) are attached to the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism lifts upper roof pitch panels (7), each of which is attached by hinges (2) at its other end to a lower roof panel (6), which is attached to the wall panel (5) by the hinge (2), which is attached to the floor panel (4) by the hinge (2). All panels (except floor panels (4)) lifted in this way unfold through hinges (2) to the position close to a shape of the house. Panels which were folded to the centre of the floor panel (4) for transportation are unfolded from the centre of the floor panel (4) to the outside of the building. Panels which were folded from the centre of the floor to the outside of the building for transportation are unfolded towards the centre of the floor to the inside the building. As mentioned above, when upper roof panels (7) are lifted, all panels unfold in a shape close to a shape of the house. Then workers, who construct the house, fix the position of wrongly unfolded panels and adjust the position of panels to the position required for construction of the house. When the lifting mechanism holds upper roof panels (7), used hinges (2) are removed, instead of them panels are attached by fastening elements (3), which ensure a stable position between panels.

Panel fastening elements (3) (Fig. 4) are designed for permanent attaching of panels. Fastening elements (3) attach adjacent panels of one module (1 ) so that they do not change the position with respect to each other and inclination angle, fastening elements (3) are designed for drawing up and attaching panels of one module (1 ) to respective panels of the other module (1 ) thus attaching one module (1 ) to the other. Fastening elements (3) of different geometric figures are used for attaching different panels, but functional components that compose the fastening element (3) are the same for all elements. The fastening element (3) for connecting two panels of one module (1 ) consists of the following functional components: a flat external components (3.1 ), flat internal elements (3.2), bolts with nuts (3.3) for connecting external (3.1 ) and internal (3.2) components, bolts with nuts (3.4) for connecting respective panels of different modules (1 ). External components (3.1 ) of the fastening element are placed on the outside of the panel which forms the rigid frame of the panel, i.e. on the outside of the panel, on the small panel plane. The internal component (3.2) of the fastening element is placed on the inside of the panel which forms the rigid frame, i.e. on the inside of the panel, on the small panel plane, i.e. between the element which forms the rigid frame and the insulation material. Internal (3.2) and external (3.1 ) fastening components enclose the rigid panel frame on two opposite sides; they are parallel to each other. Internal (3.2) and external (3.1 ) fastening components enclosing the rigid panel frame on two sides are attached to each other with bolts and nuts (3.3). Internal fastening components (3.2) are designed to provide a stronger, more robust rigging for attaching the external component (3.1 ) to the panel and the bolt (3.4) to attach two different modules (1 ) for a more robust mounting. The external component (3.1 ) using the internal components (3.2 is firmly attached to the panel. The external fastening component (3.1 ) is intended for the mutual position of the two panels adjacent to the same module (1 ), to form the angle of inclination. Two bolts of different modules (1 ) are tightly drawn up to each other and attached using bolts (3.4) which are placed in a hole that intersects the internal fastening component (3.2) of one panel, the rigid frame of that panel, the external component (3.1 ) of that panel, and the external fastening component (3.1 ), the rigid frame, the internal fastening component (3.2) of the other adjacent module panel. The bolt placed into the said hole is tightened by the nut (3.4), so that panels of different modules (1 ) are drawn up and tightly pressed together, and one module (1 ) is attached to the other.

In other embodiment, internal components (3.2) of the fastening element are used for attaching hinges (2). In this case, the internal elements (3.2) are placed and attached on internal sides of small panel planes, i.e. between the insulation material and a beam which forms the rigid frame. A bolt that crosses the internal fastening component (3.2), the beam which forms the rigid frame, the hinge (2), and the nut is screwed onto the bolt to attach the hinge (2). Then, when hinges (2) are replaced with fastening elements (3) on the construction site, the internal component (3.2) remains in place. When hinges (2) are removed, the external component (3.1 ) of the fastening element is screwed in through the same holes through which the hinge (2) was attached in the beam which forms the rigid panel frame by screwing bolts into welded nuts on the internal component (3.2). In order to attach the connected modules (1 ) to each other, to screw the nut, holes (3.5) are formed on panels that allow to reach the nut, bolt head. In order to facilitate the attachment of one module (1 ) to another, an elongate fastening element is used that is located on the small plane of the panel. Elongate elements of one module are inserted into the hole in the small plane of the panel of the other module (1 )·

The modules (1 ) are manufactured with spacers that ensure tightness between two different modules.

