Modular building structure and method

• US 4,744,182 A
• Filed: 02/28/1983
• Issued: 05/17/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trus-Us Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trus-Us Incorporated
• Inventors: Helfman, Robert, Shacket, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Murtagh, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rudy, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US06/470,276
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: 52/79.7, 52/79.8, 52/79.1, 52/79.9, 52/224, 52/236.3, 52/236.4, 52/143, 52/126.1
• US Class Current: 52/79.8
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/34815 Elements not integrated in a skeleton
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 1/005 Modulation co-ordination

Abstract

A building structure comprising a core unit including bathroom and kitchen facilities and a plurality of entrance and exit openings and a plurality of other separate building units having entrance and exit openings therein positioned adjacent the core unit and in communication therewith and with each other through aligned entrance and exit openings, separately constructed at a remote location and secured together in vertically adjusted level position at the building site. The invention further includes the method of constructing the building structure including the steps of constructing the separate core and other building units at a remote location, transporting them to a building site, locating them on foundation structures, vertically adjusting the individual structures and securing them together and subsequently adding additional other separate building units to expand the building structure.

Claims

1. Building structure constructed at a remote location as a plurality of separate rectangular stationary units each having four complete exterior walls extending around the complete exterior periphery thereof a floor and a roof and transported to a building site and connected together at the building site comprising a separate stationary, but transportable prefabricated core unit having four complete exterior walls extending around the complete exterior periphery thereof, a floor and a roof and including bathroom and kitchen facilities having utilities therein and a plurality of separate entry and exit openings therein and one or more separate stationary but transportable prefabricated other building units each having four complete exterior walls extending around the complete exterior periphery thereof, a floor and a roof and including at least two entry and exit openings therein and no bathroom or kitchen facilities therein juxtaposed with the core unit with adjacent exterior walls in surface to surface contact with the entry and exit openings in the other units aligned with entry and exit openings in the core unit and connected together with the core unit at the building site to form a single building wherein the separate building units all have different roof levels to facilitate connection thereof without joining their roofs.

2. Building structure constructed as a plurality of separate stationary units at a remote location and transported to a building site and connected together at the building site comprising a separate stationary but transportable prefabricated core unit including bathroom and kitchen facilites and including a complete exterior front wall, a complete exterior back wall and complete exterior first and second end walls, said walls extending around the complete exterior of the core unit, an entry and exit opening in the front and back wall immediately adjacent the first end wall defining a hall between the front and back wall, entry and exit openings in the first end wall adjacent the front and back walls, a bathroom opening into the hall adjacent the back wall, an entry off the hall and adjacent the front wall, an eating area adjacent the second end wall and front wall, and a kitchen area adjacent the second end wall and back wall and one or more separate stationary but transportable prefabricated other building units each including separate complete exterior front, back and end walls and having at least two entry and exit openings therein and no bathroom or kitchen facilities therein juxtaposed with the core unit with adjacent exterior walls in surface to surface contact and with the entry and exit openings in the other units aligned with entry and exit openings in the core unit and connected together with the core unit at the building site to form a single building.

3. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein one of the other building units is a living room/bedroom unit which is substantially rectangular and includes a front and a back wall and first and second end walls defining a living and bedroom area, entry and exit openings in the front wall of the one other building unit adjacent the first end wall and adjacent the second end wall of the one other building unit in alignment with the entry and exit openings in the first end wall of the core unit.

4. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein one of the other building units is a living room/bedroom, bedroom unit, which is substantially rectangular and includes a front wall, a back wall and first and second end walls, a closet partition extending between the first and second end walls of the one other building unit in spaced relation to the front wall and back wall thereof dividing the one other building unit into a living room/bedroom area and a bedroom area, entry and exit openings in the second end wall of the one other building unit substantially centrally between the closet partition and back wall and between the front wall and closet partition adjacent the closet partition of the one other building unit and aligned with the entry and exit openings in the first end wall of the core unit.

5. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein one of the other building units includes a living room/bedroom, bedroom, bedroom unit which is substantially rectangular and includes a front wall, a back wall and first and second end walls, a first and second partition substantially parallel to the front and back walls of the one other building unit extending between the end walls in spaced apart relation to each other and the front and back walls dividing the one other building unit into a living room/bedroom, a first bedroom and second bedroom, entry and exit openings in the second end wall of the one other building unit and between the front wall and first partition adjacent the first partition and between the first and second partitions adjacent the second partition in alignment with the entry and exit openings in the first end wall of the core unit and an entry and exit opening in the second partition adjacent the second end wall of the one other building unit.

6. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein one of the other building units is a bedroom, bedroom unit which is substantially rectangular and includes a front and a back wall and a first and second end wall and a closet partition extending between the front and back wall in spaced relation to the first and second end walls of the one other building unit defining a first bedroom and a second bedroom and a hall partition extending between the first end wall of the one other building unit and closet partition substantially parallel to and in spaced relation to the front wall of the one other building unit defining a hall with the front wall, an entry and exit opening in the hall partition adjacent the closet partition, an entry and exit opening in the closet partition between the hall partition and the front wall of the one other building unit and an entry and exit opening in the front wall of the other building unit adjacent the first end wall thereof in alignment with the entry and exit opening in the back wall of the core unit adjacent the first end wall of the core unit.

7. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the core unit includes a second entry and exit opening in the back wall thereof in the kitchen area and wherein one of the other building units is a living room/dining room unit which is substantially rectangular and includes a front and a back wall and a first and second end wall defining a living and dining area and entrance and exit openings in the front wall of the other building unit adjacent the first end wall of the other building unit and in spaced relation to but closer to the second end wall of the other building unit than to the first end wall of the other building unit which entrance and exit openings in the front wall of the one other building unit are aligned with the entrance and exit openings in the back wall of the core unit.

8. Structure as set forth in claim 2, and further including an entrance and exit opening in the other end wall of the core unit and a car port unit extending outwardly of the core unit from the second end wall of the core unit including a storage unit adjacent and extending substantially parallel to the back wall of the core unit.

9. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the separate building units all have different roof levels to facilitate connection thereof without joining their roofs.

10. Building structure constructed as a plurlaity of separate stationary units at a remote location and transported to a building site and connected together at the building site comprising a separate stationary but transportable prefabricated core unit including bathroom and kitchen facilities which core unit is substantially rectangular and includes a complete exterior front wall, a complete exterior back wall, and complete exterior first and second end walls, said walls extending around the complete exterior of the core unit , an entry and exit opening in the front and back wall immediately adjacent the first end wall defining a hall between the front and back wall, entry and exit openings in the first end wall adjacent the front and back walls, a bathroom opening into the hall adjacent the back wall, an entry off the hall and adjacent the front wall, an eating area immediately adjacent the second end wall and front wall, and a kitchen area adjacent the second end wall and back wall, separate stationary but transportable prefabricated other building units each including separate complete exterior front, back and end walls extending around the complete exterior of the other building units and having no bathroom or kitchen facilities therein juxtaposed with the core unit with adjacent exterior walls in surface to surface contact and connected together with the core unit at the building site to form a single building, one of which other building units is substantially rectangular and includes a complete exterior front wall, a complete exterior back wall and complete exterior first and second end walls and at least two entry and exit openings in the second end wall of the one other building unit aligned with the entry and exit openings in the first end wall of the core unit and a second of which other building units is substantially rectangular and includes a complete exterior front wall, a complete exterior back wall and first and second complete exterior end walls and an entry and exit opening in the front wall of the second of the other building units aligned with the entrance and exit opening in the back wall of the core unit.

11. Structure as set forth in claim 10, and further including an entrance and exit opening in the back wall of the core unit in the kitchen area and an entrance and exit opening in the front wall of the second other building unit aligned with the entrance and exit opening in the back wall of the core unit in the kitchen area.

13. Structure as set forth in claim 10, wherein the separate building units all have different roof levels to facilitate connection thereof without joining their roofs.

12. Structure as set forth in claim10, wherein the second other building unit includes an entry and exit opening in the first end wall adjacent the front end wall and further including a third other building unit which is substantially rectangular and includes a front and a back wall and two end walls, and an entrance and exit opening in the second end wall of the third other building unit, adjacent the front wall thereof in alignment with the entrance and exit opening in the one end wall of the second building unit.