Description

Field of the art

The present invention regards the field of civil and industrial installations. More precisely, the invention in question regards a modular construction system with couplings for the setup of surfaces that enclose and provide a structural base to installations, devices, technological systems and architectural finishes, thus eliminating the need for carrying out masonry works.

Prior art

A plurality of modular systems for the setup of partition walls, premises, open space environments, advertisement stands, panel claddings, and other temporary or permanent structures are known according to the current state of the art. Furthermore, recently the ever- increasing popularity of domotics and home automation, combined with the quick evolution of the internet network in a form of Internet of Things in the original sense or IoT more briefly, have allowed the entry of computerised systems that are integrated with the structure and the installations of the building in residential and business buildings as well as offices, with the aim of improving the living and work comfort, security and quality in the buildings. However, as of date the conventional construction technique commonly used for renovation, installations and home automation transition, reveals several critical factors that the present patent application aims at mitigating and eliminating. In particular one of the main obstacles in the construction industry has always been the entailed high implementation costs which often discourage modernising initiatives.

Besides being expensive, renovation works, especially if entailing structural changes to the distribution installations (water, energy, gas), also require specific professionalism which precludes the possibility of operating independently for most people. The demolition of a partitioning wall or carrying out an underground line for example, are activities that - though conceptually easy - require specialised interventions, often carried out by several professional figures. Costs and implementation times are bound to increase proportionally to the complexity of the works.

The technological update of the homes with the aim of implementing a given degree of automation is one of the most invasive and complex modifications, proportionally to how outdated the building and pre-existing installations are.

A further drawback of the conventional systems lies in the almost total lack of flexibility and re-adaptability, which are due to the static nature of the masonry works and which often force one to accept outdated style and architectural choices, without the actual possibility of dynamically adapting the residential spaces to the changing tastes of the occupants or possible buyers without incurring additional costs.

Though several patents addressing the matter are available internationally, such as the United States patent US2007077799, which aims at providing cladding modular panels including electrical panels, or patent n° US2017093100, regarding a modular system for obtaining partitioning walls containing electrical and electronic equipment and connections, it is clear that they only partly and unsatisfactorily address the problems and criticalities outlined up to now.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention, herein provided is a modular construction system which effectively overcomes the problems outlined up to now by means of modular elements that allow assembling surfaces suitable for obtaining masonry claddings, walls, partitions, modular furniture, office or shop booths, open spaces, exhibition stands, and other temporary and permanent structures. In the single modules it is possible to install ducts, cables, mechanical and electronic devices and the surfaces thus setup allow the flexible laying down and repositioning electrical installations, hydraulic installations, gas systems and electronic systems, sensors and telecommunication.

The invention applies to the field of civil and industrial installations, home automation, IoT, renovation and setup of residential environments, work environments as well as temporary and permanent installations.

The nucleus of the system is represented by modular blocks, that may come in different shapes and sizes, in turn divided into three levels: a base support, any internal devices and a cover panel. The blocks are conveniently assembled using a quick coupling system and they can be easily shapes using common work tools.

The first level of modular block is the support, which acts as an interface with the surface on which it is applied and it consists of two parts: a resting base and base suitable to house the technological devices or allow the through-passing of the installations (cables, pipes, ducts). Advantageously, the system provides for modules of different shapes and sizes to allow to cover each type of surface (corners, edges, curves). The application on existing walls occurs through an adhesive agent or, in case of independent installations, by means of a metal structure or other material using couplings to obtain self-supporting structures.

Advantageously, it is possible to configure the supports for the through-passing of power and data electrical cables, for the through-passing of pipings of the water system, gas ducts, conditioning ducts, for housing technological devices of any type, or - in case of the block should not contain anything - with a solid structure.

The support, based on the functionality provided for the block of the system, will have the following purposes:

- supporting and integrating the two upper levels (cover devices and panel);

- guaranteeing the anchoring, the through-passing and the distribution of the installation connection systems inserted into the block or into the system as a whole (electrical wirings, data and bus wirings, pipings, etc..);

- guaranteeing the housing and anchoring of the present technological devices (electrical controls, sockets, sensors, monitors, lights, control units, manifolds, etc..);

- allow to assemble the panels to each other with a coupling system, for example mechanical or magnetic, in a simple manner;

- insulating or comparting the distributions of the various installations (partitioning septa);

- serving as a passing level for heavy duty anchoring;

- insulating and protecting, both thermally and acoustically, the interior spaces from the neighbouring ones (external and adjacent rooms).

