Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02631455 2008-05-16
File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
Title of the Invention
[0001] Structural Element for the Construction of Log Type Houses
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
[0002] There are no cross-related applications.
Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention generally relates to structural elements, and
more
particularly to a structural element for the construction of log type houses.
Background of the Invention
[0004] Conventional building techniques, featuring, for example, wood frame,
precast
and/or concrete block construction are relatively complicated and labor
intensive. As a
result, construction costs continue to escalate.
[0005] Traditional log homes remain popular as an alternative to more common
building
techniques. Nonetheless, wood log construction can also be intricate and time
consuming.
The individual logs must be precisely cut and shaped. Often a considerable
amount of
material is wasted in the construction process. The configurations and layouts
available
using log construction are also quite limited. And because traditional log
homes are
composed of wood, they are very susceptible to fire damage.
[0006] Log homes have been in existence and common use for centuries.
Originally, log
cabins were built in wooded areas where there was a large supply of wooden
logs from
trees. Because log homes are still considered versatile, energy efficient
structures, many
modern improvements have been made to the log home. The majority of the
improvements attempt to minimize the amount of labor involved in erecting a
log home
while improving the overall integrity of the structure.
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File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
[0007] A problem with the structures disclosed above is that most of them
require a great
deal of on-site construction and labor. In the areas where log homes are very
popular, the
weather tends to limit the amount of building time available in a given year.
Another
disadvantage is that many of those structures do not use real wood logs, but
instead use
building panels that simulate the appearance of a log home. Therefore, what is
needed is a
structural element that may be prefabricated and that do not need any special
or unusual
skills or tools to construct a log house or the like.
Objects of the Invention
[0008] A first object of the present invention is to provide a structural
element for the
construction of a log house or the like.
[0009] A second object of the present invention is to provide a structural
element which
is prefabricated and inexpensive.
[0010] A third object of the present invention is to provide a structural
element with
which it is easy to construct a log house or the like with no need to use
special tool or
with no need to have unusual skills.
[0011] Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will
be obvious
upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or
will be
indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to
herein will occur
to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.
Summary of the Invention
[0012] The aforesaid and other objectives of the present invention are
realized by
generally providing an insulated structural element for the construction of
log like houses
or the like, the structural element having a cross-section, the structural
element being
adapted to be disposed one on top of another one, the cross-section of the
preferred
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File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
structural element comprising a L-shaped top surface, a L-shaped bottom
surface, a first
portion extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, a second
portion
extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and wherein the
cavities
formed by the top surface, the bottom surface, the first portion and the
second portion are
filled with an insulating material.
[0013] The structural element of the present invention is used to construct
walls of log
houses or the like. As used herein, the word `log' refers to any structural
element having
a general configuration which is log like and not limited to logs made of
wood. The
structural elements are disposed one on top of other as usually seen in log
houses. The log
like structural element comprises structural portions and insulating material.
The
insulation coefficient of the structural element of the present invention may
be adapted to
a plurality of climate by varying the insulation properties of the insulating
material. This
is a notable advantage compared to logs made from wood, more particularly in
extreme
climates to control the internal temperature of the log house. Indeed, in
colder climates
such as in the northern parts of America and Europe, a higher insulation
coefficient may
be choosen.
[0014] Another advantage is that the structural element of the present
invention is not as
sensible as a wood log to the variations of volume following the variations of
temperature
and of humidity rates. This minimizes the risk of openings or cracks that
appear between
adjacent logs thus improving the insulation properties of the log house.
[0015] To provide good structural properties to the wall of the log house,
internal
portions may be added into the structural element. For example, the structural
element
may further comprises a third portion and a fourth portion extending from the
bottom
surface and the top surface, the upward extremities of the third portion and
the fourth
portion being perpendicular to the top surface. Other examples are detailed in
the
preferred embodiment section and are not limited to these examples. The
internal portions
are made preferably from the same material as the external portions. External
portions are
preferably made from aluminum because it is light and easy to shape but other
materials
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Date: 16-05-2008
may be used. The different portions may be glued together or welded to improve
the
structural integrity of the structural element.