By this method of folding of panels, as provided in this invention, when upper roof panels (7) are lifted, an attachment point of the wall panel (5) and the lower roof panel (6) will move towards the centre of the floor panel (4), towards the longitudinal vertical plane of the centre of the house until it encounters with an attachment point of the wall (5) and the upper roof (6) of the other side of the house. Damage to panel structures may occur during such collision. An auxiliary support (9) is used to prevent this collision. The auxiliary support (9) (Fig. 5) consists of an elongate component which is attached with its ends close to the wall (5) and the junction point of the lower panel of the roof (6) by turning, attached to panels located on both sides of the house. The auxiliary support (9) is of such length that, with envelopes for transporting, the auxiliary support (9) can be easily mounted without the use of force in these places. When panels are folded, at the beginning of lifting, the said support (9) is compressed; the support (9) must be of such strength to withstand the said compression. The mounting of auxiliary supports (9) in panels is designed so that, until the support (9) is compressed during lifting, the support (9) is held at its anchorages. At the moment of lifting panels, when junction points of the wall panel (5) and the lower roof panel (6) of different sides of the house begin to move apart, the said support (9) is undamaged, it does not undergo any strain for a short time, and then the auxiliary support (9) should begin to stretch. The auxiliary support (9) is attached to panels in such a way that, at the time when the auxiliary support (9) no longer suffers stress, the support (9) should be detached from at least one panel attachment before starting to stretch. At the time when the support (9) is no longer exposed to strain, the junction point of wall panel (5) and the lower roof panel (6) shifts from moving towards the inside of the house to the movement to the outside of the house, during this transition, the support (9) detaches from at least one panel attachment.

When the module (1 ) is unfolded and attached with fastening elements (3), several modules (1 ) connected by their ends, a part of the house, which has a floor, side walls and a pitched roof, is created. Ends of the house remain open, so ends of the house need to be equipped with envelopes, partitions to form all the envelopes which form the house. The said envelopes of the end of the house may be transparent, made of glass packs, SIP panels of the appropriate form, other methods, structural materials, and construction materials can be used to construct, equip ends of the house.

By using the method of manufacture and construction of houses provided in this invention, it is possible to construct two floor buildings, where a part of envelopes on the second floor, which form a pitched roof, will be leaning against a vertical position. The second floor is created at a certain height inside the house by mounting a horizontal overlap (8) separating the first floor from the second floor. Mostly the overlap (8) which separates floors is mounted, attached to other envelopes at a junction point of the wall panel (5) and the lower roof panel (6). In this case, the first floor has vertical walls and horizontal ceilings, and side envelopes on the second floor are formed by pitched roof panels (6) and (7).

The new technical solution provided in this invention does not limit the number of floors of the building. Using the described method of folding and unfolding of panels, more than one panel can be used to form the wall of one side of the house; in this case the house will have as many floors as wall panels will be attached by hinges.

In order to illustrate and describe the invention, the description of the preferred embodiments is presented above. This is not a detailed or restrictive description to determine the exact form or embodiment. The above description should be viewed more than the illustration, not as a restriction. It is obvious that specialists in this field can have many modifications and variations. The embodiment is chosen and described in order to best understand the principles of the present invention and their best practical application for the various embodiments with different modifications suitable for a specific use or implementation adaptation. It is intended that the scope of the invention is defined by the definition added to it and its equivalents, in which all of these definitions have meaning within the broadest limits, unless otherwise stated.

In the embodiments described by those skilled in the art, modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of this invention as defined in the following definition.