Lastly, it is conveniently possible, as a function of the type of structure to be set up, obtaining the support using materials that have a plurality of physical and mechanical characteristics, including but not limited to: lightness, mechanical resistance, thermal and acoustic insulation, eco-sustainability, fire resistance, ease of obtainment of shaped cuttings. The choice of implementation materials (plastic, rubber, natural or synthetic resins, polymeric materials, metal materials, composite materials, nanostructure materials, combination of the preceding elements) allows production using quick modelling technologies and with high economies of scale.

Above the support level it is possible to advantageously fit several technological and non- technological devices. In case of a structural block, the level of the devices may be occupied by a solid support. The devices, depending on the function, may be internal or external. The devices will be fully contained in the block, while the external ones, which generally provide a user interface (controls and/or displays), will have, on the cover panel, openings (partial or total) so as to allow the user to act directly on the device. All technological devices, whether active or passive, may suitably be interconnected by means of cables specially coupled on connectors or other quick coupling or conventional elements, with the aim of facilitating assembly and disassembly.

The modularity of the devices advantageously allows creating, right away, home automation installations or conventional installations that can be boosted subsequently to cover all present and future home automation and IoT trends. Among conventional devices that can be installed in the single block or in an assembly of blocks include, by way of example: thermostats, power sockets, switches, light points and spotlights, telephone plugs (twisted pairs) and Ethernet, recessed compartments, modems, wired routers and WiFi, wall-mounted vacuum cleaners, alarm sensors, biometric sensors. Furthermore, the flexibility of the block stmcture allows integrating devices for home automation solutions including but not limited to: touch screens, POV displays, video and photo cameras, wireless charging shelves and surfaces, virtual windows, digital frames, smart mirror, acoustic speakers (exposed or internal), air quality sensors, seismometers, vocal assistants, interactive surfaces, virtual boards, fire extinguishing systems.

The cover panel represents the third layer of blocks of the modular system and it represents the interface with the users of the devices and, more generally, of the environments; in the most common use, the function of the panel is aesthetic and functional to the device contained in the block, but it is possible that the panel itself be a device (e.g. light tile, touch screens, electronic boards, etc.).

The panel, which advantageously adds to the system a functional design level, applies to the underlying support by means of couplings of various types (magnetic, of the pressure type, clip type, etc.) and it is designed to be easily interchangeable, so as to confer a high customisation degree to the entire structure. In this sense, in order to obtain the cover provided for is a large number of materials (opaque, shiny, translucent, transparent, semi transparent, soft, hard, etc.) which also allow the drilling and machining without using particular instruments (for example using only one cutter). The surface finishes include a large number of models, colours and materials so as to conveniently cover the present and future needs of the technological and interior design market.

Given that the element is at direct contact with the users of the environment, the cover panel plays a major role in the modular system and carries out several essential functions including but not limited to:

- acting as a base for the application of plasters, wallpapers, colours and other conventional finishes;

- creating the outer skin of the system with finish characteristics that allow using materials of all types and different thicknesses, conferring great versatility to the structure;

- integrating and, possibly, making the devices (sensors, lights, manual controls, etc.) accessible to the users;

- being easily removable thanks to the quick coupling/decoupling systems

- containing identification tags detectable using NFC devices, to be associated to the control and maintenance application that allows to identify the installed devices;

- creating a technological grid that allows a mobile device to be physically located in an unambiguous manner in the space, thus allowing the use thereof in augmented reality (AR);

- guaranteeing the thermal and/or acoustic insulation (insulating and/or sound insulated materials).

Similarly to the support level, as concerns the cover too it is possible to advantageously use a wide range of construction materials that increase customisation options, such as for example: opaquer or transparent or semi-transparent, plastic, rubber, wood, glass, ceramic, resin, polymeric, synthetic and natural textile, paper, cardboard, celluloid, natural covering (skin, leather, fibres, wood, resins), stone, metal, composite materials (e.g. fibres and resins), combination of the preceding elements. The materials used will conveniently have different characteristics depending on the type of setup to be obtained and compatibly with the support structure, such as for example: prestigious finishes, lightness, high mechanical resistance, thermal and acoustic insulation capacity, eco-sustainability and recyclability, fire resistance, ease of obtaining shaped cuttings.