[0016] The insulating material is preferably a foam type so that the
structural has good
insulating properties and is still light weighted. The foam may be of the
expandable foam
type such as, for example, urethane. The foam may also be provided in block
form, the
blocks having a shape that is complementary to the cavities of the structural
element and
that are inserted into the structural element.
[0017] The structural element may be made by folding a metal sheet or by
assembling a
plurality of portions together. In both case, the structural element may be
welded or glued
at the junction of different portions. The structural element may also be made
by forming
a tubular section in which sections may be inserted to improve the structural
integrity.
The structural element may also be extruded. There are many glues available
for metals,
and more particularly for aluminum there are glues in the family of, for
example, epoxy
(ex: Hysol TM), polyurethane, acrylic, or silicon.
[0018] Problems with thermal bridges can be readily overcome or minimize by
using
methods known in the art. One example is detailed in the preferred embodiments
section.
[0019] Because the structural element is constructed, it is possible to create
almost any
profile, such as rounded-like logs. The structural element may comprise built-
in
clapboard so the external look of the log house is different from the log
house type.
[0020] It is also possible to laminate actual wood strips onto the outside of
the structural
elements to create a wood log appearance.
[0021] It is very easy to construct a log house with the structural element of
the present
invention. There is no need to have the unusual skills or tools usually needed
for the
construction of log house because the structural elements are ready to use and
just have to
be installed one on top of the others.
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CA 02631455 2008-05-16
File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
[0022] The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel
are set forth
with particularity in the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0023] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention
will
become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being
made to
the accompanying drawings in which:
[0024] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0025] Figure 2 is a top view of the metal sheet used which is folded to
create the
structural element of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.
[0026] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.
[0027] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a variation of the embodiment
shown in
Figure 1, wherein the sides of the structural element are rounded.
[0028] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the a variation of the embodiment
shown in
Figure 1, where the structural element further comprises a clapboard.
[0029] Figures 6 and 7 are a front view and a perspective view of an end cap.
[0030] Figure 8 is cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the
present
invention.
[0031] Figure 9 is cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the
present
invention.
[0032] Figure 10 is a schematic view illustrating a method to construct or
produce the
structural element of the present invention by press-forming.
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File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
[0033] Figure 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the structural
element.
[0034] Figure 12 is a top view showing the metal sheet used to construct or
produce the
embodiment of the structural element shown in Figure 11.
[0035] Figures 13a to 13c are a front view and two perspective views,
respectively,
showing a method to construct or produce the structural element of the present
invention.
[0036] Figure 14a is a side view showing the structural element.
[0037] Figure 14b is a perspective view showing the structural element of the
present
invention with an end cap.
[0038] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing structural elements as used to
construct a
wall.
[0039] Figure 16 is a perspective view showing a structural element on which a
strip of
wood laminate is applied.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
[0040] A novel structural element will be described hereinafter. Although the
invention is
described in terms of specific illustrative embodiment(s), it is to be
understood that the
embodiment(s) described herein are by way of example only and that the scope
of the
invention is not intended to be limited thereby.
[0041] Figure 1 illustrates the structural element of the present invention.
The structural
element has a generally L-shaped element with a top surface 120 and a bottom
surface
122, the top surface 120 and the bottom surface 122 are L-shaped and are
connected by
two portions, a first portion 160 and a second portion 162 extending between
them. The
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File number: I I 357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
structural element is adapted to be disposed on the top of another structural
element, the
top surface 120 and the bottom surface 122 having a complementary shape.
[0042] A vertical portion 105 extends between the top surface 120 and the
bottom surface
122. A third portion 110 and a fourth portion 112 extend between the top
surface 120 and
the bottom surface 122, their upward extremities being perpendicular to the
top surface
105. The cavities 132, 134, 136 and 138 are filled with an insulating material
(not
shown).
[0043] The embodiment shown in Figure 1 may be made by folding the metal sheet
shown in Figure 2. The metal sheet 200 is folded along the horizontal lines
illustrated in
Figure 2 to create the structural element of Figure 1. Glue may also be
applied where the
surfaces of the metal sheet are in contact (150, 152, 154).
