Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
: / \
3~
..
:,.
The present invention relates to a prefabricated modular building
~ composed of a roof, a floor and vertical panels assembled together.
:. Buildings of this type are already known which are used for example
on sites, to produce accomodation with sanitary equipment, rest rooms,
canteens, as well as offices, laboratories, workshops, etc... Heretofore
known buildings of this type are not designed to have a long li-fe dura-
tion and, after they have been used a few times at different spots,
; requiring dismantling and re-assembly operations, they generally prove
to be unsuitable for subsequent use. Futhermore, their comfort is scanty
and aesthetic qualities mediocre.
'','~:
The present invention intends to remedy these drawbacks by providing
a robust building which is economical to manufacture, easy to assemble
and dismantle, and able to be used a large number of times without its
intrinsic features of comfort and solidity being altered.
To this end, this prefabricated modular building, generally paralle-
lepipedic in form, comprising a roof, a floor and vertical panels, as
well as means for assembling these various elements together, further
comprises four vertical corner elements placed respectively at the four
corners of the building, extending over the whole height of the vertical
panels and forming ties between the roof and the floor, and vertical
securing members anchored, at one of their ends, in one of the horizontal
elements (roof or floor), passing vertically through each corner element
and blocked, at their other ends, in the other hori~ontal element (floor
or roof).
,;~;
All the elements constituting the building according to the invention
;~ are advantageously made of moulded plastic material. Due to the provision
of ribs judiciously placed on the roof and the floor, these elements of
i., .
the building are extremely rigid and allow the assembled building to be
transported.
To obtain this rigidity, the floor is provided with at least two
downwardly projecting longitudinal ribs, also called "skids", and, in
the body of the material constituting the floor, two transverse tunnels
allowing the whole of the building to be handled and transported by
means of a fork-lift truck.
The roof, also made of moulded plastic material, is provided along
its edges with ribs which define with one another a central recessed
part collecting therain water which is canalised towards channels opening
out at right angles to guttering provided in the gables of the building.
.. . .
. ;
,:
-, - 2
.;',-.'','. ,' , ~ .
. . : . : . , - . , . : ,
i~
3 ~ ~
The invention will be more readily understood on reading the
following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which :
~ ig. 1 is an exploded view in perspective, with parts
torn away, of a corner of the prefabricated modular building according
to the invention.
Fig. 2 is a partial vertical and longitudinal section
along line II-II of Fig. 1.
ig. 3 is a vertical and longitudinal section of the
whole of the building according to the invention.
` Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along line IV-IV of Fig. 3.
--` Fig. 5 is a partial plan view, on a larger scale, of the
end part of the roof.
. ~ Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of a gable of the building
according to the invention.
,~ Fig. 7 is a section through the join of two panels,
,`~., ~
~r','~. Referring now to the drawings, Figs 1, 3 and 4 show the prefabricated
~ building according to the invention, which comprises a floor 1 and a rooE
;~^ 2, of generally rectangular form, which are assembled together by means
- of four vertical corner elements 3, so as to form a substantially paralle-
~i, lepipedic structure. The side and front faces of the building are closed
;~ respectively by long-side panels 4 and gable end panels 5 which extend
` ~ ~ between the corner elements 3;
~; According to one of the features of the invention~ the floor 1 and
roof 2 are joined together, in the four corners of the building, by means
of vertical ties 6, constituted for example by cables, which extend in
vertical passages 7 made in the wall of the corner element 3, and the length
; of which is greater than the height of this corner element, so much so
that each tie 6 projects at each end of said latter. ~t its upper end,
;i the tie 6 is provided with a head 6a whLch is embedded and anchored in
`i~ a hole 8 provided in a rib 9 or 19 of the roof 2, as will be seen herein-
after, This head 6a may be in the form of a wedge as shown in the drawing,
or a hook gripping on a rod extending across the hole 8.
In its lower part, the vertical tie 6 is provided with a threaded
portion 6b which is engaged in a vertical passage 11 made in the border
12 of the floor 1 and on which a tensioning nut 13 is screwed.