The modularity of the system allows forming the surfaces in a differentiated manner thus creating more articular areas, dedicated to the through-passing of installations and areas with the sole structural function. It is possible to house various installations and control systems, to meet several functional needs and to allow to interconnect the various elements. The convenient nature with several levels of modular blocks advantageously allows both the use of the systems already present in the market (dimensional compatibility of the components with the DIN standard, conventional wirings, etc..) and the use of specific components specifically designed for the system.

The system advantageously further provides for a control and diagnosis unit capable of mapping and preserving a diagram of all installed devices and the relative interconnections: once the walls are obtained and set up with the installation systems, it will be possible to manage and monitor the status of the various components both locally (through a multifunctional touch screen or based on a wired network) and in remote mode using a special software (using the system connectivity). The centralised management subsystem also allows to configure the operating parameters of the panels/system, according to the needs and/or utilisation logic thereof (addresses of switches, lights, sensors, etc.).

The control system can be accessed in three ways:

- locally through direct controls (physical systems present on the ground);

- in remote mode by connecting to a wen access portal protected by a password;

- by means of a special APP (mobile control panel).

Additionally, it is possible to connect some cladding panels to the control system thus allowing the identification of the installed devices by means of augmented reality systems that superimpose the technical information to each block of the surface. The development of software applications that assist the user in all implementation steps, including designing the surface, using devices and maintenance, is advantageously provided for to complete the modular system.

The system is conceived to maximise the simplicity of installation and maintenance and it does not require particular professional skills when laying down on site. The high customisation degree conferred by the multidimensional modularity of the blocks allows to adapt the structures to all construction needs and it advantageously allows to be able to assemble and re-assemble the surfaces at will (for example when moving out or refurbishing work environments) thus considerably saving time and resources. The versatility of the modular elements directly translates into saving management costs and allows the created structures to become part and parcel of the property with ensuing appreciation of the value of the property. A further advantage lies in the reduction of utility costs (electricity, water, gas) deriving from the possibility of controlling conditioning and lighting systems fully independently and based on programmes that can be configured on the control unit, provided with environmental sensors.

The modular system, in the various possible embodiments, also includes the possibility of advantageously implementing a network of sensors that analyse the quality of air and the presence of mites, molds, harmful fumes or off-scale amounts of gas (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, hydrocarbon gases), detect structural and seismic movements and control the activation of fire alarms and extinguishing systems, considerably increasing both the quality of the environment and the safety of the residents.

The advantages provided by the present invention will be clear in light of the description outlined up to now. Furthermore, they will be more apparent due to the attached figures and relative detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will be described hereinafter in at least one preferred embodiment, provided by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

- FIGURE 1 shows the modular block 400 broken down in the three levels: support 100, devices 200, cover panel 300. The figure also shows that the basic module for the wall- mounting 110 of the support, the cable glands/duct supports 120, a full module 130, internal electrical and electronic devices 201, external devices such as multiple electric sockets 251 and multipolar switches 254, a closed-type cover panel 301 and an open-type panel 302;

- FIGURE 2 shows the modular construction system in an exemplifying setup of a surface consisting of ten modular blocks 400 of various shapes and sizes, whose three levels are exploded: support, device and cover. Fitted onto the base support 110 is an internal device 201 by means of a bar 113; the block is closed by a full open panel with prestigious finishes 303 that houses an outer device 254 in turn connected to the adjacent blocks using cables and connectors 256. Additionally, shown is the through-passing for pipings 501, signal electrical cables 502 and power electrical cables 503 by means of a special cable gland support 120; - FIGURE 3 shows a possible configuration of the system comprising different types of blocks 400 used for obtaining a typical residential scenario. In particular, the following are numbered: a shelf 720 that uses four blocks 400 as support, a temperature and humidity sensor 701, a PIR sensor 702, a ultra-flat monitor/TV 704, a pair of speakers 703, multiple electric sockets 253, wall-mounted switches 254, lighting elements 707, video cameras 708, towel rails 718, electric windows and shutters 719, conditioning systems 709, a touch panel 705. The same figure also shows the support and interconnection support which connects the various devices beneath the panels 300 by means of signal electrical cables 502 or power supply electrical cables 503 or pipings 501. Shown are the primary electrical connection 710, the control unit 711, the primary router 715. All installations are remote- controlled using the device 713 and relative software application 712 that is connected to the control unit 711 by means of the router 715 with WiFi network access 714;