[0044] The Figure 4 shows an embodiment similar to the one presented in Figure
1,
except that the sides are rounded, providing a different look. The structural
element is
preferably welded along its length at the intersection of the different
portions such as
indicated by the welding cords 142, 144, 146 and 148.
[0045] In Figure 5, a clapboard portion 210 is added to the structural element
to give
another look. The clapboard portion 210 illustrated is shown as being vertical
once
installed but it may be oriented differently. The clapboard portion 210 is
preferably
integral to the structural element although it could be an add-on made of the
same or
different material as the structural element. It could even be made out of
real wood.
[0046] Figures 6 and 7 show an end cap used to cover the extremities of the
structural
element. The end cap has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the
cooperating
structural element. The end cap may be fixed to the structural with, for
example, glue or
be welded to it. The lines illustrated 280 on the end cap may be added to
simulate a wood
beam.
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File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
[0047] In Figures 8 and 9, transversal portions are added to the structural
element. In
Figure 8, substantially horizontal portions 202 and 204 are extending between
the top
surface 120 and the bottom surface 122. In Figure 9, there are vertical
portions 206 and
208 extending between the top surface 120 and the bottom surface 122.
[0048] Figure 10 illustrates another method to produce the structural element
of the
present invention. The tube 300 is pressed to obtain the desired external
shape of the
structural element 302. The internal portion 304 is then inserted in the
external portion
300 and preferably welded to it as shown by the welding cords 310, 312, 314
and 316.
The internal portion 302 illustrated may be composed by a plurality of parts.
These parts
may be assembled and welded before they are inserted in the external portion
or after. It
is to be understood that it is possible to have other configurations for the
internal portion.
[0049] Figure 12 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The
structural
element 352 is made by folding a metal sheet 350 shown in Figure 11 along the
horizontal lines. The structural element 352 is preferably welded as shown by
the welding
cords 360.
[0050] In Figures 13a to 13c, another method is shown for the construction of
the
structural element. The structural element 406 is made from a first part 402
and a second
part 404. To minimize problems caused by thermal bridges, non-conductive
elongated
parts 420 and 422 are fixed to the second part 404. The elongated parts 420
and 422 are
made from a material such as polyamide, for example, and may be reinforced
with
fibreglass. Receiving elongated parts 424 and 426, adjacent to the first part
402, are
adapted to receive the elongated parts 420 and 422. Prior to join the first
part 402 to the
second part 404, an adhesive is applied on the elongated parts 420 and 422
and/or
(depending of the instructions for the adhesive used) on the receiving
elongated parts 424
and 426. As previously mentioned in the summary, the adhesive may be, but not
limited
to, an epoxy or polyurethane. The receiving elongated parts 424 and 426 may be
added to
the first part 402 or may be unitary with the first part 402. As shown in
Figure 13c, the
thermal flux is stopped or minimized at the junctions 410 and 412 of the
elongated parts
420 and 422 and the receiving elongated parts 424 and 426.
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File number: 11357-003
Revision: 4
Date: 16-05-2008
[0051] The structural element shown in Figures 14a, 14b and in Figure 15
comprises two
inverted `V' notches 502 and 504 allowing the structural elements to be
disposed one on
the other. Indeed, the notches 502 and 504, which are transversal, have a
shape which is
complementary to the shape of the top surface 510 of the structural element
500. The
notches may be done by, for example, sawing the structural element to create
the desired
shape for the notches. The structural element 500 of Figure 14a and 14b
comprises an end
cap 154. When the structural elements are stacked one on the other, to seal
the opening
made by sawing the structural element, a seal joint may be add between
adjacent
structural elements. The openings could also be sealed prior to be assembled
by applying
a layer of sealing material such as epoxy. In an other embodiment, a plate
having a
complementary shape is welded to the structural element, closing the opening
created by
sawing the notches.
[0052] The structural element 525 shown in Figure 16 is covered by a strip of
wood
laminate 530. The strip of wood laminate 530 is fixed on the structural
element 525 with
methods known in the art, such as with an adhesive adapted for wood laminate
and
aluminum (for a structural element made of aluminum).
[0053] While illustrative and presently preferred embodiment(s) of the
invention have
been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the
inventive concepts
may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims
are
intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited
by the prior
art.
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