ARCHITECTURAL BUILDING BLOCK

• US 20170247874A1
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spherical Block LLC
• Original Assignee: Spherical Block LLC
• Inventors: Roberts, Peter Andrew, He, Wanrui, Jessop, Nolan Andrew, Patel, Sanket T., Wessner, Alexander Karl, Roberts, Nicholas Stephen, Byrne, Patrick Richard, Boyuk, Pavel, Monk, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,809,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/02 Structures consisting primarily of load-supporting, block-shaped, or slab-shaped elements E04B1/32 - E04B1/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/32 Arched structures; Vaulted structures; Folded structures E04B1/345 takes precedence; vaulted roofs E04B7/08
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3211 Structures with a vertical rotation axis or the like, e.g. semi-spherical structures
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/08 by interlocking of projections or inserts with indentations, e.g. of tongues, grooves, dovetails
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/327 comprised of a number of panels or blocs connected together forming a self-supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/3276 Panel connection details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/0204 Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/0265 Building elements for making arcuate walls
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 7/10 Shell structures, e.g. of hyperbolic-parabolic shape; Grid-like formations acting as shell structures; Folded structures buildings E04B1/32
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/00 Building elements of block or other shape for the construction of parts of buildings of relatively thin form E04C2/00; structural elongated elements designed for load-supporting E04C3/00, e.g. columns or pillars E04C3/30; manufacture or material of building bricks, stones, or the like B28, C03, C04; paving elements E01C; general building constructions E04B, e.g. walls E04B2/00, floors E04B5/00, roofs E04B7/00, ceilings E04B9/00; roof coverings E04D; coverings for walls or ceilings E04F13/00; floorings E04F15/00; structural elements specially designed for built-in conduit shafts E04F17/00; elements for buildings for particular purposes E04H7/00; special elements for building ovens or furnaces F24B, F27D

Abstract

An architectural building block including a generally triangular block having an outer wall, an inner wall disposed in substantially parallel configuration with respect to the outer wall and three side walls, each adjoining the outer wall and the inner wall. One of the side walls includes dual inverse mirror planes and each of the other two of which includes a single inverse mirror plane. At least one the side walls is configured to be positionable so as to mate with a side wall of an abuttingly disposed block, whereby curved structures may be constructed from a plurality of such blocks to form a dihedral angle between each set of two blocks. In one embodiment, the inner wall further includes at least one depression disposed on the inner wall of the block.

Claims

1. An architectural building block comprising a generally triangular block having an outer wall, an inner wall disposed in substantially parallel configuration with respect to said outer wall and three side walls, each side wall adjoining said outer wall and said inner wall, two of said side walls comprising a single inverse mirror plane, wherein at least one said side wall is configured to be positionable so as to mate with a side wall of an adjacently disposed block, whereby curved structures may be constructed from a plurality of such blocks to form a dihedral angle between each set of two blocks.

2. The architectural building block of claim 1, wherein a third side wall of said side walls comprises dual inverse mirror planes.

3. The architectural building block of claim 1, wherein the area of said outer wall is greater than the area of said inner wall.

4. The architectural building block of claim 1, wherein said inner wall further comprises at least one depression.

5. The architectural building block of claim 1, wherein each of said side walls further comprises a channel connecting said outer wall and said inner wall, said channel is configured for accommodating a tensile element.

6. An architectural building block comprising a generally triangular block having an outer wall, an inner wall disposed in substantially parallel configuration with respect to said outer wall and three side walls, each side wall adjoining said outer wall and said inner wall, one of said side walls comprising dual inverse mirror planes, wherein at least one said side wall is configured to be positionable so as to mate with a side wall of an adjacently disposed block, whereby curved structures may be constructed from a plurality of such blocks to form a dihedral angle between each set of two blocks.

7. The architectural building block of claim 6, wherein each of the other two of said side walls comprises a single inverse mirror plane.

8. The architectural building block of claim 6, wherein the area of said outer wall is greater than the area of said inner wall.

9. The architectural building block of claim 6, wherein said inner wall further comprises at least one depression.

10. The architectural building block of claim 6, wherein said dual inverse mirror planes further comprise two pairs of sub-surfaces, each having an inflexion axis, each of said pairs of sub-surfaces is configured to straddle said inflexion axis.

11. The architectural building block of claim 10, wherein said pairs of sub-surfaces are coaxially disposed along said inflexion axis of said each pair of sub-surfaces.

12. The architectural building block of claim 10, wherein each of said pairs of sub-surfaces of said dual inverse mirror planes comprises a keyway and a key, each keyway of one of said pairs of sub-surfaces is configured in a shape complementary to said key of the other one of said pairs of sub-surfaces such that when the keyway of one block may be mated with the key of an adjacently disposed block.

13. The architectural building block of claim 10, wherein each of said pairs of sub-surfaces of said dual inverse mirror planes comprises a keyway and a key.

14. The architectural building block of claim 10, further comprising a channel disposed along said inflexion axis of one of said pairs of sub-surfaces, said channel is configured for accommodating a tensile element.

15. The architectural building block of claim 6, wherein said dihedral angle ranges from about 1 degree to about 12 degrees.

16. An architectural building block comprising a generally triangular block having an outer wall, an inner wall disposed in substantially parallel configuration with respect to said outer wall and three side walls, each side wall adjoining said outer wall and said inner wall, one of said side walls comprising dual inverse mirror planes and each of the other two of which comprises a single inverse mirror plane, wherein at least one said side wall is configured to be positionable so as to mate with a side wall of an adjacently disposed block, whereby curved structures may be constructed from a plurality of such blocks to form a dihedral angle between each set of two blocks of from about 1 degree to about 12 degrees.

17. The architectural building block of claim 16, wherein said dual inverse mirror planes further comprise two pairs of sub-surfaces, each having an inflexion axis, each of said pairs of sub-surfaces is configured to straddle said inflexion axis.

18. The architectural building block of claim 17, wherein said pairs of sub-surfaces are coaxially disposed along said inflexion axis of said each pair of sub-surfaces.

19. The architectural building block of claim 17, wherein each of said pairs of sub-surfaces of said dual inverse mirror planes comprises a keyway and a key, each keyway of one of said pairs of sub-surfaces is configured in a shape complementary to said key of the other one of said pairs of sub-surfaces such that when the keyway of one block may be mated with the key of an adjacently disposed block.

20. The architectural building block of claim 17, further comprising a channel disposed along said inflexion axis of one of said pairs of sub-surfaces, said channel is configured for accommodating a tensile element.