- FIGURE 4 shows the installation of blocks 400 on existing walls 805 by means of a construction adhesive agent 804 and the self-bearing wall-mounted configuration in which two blocks 400 in mirror-like fashion are anchored to the structural mesh 801. The following are shown: mechanical coupling 112 of the supports 110, brackets 802 which are coupled in the structure 801 by means of nodes 803 and couplings 111 of the cover panels;

- FIGURE 5 shows the configuration of the blocks 400 for displaying the configuration of the wall in augmented reality (AR) by means of a special device 601 provided with a photo camera 603 and a special software 602 that uses, as collimation devices, infrared 280 or radio frequency 281 emitters with the aim of precisely locating the device in the space by means of information flows 282.

Detailed description of the invention

Now, the present invention will be illustrated purely by way of non-limiting or non-binding example, with reference to the figures illustrating some embodiments regarding the present inventive concept.

With reference to FIGS 1, 2 and 4 herein presented is a possible embodiment of a modular block 400 representing the core of the proposed system. The block is conveniently divided into three functional and structural sub-levels:

- a support level 100, fixed to the wall by means of an adhesive agent 804 or configured to obtain self-supporting structures on structural meshes 801, which allows housing the internal and external components 200 and of the installations, kept in order by cable glands/ducts 120. Depending on the required functionality, the support can be filled using a solid module 130, or by means of quick coupling electrical solutions. The support 110 is conveniently provided with magnetic or mechanical couplings 111 for the quick application and removal of the cover panels 300 and it is provided with forced housing couplings 112 for assembling the blocks 400 to each other;

- a level of interchangeable devices 200 to be directly fitted onto the support 110 which could be internal 201 or external 253 and 254 and possibly provided with a user interface. The modular block 400 may advantageously contain both conventional devices and devices specifically designated and designed to ensure compatibility with the existing standards (DIN) by means of bars 113 inserted in the support; the devices can be connected in a wired or wireless fashion: in the first case the connection is facilitated by special connectors 256;

- a panel coverage level 300 representing the upper layer of the block and serves as an aesthetic finish and as a user interface of the blocks that provide for it. The cover 300, based on the intended use of the wall, can be obtained by means of closed panels 301 that allow the application of claddings, wallpaper and prestigious finish 303, or through open panels 302, that can have the same finish characteristics as the closed panels but envisaging external devices. The panel 300 conveniently adds a design functional level to the block and it applies to the support 100 by means of couplings of various types such as for example magnetic or mechanical clips 111.

The great potential of the modular construction system offers maximum performance in the specially designed configurations for specific installations, regarding which the utilisation and re-utilisation versatility, alongside the simplicity of assembly, represent a considerable advantage with respect to the state of the art. In this sense, with reference to FIG. 3, presented by way of non-limiting example is a possible embodiment of the construction system whose modular blocks 400 are specially configured for the setup of home automation environments in which all devices and actuators are controlled by a control unit 711 and connected to an IoT communication bus. Besides the previously outlined general elements, also present are specific solutions for cable glands 120, housings for electronic devices (control units, sensors, push button panels, etc.) with quick coupling connectors and circuit breakers, provisions for pipings 501 and supports for ventilation ducts. The configuration is completed by closing panels 300 with prestigious panels 303 and panels with openings 302 for external and internal devices.

Provided for the setup are a given number of subsystems and specific solutions: the main subsystem of the configuration presented herein is the integrated management and control subsystem which supplies, interconnects, monitors and manages all electronic, electromechanical and servo-assisted components in an integrated manner. The nucleus of the control subsystem is the main control unit 711, to which all peripherals are connected and from which signals for the actuators depart. A primary router 715 allows interfacing to the Internet network 714 and to the mobile devices 713 and it completes the accompaniment of the IoT systems with respect with the home automation systems. The user interface consists of a KVM ( Keyboard-Video-Mouse ) terminal integrated in a block 400 or in a specifically configured mobile device 713 and it allows the operator to access the functions of the software that communicates with the control unit 711. Said software allows to display, in a simple and user-friendly manner- the status of the entire infrastructure and it individually or simultaneously controls all subsystems and technological devices. Through the primary router 715 it is lastly possible to access a web server which allows the online publication of the same information accessible online.