' The floor 1 and the roof 2 are assembled with the corner elements 3,
`, the long-side panels 4 and the gable end panels 5 by the interlocking
of ribs provided on the horizontal edges of ~he vertical elements, and
;~ corresponding grooves provided along the periphery of the floor L and
roof 2~
All the elements constituting the building according to the inven- --
, tion are advantageously made of moulded plastic material.
- 3
.-.~ ' . ., ~ .
36;Z~6
The floor 1 is moulded in one pie~e with two lower longitudinal
members 14, 15, also called "skids", which serve to tak~ up the
stresses during shifting and transport of the building. These skids
14, 15 are in fact constituted by lower longitudinal ribs extending
over the whole length of the floor 1, and on the inside, as may be seen
in Fig. 2, various fluid admission and evacuation pipes 16 may be housed
inside the skid.
In the body of the floor 1 are also provided two transverse tunnels
17, 18 open to the outside and allowing the handling of the building by
means of a fork~lift truck, the respective sprongs of which may engage
.,
; in the tunnels 17 and 18.
The roof 2 which is also moulded in one piece, in rectangular form,
comprises on its periphery two longitudinal ribs 9 and two transverse
~ ribs 19, located at right angles to the sub-jacent vertical panels,
4 these latter ribs defining with each other, in the central part of the
roof, a recessed zone forming collector for rain water.
To ensure the evacuation of the rain water thus collected, channels
may be provided in the peripheral ribs of the roof 2, which channels
are connected to vertical guttering incorporated in the outer surface
of the corner elements 3, These channels 23 which are made at the ends
of the transverse ribs 19, thus open out at right angles to vertical
guttering 24 formed in the actual body of each corner element 3, on the
; transverse face thereof.
The vertical guttering 24 may be leEt open towards the outside or
may be covered w;th a vertical plate 25 thus defining a drainpipe for the
rain water.
The central part of the roof 2 which is defined between the peri-
pheral ribs may be totally flat or may have a central zone 26 which
;; projects slightly but not exceeding the height of the peripheral ribs
9, 19. This central zone 26 may have two surfaces regularly inclined
from the centre towards the gable panels 5 in order to promote to flow
of the rain water, This slightly projecting eentral ~one thus deEines
i wLth the peripheral ribs long:Ltudinal and ~ransverse grooves 27 and 28
respectively, collecting the rain water and conducting it to the channels
23 Inside the longitudinal and transverse ribs 9 and 19 respectively,
illuminating tubes 29 (Fig. 2) may be housed, separated from the interior
by ~ransparent sheets 31.
The long-side panels 4 and gable end panels 5 are made in modular
form ; they have the same width and the same height. Like the roof and
floor, they are made of moulded plastic material.
. The manner in which two adjacent long-slde panels are assembled
together will now be described with reference to Fig 7.
~ 4
,`'`''
; ~ :
~ 6 ~ 6
'' .
.
The system of assembly comprises two sections 41, 42, for example
made of aluminium, of substantially omega cross-section. In other words,
they have a central U-portion extending laterally in opposite directions
by two outer flanges.
Each of the sections 41, 42 is so placed that the central U-portion
;. ~ is engaged in two opposite rabbets 43, essentially ~ade in the edges of
; the panels 4, and that the two side flanges of the section are placed in
two other rabbets 44 of smaller depth than the rabbets 43 and extending
essentially in the front faces of the panels 4.
-! The two panels are then assembled together by securing the two sec-
tions 41, 42 ~ - by means of securing members such as screws 45
extending between the two opposite vertical edges 4a of the two panels.
The screw or bolt 45 passes through the holes made in the central U-
~- portions of the two sections 41, 42. The head of the screw or bolt
and the nut are then concealed by clips 46 which avoid any disconnec-
tion of the outer and inner bare parts of the panels at right angles to
the joins.
`~ A glass fibre cover is added at right angles to each assembling
device, when the outer and inner rough rendering is made , to conceal
the joins.
,~,,",,. .
.. . :
.. :,. ', . .
, ............................................................ .
i ....i
:',,.", .
,,. .
"": ~
.. , ~
,.,, i
~'."''
,,.,, ~'.
:~` L
i !
;;` 1
,
.. . i
;,
;, ..
,.. ~ ~ . . . . .
~ s . . . - - - - . f
t,.
.:
,.
~'`'' .
~ ~ . . . . .
