Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B2/00—Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls
  • E04B2/02—Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls built-up from layers of building elements
  • E04B2/04—Walls having neither cavities between, nor in, the solid elements
  • E04B2/06—Walls having neither cavities between, nor in, the solid elements using elements having specially-designed means for stabilising the position
  • E04B2/08—Walls having neither cavities between, nor in, the solid elements using elements having specially-designed means for stabilising the position by interlocking of projections or inserts with indentations, e.g. of tongues, grooves, dovetails
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B2/00—Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls
  • E04B2/02—Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls built-up from layers of building elements
  • E04B2002/0202—Details of connections
  • E04B2002/0204—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B2/00—Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls
  • E04B2/02—Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls built-up from layers of building elements
  • E04B2002/0202—Details of connections
  • E04B2002/0204—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections
  • E04B2002/0215—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections with separate protrusions
  • E04B2002/0219—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections with separate protrusions of pyramidal shape

Definitions

• This invention relates to a building block, in particular a building block which is self-levelling and self-aligning.
• the dimensions to which these blocks have been designed do not allow enough space for expansion and shrinking due to heat and cold, as an example. This may also lead to deterioration of a structure built from such blocks.
• a generally parallelepiped-shaped building block having at least one male engaging formation defined on a first side thereof and at least one complimentary shaped female engaging formation defined on an opposed second side thereof, the engaging formations being shaped and configured to permit at least a portion of the, or each, male engaging formation of a similar building block to be received within the, or each, female engaging formation, the engaging formations shaped and configured to at least align engaged blocks with each other, and preferably also to level engaged blocks with each other.
• the building block to have six faces, comprising four side faces, an operatively upper face and an operatively lower face, and preferably for two of the sides faces to be generally square in shape and for the remaining two side faces to be generally rectangular in shape, the two square side faces comprising end faces of the block.
• engaging formations to be defined on the upper and lower faces, and preferably for the male engaging formation to be defined on the upper face and the female engaging formation on the lower face.
• each, male engaging formation to comprise a protrusion
• female engaging formation to comprise an aperture
• the male engaging formation to extend from the upper face and for the female engaging formation to extend into the lower face
• the protrusion extends to a height above the upper face that is greater than the depth to which the aperture extends into the lower face, so that a protrusion of one block is only partly receivable within an aperture of another block, to engage therewith, thereby providing for a predetermined gap to be defined between the upper face of the one block and the lower face of the other block.
• the invention also provides for the protrusions and the complimentary shaped apertures to be round, square, alternatively hexagonal or octagonal in cross section, or of other suitable shape.
• the protrusion is in the form of a truncated pyramid, its truncated end and sides operatively being in abutment with the end and sides, respectively, of the complimentary shaped aperture.
• end of the truncated pyramid to be complimentary shaped to the end of the aperture, and preferably for the two ends to be flattened, to operatively level engaged blocks with each other.
• each corner is flattened to an edge and further preferably the apertures have complimentary flattened corners.
• the building block to preferably have a pair of male engaging formations and a pair of female engaging formations.
• protrusion to extend to about 60 mm, and more preferably about 40 mm, above the upper face of the building block, and for the aperture to extend to about 50 mm, and more preferably to about 30 mm, into the lower face of the building block, operatively providing a gap of about 10 mm between the upper and lower faces of engaging building blocks which may be filled with mortar.
• a block according to the invention has a height of about 75 mm.
• finishing block complimentary to building blocks as defined above, the finishing block comprising a generally parallelepiped-shaped building block having at least one female engaging formation defined on a first side thereof, the female engaging formation being shaped and configured to permit at least a portion of the, or each, male engaging formation of a similar building block to be received within the, or each, female engaging formation.
• base complimentary to a plurality of building blocks as defined above, the base comprising a strip having a series of protrusions extending from it, the protrusions being complimentary shaped to apertures of the building blocks as defined above, to operatively be used a base layer for a structure onto which buildings blocks as defined above may be secured by means of mortar.
• the invention also provides for a construction system comprising at least a plurality of building blocks as defined above, and preferably including a base and a layer of finishing building blocks engaged with each other by means of the complimentary engaging formations and secured to each other by means of mortar.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building block in accordance with this invention
• Figure 2 is a side elevation of the building block of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of two building blocks of Figure 1 on top of which a third block of Figure 1 is located in engagement with the two bottom blocks and with mortar filling the gap between the blocks; and
• Figure 4 is a side elevation of the building blocks of Figure 3.
• a building block (1 ) is shown in Figures 1 and 2.
• the block (1 ) is generally parallelepiped shaped and has two male engaging formations (2) one an operatively upper face (3) thereof, as well as two female engaging formations (4) on an operatively lower face (5).
• the block (1 ) also has four side faces (6, 7), of which two are end faces (6A, 7A).
• the upper face (3) and lower face (5) are opposed faces.
• the male (2) and female formations (4) are shaped and configured to permit only a portion of each male formation (2) to be received within a female formation (4).
• the male formation (2) comprises a truncated square pyramid (8) which extends from the upper face (3) of the block (1 ).
• the female formation (4) comprises an aperture (9) which extends into the lower face (5) and which is complementary shaped to the truncated pyramid (8).
• the height to which the pyramid (8) extends above the upper face (3) is greater by a small amount than the depth to which the aperture (9) extends into the lower face (5), to provide a gap (10) which may be filled with mortar (1 1 ) during construction of structure made form the blocks (1 ).
• a structure (12) may be formed with a plurality of the building blocks (1 ) stacked on each other with the male formations (2) of two blocks (13A, 13B) extending into the apertures (4) of one block (14) above it.
• the design of the block (1 ) ensures that they are all aligned consistently, both horizontally and vertically.
• the blocks (13A, 13B, 14) are levelled to each other by means of the flat ends of the truncated pyramids (8, 9), and the blocks are aligned with other by means of the flattened side faces of the pyramids (8, 9).
• the aperture (9) is referred to as a pyramid here since it is a negative of a pyramid.
• gaps (10, 15) may be filled with mortar (1 1 , 16) as per normal procedure during construction.
• the block (1 ) design ensures consistent alignment, and that the gaps (10, 15) between adjoining blocks are also consistent. This ensures consistent strength in a wall made from the blocks and also adds to the aesthetic appeal of the structure (12).
• a structure built with blocks according to the invention will appear like a conventional brick wall, which adds to the appeal of using these blocks.
• the construction is also simplified significantly since the blocks are self-aligning and self- levelling. This means it is possible for unskilled workers, to construct a house, for example.
• a base layer which includes a series of spaced apart truncated pyramids extending from it, it is possible to essentially form the foundation layer for a wall. Once the base layer is level and straight, it is possible for unskilled workers to construct the remainder of the structure.
• the engaging formations also provide greater strength to a structure constructed using these blocks, since lateral movement is not only restricted by the mortar between blocks but also the engaged formations.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Finishing Walls (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=39877972

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2007
  • 2007-02-23 WO PCT/IB2007/050582 patent/WO2007096835A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-02-23 AT AT07713168T patent/ATE538265T1/de active
  • 2007-02-23 EP EP07713168A patent/EP1996774B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2007-02-23 US US12/224,307 patent/US20090113836A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-02-23 AU AU2007219124A patent/AU2007219124A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-02-23 AP AP2008004624A patent/AP2008004624A0/xx unknown
• 2008
  • 2008-11-24 ZA ZA200809929A patent/ZA200809929B/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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