A major advantage offered by the modular construction system lies in the possibility of incorporating, in a simple manner and without requiring masonry works, the technological and distribution installations of electrical, water and gas utilities, as well as conditioning systems, by means of the blocks 400 with provision of installations. Among others, the configuration includes:

- the primary electrical installation 710;

- the electrical distribution system 503 with possible subtraction counter for separating the users;

- a series of blocks 400 with an open cover panel 302 for electrical terminations such as electrical power supply sockets 253, multi-pole switches 254, USB ports, and wired connections;

- a series of blocks 400 with a cover panel that integrates light points, and lighting bodies 707 such as spotlights for example;

- a series of blocks with provision for ventilation ducts and wall-mounted conditioning devices 709;

- blocks with supports for ducts and supports containing piping sections 501.

All elements, both of the IoT and home automation type, are connected by means of a data bus 502 to the main control unit 711 for monitoring consumptions and for programming the dispensing of services by means of touch screen elements 705.

The system allows providing multimedia, leisure and entertainment environments by means of blocks of the multimedia subsystem including but not limited to:

- one or more touch-screen displays integrated in the panels 705;

- VoIP telephony directly connected to the network 714 by means of the primary router

715;

- contiguous blocks 400 with provision for mounting ultra-flat monitors/TVs 704 and electronic boards connected both to the network 714 and to the main bus 502;

- blocks 400 with integrated audio speakers 703 and HiFi system, which allows the reproduction of multimedia content and sound warnings generated by the control subsystem 711, as well as the possibility of activating calls and video calls in speakerphone mode;

- blocks 400 containing compartments for housing optical media readers and gaming consoles connected to the network 714 by means of a router 715.

The multimedia modular blocks 400 are easily accessible and they allow to update the integrated apparatus without requiring further installations.

The home automation environment is completed by a series of blocks 400 including a wide range of sensors, detectors and monitoring devices integrated in the centralised control system 711 with the aim of obtaining a complete information framework of the status of the premises and movements of the residents, so as to actuate event-action scenarios to optimise energy consumption and increase safety. The subsystem includes, but is not limited to:

- blocks 400 with closed circuit video cameras 708 for the surveillance of the premises and areas of interest. The modularity of the system allows to position the video cameras 708 in a simple manner without requiring providing further circuits or masonry works;

- panels 300 with infrared passive presence sensors (PIR) 702 which detect the presence of people in the field of action to activate, by means of a control unit 711, the lighting installations 707;

- panels 300 with biometric sensors with direct connection to alarm and assistance systems;

- blocks 400 with air quality detectors 701 for detecting the living conditions and the capacity to independently act by means of the control unit 711 by activating acoustic warnings 703 or servomechanisms for opening/closing fixtures and windows 719;

- panels 300 with temperature and humidity sensors for the smart control and management of the conditioning systems 709;

- panels 300 with smoke and gas detectors, connected to the acoustic speakers 703 for generating alarm messages and guide the present towards escape routes using a pre- determined configuration of the lighting blocks 707.

The extension of a series of software and applications divided as follows is provided alongside the modular construction system with couplings:

- a software, that can be integrated in the blocks 400, which allows to display the operational status of the entire infrastructure and individually or simultaneously controlling all subsystems and technological devices (IoT and home automation), in a simple and user-friendly manner;

- a software which, alongside specific configurations of the blocks 400, allows activating an augmented reality use mode 602 (reference FIG. 5), by means of which the user can use a mobile device 601 provided with a video camera 603 capable of detecting the information flows 282 generated by radio frequency 281 or optical 280 emitters, to auto-collimate and display the content and the operational status of each framed block in overlay;

- a design software, conceived for use on a dedicated processor or by a web application, specifically developed to facilitate the design and simulation of the environments and the subsequent order of the modular blocks.

Lastly, it is clear that the invention described up to now may be subjected to modifications, additions or variants obvious to a man skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection outlined by the attached claims.